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Soccer Capsules: Donovan leads and everyone follows to lift Galaxy
Comments 0 | Recommend 0SEATTLE — Landon Donovan looked zoned out behind the table, microphone in his face, lights glaring into his eyes, talking about a season that's gone so right for himself and the Los Angeles Galaxy.
Finally, he paused and almost asked permission to speak candidly. To really say why a Galaxy team that was so dysfunctional a year ago and this year was surrounded by distraction now finds itself playing Real Salt Lake in the MLS Cup final on Sunday.
"There are a few points that stand out to me. One was having (coach) Bruce (Arena) come in and just create stability, which we hadn't had for a while. And candidly, the second was David's reaction to everything that's gone on," Donovan said with David Beckham seated beside him. "Life is about choices. He could have come in and chosen to be something different than he has been. He chose to be a man and want this team to be successful. Without him, we're not where we are."
The gamble Major League Soccer embarked on in 2007, when Beckham made his MLS debut to help boost the game in America for a price tag that still causes whiplash from the double-takes, could pay off on Sunday.
Though Beckham's decision to leave Real Madrid for Hollywood was greeted with much skepticism, there was hope that his talents would draw increased interest in the league, victories on the field and ultimately titles for the Galaxy.
Now comes that opportunity for Beckham to help deliver a title for the league's marquee team against a scrappy, overlooked squad from Utah.
"I've been able to play in great leagues and play for big teams, and winning championships and cups with those teams is always exciting," Beckham said. "And so is this. This is the first time I've been in the playoffs and the first time I've been in the MLS Cup. I'm proud to be on this team."
When Beckham arrived this summer after finishing his loan to AC Milan, he returned to the Galaxy during their tipping point. They spent the early stages of the season scuffling on the field, learning how to play with one another under Arena's guidance, drawing 11 of their first 13 games. Donovan was the clear leader, but he missed a chunk of the acclimation period while helping the U.S. reach the final of the Confederation Cup.
Then there was the controversy sparked by Donovan's comments in Grant Wahl's "The Beckham Experiment," a book chronicling and critical of Beckham's first two seasons with the Galaxy. Donovan criticized Beckham's leadership and effort in the book.
The first day the two were together in Los Angeles, Donovan apologized to the English star for airing his thoughts in public. Los Angeles had won four straight when Beckham arrived and instead of letting a possible locker room issue linger the two stars got their differences settled immediately.
"It's just been one of those years where there has been obstacles," Beckham said "And it's about how teams and individuals respond to those obstacles. Some are bigger than others.
"We've responded in the right way — we've done it on the field and kept quiet off it. Whether that's annoyed people or not, it's made us happy."
While the Galaxy and their starry duo gather the headlines ahead of the final, the playoffs run by Real Salt Lake is worth just as much recognition. After finishing with a losing record in the regular season, Real ousted defending champion Columbus and Chicago.
"We just kind of peaked at the right time. It was like that last year and again this year; we wait until the end of the season to play well," Real midfielder Andy Williams said. "It's paying off right now."
Los Angeles also sparked late in the season, after Beckham arrived. More importantly, Donovan says Beckham provided the creativity to spark the Galaxy's attack, and let the supporting cast around the star-studded duo contribute without needing to exceed their capabilities.
"(David's) a great guy and loves to play this game and takes a lot of pride in his performance and the attitude and the play he's brought to our team this year has been remarkable," said Arena, who is going after his third MLS title.
After years of being considered the best player in America, Donovan added his first league MVP award on Thursday. The honor might be as much a recognition of his leadership in turning around last year's league-worst L.A. squad, and the handling of the fallout from his comments about Beckham. Donovan's teammates rave about his demeanor this season and his willingness to be out front and let the younger members of the Galaxy's roster follow his lead.
Ultimately, they say the relationship between Donovan and Beckham is a huge factor in why the Galaxy are playing for their first title since 2005.
"The way that he's led this team has been remarkable. I don't want to call it a transformation of Landon as a player, but to see how he's taken that game to his next level," Galaxy midfielder Chris Klein said. "This year he was very determined to carry this team. Not do everything by himself, but do whatever the team needed. He's done that the whole year on the field, in the locker room, he's been a true leader for this team."
Sounders coach Sigi Schmid hospitalized
SEATTLE — Seattle Sounders coach Sigi Schmid remained hospitalized on Saturday after being diagnosed with pneumonia.
The team said in a release that Schmid started experiencing shortness of breath on Thursday and was taken to Overlake Hospital in suburban Bellevue.
Schmid's condition stabilized and he was improving, the team added.
Schmid helped Seattle become the first expansion team since Chicago in 1998 to reach the Major League Soccer playoffs in its first year.
Mexican Soccer
De Nigris marks brother's death with winning goal
MONTERREY, Mexico — Aldo De Nigris marked the passing of his brother Antonio by scoring the winner in the Mexican league playoff between Monterrey and America on Saturday.
