Soccer Capsules: U.S. arrives in Honduras for World Cup qualifier
SAN PEDRO SULA, Honduras — The bus containing the U.S. soccer team pulled up to the hotel with only two dozen or so local police standing guard. The regular State Department security contingent had come along on the flight from Miami.
For all the jitters about security ahead of Saturday night’s World Cup qualifier against Honduras, the situation was pretty much normal. While there were military when the team’s charter arrived Thursday at Ramon Villeda Morales International Airport, it was only a fraction of the security force that blanketed the team at the last two World Cups in South Korea and Germany.
"If they are sending us down here as a U.S. team, I can’t really be worried that the State Department and everyone doesn’t have it covered," U.S. captain Carlos Bocanegra said. "We’re pretty far away from what’s going on."
In a plaza downtown was one of the few signs of the political struggle unfolding in this Central American nation, which has been in turmoil since a military coup ousted President Manuel Zelaya in June. Zelaya returned to the country in late September and took refuge in the Brazilian Embassy in Tegucigalpa, complicating the situation for Interim President Roberto Micheletti.
"The constitution is not negotiable," the sign said.
U.S. coach Bob Bradley briefed players on the security situation before the team left Florida but didn’t spend too much time on it.
"Whenever we travel, we always have tremendous security. In this particular case, we’ve had a little discussion with the team, so that they are aware of the different factors," he said. "We’re very comfortable with the way our security gets handled."
Tom King, the U.S. Soccer Federation’s managing director of administration, got to Honduras three days ahead of the team. When players arrived, local media was waiting at the hotel but there was no evidence of hostile fans.
Already two days before the game, downtown streets were filled with scalpers hawking tickets for the match at 45,000 capacity Estadio Olimpico Metropolitano. There were plenty of Catrachos jerseys on sale, too.
While the 11th-ranked United States would qualify for its sixth straight World Cup with one game to spare if it wins, No. 42 Honduras is 8-0 at home in qualifying and has outscored opponents 22-3 in those matches. The Catrachos are trying to make it to their second World Cup following their only appearance in 1982.
"The entire country is going to be behind them," Bocanegra said. "Not to get on the political side of things, but obviously it will be something that brings everyone together, is football, which is a cool thing."
The United States has had difficulty this year in Central America, needing a pair of goals in the last 15 minutes for a 2-2 tie at El Salvador and losing 3-1 at Costa Rica.
"Teams from Central America are good teams, well coached," Bradley said. "And then combine that with environments: passionate crowds that are there behind their team and an environment that is never easy for the visitors."
With two games left, the United States (5-2-1) leads North and Central America and the Caribbean with 16 points, followed by Mexico (5-3) with 15, Honduras (4-3-1) with 13 and Costa Rica (4-4) with 12. The top three teams qualify, and the No. 4 finisher meets South American’s fifth-place team in a home-and-home playoff.
If the Americans fail to clinch Saturday, when Mexico hosts El Salvador and Costa Rica is home against Trinidad and Tobago, they could ensure a berth with a tie or a victory against Costa Rica on Wednesday night at Washington’s RFK Stadium.
Qualifying hasn’t come down to the final day for the U.S. since 1989, when they won 1-0 at Trinidad to reach the World Cup for the first time since 1950.
"Ideally we can finish up things Saturday but, again, there are factors in all of this that are sometimes out of our control," Bradley said.
The game will not be on television in the United States because the Honduran federation sold broadcast rights to a company that will broadcast it in the U.S. only in bars on a pay-per-view basis.
"We are certainly disappointed for our fans," Bradley said. "Certainly the idea that this match is not on regular TV is disappointing for all of them, and we understand and feel badly about that."
Mexico may be first to qualify from CONCACAF
MEXICO CITY — Mexico can become the first CONCACAF team to qualify for the World Cup, and nobody knows that better than coach Javier Aguirre.
Mexico hosts El Salvador at Estadio Azteca on Saturday, and the team needs only three points to reach next year's 32-team tournament in South Africa. Mexico has not lost a match at Azteca since falling to Costa Rica 2-1 in 2001.
"If we can manage to pick up three points against El Salvador, we are in the World Cup," Aguirre said.
In Saturday's other two CONCACAF qualifiers, the United States plays at Honduras and Costa Rica is home against Trinidad and Tobago.
Like Mexico, a victory will put the United States into the World Cup. But, playing at Honduras, the Americans have a much more difficult task because the Hondurans will have some extra motivation.
