Soccer Capsules: U.S. women seek long-awaited payback against Mexico
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Heather Mitts remembers the feeling walking off the field in Cancun, having been a part of the first and only loss the U.S. women's soccer team has ever suffered in a qualifying match for the World Cup or Olympics.
"It was awful," Mitts said. "It was obviously for us a real wakeup call. We definitely weren't prepared. We weren't prepared, and they came out and they played great against us."
Final score: Mexico 2, United States 1. It was Nov. 5, 2010. Mexico had punched its ticket to the World Cup. The Americans would have to play three more games to get there.
The opportunity for payback has arrived. The U.S. plays Mexico on Tuesday for first place in their group in the CONCACAF qualifying tournament for the London Olympics.
"That's obviously the game that's been marked on our calendars this entire tournament," forward Abby Wambach said.
And, yes, the teams have met once since the game that many consider to be among the biggest upsets in soccer history, but it was an exhibition in New Jersey last June, a warmup for the World Cup won 1-0 by the U.S.
That hardly counted as revenge.
"No. Absolutely not," Mitts said. "That was a friendly. This is Olympic qualifying. It doesn't matter if we're playing Mexico or not; we still have to win these games to get to the next step. I think it does add to it that we are playing Mexico — and the revenge factor does help."
Beyond having a score to settle, the game is a vital one. The region only gets to send two teams to London, and four remain in the hunt. The winner of the U.S.-Mexico game will draw an easier match against Costa Rica in the do-or-die semifinals, while the loser has to play the more formidable Canada.
Coach Pia Sundhage and her players spent much time contemplating what went wrong in Cancun 14 months ago. Sure, the Mexicans had home-field advantage — the rowdy crowd spent the game chanting and throwing cans, bottles, paper and other objects toward the field — but it's a brutal fact that the Americans were so used to winning that complacency had settled in.
"I definitely think taking a team for granted — and maybe thinking we were better than what we were — had a lot to do with it," forward Lauren Cheney said.
Cheney also said many of her a teammates were simply exhausted. The Cancun tournament, and the camp that preceded it, had come at the end of the long Women's Professional Soccer league season.
Sundhage takes the blame for that. She said the team wasn't sharp during the entire tournament.
"When I think back, I made a mistake having them together too long," Sundhage said. "I learned my lesson."
For the Olympic qualifying, the team had a shorter camp in California before arriving in Vancouver. It's hard to judge the results thus far: The Americans have won by scores of 14-0 and 13-0, but their opponents were so overmatched it wouldn't have mattered much how the U.S. prepared. The most helpful result of the blowouts is an overwhelming goal differential that means a draw against Mexico will be enough to win the group.
Mexico also has been cruising through the tournament, winning 5-0 and 7-0 against the same teams the Americans have played. The lopsided scores have allowed both teams to rest key players to keep them fresh for Tuesday's showdown.
While the Americans cite the loss in Cancun as more evidence of a growing parity in women's soccer, Mexico coach Leonardo Cuellar said his country has far to go to catch up with its counterparts to the north.
"They're obviously the best in the world," Cuellar said. "You see the U.S. and Canada, they basically have national teams that if they're not living together, they are dedicated to a national team. For us we still have players that go to school, go to work. We're at a different level, so it's a big challenge for us."
Two Cuban women football players missing
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Two players were missing from the Cuban women's football team for its final game at an Olympic qualifying tournament.
Forward Yezenia Gallardo, 20, and midfielder Yisel Rodriguez, 22, were listed as absent from the team for Cuba's game Monday night against Haiti at BC Place.
Jesus Pereira, the head of the Cuban football delegation at the tournament, declined to stop to answer questions from reporters after the game. Pereira, the coaches and players headed directly to the team bus, again declining questions through a CONCACAF spokesman.
CONCACAF spokesman Scott Gleba said the regional football governing body could only confirm that the two players were not with the delegation. He referred further questions to Canadian and Cuban authorities.
Gallardo is one of Cuba's top players, playing in every minute of the team's first two games at the tournament. Rodriquez also started both games.
Cuba lost all three games at the tournament and failed to qualify for the London Olympics.
Cuban football players have a history of defecting during tournaments on the North American mainland. Seven members of the men's Under-23 team defected during a CONCACAF Olympic qualifying tournament in Tampa, Florida in 2008, and men's national team player Yosniel Mesa defected last year after a game in Charlotte, North Carolina during the CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Canada tops Costa Rica, wins Oly qualifying group
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Christine Sinclair scored twice, and Canada clinched first place in its group Monday with a 5-1 win over Costa Rica in the CONCACAF Olympic qualifying tournament.
The victory means the Canadians will face the second-place team from the other group Friday in a semifinal match that will determine one of the tournament's two berths for the London Games. Costa Rica will play the other group's winner to settle the other berth.