Mexican international Antonio De Nigris, aged 31, died of a heart attack in Greece on Monday.
"I don't just dedicate this goal to him, I'm going to dedicate my whole life to him because he was an example to everyone," said Aldo after a capacity crowd of 35,000 in MonterreyÂ’s Tecnologico stadium waved white handkerchiefs and chanted in his brother's memory.
The quarterfinal ended 1-0 to Monterrey, putting the club into an Apertura semifinal against Cruz Azul.
"It was the most difficult match I have ever played because of everything we went through during the week; it took a lot out of everyone," he said.
Monterrey-born Antonio De Nigris started his the club and also played for America during a nomadic career which included stints in Brazil, Spain and Colombia.
Turkish club Ankaraspor, where De Nigris played before moving to Greek side Larissa, said it had warned that he had a heart defect. Larissa denied failing to test the striker adequately before signing him in August.
Barcelona says Marquez suspected to have swine flu
BARCELONA, Spain — Barcelona says Rafael Marquez appears to have become the club's third player to get swine flu.
Fellow defender Eric Abidal and midfielder Yaya Toure have already been sidelined with the viral illness.
Barcelona said Saturday that Marquez "displayed viral symptoms, with general discomfort and fever." It expects to confirm later Saturday whether the symptoms were caused by swine flu.
All three players will miss Saturday's Spanish League game against Athletic Bilbao and could be out for Tuesday's clash against Inter Milan in the Champions League as well as the traditional Spanish 'clasico' against Real Madrid the following weekend.
Soccer and Sexism: Soccer hair-pulling fuels debate over sport sexism
NEW YORK — The vicious hair-pulling of an opponent was inexcusable. But prominent advocates of women's sports say that so, too, has been much of the commentary generated by the popular video of college soccer player Elizabeth Lambert's combative tactics in a recent game.
"Catfight" has been a term commonly used in cyberspace reactions to the video clip now seen by millions of people around the world. One Web site ran a poll: "Do you find violent women sexy?" Some bloggers — lapsing into old stereotypes — suggested Lambert's menstrual cycle was a factor.
"It's clearly sexist," said Terry O'Neill, president of the National Organization for Women, as she assessed the overall reaction to Lambert's rough play in a Nov. 5 game between her New Mexico team and Brigham Young.
"It's obvious there are still some people in this country who just can't accept that women want to play sports, and sometime sports get rough."
Lambert, a junior defender who was suspended indefinitely, issued an apology through the university, saying, "I let my emotions get the best of me in a heated situation."
She was involved in several incidents of hard-nosed play during the Mountain West Conference tournament semifinal, mostly notably when she grabbed BYU's Kassidy Shumway by her ponytail and yanked her backward to the ground.
Laura Pappano, co-author of a book about gender in sports and a writer-in-residence at Wellesley College, has written a couple of blogs assessing reactions to the Lambert video.
"The image of female athletes as more than skilled players — as good, wholesome people — is a centerpiece of women's sports and a staple of marketing, promotion, and ticket-selling," Pappano wrote. "This has been both a benefit and a limitation that has helped shape women's sports as 'gentler' fare."
This feeds into a situation in which male athletes often get a pass for bad behavior, while women draw criticism, she argued.
"We forgive Michael Vick, and gasp when Serena Williams screams at a line judge's late call at the U.S. Open," Pappano wrote. "No one likes dirty play. But if Elizabeth Lambert just made people see that women's sports are highly intense, competitive, and exciting, well, good for her."
Lambert herself, according to the New Mexico athletic department, is not giving further interviews at this stage beyond one she gave Tuesday to The New York Times in which she did suggest there is a double standard for women's sports.
"I definitely feel because I am a female it did bring about a lot more attention than if a male were to do it," Lambert told the Times. "It's more expected for men to go out there and be rough. The female, we're still looked at as, 'Oh, we kick the ball around and score a goal.'"
Blogger and author Michael Tunison, in a blog for sportingnews.com, was among the male commentators who didn't fully buy that argument, saying Lambert brought the attention on herself because her conduct "was so brazenly outlandish."
"Most of us have long accepted the fact that women's sports aren't dainty, aimless affairs," Tunison wrote. "To suggest the reaction to her dirty play is merely the result of condescension is a weak attempt to deflect criticism."
Other men pointed out that plenty of male athletes had incurred disciplinary action and public criticism for acts of unsportsmanlike violence — such as Oregon running back LeGarrette Blount for punching a Boise State player, and Florida linebacker Brandon Spikes for seemingly trying to gouge the eyes of a Georgia opponent.
However, Carl Cannon, deputy editor of PoliticsDaily.com, suggested the intense public reaction to the Lambert incident was different from cases involving male athletes.
"It's as though we expect women to play fiercely competitive sports — like men — and yet retain some of the traditional notions of femininity," he wrote.
Alexis McCombs, Los Angeles-based host of talk show "Instant She-Play" on AOL Sports, said there was no doubt that Lambert and other female athletes are held to an unfair double standard.
