Jonathan Spector started the game on the bench for West Ham United, but was on the field within eight minutes as they beat Aston Villa 2-1 at Upton Park. Spector subbed on for injured defender Herita Ilunga, with West Ham saving the offense for late in both halves. Mark Noble put them up from the penalty spot in first-half stoppage time, beating Brad Friedel. Four minutes into the second-half, Ashley Young missed a Villa penalty. He would get the equalizer three minutes later. West Ham's Zavon Hines got the winner in second-half injury time.
"The team is playing better and this may well be the turning point," West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola said. "We demonstrated desire and belief and that's what we wanted. Everything else is there. It was a fantastic game to win tonight."For their part, Villa expected more against a struggling team. "I don't think we should have been beaten in the game," Villa manager Martin O'Neill said. "I think we did enough to get something." Brad Guzan was on the bench for Villa.
In Mexico, Jose Francisco Torres started and went 66 minutes for Pachuca, losing 3-1 to Cruz Azul at home. Cruz Azul opened the scoring through Jaime Lozano in the fourth minute, and were two up in the 14th when Javier Antonio Orozco Penuelas scored. That lead held through halftime, with Emanuel Villa making it 3-0 Cruz Azul in the 53rd. Marco Ivan Perez ruined Jose de Jesus Corona's shutout attempt in the 79th-minute.
Michael Orozco started and went the full ninety for San Luis, drawing 1-1 with U.A.G. at Tres de Marzo in Guadalajara. Diego Jimenez put U.A.G. up in the 31st minute. Joe Rodolfo Reyes Machado equalized for San Luis in the 60th minute.
Did Not Play: DaMarcus Beasley was on the bench for Rangers, who drew 1-1 in Champions League play with Unirea Urziceni.