The United States and Mexico are tied atop the other group and play each other Tuesday to determine first and second. The Americans would win the group with a victory or a tie.
Sinclair has scored seven goals in the tournament to give her 127 in her international career, one shy of Germany's Birgit Prinz for fourth place all-time.
U.S. Soccer
Kirovski stays with L.A. Galaxy as assistant coach
CARSON, Calif. (AP) — Jovan Kirovski has been hired by the Los Angeles Galaxy as an assistant coach, ending the midfielder's 20-year playing career. The MLS champion Galaxy hired Kirovski on Monday to replace Gregg Berhalter, who left Los Angeles in December to become the head coach of Hammarby in Sweden's Superettan league.
Kirovski spent the past three seasons as a Galaxy reserve, but the Southern California native is best known for his European career. After playing alongside David Beckham and Gary Neville in Manchester United's youth program as a teenager, he became the first American to win the UEFA Champions League with the Bundesliga's Borussia Dortmund in 1997.
Kirovski played in Portugal and England before becoming an MLS All-Star with the Galaxy in 2004. He also made 62 appearances for the U.S. national team, scoring nine goals.
AP source: Philadelphia to host MLS All-Star Game
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A person familiar with the decision says the Philadelphia Union will host the 2012 MLS All-Star game at PPL Park. The person spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press on Monday because an official announcement has yet to be made.
A news conference has been scheduled for Tuesday at Philadelphia City Hall featuring MLS commissioner Don Garber, Union CEO Nick Sakiewicz, Philadelphia mayor Michael Nutter and Chester, Pa., mayor John Linder.
Last year's game was held at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J., and featured top MLS players taking on Manchester United. PPL Park is located in Chester, along the Delaware River.
-- Dan Gelston
League Capsules
Dalglish demands response in cup semi vs. City
LONDON (AP) — Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish wants a determined response from the players he lambasted for their weekend performances when his team takes on Manchester City on Wednesday for a place in the League Cup final.
Dalglish tore into his players after Saturday's woeful 3-1 loss at relegation-threatened Bolton and demanded a much improved display in the semifinals at Anfield.
With the club just one step away from a first final of any kind since the 2007 Champions League, Dalglish said his players were distracted by the match against City. Now they have the chance to show it was worth it.
"I was annoyed and disappointed, more so about the attitude, the commitment and the approach to the game," Dalglish said. "That wasn't us. All season we've been very complimentary about the way the boys have gone about their work but I don't think you could say that on Saturday. Their approach to the game was poor.
"Whether they had their minds on the next two games, I don't know. But every game we play is a very important game."
Liverpool leads City 1-0 from the first leg and the Anfield crowd is set to be in full voice for the visit of the Premier League leaders.
"Now we will get our minds on the Man City game," Dalglish said. "We have to solve our own problems. What do we do to put it right? Same as we always do: we work."
City is on a high after a dramatic 3-2 win over Tottenham on Sunday, but manager Roberto Mancini is keen for his players to forget about the Premier League for a couple of days and focus on what would be a second cup final in two seasons.
Although City looks to have nudged Spurs out of the title race, Mancini believes his team can further improve.
"His words in the dressing room were very profound," assistant manager David Platt said. "Regardless of the fact that it is a great victory against someone who is up there as well, he is not happy at the gift of a goal and the lapse in concentration to allow it to go in.
"He has made that clear in no uncertain terms."
In the other semifinal, Crystal Palace leads second-tier rival Cardiff 1-0 ahead of their second-leg match on Tuesday.
Cardiff, which is third in the League Championship and challenging for promotion, got a taste of cup final action when the Welsh side lost 1-0 to Portsmouth in the 2008 FA Cup final.
The players want another.
"All of the lads know how much it would mean and we're going to drive on together to try and reach Wembley," Cardiff captain Mark Hudson told the club's website. "We're fully focused on what we need to do and we're going out there to play with freedom and get the result."
-- Stuart Condie
Barcelona awaits Real Madrid in Copa del Rey
MADRID (AP) — Real Madrid will likely abandon its defensive strategy and go on the attack against Barcelona in the second leg of the Copa del Rey quarterfinals on Wednesday.
Madrid coach Jose Mourinho has come under fire for his choice of tactics following last week's 2-1 loss to Barcelona, with the Portuguese coach repeatedly jeered during a 4-1 league win over Athletic Bilbao on Sunday.
But that victory displayed the potent attack available to Madrid, which leads Barcelona by five points in the Spanish league after scoring 67 goals in 19 games to complete the first half of the season.
Still, Mourinho did not apologize for Madrid's approach to the first leg, which has polarized much of the Portuguese coach's support, not only among fans but also the usually staunch Madrid press. On Sunday, Marca newspaper reported divisions inside the club's dressing room while Mourinho's name was jeered throughout the Bilbao match at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium for the first time since his arrival in 2010.
