Soccer Capsules: Pumas to play Morelia for Mexican title
MEXICO CITY (AP) — The UNAM Pumas and Morelia will play for the Mexican Clausura title after beating Chivas and Cruz Azul respectively in their semifinals.
The Pumas defeated Guadalajara 2-0 on Sunday to advance with a 3-1 aggregate, while Monarcas got a 3-0 win over Cruz Azul in a match that ended with a brawl.
The first leg of the final will be played Thursday in Morelia followed by a return match Sunday at estadio Olimpico.
Pumas will attempt to win their seventh title, while Morelia is looking for its second.
Javier Cortes opened the scoring with a free kick in the 42nd minute and Paraguayan Dante Lopez used a great cross from his countryman Dario Veron to seal it.
"I'm very happy with the result because we made a great effort," Veron said. "We knew Chivas was a tough team but we prevailed to be in the final."
Chivas were looking for their first final since the 2006 Apertura, when they won their 11th title.
In Morelia, Rafael Marquez Lugo scored twice in the first 11 minutes and Jaime Lozano added a late goal as Monarcas qualified for their first final since the 2003 Clausura.
Marquez scored in the eighth and 11th minutes, while Lozano found the net in the 83rd.
At the end of the match a fan jumped into the pitch and exchanged a few words with Cruz Azul's Gerardo Torrado when Argentine midfielder Christian Gimenez came from behind and both began shoving each other.
Players from both squads got involved in a brawl that lasted for nearly 10 minutes before order was restored and referee Francisco Chacon showed the red card to three Cruz Azul players — Gimenez, Isaac Romo and Julio Dominguez. Morelia's Miguel Sabah was also sent off.
U.S. Soccer
Tarpley to miss Women's World Cup with knee injury
CHICAGO (AP) — American midfielder Lindsay Tarpley will miss the Women's World Cup after tearing her right anterior cruciate ligament.
Tarpley was hurt with 15 minutes left in Saturday's 2-0 exhibition win over Japan. An MRI on Saturday night confirmed the tear, which was announced Sunday by the U.S. Soccer Federation. She will be sidelined six to eight months.
A member of the 2007 World Cup team and the gold medal winners at the 2004 and 2008 Olympics, Tarpley also tore her right ACL in 2009 playing for the Chicago Red Stars of WPS.
The 27-year-old, who has 32 goals in 125 international appearances, will be replaced on the U.S. roster.
"Obviously, I'm extremely disappointed, but I believe that things happen for a reason and I know that I'll grow and learn from this," Tarpley said. "I had a long road back to recovery after my last surgery, and one of my main goals was to get myself healthy and competing at a level that would give me the opportunity to make this World Cup team."
Chivas edges Red Bulls
HARRISON, New Jersey (AP) — Justin Braun scored a hat trick as Chivas USA claimed its third win in four games with a 3-2 victory over the New York Red Bulls on Sunday.
The forward, who came into the game without a goal, opened the scoring in the sixth minute, before Thierry Henry replied with his fifth goal in five games in the 21st.
Braun added his second goal in the 31st minute, but Dwayne De Rosario equalized for New York with a penalty three minutes later. Braun scored the winner in the 56th minute when he tapped in a couple of feet from the goal line.
The loss ended the Red Bulls' four-game unbeaten streak, but they remain in first place in the Eastern Conference
League News
Wasteful West Ham relegated from Premier League
LONDON (AP) — West Ham became the first team relegated from the Premier League and needs a new manager for next season after squandering a two-goal lead to lose 3-2 at Wigan on Sunday.
Needing to beat its fellow struggler to prolong a six-year stay in the top division, the Hammers were 2-0 up after 26 minutes through a pair of goals by Demba Ba.
But Charles N'Zogbia started Wigan's comeback with a 57th-minute free kick and Conor Sammon equalized 11 minutes later with his first goal for the club. N'Zogbia then scored deep into injury time with a shot across goalkeeper Robert Green that went in at the far post.
An hour after the defeat left the east London club bottom of the standings and six points from safety with just one game remaining, West Ham said on its website that Avram Grant "is no longer the manager of West Ham United."
Grant served just one year of a four-year contract.
"I feel so sorry that we couldn't do the job that I wanted to do," Grant said immediately after the game. "I still believe in the future of this club."
Grant could be followed out of the club by leading players including Scott Parker and Carlton Cole, with the cost of relegation from the lucrative Premier League widely estimated at 40 million pounds ($64.8 million).
"It's not an easy day," Grant said. "Not for me, not for others."
West ham is six points behind its nearest rivals, Wigan, Blackpool and Birmingham, which lost 2-0 to visiting Fulham in another of Sunday's five games. That trio, along with Wolverhampton Wanderers and Blackburn, are the candidates to fill the remaining two relegation spots.
Wolves host Blackburn next Sunday, when Blackpool is at champion Manchester United, Birmingham is at Tottenham and Wigan is at Stoke.
Fulham defender Brede Hangeland scored twice to leave Birmingham still in danger of relegation.
Arsenal is in danger of finishing in fourth place — matching its lowest finish since Arsene Wenger took over as manager in 1996 — after a 2-1 home defeat by Aston Villa, Tottenham won 2-0 at Liverpool to move above its opponent into fifth place, and Chelsea drew 2-2 with Newcastle.
One day after Manchester United won a record 19th English championship, Arsenal had a chance to put pressure on Chelsea for second place. But England striker Darren Bent scored twice in the first 15 minutes for Villa and Arsenal wasted a host of chances and majority possession before Robin van Persie scored for the Gunners with a minute left.
Manchester City, which ended its 35-year wait for a trophy with a 1-0 win over Stoke in Saturday's FA Cup final, could now take third place from the Gunners if it beats Stoke again on Tuesday.
Only the top three teams automatically reach the Champions League group stage, with the fourth-place team having to go through a playoff for the lucrative tournament.
Alex's 83rd-minute goal seemed to have given Chelsea victory over visiting Newcastle, but defender Steven Taylor equalized for the Magpies in injury time. Branislav Ivanovic had opened the scoring in the second minute, with Jonas Guiterrez replying in the 10th.
Tottenham won a league match at Anfield for the first time since 1993 to move above its opponent.
