Football
2011 News

Barca Prove Their Quality
FIFA World Club Cup Final
Santos 0-4 Barcelona
December 18 2011 - Yokohama, Jpn
Lionel Messi scored two goals, sandwiched by efforts from Xavi and Cesc Fabregas as European champions Barcelona claimed the global title in a one-sided climax against Copa Libertadores winners Santos. World Club Cup history

Universidad Meet the Challenge
Copa Sudamericana Final, 2nd leg
Universidad de Chile 3-0 LDU Quito (Universidad win 4-0 on agg)
December 14 2011 - Santiago, Chl
Eduardo Vargas and Gustavo Lorenzetti scored as Universidad lifted the Copa for the first time in front of 50,000 at the Estadio Nacional. Vargas had given the Chilean club a crucial lead in the away leg. Copa Cudamericana (South American Cup) history

Maghreb Grab Confed Crown
CAF Confederations Cup Final, 2nd leg
Maghreb 1-0 Club Africain (Agg: 1-1. Maghreb win 6-5 on penalties)
December 4 2011 - Fes, Mor
Moroccan side MAS Fes clinched the Confederation Cup in dramatic style against Club Africain of Tunisia 6-5 on penalties at Fes Stadium. Moussa Tigana scored the only goal of the 2nd leg forcing the game to be decided on penalties.

Colo Colo Lift the Copa
Women's Copa Libertadores Final
Colo Colo 0-1 Sao Jose
November 27 2011 - Sao Jose dos Campos, Bra
A goal early in the second half from Polianna handed the host club the South American titl againts their Chilean opposition.

Esperance Triumph
CAF Champions League Cup Final, 2nd leg 
Wydad 0-1 Esperance
November 12 2011 - Casablanca, Mor
Tunisia's Esperance claimed their first African title in 17 years thanks to Ghanaian Harrison Afful's 21st minute goal. The first leg in Tunis was goal-less. Esperance will represent Africa at the Club World Cup in Japan. Wydad played most of the game a man down after defender Mourad el Massane was sent off at the end of the first half. CAF Champions League history

Sadd Make Qataris Happy
AFC Champions League Final
Sadd (Qat) 2-2 Jeonbuk (Kor). Sadd won 4-2 on penalties
November 5 - Jeonju, Kor
Sadd became the first club from Qatar to claim the premier Asian club title with a penalty shoot-out victory. Algeria's Nadir Belhadj converted the crucial spot-kick to silence the 41,000 crowd, after Lee Seung-Hyun had forced extra time with a last-gasp equaliser. Sadd had seen off Suwon Bluewings in the semis, Jeonbuk beat Ittihad. AFC Champions League history

Uzbeks upset Kuwaitis
AFC Cup Final
Nasaf Qarshi (Uzb) 2-1 Kuwait (Kwt)
October 29 - Qarshi, Uzb
An Uzbekistan club got its name on the AFC Cup roll of honour with Nasaf's victory on home turf at the Markaziy Stadium. Ilkhom Shomourodov and Andreijs Perepjotkins were the goal scorers. AFC Cup history

Jeronimo's Charge Takes Mexico to Victory
Men's Pan American Games Final
Mexico 1-0 Argentina
October 28 - Guadalajara, Mex
A goal from Jeronimo Amione was enough to see the host nation to triumph at the jalisco Stadium. Mexico's Oribe Peralta finished as top goal scorer in the tournament.

Canadians Claim First Pan-Am Gold
Women's Pan American Games Final
Brazil 1-1 Canada (Canada won 4-3 on penalties)
October 27 - Guadalajara, Mex
Sophie Schmidt stroked home the deciding penalty as Canada won the Pan-Am title for the first time. Christine Sinclair's late goal had equalised Debora De Oliveira's third minute strike for the Brazilians.

Taiwanese Find The Power
AFC Asian Presidents Cup Final
Phnom Penh Crown (Cbd) 2-3 Taiwan Power (Twn)
Kaohsiung, Twn
September 25 2011
Ho-Ming Tsan scored twice as Kaohsiung-based Taiwan Power delighted their home fans to lift the Presidents Cup for the first time. Presidents Cup history

Messi and Fabregas See Off Nine-man Porto
UEFA Super Cup
Barcelona (Esp) 2-0 Porto (Prt)
Monte Carlo, Mco
August 26 2011
Lionel Messi's polished first half strike and new signing from Arsenal Cesc Fabregas' skilful volley allowed Barcelona to add the Super Cup to their Champions League triumph against Porto, the Europa League holders. Super Cup history

Internacional Win Brazil-Argentina Battle
Recopa Sudamericana Final, 2nd leg
Internacional (Bra) 3-1 Independiente (Arg)
Porto Alegre, Bra
August 24 2011
Leandro Damiao scored twice as 2010 Copa Libertadores champions Internacional overcame Copa Sudamericana kings Independiente at Beira-Rio to lift the South American "Super Cup", overturning the 2-1 advantage the Argentines held from the first leg.

Uruguay Lift The Copa
Copa America Final
Uruguay 3-0 Paraguay
Buenos Aires, Arg
July 24 2011
Diego Forlan scpored twice and Luis Suarez once as Uruguay claimed the South Americvan crown. Peru beat Venezuela in the third place match between the surprise semi-finalists. Host nation Argentina and Brazil both went out in the last eight.