"Whoever says the changing room is divided or that some kind of fracture exists is lying," Sergio Ramos wrote on Twitter on Monday, a day after revelations of an argument between the Madrid defender and Mourinho were reported. "This is a great group that is well united, regardless what is said."
Madrid's attack could get a boost if Argentina forward Angel di Maria returns from injury.
Defender Pepe's availability is uncertain after the Portugal international was benched against Bilbao following the fallout from his stamp on Lionel Messi's hand in the first leg.
Madrid has won only one of its last 13 meetings against Barcelona — April's Copa del Rey final — with nine losses over that period.
Barcelona is coming off a 4-1 league win at Malaga in which Messi notched his 10th career league hat trick for the European champions. Messi now has 36 goals in all competitions this season, while teammate Alexis Sanchez has also found his rhythm with the Spanish champions, the Chile forward scoring three goals in his last four games.
"They lead the league, they can still reach the semifinals of the Copa and they are into the next round of the Champions League. From an outside perspective, it's hard to read whether or not they have problems," Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta said on Monday.
Also, Mirandes needs to beat Espanyol to become the first third division club to reach the semifinals since Fugueres in 2002. Mirandes trails 3-2 going into Tuesday's match at its 6,000-capacity Andova Municipal stadium.
Meanwhile, Valencia and Athletic Bilbao hold comfortable leads going into their away return legs.
Valencia travels across town to Levante on Thursday holding a 4-1 advantage and Bilbao is 2-0 up ahead of its game at Mallorca on Wednesday.
-- Paul Logothetis
Villarreal beats Sporting 3-0 to end 10-game run
VILLARREAL, Spain (AP) — Villarreal ended a 10-game winless run on Monday by scoring three second-half goals to beat Sporting Gijon 3-0 in the Spanish league.
Striker Marco Ruben marked his return from injury with a 57th-minute opening goal, before midfielder Borja Valero's powerful shot beat goalkeeper Juan Pablo moments later. Bruno Soriano added the last in stoppage time.
Villarreal hasn't won since beating Real Betis on Nov. 19, exiting the Champions League and Copa del Rey and in the middle of a relegation fight going into the second half of the season. Villarreal and Granada have one point more than 19th-place Sporting. Villarreal was without Brazil striker Nilmar, who is reportedly finalizing a move to join Sao Paulo.
African Cup
Gabon matches Equatorial Guinea's winning start
LIBREVILLE, Gabon (AP) — Gabon matched Equatorial Guinea's spirited start at the African Cup of Nations on Monday after a pulsating atmosphere at Stade de l'Amitie carried the co-host to a 2-0 win over Niger in front of its football-mad president.
Ali Bongo and his first lady Sylvia — wearing a team shirt — celebrated like fans in the stadium's VIP section as the "Panthers" outclassed tournament debutant Niger 2-0 in the first match in Gabon.
Gabon controlled its match from start to finish, with first-half goals from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Stephane Nguema capping its dominance as it was roared on by rowdy supporters.
Morocco then fell to a surprise defeat — as Senegal did on the opening day — after missing a bunch of chances to go down 2-1 to North African rival Tunisia, which held on under late pressure after conceding an 86th-minute goal.
Every top team is now aware of the danger of the underdogs at Africa's showpiece. Not least highly rated Ghana, which takes on another first-timer in Botswana when Group D kicks off on Tuesday in Franceville.
At Libreville, President Bongo jumped out of his seat to celebrate and hug his smiling wife when Nguema scored to seal the victory that put Gabon top of Group C.
Gabon had opened its biggest sporting moment with a brief opening ceremony at the new stadium, but the atmosphere fizzled when the home team appeared on the pitch at the packed 40,000-seat venue.
Sylvia Bongo had replaced her chic suit for the ceremony with a shirt bearing the No. 9 of star striker Aubameyang, and the Saint-Etienne forward repaid the first lady's faith with Gabon's opener.
Roared on by the yellow, green and blue crowd, Nguema swept in a second goal with Niger failing to match the intensity of the home team.
"We had to concentrate on the team and not on the crowd," Niger coach Harouna Doula said, conceding the atmosphere had made a big difference. "It was always going to be pretty difficult against the host country."
Despite his team's impressive start — and an underwhelming show from Morocco — Gabon coach Gernot Rohr called for calm with the buoyant co-host and its excited supporters now targeting upsets against the North African pair.
"What's important for us now is the future," Rohr said. "We've taken a step today. We have two more important steps to take in order to qualify. The pressure was strong and we managed it very well."
Arsenal's Marouane Chamakh and Youssouf Hadji produced the worst of a string of misses for Eric Gerets' Morocco, which was tipped to go far in the competition and possibly challenge favorite Ivory Coast and the Ghanaians for the title.
But Gerets' team was at times careless and undone by a youthful Tunisian outfit which capitalized on its chances through Saber Khalifa and a high-quality second-half goal by substitute Youssef Msakni.