Liverpool had taken 20 points from a possible 24 in its previous eight home matches under Kenny Dalglish, who was confirmed as manager this week for the next three years, but Rafael van der Vaart volleyed Tottenham ahead in the ninth minute with his 13th league goal of the season.
Liverpool striker Luis Suarez was lucky not to get sent off for kicking Michael Dawson, picking up just a yellow card from referee Howard Webb, before Luka Modric doubled Spurs' lead with a 53rd-minute penalty awarded for a foul by John Flanagan on Steven Pienaar.
Ronaldo takes season tally to 38 in Madrid win
MADRID (AP) — Cristiano Ronaldo scored two goals in Real Madrid's 3-1 win at Villarreal for the Portugal forward to match the Spanish league's single-season goalscoring record of 38, while Getafe and Zaragoza both won to ensure the final relegation spot will be decided in the last round.
Ronaldo curled a pair of free kicks past goalkeeper Diego Lopez in the 22nd and 93rd minutes respectively, to match the mark set by Athletic Bilbao's Telmo Zarra and Madrid's Hugo Sanchez, the league scoring leaders from the 1950-51 and 1989-90 seasons.
Ronaldo can set the new mark in the season's final game at the Santiago Bernabeu.
"We've got one game left against Almeria but I'm not obsessing about it," Ronaldo said. "I never expected to score so many goals. It's an honor to sit alongside football greats."
Barcelona celebrated its third straight domestic title after a lackluster 0-0 draw against Deportivo La Coruna, as the Catalan club paraded its 21st league trophy around the Camp Nou in front of 70,044 spectators.
"We beat the world's richest and most powerful team and with three rounds left. There's a lot of merit in that," Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola said of the league title. "Next season will be even more difficult."
Villarreal's defeat means Valencia secured third and an automatic place in next season's Champions League despite a 0-0 draw against 10-man Levante, which ensured its place in the topflight alongside Malaga, Sporting Gijon and Racing Santander.
Athletic Bilbao, Atletico Madrid and Sevilla all clinched spots in next season's Europa League while Espanyol missed out following a 1-0 defeat at Zaragoza.
Despite Leonardo Ponzio's 55th-minute winner, Zaragoza remains in 18th and the final relegation spot with 42 points as six teams go into the 38th round facing the possibility of the drop. Mallorca, Real Sociedad and Osasuna all have 44 points, Deportivo has 43, Getafe 42 and Zaragoza 42.
Hercules and Almeria have already been relegated, with second division leader Real Betis assuring its spot in the first division on Sunday.
Marcelo's 17th-minute chip of Lopez put Madrid ahead at El Madrigal, where Cani's 51st-minute effort brought Villarreal back into it.
But Ronaldo's ninth goal in three games took his season tally to 51 — just one shy of Barcelona counterpart Lionel Messi's season total. The pair of internationals are the first Spanish league players to top 50 goals in a season.
"It may be my best season in terms of goals. I'm much happier on an individual level than a team level as we hoped to win the league and the Champions League," Ronaldo said.
Spanish newspaper Marca, which awards the Pichichi trophy for the season's top scorer, still had Ronaldo at 39 goals although that extra score from a 2-1 win at Real Sociedad earlier this season was given to Pepe in the referee's match report.
Deportivo had the better chances, with Messi missing from Barcelona's starting lineup as coach Pep Guardiola rested his regulars ahead of the Champions League final against Manchester United on May 28 at Wembley.
Athletic Bilbao and Malaga drew 1-1, while Almeria beat Mallorca 3-1 to keep it out of danger of the drop as did Sporting Gijon with a 2-1 win over Santander.
Miguel Flano pushed Daniel Parejo's cross into his own goal in the 65th before Pedro Rios confirmed Getafe's 2-0 win over Osasuna in injury time with the second goal. Getafe goalkeeper Oscar Ustari tipped Walter Pandiani's header onto the bar in the 84th to ensure the win.
Frederic Kanoute scored two goals in his last game at the Sanchez Pizjuan stadium as Sevilla beat Sociedad 3-1.
Meanwhile, Jose Antonio Reyes volleyed a hard shot home for the 71st-minute winner for Atletico to beat Hercules 2-1 and ensure at least seventh place and the final European spot. Copa del Rey champion Real Madrid is already assured of a Champions League place thanks to its second-place finish, which leaves an extra place available to Spanish teams in Europe's second-tier competition.
-- Paul Logothetis
Neymar scores as Santos wins Sao Paulo state title
SAO PAULO (AP) — Midfielder Arouca and striker Neymar scored a goal each as Santos defeated Corinthians 2-1 to win its second straight Sao Paulo state championship on Sunday.
Arouca opened the scoring with a goal from close range in the 16th minute, and Neymar sealed the victory with a shot from inside the area in the 84th at the Vila Belmiro stadium in Santos.
Substitute midfielder Morais scored Corinthians' lone goal in the 87th, but it was already too late to keep Santos from clinching its 19th state title, and fourth in the last six years.
The teams had played to a scoreless draw in the first leg last weekend at Pacaembu stadium in Sao Paulo.
Filled with young talent, Santos dominated both matches, and it got the win on Sunday despite playing without star midfielder Paulo Henrique Ganso, who sustained a right thigh muscle injury in the first half of last weekend's first leg.
Neymar, the 19-year-old striker touted as Brazil's next superstar, sobbed as he embraced Ganso after the final whistle in front of nearly 15,000 fans who packed the Vila Belmiro in the coastal city of Santos.
"Three titles in three years as a professional, that means a lot to me, I'm moved," said Neymar, who also helped Santos win last year's Brazilian Cup and led Brazil to the Under-20 South American championship earlier this year.
He scored his goal on a counterattack near the end of Sunday's match, firing a low right-foot shot that got past Corinthians goalkeeper Julio Cesar and trickled over the line.
"He is the man, there is nothing else to say about him," the 21-year-old Ganso said of Neymar.
Arouca, returning to action after several weeks nursing an injury, scored the first goal from near the six-yard line, completing a cross by midfielder Ze Eduardo.
It was the second Sao Paulo state title for coach Muricy Ramalho, who had also won it with Sao Caetano in 2004. Ramalho has won four of the last five Brazilian league titles, three with Sao Paulo and one with Fluminense last year.
