Soccer Capsules: Madrid beats Barca 1-0 after extra time to win cup
VALENCIA, Spain (AP) — Cristiano Ronaldo headed home the winner in extra-time as Real Madrid ended an 18-year Copa del Rey trophy drought with a 1-0 victory over biggest rival Barcelona on Wednesday.
Ronaldo guided Angel Di Maria's 103rd-minute cross back across goal and past the outstretched hand of goalkeeper Jose Manuel Pinto into the top corner as Madrid won silverware for the first time since a 2008 Spanish league title.
"It was a very tough game, Barcelona played very well, but, as you know, whoever scores, wins," said Ronaldo, who won his first title since joining Madrid last season. "We are very happy, Madrid had not won this cup for many years."
Madrid dominated the first half and then relied on goalkeeper Iker Casillas' second-half stops as Barcelona took control after the restart in an electric atmosphere at the Mestalla Stadium.
Madrid's Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho bowed before King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia as he received his mini-trophy while Casillas hugged the pair before using the king as support to climb up on a support and hoist the club's 18th domestic cup win high.
"A great game of football," Mourinho said after bringing silverware to the club in his first season to end a six-game winless run against Barcelona, which lost for only the 10th time in its 35th final appearance. "The title isn't mine, it's everyone's. After so long without the Copa del Rey, it's something nice."
Barcelona failed with a trophy on the line for the first time under coach Pep Guardiola.
"It's always better to win than lose but we have to recover because that's life. Life has its knocks too," Guardiola said. "Will we pick ourselves up from this? Of course."
Barcelona, which closed in on the league title with a 1-1 draw against Madrid on Saturday, gets its first chance next Wednesday when the pair meet for the first of a two-legged Champions League semifinal.
The winning goal came from an incisive attack by Madrid. Fullback Marcelo played Di Maria into the left side of the area and the Argentina forward beat Daniel Alves to the perfectly-weighted ball to find Ronaldo at the far post for the winner at the site of both clubs' last cup win — Madrid over Zaragoza and Barcelona over Athletic Bilbao in 2009.
Madrid's players were heading back to the Spanish capital to celebrate at the Plaza de Cibeles, its traditional spot, although a late night was not expected.
"We're not going to celebrate so much — we're all dead tired," defender Alvaro Arbeloa said.
The charged atmosphere for the ninth cup final at the Mestalla might have played a hand in a frantic and physical first half dominated by Madrid, which disrupted Barcelona's cool with constant pressure. The Catalans didn't manage a single shot on goal until the second half as it abandoned its slick passing game for long balls at times.
With Javier Mascherano filling in for Carles Puyol at centerback, Barcelona's defense looked unsure as Madrid repeatedly won back possession with constant upfield pressure.
And Madrid created chances on the break as expected with Mesut Oezil picking up where he left off in Saturday's 1-1 draw by creating Madrid's best opportunities including in the 36th when he set up Ronaldo for a shot Pinto saved.
"They played similar (to Saturday's game)— they changed players but the concept was pretty much the same as the Bernabeu," Guardiola said. "With such great teams it's the details that make the difference."
The bruising matchup led to a number of run-ins between players who normally represent Spain together, with David Villa and Alvaro Arbeloa exchanging shoves, while even a frustrated Lionel Messi had trouble hiding his emotions as the acrimonious rivalry bubbled up with silverware on the line. Barcelona had won three of the five previous cup finals between the two before this one, including the last one in 1990.
Barcelona — which watched Pepe's header come off the post just before the break — was more composed after the restart as it worked the ball and rediscovered the possession game that helps them thrive, with Villa threatening.
Mourinho, meanwhile, screamed at Ronaldo for skirting his defensive duties while Messi was booked for blocking a free kick in the 64th as the teams' two stars — who have now combined for 90 goals this season — found it hard to show off their offensive talents.
"We wanted him to participate in areas where we want him to be involved," Guardiola said of Messi after he was again stymied by a Mourinho gameplan. "He's so important for us."
The Barcelona half of the stadium exploded in the 69th but Pedro's goal was chalked off for offside before Casillas shined.
The Spain 'keeper dived to keep out Messi's low screamer and then swatted away Pedro's top corner bound curler away in the 75th. Casillas again stood tall in the 81st after tipping Andres Iniesta's shot wide of the post.
"We prove to everyone we can beat any team we want," said Casillas after winning the only club trophy missing from his cabinet of silverware.
With Barcelona dominating, Madrid nearly scored an injury-time winner but Pinto — usually a backup except for cup games — tipped Di Maria's rising shot over the bar before Ronaldo beat Pinto in the 98th but flashed wide of the far post.
Ronaldo was quick in the 118th as he jumped to Emmanuel Adebayor's tipped shot but his shot was deflected high as Madrid withstood Di Maria's sending off in the 120th — as Madrid finished with 10 men against Barca for the second time in five days — to win in front of over 52,000 fans.
Casillas added Mestalla's smaller dimensions also helped Madrid contain Barcelona.
"We don't know any other way (of playing)," Alves said. "We leave with a bittersweet taste but with our heads held very high."
Mourinho thanks critics after Madrid wins cup
VALENCIA, Spain (AP) — Jose Mourinho was happy to endure more criticism if it means more trophies after Real Madrid beat Barcelona 1-0 on Wednesday for its first Copa del Rey trophy in 18 years.
Mourinho was roundly criticized for his defensive tactics in Saturday's 1-1 league draw against Barcelona. Madrid honorary president Aldfredo Di Stefano and Johan Cruyff publicly hit out at the Portuguese coach, with Cruyff saying Mourinho only worked for titles and wasn't a "football coach."
"Winning titles is wining titles — it's always good. Only a few days ago someone called me a coach who wins titles and not football," Mourinho said from the Mestalla stadium. "Thank you — I like being a coach who wins titles."
Mourinho had said Tuesday that Di Stefano's remarks were respected but that he was the coach and he would decide how the team would play. He did and it worked.
Mourinho's plan to play without a natural striker — with Cristiano Ronaldo filling the role — and use constant upfield pressure forced Barcelona off its usual short passing game. The Spanish champion uncharacteristically gave away possession and even resorted to sending long balls forward in attack.
"They played similar to Saturday's draw," said Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola. "They changed players but the concept was pretty much the same as the Bernabeu."
Madrid was unlucky not to be ahead before Ronaldo headed Angel Di Maria's 103rd-minute cross into goal for Madrid's 18th domestic cup and the Portuguese coach's fourth in four different leagues.
"This is such an important goal for Madrid," the Portugal forward said. "It's one to remember."
As expected, Mourinho delivered again, ending a three-year silverware drought for the Spanish giant.