Morocco captain Houssine Kharja pulled one back late — sparking a goalmouth scuffle — but he hit a last-minute shot agonizingly over to leave Morocco trailing Tunisia and Gabon ahead of a meeting with the co-host on Friday.
"This shows each match is difficult. We can have a lot of surprises in the tournament," a stern-looking Gerets said. "It seems our game against Gabon will be a big game. The best lesson to my players should be don't forget your head. Sometimes it was only the heart that was playing."
Amidst reports of not being happy with its remote hotel in Gabon's south east city of Franceville, Ghana is under pressure to keep its focus against minnow Botswana when the final group gets underway.
The team has already been warned not to be complacent by the country's vice president, John Dramani Mahama — another politician closely following Africa's football showpiece.
Ghana has a full squad to pick from with the exception of suspended defender Isaac Vorsah, meaning Asamoah Gyan could return from the hamstring injury that had threatened his participation in the tournament.
Guinea and an injury-hit Mali, meanwhile, will be the final two teams to play in the tournament, meeting in Tuesday's second game at Stade de Franceville.
-- Gerald Imray
Ghana opens with big mismatch against Botswana
FRANCEVILLE, Gabon (AP) — Four-time African Cup of Nations champion Ghana is an overwhelming favorite to beat first-timer Botswana in the opening round of matches in Group D on Tuesday, even if the country's vice president is worried about an upset.
John Dramani Mahama warned Ghana's players at their training camp in Gabon that they should avoid complacency against underdog Botswana, which also will be weakened by injury on its debut.
Ghana has to do without suspended defender Isaac Vorsah in Franceville, but the inexperienced Botswana squad will seriously miss forward Joel Mogorosi, who broke his arm at training last week just before the team traveled to the tournament.
Injury problems were also mounting for Mali coach Alain Giresse before the Eagles face Guinea in the second match at Stade de Franceville on Tuesday, with doubts over Barcelona midfielder Seydou Keita and striker Cheick Diabate.
"We will do whatever it takes to get the best performance," said Giresse, who had already been forced to alter his plans after Toulouse defender Mohamed Fofana and midfielder Kalilou Traore were withdrawn from Mali's squad with injury.
Even without Vorsah, Ghana is expected to still be too good for a Botswana team that surprised many by qualifying for its first African Cup.
The Black Stars were visited at training on Sunday by Mahama, Ghana's football association said, with the team attempting to end a 30-year title drought at the African Cup.
"Every country came to this tournament on merit so you should avoid complacency," Mahama told the players.
Ghana said every squad member apart from Vorsah was available for its opening game, including striker Asamoah Gyan, who had been in a race to recover from a hamstring injury in time for the start of the tournament.
Coach Goran Stevanovic may still choose to rest Gyan against Botswana, however, with brothers Andre and Jordan Ayew of Marseille and Prince Tagoe all capable of filling in up front and Ghana probably facing tougher tests later against Mali and Guinea.
After Senegal fell to Zambia in its opening game and Ivory Coast was pushed hard by Sudan, the tournament has already seen strong performances from underdogs following a qualifying competition that produced a string of upset results.
Botswana may be at its first major competition but it also qualified ahead of former champion Tunisia and Togo, while Ghana is under pressure to deliver a long-awaited success.
"The expectation is high and we know it won't be easy but we're hopeful and believe we can win it," Ghana captain John Mensah said.
Seydou's absence against Guinea after reported knee and ankle problems would be a blow to Mali's hopes of making a strong start and challenging Ghana as Group D's top team.
The experienced midfielder is to guide a new generation of Mali players at the tournament in the absence of former stars like striker Frederic Kanoute and midfielders Mahamadou Diarra and Mohamed Sissoko, who no longer play international football.
"It's not an easy group, it's a difficult group," Giresse said. "(But) we want the best. We want the maximum."
The renovated stadium in Franceville, in the south east corner of Gabon, will be the fourth and final venue to feature at this year's African Cup of Nations.
Eto'o helps Gabon open its half of African Cup
LIBREVILLE, Gabon (AP) — Samuel Eto'o helped Gabon open its half of the African Cup of Nations on Monday as thousands of red and white balloons were released over the new Stade de l'Amitie after a countdown from the Cameroon striker.
Eto'o stood next to Gabon's first lady, Sylvia Bongo, in a brief ceremony ahead of the first matches in the country.
Gabon's "Panthers" play Niger in the first Group C game at the Libreville stadium. Morocco and Tunisia meet in a North African derby afterward.
Earlier, Eto'o was seen smiling and waving to the crowd from a VIP section in the 40,000-seat stadium alongside Gabon's football-mad president Ali Bongo.
African football confederation President Issa Hayatou shook hands with the Gabon and Niger players before kickoff.
Eto'o's Cameroon did not qualify for the tournament.
