Qatar, Uzbekistan into Asian Cup quarterfinals

DOHA, Qatar (AP) - Host Qatar reached the Asian Cup quarterfinals for the second time in its history Sunday following a 3-0 victory over Kuwait, and Uzbekistan advanced with a 2-2 draw that sent opponent China home.

Qatar, flying high following its winning bid to host the 2022 World Cup, needed a victory against winless Kuwait to ensure it advanced. Two first-half goals in five minutes set coach Bruno Metsu's side on its way and sent the crowd of 28,000 at Khalifa Stadium into delirious celebrations.

Across town, China fought back from a goal down to draw with Uzbekistan, but the team still finished third in Group A. The early exit was the latest disappointment for the Chinese, which have struggled since qualifying for the 2002 World Cup, having also left the Asian Cup early in 2007.

Uzbekistan topped the group with seven points, one more than Qatar. China has four points and Kuwait has zero.

"We were not good in the first match, but our real matches started with China," said Qatar defender Bilal Mohammed, referring to a 2-0 loss to Uzbekistan followed by a 2-0 win over the Chinese. "In the previous tournaments, we were out from the first round. But now we are better and deserve to qualify and go to the final."

Mohammed powered in a header from Ibrahim al-Ghanim's deep cross in the 11th minute to give Qatar the lead.

Five minutes later, Mohamed El Sayed took advantage of a goal-mouth scramble to make it 2-0. El Sayed appeared to push his marker out of the way to reach the long ball out of defense, but no whistle came.

His initial header was saved and Sebastian Suria's follow-up was blocked, but El Sayed got to the loose ball and sent it into the top corner with goalkeeper Nawaf al-Khaldi stranded.

Qatar substitute Fabio Cesar wrapped up the victory in the 86th, curling a left-footed free kick around the wall and into the top corner past a static goalkeeper.

Metsu admitted he and his players have been under pressure to match the well-organized tournament with a display on the pitch that showed they are better than the team's position of No. 105 in the FIFA world rankings.

"The team was influenced by the importance of the opening match and it had an impact on the mentality of the players," Metsu said. "With today's performance and victory, they have reached the point they were aiming at."

Kuwait's best chance came right at the end of the first half when a cross found Walied Ali in space at the far post, but his angled shot was diverted behind by goalkeeper Qasem Burhan.

Qatar's qualification should give the tournament a boost and keep the host nation interested, especially in light of the poor performances of most neighboring Gulf teams. Thousands of Qataris, often wearing the team's maroon-and-white colors, have watched their team live in action.

"This is the team that we all know," said Mohammed al-Merri, a 24-year-old student. "Today we proved that we can win the cup and beat all the teams. We are so happy about the way they played. This is a big result which we will never forget."

Yu Hai gave China the lead against Uzbekistan in the sixth minute with a diving header that only just beat the goalkeeper.

Odil Akhmedov equalized in the 30th, and Alexander Geynrikh's booming drive from outside the area gave Uzbekistan a 2-1 lead in the 46th. Hao Junmin leveled for China with a curling free kick in the 56th.

"This Asian Cup was a great experience for our young team," China coach Gao Hongbo said. "We could learn a lot. We had many chances in this match, but we were unfortunate."

Uzbekistan now plays the Group B runner-up on Friday, when Qatar plays the top team in the same group.

"It was a good game. We won the group, everyone is pleased," Uzbekistan coach Vadim Abramov said.

  

Barcelona smashes Malaga and records in Spain

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) - Barcelona extended its unbeaten run to a club-record 28 games on Sunday, strolling to a 4-1 win over Malaga to open up a four-point lead in the Spanish league after second-place Real Madrid drew 1-1 at last-place Almeria.

Andres Iniesta, David Villa and Pedro Rodriguez scored in the first half and Villa added another after the break to set the record in the 111-year history of Barcelona, which had previously gone 27 games unbeaten in the 1973-74 season.

Barcelona has 52 points, a league record for halfway through a season, breaking the mark it set two seasons ago by two points.

Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola downplayed his team's lead over Madrid.

"They (Madrid) will drop very few points in the second round," he said. "We have to take each game as a step forward."

Earlier at Juegos Mediterraneos stadium, Almeria's Jose Ulloa fired a left-footed shot past goalkeeper Iker Casillas for the 60th-minute opener.

