Soccer Capsules: Donovan wins MLS MVP award for first time
SEATTLE — Long considered the best player in the U.S., Landon Donovan is now the best player in Major League Soccer.
The Los Angeles Galaxy forward and six-time national player of the year was named the MLS most valuable player on Thursday for the first time in his career.
Despite all his accolades as the leader of the U.S. national team, Donovan had yet to be recognized by his own league until this season when he helped the Galaxy race to the MLS Cup final and overcome some of his own off-the-field distractions.
Los Angeles will face Real Salt Lake for the MLS title on Sunday night in Seattle. Donovan beat out FC Dallas’ Jeff Cunningham, the league’s goal scoring leader with a career-best 17 goals, and New England midfielder Shalrie Joseph for the award.
"I think rewarding is the right word," Donovan said. "We’ve worked very hard to get where we are with this team. Sometimes you almost feel bad that we keep winning awards and keep getting this and that. When you think about it, we deserve it. This team has worked really hard, but if we don’t win Sunday these things aren’t going to mean a whole lot."
It’s already been the longest and most trying year of Donovan’s career.
Donovan, 27, was instrumental in the Americans’ successful qualifying campaign for the 2010 World Cup and its trek to the Confederations Cup championship match, large factors in him winning an unprecedented sixth Honda Player of the Year Award last month.
He scored 12 goals in the regular season and added six assists for the Galaxy, despite missing a month of the season in helping lead the U.S. to the Confederations Cup final. That total followed up on last season when Donovan scored a league-high 20 goals, but missed out on the MVP award as Los Angeles finished last in the Western Conference.
This year, Donovan was the leader. Los Angeles was the best team in the West, overcoming a remarkable 11 ties in its first 13 games to take the top spot and qualify for the playoffs for the first time since its run to the title in 2005 as the No. 8 seed.
"He’s grown on the field as a player. He’s a more mature consistent player, but his role off the field with this team has been perhaps even better, remarkable," Galaxy coach Bruce Arena said recently. "The things he did to help build this team to have the right kind of team chemistry, to be a leader ... Landon was consistently here every day and taking the responsibility of a captain. He’s been doing a fantastic job."
And it wasn’t just the regular season where Donovan excelled. Donovan scored in the opener of the Galaxy’s first-round series against rival Chivas USA, then added a penalty kick goal versus Chivas to help clinch the playoff victory in the second-leg.
In the conference final last Friday against Houston, Donovan’s overtime penalty kick goal cemented the 2-0 victory and a spot in the league championship game. He now has 17 career playoff goals, most in league history.
Donovan’s 2009 season grabbed plenty of attention for what happened away from his time on the field with the Galaxy. He spent three months on loan to German powerhouse Bayern Munich and was not offered a full contract. His marriage, to actress Bianca Kajlich, dissolved.
And he was a major figure in Grant Wahl’s "The Beckham Experiment," a book chronicling and critical of David Beckham’s first two seasons with the Galaxy. Donovan criticized Beckham’s leadership and effort in the book, and he apologized to the English star for airing his thoughts in public.
Since Beckham returned to the Galaxy from a loan deal to Italy’s AC Milan, he and Donovan developed a strong partnership that has helped fuel their run to the league championship game.
"I can look myself in the mirror this year and say I really worked hard and earned this and I’m proud of it," Donovan said. "It’s one thing to be voted a most valuable player by the media or be named an All-star by the fans, but when your peers vote for you it means a little bit more."
Radosavlijevic is new coach of Toronto FC
TORONTO — Predrag Radosavlijevic is the new coach of Toronto FC.
The MLS team made the announcement at a news conference Thursday.
Radosavlijevic succeeds Chris Cummins, who left the team last month. Cummins had taken over from John Carver, who quit in frustration midseason and returned home to England.
Toronto FC has not reached the playoffs in its three seasons in the league.
World Cup Qualifying
Irate Irish cry foul after ref hands win to France
DUBLIN — Soccer-mad Ireland is fighting mad — and demanding justice for a disputed goal that had fans crying "Oui were robbed."
A blown call by referees cost the luckless Irish a spot in the World Cup in a loss to star-studded France.
Ireland played the game of its life Wednesday night in a Paris stadium rocking to the cheers of visiting Irish fans. But with momentum on their side and facing a penalty shootout within minutes, the Irish saw the ball fall near their goal — and into the outstretched palm of celebrated French striker Thierry Henry.
He slapped it not once but twice, guiding it to his foot and passing to teammate William Gallas for the winning overtime goal. Ireland’s squad slapped their hands and some screamed "Handball, ref!"
Keeping your hands off the ball is the most basic rule in soccer, and endless replays demonstrated beyond doubt to billions worldwide that the goal should not have counted. But the Swedish referee, Martin Hansson, and his assistants claimed to see nothing wrong — inspiring fury and conspiracy theories on the wintry, rain-sodden streets of Dublin.
