Santos tops Toronto 1-0, into CONCACAF quarters

Herculez Gomez, shown here in an Aug. 5 match, helped Santo reach the quarterfinals for the third straight time.

David Becker/Getty Images

TORREON, Mexico (AP) -- American striker Herculez Gomez scored in the 73rd minute and Torreon Santos beat Toronto FC 1-0 on Wednesday to advance to the CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals.

Santos was 4-0 in the group stage to reach the quarterfinals for the third time in a row.

Toronto was second in the three-team group at 2-2. El Salvador's Aguila was 0-4.

Next March, Santos will face an undetermined opponent in the quarterfinals.

Miguel Becerra made key saves for Santos against Ryan Johnson in the eighth minute and Reginald Thompson-Lambe in the 18th. Colombian striker Carlos Darwin Quintero rattled the goal post in the 44th for the Mexican side, the runner-up in the 2011-12 tournament.

Toronto FC needed to win by three goals to progress to the next round, a tough task because the MLS squad played without injured starters Logan Emory and Darren O'Dea. Also, striker Eric Hassli missed the match because his wife was expecting to give birth.

Quarterfinal-bound Sounders beat Marathon 3-1

SEATTLE (AP) -- Sammy Ochoa and Steve Zakuani scored first-half goals and the Seattle Sounders beat Honduras' Marathon 3-1 on Wednesday night to finish 4-0 in group play in the CONCACAF Champions League.

Seattle had already wrapped up a spot in the quarterfinals.

Michel Brown scored late in the first half for Marathon, and David Estrada added a second-half goal for Seattle.

The Sounders joined Mexican teams Monterrey and Santos Laguna with 4-0-0 records. They will be the No. 3 seed for the quarterfinal round next March. Seattle's opponent won't be set until the conclusion of group play Thursday.

Marathon was second in the three-team group at 1-2-1, and Trinidad and Tobago's Caledonia AIA was last at 0-3-1.

Marcus Hahnemann returned to action in the game. The two-time U.S. World Cup and 13-year English Premier League goalkeeper signed with the Sounders on Sept. 14.

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