-- Gerald Imray
Elsewhere
Commentary: Balotelli not quite so funny anymore
Suddenly, Mario Balotelli doesn't seem quite so amusing anymore.
One could fill pages, and many grateful newspaper hacks regularly do, with stories both real and surely imaginary about the insouciant playfulness of the striker whose goals are edging Manchester City ever closer to the English Premier League title.
A soccer millionaire with friends who let off fireworks in his bathroom, who has turned up for work wearing a woolly hat that looked like a chicken's comb — and who was filmed struggling with the simple task of pulling on a vest — is going to generate headlines and laughs.
This 21-year-old kid in a grown man's body excels at both.
Ho-ho, Mario. The question — "Why Always Me?" — that Balotelli had printed on his T-shirt when City thrashed Manchester United 6-1 in October must surely have been a joke, because his high jinks make the answer so obvious.
But there is nothing even remotely humorous about a player who stamps on an opponent's head. That would be an act of nastiness.
Does Balotelli have a streak of that inside him, too? It's a legitimate question after he trampled Sunday on the right ear of Scott Parker, the Tottenham midfielder whose job of breaking up opposition attacks with his solid tackles puts him in harm's way and often leaves him face down in the grass.
The video replays looked bad but one can never be sure that they tell the whole story. Only Balotelli can be certain whether he aimed to hurt Parker or stepped on him accidentally.
With City and Tottenham tied 2-2 and with just eight minutes left, Balotelli struck powerfully for goal. Parker bravely blocked the shot, the ball ricocheting off his thigh as he threw himself in the way of the City forward. In doing so, Parker also tripped, hit the deck and became entangled in Balotelli's feet, sending the Italian tumbling, too.
As Balotelli was falling, his right foot kicked downward and thudded, with the studs of his boot, onto Parker's head. Slow-motion replays clearly showed the sequence of events. It certainly looked vicious. But what the videos could not prove was whether there was intent from Balotelli.
City assistant manager David Platt said he had not seen the incident and so wasn't prepared to judge it.
"Different angles on TV can show different things," he said.
Which is true. But professional soccer players and their bosses have repeatedly shown that they cannot be relied upon for honesty in such situations. There's too much resting on soccer — money, pride, results, loyalty to club or country, even jobs — and win-at-any-cost deceit is too engrained in the modern game for those involved to confess on a regular basis when they or their players have sinned.
Thus, when Real Madrid defender Pepe issued a statement to say that his stamp last week on the hand of Barcelona forward Lionel Messi was "an involuntary act" we could only take his word for it, even if our eyes suggested something different.
Occasions when a coach acknowledges that a player was wrong and that a referee was right are sufficiently rare to be refreshing. That happened Saturday with Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Mick McCarthy.
"I don't have any complaints about the sending off," McCarthy said after Karl Henry was shown the red card for kicking backward into the Marc Albrighton's chest when the Aston Villa midfielder was on the turf. "I'm not excusing him at all because he's back-heeled him."
More often, coaches see only what they want to see. Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp was quick to condemn Balotelli, even though he, too, cannot have known whether his stamp on Parker was deliberate.
"It's not a nice thing to do, really, is it?" said Redknapp. "It's got no place in football."
Intentional or not, Balotelli was lucky. Referee Howard Webb had already shown him a yellow card for an earlier foul and could quite easily have decided that trampling on Parker was sufficiently dangerous to warrant another, which would have sent him off. Webb, however, apparently didn't see the incident.
Balotelli could still face punishment. The English Football Association decided Monday to charge him with violent conduct, giving him until Wednesday evening to respond. Because Balotelli has already been sent off once this season, he could be banned for four matches instead of the usual three if found guilty, depriving City of his goals as it seeks to cement its lead of the Premier League.
But that would be too late to change Sunday's 3-2 scoreline. Balotelli, of course, scored the winner for City, a last-minute penalty he took with the unflappable cool of Clint Eastwood.
As is his wont, Balotelli didn't smile or celebrate, but instead stood rooted to the spot, arms out in the shape of a cross.
A lovable or mischievous rascal enjoying the last laugh.
John Leicester is an international sports columnist for The Associated Press. Write to him at jleicester@ap.org
Four former champions look to reach group stage
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Four former champions are facing stiff tests to reach the group stage of the Copa Libertadores, Latin America's most important club competition.
Six first-leg matches are set for this week, followed by the second legs next week, with the survivors advancing to the 32-team group stage. Group play starts next month.
Former champions Once Caldas of Colombia and Brazil's Internacional meet each other, while five-time winner Penarol of Uruguay takes on Venezuela's Caracas, and ex-titleholder Flamengo of Brazil plays Real Potosi of Bolivia.
The other three matchups pits Peru's Sport Huancayo against Arsenal of Argentina, UANL Tigres of Mexico versus Union Espanola of Chile and Libertad of Paraguay with Ecuador side El Nacional.