A victory might put them into the World Cup, which would briefly lift the spirits of the impoverished Central American nation, which has been divided since June by a coup. It would be only Honduras' second trip to the World Cup.
Both Mexico and the United States would like to seal their places in South Africa on Saturday. If they don't, it will come down to the final qualifying group matches on Oct. 14 — and anything could happen with the standings so tight.
On Oct. 14, it's: El Salvador vs. Honduras; Trinidad and Tobago vs. Mexico; and the United States vs. Costa Rica.
Going into the final two rounds, the United States leads the group with 16 points. Mexico is next with 15 points, followed by Honduras with 13, Costa Rica with 12, El Salvador with eight and Trinidad and Tobago with five. Trinidad has already been eliminated.
The top three teams advance automatically. The fourth-place team faces a playoff in November with the fifth-place team from South America — now Argentina — for another berth.
Mexico should get a lift from the return of Barcelona defender Rafael Marquez, who will be playing his first match for Mexico since being sent off in the 65th minute on Feb. 11 in a qualifier against the United States. Marquez has been sidelined with a leg injury and has not played for Aguirre since he became coach — his second stint — in April when he replaced the fired Sven-Goran Eriksson.
The last time Marquez played for Aguirre was on June 17, 2002, when Mexico was beaten by the United States 2-0 in the final 16 of the World Cup in South Korea and Japan. Marquez was also sent off in the second half of that match.
Mexico's big absence will be Giovanni dos Santos, the small, wily Tottenham striker who is probably Mexico's top offensive talent. His injury is expected to keep him out for four weeks.
The major worry for the United States will be missing midfielder Clint Dempsey, who sprained his right shoulder on Sunday playing for Fulham in the Premier League.
It is not clear if Dempsey will be ready for the match with Costa Rica.
His spot will be filled by defender Frankie Hejduk. The 35-year-old Hejduk scored the final goal in a 2-2 draw at El Salvador in qualifying on March 28. He was on the American team for the 1998 and 2002 World Cups, then was picked for the 2006 squad before missing the tournament due to a torn knee ligament.
Honduras, with Costa Rica having lost its last three qualifiers, is the best bet to grab the third spot. If the Hondurans beat the United States and Costa Rica somehow loses at home against Trinidad and Tobago, Honduras would qualify for its first World Cup since 1982 in Spain.
"Soccer is pain relief," former national team coach Ramon Maradiago said. "It relaxes and distracts us. It pulls us out of bad feelings."
The blue-and-white clad Honduras team is loaded with talented players, many of whom play for some of Europe's biggest clubs: Wilson Palacios (Tottenham); David Suazo (Inter Milan); and Maynor Figueroa and Hendry Thomas (Wigan).
"It will be something marvelous ... to achieve this feat and be part of it," Figueroa said. "I believe it will be something that will go down in the history books."
-- Carlos Rodriguez
L.A. Galaxy boss wants Beckham loan done
LONDON — The Los Angeles Galaxy want David Beckham’s expected loan to AC Milan to be completed in the next two weeks so the deal doesn’t distract from the team’s bid for the MLS Cup.
The English star has helped the Galaxy make the Major League Soccer playoffs for the first time in four years and the Nov. 22 final is within reach.
But he also wants to join a top European club in January leading to the World Cup to help him stay on the England team coached by Fabio Capello. Beckham is eager to return to Milan after a loan there earlier this year.
"We want to get it done, for him and for us and I don’t want any confusion," Tim Leiweke, chief executive of Anschutz Entertainment Group, which owns the Galaxy, said Thursday. "It’s the same with Landon (Donovan). There is a lot of rumors of whether he is staying or going. We’re going to clear that up in the next two weeks because we want the team to be focused."
Leiweke wants Beckham to return to the Galaxy after the 2010 World Cup despite the hostile reception from Galaxy fans when he returned in July after spending the first half of the year at Milan.
"I talk to David a lot and this year a lot more because I wanted to make sure he didn’t get down and that it would work out," Leiweke said. "We have a deep appreciation of what he is doing over here with his national team. I wanted him to know that we will support him so we are going to lend him out."
Beckham is 11 appearances away from retired goalkeeper Peter Shilton’s record 125. He could match the mark if England advances deep into the World Cup, which starts in June.
But with the final not until July 11, Beckham will miss the first three months of the MLS season.