"The title isn't just mine, it's everyone's. After so long without the Copa del Rey, it's nice," Mourinho said. "This has nothing to do with titles, this has to do with changing the structure of how the club works, the mentality of people."
With Madrid eight points behind Barcelona in the league, Mourinho will turn his attention to a two-legged Champions League series with Barcelona that caps four games between the rivals in 18 days.
Mourinho has a chance to deny Guardiola a second straight trip to the European final after doing so last year with Inter Milan, as Barcelona failed with a trophy on the line for the first time under Guardiola.
"If tonight we don't win I leave sad but relaxed," Mourinho said. "The same."
-- Paul Logothetis
Cup trophy pays price of Madrid celebrations
MADRID (AP) — Real Madrid waited nearly three years for a trophy and then immediately broke it.
Madrid defender Sergio Ramos dropped the Copa del Rey from the top of the team bus during celebrations early Thursday morning and the bus then ran over the trophy.
Emergency services gathered up the broken pieces and returned them to the bus but the trophy did not reappear at the club's traditional celebration spot of the Plaza de Cibeles in central Madrid.
"The cup fell, it fell," Ramos said according to Europa Press agency. "But the cup is OK."
Madrid beat rival Barcelona 1-0 in the Copa del Rey final on Wednesday, with Cristiano Ronaldo's extra-time goal giving the club its first domestic cup in 18 years.
Spanish reports placed 60,000 fans at Cibeles as Madrid celebrated its first silverware under coach Jose Mourinho and first since a Spanish league trophy in 2008.
"After two complicated years, winning the Copa del Rey is a relief," Madrid captain Iker Casillas said before following the tradition of wrapping a Madrid insignia and club scarf around the Roman goddess that marks the square.
Copa Libertadores
Libertadores final 16 berths decided
SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) — The last four berths in the final 16 of the Copa Libertadores were determined Wednesday with Cerro Porteno of Paraguay, Brazil's Santos, America of Mexico and Fluminense of Brazil advancing from the group stage.
In Group 5, Santos had a 3-1 home win over Deportivo Tachira of Venezuela, while Cerro Porteno's Jonathan Fabbro scored a 30-meter free kick in the 88th minute to complete a comeback from a two-goal deficit and win 3-2 at Colo Colo. Cerro Porteno and Santos finished on 11 points and Colo Colo on nine.
In Group 3, America drew 0-0 at Nacional and Brazil's Fluminense won 4-2 at Argentinos Juniors in a game marred by fighting after the final whistle. America finished with 10 points and Fluminense and Nacional had eight and were tied on goal difference. Fluminense advanced by having scored more goals.
Colo Colo took a 2-0 lead through goals by Cristobal Jorquera and Esteban Paredes, but Cerro Porteno replied with goals by Fabbro in 43rd and Ivan Piris in the 48th before Fabbro's late winner.
In Santos' victory, Neymar scored after only four minutes and Jonathan made it 2-0 after 13. Gerson Chacon pulled a goal back for Deportivo Tachira in the 24th but Danilo restored the two goal advantage just three minutes later.
Fluminense took the lead in the 17th minute through Julio Cesar but Santiago Salcedo equalized for Argentinos Juniors in the 25th. Former Lyon striker Fred put the Brazilians back ahead in the 40th minute, only for Gustavo Oberman to again draw the hosts level in the 54th.
Rafael Moura scored for Fluminense in the 68th and Fred scored the vital goal in the 89th to make it 4-2 and bring the Rio de Janeiro team level with Nacional on goal difference but having scored nine goals compared to three.
Fighting broke out at the end of the match with a dozen players throwing punches and chasing each other around the field. CONMEBOL, the governing body of South American football, was expected to hand out suspensions and fines.
The 12 teams that had previously advanced were: defending champion Independiente of Brazil and Brazil clubs Gremio and Cruzeiro, Once Caldas and Junior of Colombia, Velez Sarsfield and Estudiantes of Argentina, Libertad of Paraguay, Universidad Catolica of Chile, Jaguares of Mexico, Liga de Quito of Ecuador and Penarol of Uruguay.
The pairings for the round of 16 are: Cruzeiro vs. Once Caldas, Libertad vs. Fluminense, Internacional vs. Penarol, Junior vs. Jaguares, Cerro Porteno vs. Estudiantes, Universidad Catolica vs. Gremio, Liga de Quito vs. Velez Sarsfield, America vs. Santos.
U.S. Soccer
Salt Lake grabs late draw in CONCACAF final
MONTERREY, Mexico (AP) — Javier Morales scored an 89th-minute equalizer to give Real Salt Lake a 2-2 draw at Monterrey in the first leg of the CONCACAF Champions League final Wednesday.
Aldo De Nigris opened the scoring for Monterrey in the 18th minute, before Nat Borchers headed an equalizer in the 35th for Salt Lake, which is bidding to become the first U.S. club to win the continental title since the Los Angeles Galaxy in 2000.
Suazo put Monterrey ahead again from the penalty spot on the hour, but Morales leveled with a diagonal drive just before the final whistle.
The draw made MLS teams 0-21-4 in competitive matches in Mexico. But the two away goals put Salt Lake in a positive position ahead of the return leg in Utah next Wednesday.
Salt Lake would be crowned champions with a home win or by holding Monterrey to a 0-0 or 1-1 draw. Monterrey must win or draw 3-3 (or by a higher total) to take the title. A 2-2 draw would lead to extra time and the possibility of penalties.
Victory would also make Salt Lake the first American team to play in the Club World Cup, a December tournament played against the other continental champions including the European Champions League winner and South America's Copa Libertadores holder.
Monterrey enjoyed the best of the early chances with Humberto Suazo's shot from the edge of the area forcing Salt Lake goalkeeper Nick Rimando into a flying save to tip the ball over the bar in the ninth minute.
The early pressure paid off when Monterrey's full back Sergio Perez joined the attack on the right and forced the ball across goal for De Nigris to finish.
De Nigris and captain Luis Perez were forced off with injuries in the 22nd minute, but Monterrey kept pushing and Suazo brought another diving save out of Rimando with a low curling shot in the 25th.
Despite the sluggish start, Salt Lake began to move the ball with greater precision and the equalizer came from a high ball into the box — a traditional weak spot of Mexican teams often exploited by more athletic American sides.
Will Johnson lifted a cross toward the penalty spot and Nat Borchers beat two defenders to the ball to head past goalie Jonathan Orozco.
Monterrey regrouped after the break and controlled possession in the Salt Lake half. Neri Cardozo almost put the home side in front after breaking onto an Osvaldo Martinez pass at the 60-minute mark, but Jamison Olave diverted behind.
Two minutes later, Cardozo's run and cross down the left was handled by a Salt Lake defender and Suazo sent the penalty into the bottom corner.
