Soccer Capsules: Geovanni helps Earthquakes beat Dynamo
HOUSTON (AP) — Geovanni had a goal and an assist to lead the San Jose Earthquakes to their first win in Houston, 2-1 over the Dynamo on Sunday night
San Jose (9-7-5, 32 points) moved into a tie with Seattle for fifth place in the West, while Houston (6-12-5, 23 points) dropped its second straight match and fourth in fifth games to drop nine points behind San Jose and Seattle for the last playoff spot.
Geovanni scored in the 64th minute, blasting a deflection in the middle box into the net from 14 yards out. San Jose played the final 8 minutes a man down after Sam Cronin was given a straight red card for a dangerous tackle on Brian Mullan.
Houston had a shot from Adrian Serioux from 30 yards out in the middle stopped by Jon Busch in second-half stoppage, and Andrew Hainault's header off a corner went just wide of the upper post later in stoppage time.
The Earthquakes opened the scoring in the sixth minute on Khari Stephenson's left-footed shot from 14 yards, and Houston tied it in the 45th minute on Brad Davis' header.
League News
France under pressure after opening defeat
LONDON (AP) — France needs a victory against Bosnia-Herzegovina on Tuesday to kickstart its European Championship qualifying campaign after the beleaguered team's World Cup hangover continued with a surprise home defeat to Belarus in its Group D opener.
The French slipped to a demoralizing 1-0 loss at the Stade de France in Laurent Blanc's first competitive match in charge, further denting confidence in a squad that was already at a low ebb following its dismal showing in South Africa this summer.
A chronic lack of confidence in front of goal is not helping the cause of a team that has won just one of its last nine games — and that was a scrappy 2-1 win over Costa Rica in a World Cup warmup.
"We're not scoring many at the moment," said Blanc, who is yet to taste success as France coach since taking over from Raymond Domenech. "You can't invent scoring goals in the French team and it only underlines the difficulties we are having."
Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema should return from an ankle injury that forced him out of the Belarus match but Blanc is still short up front. Lorient's Kevin Gameiro and new Lyon signing Jimmy Briand — who have five caps between them — are the only fully fit forwards at the manager's disposal. Guillaume Hoarau, Loic Remy and Louis Saha have all been ruled out through injury.
The French are desperate to get back to winning ways to help banish the memory of a World Cup debacle. The team went out at the group stage after failing to win a match and the squad went on strike during a training session.
With talismanic striker Thierry Henry retired and key players Patrice Evra, Franck Ribery and Nicolas Anelka all suspended for their part in the strike, Blanc's squad is short of experience.
"I want to put an end to this negative spiral of defeats and rebuild on a solid foundation," said Florent Malouda, who captained France against Belarus. "There is a lot of expectation at international level and we need to do more."
Bosnia-Herzegovina beat Luxembourg 3-0 on Friday to take early command of the group.
While France's post-World Cup misery continued, two other countries who failed in South Africa — England and Italy — began the rebuilding process with wins in their first Euro 2012 qualifiers.
England took a giant step forward by beating Bulgaria 4-0 at Wembley on Friday and will look to back that result up when it visits Switzerland, which has yet to start its qualifying campaign.
Manager Fabio Capello, who was criticized in the British media during and after the World Cup for his tactics and team selection, said his players are in much better condition now.
"The moment is different. The players were fresh and were ... sharp (against Bulgaria). That is so important in modern football," Capello said.
Capello is likely to replace Tottenham center back Michael Dawson, who sustained a knee injury against Bulgaria, with Gary Cahill and Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney is set to travel with the squad despite reports about his private life being splashed across British tabloids on Sunday.
Italy, embarrassed at the World Cup when it finished bottom of a group that included New Zealand, gained a morale-boosting 2-1 win at Estonia on Friday and should easily see off the Faeroe Islands in Florence in its second Group C qualifier.
Cesare Prandelli's first home match in charge will be in the city where he coached Fiorentina, before he took the Italy job in the summer.
After a comfortable 5-0 victory over San Marino on Friday, World Cup finalist the Netherlands has center back John Heitinga available after suspension for the home Group E match against Finland but is still without injured forwards Robin van Persie and Arjen Robben.
Veteran striker Ruud van Nistelrooy, who celebrated his first international appearance since Euro 2008 with a last-minute goal against San Marino, can move equal third with Faas Wilkes on the list of all-time Netherlands scorers with a goal against Finland.
Finland will be looking to avoid starting its Euro 2012 qualifying campaign with back-to-back defeats after losing 2-0 to Moldova.