"He changed everything, he deserves a lot of credit," defender Leo said of Ramalho, who was hired about a month ago and has coached the team only in 11 matches.
"We gave the players a little more confidence and made the defense more solid," Ramalho said. "With the players we have on offense, we know they will make a difference if we can hold our ground on defense."
Sunday's final came in the middle of a series of decisive matches for Santos, which is the only Brazilian team left in the Copa Libertadores. Santos, which also has former Brazil midfielder Elano in the squad, just returned from a long trip to Colombia after beating Once Caldas 1-0 in the first leg of their quarterfinal matchup. The return game is Wednesday in Santos.
Corinthians, meanwhile, was focused solely on the regional competition as it won't play again until the Brazilian league starts next weekend.
"We played even with them in both matches," Corinthians coach Tite said. "It could have gone either way, but all we can do now is congratulate Santos."
Corinthians, which remains the most successful team in the state tournament with 26 titles, had beaten Santos at the Vila Belmiro two years ago in the final, when retired striker Ronaldo was the team's biggest star.
The Sao Paulo championship is one of the most traditional in Brazil, along with the one in Rio.
Ronaldinho's Flamengo won the Rio de Janeiro state title two weeks ago after beating Vasco on penalties in the final of the Rio Cup, the tournament's second stage. It automatically clinched the overall title because it had also won the Guanabara Cup, the competition's first stage.
Also Sunday, Internacional defeated Gremio 5-4 on penalties to win the Rio Grande do Sul state championship, the team's first title since the recent arrival of former Brazil star Paulo Roberto Falcao as coach. Cruzeiro defeated Atletico Mineiro 2-0 to win the Minas Gerais state championship.
-- Tales Azzoni
Sampdoria relegated after loss to Palermo
MILAN (AP) — Sampdoria was relegated from Serie A after it lost 2-1 at home to Palermo on Sunday and is now out of Italy's top flight for the first time since 2003.
The Genoa-based team needed a win to survive until the final round of matches, but the loss combined with Lecce's 2-0 victory over Bari means Sampdoria is four points behind Lecce.
Bari and Brescia were already relegated.
At the other end of the table, Napoli secured the point it needed to qualify for the Champions League next season with a 1-1 draw at home to Inter Milan.
It will be the first time that Napoli has competed in the competition in its current form. It twice competed in the European Cup after winning the Italian title in 1987 and 1990.
"We've achieved our objective and we deserve it," Napoli striker Ezequiel Lavezzi said. "We deserve this for all the work we have put in this season. We haven't got the biggest squad so everyone has worked hard this season to reach this goal."
For Sampdoria, relegation marks a complete turnaround in fortunes after it began the season in the Champions League and was looking forward to celebrating the 20th anniversary of its only Serie A title.
"We had a good game today," Sampdoria president Riccardo Garrone said. "We can't just look at this one game or one single moment and I don't want to blame any one player."
Sampdoria forward Nicola Pozzi found the net in the 30th minute but the strike was ruled out for offside, and Palermo captain Fabio Miccoli took advantage of the let off when he took one touch to control Josip Ilicic's flick on and shot low into the far corner of the goal.
After the break Sampdoria came out with renewed vigor and Zsolt Laczko fired a freekick over the bar. Two minutes later Jonathan Biabiany brought Sampdoria level when he rose above Palermo goalkeeper Francesco Benussi to head in from close range.
As the match continued though, it was Palermo who appeared the most likely to find the winner and Abel Hernandez and Matias Munoz both came close with chances.
Eventually Mauricio Pinilla sealed Sampdoria's fate when he counter attacked from deep, exchanged passes with Hernandez and fired a shot past Sampdoria goalkeeper Angelo Da Costa.
Inter was quickly into its stride against Napoli and Samuel Eto'o opened the scoring when he shot past Morgan De Sanctis from the edge of the area.
Napoli drew level just before halftime. Christian Maggio's header caused problems in the Inter area and when the defense failed to clear Juan Zuniga pounced to scramble the ball into the net.
Early in the second half Diego Milito and Marek Hamsik went close with chances and Maggio nearly set up Zuniga for a second, but he turned the wingback's low cross wide.
At the final whistle the San Paolo stadium erupted in celebration, the players wore commemorative T-shirts and the coach Walter Mazzarri joined the players in a lap of honor.
Lecce needed two moments of magic from Jeda in the second half to ensure its place in Serie A. First he was left unmarked to head home a corner. Then his goalbound shot was inadvertently turned in by Bari's Andrea Masiello.
Roma's hopes of qualifying for next season's Champions League came to an end with a 2-1 loss away to Catania.
Simone Loria gave Roma an early lead, but Gonzalo Bergessio equalized with 12 minutes to go and Alejandro Gomez then hit an injury time winner.
"We didn't miss out on the Champions League because of this game with Catania," Roma coach Vincenzo Montella said. "We knew it would be difficult here. The fans here really don't like Roma and we knew the Catania players would really be giving their all."
Also Sunday, it was; Fiorentina 1, Bologna 1; Cesena 1, Brescia 0; Chievo Verona 0, Udinese 2; Parma 1, Juventus 0.
-- Jeremy Inson
Marseille held 2-2 at Lorient in French league
PARIS (AP) — Marseille's title challenge was dealt a blow as it was held 2-2 at Lorient on Sunday in the French league.
The defending champion trails Lille by three points but has played one game more. Lille can virtually seal the title if it beats Sochaux on Wednesday: it would then have a six-point lead and a much better goal difference with only two rounds left.
Lille beat holder Paris Saint-Germain 1-0 in the French Cup final on Saturday to win its first trophy since 1955.
"I don't know if the title is gone but it has moved away," Marseille coach Didier Deschamps said.
France winger Loic Remy notched his 13th goal this season to give Marseille the lead in the 14th minute. But Lorient defender Lamine Kone powered a header into the top corner to equalize in the 47th.
Lorient forward Kevin Gameiro flicked home a low cross from Morgan Amalfitano to make it 2-1 in the 80th before Marseille substitute Andre-Pierre Gignac leveled with a low shot in the 88th.
"We're really disappointed," Remy told Canal Plus television. "Lille will be the new champion unless there's a miracle. It will be tough to sleep tonight because we've missed our chance."
Elsewhere, Lens was relegated to the second division after a 1-1 draw with Monaco.