"We’re not going to give him as much time off this time — he’s going to have to earn his keep," Leiweke cracked. "He will have a little time off. I admire what he is doing with the caps. It’s historical and legendary.
"We’re honored to have a player of his magnitude playing at the World Cup. We’re going to have four or five of them from the Galaxy at the World Cup and that is real progress for the league and team."
-- Rob Harris
Under-20 World Cup
U20 WCup: German discipline awaits awesome Brazil
CAIRO — Brazil has scored 11 goals and conceded only two to blaze through to the quarterfinals of the Under-20 World Cup against Germany. Can anyone stop the South Americans?
Brazil, which scored three goals in 10 minutes to beat Uruguay 3-1 on Wednesday, looks like continuing its long-held tradition of using the under-20 tournament to feature emerging talent, such as Ronaldinho, Adriano and Kaka in previous editions.
"Without a doubt, a win like this ... gives you extraordinary confidence, because it was a South American classic. It gives you strength to keep going forward," Brazil coach Rogerio Lourenco said after Wednesday's win.
Brazil has won the competition four times and failed to qualify just once in 17 tournaments. But Germany coach Horst Hrubesch said his team won't be overawed in Saturday's match.
Germany's 10-man side pulled off an impressive comeback to beat Nigeria 3-2 with an injury-time goal in a typically fighting performance to reach the last eight.
"(The Brazilians) are obviously very strong and the favorites in this tournament," Hrubesch said. "If you saw the first half of the Brazilian match (against Uruguay), then you realize what we're up against.
"But we'll try not to play the same game as Uruguay and create more chances for ourselves."
Hrubesch said he struggled to select his squad, claiming Bundesliga teams had refused to release 25 of his short-listed players.
"We don't have so many individual talents but have great discipline," he said. "I tell my players to take this tournament one game at a time, and so far we've had a lot of fun."
Several fancied teams have already been knocked out of the tournament, including Spain, the Czech Republic and host Egypt. Six-time winner Argentina failed to qualify, adding some uncertainty and a more global flavor to these quarterfinals.
On Friday, African standout Ghana takes on South Korea, which has scored six goals in its past two matches after a faulty start.
Italy plays Hungary after both caused upsets to advance, eliminating Spain and the Czechs respectively.
"We know that we've beaten one of the favorites for the title. We have the confidence now to go on to the latter stages," Italy coach Francesco Rocca said. "But we need to stay calm and ... see where we made mistakes."
Also Saturday, outsiders Costa Rica and the United Arab Emirates play each other. The central Americans have the momentum — and an extra day's rest — after stunning Egypt 2-0 victory in front of the host's passionate home crowd.
The victory summed up coach Ronald Gonzalez's defiant style. His team pulled through to the knockout round following a 5-0 opening loss to Brazil.
"My players form a great team, they're very cohesive and they have really showed improvement," Gonzalez said. "We have a team that is mentally strong. I think our opening loss to Brazil motivated us, instead of getting us down."
Costa Rica have never made it past the round of 16, a statistic the coach is eager to ignore.
"Record books are made to be rewritten," Gonzalez said.
-- Derek Gatopoulos
Ayew shining for Ghana at Under-20 World Cup
CAIRO — When your father is an African football legend it's hard to follow in his footsteps, but Ghana's rising star Andre Ayew is now making a name for himself at the Under-20 World Cup in Egypt.
The son of Abedi Pele, a three-time African Player of the Year who won the European Cup with Marseille in 1993, Ayew will lead out the Black Satellites in a quarterfinal against South Korea on Friday, just 18 months after the teenager failed to cope with the pressure and expectation of playing for host Ghana at the African Cup of Nations.
"This tournament can really put me in the spotlight," the 19-year-old Ayew said in an interview with The Associated Press. "I hope this competition, and the few months left until the winter break, will be a springboard for me."
By the age of 18, Ayew was playing for Marseille in the Champions League and representing Ghana at the African Cup of Nations. However, he ultimately failed to deliver on his talents and is currently playing on loan for Arles-Avignon in France's second division.
"I was very young and had everything ahead of me, and perhaps I didn't deal with the situation properly," Ayew said. "There was a lot of pressure, that's true, but on the other hand I could have handled things better."
A raw player in 2008, Ayew is thriving as Ghana's Under-20 captain in Egypt.
"I can't say I'm the most experienced player in the world because I'm just 19, but the little I have I try to bring it into the group," Ayew said, when asked what he brought to coach Sallas Tetteh's team.