Esteban Granero equalized for Madrid with a rising strike off a pass from fellow second-half substitute Karim Benzema in the 77th.

"The league is very open. Under normal conditions, a four-point difference is an open league," Madrid coach Jose Mourinho said.

The problem is that Barcelona is not playing like a normal team.

The Catalan club is demolishing league opponents, outscoring them 51-6 in its 13-match winning streak.

To add to Madrid's pain, its fierce rivals' 17th win at the season's midway point has broken Madrid's record from 1960-61.

Barcelona is also two wins away from equaling Madrid's league record of 15 straight wins that has stood since the same season.

Malaga's starting 11 featured five of its winter signings, including forward Baptista on debut. But Barcelona showed why it is the favorite to lift a third straight league title.

Iniesta opened the scoring in the eighth minute, half-volleying the ball in off the post from a pass by Dani Alves with goalkeeper Sergio Asenjo looking on.

Villa doubled the advantage in the 18th. Xavi Hernandez's curling shot hit the crossbar, and Villa converted after midfielder Sergio Busquets had stolen possession.

Pedro Rodriguez hit his sixth goal in four games and 10th this season, getting the rebound from Iniesta's shot in the 36th that Asenjo did well to save but could not hold.

Asenjo twice denied Lionel Messi from close range, before Sergio "Duda" Barbosa pulled one back for Malaga in the 68th with a left-footed free kick that bent over the wall and into the top corner.

Villa capped the historic win when Xavi put him through in the 74th minute to score his 14th goal of the season.

"We knew we could increase our lead after (Madrid) drew," Villa said. "But there is a long way to go."

In Madrid's match, the visitors failed to find its rhythm in attack and were limited to long-range attempts from Cristiano Ronaldo.

"Nobody thought we could do it," said Ulloa. "We controlled the game and they did not create many chances."

Kaka, who started a match for Madrid for the first time since surgery on his left knee in August, linked up with Ronaldo for Madrid's best chance in the first half. The Brazil star played Ronaldo through with a lob into the center of the Almeria defense, but goalkeeper Diego Alves reacted quickly.

Benzema replaced Kaka in the 59th, and Madrid pushed for a winner to continue its run of five straight league wins, but Almeria earned a point after Ronaldo hit the crossbar with a free kick in extra time.

"There is a long way to go and we are convinced there is time to catch Barcelona," said Granero.

Also, Jeremy Mathieu and Pablo Hernandez scored late goals to give Valencia a 2-0 win over Deportivo La Coruna on Sunday to strengthen its hold on fourth place in the Spanish league.

Mathieu raced down the left flank to reach a pass from Tino Costa and shoot past goalkeeper Daniel Aranzubia from a difficult angle in the 77th. Hernandez then caught the Deportivo defense pressing forward for the equalizer to score the second goal just before the final whistle, as Valencia extended its winning streak to four games.

Valencia goalkeeper Vicente Guaita saved a low shot by forward Lassad Nouioui at the 50-minute mark in Deportivo's best scoring chance.

"We have to improve our attack from the wings, but a victory lets you see things in a more positive light and you can polish your mistakes," Valencia coach Unai Emery said.

Valencia has scored late winners in its past three wins to move three points clear of fifth-place Espanyol.

Deportivo remained 13th, five points above the relegation zone.

Atletico Madrid plays Mallorca on Monday.

  

Tottenham, United play to scoreless draw in league

LONDON (AP) - Manchester United survived the second-half sending-off of right back Rafael to hold Tottenham to a 0-0 draw at White Hart Lane on Sunday and remain unbeaten in the Premier League.

The Brazilian defender picked up a second booking for tripping Benoit Assou-Ekotto in the 74th minute but the visitors hung on to remain atop the standings, above Manchester City on goal difference.

Tottenham needed a win to go above Chelsea into fourth place and almost took maximum points when Rafael van der Vaart's curling shot in the 80th flew narrowly over.

Liverpool drew 2-2 with local rival Everton to leave Kenny Dalglish still without a win in his second spell in charge of the Reds, while Birmingham-Aston Villa and Sunderland-Newcastle both finished 1-1.

City beat Wolverhampton 4-3 on Saturday and third-place Arsenal also won, 3-0 at bottom side West Ham, to move two points behind the joint leaders. United has two games in hand over City and one over Arsenal.