She recalled the vehement reaction to Serena Williams after her outburst of profanity at the U.S. Open.
"Think of Andre Agassi — people would relish his bad behavior, while Serena got blasted," McCombs said. "For some of the men, it almost benefits them — they're able to cash in on their bad behavior."
McCombs also suggested that sexual factors were part of the reason the Lambert video became such an Internet sensation.
"The bottom line is it's the female being sexualized," she said. "Some people like the fact that two women are fighting."
NOW's O'Neill said she was dismayed by some of the misogynistic sentiments directed at Lambert, who told the New York Times of one message suggesting she deserved to be imprisoned and raped.
"The only thing we can do is stand in solidarity with women athletes," O'Neill said in a telephone interview. "Obviously what Elizabeth Lambert did was wrong. But you have a right to try to be winners — being tough, being aggressive, wanting to win. That's what women athletes everywhere should be striving to do."
-- David Crary
World Cup Qualifying
Zinedine Zidane: Thierry Henry is no cheat
PARIS — World Cup winner Zinedine Zidane says former France teammate Thierry Henry "is not a cheat" despite his handball helping his country qualify for the World Cup at Ireland's expense.
Zidane, who won the 1998 World Cup and 2000 European Championship with Henry, said on Saturday on French radio that the captain "made a big on-field error" but "is not a cheat."
Henry's handling set up William Gallas' equalizer in Wednesday's 1-1 draw that sent France to next year's tournament.
"Thierry Henry's handball is just a match fact," Zidane told Canal Plus television. "I'll support Henry. I think he's not a cheat. He acknowledged that he handled the ball. I've known him for 10 or 12 years and I know that he's not a cheat.
"I'm just saying he made a poor decision like I did, too. Everybody makes mistakes."
The Irish appealed to the French federation to agree to a replay but were turned down.
Amid growing pressure for an apology from Henry, Zidane hinted that Henry has already done enough: "In my eyes, saying that he would be ready to replay the match sounds like an apology."
Zidane, who retired after being sent off for a headbutt in the 2006 World Cup final loss to Italy, understood Ireland's anger but said this kind of incident was common on a pitch.
He also suggested that Henry's career would not be affected by that incident despite analogies made with Diego Maradona's 'Hand of God' in Argentina's victory over England in the 1986 World Cup.
"He'll get over it. Those are difficult times anybody has to go through. It won't haunt him. It's part of the game."
Ireland gives up on replay over Henry's hand ball
DUBLIN — Ireland has given up hope of a World Cup playoff replay against France because of Thierry Henry's hand ball.
Henry's deliberate handling set up a goal for William Gallas in Wednesday's 1-1 draw that sent France to next year's tournament and knocked out Ireland. The Irish appealed to the French federation to agree to a replay but were turned down Friday.
"We regret that despite our best efforts for a replay, which would have restored the integrity of the game in front of a worldwide audience, our calls appear to have fallen on deaf ears at the French Football Federation," Football Association of Ireland chief executive John Delaney said Saturday.
"Without doubt, the credibility of fair play has been damaged by this incident in front of a worldwide audience."
Although FIFA ruled on Friday there would be no replay, the Irish still made an official request to the French to back their case in a bid to get the world governing body to change its mind. The French responded by saying it understood the disappointment and bitterness of the Irish but the result could not be changed.
Delaney said the FAI would urge FIFA to make sure the problem didn't happen again.
"Despite our deep disappointment, we thank our players, the wonderful Irish fans and the Irish public at large for their support, as well as the solidarity of the French people," he said.
"We will continue to call on FIFA to take action to ensure that such damaging examples of cheating are not allowed to recur."
League Roundups
Chelsea beats Wolves 4-0 while Arsenal loses
LONDON — Michael Essien scored twice Saturday as Chelsea romped to a 4-0 win over Wolves to lead the Premier League by five points, while Arsenal tumbled 1-0 at Sunderland and Manchester United rose to second with a 3-0 victory over Everton.
Liverpool and Manchester City fell further out of contention with a 2-2 draw.
Goals by Florent Malouda and Essien put injury-hit Chelsea 3-0 up inside the first 22 minutes before Joe Cole scored his first goal in 13 months in the second half.
The result meant that Chelsea has won all seven home games and hasn't conceded a goal at Stamford Bridge since the opening game of the season against Hull. Chelsea has 33 points from 13 points and also has a club record 12 home wins in a row in all competitions.
"It was an easy game because we played very well," Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti said. "After 20 minutes it was 3-0 and afterwards we maintained control of the game."
Darren Bent scored Sunderland's 71st-minute winner in a surprise victory over Arsenal, which had won six of its previous seven league games but was left on 25 points from 12 games.
"It's a big setback because you do not prepare yourself to drop points in a situation like that," Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said. "It's not especially worrying but it's frustrating."
Darren Fletcher, Michael Carrick and Antonio Valencia scored Man United's goals in a routine triumph over Everton at Old Trafford as the defending champions moved up to second with 28 points from 13 games.