Elsewhere, Portugal visits Norway in Group H, three days after drawing 4-4 at home to Cyprus, while Germany hosts Azerbaijan in Group A.
-- Steve Douglas
Fluminense's unbeaten streak ends at 15 matches
SAO PAULO (AP) — Fluminense's 15-match unbeaten streak was halted with a 2-1 loss to Guarani on Sunday, allowing Corinthians to move closer to the lead at the halfway point of the Brazilian league.
Defending champion Flamengo played Santos to a scoreless draw in the last match at Maracana before it closes for renovation for the 2014 World Cup, and Argentine striker Ernesto Farias scored a late winner in his debut for Cruzeiro in a 3-2 victory over Luiz Felipe Scolari's Palmeiras.
Fluminense, winless in three matches, has 38 points from 19 matches, one point ahead of Corinthians, which on Saturday routed last-place Goias 5-1 despite the absence of striker Ronaldo. Corinthians has a game in hand because its match against Vasco da Gama last week was rescheduled for October due to the team's centennial celebrations.
Striker Emerson put Fluminense ahead at Campinas in the 11th minute, but Guarani rallied with free kick's by defenders Baiano in the 31st and Fabao in the 79th. Fluminense hadn't lost since a 1-0 setback against Corinthians on May 23.
Guarani had surprised Flamengo at the same Brinco de Ouro da Princesa stadium a week ago, scoring twice in second-half injury time to beat Brazil's most popular club by 2-1.
Corinthians, whose centennial anniversary was Wednesday, routed Goias on Saturday to earn its 10th victory in as many matches at home. Former Boca Juniors striker Iarley scored two goals and midfielders Boquita, Bruno Cesar and Jorge Henrique added one each at Pacaembu stadium.
The four-time national champion played without Ronaldo as the three-time FIFA player of the year continues to struggle to regain his fitness.
Goias lost six in a row, including the previous two with newly hired manager Jorginho, who was Dunga's assistant coach with Brazil at the World Cup in South Africa.
In the last match at Maracana before it reopens in nearly three years, Flamengo and Santos failed to get past a 0-0 draw.
Construction at the famed venue began two weeks ago, but major renovation work isn't scheduled to start for several months and some clubs, including Fluminense, are trying to convince officials to keep the venue open at a reduced capacity. Most Rio teams will be playing at the Engenhao stadium when Maracana closes.
The stadium which will host the 2014 World Cup final needs to be completed in time for the 2013 Confederations Cup, also in Brazil.
Santos, which had won five in a row, was without suspended young striker Neymar, while Flamengo marked the debut of former Fenerbahce striker Deivid.
In Sao Paulo, Argentine midfielder Walter Montillo and countryman Farias helped Cruzeiro overcome a two-goal first-half deficit against four-time national champion Palmeiras at Pacaembu.
Montillo scored the equalizer in the 65th and Farias, who entered the match at halftime, netted the winner in the 86th.
Cruzeiro moved to sixth in the standings, while Scolari's Palmeiras fell to 12th.
Six-time champion Sao Paulo rallied to beat Atletico Mineiro 3-2 in Ipatinga to reach 10th place, while Copa Libertadores champion Internacional defeated Prudente 2-0 in Porto Alegre to move to fourth. Atletico Mineiro and Prudente are in relegation zone.
On Saturday, Joel Santana's Botafogo dropped to fifth after relinquishing two second-half goals in a 2-2 draw with two-time Brazilian champion Gremio at the Engenhao. Striker Jonas scored both goals for Gremio, which left relegation zone with the victory.
Botafogo Uruguay striker Sebastian "El Loco" Abreu again was substituted in the second half, but this time he did not argue with Santana as he did last week in a move that earned him a reprimand.
Four-time champion Vasco defeated Ceara 2-0 at Castelao stadium in Fortaleza to extend its unbeaten streak to 11 matches and move to eighth place. Recently promoted, Ceara was atop the standings in the beginning of the championship but hasn't won in four matches and is now in 11th place.
-- Tales Azzoni
Velez wins 2-1 against River
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Santiago Silva scored from a second-half penalty to move Velez Sarsfield level on points atop the Argentine Apertura football standings Sunday after a 2-1 home win over River Plate.
Juan Manuel Martinez opened the scoring for Velez in the 33rd minute before Diego Buonanotte equalized for River in the 41st. Silva was fouled in the box and hit the winner from the ensuing penalty for the decisive goal in the 59th.
Velez defender Leandro Somoza was sent off after receiving a second yellow card in the 73rd minute.
