Ronaldo’s hat trick carries Portugal in Euro qualifying

Cristiano Ronaldo’s hat trick gave 10-man Portugal a 3-2 win at Armenia in a 2016 European Championship qualifier Saturday

Marcos Pizzelli scored from a free kick for Armenia in the 14th minute, but Ronaldo converted a penalty to level before the half-hour mark. The Ballon d’Or holder scored twice more in the 55th and 58th to secure victory and keep Portugal top of Group I. The treble took Ronaldo’s competition record to 26 goals.

Portugal’s Tiago Cardoso was sent off with a second yellow card in the 62nd, and Hrayr Mkoyan got the hosts’ second goal 10 minutes later.

Portugal tops the group with 12 points. Denmark remained second on 10 after beating Serbia 2-0. Serbia and Armenia were left at the bottom of the group with one point each. Albania was third with seven points and a game to play.

France loses again: France lost for the third time in four matches when it fell in Albania 1-0 in a listless performance. With one year to go until France hosts the European Championship, coach Didier Deschamps’ team is struggling, having lost 4-3 at home to Belgium last weekend.

Albania deservedly took the lead in the 44th minute of the friendly, when midfielder Er- gys Kace curled a superb free kick from outside the penalty area into the top left corner. Copa America: Defending champion Uruguay defeated Jamaica 1-0 in their Copa

. America opener in Antofagasta, Chile.

Cristian Rodriguez scored in the 52nd minute in the Group B match, as Uruguay struggled putting together an attack without Luis Suarez. Suarez is missing the South American championship as a result of biting Giorgio Chiellini of Italy in last year’s World Cup.

In Rancagua, Argentina conceded a last-minute equalizer to open with a disappointing 2-2 draw with Paraguay. MLS: Lamar Neagle, Obafemi Martins and Leo Gonzalez scored in the second half as the host Seattle Sounders beat FC Dallas 3-0 to move back atop the league standings.... David Villa and Kwadwo Poku each had a goal and an assist as host New York City FC beat the Montreal Impact 3-1 for the expansion franchise’s first back-to-back wins. ... Diego Fagundez scored from the top of the penalty area and the host New England Revolution got goals two minutes apart to start the second half in beating the Chicago Fire 2-0. ... The Crew’s Federico Higuain scored the equalizer in the 66th minute as host Columbus and the L.A. Galaxy drew 1-1 after a 130minute storm delay.