Nonetheless, Monterrey's inconsistent form since winning the Mexican league title in December resurfaced in the final stages.
Salt Lake's Argentine striker Morales collected the ball on the edge of the box and cut inside Jose Basanta before unleashing a shot across Orozco that nestled in the corner.
League News
Chelsea takes second as Arsenal draws 3-3 at Spurs
LONDON (AP) — Chelsea overtook Arsenal as Manchester United's closest rival for the Premier League title on Wednesday after the Gunners surrendered a two-goal lead to draw 3-3 at Tottenham.
Arsenal led 3-1 but Tom Huddlestone got a goal back before halftime and Rafael van der Vaart equalized with a 70th-minute penalty to push its fiercest rival down to third place in the standings.
Defending champion Chelsea moved above Arsenal on goal difference after Florent Malouda scored either side of a goal by Salomon Kalou for a straightforward 3-1 win over Birmingham.
United is six points ahead of its rivals with five games remaining, but must still play both sides.
"Chelsea's now back in the race," Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said. "It's down to us to keep our faith and keep battling. We'll not always draw when we score three goals."
But Arsenal has now drawn four of its last five Premier League matches, with three straight games at home exactly accounting for the margin now between it and United.
"To close the gap of six points with five games left won't be easy," Chelsea coach Carlo Ancelotti said. "But in football, I've learned that anything can happen until the end.
"Everything's open — but I'd still like to be in United's position."
Wenger praised his team's attitude in bouncing back from Sunday's 1-1 draw with Liverpool — when his team conceded a penalty equalizer in the 12th minute of injury time — but acknowledged that the series of draws has rendered a 16-game unbeaten run less effective than it should be.
Having beaten Arsenal 2-1 in the corresponding fixture last season, Tottenham may have helped deny its north London neighbor the title for a second straight year.
"They came here in a red-hot atmosphere and the football they played in the first 15 minutes was outstanding," Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp said. "But you couldn't really see them doing it (winning the title) now."
Spurs, who also won 3-2 at Emirates Stadium in November, are now two points behind fourth-place Manchester City in the race for Champions League qualification.
Walcott put Arsenal ahead in the fifth minute with a low shot past goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes, but the lead lasted only 82 seconds as Van der Vaart met a cross from the right channel to steer the ball low for his first club goal since Feb. 5 — and second against Arsenal this season.
Nasri restored Arsenal's advantage with a quickly taken shot past Gomes, whose view was blocked by a defender, and Van Persie made it 3-1 with a shot from a rebound after a bad mistake by Tottenham defender William Gallas. Huddlestone then volleyed in low from 30 meters (yards) to reduce the deficit.
Both teams had chances and Van Persie had a goal ruled out because of offside before Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny brought down substitute Aaron Lennon in the area for Van der Vaart's penalty.
Szczesny tried to atone for his mistake with saves that denied Peter Crouch, Younes Kaboul, Van der Vaart and Sandro a winning goal. The goalkeeper remains confident about his team's chances of winning the title.
"I'm confident Manchester United will drop points," Szczesny said. "We have to win every single game. If we do, it could be very interesting."
Malouda scored at Stamford Bridge after just three minutes with a far-post finish and rounded off Chelsea's scoring in the 62nd with a firm header from eight yards, taking his season's tally in the league to 12 goals.
But the best goal came from Kalou in the 26th. Collecting a pass from Drogba, the Ivory Coast forward span past Roger Johnson, dummied his way around Stuart Parnaby and curled a sublime shot into the corner from outside the penalty area.
Birmingham's consolation goal came through Sweden winger Sebastian Larsson from the penalty spot in the 76th, after David Luiz tripped substitute Matt Derbyshire.
Birmingham still has a five-point cushion above the relegation zone.
-- Stuart Condie
AC Milan draws 2-2 with Palermo in Italian Cup
MILAN (AP) — Dutch midfielder Urby Emanuelson scored a late equalizer as Serie A leader AC Milan scrambled a 2-2 draw at home to Palermo in the first leg of the Italian Cup semifinals Wednesday.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic put Milan ahead four minutes in at the San Siro with a perfectly executed volley inside the box following a long cross from Massimo Oddo.
Palermo's Argentine standout Javier Pastore equalized in the 14th, sprinting past Milan's defense before beating Milan goalkeeper Marco Amelia with a powerful low shot.
Uruguayan forward Abel Hernandez then put Palermo in front in the 53rd, scoring from a sharp angle as Milan's defense hoped for an offside call that never came.
Emanuelson equalized in the 76th after Ibrahimovic was stripped of the ball inside the area. Ibrahimovic is in the middle of a three-match ban in Serie A for insulting a linesman and his presence was felt throughout the match.
"The important thing tonight was not to lose and to give ourselves a chance in Palermo," Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri said.
Defending champion Inter Milan won 1-0 at Roma in the other semifinal Tuesday.
The return legs are scheduled for May 10 and 11.
Dortmund on the verge of winning Bundesliga title
BERLIN (AP) — Borussia Dortmund will seal its seventh Bundesliga title by beating last-place Borussia Moenchengladbach on Saturday if Bayer Leverkusen fails to defeat Hoffenheim at home earlier in the day.
The title race was all but decided when Dortmund beat Freiburg 3-0 last weekend, taking advantage of second-place Leverkusen's 5-1 capitulation at Bayern Munich to open up an eight-point lead in the standings with four rounds remaining.
No team has ever won the title from Leverkusen's position in the 48-year history of the Bundesliga.
"We want to get this thing and that will happen only if we remain fully focused," Dortmund defender Mats Hummels said. "That's why none of us are coming with the idea of easing up."
Forward Kevin Grosskreutz echoed his teammate's sentiment of continuing to work hard.
"We'll pull everything out in 'Gladbach and hopefully celebrate with our fantastic fans," Grosskreutz said.
Moenchengladbach is seven points from safety but midfielder Marco Reus said the team will fight to avoid the drop as long as there is a chance.
"It'll be very difficult, but it's possible. We believe we can still do it as a team," said Reus, a former Dortmund player. "We must get the three points against Dortmund."
Dortmund's preparations have been overshadowed by season-ending knee injuries to captain Sebastian Kehl and star midfielder Nuri Sahin, who has also been linked with an offseason move to Real Madrid.
"The only ones who know nothing of this are Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund and Nuri Sahin," Dortmund managing director Hans-Joachim Watzke told the Westfalenpost newspaper.
Lucas Barrios, the club's top scorer with 13 goals, could return after missing last weekend's game with a knee injury.
Hannover, which is enjoying its best season, is involved in a fight for the Champions League playoff spot with Bayern Munich.
After losing third place to the defending champions last week, the team can provisionally reclaim it with a win at Freiburg on Thursday, when the Easter weekend's Bundesliga action gets under way.