Once Caldas and Internacional meet on Wednesday in Brazil. Inter won the title in 2006 and 2010 and Once Caldas is the 2004 champion.
Penarol hasn't won the title since 1987 and will be at home on Thursday against Caracas. Uruguay's national club is the dominant power in South America, and Penarol will attempt to add to the tiny country's football pride.
Flamengo, which won in 1981, visits Real Potosi on Wednesday. In the other three matches, Arsenal, Union Espanola and El Nacional are at home for the first leg.
The six surviving teams will be placed into one of six available groups. Groups 6 and 7 are already complete, meaning they will enter Groups 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 8.
Internacional will be a slight favorite to advance against Once Caldas. Internacional was ousted last year in the round of 16 by Penarol. The winner goes into Group 1 with Santos, Juan Aurich and The Strongest.
Penarol lost the final last year to Santos and its star striker Neymar. The team hasn't been playing well and Caracas could be a difficult opponent. The winner will go into Group 8 with Godoy Cruz, Atletico Nacional and Universidad de Chile.
Flamengo could have difficulty with the altitude in Bolivia but the Rio de Janeiro club should advance. The victor will move into Group 2 with Olimpia, Emelec and Lanus.
Arsenal and Sport Huancayo appear to be very evenly matched, even though this will be the Peruvian club's first appearance in the tournament. The winner will receive a tough Group 4 containing Boca Juniors, Fluminense and Zamora.
Mexican side Tigres will be favored to overcome Chilean club Union Espanola. The winner joins Universidad Catolica, Junior and Bolivar in Group 3.
El Nacional of Ecuador and Libertad are well matched, and the winner goes into Group 5 with Uruguay's El Nacional, Alianza Lima and Vasco da Gama.
-- Vicente L. Panetta
Balotelli faces four-game ban after English FA charge
LONDON (AP) — Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli faces a four-match ban after being charged by the English Football Association on Monday with violent conduct for appearing to stomp on an opponent's head.
The Italian international trampled on the right ear of Tottenham midfielder Scott Parker during a Premier League match Sunday.
Referee Howard Webb told the FA that he would have sent Balotelli off if he had seen what looks to be the most serious moment yet in the player's 18-month stint at City following several colorful incidents on and the field.
Balotelli went on to earn a penalty kick and score from the spot to clinch a 3-2 win for league leader City over its title rival, angering Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp.
"What reason did he have to back-heel Scott in the head with his studs when he is laying on the floor?" Redknapp asked. "I couldn't see a reason for it."
"It is not the first time he has done that," he added. "And I am sure it won't be the last."
Parker ended up on the ground after getting tangled up with teammate Luka Modric while trying to block a strike from Balotelli. Slow motion replays showed Balotelli first catching Parker's hands with his left boot and then following through with the studs of his right boot, which landed on the midfielder's head.
Because Balotelli has already been sent off once this season, he will be banned for four matches instead of the usual three if found guilty. Balotelli has until Wednesday evening to respond to the charge.
The 21-year-old forward has rarely been out of the headlines since joining from Inter Milan before the 2010-11 season.
He made light of his troubles in October by unveiling a T-shirt with the question: "Why Always Me?" during City's 6-1 rout of Manchester United. That came after it emerged a fire had broken out in his house when fireworks were let off in his bathroom.
Balotelli's first league goals for City in November 2010 were marred by a red card after clashing with West Bromwich Albion's Youssuf Mulumbu.
Balotelli again hit trouble in March 2011 after it emerged he threw a dart at a City youth-team player. No one was hurt in the incident and he escaped punishment.
Even the following offseason tour of the United States led to Balotelli enraging manager Roberto Mancini. Playing in a friendly against Los Angeles Galaxy, he was through on goal only to attempt an audacious backheel shot — and put it wide. Mancini immediately substituted Balotelli and the pair exchanged angry words.
His second season in English football began in August with former United captain Gary Neville branding some of Balotelli's conduct as an "embarrassment to his club."
Balotelli had squared up to United defender Nemanja Vidic before being substituted in the Community Shield loss and racing straight down the Wembley Stadium tunnel.
Now City's hopes of returning to Wembley next month for the League Cup final have been endangered by Balotelli's actions on Sunday against Tottenham.
If he accepts his charge, Balotelli will miss the second leg of the semifinal against Liverpool at Anfield on Wednesday in which City must overturn a 1-0 deficit.
-- Rob Harris
Court told Redknapp evaded tax on transfer bonuses
LONDON (AP) — Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp was accused in court Monday of creating a bank account named after a pet dog in a tax haven to "deliberately and dishonestly" hide bonuses from player transfers while at Portsmouth.
Redknapp, who is considered a leading candidate to become the next England coach, went on trial alongside former Portsmouth chairman Milan Mandaric on charges they concealed payments of $295,000 from Britain's tax authority during their time working together.