The win put Velez level with Arsenal on 12 points atop the table. San Lorenzo is third, a point behind the leaders.
Elsewhere, Huracan won 2-1 at Quilmes, Lanus beat Gimnasia 2-0 away and 10-man Banfield drew 1-1 at home with Tigre.
Martinez gave Velez the lead over River after receiving a right-wing cross from Ivan Bella inside the box and firing past goalkeeper Juan Carrizo.
Buonanotte scored against the run of play to pull River level. Roberto Pereyra rode challenges on the right side and forced the ball to Buonanotte, who volleyed a shot past Marcelo Barovero from the edge of the box.
Velez continued to look the more potent of the two sides in the second half and took the lead when Jonathan Maidana clipped Silva's heels as the Uruguayan striker looked set to score from Martinez's square pass.
Replays suggested Maidana was lucky to escape with just a yellow card, but Silva made sure justice was done, sending Carrizo the wrong way with a low penalty to the right.
Somoza was sent off with almost 20 minutes still to play, but River was unable to mount a comeback despite the numerical advantage.
In Sunday's earlier matches, Ruben Ramirez was sent off for Banfield after an hour of the match against Tigre.
Ramiro Leone gave Tigre the lead in the 83rd minute, but Sebastian Romero pulled 10-man Banfield level four minutes later.
Elsewhere, Mario Regueiro and Silvio Romero scored second-half goals as Lanus won at relegation-threatened Gimnasia.
Santiago Hirsig gave Quilmes a quickfire opening goal with a strike in the first minute against Huracan, but goals from Carlos Quintana and Luciano Nieto after half time helped the visiting team to victory.
In results from Friday and Saturday it was: Godoy Cruz 1, Estudiantes 2; Racing Club 1, Colon 2; All Boys 1, Olimpo 0; Boca Juniors 1, San Lorenzo 2; Arsenal 1, Argentinos Juniors 0; Newell's Old Boys 1, Independiente 1.
Botswana on track to reach first Cup of Nations
BLOEMFONTEIN, South Africa (AP) — Unfancied Botswana is on track for its first appearance at the African Cup of Nations while continental heavyweights Cameroon, Ivory Coast and South Africa all won their opening qualifiers on Saturday for the 2012 tournament in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.
Botswana's national team, nicknamed the Zebras, continued a dream run when it saw off Togo 2-1 in Gaborone to open a six-point lead in Group K over former African champion Tunisia.
A Samuel Eto'o-inspired Cameroon overpowered Mauritius 3-1 and Ivory Coast relied on three of its English Premier League players to cruise past Rwanda 3-0 in Abidjan.
South Africa missed a host of second-half chances and settled for a 2-0 win over Niger.
Jerome Ramatlhakwane hit the winner for surprise package Botswana in the 55th minute, just five minutes after an equalizer from Togo's Serge Fiakpe. Winger Joel Mogorosi had put the home team ahead inside five minutes at the University of Botswana Stadium.
"I have no words to describe my joy," said Botswana coach Stanley Tshosane as the unbeaten Zebras claimed a third win in four games.
Botswana has already beaten Tunisia, away, and Chad earlier in the campaign.
Botswana only won its first Cup of Nations qualifying match in 2002 and finished bottom if its qualifying group for the 2010 tournament, behind lowly Mauritania and Benin.
Botswana's position was strengthened when Tunisia, the 2004 African Cup of Nations winner, was held to a 2-2 home draw by Malawi in Rades later on Saturday.
Striker Iso Kanyenda scored with a late penalty as the Malawians rallied from 2-0 down to hand Tunisia another setback in its qualifying effort.
Botswana leads the five-team group with 10 points from four games. Tunisia has four points from three games.
The top two teams in Group K will reach the finals. The group kicked off its qualifiers back in July after Togo was reinstated and added to the original four-team group following a successful appeal against a two-tournament ban.
The group winners and two best second-placed teams from the other 10 groups will also book their places at the finals.
Inter Milan striker Eto'o scored twice in his 100th international appearance as Cameroon made a winning start in Group E with a 3-1 victory in Mauritius.
Eric Tchoupo Moting added the third from the penalty spot as the Indomitable Lions served up victory for former Spain coach Javier Clemente in his first game in charge. Clemente had put pen to paper on his Cameroon contract just days earlier.
Trying to forget its disastrous World Cup campaign, where it lost all three matches, Cameroon takes early charge of Group E. Senegal travels to the Democratic Republic of Congo in the group's second fixture on Sunday.