"We want to win to put Bayern under pressure," Hannover striker Jan Schlaudraff said. "They have to get into the Champions League."
Hannover will be missing club top scorer Didier Ya Konan, who also has 13 goals, and defender Sergio Pinto through suspension.
"We won't give up (but) will chase Bayern," coach Mirko Slomka promised. "I'd rather be third than fourth."
Bayern, the league's top scorer with 66 goals, travels on Saturday to Eintracht Frankfurt, the league's worst with 29.
Four points above the relegation playoff place, Frankfurt is desperate for its first win under Christoph Daum in his fourth game in charge. However, defender Maik Franz has a foot injury and midfielder Sonny Kittel is out for the season with a knee problem.
All eyes will be on Schalke goalkeeper Manuel Neuer against Kaiserslautern after he confirmed Wednesday that he won't renew his contract at the club. The 25-year-old Germany international has been linked with a move to Bayern but says his "full concentration is on Schalke's aims for the season."
Schalke plays Manchester United in the Champions League semifinals and has reached the German Cup final, but languishes in 10th place in the league.
Also Saturday, Stuttgart — level on points with Frankfurt — hosts Hamburger SV, and next-to-last St. Pauli hosts Werder Bremen.
On Sunday, Wolfsburg — which occupies the relegation playoff spot — is at home to Cologne, whose coach Frank Schaefer is leaving at the end of the season.
Wolfsburg coach Felix Magath has yet to win a game since returning to the club he led to the 2009 Bundesliga title.
"Up to today there has been a lack of cohesion and team spirit," Magath told German daily Bild. "But that is exactly what's required for success."
In Sunday's late game, Nuremberg hosts Mainz, with both sides fighting for the last Europa League spot.
-- Ciaran Fahey
Defending champion PSG reaches French Cup final
ANGERS, France (AP) — Defending champion Paris Saint-Germain reached the French Cup final with a 3-1 win at second-division side Angers on Wednesday. PSG will face league leader Lille in the final on May 14 at the Stade de France. Lille beat Nice 2-0 in the other semifinal on Tuesday.
PSG, which trails Lille by seven points in the league standings with seven rounds remaining, kept its slim hopes of a domestic double alive with goals from Mathieu Bodmer, Nene and Guillaume Hoarau. Sebastien Renouard pulled one back for Angers.
"We were serious and hardworking tonight," PSG coach Antoine Kombouare said. "We were fortunate enough to score quickly and now we are very proud to be able to defend our title at the Stade de France for a great showdown."
PSG got off to a strong start as Bodmer unleashed a powerful strike from 25 yards which flew just wide in the first minute.
Kombouare's side kept the hosts at bay in the early stages and Brazilian defender Ceara almost broke the deadlock with a long-range volley from the right that left goalkeeper Gregory Malicki stranded but went inches over the bar in the 13th.
PSG playmaker Nene's cross from the left set up Guillaume Hoarau only for the France striker to send his header off the post in the 21st minute.
Following a swift counterattack, Bodmer then notched his sixth goal of the season when he met another precise cross from Nene in the box and slotted home with a right-footed low shot at the far post.
After a rare period of pressure from Angers, Hoarau failed to clear the ball properly near his own box and gave Sebastien Renouard a chance to level but the midfielder saw his volley skim the right post in the 27th.
After controlling the ball, Nene hit the crossbar with a superb volley from the edge of the box just before halftime and Clement Chantome forced Malicki to a good save with a header from the rebound.
PSG goalkeeper Gregory Coupet kept out an effort from David De Freitas with a reflex save in the 50th just before Nene doubled his team's lead at the end of a beautiful collective move.
Nene, who had not found the net since January, scored his 14th goal after volleying a cross from the right past Malicki.
Renouard scored in the 57th minute with a shot in the top corner after Henri Saivet missed an acrobatic volley but Hoarau gave PSG more room to breathe six minutes later from Nene's fine pass.
Angers kept attacking until the end and should have scored when Claudio Keseru hit the bar in the 68th but was left ruing its missed chances.
"I think we were dignified in defeat against a beautiful PSG team," Angers coach Jean-Louis Garcia said. "We were too shy in the first half then we threatened them but our two counterattack goals hurt us."
Jeonbuk Hyundai, Melbourne Victory win in ACL
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Melbourne Victory revived its Asian Champions League campaign with a much-needed 2-1 victory over Tianjin Teda while Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors was virtually assured of making the knockout stage after beating Cerezo Osaka 1-0.
Al Gharafa ended Foolad Mobarekeh Sepahan's unbeaten run in Group A with a 1-0 victory, which also kept alive the Qatari side's slim chances of advancing. Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia moved into a tie at the top with Foolad of Iran after beating Al Jazira 3-2 — a result which ends the United Arab Emirates club's championship hopes.
Bunyodkor beat Piroozi Athletic 3-1 in a Group C match, a win that moves the Uzbek side up to second and leaves the Iranians in last with only two group matches to go. Bunyodkor's chances of advancing were bolstered when group leader Al Ittihad of Saudi Arabia was held to a 0-0 draw by Al Wahda of the UAE.
Arema Indonesia is on the brink of crashing out of the competition after being pummeled by Shandong Luneng of China 5-0. The Indonesia side remains on the bottom of Group G and has yet to win a match.
In the other Group H match, Gamba Osaka of Japan beat Jeju United 3-1 to move into a tie for second, a point behind leader Tianjin.
Thirty-two teams are split into eight groups of four, with 16 progressing to the knockout stage. The top two teams in each group advance.
In Melbourne, the home side scored two goals in three minutes just before halftime to secure its first win in this season's competition. The win came despite the sending off of Surat Sukha with eight minutes to go.
Tianjin took the early lead in the 37th minute, courtesy of a goal from Chen Tao.
But Melbourne tied the match seven minutes later, after Carlos Hernandez's 35-yard free kick got past Tianjin goalkeeper Zhao Yanming and ended up in the net.
Less than two minutes later, Melbourne took the lead for good after Kevin Muscat slotted home from the penalty spot for his third goal of the campaign.
The match got ugly in the second half with both sides repeatedly clashing resulting in nine yellow cards being handed out and Sukha picking up a red.
In South Korea, a late strike from Lee Dong-gook gave Jeonbuk the win over Cerezo Osaka.
With the game heading for a goalless draw, Lee broke the deadlock 12 minutes from the end to give the hosts a vital three points in a tight group. With two games remaining, three points separate Jeonbuk in first and Cerezo in third.
After losing 1-0 to the Japanese team two weeks previously, Jeonbuk attacked from the start and went close after just five minutes. Kim Dong-chan was released by Park Won-jae down the left side and the striker took the ball past his marker only to shoot straight at Cerezo goalkeeper Kim Jin-hyeon.