Playing behind two strikers, Ayew got the equalizer in Tuesday's 2-1 win against South Africa, scored from 25 yards (meters) in the 4-0 rout of England and almost got another with an acrobatic backheel volley.
"That's the freedom I have in my mind now. I wouldn't have tried that (volley) before," Ayew said.
His robust style and galloping runs from deep are a stark contrast to the inhibited winger who struggled with Ghana's Black Stars, or for Marseille two seasons ago.
"I was playing with apprehension, (trying) not to lose the ball," said Ayew, who has 18 full caps. "(Tetteh) gives me the freedom to do things. This freedom helps me to grow, and I need that."
Ayew sprinted over and jumped into Tetteh's arms after scoring against England — testimony that Tetteh is perhaps channeling the natural talent Ayew inherited from his father.
Abedi Ayew, commonly known as Abedi Pele during his career, was African Footballer of the Year (1991-93) and a pioneer of African football, playing in Switzerland, Germany and France when African players were less widely sought after.
Ayew does not duck questions about his father, but answers them with pride.
"My father is a great man, he advised me a lot. He was there for me during the tough times," said Ayew, who has a younger brother on Marseille's books, and an older brother playing for Zamalek in Cairo.
"I really hope I can impress (my father), because he is counting a lot on me, my older brother, and my younger brother," Ayew said. "I'm not in the same position as a lot of my friends, who have to feed their families. We grew up in comfort, so the pride he has is seeing his children play at the highest level."
When Ayew struggled at Marseille and was loaned to Lorient last season, he was being played out of position. So his father advised him to drop a division with Arles-Avignon, where he would be the team's catalyst rather than a spare part.
With plenty of team scouts watching the Under-20s in Egypt, Ayew knows that a good run for Ghana in the tournament could earn him a move in January's transfer window and he makes no secret of his ambition. "I want to get back to the highest level as quickly as possible," he said.
-- Jerome Pugmire
World Cup
England’s World Cup bid signs up foreign players
LONDON — England’s 2018 World Cup bid received the backing Thursday of the CEO of the company that owns the Los Angeles Galaxy, despite the United States being of the one main competitors to host the tournament.
Tim Leiweke, president and chief executive officer of Anschutz Entertainment Group, said England’s case to put on soccer’s showpiece event for the first time since 1966 was clearly the best.
"I can’t imagine a more passionate host," Leiweke said at the Leaders in Football conference. "England is a place where people care about football more than anywhere in the world. I’ve never seen passion for any sport like the passion you have for football here.
"FIFA should take a long, hard look at bringing the World Cup to England. Over the years, England have worked hard at their football infrastructure, they have fantastic stadia and deserve to get the World Cup."
After FIFA vice president Jack Warner dismissed England’s bid as "lightweight" Wednesday for not using star players, a host of foreign Premier League players were presented as bid ambassadors at the Leaders in Football conference.
They include Manchester City captain Kolo Toure and Chelsea forward Salomon Kalou, who play for the Ivory Coast, along with Trinidad and Tobago striker Kenwyne Jones and West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola.
Football Association chairman David Triesman said they will help to highlight the diversity of the Premier League, arguing that some other countries haven’t properly dealt with racial issues.
England’s black players have been racially abused in recent years in Spain, which is bidding for the event jointly with Portugal.
"The players are able to point out, because we faced our demons in the past, that you can play your football here without racial abuse," Triesman said. "And that is not true everywhere. You can also do it knowing that when we see any signs of a re-emergence, we’ll stamp on it."
-- Rob Harris
Japan to go ahead with World Cup bids
TOKYO — Japan will go ahead with bids to host soccer’s World Cup in either 2018 or 2022 despite Tokyo’s failure to win the right to host the 2016 Olympics, Japan Football Association officials said Thursday.
JFA president Motoaki Inukai initially said Japan’s bid would hinge on the success of Tokyo’s bid. Last Friday, the International Olympic Committee voted to award the games to Rio de Janeiro.
Japan was hoping to hold the World Cup final at a proposed 100,000-seat Olympic stadium on Tokyo’s waterfront.
But FIFA president Sepp Blatter gave Japan’s bid hopes a boost last week when he said that Yokohama’s Nissan Stadium could host a World Cup final despite its capacity being 72,000 — 8,000 less than FIFA’s stated minimum for a World Cup final.
Japan co-hosted the 2002 World Cup with South Korea, and the final was at Nissan Stadium.