Even without Chelsea striker Didier Drogba, Ivory Coast was too strong for Rwanda in their Group H match in Abidjan — giving another new coach, Francois Zahoui, a successful start.
Manchester City's Yaya Toure, Drogba's Chelsea teammate Salomon Kalou and Arsenal's Emmanuel Eboue made up for the big striker's absence to lead the Elephants to a comfortable win. The Ivorians were 3-0 up through Eboue's 25-meter (yard) shot in the 39th minute and cantered home.
The vuvuzelas rang out again at Nelspruit's Mbombela World Cup stadium as South Africa began its campaign by beating Niger 2-0 in its first competitive match under new boss Pitso Mosimane.
Strikers Katlego Mphela and Bernard Parker were on target for Bafana Bafana in the first half, but the host missed a string of chances in the second that would have boosted its goal difference ahead of tough matches against Sierra Leone and defending African champion Egypt later in Group G.
"We created a lot of opportunities and at the end of the day I think we must be disappointed we didn't take our opportunities," said South Africa's Everton midfielder Steven Pienaar. "We are really going to need those goals."
Egypt and Sierra Leone meet on Sunday.
Also Saturday, Cape Verde began Group A's action with a surprise 1-0 home win over Mali. Sudan beat Congo 2-0 in Group I with a goal in each half from Mudathir El-Taieb and Mohamed Al-Tahir, and Uganda were comfortable 3-0 winners over Angola in Group J.
World Cup finalist Algeria struggled to a 1-1 draw against Tanzania in its Group D opener on Friday as the minnows of African football made their presence felt across the continent.
Tanzania went ahead with a Jerry Tegete goal on 33 minutes. Algeria, semifinalists in the 2010 Cup of Nations earlier this year and 2010 World Cup qualifiers, forced an equalizer through Adlene Guediora just before halftime.
The 2012 African Cup of Nations will feature 14 teams.
The 132-match qualifying competition features 44 countries, split into 11 groups and ends in October 2011.
-- Gerald Imray
Melbourne Heart wins 1st Australian A-League match
SYDNEY (AP) — It took five matches, but the first-year Melbourne Heart has notched its first ever win in Australia's A-League.
Nick Kalmar scored in the 11th minute as the Heart won 1-0 at home against North Queensland Fury.
It also gave the Heart early-season bragging rights over the established cross-town Melbourne Victory, last year's losing grand finalists.
The Victory lost 2-0 to the Central Coast Mariners on Friday. Although both teams have records of a win, two draws and two losses, the Heart are ahead of the Victory on goal difference.
Heart coach John van 't Schip, a former Dutch international, said "the second half was a lot better."
"We have to get more consistency. It is a good quality we have in the group to turn a game around."
Goals by Rostyn Griffiths and Daniel McBreen gave Central Coast their win over the Victory.
McBreen sealed the win in the 50th minute when he beat Victory captain Kevin Muscat to head home a superb Matt Simon cross. Fellow new signing Griffiths scored with a header in the 21st.
Serginho van Dijk scored two goals as table-topping Adelaide United beat Sydney 3-1. Sydney has played five matches without a win.
Former England and Liverpool star Robbie Fowler scored the winning goal in the 61st minute as Perth moved level with first-place Adelaide with a 2-1 victory over the Wellington Phoenix.
Earlier Sunday, the Brisbane Roar and Newcastle Jets drew 0-0.
Elsewhere
Rooney to stay with England despite tabloid claims
WATFORD, England (AP) — England striker Wayne Rooney will travel to Switzerland as planned for the team's European Championship qualifier, despite allegations of a sex scandal splashed across Sunday's British tabloids.
Rooney trained as normal with his England teammates on Sunday morning — hours after the News of the World and Sunday Mirror alleged that the Manchester United player cheated repeatedly on his then-pregnant wife last year with a prostitute.
According to the Sunday Mirror, the affair with 21-year-old Jenny Thompson began last June and their last meeting in Manchester was in October, a month before Rooney's wife Coleen gave birth to their first son Kai.
This is the second time this year that England coach Fabio Capello has had to deal with the fallout of lurid allegations against one of his players.
Capello stripped John Terry of the captaincy in February after newspaper allegations that the defender had an affair with England teammate Wayne Bridge's former partner.
Capello complained that Terry was not setting "an example for the young people — for the children and the fans."
The Rooneys, who married in 2008, have cultivated their fame to become one of Britain's leading celebrity couples. Coleen has her own TV series and magazine column and is considered a fashion icon.
