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We kick off a bumper global round-up with news of Ronaldo's rejuvenation in Brazil.

BRAZIL

Ronaldo scored twice, including one from an exquisite chip, to help Corinthians beat Santos 3-1 away in front of a frustrated Pele in the first leg of the Paulista championship final.

The 32-year-old opened his account in the 25th minute when he latched on to a long kick upfield by defender Chicao and scored from the edge of the Santos area at the Vila Belmira, which was Pele's home ground for most of his career.

The former Barcelona, Internazionale, Real Madrid and Milan forward added his second in the 76th minute when he chipped Fabio Costa from the edge of the penalty area.

"To be king for a day at the home of the king is excellent," purred Ronaldo after taking his tally to eight goals in 10 games since his return from last year's career-threatening knee injury.

"The ball landed at the feet of a player who doesn't miss," Pele told reporters. "Ronaldo makes the difference. The second goal was worthy of the World Cup."

Chicao opened the scoring for Corinthians from a free kick on the edge of the area while Santos's consolation came courtesy of Corinthians goalkeeper Felipe, who turned Triguinho's cross into his own net on the hour.

The Paulista is the largest of the regional championships which kick off the marathon Brazilian season.

The tournaments, one for each of Brazil's 27 states, have their own formats and are completely detached from the Brazilian championship which starts in May.

Botafogo and Flamengo drew 2-2 in the first leg of the Carioca final in Rio de Janeiro.

The game was marked by a curious incident when Flamengo left back Juan was booked for apparently threatening Maicossuel after being dribbled by the Botafogo player.

Juan opened the scoring from a penalty before Juninho and former Paris St Germain striker Reinaldo put Botafogo ahead.

However, Flamengo salvaged a draw when Botafogo's Emerson put through his own goal for the second weekend running.

Cruzeiro thrashed Atletico Mineiro 5-0 in the first leg of the Minas Gerais championship final in Belo Horizonte.

Leonardo Silva and Jonathan scored two apiece as the Foxes devoured the Roosters, who are led by former Brazil coach Emerson Leao.

MEXICO

America lost 2-1 at home to Tecos UAG in a deserted Azteca stadium as the arena, one of the world's most famous and imposing stadiums, was shut to the public because of the swine flu outbreak.

It was one of three first division matches to be played behind closed doors at the weekend because of the virus which has killed 103 people in Mexico and shut down large chunks of the capital.

The games at Pumas UNAM's Olimpico Universitario stadium in the south of the capital and Pachuca, a provincial town around 100 kilometres away, were also played in empty arenas.

Pumas said they had sold all 50,000 tickets for the visit of Guadalajara, Mexico's most popular club.

The Azteca, which hosted the 1970 and 1986 World Cup finals, has a capacity of 105,000.

Carlos Adrian Morales and Mario Ortiz scored for Tecos, who had striker Fredy Bareiro sent off in the 62nd minute, and Robert de Pinho replied for the hosts.

The defeat left big-spending America fifth in Group Two of the Clausura championship and with only an outside chance of making the quarter-finals.

Pumas UNAM were held 1-1 by Guadalajara while Pachuca beat Cruz Azul 3-0 in a match played on Saturday.

ARGENTINA

Gimnasia-Jujuy goalkeeper Gaston Pezzutti was sent off after an altercation with a ball boy during his team's 1-0 defeat at River Plate.

It was the latest in a series of incidents involving ball boys in Argentina, who are often accused of time-wasting when the home team are defending a slender lead.

The ball boy, who Argentine media said played in River's youth divisions, dallied as he returned the ball for a goal kick in the 70th minute of Sunday evening's game.

After finally collecting the ball, a furious Pezzutti throw it back at the youth and was sent off. The ball boy was also ordered dismissed.

Relegation-threatened Gimnasia finished with nine men after Daniel Ramasco was also sent off for a second bookable offence in the 90th minute.

Colombian striker Radamel Falcao Garcia scored the only goal in the 59th minute of the Clausura championship game to give River a consolation win after their Copa Libertadores elimination last week.

The first ball boy row blew up at the start of the month during the derby between Gimnasia-La Plata and Estudiantes.

The referee added on six minutes of injury-time after the balls were hidden behind the substitutes benches in the second half with Gimnasia-La Plata leading 1-0.