Fletcher scored in the 35th minute with a powerful first-time shot into the corner of the net from the edge of the area. Carrick steered home a low left-footed strike from Ryan Giggs' pass and Valencia added the third in the 76th.
While Liverpool and Manchester shared a point each at Anfield, the result did not help either team's chances of catching Chelsea in the title race. Man City has 21 points and Liverpool 20.
Liverpool defender Martin Skrtel, who had a header acrobatically saved by goalkeeper Shay Given in the first half, turned home a free kick by Steven Gerrard in the 50th minute for his first goal at the club.
Beaten to the ball by Skrtel for the Liverpool goal, Adebayor was left unmarked by the Slovakia defender and was allowed a free header to turn home the 69th-minute equalizer from a corner.
Stephen Ireland was also left unmarked to prod home Shaun Wright-Phillips' pass to put City ahead in the 76th. But Yossi Benayoun made it 2-2 seconds later from close range after good work by David Ngog.
Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez, who has come under fire for his team's poor form, said his team was still good enough to finish in the top four.
"You cannot be happy with a home draw, but to lose three (injured) players from your game plan is very difficult," Benitez said. "City have quality. But if we can improve and play at our top level, we will be in the top four."
Aston Villa came from a goal down to draw 1-1 at Burnley where it has not won in 24 visits dating back to 1936.
Steven Caldwell gave Burnley a ninth-minute lead at Turf Moor only for Emile Heskey to equalize in the 86th.
Lee Bowyer scored Birmingham's 16th-minute winner in a 1-0 victory over Fulham at St. Andrews, and there was a six-goal thriller between Hull and West Ham.
Visitor West Ham went two goals up in the first 11 minutes through Guillermo Franco and Jack Collison, only for Hull to hit back three times to lead at halftime.
Jimmy Bullard's free kick was deflected in, Kamil Zayatte made it 2-2 and Bullard scored his first goal for Hull from the penalty spot after Julien Faubert had fouled Craig Fagan.
Hull's Brendan Mendy was sent off in the 54th minute for a professional foul and Manuel Da Costa scored West Ham's equalizer in the 69th.
West Bromwich Albion, which has five players going to the World Cup for five different nations, regained top spot in the League Championship with a 4-1 victory over Bristol City. The Baggies, who are one point clear, replaced Newcastle which does not play until Monday at Preston.
-- Robert Millward
Real Madrid leads in Spain as Barcelona slips up
MADRID — Real Madrid led the Spanish league after beating Racing Santander 1-0 and Barcelona could only draw 1-1 against Athletic Bilbao on Saturday.
Madrid has 28 points and Barcelona 27. The teams meet on Nov. 29 in Barcelona.
Gonzalo Higuain's first-half goal, following up on a rebound of a Kaka shot, was enough for Madrid to secure three points.
Daniel Alves broke the deadlock for Barcelona at San Mames Stadium charging on to a Xavi Hernandez pass to score in the 53rd minute. Substitute Gaizka Toquero equalized 10 minutes later.
Barcelona was without striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, due to a hamstring injury. Defenders Rafael Marquez and Eric Abidal and midfielder Yaya Toure were also sidelined, with swine flu.
The European champion controlled the game in the early stages, keeping the ball in Bilbao's half and creating several good chances.
Leo Messi, playing in attack alongside Andres Iniesta and Pedro Rodriguez, was a constant threat.
Bilbao, which was knocked out of the Copa del Rey by second-division Rayo Vallecano this month, allowed the Catalans to dominate possession and tried to hit them on the break.
Bilbao's Fernando Llorente earned a free kick when Dmytro Chygrynskiy brought the striker down outside the area in the 41st. Francisco Yeste blasted the kick over. Javi Martinez had his team's best chance of the first half when he rose unmarked to meet a Yeste corner, although his header went wide.
With the scores level and the clock ticking down Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola replaced Messi and Xavi Hernandez with Bojan Krkic and Thierry Henry, and despite some late pressure they could not create a second goal.
Madrid coach Manuel Pellegrini played Higuain alongside Karim Benzema in attack, with Raul Gonzalez starting on the bench and Cristiano Ronaldo still out.
The first half hour saw a marked improvement on most of Madrid's performances this season. The team looked comfortable on the ball and carved out several clear chances before fading in the second half.
"We have to take into account that some important players are missing due to injury," Real Madrid director general Jorge Valdano said. "We lacked brilliance and there were some boring spells, although we emerged with credit."
Higuain struck the post and Kaka drew a fine save from Rodriguez during an early spell of fluid passing. Alvaro Arbeloa also struck the post, while midfield playmaker Xabi Alonso had one of his best games for Madrid.
Despite Madrid's dominance of possession, Santander looked dangerous on the break as halftime approached. In the 38th, Mohamed Tchite managed to burst past Marcelo and Ezequiel Garay before shooting wide.