More than one Dublin tabloid christened it the "Hand of Frog" — wordplay using slang for a Frenchman and comparing the event to another handball, the goal by Argentina’s Diego Maradona against England in the 1986 World Cup quarterfinal. Asked afterward if he had touched the ball, Maradona said it had been guided by "the hand of God."
Henry quickly came clean about his sleight of hand, well aware that no video review can keep him from soccer’s grandest stage in June.
"I will be honest. It was a handball," Henry said. "But I’m not the ref. I played it. The ref allowed it."
Some accused the Swiss-based world governing body of soccer, FIFA, of bending its rules to suit the sport’s big guns like France because of the money and markets involved. France, a country of 65 million, won the world championship in 1998 and were runners-up in 2006. Ireland, population 4.4 million, chronically struggles even to qualify.
"They do video replays in rugby, American football, tennis, you name it — but not the biggest of them all, the World Cup. You tell me why," said Robbie Nolan, a 40-year-old cabbie nursing a pint after work in a sports-themed Dublin pub bedecked in Irish soccer memorabilia. His cheeks still bore traces of the green, white and orange facepaint from the night before.
"I’ll tell you why," he said, jabbing his finger at the Dublin Evening Herald’s front page picturing Henry beneath the headline: "YOU CHEAT."
"Video replay wouldn’t allow FIFA to fix key matches, that’s why. They wanted France in the World Cup and they got their wish. The Irish can play their socks off, but we’re nobodies. The French stars and the French millions must go to the World Cup."
As callers flooded Ireland’s airwaves from morning to nightfall, rival radio stations raced to produce their own mock-pop tributes to the dubious goal by Henry. Dublin’s 98FM offered a take on Michael Jackson’s "Beat It," retitled "He Cheated."
Until now, Henry has been known in the United States mostly for appearing in a Gillette ad with Tiger Woods and Roger Federer. And he has talked about perhaps finishing his career in Major League Soccer with the New York Red Bulls.
Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen said he would lobby his French counterpart, President Nicolas Sarkozy, at a European Union summit in Brussels.
"We’ll probably have a chat about it away from the table," said Cowen, who lauded ordinary French soccer fans for "making it clear in great numbers that there would be a lot of disquiet about the manner of the goal."
The Football Association of Ireland, meanwhile, filed formal demands to both FIFA and the French soccer federation for a replay. Both Cowen and soccer leaders both appealed to France’s sense of honor — and acknowledged the long odds for a rematch.
"It’s up to the people who govern the game now. Every time I go to a FIFA conference I hear about fair play and integrity and all those wonderful words," said John Delaney, chief executive of the Football Association of Ireland.
In both Sweden and France, citizens registered their own sense of shame at their compatriots’ role in the outcome.
The Stockholm newspaper Aftonbladet declared that Hansson and his two Swedish assistant referees should be banned from World Cup duties. "Anything else would be a further insult to the Irish nation," it opined.
In Paris, more than 80,000 voted in an online Le Monde newspaper poll asking whether France deserved to go to next year’s World Cup in South Africa. Most said no, that the Irish should go instead.
And the union representing France’s gym teachers declared outrage at what it called "indisputable cheating."
Irish Justice Minister Dermot Ahern was the first government leader to demand justice — and also the quickest to suggest that the Irish stood little chance of getting it. He said FIFA was committed to promoting the high-population soccer powerhouses of Europe.
Still, he said Ireland must demand a rematch, if only to shame France and FIFA.
"They probably won’t grant it as we are minnows in world football," he said. "But let’s put them on the spot anyway."
On the Net:
Irish state TV’s coverage, http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2009/1119/republic(underscore)france. html
Irish Times poll on video reviews in soccer, http://tinyurl.com/ybuet9e
-- Shawn Pogatchnik
French gym teachers criticize Henry hand ball
PARIS — France’s gym teachers said "indisputable cheating" allowed the national soccer team to qualify for next year’s World Cup.
The group’s main union said Thursday the French soccer federation should have condemned Thierry Henry’s hand ball.
Henry controlled the ball twice with his hand before crossing to defender William Gallas, whose header beat goalkeeper Shay Given in the 103rd. France earned a 1-1 draw with the goal in extra time Wednesday and beat Ireland 2-1 on total goals.
"The France team will go to South Africa courtesy of indisputable cheating, which highlights the downward spiral affecting football today," the SNEP-FSU union said.
The sports teachers also said they objected to statements from coach Raymond Domenech and some players that sent the message that "the most important thing in sport is to win."
"All these comments are unfortunately linked to a ‘very modern’ philosophy stipulating that in all areas, including sports, the end justifies the means," the union said.
Henry admitted after the game he handled the ball but said Swedish referee Martin Hansson was the culprit for not spotting the infringement.
"I will be honest, it was a hand ball," Henry said. "But I’m not the ref. I played it. The ref allowed it."
Domenech said he didn’t see the play.
World Cup organizer Jordaan opposes video replays
LONDON — Video replays at the World Cup would not end referee mistakes, tournament organizer Danny Jordaan said Thursday.