Just after the half-hour, Cerezo almost took the lead. On the halfway line, Takashi Inui spied Yeom Don-hyun off his line and his 50-yard lob just cleared the crossbar with the goalkeeper desperately scrambling to get back in position.
In the second half, both teams had their chances but it was the South Koreans who capitalized. Park Won-jae pulled the ball back from the left byline to behind the penalty spot and Lee fired the ball past goalkeeper Kim for the winner.
It was Al Gharafa which staged the upset of the night, with Amara Diane scoring the first-half winner to earn the Qatari team its first victory of the tournament. The team could have added to its lead in the second half but Juninho missed a penalty.
A victory appeared unlikely early on as Sepahan had the majority of chances. Ibrahima Toure had a shot from inside the Al Gharafa box blocked by goalkeeper Qasem Burhan in the second minute. Four minutes later, Reza Enayati's had a goal disallowed because the Iranian striker fouled Al Gharafa's Otman El Assas just before launching his scissor-kick shot.
But in the 19th minute, Juninho found Diane unmarked close to the Sepahan box. The forward dodged two defenders before firing past goalkeeper Mahdi Rahmati, who had come out to narrow the angle.
"First of all, I'd like to say it was a tough game because Sepahan are a strong team at the Asian level," said Al Gharaf's coach Bruno Metsu, who took over after being fired in February as Qatar's national coach. "I am happy with the players. They gave their best, it is a young team. Results like this are good for the future. It gives us hope."
In Iran, Bunyodkor opened the scoring in the second half. The Uzbeks took the lead on the hour when Anvar Rajabov blasted home an effort from the edge of the box. Nine minutes later, the forward was brought down in the area by Alireza Mohamed and the defender was sent off.
Hayrulla Karimov converted the penalty to double the lead before Piroozi's Shpejtim Arifi pulled a goal back four minutes from the end. But then the Uzbek's Victor Karpenko sealed the win in stoppage time.
Velez takes over top spot in Argentina
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Velez Sarsfield took over the lead in the Argentine Clausura championship on Wednesday, defeating San Lorenzo 2-0 with a 75th-minute goal by Santiago Silva and another in stoppage time from Augusto Fernandez.
Velez improved to 21 points, two more than River Plate with both clubs having played 10 games. Olimpo, Estudiantes, and Godoy Cruz have 17 and Racing has 16. San Lorenzo is among four clubs with 15.
The match was played after the same fixture on March 20 was canceled following the death of a San Lorenzo fan just before the game. His was the 256th football-related death in Argentine football dating back to 1924.
Silva scored after collecting a perfect pass from midfield and then converted a 15-yard shot. Fernandez clinched the win in the first minute of stoppage time.
The match was played without fans in the stadium of Boca Juniors.
San Lorenzo fan Ramon Aramayo died on March 20 after he objected to a police security check near the Velez stadium. Witnesses said police used excessive force in wrestling Aramayo to the ground and restraining him.
An autopsy said he had bruising from the police blows but probably died of heart failure brought on by the police assault.
It was the 13th football-related death in just over a year in Argentina.
Celtic thrashes Kilmarnock 4-0 in SPL
GLASGOW, Scotland (AP) — Kris Commons scored twice in a first-half blitz as Celtic thrashed Kilmarnock 4-0 to narrow the gap to Scottish Premier League leader Rangers to one point on Wednesday.
The Scotland attacking midfielder gave the visitors the lead in the fourth minute at Rugby Park with a neat, low finish and doubled his tally in the 34th, slipping a shot past advancing goalkeeper Anssi Jaakkola.
Gary Hooper provided the assist for both those goals and the striker scored himself four minutes before halftime to make it 3-0 and seal a fifth straight league victory for Celtic. Anthony Stokes grabbed the fourth 13 minutes into the second half.
Celtic has a game in hand over champion Rangers, with the Old Firm rivals meeting at Ibrox on Sunday.
Elsewhere
Mail bombs: latest twist in Celtic-Rangers rivalry
GLASGOW, Scotland (AP) — As sporting rivalries go, few carry as much passion and fervor as a football match between Glasgow clubs Rangers and Celtic.
But ancient divisions in Scotland's largest city run much deeper than allegiance to the clubs known collectively as the "Old Firm." Football is more than just a passing hobby here as support is drawn along deep religious and sectarian divides.
That conflict came to the fore again Wednesday with news that parcel bombs had been sent to Celtic manager Neil Lennon and two prominent club supporters. The devices were intercepted before they reached their intended targets.
"They were definitely capable of causing significant harm and injury to individuals if they had opened them," Detective Chief Superintendent John Mitchell of Strathclyde police said.
While police didn't discuss the motive behind the mail bombs, sectarian tensions in Northern Ireland and Glasgow are regularly played out between Celtic fans, who are mostly Catholic, and Rangers fans, who are mostly Protestant.
"We are fans of the most tribal clubs in the world — the outside world has to understand that," Dennis O'Neil, a 44-year-old Celtic fan, said Wednesday outside the club's Celtic Park stadium. "But this takes it too far."
At Ibrox, home to Rangers, 28-year-old David McIver said: "This is not happening in my name. This is probably just one crazy man doing this."
The current season is one of the closest in years, with both clubs fighting for the Scottish Premier League title. The next matchup comes on Easter Sunday, the seventh and final Old Firm clash of the season, and authorities will be hoping the game will be remembered for the right reasons.
Tom Devine, a historian at Edinburgh University who has advised the Scottish government on sectarianism, believes the mail bomb campaign could prove a turning point in authorities' desire and ability to tackle the problem.
"This level of violence is totally unprecedented in Scottish and European football and it should concentrate the minds of the authorities," he said in an interview. "We may witness a watershed where at last the authorities such as the police and judiciary actually use the laws we have in place to deal with offenders.
"These events are a humiliation for the Scots who see their prime virtue as being a country of the Scottish Enlightenment. This is the country of David Hume and Adam Smith, not this form of bigotry."
Lennon, a Catholic and former Northern Ireland international, has been the focus of previous hate campaigns by Rangers fans, first as a player at the club and then as manager. He quit international football in 2002 after claiming he had received death threats from a paramilitary group in Northern Ireland.
In early March, Lennon and Rangers counterpart Ally McCoist had to be separated after they clashed on the pitch at the end of an Old Firm game.
Scotland First Minister Alex Salmond called a summit of the two clubs and police in an effort to calm the atmosphere. But Strathclyde Police revealed on Wednesday that, just two days after that match, the first parcel bomb to Lennon was intercepted at a Royal Mail sorting office in Saltcoats, Ayrshire, about 33 miles (53 kms) south of Glasgow.
