Shutout Advances Arsenal

Arsenal, which began its European Champions League season with only one point after three games, completed a remarkable turnaround with a 2-0 victory over Lokomotiv Moscow that earned the English team the top spot in its group.

Goals by Robert Pires and Fredrik Ljungberg put Arsenal in the round of 16, two points ahead of Lokomotiv, which advanced despite the loss.

Deportivo La Coruna of Spain was another team that advanced despite a loss -- 3-2 at PSV Eindhoven. AS Monaco won that group after a 0-0 tie against AEK Athens.

Two other teams in tightly contested Group A advanced with the help of penalty kicks.

Lyon got one in the 86th minute by Juninho for a 3-2 victory over Glasgow Celtic. Lyon will be joined in the next round by Bayern Munich, which used Roy Makaay’s penalty kick in the 42nd minute for a 1-0 victory over Anderlecht.

Juventus, which already had clinched a spot in the next round, showed no letdown in a 7-0 rout of Greek champion Olympiakos. Real Sociedad finished second in that group after a 1-1 tie with Galatasaray.

Mexican League

Juan Saturnino Cardozo, bothered by a leg injury, scored 41 seconds after he entered the game to lead host Toluca to a 1-0 victory over UNL Tigres in a first-leg semifinal match of the Mexican league playoffs.

The teams will play the return leg Saturday at Monterrey. Pachuca and Atlante begin their semifinal series today.

Cardozo, of Paraguay, scored in the 63rd minute on a left-footed shot after he controlled a crossing header from Vicente Sanchez.

Tigres nearly tied the score in the 83rd minute, but Hugo Sanchez Guerrero’s header bounced off the crossbar.

Guimares to Irapuato?

Former Costa Rica national team coach Alexandre Guimares, once thought to be a possible candidate for the Galaxy job before the team recently decided to stay with Coach Sigi Schmid, might next coach in the Mexican league.

Guimares and Mexican league team Irapuato have been in contact, said Mauricio Ruiz, vice president of the club.

“Mr. Guimares is a very viable candidate to direct the future of Irapuato, and we think he could be a suitable coach,” Ruiz said.

Schmid on the Road

Speaking of Schmid, the Galaxy coach left Tuesday on a scouting trip to Costa Rica.

Schmid and General Manager Doug Hamilton will attend the College Cup at Columbus, Ohio, this weekend before Schmid takes a weeklong scouting trip to Brazil and Peru beginning Monday.

After a holiday break, Schmid is scheduled to take several other trips.

Prinz Responds

German star Birgit Prinz, who led her country to the Women’s World Cup title in October, said she is considering an offer by Italian club Perugia to become the first female player in Serie A.

“We met one week ago,” Prinz said of Perugia President Luciano Gaucci. “He’d like to sign me. But it was nothing more than an informative talk. Everything else will come later.”

Said Prinz’s agent, Andreas Rink: “Birgit knows what she can do. But she is very skeptical about her skill and physical condition when compared to men. We don’t want to risk her reputation.”

Quick Passes

Forward Mehdi Mahdavikia of Iran, who plays for Hamburg in the German Bundesliga, was selected Asia’s soccer player of the year. Mahdavikia’s German contract ends next month, and he said he has offers from three unidentified English Premier League teams.... Galaxy forward Arturo Torres will participate in the U.S. national team’s week-long training camp starting Friday at the Home Depot Center. He replaces teammate Peter Vagenas, who is sidelined because of a groin injury.

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Times wire services contributed to this report.