United manager Alex Ferguson refused to comment on Rafael's red card but said he was happy with the point after a scrappy match.

"It was a tough game but they didn't create many chances against us," Ferguson said. "It's a decent point for us. We can't complain."

The top five are separated by eight points with a little more than half the season gone.

"It could be a real thrilling end to the season. All five have got chances - it's about winning games and keeping your nerve," Ferguson said.

United maintained its decade-long unbeaten run against Tottenham but created few clear-cut chances, with fit-again striker Wayne Rooney twice denied by goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes.

Van der Vaart, Spurs' top scorer, headed wide another opportunity in a match that Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp felt was a fair result.

"If anyone was going to win, we were the more likely to," Redknapp said. "They've come here today and are difficult to beat. It was an interesting game without being a classic."

The Liverpool fans gave Dalglish a rousing reception as he emerged from the tunnel prior to kickoff as the former Scotland striker made an emotional return to Anfield, 20 years after his last match there as manager of the 18-time champions.

Dalglish's side had lost two matches since he took over last weekend - to United in the FA Cup and Blackpool in the league - and a win against Everton would have been the ideal way to kickstart Liverpool's stuttering season.

The Reds went to sleep, though, after Portugal midfielder Raul Meireles gave them the lead in the 29th, and Dalglish was staring at a third straight defeat when Sylvain Distin headed in a corner in the 46th and Jermaine Beckford curled home a neat finish after good work by Leon Osman in the 52nd.

Tim Howard gave Liverpool a chance to draw level after bringing down Maxi Rodriguez and Netherlands forward Dirk Kuyt didn't pass up the opportunity, sending the United States goalkeeper the wrong way from the spot.

The draw kept the teams level just below midtable, on 26 points.

"I can see the belief coming back into those players and that's great news," Dalglish said.

Under-pressure Villa manager Gerard Houllier saw his team perform well at St. Andrew's, with Wales center back James Collins deservedly equalizing for the visitors in the 72nd. That canceled out the opener scored by Roger Johnson in the 49th.

Villa, whose point lifted it out of the relegation zone and into 17th place, hit the woodwork three times.

"It is a plus point, psychologically, to be out of the bottom three," Villa assistant manager Gary McAllister said.

Ghana striker Asamoah Gyan scored a dramatic equalizer in the fourth minute of second-half injury time to rescue a point for Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.

Kevin Nolan put Newcastle ahead in the 52nd for his 10th goal of the season.

The end of the match was marred by crowd trouble, with a Sunderland fan running onto the pitch after Gyan's goal and appearing to push Newcastle goalkeeper Steve Harper to the ground. Rival sets of supporters were seen hurling seats at each other after the final whistle.

  

Liverpool and Everton draw 2-2 in Merseyside derby

LIVERPOOL, England (AP) - Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish is still searching for a first victory since his return to Anfield and needed Dirk Kuyt's penalty to rescue a point in a 2-2 draw Sunday in the Merseyside derby with Everton in the Premier League.

Dalglish took over from Roy Hodgson last weekend and has since lost to Manchester United in the FA Cup, and Blackpool.

Raul Meireles put Liverpool ahead just before the half hour in Dalglish's first game in charge at Anfield since resigning as manager in 1991, but goals from Sylvain Distin and Jermaine Beckford in the space of six minutes at the start of the second half put Everton ahead.

Kuyt converted a penalty in the 68th minute to deny Everton a first win at Anfield in nine attempts and keep the teams level on 26 points from 22 matches with Everton 12th, one place above Liverpool.

"(Everton) got two quick goals but we showed a great deal of desire and determination to get back into the game," Dalglish said. "I can see the belief coming back into those players and that's great news ... I have not been surprised negatively by anyone since I came here. I've been really pleased with attitude."

After scoring in the 2-1 defeat at Blackpool on Wednesday, Fernando Torres again looked sharp. The striker came close to adding to his tally in the first half when he held off a challenge from Distin, but his shot come back off the post before Kuyt's effort was deflected wide.

The hosts were dominant and took the lead in the 29th minute through Meireles.

Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard pushed away Kuyt's header and then saved the Dutchman's shot before Meireles drove in from the edge of the area for his first goal for the club.

Maxi Rodriguez and Torres had opportunities to double Liverpool's lead and Howard also denied Meireles before half time.