"There's no coincidence in football," Lens defender Alaeddine Yahia told RMC radio. "We've been in the relegation zone since the fifth round. Everyone lapsed and did not play at his level."
Also Sunday, it was: Saint-Etienne 1, Rennes 2; Caen 2, Montpellier 0; Valenciennes 1, Auxerre 1; Arles-Avignon 1, Toulouse 0; and Nancy 3, Nice 0. Lyon visits Brest on Monday, while Bordeaux hosts Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday.
In Lorient, Remy dribbled past defender Bruno Ecuele Manga to open the scoring from a tight angle. Marseille nearly added a second goal in the 24th when Ghana winger Andre Ayew made a cross for Remy, whose point-blank shot was stopped by Lorient goalkeeper Lionel Cappone. Marseille midfielder Mathieu Valbuena pounced on the rebound but fired over the bar from six yards.
Lorient put Marseille under pressure after half-time. Kone outjumped Marseille defender Vitorino Hilton to head in a corner from Amalfitano. Then Gameiro made a cross-shot that Marseille goalkeeper had to tip over the bar in the 57th.
Marseille fought back in the 75th as Remy rounded the Lorient defense, but Cappone came off his goal line to deny the striker.
Gameiro then escaped Marseille defender Souleymane Diawara's marking to meet Amalfitano's cross and notch his 21st goal this season, tying Lille striker Moussa Sow as the top scorer in the league.
Gignac gave Marseille some hope two minutes from time. Benoit Cheyrou played him in with a backheel flick and the Marseille forward slipped the ball between the near post and the goalkeeper.
Marseille had a chance to win the match in the second minute of stoppage time, but Cheyrou could not put enough power on his downward header from three yards and Cappone was able to collect the ball before it crossed the line.
"We had that last chance that we can't convert and that would have given us three points," Deschamps said. "But it's their first goal which hurt us. They equalize before we can even get into the second half. It took us a bit of time to rediscover some fluency in our game."
Rennes snapped a nine-game winless streak to retain fifth place.
A long-range strike from Colombian forward Victor Hugo Montano put Rennes ahead after 10 minutes, while Bakary Sako leveled for Saint-Etienne by curling in a corner kick in the 28th.
Rennes restored its lead on the stroke of halftime when Jerome Leroy chested down a cross from Montano to fire home.
In Caen, winger Romain Hamouma scored one goal and made the other to secure all three points. He notched his ninth goal of the season by outpacing the Montpellier defense before beating goalkeeper Geoffrey Jourdren in the 27th minute. He then provided the pass for striker Kandia Traore to double Caen's lead in the 69th.
Foued Kadir gave Valenciennes the lead by nodding home a cross from Gael Danic in the 80th. But South Korea forward Jung Jo-gook equalized for mid-table Auxerre with a header in the 87th.
Kamel Ghilas scored with a close-range header in the 20th minute for Arles-Avignon as the last-place team earned its second victory of the season.
In Nancy, Morocco midfielder Youssouf Hadji scored from a rebound in the 34th after Pascal Berenguer's drive crashed against the post. Berenguer fired home a half-volley to make it 2-0 in the 76th before Bakaye Traore sealed the win with a curling shot four minutes from the end.
The result helped Nancy move out of the relegation zone.
"We showed tonight that we were not dead yet and that this team can move mountains despite a huge pressure," Nancy midfielder Berenguer told Canal Plus television. "We've managed to turn things around and that bodes well for the remainder of the season."
Nice was down to 10 men in the 67th when Renato Civelli was sent off for a foul on Nancy midfielder Jonathan Brison.
In Monaco, forward Benjamin Moukandjo found the net for the home side in the 14th with a first-time shot.
Lens defender Raphael Varane nodded in a corner kick to level in the fourth minute of stoppage time but could not save his team from relegation. Monaco dropped two points to fall in the relegation zone.
"It hurts a lot," Monaco coach Laurent Banide said. "We lacked focus for 30 seconds. That's the way it is, that's football."
-- Trung Latieule
Boca beats River 2-0 in Argentina's "superclasico"
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Boca Juniors beat River Plate 2-0 to win the Argentine "superclasico" on Sunday, dealing a double blow to River's faltering league campaign.
Meanwhile, league leader Velez Sarsfield lost 3-2 at Lanus and third-placed Olimpo suffered a 2-1 home defeat against Independiente to give encouragement to the chasing pack.
River goalkeeper Juan Carrizo punched into his own net from Pablo Mouche's corner to give Boca the lead in the 28th minute and Martin Palermo headed the second from close range three minutes later.
Palermo, Boca's record goalscorer, will retire at the end of the season and the Bombonera crowd gave the teary-eyed 37-year-old a prolonged standing ovation when he was substituted in the 72nd minute.
Boca's Clemente Rodriguez and River's captain Matias Almeyda were sent off after clashing in stoppage time, with a visibly furious Almeyda needing a police escort off the pitch.
The win moved Boca within a point of its archrival in the Clausura standings and seriously dented River's title hopes.
With five matches remaining, River has 22 points in seventh, with Boca on 21 in eighth. League leader Velez Sarsfield has 27 points.
Defeat also dumped River to fifth-bottom in the table of average points used to decide which clubs drop out of the top division.
The bottom two clubs are relegated automatically. The next two worst performers over a three-year period face playoffs with second division sides to determine their survival in the top flight.
River has not been relegated from the Primera Division since the average points system was first used in 1983.
David Ramirez twice gave Velez the lead with goals in the fourth and 29th minutes against Lanus, but Santiago Hoyos and Diego Valeri replied to leave the scores level at half time.
Silvio Romero got the winning goal in the 51st to move Lanus up to third position in the standings on 23 points.
Olimpo dropped to fourth after Facundo Parra and Patricio Rodriguez scored second-half goals in Independiente's 2-1 win.
Olimpo's Federico Dominguez was sent off in the 88th and a late goal from Julio Furch was scant consolation for the home side.
Godoy Cruz, which had a 2-0 home win against Quilmes on Friday, is second on 26 points.
Also Sunday, defending champion Estudiantes was held 2-2 by Tigre.
Gaston Fernandez opened the scoring with a penalty for Estudiantes in first-half stoppage time, before Ramiro Leone equalized in the 51st.