He said he sympathizes with Ireland missing a spot in the finals after France striker Thierry Henry’s handball on Wednesday night. After touching the ball twice with his hand, Henry crossed to William Gallas whose goal gave France a 2-1 aggregate win in their playoff on Wednesday night.
Jordaan says fans should accept that disputed decisions are part of soccer.
"Ireland played very well to come back and was fighting all the way, but unfortunately those decisions are the reality of the game," Jordaan said in a phone interview with The Associated Press. "In football these things happen, we have come to accept they happen every week."
And deferring calls to video replays is not a solution, according to Jordaan, who has seen inconclusive results from television evidence in cricket and rugby.
"A lot of incidents happen on the field of play and it is always possible (something similar) will happen at World Cup," said Jordaan, chairman of the local organizing committee. "But research has gone into replays in sport and sometimes even after replays many people are still unsure of the decision because it still requires a judgment call by a human being."
With all 32 finalists determined after Wednesday’s playoffs, Jordaan attended a ceremony in Johannesburg, South Africa, raising flags from each of the nations.
"Many Irish supporters in South Africa were looking forward to seeing the team coming," Jordaan said. "Many other teams’ hopes were dashed with (African champion) Egypt not qualifying, while Russia also had high hopes of coming .... There are many happy hearts and many broken hearts."
-- Rob Harris
Ireland lodges handball protest with FIFA
DUBLIN — The Irish soccer association has lodged an official complaint with FIFA over the deliberate handball by Thierry Henry that cost Ireland a place in the World Cup.
The Football Association of Ireland issued a statement Thursday saying the handball was recognized by the FIFA commissioner, the referee observer and the match officials, as well as by Henry himself.
Henry’s handball in extra time of the playoff led to a goal by William Gallas in a 1-1 draw that put France in the World Cup.
Flag-raising for 32 nations marks WCup milestone
JOHANNESBURG — The flags of the 32 nations that qualified for the 2010 World Cup are flying in Johannesburg.
A flag-raising ceremony livened by dancers, a choir and giant soccer player puppets was held Thursday at the offices shared by World Cup organizers and South African soccer authorities next door to Soccer City, the venue that will host the opening and closing matches. South African school children and ambassadors from the qualifying nations did the honors.
Uruguay ambassador Guillermo Pomi made it to the ceremony even though he had been awake into the early morning hours watching his team claim the final spot with a 1-1 draw against Costa Rica.
Uruguay was the first host and first World Cup winner, and Pomi says, "We expect to go far" in South Africa.
Elsewhere
Multiple arrests in German soccer corruption probe
FRANKFURT — German police have arrested an undisclosed number of people suspected of fixing matches in major European soccer leagues.
The arrests in Germany and abroad came as part of an investigation into match-fixing supported by UEFA, according to a statement by the prosecutor’s office in Bochum.
The investigation has been under way for nearly a year and targeted an international gang suspected of wide-ranging match-fixing.
The gang is suspected of bribing players, coaches, referees and officials in "high-ranking European leagues" to manipulate games in order to make money on betting, the statement said Thursday.
It said raids were conducted in Germany and Europe on Thursday and a large number of arrests were made. No other details were given. A news conference is scheduled for Friday in Bochum.
UEFA said it was aware of Thursday’s action, adding it had been "working closely with German authorities through its betting fraud detection system for monitoring irregular betting patterns."
The Berlin newspaper Morgenpost reported games in the Turkish top division were suspected of being manipulated and the probe by Bochum investigators targeted 100 people. The newspaper said five people were arrested Thursday.
UEFA said two months ago that it was investigating 40 cases of suspected match-fixing in the Champions League and UEFA Cup, mostly involving eastern European clubs. The matches under investigation were early qualifying games that took place over the last four seasons.
UEFA has beefed up its efforts to protect against illegal betting and match-fixing. The detection system monitors all top two divisions across Europe and domestic cup games.
-- Nesha Starcevic
FIFA charges Egypt FA over attack on Algeria team
ZURICH — FIFA has charged Egypt’s soccer federation after an alleged rock-throwing attack by fans on the Algerian national team’s bus before a World Cup qualifying match in Cairo last week.
FIFA said Thursday its disciplinary committee will rule on a case brought against the Egyptian Football Association.
Soccer’s world governing body said it had reports of "incidents affecting the Algerian team" when it traveled from the airport to its hotel two days before the match.
Algeria players and officials said Egypt fans hurled rocks at the bus, shattering windows and showering them with broken glass.
Egypt won the group stage match 2-0 Saturday to force a playoff between the two countries. On Wednesday, Algeria won 1-0 in Sudan to advance to the 2010 finals in South Africa.
Los Angeles Galaxy cancels Europen tour
KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany — David Beckham won’t be coming to Kaiserslautern.
The Los Angeles Galaxy has canceled a game in Kaiserslautern against the local second-division team because it could not get another game in Europe.
A statement by Kaiserslautern on Thursday said the Galaxy decided to scrap the entire tour. The Kaiserslautern game has been slated for Nov. 26.
