THAILAND WIN AFF TITLE WITH LATE DOUBLE
Late strikes from Charyl Chappuis and Chanathip Songkrasin gave Thailand a dramatic victory over Malaysia to end a 12-year drought and win the AFF Championship for a record-equalling fourth time.
Leading 2-0 through goals from Chappuis and Kroekrit Thaweekarn from the first leg of the Final in Bangkok, Thailand looked down and out as goals from Safiq Rahim (two) and Indra Putra put the hosts 3-2 ahead on aggregate in the return leg of the biennial tournament for the national teams of south-east Asia.
But Malaysia – who had overturned a 2-1 first-leg deficit in the semi-finals against Vietnam by winning 4-2 in Hanoi – were undone by two Thai goals in the last eight minutes at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium in Kuala Lumpur.
SPORTING CRISTAL CROWNED CHAMPIONS OF PERU
Peruvian clausura winners Sporting Cristal were crowned overall national chamions for the first time since 2012 after they beat apertura winners Juan Aurich in a Primera Division play-off decider.
A third game was needed after the two sides drew 2-2 on aggregate – away goals do not count – and Sporting Cristal won 3-2 in extra time at the Estadio Mansiche in Trujillo.
Juan Aurich led twice, through Hernan Rengifo and Junior Viza, before Sporting equalised through Irven Avila and Horacio Calcaterra. Substitute Edinson Chavez then scored the winner for “Los Cerveceros”.
Here’s that dramatic winning goal.
MOTAGUA ARE CHAMPIONS OF HONDURAS
Motagua were crowned Honduran champions for a 13th time as they beat Real Sociedad 2-1 on aggregate in the apertura Final.
After a goalless first leg, Juan Manuel Munguia cancelled out Carlos Discua’s opener for Motagua in the return before Rubilio Castillo struck the host’s winner just before half time.
Motagua, who finished third in the regular season, will now enter the 2015-16 CONCACAF Champions League for what will be their third appearance in the competition.
HAT-TRICK OF TITLES FOR ISIDRO METAPAN
Isidro Metapan won a third consecutive national title in El Salvador, beating Aguila on penalties in the apertura Final. Milton Molina scored the winning spot-kick after the game finished 1-1 in extra-time.
Isidro Metapan, who have now been champions on 10 occasions, finished fourth in the regular season and beat first-place Santa Tecla in the semi-finals.
SANTA FE TAKE APERTURA IN COLOMBIA
Santa Fe won the Colombian clausura championship, beating Medellin 3-2 on aggregate to claim their first title since the 2012 apertura.
Having come from behind to win the first leg 2-1, with two goals in three minutes from Francisco Meza and Wilson Morelo, Sante Fe drew the return at home with a strike from Luis Carlos Arias.
BOLIVAR COME GOOD IN BOLIVIA
Bolivar claimed the Bolivian apertura title on the last day of the season, beating Blooming 3-0 to finish four points clear of Oriente Petrolero, who went down 2-1 to third-placed finishers The Strongest.
Juanmi Callejon, Juan Carlos Arce and Jose Luis Capdevila scored thge goals that gave Bolivar their first title since they won the 2013 clausura championship.