Madrid celebrated soon after the break when Benzema tapped in a cross from Esteban Granero with his instep — only for the referee to rule the striker offside.
The intensity of Madrid's early play faded as the game wore on and Raul replaced Benzema on the hour.
Higuain nearly scored his second when Royston Drenthe set him up after a defensive mix-up, but Rodriguez saved the shot.
Santander's Sergio Canales was ruled offside after scoring in the 78th although replays appeared to show the goal was legal.
Earlier, Sevilla beat Tenerife 2-1 to notch 25 points and keep it in touch with the leaders, while Atletico Madrid lost 2-1 to Deportivo La Coruna after an injury-time penalty to stay in the relegation zone.
Sevilla's Diego Perotti tapped home in the 33rd minute from a cross by winger Jesus Navas. Renato's long-range strike straight after the break underlined the Andalusian team's attacking superiority.
However, Juan Francisco "Nino" Martinez made it 2-1 in the 76th with a first-time shot.
In Tenerife, Sergio Aguero put Atletico ahead in the fourth minute after a lapse by defender Alberto Lopo gave the Argentina striker space to shoot from an acute angle.
La Coruna defender Diego Colotto equalized in the 21st, heading in at the far post from a corner.
Jose Guardado scored from the penalty spot deep into injury time to leave Atletico with seven points and one win from its first 11 games of the season. La Coruna is fourth with 22 points.
On Sunday, it's: Xerez vs. Sporting Gijon; Villarreal vs. Valladolid; Espanyol vs. Getafe; Mallorca vs. Almeria; Malaga vs. Zaragoza and Osasuna vs. Valencia.
Inter wins 3-1 at Bologna to lead Serie A by 8pts
MILAN — Inter Milan defeated Bologna 3-1 and extended its lead in the Serie A to eight points on Saturday.
Parma improved to third following a 3-2 win against Fiorentina.
Inter has 32 points, eight more than Juventus. Parma followed with 23, and AC Milan with 22.
Juventus plays Udinese on Sunday, while Milan meets Cagliari.
Diego Milito, Mario Balotelli and Esteban Cambiasso scored for Inter, which finished with 10 players after fullback Maicon was sent off for abusive language.
"We had a good game tonight and this win means we can put some pressure on those who are chasing us," Inter goalkeeper Julio Cesar said.
"It is difficult when you concede a goal immediately after scoring, but we stayed calm and played our normal game to win. It wasn't easy playing Bologna, but we played in such a way that it seemed as though it was an easy win."
Milito gave Inter the lead in the 22nd. Lucio crossed the ball back into the box after a corner had been cleared, and Milito spun and struck a shot past goalkeeper Emiliano Viviano.
Marcelo Zalayeta immediately equalized for Bologna. His strike partner Adailton found him with a long pass and the Zalayeta fired past Cesar.
Balotelli should have put Inter back into the lead in the 29th after beating the offside trap, but he hesitated and Viviano raced off his line to smother the shot.
In the 36th, Dejan Stankovic nearly doubled the score. Stankovic hit a low shot past Viviano, but it hit both posts and the goalkeeper was able to reach the rebound first.
Balotelli gave Inter the lead three minutes before halftime. Maicon swung over a corner and the young striker headed in from close range.
After halftime, Milito went close to scoring his second but hammered a shot against the bar in the 57th.
Milito did play a part in Inter's third. He led a counterattack before finding Cambiasso, who sealed the win from close range.
Parma looked comfortable in the first half against Fiorentina and they tied 1-1 by halftime, following goals from Fiorentina's Alberto Gilardino and Parma's Nicola Amoruso.
Valeri Bojinov gave Parma the lead in the 52nd, but Gilardino hit back with his second 10 minutes later.
In the 67th Davide Lanzafame fired in the winner with a right-footed volley that gave Fiorentina goalkeeper Sebastien Frey little chance.
Bremen wins 6-0 to take Bundesliga lead
FRANKFURT — Werder Bremen won 6-0 in Freiburg with five second-half goals to pull past idle Bayer Leverkusen to the top of the Bundesliga on Saturday.
Hannover lost its first game after the suicide of captain and goalkeeper Robert Enke, going down 2-0 at Schalke, which moved into third place. A minute of silence was held at all stadiums in memory of Enke, who threw himself before a train Nov. 10 after suffering from depression for six years.
"It was very difficult today," said Arnold Bruggink, Hannover's new captain. "But after the minute of silence it simply got under way. And once it starts, you keep going somehow. We tried everything."
Coach Andreas Bergmann said it was good to return to a stadium atmosphere.
"I told my players to try to play football again," he said. "Not for Robert, but with Robert. He will stay in our hearts."
Defending champion Wolfsburg lost 3-2 at home to Nuremberg, Stuttgart rallied to rescue a 1-1 draw against bottom-place Hertha Berlin, Hoffenheim jumped to fourth place by winning 4-0 in Cologne and Borussia Moenchengladbach also won on the road, beating Eintracht Frankfurt 2-1.