But Everton responded just 39 seconds after the restart, with Distin getting the better of Martin Skrtel in the air to head in from Mikel Arteta's corner for the Frenchman.

  

AC Milan struggles in 1-1 draw at Lecce

ROME (AP) - AC Milan conceded a late equalizer in a 1-1 draw at Lecce on Sunday, missing a chance to extend its Serie A lead after second-place Napoli had drawn a day earlier.

Milan went ahead from a magnificent strike by Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the 49th minute, but Uruguayan midfielder Ruben Olivera drew Lecce level in the 82nd with a bouncing shot from the center of the area after being left unmarked at a corner.

Milan leads with 41 points. Lazio and Napoli are next with 37 each, AS Roma has 35, Juventus 34 and Inter Milan 32 with two matches to make up.

In an otherwise lackluster performance for Milan, Ibrahimovic's goal was a work of art. The Sweden international shrugged off a defender beyond the area and calmly lobbed a precise shot inside the far high corner of the goal as 'keeper Antonio Rosati looked on helplessly.

It was the 11th goal this season for Ibrahimovic after returning to Italy following an unhappy stint with Barcelona.

"You don't expect a shot from that position, but from a champion like him you've got to be ready for anything," Rosati said. "Anyhow, a draw for a team like ours fighting to avoid relegation is great."

Lecce continuously threatened to equalize, with Milan goalkeeper Marco Amelia having to swat away a dangerous effort from Guillermo Giacomazzi in the 61st. Lecce forward David Di Michele had a shot that hit the post in the 81st.

"We weren't able to close it out when we went ahead 1-0," said Milan manager Massimiliano Allegri. "We didn't create much, very little actually."

Earlier, Lazio joined Napoli in second place with a 1-0 win over Sampdoria following a late winner from substitute Libor Kozak.

Similarly, Roma won 1-0 at Cesena when Fabio Simplicio directed the ball in off defender Max Pellegrino in the 89th; and Alberto Aquilani scored a late winner as Juventus beat last-place Bari 2-1.

Napoli drew 0-0 with Fiorentina on Saturday and Inter beat Bologna 4-1.

Elsewhere Sunday, Antonio Di Natale scored his league-leading 14th goal as Udinese defeated Genoa 4-2 to move into eighth; Brescia beat 10-man Parma 2-0 to give coach Mario Beretta a much-needed win following three consecutive losses; and Catania and Chievo Verona drew 1-1.

Also, Cagliari beat Palermo 3-1 to put a dent in the Sicilian club's Champions League hopes.

In Rome, the 21-year-old Czech forward Kozak headed in from the edge of the box in the 84th to break a deadlock at the Stadio Olimpico, then ripped his Lazio jersey off to celebrate, drawing a yellow card.

After a dull first half, Italy forward Giampaolo Pazzini threatened for Sampdoria in the 51st, wasting a good look with a shot high, and Kozak scored seven minutes after coming on.

"Kozak has good ability and when he has been called on he's always responded positively," said Lazio manager Edy Reja.

Rejecting speculation that Kozak was on the transfer market, Lazio president Claudio Lotito said he now won't even be offered on loan.

Roma's score came after Marco Borriello hit the crossbar and Adriano couldn't pound in the rebound.

"We didn't give up one meter and I like it when the squad believes until the end," said Roma coach Claudio Ranieri, but still warned, "Every time we win away we call it the game that will mark our turnaround."

In Turin, Juventus was without four injured forwards - Vincenzo Iaquinta, Fabio Quagliarella, Amauri and newly signed Luca Toni - which resulted in 19-year-old Niccolo Giannetti starting alongside Juventus captain Alessandro Del Piero in attack.

Del Piero curved in a free kick over Cesena's wall to put Juve ahead in the 43rd. After Hungary forward Gergely Rudolf equalized in the 57th, Aquilani restored the lead with a powerful, bouncing shot from the edge of the area in the 79th.

"We really interpreted the game well, both technically and emotionally," said Juventus coach Luigi Del Neri.

While Juventus beat Catania 2-0 in the Italian Cup on Thursday, this was the Turin club's first win in Serie A since beating Lazio 2-1 on Dec. 12. It was also goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon's first Serie A match since injuring his back at the World Cup.