But the tactic backfired when Estudiantes scored with the last kick of the game to draw -- and the hosts complained that too much time had been added on.

Velez Sarsfield stayed top of the Clausura table after coming back from 2-0 down to win 4-2 away to Colon.

Sebastian Prediger and Sebastian Sciorilli put Colon two goals ahead in half an hour and the hosts also hit the post just before the break.

The second half was a different story, which began when Jonathan Cristaldo scored from a rebound after Joaquin Larrivery's header hit the crossbar two minutes after the restart.

Hernan Lopez levelled from a penalty in the 67th minute, Juan Manuel Martinez then gave Velez the lead and Lopez added the fourth with five minutes left.

Velez lead the table with 25 points from 11 games, one ahead of Lanus who won 1-0 at Godoy Cruz. Defending champions Boca Juniors lost 2-0 at Rosario Central and dropped to 15th.

NETHERLANDS

Ajax dropped two points in their chase to qualify for the Champions League preliminary round when they were held 1-1 by 10-man champions AZ Alkmaar to stay a point behind second-placed Twente who drew 1-1 at Heerenveen.

Uruguayan Luis Suarez salvaged a point for Ajax when he converted a late penalty after missing one earlier, while Alkmaar skipper Stijn Schaars was sent off in the 57th minute.

Fourth-placed PSV Eindhoven won 2-0 at Heracles Almelo.

PORTUGAL

Argentine striker Lisandro Lopez scored twice to earn Porto a 2-0 home win against Vitoria de Setubal that keeps them four points ahead of Sporting.

Lopez opened the scoring just past the hour from close range after combining neatly with compatriot Ernesto Farias. Five minutes later he scored again with a low drive inside the box from a pass by another compatriot, Mariano Gonzalez.

Goals by strikers Helder Postiga and Liedson gave Sporting a 2-1 home win over Estrela da Amadora. Benfica, who beat Maritimo 3-2, are third eight points behind Porto.

GREECE

Larissa secured the final place in the playoffs when they beat Levadiakos 1-0 in a game marred by three red cards and nine yellow to finish the league season in fifth place.

Olympiacos, who had already won the championship, go into the qualifying rounds of the Champions League while the sides finishing second to fifth compete for another Greek slot.

The champions ended on a high note when they beat bottom side Thrasivoulos 2-0 with goals from Argentine Luciano Galletti and on-loan English striker Matt Derbyshire.

BULGARIA

CSKA Sofia came from behind to beat Botev Plovdiv 2-1 for their ninth consecutive league win and remain four points clear of second-placed Levski Sofia.

Relegation-threatened Botev shocked CSKA when Iliyan Garov put them ahead in first-half injury time but the hosts hit back strongly after the interval with goals from captain Todor Yanchev and Yordan Todorov.

Levski demolished basement club Belasitsa Petrich 7-1 with striker Georgi Hristov scoring four.

AFRICA

Tunisia's Esperance went through to the Arab Champions League final against Wydad Casablanca when they beat holders Entente Setif of Algeria 2-0.

An early penalty from Zine Al Abidine Souissi and Wajdi Bouazzi's goal three minutes from time in the second leg of their semi-final gave Esperance a 3-0 aggregate victory.

Morocco's Wydad, runners-up last year, qualified on Saturday when their 2-0 second-leg win at home to CS Sfaxien of Tunisia gave them an aggregate 3-1 victory.

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The University of Pretoria booked a surprise place in South Africa's FA Cup final by beating heavily fancied Ajax Cape Town 2-1 after extra time in their semi-final tie.

The first division club will play premier league Moroka Swallows in the final on May 23.

Swallows won their semi-final against first division Black Leopards 2-1 away in Polokwane.

It is the second successive year a lower league team has reached the final of the country's leading cup competition.

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Zimbabwe's Dynamos have fired coach David Mandigora six months after he led the cash-strapped team to the semi-finals of the African Champions League.

Former Zimbabwe international Mandigora was dismissed after a poor start to the 2009 season by the Harare club, widely considered the country's most popular team.

Dynamos overcame several logistical hurdles to upset the odds in making it to the final four of the Champions League last year.

Reuters