FIFA will decide the 2018 and 2022 hosts in December 2010.
The United States and England are also bidding for either the 2018 or 2022 World Cup along with Australia, Russia, Indonesia, plus joint bids from Belgium and the Netherlands and Spain and Portugal. Qatar and South Korea have applied only for the 2022 tournament.
Next year’s World Cup is in South Africa, and the 2014 tournament is scheduled for Brazil.
Luca Toni eyeing return to Italy for World Cup
ROME — Bayern Munich forward Luca Toni has nearly recovered from an Achilles' tendon injury and is eyeing a return to Serie A in the hope of being part of Italy's plans for the World Cup.
"My experience in Germany has been positive. I scored 60 goals in two years. But now it would be great to return to Italy," Toni told an Italian radio station on Thursday. "This is the last World Cup I'll have a chance to play in. I won one and I would like to try again."
Toni, who stood out with Palermo and Fiorentina before transferring to Bayern in 2007, has not played for Italy since the Azzurri's first-round exit at the Confederations Cup in June.
"My first choice is Italy. Last year I couldn't give everything I wanted to, but now I'm better and want to give myself a full chance of making the national team," Toni said.
Italy can qualify for the World Cup with a match to spare by getting at least draw against Ireland on Saturday.
Rumors of Toni's possible transfer in January to struggling AC Milan or Napoli are already starting to surface.
Owen still chasing World Cup spot for England
MANCHESTER, England— Michael Owen says he has enough faith in his scoring talent to regain a place in the England squad and make it to next year's World Cup.
The 29-year-old Manchester United striker was not considered for the squad to play Ukraine and Belarus in qualifying games because of his latest injury.
He limped off the field with a recurring groin problem after only 20 minutes of last week's Champions League game against Wolfsburg, which was watched by England coach Fabio Capello.
Owen, who has started only once under Capello, said Thursday: "I've always been optimistic. I will always score goals and I have got the record to show that. I need to play well and score goals for Manchester United. If I do that then I could get picked."
Elsewhere
The big mystery: What’s wrong with Argentina?
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — On the streets and in Buenos Aires’ pubs, a great mystery is baffling almost everyone.
Why is Argentina — a storied soccer nation with arguably the world’s No. 1 player and coached by icon Diego Maradona — on the verge of missing next year’s World Cup?
"I blame Maradona for part of it," said 24-year-old Fernando Duarte, standing on a corner in downtown Buenos Aires. "People are angry. I mean. It’s hard to think of a World Cup without Argentina."
Two corners away, 30-year-old Sergio Flores picked another target for his wrath: millionaire players like Lionel Messi (Barcelona) Carlos Tevez (Manchester City), Javier Mascherano (Liverpool) and Sergio Aguero (Atletico Madrid).
"They earn too much money, they play in Europe and I don’t think their focus is the national team," Flores said. "Really, they’ve been miserable. Everyone can see it."
Argentina has won the World Cup twice, but the next few days will decide if the Gauchos even get to play in South Africa next year. Without Argentina, the World Cup would lack a certain edge, and sponsors and FIFA — soccer’s world-governing body — would lose many glamorous stars.
Argentina plays Saturday at home against Peru — the last-place team in South American qualifying — and Wednesday at bitter rival Uruguay. Argentina needs to win them both. Anything less and it could be out of the World Cup, or facing a difficult playoff in November for a berth.
Also on Saturday, Chile plays at Colombia, Uruguay is at Ecuador and Paraguay is at Venezuela. On Sunday, Brazil plays at Bolivia with the final five qualifying matches set for Wednesday.
Brazil and Paraguay have already clinched two of the four automatic places from South America. Chile has 27 points followed by Ecuador with 23, Argentina with 22 and Uruguay and Venezuela with 21. Colombia has 20.
If Argentina finishes fifth it faces a playoff in November with the No. 4 team from North and Central America and the Caribbean for another berth. If it finishes sixth or lower, it’s out.
Argentina’s struggle is a mystery. But it’s also a soap opera about 48-year-old Maradona and the love-hate relationship he carries on with most Argentines.
He basically had no coaching experience when he was named the national coach almost a year ago. His fame stems from winning the ‘86 World Cup for Argentina, winning Italy’s Serie A twice with humble club Napoli, and his stature as one of the game’s greatest players.
He’s also infamous.
He was expelled from the ‘94 World Cup in the United States after testing positive for a "cocktail" of performance-enhancing drugs.