Del Neri had surprisingly said that Buffon would have to earn his starting place back when he returned from surgery, but after this performance and the way Buffon played against Catania, he indicated that the club's other goalkeeper, Marco Storari, will now likely be headed for a transfer.

"When Gigi Buffon is healthy I don't see anyone playing in his place," Del Neri said.

  

Marseille beats Bordeaux 2-1 in French league

PARIS (AP) - Andre-Pierre Gignac ended his goal drought and Brandao scored for the first time in the French league this season as defending champion Marseille beat Bordeaux 2-1 at home on Sunday.

Gignac had previously not scored in eight straight league games, failing to justify his 16.5 million transfer fee since joining from Toulouse in the offseason. Brandao had not scored a league goal since April 4, a run of 21 games for the Brazilian striker.

Bordeaux pulled a late goal back when striker Anthony Modeste scored a penalty.

Leader Lille won 2-0 at Nice on Saturday to stay one point clear of Paris Saint-Germain, Rennes and Lyon, which all also won Saturday. Marseille is three points behind Lille.

"It was a bit harder in the second half, even though we had a chance to score a third goal," Deschamps said. "But it's nice to have got a taste for winning again, as it had been a little while. We're on the right track now."

Marseille had not won in five previous league games and was under pressure after its title rivals all won.

"It wasn't an easy game against a very physical opponent," Deschamps said. "We were lucky enough to get those two goals in the first half."

Although Bordeaux enjoyed some early possession, coach Jean Tigana's team almost fell behind when defender Benoit Tremoulinas' poor clearance nearly ended up in his own net in the ninth minute, only for goalkeeper Cedric Carrasso to make a reflex save.

Marseille took the lead when Nigeria defender Taye Taiwo crossed ball from the left, and Gignac lost his marker before coolly volleying the ball through Carrasso's legs in the 23rd minute.

Gignac's poor start to the season had left many Marseille fans wondering whether coach Didier Deschamps had made a big mistake in signing him. Prior to Sunday, he had managed only one league goal.

"He will score a lot of goals for us and make the fans dream," Marseille midfielder Edouard Cisse said.

Poor communication in Bordeaux's defense led to the second goal in first-half injury time.

Souleymane Diawara's long clearance landed in the penalty area, and center half Mickael Ciani and Carrasso both left it for each other, allowing winger Mathieu Valbuena to nip in and square the ball for Brandao to slam it into the net.

"I think it was a bit harsh for us to be 2-0 down at halftime," Tigana said. "Taiwo controlled the ball a bit with his hand (for the first goal) and the second goal was a bit of a joke."

Lille has 35 points, Paris Saint-Germain, Rennes and Lyon have 34, Marseille has 32. Toulouse is sixth with 30.

But Lille has played only 19 games, one less than its rivals, and can move four points clear if it wins its game in hand at home to Nancy on Wednesday.

Bordeaux's defeat leaves it in 10th place with 27 points.

Valbuena should have put Marseille 3-0 up after an hour, when midfielder Lucho Gonzalez tackled Jaroslav Plasil and then provided Valbuena with a perfect pass, but he missed the target from close range.

With Marseille in control, Bordeaux was handed an unexpected lifeline in the 74th when Diawara knocked Moussa Maazou over in the penalty area. Modeste confidently converted the spot kick for his seventh league goal of the season.

In Saturday's other results, it was: Auxerre 1, Monaco 1; Brest 1, Caen 3; Lens 2, Saint-Etienne 1; Lyon 3, Lorient 0; Montpellier 2, Valenciennes 1; Paris Saint-Germain 2, Sochaux 1; Rennes 4, Arles 0, and Toulouse 1, Nancy 0.

  

Cisse leads Panathinaikos to 4-2 win over Kavala

ATHENS, Greece (AP) - Djibril Cisse scored two goals and set up two more to lead defending champion Panathinaikos to a 4-2 victory over Kavala in the Greek league on Sunday.

Costas Katsouranis and Lazaros Christodoulopoulos also scored for Panathinaikos while Djamel Abdoun got both goals for Kavala.

The match was played before empty stands in the 70,000-seat Olympic Stadium with Panathinaikos serving a one-match ban due to violent fan behavior.

Olympiakos beat Panserraikos 4-2 on Saturday and leads the league with 45 points, five more than Panathinaikos.