Enzo Perez gave Estudiantes the lead again on the hour mark, but Mariano Echeverria's 75th-minute strike ensured a share of the points for Tigre.
Both clubs remained mid-table with Tigre on 20 points and Estudiantes on 19.
AEK beats PAOK 3-0 in Greek league playoffs
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Papa Bouba Diop scored two second-half goals to help AEK Athens beat rival PAOK 3-0 on Sunday and grab the lead midway through the Greek playoffs race.
Traianos Dellas had opened the scoring for AEK.
In the other playoff game, Volos came from behind to beat visiting Panathinaikos 2-1. Second-half goals from veteran Ilias Solakis, playing for his 13th professional club in 17 seasons, and Juan Martin canceled out Sebastian Leto's first-half effort.
After three rounds, AEK leads the playoffs race with seven points, one ahead of PAOK. Panathinaikos is on four points and Volos trails on three.
The winner of the six-round, home-and-away series joins Olympiakos in next season's Champions League. Two Europa League spots are also up for grabs.
AEK nearly scored in the opening seconds,when a freekick by Nacho Scocco hit the post.
The hosts, playing in an empty Athens Olympic Stadium as punishment for fan violence in the Greek Cup final last month, finally opened the scoring in the 21st when Dellas latched on to a failed clearance by PAOK's Bruno Cirillo to head home from close range.
Diop, the veteran Senegal national, made it 2-0 in the 47th when he headed the ball home off a Scocco freekick.
PAOK had two good chances to pull a goal back in the 55th and 64th minutes but Sebastian Saja blocked shots by Giorgos Fotakis and Zlatan Muslimovic.
It was AEK which scored instead in the 68th. Dellas met a deep ball by Roger Guerreiro and headed the ball on, two defenders failed to clear and Diop scored with a close-range shot.
At Volos, the hosts had an early scare when goalkeeper Eldin Jakupovic blocked a shot by Loukas Vyntra with some difficulty in the 2nd minute. But Volos dominated the next 30 minutes, missing five good scoring chances while hitting the woodwork twice, through Martin and Mario Breska.
Five minutes after sending a thundering freekick into the crossbar, Breska handed Panathinaikos its goal on a plate in the 33rd when he tried to dribble past Sebastian Leto in his own area. The Argentinean striker stole the ball and scored from a tight angle.
The hosts, who beat Panathinaikos twice in the regular league season, also dominated the second half and equalized in the 51st, when Solakis headed the ball into the underside of the crossbar and past the goal line off a Zoltan Szelesi cross.
Martin scored the winner in the 63rd with a header from a freekick by Breska.
Panathinaikos' efforts to equalize came to nothing.
On Wednesday, Panathinaikos hosts Volos and AEK travels to Thessaloniki to play PAOK.
Rangers clinches third straight title with 5-1 win
GLASGOW, Scotland (AP) — Rangers clinched a third straight Scottish league title by a single point Sunday with a 5-1 win at Kilmarnock on the last day of the season.
Second-place Celtic needed its fierce rival to draw or lose to have any chance of winning the championship, but Rangers scored three times in the first seven minutes to end all uncertainty and give manager Walter Smith victory in his final match in charge.
"It's for the club, it's not for me," Smith said. "Everything you do is for the club."
It was Smith's 10th title in two spells in charge of Rangers, putting him second only to Bill Struth, who amassed 18 league championships before retiring in 1954.
Smith, who will be succeeded by assistant Ally McCoist next season, said he could not pick a favorite.
"You can't pick and choose any of them; I'm just delighted Rangers managed to win," Smith said. "I'll go and have a wee drink now, I think."
Kyle Lafferty opened the scoring after 47 seconds, Steven Naismith made it 2-0 and Lafferty struck again to build an unassailable early lead. Nikica Jelavic scored at the start of the second half and Lafferty completed his hat trick in the 53rd as Rangers stretched its record to 54 titles.
Celtic beat visiting Motherwell 4-0, while Dundee United beat third-place Hearts 2-1 in Sunday's other match.
Lafferty lobbed the ball from the edge of the box and over stretching goalkeeper Cammy Bell into the back of the net, Naismith turned and fired in a shot for 2-0 and Jelavic set up Lafferty to side-foot past Bell.
Jelavic then lashed a 49th-minute free kick into the top corner and Lafferty poked the ball in from about 10 meters (yards) to make it 5-0 before Kilmarnock got a goal back.
Gary Hooper, Georgios Samaras, Shaun Maloney and Paddy McCourt gave Celtic the win it needed to have any chance of overhauling its Glasgow rival — but their team missed out on a 42nd title largely because of last week's surprise 3-2 defeat against Inverness.
Hooper scored from a rebound after his initial turn and shot was blocked, and Samaras struck five minutes before halftime with a side-foot shot from Charlie Mulgrew's cross. Maloney scored a solo goal in the 53rd and McCourt made it 4-0.
But Celtic could still finish the season with a trophy when it plays Motherwell again in Saturday's Scottish Cup final.
Ajax gets 30th league title with win over Twente
AMSTERDAM (AP) — Ajax captured its 30th Dutch league title and first for seven years with a 3-1 win over FC Twente on Sunday.
Twente, which beat Ajax last Sunday to win the Dutch Cup, began the day with a one-point lead at the top and needing only a draw to win the title for a second straight year, but Siem de Jong's double helped Ajax seal its first crown since 2004.
"It is the most important day especially for the supporters because they had to wait a long time for the title," said Ajax coach Frank de Boer, who as player won five league titles with Ajax and another with Barcelona in 1999.
De Boer has only been coaching Ajax since December last year when he took over from Martin Jol.
Ajax took the lead in the 23rd minute when De Jong met a cross from defender Gregory van der Wiel and unleashed a shot from a difficult angle that gave Twente goalkeeper Nikolay Mihaylov no chance.
Twente midfielder Denny Landzaat doubled Ajax's lead in the 46th, beating his own goalkeeper with a bullet header as he tried to clear another Van der Wiel cross.
Twente pulled a goal back with midfielder Theo Janssen's curling shot from 20 yards, but De Jong scored again in the 78th to wrap up the win.
"We are the most beautiful club in Holland," De Boer said. "We are the biggest club so it is nice to win this title."