Since then, Lennon's lawyer Paul McBride and Celtic-supporting lawmaker Trish Godman were also targeted.
Salmond described those responsible as "a lunatic element."
Amid both sets of fans there are extremists who sport flags and banners supporting paramilitary groups in Northern Ireland such as the Real IRA and the Ulster Volunteer Force.
Rangers wouldn't sign Catholic players or staff until Mo Johnston, a former Celtic player, crossed the divide and joined the club in 1989. He was vilified and hailed a hero in equal measure during his two-year stint at the club.
Strathclyde Police have reported increases in domestic violence after Old Firm games and said in the last two years 2,400 crimes could be connected to the matches, including attempted murders, riots and assaults on emergency workers.
UEFA, European football's governing body, recently announced two charges against Rangers for sectarian chanting by its fans at Europa League matches against Dutch club PSV Eindhoven.
Devine believes the current crisis has been brought about as a result of greater integration of Irish Catholics in Scottish society.
"Ironically, we now have a burgeoning new Irish Catholic middle class, many of whom are probably not even churchgoers, but are no longer prepared to keep their heads below the parapet like their forebears," he said.
"This is not just about religious groupings, it is also tribal and semi-ethnic," Devine said.
Since the touchline clash in early March, Lennon and McCoist have sought to stress cordial relations between the clubs.
McCoist, who played for Scotland and appears regularly on TV quiz shows, said Rangers and Celtic staff regularly socialize with each other and their wives and girlfriends.
"If that bomb was intended to inflict pain and damage on people then it is an evil act and should be dealt with in the right way," he said.
Peter Lawwell, the chief executive of Celtic, said in a statement: "It is an intolerable state of affairs which must end. We enjoy friendship and respect throughout the world yet, here in Scotland, we are caught up in these vile events."
-- Ben McConville
Blatter makes election appeal to 208 FIFA voters
GENEVA (AP) — Sepp Blatter has made his first direct appeal to FIFA voters, urging them to reject "revolution" and re-elect him president on June 1.
Blatter insists in a letter sent to 208 national associations and published Wednesday that he can provide "stability, continuity and reliability" in a world of political and economic turmoil.
Blatter also promised to spread $1 billion among FIFA members for development projects over the next four years, and tackle the threats of "corruption, match-fixing and doping."
It's Blatter's first campaign statement since being challenged last month by former ally Mohamed bin Hammam of Qatar, who has pledged to share even more of FIFA's wealth with voters. Bin Hammam is not mentioned in the four-page letter.
The 75-year-old Swiss, who has led soccer's world governing body since 1998, seeks a fourth four-year term that he says will be his last.
"I have all the motivation, experience, ideas and energy necessary to complete my mission," Blatter wrote.
With FIFA often accused of corruption on his watch, Blatter also promised a strong monitoring role for its ethics committee. The panel suspended two members of FIFA's 24-man executive committee from the 2018 and 2022 World Cup hosting votes last December
"I will ensure discipline, respect and fair play on and off the field," Blatter said.
Blatter's announcement comes one month after bin Hammam, the Asian Football Confederation president, launched his campaign in Kuala Lumpur.
Bin Hammam has pledged wider distribution of World Cup profits, which helped create FIFA's $1.28 billion reserve fund. He said he would double annual grants, giving all 208 members a basic $500,000, and double maximum payments toward Goal program projects to $1 million.
He also promised to share FIFA's power and jobs with its six confederations, by offering 17 extra seats on the executive body and creating legal and development teams at continental headquarters.
The 61-year-old Qatari, who played a key role in his country winning the rights to the 2022 World Cup, also promised to create a transparency panel to help restore public faith in FIFA.
However, public opinion will be less important than support from influential confederation bosses such as Europe's Michel Platini and Jack Warner from the CONCACAF region of North, Central America and the Caribbean.
"I will make a statement at the beginning of May about the position of UEFA," Platini said Wednesday in London.
Platini is scheduled to represent his 53-member group at the South American soccer congress in May 1 in Asuncion, Paraguay, and the CONCACAF gathering May 3 in Miami.
Warner has said his 35-member group will vote as a united bloc, and Blatter toured the region last week on official FIFA business.
Blatter's letter opened with descriptions of a world affected by "natural and nuclear catastrophes," financial turmoil and "political instability and revolution in many regions."
"In these challenging times, FIFA needs first stability, continuity and reliability," said Blatter, who was secretary general for 17 years before becoming president.
Shifting power to the six confederations, as bin Hammam proposes, would put "the football pyramid out of balance," Blatter said.
"We do not need revolution within FIFA, but the continuous evolution and improvement of our game and our organization," he added.
Blatter reminded voters that FIFA has organized 49 tournaments, including three World Cups, under his leadership and vastly increased revenues and spending, thanks to "the professionalism of FIFA's administration."
FIFA has distributed $1.6 billion in development payments since 1998 for a 57-fold increase in funding under Blatter.
Blatter said 194 countries have shared $262 million through the Goal project, which he created. The program has been administered by bin Hammam.
FIFA's commercial income has risen 16-fold since 1998, and totaled $4.2 billion in the four-year financial cycle tied to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, Blatter said.
In the past year he drove through extra payments of $550,000 to each member as a share of World Cup profits while also increasing FIFA's reserves.
"As you will recall, FIFA did not have any reserves in 1998," Blatter said.
Blatter pledged to intensify FIFA support for social, education and health programs, and promote the "universality of football across all countries and cultures."
FIFA election rules require the winning candidate to get a two-thirds majority of votes cast in the first ballot, or a majority in the second. Suspended members, which currently includes Bosnia-Herzegovina and Brunei, can't attend the congress in Zurich or vote.
Blatter closed by urging voters "let's go for it — together."
"Football is my life, FIFA is my life," he said.
-- Graham Dunbar
Man United world's most valuable soccer club
LONDON (AP) — Manchester United has been ranked football's most valuable team by Forbes magazine for the seventh year in a row, while Barcelona's valuation has dropped.
Taking into account income, profitability and debt levels, the American business magazine's valuation of United has risen slightly to $1.9 billion despite only winning the 2010 League Cup since its last Premier League title triumph in 2009.
United, though, is a favorite to wrap up a record 19th English title this season.
Speculation continues to swirl that the club will be sold in the near future, although the owning Glazer family has issued statements twice in the last year to insist they won't sell United, which recorded losses of $171.5 million in the year to June 2010.
United is again followed by Real Madrid and Arsenal, but Barcelona has been dislodged from fourth place in the rankings by Bayern Munich, with the valuation of the Spanish champions slipping below the $1-billion mark to $975 million.
"Barcelona declined because of a combination of high debt, a stronger U.S. dollar and uncertainty surrounding the financial stability of the media company that broadcasts their games," Forbes executive Editor Mike Ozanian said Wednesday.