In the late match, Mainz earned a 0-0 draw at Borussia Dortmund.
Mesut Oezil scored one goal, set up three and earned a penalty to lead Bremen past Freiburg and stretch his team's unbeaten run to 20 games in all competitions. Bremen has 26 points and leads on goal difference over Leverkusen, which can regain the top spot if it wins or draws at Bayern Munich on Sunday.
"We played a very, very good game," Bremen coach Thomas Schaaf said. "We opened strongly and had many chances already in the first half. They started well in the second half but then we scored again and that took the wind out of them."
Schalke now has 25 points and Hoffenheim 23. Hamburger SV also has 23 and can pull away if it beats Bochum in Sunday's second match.
Despite playing without injured striker Claudio Pizarro, Werder piled on the pressure from kickoff, playing a quick passing game that left Freiburg no chance. Schaaf's team missed several chances and hit the post twice before Hugo Almeida connected with a header from a cross by Oezil in the 33rd.
Marko Marin scored with a free kick from an acute angle to double Bremen's lead and launch the visitors' second-half barrage.
Almeida had another goal, Oezil scored himself and then earned the penalty converted by Naldo before Markus Rosenberg completed the rout.
Jefferson Farfan scored in the 69th and Jan Moravek got the insurance goal in injury time to help Schalke beat Hannover.
Hannover players had a small No. 1 printed on the front of their shirts in memory of Enke. Goalkeeper Florian Fromlowitz, who had been Enke's understudy, was given a big round of applause before kickoff.
Fromlowitz had some good saves but was helpless when Farfan connected with a powerful header following a corner from Rafinha. Moravek scored his first Bundesliga goal from a counterattack shortly after coming on as a late substitute.
The victory was the first for Felix Magath's team after three straight draws.
Peer Kluge scored on a counterattack in the third minute of injury time to secure Nuremberg's victory in Wolfsburg.
Nuremberg outplayed the defending champion, leading twice on goals from Albert Bunjaku. Wolfsburg rallied both times on a goal from Ashkan Dejagah and a penalty from Grafite, before Kluge sealed the upset.
Hoffenheim went up two goals inside the first 11 minutes form Carlos Eduardo and Chinedu Obasi, Demba Ba scored one minute into the second half and Vedad Ibisevic earned and converted a late penalty as Cologne slumped to its fifth home defeat.
Stuttgart, champion two seasons ago, slipped into the relegation zone after drawing with Hertha, which was fourth last season but now is desperately trying to lift itself from the bottom.
Hertha appeared headed for its second win of the season when Adrian Ramos scored in the 49th. But Zdravko Kuzmanovic salvaged the draw in the 82nd — only to be sent off three minutes later with his second booking of the game after tangling with Gojko Kacar, his Serbia teammate from Hertha.
Moenchengladbach scored its second straight away victory on an own goal by Marco Russ and a header by Roel Brouwers. Eintracht pulled one back on a penalty from Pirmin Schwegler but could not avoid its second consecutive loss.
-- Nesha Starcevic
Auxerre beats Monaco 2-0 to take French lead
PARIS — Auxerre beat Monaco 2-0 to earn its seventh straight win and take the top spot in the French league on Saturday.
Auxerre has 26 points from 13 matches, one clear of Bordeaux and Lyon.
Defending champion Bordeaux lost its first home match this season, going down 1-0 to Valenciennes, while Lyon was held to 1-1 at last-place Grenoble.
Also, it was: Lens 2, Nancy 1 and Rennes 2, Le Mans 1.
In Auxerre, defender Adama Coulibaly outjumped the Monaco defense to head home a free kick from Benoit Pedretti on the stroke of halftime.
Delvin Ndinga sealed the win in the 88th minute, playing a one-two with Daniel Niculae before placing the ball out of goalkeeper Stephane Ruffier's reach.
"We did not expect to lead the league tonight after a rough start to the season when we lost our first three matches," Auxerre coach Jean Fernandez told Canal Plus television. "There's a bit of luck, otherwise we can't win seven matches in a row, but there's also talent, both individual and collective. We have the potential to finish at least in the top 10."
Monaco, with 22 points, played without Brazilian midfielder Nene, the league-leading striker with nine goals.
In Bordeaux, midfielder Fahid Ben Khalfallah pulled the ball back for Mamadou Samassa, who beat goalkeeper Cedric Carrasso with a diagonal shot in the eighth minute to raise his season tally to five.
"We knew we had to be wary of counterattacks," Bordeaux coach Laurent Blanc told Europe 1 radio. "We conceded a goal on the first fast break of Valenciennes.
"Teams mostly defend when they come to Stade Chaban-Delmas. Valenciennes opened the scoring and then defended very well."
The result is not a complete surprise as Valenciennes, which trails Bordeaux by just two points, has both the most potent offense in the league and the best record on the road.