Both Redknapp and Mandaric, who is now chairman at third-tier club Sheffield Wednesday, deny the charges.
On a day in which jurors were shown bank documents, Redknapp was portrayed not only as a talented soccer manager but also "a hardheaded businessman, with a financial acumen."
Prosecutors told the court that the 64-year-old Redknapp earned hundreds of thousands of dollars during his managerial career as a bonus from player transfers. At Portsmouth, the club at the heart of the case where Redknapp was director of football and then manager on two occasions between 2002 and 2008, he received bonuses of up to 10 percent.
The prosecution alleged at London's Southwark Crown Court that the disputed Portsmouth payments went into a HSBC account in Monaco called Rosie 47, which was named after his dog and date of birth.
"The crown's case is that the money transferred to that offshore Monaco account was deliberately and dishonestly paid by Mr. Mandaric and was deliberately and dishonestly received by Mr. Redknapp with the intention of concealing them from the U.K. tax authority," prosecutor John Black said. "These payments were a bung or off-record bonus which the parties have no intention of declaring for tax or ever did."
A bung is a term used in Britain meaning bribe.
The charges are that Mandaric paid $145,000 into Redknapp's Rosie 47 account in May 2002 and another $150,000 two years later to avoid paying income tax and national insurance.
Prosecutors say the account was opened in April 2002, shortly after Redknapp received a 115,000 pound (then $168,000) bonus from the sale of forward Peter Crouch to Aston Villa.
Redknapp flew to Monaco "for the specific purpose of setting up a secret account, into which the off-the-record payments could be received," Black said.
Monaco was chosen because it is "a jurisdiction with a fiscal framework of minimal taxation and a long history of banking secrecy," Black said, claiming that "this was quite deliberate and was intended to obscure the money trail and render much less transparent the nature and purpose of the payments."
The existence of the Monaco bank account was first disclosed by Redknapp in 2006 during an investigation into kickbacks in football.
The court heard that Redknapp did not mention the account's existence between 2004 and 2006 when he was investigated by Britain's tax authority over his transfer dealings at West Ham, the team ghe managed from 1994-01. That probe was prompted by "concerns" over the 300,000 pound (then $474,000) bonus Redknapp received from the sale of now-Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand to Leeds from West Ham.
The trial comes as Redknapp's team is third in the Premier League, the highest place for a club with an English manager. He is considered a leading choice to replace Fabio Capello as England coach after this year's European Championship.
"He has gained widespread popularity as a talented football manager," Black told the jury of eight men and four women. "He is currently enjoying what may be described as football success as manager of Tottenham Hotspur."
Redknapp managed south coast club Portsmouth, which is now in the second tier, between 2002 and 2004, and returned to Fratton Park in 2005 after a brief spell at its archrival Southampton before moving to Tottenham in 2008.
-- Rob Harris
Bin Hammam fights to remain Asian football chief
LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — An appeal by former FIFA presidential candidate Mohamed bin Hammam's to stop the Asian Football Confederation from replacing him as president was heard by sport's highest court on Monday.
Bin Hammam didn't attend the Court of Arbitration for Sport hearing, and his American lawyer, Eugene Gulland, declined comment to reporters. The Qatari official appealed to block the AFC from appointing an interim president while he tries to overturn a lifetime ban from football imposed by FIFA for allegedly bribing Caribbean voters.
Chinese official Zhang Jilong has been running the Asian body and took the seat on FIFA's executive committee which bin Hammam had held since 1996.
CAS arbitrator Denis Oswald, a member of the three-lawyer panel judging the case, said after the court session that both sides made "good arguments."
"We heard different submissions by the parties," said Oswald, "but they will supplement their overall submissions in writing, so we will have to wait a few more weeks until we have everything available."
Bin Hammam, who led Asian football since 2002, has insisted on being allowed to try to clear his name quickly. Under AFC statutes, which allow the position of president to be vacant for only one year, an extraordinary congress and election must be held if bin Hammam's appeals aren't resolved by May 29.
Bin Hammam denies wrongdoing, and has claimed that FIFA President Sepp Blatter helped orchestrate the bribery scandal to ensure a fourth four-year term leading football's world governing body.
Blatter won the election unopposed last June, three days after bin Hammam was provisionally suspended while FIFA investigated claims by Caribbean officials that they were offered $40,000 cash gifts to sway their votes.
CAS has yet to set a date for bin Hammam's appeal against FIFA.
Milan waits on Tevez before signing Lopez
MILAN (AP) — AC Milan is waiting to see if it can sign Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez before completing a deal for Catania's Maxi Lopez, according to the club's vice president Adriano Galliani.
Milan has reached a deal with Tevez but City is stalling, preferring to sell the troubled forward outright rather than seeing him move on a loan deal.
On Monday, Galliani tells Italian sports daily Gazzetta there is an agreement with Catania for Lopez and "if Tevez doesn't come, Maxi will. But only one or the other. We're going to wait a few days though."