Barcelona tops the Spanish league, but lost to Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey final on Wednesday, allowing its fiercest rival to win its first trophy since 2008.
Real Madrid has also seen its Forbes value rise from $1.3 billion to $1.5 billion to retain second place.
Arsenal is enduring a title drought stretching back to 2005 but stays third as American sports tycoon Stan Kroenke mounts a takeover bid that values the London club at 731 million pounds ($1.2 billion).
Two other Premier League clubs are in the top 10, with Premier League champion Chelsea rising from ninth to seventh and Liverpool dropping from sixth to ninth as its value collapsed from $822 to $552 in the wake of the enforced sale to Boston Red Sox ownership group in October in a deal worth $476 million.
Liverpool missed out on the lucrative Champions League this season and is unlikely to qualify for next season's competition. With the team sixth in the English top flight it has won 18 times, the Reds also face missing out on the Europa League.
"The top soccer teams that can consistently qualify for the big European tournaments are increasing in value in large part because they reaping the benefits of higher broadcasting and sponsorship revenue," Ozanian said.
In a separate study released Wednesday, Barcelona and Real Madrid were shown to have overtaken the New York Yankees as the best-paid global sports teams.
The review of average first-team pay in 14 of the world's leading sports leagues showed that was $7.9 million at Barcelona and $7.4 million at Real Madrid during the 2009-10 season.
The third-placed Yankees are paying their players an average of $6.8 million this season. The MLB side last year topped the review which is compiled by The Sporting Intelligence website and is being published by ESPN The Magazine.
-- Rob Harris
Germany 'keeper Neuer won't extend Schalke deal
GELSENKIRCHEN, Germany (AP) — Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer won't extend his contract with Schalke beyond next season, and Bayern Munich's president confirmed the club is interested in signing him.
"We hope that he comes this year. And if he doesn't come this year, he'll come next year," Uli Hoeness told German TV station ZDF on Wednesday.
German media has speculated that Schalke will sell its prized asset to Bayern for €20 million ($28.5 million) or risk losing him for nothing next year.
"Where there's a will, there's a way," Hoeness said "I think we're willing to make it happen, and if Schalke gets no transfer fee next year, then they will maneuver so that we can agree."
The 25-year-old Neuer informed Schalke of his decision earlier Wednesday and said the firing of coach Felix Magath played no role.
"I made this decision without any influence from outside," Neuer told the club's website. "The decision has nothing to with the coaching change, or with anyone at another club."
Ralf Rangnick was hired to replace Magath during a mediocre Bundesliga season, however the club has reached the semifinals of the Champions League and the German Cup final.
Board member Horst Heldt said Neuer's decision had been accepted "with a heavy heart," and the goalkeeper later said at an emotional news conference that he is grateful to the club.
"After 20 years of loyalty, I want to keep my options open for a change," Neuer said. "I have a contract until 2012 and I was aware of what I was doing when I signed it. Horst Heldt has now informed me of the interest of Bayern, so it's possible that I could leave earlier, but that is a question for the club and I will not decide that alone.
"(I want to) make the next big step. I want to play regularly at the highest level. That's the Champions League."
Rangnick described Neuer as the best goalkeeper in the world and said he is "very sad, but we have to accept it and respect it."
"He's 20 years at one club. Not many players in the Bundesliga, or in the world, can say that," Rangnick said.
Neuer asked the Schalke fans for understanding ahead of this weekend's game at Kaiserslautern, and remembered the last time he was booed — during the German Cup semifinal at Bayern.
"It's worse to be booed by your own family than by strangers," he said.
Egypt's Zamalek fined, to play in empty stadium
JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Egyptian club Zamalek was fined $80,000 and ordered to play its next two home games in an empty stadium following a violent pitch invasion by fans in an African Champions League game in Cairo earlier this month.
Zamalek was one of nine African clubs sanctioned in decisions announced by the Confederation of African Football on Wednesday following a meeting of its disciplinary body a day earlier in Johannesburg.
Senegal's national federation was also fined $5,000 for a pitch invasion in an African Cup of Nations qualifier against Cameroon in Dakar last month.
CAF said in a statement that Zamalek was guilty of violating four articles of the disciplinary code when its supporters rushed onto the field at Cairo International Stadium on April 2 and tried to attack the visiting Club Africain players and referee.
The African football body ruled Zamalek should play its next four home games in CAF competitions without supporters, but suspended two of them unless the club commits a similar offense in the next two years.
Zamalek, a five-time African champion, was ruled by CAF to be culpable for the match being interrupted by the pitch invasion from fans and for their use of flares and aggression toward match officials and the away team.
"The club may also be suspended from participating in CAF competitions for a duration of one year if similar offenses occur," CAF said.
The invasion by Zamalek fans caused the referee to abandon the match, with Club Africain awarded the tie 5-3 on aggregate.
Stick-wielding fans clashed with police and supporters damaged the goal posts, leading the Egyptian Football Association to reconsider the return of the domestic football league after it was suspended during the revolution that ousted Hosni Mubarak.
In other punishments, Club Africain was fined $10,000 after its fans entered the field of play in the first leg of the last-32 tie in Tunisia.
Nigeria's Enyimba was fined $20,000 and issued with a final warning for inadequate security at its stadium in the southern city of Aba for the African Champions League game against Union Sportive Bitam of Gabon.
Home supporters were allowed to enter the field of play and "harass" Bitam officials, CAF said, who threatened Enyimba with "severe sanctions in case of any future incident."
Algeria's MC Alger, Mozambique's Desportivo Maxaquene, ASV of Congo and Kano Pillars of Nigeria were fined $5,000 for fan offenses. Angola's AS Aviacao and Zimbabwean club Dynamos were ordered to pay $5,000 for violent conduct by players.
Political unrest in Ivory Coast and Libya also disrupted the continent's football calendar, with three clubs withdrawing from African competitions.
Champions League ties involving Ivorian or Libyan teams were reduced to one-off games because the violence-plagued countries cannot host matches.
-- Gerald Imray
Platini sorry for Champions League final prices
LONDON (AP) — Michel Platini, the president of European soccer's governing body, apologized Wednesday for the high price of Champions League final tickets while claiming that some are already available on the black market for 10 times face value.
Tickets at Wembley Stadium on May 28 will cost almost twice as much as the final two years ago for some fans.
"It was a mistake, it was not good," Platini said in London for the handover of the Champions League trophy. "But it is not easy to decide the price of the tickets in the Champions League final."
A ticket that cost 90 euros ($130) in 2009 will cost 175 euros ($253) in 2011.
Platini, the president of the Union of European Football Associations, said 11,000 tickets for the final that already had been put on sale — sold after UEFA received 200,000 requests on its Web site — are being advertised at huge markups.