Bordeaux missed playmaker Yoann Gourcuff, who injured his groin on Wednesday in France's infamous World Cup qualifier against Ireland. Forward Marouane Chamakh joined the list of injured Bordeaux players as he had a bruised hip and was replaced by David Bellion in the 17th.
In Grenoble, Bafetimbi Gomis set up forward Cesar Delgado, who opened the scoring for Lyon in the 65th.
Grenoble was down to 10 men in the 70th after Laurent Courtois was sent off but managed to equalize in the 72nd when substitute Danijel Ljuboja outpaced the Lyon defense to collect a long pass and beat France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris.
"We played too poorly to deserve more (than a draw)," Lyon manager Claude Puel told Europe 1 radio. "We lost two points that could be important in the title race."
In Lens, Paul Alo'o Efoulou notched his fourth goal this season to give Nancy the lead. Alo'o Efoulou received a headed pass from midfielder Youssouf Hadji before firing home from close range in the 52nd.
Forward Issam Jemaa leveled for Lens in the 81st, converting a rebound after goalkeeper Gennaro Bracigliano had stopped a shot from Toifilou Maoulida.
Three minutes later, Bracigliano could only deflect a cross from Sebastien Roudet into the path of Kevin Monnet-Paquet, who tucked home the winner.
In Rennes, defender Kader Mangane put the host side ahead in the eighth minute, slotting home after goalkeeper Didier Ovono missed the ball from a corner by Sylvain Marveau.
But forward Roland Lamah equalized for Le Mans with a strike from the edge of the box in the 53rd.
Asamoah Gyan beat the offside trap in the 80th to slip the ball past Ovono and give Rennes the victory. The forward consolidated his spot as the second most prolific striker in the league with seven goals.
Le Mans lost its fourth straight match to remain in the relegation zone with eight points.
On Sunday, Nice hosts Toulouse, Saint-Etienne faces Lorient and Lille visits Montpellier.
-- Trung Latieule
FC Twente beats Vitesse Arnhem 1-0 in Dutch league
AMSTERDAM — Byran Ruiz scored a late goal Saturday for FC Twente to beat Vitesse Arnhem 1-0 and lead by five points in the Dutch league.
The Costan Rica winger converted Ronnie Stam's free kick in the 85th minute for his 10th goal of the season as Steve McClaren's side secured its ninth win in a row.
FC Twente, which has yet to lose this season, has 38 points. PSV Eindhoven, which hosts Heracles Almelo on Sunday and is the league's only other unbeaten team, is next with 33, four points ahead of Ajax. The Amsterdam side hosts SC Heerenveen on Sunday.
Also Saturday, forward Jeremain Lens scored in each half to guide AZ Alkmaar to a 4-2 win at Roda JC. Rasmus Elm and Jonathas also scored second-half goals for AZ, while Pa Modou Kah and Jeanvion Yulu Matondo replied for Roda.
Referee Kevin Blom sent AZ coach Ronald Koeman to the stands for protesting his decision to dismiss Brazilian striker Jonathas late on.
Last-place RKC Waalwijk secured only its third victory of the season by beating visiting FC Groningen 3-1. Charlison Benschop had two goals for RKC and Ruud Berger netted the other. Tim Matavz got a consolation for Groningen.
Ghana striker Matthew Amoah scored two goals in NAC Breda's 3-3 draw with NEC Nijmegen. Niels Wellenberg scored in the third minute. Saidi Ntibazonkiza had two while Bjorn Vleminckx was also on target for NEC.
Rangers beats Kilmarnock 3-0 in Scottish league
GLASGOW, Scotland — Rangers scored three first-half goals Saturday to beat Kilmarnock 3-0 in the Scottish Premier League.
Rangers took the lead in the seventh minute when Kris Boyd ran onto Kevin Thomson's pass and slid the ball into the net.
Kenny Miller grabbed Rangers' second in the 24th with a clinical finish after Lee McCulloch flicked the ball on.
Steven Whittaker scored the third in the 35th, after having his first shot blocked.
Rangers missed a number of chances to add to its score in the second half.
Rangers now heads the table by one point from rival Celtic, which plays at Dundee United on Sunday.
Also Saturday, Falkirk beat Hamilton 2-0, St. Johnstone won at Hearts 2-1, Motherwell and Aberdeen drew 1-1, and St. Mirren and Hibernian drew 1-1.
Rubin Kazan wins 2nd straight Russian league title
MOSCOW — Rubin Kazan has claimed its second straight Russian league title with one game to spare after a 0-0 draw with Zenit St. Petersburg.
Rubin has 60 points from 29 games in the 16-team league, putting it out of reach for second-place Spartak Moscow. Spartak lost 3-2 to crosstown rival CSKA on Saturday to sit five points behind. Zenit and Lokomotiv Moscow are tied for third with 51.
Rubin is located in Kazan, 750 kilometers (450 miles) east of Moscow. It is the third non-Moscow team to win the league championship but the first to successfully defend it.
Alaniya Vladikavkaz took the title in 1995 and Zenit won in 2007.