There was no comment on the latest allegations from the Football Association or Manchester United, but the Premier League club is willing to provide support to Rooney.
The FA insisted that it is "business as usual" and that Rooney would remain at the team hotel, before flying with the rest of the squad to Switzerland on Monday for Tuesday night's qualifier.
"He did the full session (on Sunday morning)," winger James Milner told reporters at the team hotel near London. "We had our full training session and back to football is what we're here to do."
Rooney played a part in all four goals on Friday night as England began its Euro 2012 qualification campaign with a 4-0 victory over Bulgaria at Wembley.
"He's a top, top player and we want to put out the strongest team possible," Milner said.
Rooney hasn't scored for England since last September and endured a lackluster World Cup as England was eliminated in the second round.
England fans have turned on the underperforming players since the South Africa letdown, with Rooney booed at times during Friday's match.
"It's important we go out and win football matches and control ourselves on the field and off the field as best we can," Milner said. "Things are always said in the paper, good things, bad things about the England team when results are going well and when they're not going well."
However, Milner fears prolonged negative coverage could prompt some players to quit the international scene.
"Some people might turn round and say, 'I have had enough, I don't need that,'" the Manchester City player said. "Obviously thousands of people come every week and there are kids with your name on the back of their shirt.
"They obviously look up to you so you try to set standards on and off the field. We are very privileged to be representing this country and whatever job you do there will be things you like and things you don't."
After the Terry scandal, Capello warned the players that their England futures would be in jeopardy if their conduct off the pitch landed them in the media spotlight.
Asked at the time what would happen to players who stepped out of line after he drew up a new code of conduct, Capello said: "The players have to understand what I want if you want to stay with me."
The 24-year-old Rooney has regularly featured in the papers for the wrong reasons.
In 2004, he admitted to paying for sex following a previous tabloid expose into his visits to massage parlors in his native Liverpool. And last month, Capello warned Rooney about his off-field conduct after he was pictured urinating and smoking in the street at the end of a night out.
Just after that warning, Rooney insisted that he had curbed his previous excesses since becoming a father.
"When I first joined Manchester United (in 2004) I used to go out to nightclubs but it is very rare that I would go out to a nightclub now," Rooney said in March. "It changes with age, of course, but I made that decision myself. I got into a few things that I shouldn't have and I tried to change that. I am settled at home now."
Rooney accepted his responsibilities as the England team's biggest current star.
"It is difficult as a footballer because you know people look up to you — you are role models whether you like it or not," Rooney said. "You need to try and be aware of that, try and do your best on the pitch, and try to do things well for kids to see."
-- Rob Harris
Report: Raymond Domenech fired from FFF post
PARIS (AP) — Former France coach Raymond Domenech has reportedly been fired from his last remaining job with the French Football Federation for his role in the team's disastrous World Cup.
The federation told Domenech in writing Thursday that he was fired from his post on the federation's technical advisory board, France-3 TV said Sunday. Domenech had been on the board since 1993 and was paid €10,000 ($12,900) a month.
The TV station said Domenech, whose contract as coach expired in July after the World Cup in South Africa, was fired from the board for making a "grave error" in three ways.
They were his handling of the expulsion of Nicolas Anelka from the World Cup, the subsequent strike by the squad from a practice session, and his refusal to shake the hand of South Africa coach Carlos Alberto Parreira after France's 2-1 loss in the group stage.
Anelka was sent home after his profane tirade against Domenech during France's 2-0 loss to Mexico was published in the French media. The rest of the squad then boycotted a practice session, to the horror of the French public.
The federation faulted Domenech for allegedly not providing details about Anelka's tirade to the federation's then-president, and for reading a letter from the players explaining their boycott to the media.
As for the handshake refusal, Parreira said a France assistant coach had told him afterward that Domenech was angry because the Brazilian had said his team didn't deserve to be at the World Cup.
Press reports in December quoted Parreira as saying France wouldn't have qualified if not for striker Thierry Henry's "shameful" handball, which helped France beat Ireland in a playoff in November. Parreira has denied these quotes.
The reports Sunday could not immediately be verified. No one answered repeated calls by The Associated Press to FFF headquarters and the mobile phone of its spokesman.
The media said Domenech has to decide whether he wants to negotiate a severance package, which the federation reportedly doesn't want to pay. The issue could end up before a state labor arbitration panel.
Federation president Fernand Duchaussoy said he met with Domenech last week and that a gentlemen's agreement was likely to be found within a month.
French newspapers reported after the World Cup that Domenech could receive up to €2 million ($2.5 million) in severance.