"Now on the black market these tickets are 10 times the price that we decided," Platini said. "Perhaps in the future we have to have another category for families that is less expensive. But if you put those on the black market how much will they cost?"
A Spanish team will play in the final, with Real Madrid and Barcelona facing off in the semifinals. Manchester United will contest the final on home soil if it beats Germany's Schalke.
Each of the finalists receive 25,000 tickets. The cheapest seats, which are sold only by the finalists, are 95 euros ($138), compared with 90 euros (then $111) in 2010 and 70 euros (then $96) in Rome in 2009.
UEFA expects income from the Champions League final to reach 16.7 million euros ($24.2 million), compared with 11.5 million euros (then $14.2 million) last year.
-- Rob Harris
Inter chief backs Leonardo, rules out big signings
LONDON (AP) — Inter Milan's chief executive has assured Leonardo over his future, but told the Brazilian coach there won't be a spending spree on players in the offseason.
With new UEFA spending controls coming into effect from next season, Inter CEO Ernesto Paolillo told The Associated Press on Wednesday that the Serie A side will have to rely on bringing young players into the side.
And Paolillo insisted that Leonardo, who was hired in December to replace Rafa Benitez, will remain in charge next season despite persistent speculation that he could be sacked.
"The man of the future is Leonardo and we will continue with him," Paolillo told the AP in London.
Leonardo made a strong start in the job, but Inter's Champions League title defense was ended by Schalke last week and crosstown rival AC Milan has strengthened its grip on the Serie A lead, with Inter losing two of its last three league games.
Inter's only realistic chance of a title is now the Italian Cup — a year after Jose Mourinho delivered a treble.
"We have had in this last period some difficulties but this is normal," Paolillo said. "Of course we will examine the situation after the season and make plans with the coach."
Transforming the club's fortunes won't be achieved, though, with an offseason of heavy spending.
In a bid to end an era of so-called "financial doping," clubs wanting to play in the Champions League or Europa League are required to stop spending more than they earn, starting from next season.
"We will follow the new rules with financial fair play, we will spend what we are able to spend that's all, not crazy things," Paolillo said. "Maybe it will have to be that we add young players to the team. We have a lot of developmental players in our academy. It's time to play with them."
-- Rob Harris
Getafe president on way to Dubai amid sale rumors
MADRID (AP) — Getafe president Angel Torres traveled to Dubai on Wednesday amid speculation the Spanish football club will be taken over by a business group with ties to Dubai's ruling family.
Torres headed to the Gulf city a day before the Royal Emirates Group of Companies is scheduled to announce the purchase of a topflight Spanish club.
Kaiser Rafiq, a partner and managing director of the business conglomerate, said he would not "rule out" that the company is buying Getafe. He would only say that the deal is worth $90 million and the club being bought finished in the top six of the league last season. Getafe finished sixth.
The team's name will remain unchanged but "Team Dubai" would be added to the players' shirts, the stadium and other merchandise, Rafiq said.
The Royal Emirates Group of Companies said Tuesday that it had acquired an unidentified Spanish club and would make a formal announcement Thursday.
The group is chaired by Sheikh Butti Bin Suhail Al Maktoum, a member of Dubai's ruling family.
Torres told Spanish sports daily MARCA that he had been invited by the Dubai business group "with the idea of having meetings to look for sponsors that improve the image of Getafe and a new name for the stadium."
He also confirmed that Getafe captain Manuel del Moral was accompanying him.
Rafiq said he is hoping the purchase raises the profile of Dubai, which has long used sports as a publicity tool. Tiger Woods and Roger Federer have visited the desert city to play in tournaments and the world's richest horse race is part of a campaign to lure tourists to its glitzy shopping malls and five-star hotels.
West Ham's Carlton Cole fined over Twitter joke
LONDON (AP) — West Ham striker Carlton Cole was fined by England's Football Association on Wednesday for jokes he made on Twitter during England's friendly against Ghana last month.
The FA said Cole was warned about his future conduct and fined 20,000 pounds ($32,800).
Cole joked that the match at Wembley Stadium was a trap by the British government to find illegal immigrants. He deleted the comment but was still charged.
The players' union in England also issued a Twitter warning on Wednesday.
"It is ironic that at a time when players are accused of being distant and out of touch with supporters that attempts to communicate can bear such potential sanctions," Bobby Barnes, deputy chief executive of the Professional Footballers' Association wrote on the organization's website.
Barnes stressed the need for players to be vigilant when using Twitter and other social networking websites.
"We would advise players not to stop tweeting but to bear in mind that this is not an intimate private conversation but a medium open to a potentially wide audience," Barnes said. "A useful point to consider in posting tweets might be whether you would be comfortable in being so open with a journalist either from written or news media.
"It is also worth bearing in mind that something that may appear humorous or harmless when spoken can take on a totally different dimension when put down in print."
Iniesta escapes UEFA ban, can play semifinal
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Andres Iniesta has been cleared to play the first leg of Barcelona's Champions League semifinal against Real Madrid after UEFA ruled that the Spain midfielder did not intentionally provoke a yellow card in a match against Shakhtar Donetsk.
European football's governing body decided against a proposed additional one-match suspension for Iniesta allegedly inducing a yellow card in the first leg of the knockout series against the Ukrainian side, which ruled him out of the return leg. UEFA also ruled out a fine.
Iniesta will therefore be available for the three-time champions' visit to Santiago Bernabeu stadium on April 27.
UEFA's disciplinary panel did fine Villarreal and its players Nilmar and Santi Cazorla after they appeared to get deliberate yellow cards in the Europa League quarterfinals, but declined to suspend them for the first leg of the semifinal against FC Porto on April 28.
UEFA fined Villarreal €60,000 ($87,000) and the players €20,000 ($29,000) each.
The Brazil forward and Spain midfielder were booked near the end of Villarreal's 5-1 victory over FC Twente. They served bans activated by third yellow cards in the competition during the return leg as Villarreal easily advanced, giving them clean disciplinary records for the semifinal.
Qatar to host charity match for Japan victims
DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Qatar will host a charity soccer match featuring stars from the 2002 World Cup final between Brazil and Germany to benefit the victims of the Japanese tsunami and earthquake.
Brazilian great Cafu and the Qatar Football Association announced plans the plans late Tuesday during a visit the former defender was making to the country that will host the 2022 World Cup.
Cafu said the December exhibition would feature the 2002 World Cup players against a team of international stars. He said the rosters have yet to be finalized, but said none of the players will be paid to appear.
Cafu was part of three Brazilian World Cup campaigns and said he wanted to do something to help the victims of the March 11 disaster that left 27,000 reported dead or missing.
