DOHA, Qatar (AP) — For all the attacking power that Brazil brought to the World Cup, the defense has been impressing the most for the five-time champion in Qatar.
DOHA, Qatar (AP) — With a post-game hug, Robert Lewandowski paid respect where it was due. Guillermo Ochoa had done it again at the World Cup.
Mexico's stalwart goalkeeper stopped Lewandowski, one of the game's best strikers, on a second-half penalty kick that preserved a scoreless draw between El Tri and Poland.
A look at what’s happening in the Champions League on Wednesday:
GROUP A
Napoli has already qualified for the last 16 and will be joined by Liverpool if the English team avoids defeat at Ajax.
FC Dallas forward Jesús Ferreira has been named Major League Soccer's Young Player of the Year.
Ferreira had 18 goals this season to match the franchise record. His goals were the third-most for any player under 22 in league history.
GENOA, Italy (AP) — Former Lazio and Inter Milan midfielder Dejan Stanković was appointed coach of last-placed Serie A club Sampdoria on Thursday.
Stanković replaced Marco Giampaolo, who was fired following a 3-0 loss at home to promoted side Monza last weekend.
MILAN (AP) — Thiago Motta’s first match in charge of Bologna ended in disappointment as his team hit the woodwork twice in a 1-0 defeat at home to fellow struggler Empoli in Serie A on Saturday.
Filippo Bandinelli’s second goal in as many matches was enough to give Empoli its first win of the season.
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Atlanta United forward Thiago Almada was included in Argentina's 28-man squad Thursday for two World Cup warm-up matches to be played in the United States this month.
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Thiago Almada scored in the 72nd minute and Raul Gudino stopped three shots as Atlanta United beat Orlando City 1-0 on Wednesday night.
Orlando's loss clinched a playoff berth for the New York Red Bulls, the team's 13th consecutive postseason appearance.
ATLANTA (AP) — Juan Purata scored three goals in the second half to help Atlanta United beat Toronto 4-2 on Saturday.
Thiago Almada gave Atlanta a 3-2 lead in the 74th and Purata's third goal came in the 88th to cap the scoring for United (9-12-9).
BOLOGNA, Italy (AP) — Former Paris Saint-Germain and Italy midfielder Thiago Motta will be named Bologna’s new coach, replacing the fired Siniša Mihajlović.
LONDON (AP) — Substitute Ben Chilwell scored one goal and set up the winner for Kai Havertz as Chelsea rallied for a 2-1 win over West Ham in the English Premier League on Saturday, although the Blues had a disputed VAR decision to thank for the victory.
SOUTHAMPTON, England (AP) — Chelsea squandered a lead to lose 2-1 at Southampton and continue its inconsistent start to the Premier League season on Tuesday.
Goals by Romeo Lavia and Adam Armstrong saw Southampton recover from going behind to a 23rd-minute strike from Raheem Sterling, who now has three goals since his move from Manchester City and has been one of Chelsea's few successes this season.
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Alejandro Pozuelo scored his first two goals of the season, including the match-winner in the 84th minute, and Inter Miami rallied to beat New York City FC 3-2 on Saturday.
A look at what’s happening in European soccer on Saturday:
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL
Liverpool's injury concerns have eased ahead of the final against Real Madrid in Paris, with midfielders Fabinho and Thiago Alcantara back in full training.
LIVERPOOL, England (AP) — Liverpool midfielder Thiago Alcantara could be fit for the Champions League final against Real Madrid despite missing training on Wednesday because of injury.
The Spain international came off with an Achilles tendon injury in the 3-1 win over Wolverhampton on Sunday but Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said the problem “was not that bad.”
If Liverpool’s first two journeys to the Champions League final under Jurgen Klopp were characterized by chaos, then the third — likely to be completed on Tuesday — ought to be defined by control.
And no one is bringing more control to this remarkable quadruple-chasing team than Thiago Alcantara.
NEWCASTLE, England (AP) — Liverpool kept its quadruple hopes alive with a 1-0 win over Newcastle on Saturday to maintain pressure on Premier League title rival Manchester City.
BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Top-ranked Novak Djokovic dug deep for the second match in a row to reach the semifinals of the Serbia Open with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 win over Miomir Kecmanovic on Thursday.
Kecmanovic won the opening set without facing a break point, but Djokovic finally showed signs of getting back to his best in the second and then won the final four games of the decider in what was just his sixth match of the year.
NEW YORK (AP) — Valentin Castellanos became New York City FC's first player with a four-goal game, and Real Salt Lake was sent to its worst margin of defeat in a Major League Soccer match with a 6-0 rout Sunday.
SOUTHAMPTON, England (AP) — Chelsea consigned Southampton to its latest humiliating defeat in the Premier League, with the 6-0 thrashing on Saturday proving good shooting practice ahead of a must-win Champions League in midweek.
SEATTLE (AP) — Albert Rusnák and Jordan Morris scored in the first half, Nicolás Lodeiro converted a penalty kick midway through the second half, and the Seattle Sounders beat New York City FC 3-1 on Wednesday night in the first leg of the CONCACAF Champions League semifinals.
LONDON (AP) — Liverpool reignited the Premier League title race and came within a point of the top spot with a 2-0 win over Arsenal on Wednesday after scoring two second-half goals to extend their winning streak to nine games.
Liverpool hasn’t been this close to Manchester City in three months.
The gap is down to one point in a Premier League title race that looks set to go down to the wire after Liverpool’s 2-0 win at Arsenal on Wednesday.
NEW YORK (AP) — Santiago Rodriguez delivered a pivotal goal in a 4-1 win for New York City FC over CF Montreal on Saturday.
Rodriguez's goal put NYCFC (1-1-1) ahead for good at 2-0 in the 20th minute.