He was near death on a respirator five years ago after suffering a heart attack attributed to a cocaine overdose. And he’s had gastric bypass surgery to lose weight.
He’s a rogue who’s always been forgiven. But as the losses mount, his status as a national hero seems to be diminished.
In six World Cup qualifiers under Maradona, Argentina has won only two, scored only six goals — most of them coming in a 4-0 win over Venezuela. Argentina’s last three qualifiers are all losses — to Paraguay, Brazil and Ecuador.
"The same people who elevated Maradona to God-status are the ones who are destroying him now," wrote columnist Reynaldo Sietecase in Thursday’s edition of the newspaper "Critica."
Earlier this week Maradona threatened to resign after the next two matches — even if Argentina reaches the World Cup. In a poll the next day by "Critica," 75 percent said he should go — no matter what.
His erratic behavior has always made headlines, and now it seems to be hurting team confidence. Maradona has called up 76 players in a year, and the team seldom practices until late afternoon because Maradona says he likes to sleep late.
Last month, without telling anyone, including the president of the Argentine federation — Julio Grondona, who hired him — Maradona disappeared for 11 days to an Italian spa to lose weight and escape the stress back home.
During his stay, Italian authorities confiscated earrings worth $5,900 as partial payment for a tax bill.
"Everything around Maradona seems to be a problem," said a young man who identified himself only as Juan Carlos, speaking outside an Irish pub on Reconquista Street. "He finds trouble, that’s for sure."
About half the starters will be different from the team that lost the last three games. The goalkeeper is likely to be Sergio Romero, one of three Maradona has used. It will be only his second match for the national team.
Tevez has run into problems with Maradona and is likely to be on the bench. He’s been forced to defend himself over charges he’s got giving 100 percent. Messi has also been ripped, usually looking adrift when he plays for Argentina.
"They say we are comfortable and rich and don’t think enough about the team," Tevez said a few days ago. "Do you really think when we play for the national team we just care about the millions we have in the bank?"
Peru defender Carlos Zambrano summed up what’s at stake for Argentina. A loss to Peru could be the final blow, the most humiliating loss of all against South America’s weakest team.
"What I want is to beat Argentina," he said. "Those Argentine players will be crying and watching the World Cup next year on television."
-- Steven Wade
NKoreans playing football diplomacy on France trip
SAINT-SEBASTIEN-SUR-LOIRE, France — Even if its coach and players don't want to speak about politics, the North Korea team's tour of France isn't only about football.
Relations between the two countries are officially nonexistent, with communist North Korea regularly pressured by the French government to abandon its nuclear program and improve its human rights record.
After arriving in Nantes this week, the North Korean team was joined Thursday by the first secretary of North Korea's permanent delegation to France, Kim Myong Sik.
"There is absolutely no reason that our two countries have no official diplomatic relations," Kim said during a welcome ceremony. "France is the only country in the European Union that doesn't have any relations with my country."
Earlier this month, French President Nicolas Sarkozy dispatched former government minister Jack Lang on a special mission to try and end the standoff over North Korea's nuclear program.
Lang met with South Korean Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan in Seoul on Wednesday, and will visit North Korea in November.
The North Koreans' tour will feature two friendlies, against second-division team Nantes on Friday and the Republic of Congo on Tuesday at Le Mans.
North Korean football federation vice president Kim Jang San also hopes the tour will help forge a diplomatic thawing between the two nations.
"I hope that this tour will not only help to develop football in our country, but also improve relations between France and North Korea — in sport and other areas," he said.
However, despite the trip being about building bridges, players have been kept hidden from reporters with training mostly held behind closed doors.
North Korea coach Kim Jong Hun came alone to the team's news conference on Thursday and spoke for less than 30 minutes. The official translator refused to translate a question about whether the team could be considered a flagship of Pyongyang's regime.
"Your question is irrelevant," the translator said. "I don't understand why you want to mix football and politics."
South and North Korea will both play at the same World Cup for the first time next year in South Africa. Previously, athletes from each nation have marched together during the opening ceremonies of the Olympics and Asian Games but then competed separately. There was much debate about a unified team for the 2008 Olympics, but it did not transpire partly because of difficulties involving selection.
Asked about the possibility of seeing a united Korean football team in the near future, Kim Myong Sik said it was up to South Korea to take the initiative.
"If they move in the right direction and want to collaborate, everything is possible," he said.