Despite the loss, Twente earned a Champions League place by finishing second. Twente made a strong start as Vermeer was forced to make a diving save to block Bryan Ruiz's close range effort in the opening minute.
Ajax enjoyed better possession but its first real scoring chance came after 19 minutes when Christian Eriksen flighted a ball into the Twente area, picking out Miralem Sulejmani, whose shot went over the bar.
Twente increased the pressure on the Ajax goal after the break with Ruiz and Nasser Chadli missing clearcut chances just after the break. De Jong's second goal killed off all hope of a comeback.
"We are deserving champions," said Ajax's De Jong. "We began really good in the first half. We were stronger."
PSV Eindhoven wasted a chance to overtake Twente and earn a Champions League spot after drawing 0-0 at FC Groningen. PSV and AZ Akmaar will play in the Europa League. A playoff will decide which other two teams feature in Europe next season.
-- Bruce Mutsvairo
Kofu upsets J-League champions Nagoya Grampus
KOFU, Japan (AP) — Promoted Ventforet Kofu upset defending J-League champions Nagoya Grampus 3-1 on Sunday for its first win of the season.
Mike Havenaar scored the winner when he converted a cross from Atsushi Katagiri midway through the second half for his third goal of the season.
Elsewhere, Takahiro Futagawa and Takashi Usami scored second-half goals to lead Gamba Osaka to a 3-2 win over Avispa Fukuoka, Kawasaki Frontale beat Kashima Antlers 3-2 while Urawa Reds and Cerezo Osaka played to a 1-1 draw. Kashiwa Reysol defeated Albirex Niigata 3-0 on Saturday to open up a three-point lead in the standings.
Yoshiro Abe opened the scoring for Kofu in the 27th minute with a right-footed shot from nine meters that beat Nagoya goalkeeper Seigo Narazaki.
Jungo Fujimoto equalized for the visitors with a free kick six minutes before halftime. Substitute Masaru Matsuhashi completed the scoring, heading in a Daisuke Ichikawa cross seven minutes after Havenaar had restored Kofu's lead.
Fukuoka midfielder Toshiya Sueyoshi and Gamba's Adriano traded first-half goals before Futagawa and Usami scored within four minutes early in the second half to give Gamba the lead for good. Hideya Okamoto pulled one back for Fukuoka in the 62nd minute but the hosts couldn't find an equalizer.
Yu Kobayashi scored late in the second half to help Kawasaki to a 3-2 victory over Kashima.
Elsewhere
Manchester united in football joy after double win
MANCHESTER, England (AP) — After Manchester City gained a newfound swagger with cash from Middle Eastern royalty, Alex Ferguson vowed to silence Manchester United's "noisy neighbors."
But on Saturday night the rivals were united is noisy celebrations. Supporters filled Manchester center bars after returning from Blackburn and London — scenes of an unprecedented double-triumph on the same day.
At Ewood Park, United became the most successful club in English league history with a 1-1 draw against Blackburn that secured a 19th league title.
Minutes later at Wembley Stadium, City began the FA Cup final against Stoke that would end in a 1-0 victory to secure its first major honor in 35 years.
"Tonight all the people in Manchester are happy," City manager Roberto Mancini said. "I think it's better like this. Next year I think we can try to play for the top with the other teams, but it's difficult."
Not all Mancini's players, though, were happy sharing their moment of glory with United's record-breakers.
"I'm annoyed even to say their name today because it's got nothing to do with them," City goalkeeper Joe Hart said. "It's about us, it's about Man City winning the FA Cup, Man City getting in the Champions League."
City's official website even wipes United from the top portion of the league standings visible on the home page. It starts with Chelsea in second and goes down to Tottenham in sixth with City perched in fourth, having secured Champions League qualification for the first time.
City fans will now be desperate to rip down the banner inside United's Old Trafford fortress that marks the number of years since its neighbor's last major honor: the 1976 League Cup.
The United faithful, though, could reset it to mark the time that has elapsed since City won the last of its two league titles: 1968.
Since then, United won the championship 12 times — with Alex Ferguson masterminding them all starting in 1993.
And Ferguson could not resist reminding City which is the most successful team in the world's oldest football knockout competition.
"With the FA Cup, we have won it more times than everyone," Ferguson said of United's 11 to five lead over City. "And now we have won the Premier League more times than anyone."
It has taken Ferguson 25 years to overhaul Liverpool's record haul of league titles, helped by its northwest rival failing to win one since the 18th in 1990.
"It was Liverpool's time in the 80s, it's our time now and we always expect them to challenge us and we also expect Manchester City to challenge us," Ferguson said. "The great thing about us is that we accept challenges. It doesn't matter where it comes from."
The next challenge for United is becoming Europe's top team for the fourth time by beating Barcelona in the Champions League final on May 28 at Wembley Stadium.
That would give United two trophies to carry on the open-top bus that will parade through Manchester on May 30. It was United's first European Cup win in 1968 that upstaged City's domestic title triumph in the same year.
But City will have its own moment in the Manchester spotlight on May 23 when the squad — expensively assembled by Sheikh Mansour's investment of more than $1 billion since 2008 — parades the FA Cup through the streets.
-- Rob Harris
Ancelotti faces anxious wait over Chelsea future
LONDON (AP) — Carlo Ancelotti gave Chelsea fans a glimpse of the future at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. Only in a couple of weeks will he know if he's still at the club to see it.
With the Premier League title lost and an eye very much on next season, the Italian coach played a new-look team against Newcastle in Chelsea's final home match of the campaign, with highly rated youngster Josh McEachran starting in midfield and record signing Fernando Torres leading the attack.
After an explosive start, the Blues wilted and ended up drawing 2-2. Talk about one performance summing up your season.
Ancelotti, a double winner in his first season but empty-handed in his second, took part in a customary lap of appreciation after the game unsure if his tenure will extend into a third and final year.
The crowd chanted "Carlo, Carlo" and Ancelotti responded with a wave. But he knows his fate is out of his hands. It will be decided by the club's Russian owner Roman Abramovich, who was sat in the stands for the Newcastle game, after next Sunday's match against Everton at Goodison Park.
"I don't know what's going to happen. I have to wait," Ancelotti said. "We have to wait just one week. One week is not a long period. We'll see what happens.