Rubin is set to host Ukraine's Dynamo Kiev in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Elsewhere
Mubarak vows not to tolerate attacks on Egyptians
CAIRO — President Hosni Mubarak entered Egypt's bitter football row with Algeria on Saturday, vowing in a televised speech that attacks on Egyptians abroad will not be tolerated.
Mubarak did not mention Algeria by name in his previously scheduled address to parliament, but it was clear he was referring to the fierce football rivalry that boiled over into violence when the two Arab nations met in two crucial World Cup qualifiers in the past week.
Egyptian fans incensed by media reports of Algerian attacks after Wednesday's match in Sudan rioted in central Cairo on Thursday and into Friday. Clashing with hundreds of police in an attempt to reach the Algerian Embassy, they threw rocks and smashed car and shop windows.
The tension in the streets has also reached the diplomatic level, with Egypt bringing home its ambassador to Algeria.
"I want to say in clear words that the dignity of Egyptians is part of the dignity of Egypt," a visibly angry Mubarak told a joint session of parliament's two houses.
"Egypt does not tolerate those who hurt the dignity of its sons," he said, without saying whether his government planned to take punitive measures against Algeria.
Algeria won that second, make-or-break playoff 1-0 to reach next year's World Cup in South Africa.
The trouble began before the first match in Cairo when Egyptian fans pelted a bus carrying the Algerian team. Three Algerian players were injured and two of them played with head bandages. Fan violence after that match injured more than 32 people.
Algerian fans also attacked the offices of Egyptian companies in Algeria, prompting hundreds of Egyptians fearing for their safety to return home, according to reports in official Egyptian media.
Street protesters and some media commentators have demanded that Egypt's government kick out the Algerian ambassador. Others have called for an all-out economic and cultural boycott of Algeria.
Lawmakers applauded Mubarak's comments on Saturday. When egged on by lawmakers who apparently wanted him to directly threaten Algeria, Mubarak briefly departed from his prepared text.
"We don't want to be drawn into impulsive reactions. I am agitated too, but I restrain myself," he said.
Egypt has recalled its ambassador to Algeria for consultations and summoned the Algerian ambassador in Cairo to express to him its dismay over the attacks in Khartoum and Algeria.
The issue has convulsed the country and become less about football than a perceived insult upon the dignity of the nation itself.
Ahmed Okasha, a psychiatrist, said the escalation into violence was a reflection of the repressive nature of the nations and a lack of healthy outlets for people's pent up frustration.
"Because of that suppression, the two peoples are searching for any kind of joy in their lives, even if it comes just from a football match," he wrote in the independent al-Masry al-Youm newspaper.
Prominent editor Ibrahim Eissa charged the government with politicizing the match, while at the same time devaluing Egyptians' sense of their own worth.
"We have became worthless, with no value, no rank, no respect because our regime has ruined our dignity and the Egyptian citizen had become nothing to his own government, thus so he has become a nobody for everybody," wrote Eissa in his paper, al-Dustour.
Also on Saturday, the Arab League's secretary general Amr Moussa condemned the escalation between the two countries and said more should have been done to defuse tensions.
"This is threatening the relationship between two Arab states ... this is not the time to pour oil on the fire and it is important that we work on not repeating this ever again," he said, urging the governments to crack down on baseless accusations.
-- Omar Sinan
German federation vows action in soccer scandal
FRANKFURT — The German soccer federation is promising swift action against players, coaches and referees found guilty in the match-fixing scandal across Europe.
The federation is pledging to work closely with authorities investigating what has been described as the biggest match-fixing scandal in Europe.
The investigation so far has resulted in arrests in Germany and Switzerland. Investigators believe 200 games have been manipulated, including three in qualifying for the Champions League and 12 in the Europa League, the continent's second-tier club competition.
Officials from European federations will meet Wednesday to discuss the situation at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland.
Kakuta makes Chelsea debut
LONDON — Gael Kakuta, the French teenager whose move to Chelsea led to a transfer ban for the English club, has made his Premier League debut.
The 18-year-old striker went on as a second-half substitute for Nicolas Anelka against Wolves at Stamford Bridge with Chelsea already leading 4-0 on Saturday.
FIFA ruled that Chelsea broke transfer rules in acquiring Kakuta from Lens two years ago and banned the English club from signing players for the next two transfer windows.
Chelsea has appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport which has allowed the club to take part in the upcoming January transfer window before the case is heard.
Allardyce to miss 3 games because of surgery
BLACKBURN, England — Blackburn manager Sam Allardyce is to have surgery to widen an artery and will miss the next three Premier League games.
The club said Saturday that Allardyce, who has recently been complaining of chest pains, is to have angioplasty. He will miss Sunday's game against his former club Bolton, the midweek match at Fulham and the following one at home to Stoke next weekend.
Assistant manager Neil McDonald will take charge of the team until Allardyce returns in time for the League Cup quarterfinal against Chelsea on Dec. 2.
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