In the small town of Saint-Sebastien-sur-Loire, on the outskirts of Nantes, the North Korea team had a short training session. They then watched the 2002 documentary "The Game of Their Lives," about North Korea's epic run at the 1966 World Cup in England, when it ousted Italy on the way to the quarterfinals before losing 5-3 to Portugal having once led 3-0.
France's Foreign Ministry would not immediately comment on the North Koreans' trip or their overtures. However, the Nantes branch of Amnesty International said in a statement that "there are still too many attacks on human rights in North Korea."
-- Samuel Petrequin
Pogba provisionally joins United from Le Havre
ZURICH — FIFA has cleared French teenager Paul Pogba to play for Manchester United, though his former club Le Havre said Thursday it would still pursue the England champion for breach of contract.
FIFA said Man United could provisionally register Pogba through the English Football Association "with immediate effect" after it issued an international transfer certificate clearing the 16-year-old midfielder to play.
But the decision by a judge working for the FIFA Players' Status Committee does not prevent Le Havre formally asking for an investigation into how United came to sign the France youth international.
"As always, the decision of the single judge was with regard to the authorization to provisionally register the player in question," FIFA said in a statement.
Le Havre issued a statement calling the issue of Pogba's transfer certificate "a nonevent."
"Moreover, and as outlined in the FIFA decision, the issue of the provisional international certificate does not prejudge the outcome of the case," the club said.
Le Havre said it will now ask FIFA's Dispute Resolution Chamber to rule on the case.
The disputes panel has twice issued transfer bans this year — against Chelsea and Swiss club FC Sion — in breach-of-contract cases involving players who previously had received international clearance.
Last month, Chelsea was banned from signing any players until January 2011 after the panel judged it had lured Gael Kakuta to break his contract with French club Lens.
The London club signed Kakuta as a 16-year-old in 2007 and got FIFA permission to play him — then was punished two years later.
Chelsea and Kakuta were also ordered to pay Lens €910,000 ($1.34 million) and the player was banned for four months.
Chelsea's lawyers are studying the FIFA panel's full ruling before launching an appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
FIFA's player status panel granted Sion permission to register Egypt goalkeeper Essam El Hadary in April 2008. But 14 months later, the disputes panel ruled that El Hadary broke his contract with former club Al-Ahly.
Sion was banned from signing players until after the 2009-10 season and ordered to pay the Egyptian club €900,000 compensation. El Hadary also got a four-month ban.
Sion appealed to CAS despite a request from FIFA president Sepp Blatter to accept the verdict, and the court froze those punishments while it considers the case. A ruling is expected later this year.
Italy captain Fabio Cannavaro fails doping test
ROME — Italy captain Fabio Cannavaro has failed a doping test, with his club Juventus saying Thursday it was the result of cortisone used to treat a bee sting.
The Italian Olympic Committee’s anti-doping prosecutor, Ettore Torri, opened an investigation.
Cannavaro, who helped Italy win the World Cup in Berlin three years ago, was already suspended for the country’s World Cup qualifier with Ireland on Saturday due to accumulated yellow cards. But he was expected to join the team for Wednesday’s game against Cyprus.
CONI would not say when Cannavaro tested positive, but said Torri would hold a hearing with the defender and the physician involved in the case.
Torri will likely want to determine if Cannavaro had a certificate approving use of the substance. The hearing with Cannavaro could come as early as Friday.
Cannavaro received a cortisone injection Aug. 29 to prevent an allergic reaction, the ANSA news agency reported, quoting the Italian football federation. That was shortly before Cannavaro joined Italy’s team for World Cup qualifiers against Georgia and Bulgaria
The federation said the national team’s medical staff was also informed of the injection, and that a certificate had been sent to CONI.
In a statement, Juventus said it followed all medical rules, adding that the treatment was "indispensable to avoid eventual complications, even lethal."
Juventus added that it would be happy to discuss the case with CONI.
Former Juventus physician Riccardo Agricola was convicted of administering banned substances to Juventus players from 1994-98. He was given a suspended sentence of 22 months in November 2004.
In 2005, a video was shown on Italian TV of Cannavaro getting injected with a performance-enhancing substance the night before the 1999 UEFA Cup final.
The sequence was shot in a Moscow hotel room, shortly before his Parma team beat Marseille 3-0 for the title.
The substance was Neoton, a creatine phosphate, that was not on any banned lists in Italy at the time.