"You are asking me a question I am unable to give an answer. Everyone can give their opinion about my job here but it's the club who has to make the decision if my job is good. If they think my job is good, I will stay. If not, I have to go."
Chelsea's supporters certainly appear to be behind Ancelotti. Even during the team's midseason wobble — in November and December when it effectively relinquished the title to United — the fans never gave the Italian a hard time. Instead, the players were the target of much of their anger.
Ancelotti said that his waves during the lap of appreciation were not of farewell but of thanks.
"I wanted to say 'thank you' to our supporters because they gave me fantastic support today and also through the season," Ancelotti said. "In the moments when it was not so good, they stayed close to the team, to the players."
Ancelotti is one of the more likeable Premier League managers but working under Abramovich is widely regarded as one of the toughest jobs in football.
Since the Russian bought Chelsea in 2003, any manager who failed to win the Premier League hasn't survived the sack. Some of the oligarch's actions also appear illogical — getting rid of assistant coach Ray Wilkins in November is widely seen is the catalyst behind Chelsea's slump and has yet to be fully explained.
Chelsea managers are powerless to prevent Abramovich dipping into team affairs and know there is only one winner if they stand up to him. It is in this context that Ancelotti and his predecessors have had to operate.
Even winning the club's first ever league and FA Cup double may not save Ancelotti.
"In my opinion, sometimes I've done a good job, sometimes I could have done better," was Ancelotti's assessment of his two-year reign at Stamford Bridge.
Ancelotti said there is no meeting planned with Abramovich before his fate is sealed next week.
Asked whether he will still be at Stamford Bridge next season, Ancelotti gave a not entirely convincing answer. "I think so," he said.
-- Steve Douglas
Dortmund at a standstill for title celebrations
DORTMUND, Germany (AP) — Almost 400,000 Borussia Dortmund supporters crammed streets to get a glimpse of their heroes during celebrations of the club's seventh league title on Sunday.
Players aboard a custom-built float struggled to pass through crowds secured by 1,500 police on a victory parade that took 4½ hours to travel 3½ miles as Dortmund was brought to a standstill.
Police had to intervene when the float was brought to a standstill too. Players were brought to the main stage near the Westfalen Stadium in police cars after being stuck on the closed-off B1 motorway for over an hour.
More fans were expected, with festivities due to last long into a second night after the team hoisted the league trophy on the final day of the season Saturday.
Dortmund's young side secured the Bundesliga title on April 30, when a 2-0 win over Nuremberg gave it an unassailable advantage over Bayer Leverkusen.
"Unbelievable," coach Juergen Klopp said as he surveyed a sea of yellow and black before him. "Unbelievable day, and an unbelievable two weeks."
Klopp — like many of his players — wore sunglasses to hide his eyes after apparently only getting two hours sleep the night before.
"We've dreamed of this," the 43-year-old said. "It's absolutely crazy. To see what people have invested in this team, in this club, is incredible."
Dortmund's chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke — who helped steer the club to sound financial footing after it teetered on the brink of bankruptcy in 2005 — was overwhelmed.
"It's hard to really believe this," Watzke said. "The team has given the city its pride back."
Dortmund forward Kevin Grosskreutz, who used to attend matches in the fabled "yellow wall" south stand, could barely contain his happiness as he sang songs to the crowds through a megaphone.
"I'm so happy!" the 22-year-old announced. "Nobody can take this from me. I was born here and I'll always love this club."
Players were announced on stage one by one by their number to the accompaniment of Van Halen's "Jump", with fans shouting out the player's name before he appeared waving and smiling to the appreciative crowds.
Special receptions were reserved for the coach, the Real Madrid-bound Nuri Sahin, and local heroes Mario Goetze and Marcel Schmelzer, while the much-loved defender Brazilian Dede bid a tearful farewell after 13 years at the club.
"I want to thank the club, the president, the coach, the players, but I especially want to thank you," the 33-year-old told the crowd.
Dede referred to the club's problems after it secured its last title in 2002, particularly the bankruptcy fears: "We had a bad time but we got through it. We got through it together."
He added the sight of so many fans was something "money can't buy" and thanked fans for singing his name.
"That memory will stay in my head forever," Dede said as the tears flowed.
-- Ciaran Fahey
West Ham parts company with Grant after relegation
LONDON (AP) — West Ham needs a new manager to lead next season's promotion challenge after it parted company with Avram Grant in the immediate aftermath of Sunday's relegation from the Premier League.
The club issued a brief statement an hour after West Ham's 3-2 defeat at Wigan, which left it six points from safety with one game remaining.
The east London club did not say whether Grant had quit or been fired, but the latter seemed most likely since the Israeli coach had previously said he did not plan on leaving if the Hammers were relegated.
Grant had served just one year of a four-year contract.
"The club can confirm that Avram Grant is no longer the manager of West Ham United," the club said on its website, adding only that first-team coach Kevin Keen will lead the team for next weekend's final game of the season — at home to Sunderland.
Grant, who led Chelsea to its only Champions League final, took over at West Ham in June after a creditable half season in charge of Portsmouth in which he led the relegation-bound club to the FA Cup final.
But he couldn't prevent the club sliding out of the top flight after a six-year stay. A demoralizing season culminated in Sunday's loss at Wigan, which came after West Ham had taken a 2-0 lead at halftime.
To complete the misery, a plane, apparently hired by fans of West Ham's fierce rival Millwall, flew over the DW Stadium during the game, trailing a banner reading "Avram Grant — Millwall Legend."
Speaking after the game, a downcast Grant said he did not want to discuss his future.
"It's a very sad day for me, the amazing supporters, the club," Grant said. "I believed that we could do something good. I'm very, very sorry for the supporters.
"My future is not important now."
It is Grant's second Premier League relegation in a row after Portsmouth went down last season. The 56-year-old Israeli led Chelsea to the Champions League final in 2008, losing on penalties to Manchester United, but he was fired and replaced by Luiz Felipe Scolari.
Blatter confident of re-election as FIFA president
RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) — Sepp Blatter said Sunday he was confident of being re-elected president of FIFA when world soccer's governing body votes June 1, brushing off calls from his rival Mohammed bin Hammam to step down over allegations of bribery facing FIFA officials.
"I am going to win," Blatter said on a visit to the Palestinian territory, seen as a bid to shore up support in the Middle East for his candidacy. "We need consolidation, not revolution."