PAOK and AEK Athens, both 3-0 away winners over Volos and Asteras respectively, share third place with 30 points.

In other games Sunday, visiting Ergotelis beat Xanthi 1-0, Panionios upset host Aris 2-0 and last-place Larissa won for the first time in nine games, beating Iraklis 2-1.

Kavala opened the scoring when Abdoun pounced on Josu Sarriegi's back pass to shoot past goalkeeper Alexandros Tzorvas in the third minute.

The hosts leveled when Cisse passed Loucas Vyntra's long ball on to Katsouranis, who scored from close range in the 12th.

In the 31st, Katsouranis found Cisse in Kavala's area with a through ball.

Goalkeeper Lopez Vallejo parried the French striker's shot but Cisse got the rebound and put Panathinaikos ahead.

Abdoun scored from the penalty spot in the 43rd after his cross was handled by a Panathinaikos defender to level at 2-2.

Cisse hit his league-leading 16th goal of the season from the penalty spot to restore Panathinaikos' lead in the 65th after teammate Sotiris Ninis had been brought down in the area by defender Pierre Ducrocq.

Christodoulopoulos made it 4-2 on a breakaway goal in the 83rd. Stergios Marinos sent a long pass to Cisse on the wing near the halfway line. Cisse outsprinted the defense before squaring inside the area to Christodoulopoulos, who slotted the ball in from close range.

Christodoulopoulos, who had come on for Sidney Govou in the 61st, nearly made it 5-2 in injury time but his shot struck the post.

  

Corinthians beats Portuguesa 2-0 in season opener

SAO PAULO (AP) - Veteran left back Roberto Carlos scored from a corner Sunday to help Corinthians begin the Brazilian season with a 2-0 win over Portuguesa in the Sao Paulo state championship.

The former Brazil star's left-footed kick found the net in the 20th minute at Pacaembu stadium, striking the ball with the outside of his foot and bouncing once before going in near the far post as goalkeeper Weverton waited for a cross.

"I saw that the goalkeeper was still talking to his defenders, so I took the shot quickly and it worked," said the 37-year-old Roberto Carlos, who was a starter for Brazil when it won the 2002 World Cup. Striker Ronaldo, who also was on that World Cup-winning team, is still far from his best form and was substituted in the 75th after a lackluster performance.

Corinthians' first goal was scored by midfielder Paulinho with a shot from the top of the area in the 12th.

The Sao Paulo state championship is one of the most traditional sporting events in Brazil, along with the Rio de Janeiro tournament, which will begin on Wednesday with Ronaldinho as its biggest star after returning to Brazil to play for Flamengo.

The two-time FIFA player of the year is not expected to make his debut until February, however, as he had been playing sparingly with AC Milan and spent several weeks in Brazil negotiating his future.

Ronaldinho was on the bench when Flamengo defeated America Mineiro 2-1 in a friendly on Sunday in the southern city of Londrina.

Newly signed Argentine midfielder Dario Bottinelli scored for Flamengo, Brazil's most popular club and a six-time national champion.

The Brazilian football season does not follow the European calendar and starts in the beginning of the year. Regional championships in the 26 states take place in the first few months, with the Brazilian league starting in May and running through December.

Also in the Sao Paulo tournament on Sunday, goalkeeper Rogerio Ceni scored his 96th career goal by converting a fifth-minute penalty in Sao Paulo's 2-0 victory at Mogi Mirim.

Ceni is already the most prolific goalkeepers in world football and is on pace to break the 100-goal mark this season. It was the 43rd penalty goal for the 37-year-old Ceni, who is also a free kick specialist.

Former Wolfsburg midfielder Marcelinho Paraiba came off the bench to score Sao Paulo's second goal with a header in the 87th.

Mogi Mirim's president is former Brazil and Barcelona star Rivaldo, who is also a player for the team from Sao Paulo state.

The 38-year-old midfielder didn't play on Sunday because of a delay in adding his name to the team's official squad.

On Saturday, Luiz Felipe Scolari's Palmeiras was held to a disappointing 0-0 home draw with Botafogo at Pacaembu, while defending champion Santos beat newcomer Linense 4-1 in Lins. Santos is still without stars Neymar, Paulo Henrique Ganso and recently signed Brazil midfielder Elano. Neymar is with Brazil's under-20 squad while Ganso is recovering after undergoing knee surgery last season.