Cash crisis forces England to freeze football HQ
LONDON — England has been forced to postpone plans to build a national training complex after its main broadcast partner collapsed.
The English Football Association had identified the building of the base — similar to France's center in Clairefontaine — as key to developing young talent after failing to win a major tournament since the 1966 World Cup.
But the demise of Setanta Sports, which held the rights to FA Cup and England matches, has left a large gap in the budget which will leave the 20-million pound ($32 million) National Football Center at Burton-on-Trent in central England in limbo.
"I'm very eager to see Burton happen. Everyone knows that Setanta has made a significant difference to the money available to the FA," FA chairman David Triesman told a media briefing Thursday. "It has had a very big impact and we are working hard to get alternative broadcast partners in particular for the FA Cup which is a key property. We need the whole flow of the income to see our programs through. We're going to try to get back to that point."
England's players usually use Arsenal's training ground north of London before international matches and meet up at a private hotel rather than a central training camp.
Clairefontaine was set up after France failed to qualify for the 1994 World Cup. It went on to win the 1998 edition on home soil.
England also missed out on the '94 World Cup and failed to reach the European Championship last year.
-- Rob Harris
UEFA cuts Gilardino ban to 1 match on appeal
NYON, Switzerland — UEFA cut a Champions League suspension for Fiorentina forward Alberto Gilardino from two matches to one after an appeal on Thursday.
UEFA's appeals body said that Gilardino was "guilty of a reckless act but not serious foul play," when he elbowed Lyon's Jeremy Toulalan in the face during a group stage match in France on Sept. 16.
Gilardino was shown a red card after the first-half incident and 10-man Fiorentina went on to lose 1-0.
He appealed after receiving the two-match ban from UEFA's disciplinary panel last month.
The 27-year-old Italy international is now cleared to play in Fiorentina's next match, away to Hungarian champion Debrecen on Oct. 20.
Gilardino served his suspension when Fiorentina beat Liverpool 2-0 last week.
In a second ruling Thursday, UEFA rejected an appeal by AEK Athens against a three-match Europa League ban for defender Carlos Araujo.
The 27-year-old Argentine was sent off for kicking Everton's Sylvain Distin in a Group I match played Sept. 17. Everton won 4-0.
Araujo can play again in the competition when AEK hosts Everton in Greece on Dec. 2.
League delays ruling on Briatore's QPR ownership
LONDON — Flavio Briatore's future as co-owner of Queens Park Rangers remains under threat after the Football League board decided Thursday to delay a ruling on his status after his indefinite ban from Formula One.
Formula One took disciplinary action against the former Renault team principal for instructing Nelson Piquet Jr. to deliberately crash, and it appears to have put him in violation of the Football League's "fit and proper person test."
After discussing a dossier from F1's governing body, the board issued a statement saying that it would seek Briatore's responses before making any decision.
"After considering all the information presently available to it and, in the interest of due process, the board will seek responses from Mr. Briatore before commenting further," the statement read.
The Italian co-owns the second-tier League Championship club along with F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone and Indian steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal. Briatore is also chairman of the holding company that owns the club, and he is a director on the board.
Serbia fined, warned about rowdy soccer fans
BELGRADE, Serbia — Serbia’s soccer federation was fined for rowdy crowd behavior and warned by FIFA the team could lose points if problems persist at remaining World Cup qualifying matches.
The federation says on its Web site that it must pay $24,000 after fans used fire crackers and torches at a match against France last month in Belgrade.
The statement says this is the third punishment in qualifying, with the fines totaling $42,000.
The statement quotes FIFA’s warning that any problems at games with Romania and Lithuania could lead to "drastically higher punishments, including the worst, which is stripping of the points in the next qualifying round."
Last month, hooligans attacked a group of French fans in a pub in central Belgrade, fatally beating one of them.
Ten people were arrested for the attack on the Toulouse fan. Police said they are searching for two more suspects.
Officials in Serbia are attempting to ban violent fan groups.
League demands clubs reveal owners identities
LONDON — The English Football League is demanding that all its clubs reveal the identities of their owners.
Notts County’s takeover by a Middle Eastern business consortium left the League in the dark about who actually was putting up the money for the League Two club. There has also been speculation about who actually owns League One team Leeds.
The League board held a meeting Thursday about its "fit and proper persons" test and club ownership. It came up with a policy that the 72 Football League clubs should be obliged to divulge and provide evidence of ownership.