Blatter said Sunday he would not yet consider a revote on the two World Cups.
The bribery allegation "is a matter of investigation ... once we have evidence and results we can go back" and reconsider further measures, he said.
In Ramallah, Blatter inaugurated the West Bank's first international club tournament on a symbolic day for Palestinians — the annual commemoration of the Palestinians' uprooting after Israel's founding 63 years ago.
"I am proud to be here for this historical moment," Blatter told reporters, flanked by FIFA's incoming vice president, Prince Ali Al Hussein of Jordan, and Jibril Rajoub, a Palestinian politician and head of the Palestinian Football Association. "Football is hope."
Fifteen international teams — mostly from Africa, Asia and the Arab world — are slated to join local teams in the tournament championship. But the Palestinian Football Association alleges that Israel has denied entry to more than 80 members of visiting delegations, including Jordanian and Mauritanian players, and sports journalists.
Rajoub said that FIFA had complained to the Israeli Football Association and called for intervention.
Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor said Israel supported FIFA activities and did not categorically deny visas to sports players or sports reporters. He said he had no knowledge of entry denials, but said that visa requests may have been submitted without enough time to process them.
Blatter said he would push Israel to allow Palestinian athletes and coaches more freedom to travel from the West Bank and Gaza Strip. He was scheduled to meet Monday with representatives of the Israeli Football Association.
"Football has no borders," Blatter said. "With the authorities of Israel ... we can take it up. We will try to help you."
-- Daniel Estrin
Maradona meets with Dubai club Al Wasl
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Dubai's Al Wasl club has made Diego Maradona an offer to be its next coach and talks are ongoing, the club said Sunday.
The 50-year-old Argentine great, who has been out of coaching since he led Argentina to the 2010 World Cup quarterfinals, visited the club's training facility Saturday. He did not speak to reporters at the club headquarters or when he went shopping at the Dubai Mall.
Ashraf Ahmad Mohammad, the club's chief executive officer, said he was "happy" with the negotiations thus far but expected it would take several more days for an agreement. The club had said it might have an announcement Sunday, but nothing was forthcoming.
Al Wasl is fourth in the domestic league and has been looking for a coach since firing Sergio Farias in March.
It would certainly get a colorful figure should the club sign the 1986 World Cup winner, but not someone with extensive managerial experience. Before taking the reins of Argentina in 2008, he had only coached Deportivo Mandiyu in 1994 and Racing Club in 1995, and in both cases left before his contract was up.
Under Maradona, Argentina's results were mixed and the team slumped to two of its worst ever losses — a 6-1 hammering by Bolivia in 2010 World Cup qualifying and a 4-0 quarterfinal defeat to Germany at the tournament.
Since losing the Argentina job last year, Maradona has been linked to several coaching vacancies, including Iran's national team and several English clubs including Blackburn and Fulham.
-- Michael Casey
Augsburg promoted to Bundesliga for first time
BERLIN (AP) — Augsburg secured promotion to the Bundesliga for the first time, despite losing 2-1 at second division champion Hertha Berlin on the final day of the season on Sunday.
Augsburg all but clinched second place the week before due to a vastly superior goal difference over Bochum, which beat Duisburg 3-1 to finish level on points in third.
Bochum will play Borussia Moenchengladbach — which finished 16th in the 18-team Bundesliga on Saturday — in a two-leg playoff for a place in the top flight next season.
The games are to take place on May 19 in Moenchengladbach and May 25 in Bochum.
Hertha secured promotion after a season's absence, and players celebrated in front of 77,116 fans at the Olympiastadion — a second-division record.
Fans from both teams joined in the beer-soaked celebrations by singing: "Never again in the second league. Never again!"
"It's a shame we lost the game," Augsburg defender Tobias Werner said. "But it was a wonderful setting. Now we know what we can look forward to on a regular basis in the coming season."
Wolfsburg fines Diego for skipping crucial game
WOLFSBURG, Germany (AP) — Brazilian midfielder Diego has been fined by Wolfsburg for storming out of the team hotel before a crucial relegation battle at Hoffenheim on Saturday.
Diego skipped the match and returned to training Sunday, when Wolfsburg coach Felix Magath said "he has a contract and apparently realized that obligations must be fulfilled."
Magath told Sky on Saturday that Diego — a €15.5 million ($22 million) purchase from Juventus — reacted badly after being told he would be starting as a substitute.
Wolfsburg won 3-1 without the 26-year-old to ensure Bundesliga survival on the last day of the season. Magath said "he gave no explanation."
Diego, who has a contract with Wolfsburg until 2014, said: "It's my problem, our problem. We have to sit down together and find a solution."
Magath suggested the Brazilian may be given another chance. No details were given of the fine.
"It doesn't interest me if someone makes a mistake. I'm ready to work with anyone, but it has to be evident that they'll do things my way," the 57-year-old said. "Everything is possible."
Ronaldinho's website hacked by bin Laden supporter
SAO PAULO (AP) — Ronaldinho's website has been hacked by someone appearing to support Osama bin Laden.
GloboEsporte.com reports the hacker posted a photo of bin Laden and statements supporting Islam, as well as comments in Arabic attacking Ronaldinho's "hatred" of Islam.
The site was hacked for a few hours on Saturday, according to the GloboEsporte.com website and other local media. Ronaldinho could not be contacted for comment.
He signed with Flamengo in the beginning of the year, returning to Brazilian football after 10 years in Europe. He helped Flamengo win the Rio de Janeiro state championship, but fans had been jeering him recently because of poor performances that culminated with the team's elimination from the Brazilian Cup on Wednesday.
Betis secures promotion to Spanish first division
SEVILLE, Spain (AP) — Real Betis was promoted into Spain's topflight football league on Sunday after a two-year absence. Alcorcon's 2-0 victory over Granada ensured the Seville club was assured a place in the first division for the 2011-12 season. Betis has 76 points to sit 14 better than third-place Granada with three games remaining.
Second-place Rayo Vallecano has 73 points with the top two automatically promoted and the third spot coming down to a playoff between four clubs.
Betis won the Spanish league in 1935 and won Copa del Rey trophies in 1976 and 2005. The club played in the Champions League during the 2005-06 season before being relegated in 2009.