Japan Make States Pay the Penalty
FIFA Women's World Cup Final
Japan 2-2 USA (after extra time, Japan won 3-1 on penalties)
Frankfurt, Ger
July 17 2011
SakiKumagai slotted the all-important penalty to win Japan the Women's World Cup, the first Asian nation to do so. Alex Morgan for the States and Aya Miyama had scored in normal time before Abby Wambach and Homare Sawa ensured a gripping climax with scores in the extra half-hour. Three Americans missed from the penalty spot, while just one Japanese failed.
Women's World Cup history

Mexico Hit Gold Standard
CONCACAF Gold Cup Final
Mexico 4-2 United States
Pasadena, Usa
June 25 2011
Mexico retained their North and Central America title with a flurry of four unanswered goals in front of a 93,000 crowd at the Rose Bowl. The US were 2-0 up after 23 minutes thanks to strikes from Michael Bradley and Landon Donovan but Pablo Barrera and Andres Guardado netted before the break to equalise and a further Barrera goal and one from Giovani Dos Santos sealed victory. Manchester Utd's Javier `Chicarito` Hernandez was named the tournament's "Most Valuable Player". CONCACAF Gold Cup history

Santos Claim Copa Glory
Copa Libertadores Final, Second Leg
Santos (Bra) 2-1 Penarol (Ury)
Santos, Bra
June 22 2011
Goals from Neymar and Danilo gave Santos its third South American title, but first since 1963. After the first leg in Montevideo and opening half at Vila Belmiro both ended goal-less the tnsion was high but Brazil star Neymar scored shortly after the break and Danilo's dribble and shot confirmed victory. Copa Libertadores history

Barca Outclass United
UEFA Champions League Final
Barcelona (Esp) 3-1 Manchester Utd (Eng)
London, Eng
May 28 2011
Goals from Pedro, Lionel Messi and David Villa gave Spanish champions Barcelona a fourth European crown at Wembley. Wayne Rooney responded for England's finest, equalising Pedro's early strike, but Barca ran out deserved winners at the venue where they had achieved their first title. Champions League history

French Get Their Revenge
UEFA Women's Champions League Final
Lyons (Fra) 2-0 Turbine Potsdam (Ger)
London, Eng
May 26 2011
Lyons avenged their defeat in last year's final with a deserved victory at Fulham's Craven Cottage. Goals in either half by Wendie Renard and Lara Dickenmann made sure that the French club would become the sixth to lift the trophy. Women's Champions League history

United Lift Trophy as Duo exit
FA Premier League Final Day
May 22 2011
Manchester United, already confirmed as champions before the final day, lifted the trophy for the 12th time after beating Blackpool at Old Trafford to send the seasiders down to the Championship. Blackpool will be joined by bottom club West Ham and Birmingham City, who were sunk by Spurs 2-1 in the last minute at White Hart Lane as they chased a winning goal that would have kept them safe and sent Wolves down. Chelsea, Manchester City (for the first time) and Arsenal will join Man Utd in the UEFA Champions League next season. Spurs, Stoke City and Birmingham will take part in the Europa League with another club to fill the Fair Play spot. FA Premier League history

Porto Win Portuguese Final
UEFA Europa League Final
Porto (Prt) 1-0 Braga (Prt)
Dublin, Irl
May 18 2011
A first-half goal from Falcao was enough to give Porto a second UEFA title in the final against their northern Portugal neighbours at the Aviva Stadium. Europa League history

City End 35-Year Wait
FA Cup Final
Manchester City 1-0 Stoke City
London, Eng
May 14 2011
Yaya Toure, the man whose goal was enough to beat bitter rivals Manchester United in the semi-final at Wembley, repeated the trick in the final itself as City won their first major trophy since they lifted the League Cup in 1976. FA Cup history

Monterrey Continue Mexican Rule
Concacaf Champions League Final, 2nd leg
Real Salt Lake (Usa) 0-1 Monterrey (Mex) (Monterrey win 3-2 on aggregate)
Sandy, Usa
April 27 2011
Mexicanclub Monterrey claimed their first continental title thanks to Chilean Humberto Suazo's goal just before half time at Rio Tinto Stadium in Utah. it's the seventh successive season a Mexican side has lifted the trophy.
Concacaf Champions League history

Auckland Claim Oceania Crown
Oceania Champions League Final, 2nd leg
Auckland City (Nzl) 4-0 Amicale (Van) (Auckland City win 6-1 on aggregate)
Auckland, Nzl
April 17 2011
New Zealand's Auckland City will play in December's FIFA World Club cup after easily overcoming Amicale from Vanuatu to secure the Oceania Champions League title. Having won the first leg 2-1 in Port Vila, Auckland completed the job at Kiwitea Street with goals from Alex Feneridis, Daniel Koprivcic, Manuel Exposito and Adam McGeorge. Oceania Champions League history

Blues End 48-Year Wait
English League Cup
Final
Arsenal 1-2 Birmingham
London, Eng
February 27 2011
A disastrous mix-up in the Arsenal defence gifted Birmingham striker Obafemi Martins the winning goal to seal a first major trophy since 1963 for the Blues Wembley Stadium. Nikola Zigic had given the Midlanders the lead midway through the first half but Gunners captain-for-the-day Robin van Persie equalised shortly before the break.

Lee Leads Japan to Victory
AFC Asian Cup
Final
Australia 0-1 Japan (after extra time)
Doha, Qtr
January 29 2011
Japan became the first team to win the AFC Asian Cup four times as Tadanari Lee's goal in the second period of extra time clinched a 1-0 victory over Australia at Khalifa Stadium. Lee struck after 108 minutes of the  final when he volleyed home Yuto Nagatomo's left-wing cross. Australia had their chances to claim a maiden Asian title; Harry Kewell fluffing a one-on-one with Japan keeper Eiji Kawashima in the second half. South KMorea beat Uzbekistan in the third place play-off. Japnma had beaten the Koreans alos in extra time in their semi, while the Soccerroos thrashed the Uzbeks 6-0. Asian Cup history