Tevez has not played for City since he refused to warm up during a Champions League game against Bayern Munich in September.
Inter Milan and Paris Saint-Germain are also interested in signing the Argentina international.
Inter's Thiago Motta hints about PSG move
MILAN (AP) — Inter Milan midfielder Thiago Motta has strongly hinted he is on the verge of quitting the Serie A giants for big-spending Paris Saint-Germain.
Motta has recently been linked with a move to France, which would see him reunited with former coach Leonardo, now director of football at PSG.
When asked about the likelihood of a move, Motta hesitated before saying, "I spoke with the president and the club, we clarified a lot of things, now we have to see ... Paris is a great city, there's still eight days until the end of the transfer market ... anything can happen."
On Monday night Motta was voted into the 2011 Serie A team of the season, an award chosen by fellow-footballers, as well as coaches, referees and selected journalists.
-- Daniella Matar
Ibrahimovic wins Serie A player of 2011
MILAN (AP) — AC Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been voted the Serie A player of 2011 by his fellow players, and the Rossoneri won another award with Massimilliano Allegri winning best coach.
The trophies were handed out Monday at a ceremony and were voted on by more than 5,000 people, made up of footballers, coaches, referees and journalists.
Alongside Ibrahimovic in the team of the year were: Antonio Di Natale, Edinson Cavani, Kevin Prince Boateng, Thiago Motta/Claudio Marchisio (joint winners), Marek Hamsik, Pablo Armero, Andrea Ranocchia/Alessandro Nesta (joint winners), Thiago Silva and Christian Maggio.
England coach Fabio Capello received a special award from a jury of respected journalists. Udinese was voted the club of the year, while Alessandro Del Piero and Fabio Cannavaro received career prizes.
Dortmund's Subotic targeted in sexual abuse probe
DORTMUND, Germany (AP) — German authorities have begun a sexual assault investigation against Borussia Dortmund defender Neven Subotic.
The state prosecutor's office in Dortmund says Subotic and three others are under investigation after a 21-year-old woman filed a complaint saying she was the victim of sexual assault following a private party at the Serbian's residence.
Subotic recently returned from two months out because of facial fractures. He won the Bundesliga title with Dortmund last season.
Subotic spent part of his youth growing up in Salt Lake City and played for the U.S. Under-17 and Under-20 teams. But after coach Thomas Rongen left him off the roster for the 2007 Under-20 World Cup, he switched allegiance to Serbia, part of the Yugoslav nation when he was born in Banja Luka in 1988.
Shakhtar coach leaves hospital
BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — Shakhtar Donetsk coach Mircea Lucescu has left hospital after undergoing surgery following a car accident in Bucharest.
Lucescu's SUV was hit by a tram on Jan. 6. Surgery was performed on Lucescu because blood was gathering in his chest. He also had several broken ribs. Lucescu says on Monday that he is in good shape.
Doctors have advised him to avoid the cold and he will need to return for tests later this week. He says he will join his club in Ukraine next week.
Lucescu, who guided Shakhtar to the 2009 UEFA Cup, has also coached Inter Milan, Galatasaray and the Romanian national team.
Premier League fails to get 1.0 overnight rating
NEW YORK (AP) — Manchester United's 2-1 win over Arsenal, the first U.S. live telecast of the Premier League on an over-the-air network, got a 0.9 overnight rating on Fox.
The game, which started at 11 a.m. EST Sunday, received a lower rating than three delayed telecasts of EPL matches earlier this season that averaged a 1.3 rating, Fox said Monday. The earlier broadcasts preceded or followed NFL games.
Fox said several affiliates in major markets opted to televise Sunday's game on a delayed basis: Atlanta, Cleveland, Indianapolis, Miami, Milwaukee and Raleigh, N.C.
National ratings will be available later this week. The rating is the percentage of television households tuned to a broadcast.
Granada hires former Atletico coach Resino
GRANADA, Spain (AP) — Spanish club Granada has hired Abel Resino as coach, one day after firing Fabricio Gonzalez.
The 51-year-old Resino, whose only prior topflight experience was spending eight months in charge of Atletico Madrid in 2009, was appointed on Monday.
Gonzalez was fired on Sunday after a third straight loss left the promoted club just above the relegation zone at the midway point of the season.
Resino takes over a team that has scored only 12 goals from 19 games, the worst attack in the league. The appointment of Resino, a former Atletico goalkeeper, is the sixth coaching change in the Spanish league this season.
Bremen defender Wolf to join Monaco
BREMEN, Germany (AP) — Werder Bremen says defender Andreas Wolf is leaving the club to join French second-division club Monaco.
Wolf spent only half a season in Bremen after arriving from Nuremberg and still had another 1 1/2 years on his contract. Bremen says the defender signed a 3 1/2 year contract in Monaco. No details of the deal were given.
