Morelia, Toluca Advance

Two of Mexico’s most attack-minded teams, Morelia and Toluca, both featuring Argentine coaches, have advanced to the Mexican league’s two-game championship final, to be played Wednesday and Saturday.

Morelia, coached by Ruben Omar Romano, clinched its place Sunday afternoon despite a 2-1 loss to UNAM in Mexico City.

The Monarcas had won the first game of the series, 4-0, at home and although the Pumas, coached by former Mexico striker Hugo Sanchez, cut into the deficit with goals from Uruguayans Mariano Lemos and Alvaro Gonzalez, Adolfo Bautista scored for Morelia to assure it a 5-2 aggregate victory.

In the other semifinal series, Toluca’s Red Devils coached by Alberto Jorge, completed a sweep of Santos Laguna with a 2-1 home victory Saturday night to go along with an earlier 5-3 success on the road.

Toluca’s Paraguayan striker, Jose Cardozo, netted both goals, extending his scoring streak to 15 games and increasing his season goal total to 35.

Trio Fired

Despite the fact that their teams reached the Mexican championship quarterfinals, the coaches of Cruz Azul, Guadalajara and UAG have been fired by their clubs.

Jose Luis Trejo’s dismissal by Cruz Azul was the most surprising. He had not only taken the team to the last eight but had also qualified it for next season’s Copa Libertadores, a tournament in which he led Cruz Azul to the final in 2001.

Trejo’s failure to make proper use of Uruguayan striker Sebastian Abreu was one reason cited for his ouster.

Also shown the door were Peruvian Coach Julio Cesar Uribe, who was fired by Chivas, and Daniel Guzman, who was dismissed by the Tecos of UAG.

Santos Wins Title

Led by 18-year-old striker Robinho, who scored one goal and set up two more, Santos won its first Brazilian title since the formation of a national championship in 1971 when it defeated three-time winner Corinthians, 3-2, in Sao Paulo to complete a two-game sweep of the championship series, 5-2, on aggregate.

The team, coached by former Brazil national team coach Emerson Leao and with an average age of only 23, has been the revelation of the Brazilian season, with Robinho and 17-year-old Diego hailed as the country’s two great hopes for future World Cup success.

Both players could be featured on Brazil’s team for the 2004 Athens Olympic Games. On Sunday, Ricardo Gomes, a defender on Brazil’s 1990 World Cup team, was appointed coach of Brazil’s Olympic squad.

Zamalek Is Champion

Zamalek of Egypt won the African Champions League title for the fifth time by defeating Raja Casablanca of Morocco, 1-0, in front of 70,000 in Cairo in the second leg of the final.

The teams had tied the first leg, 0-0, in Casablanca, but midfielder Tamer Abdelhamid’s long-range goal in injury time at the end of the first half was enough to separate the clubs in an ill-tempered game that degenerated into a bench-clearing brawl at the final whistle.

Zamalek also was African champion in 1984, 1986, 1993 and 1996.

Costly Cola

As if being beaten in the African final was not bad enough for Raja Casablanca, the Moroccan club Sunday was fined the maximum penalty of $15,000 by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and also might lose $750,000 in tournament prize money for wearing a Coca-Cola logo on its uniforms in the first leg of the final in Casablanca despite the fact that the Champions League is sponsored by Pepsi.

Officials from CAF said Raja Casablanca had been told not to wear the rival logo. They said Raja Casablanca’s share of the marketing and television revenue from the competition is being withheld pending a possible claim for compensation.