Soccer Capsules: Estudiantes stuns Cruzeiro to win Libertadores
BELO HORIZONTE, Brazil — Argentina's Estudiantes won its first Copa Libertadores title in 39 years when it came from behind to hand Cruzeiro its first home defeat by 2-1 in the final on Wednesday.
Estudiantes clinched its fourth Latin American club championship 2-1 on aggregate after the teams played to 0-0 in the first leg of the final last week in La Plata.
More than 65,000 fans at Mineirao Stadium, where Cruzeiro had won all six of its matches in this year's tournament, including 3-0 over Estudiantes in group play, were stunned into silence when striker Mauro Boselli scored the winner in the 73rd minute.
"We were able to silence more than 60,000 people," Estudiantes defender Christian Cellay said. "That was really incredible. It's hard to believe we did it."
The estimated 3,000 Estudiantes fans were the ones celebrating when Boselli headed in a corner taken by veteran midfielder Juan Sebastian Veron.
Veron matched his father, Juan Ramon, who played in all three previous Copa Libertadores titles won by Estudiantes in 1968, '69 and '70.
"It took a lot of heart," Veron said as the Argentine fans chanted his name. "It was incredible."
After an even first half, midfielder Henrique put Cruzeiro ahead with a long-range shot in the 52nd, but Estudiantes answered quickly through striker Gaston Fernandez in the 58th.
"It was a complicated game," Enzo Perez said. "They scored the first goal but we equalized right away and this helped us a lot."
On the list of champions, Estudiantes' four titles ranked behind only Argentina's Independiente (7), Argentina's Boca Juniors (6) and Uruguay's Penarol (5).
Estudiantes also earned a spot in FIFA's Club World Cup in Dubai later this year.
"You can't measure how happy we are right now," coach Alejandro Sabella said. "We played with a lot of intelligence and we took advantage of the chances we had in the second half."
In seeking its third Copa, Cruzeiro almost equalized and sent the final into extra time when substitute striker Thiago Ribeiro struck the corner of the crossbar and the post with a shot from outside the area in the 86th.
"We had our chances," Cruzeiro coach Adilson Batista said. "Just couldn't get the goals."
Cruzeiro tried to push forward from the beginning but was not able to pressure Estudiantes. With Veron controlling the match at midfield, the Argentine club was successful in slowing the pace, and Cruzeiro couldn't create many significant scoring chances.
Estudiantes had the first dangerous opportunity in the 22nd when Boselli's shot from inside the area came out weak.
The missed chance seemed to awaken Cruzeiro, which answered a minute later with a header by defender Leonardo Silva that missed just wide, and then with a great run by forward Wellington Paulista, who was beaten to the ball by Estudiantes goalkeeper Mariano Andujar inside the area.
In the 33rd, it was Boselli who threatened in a breakaway, but Cruzeiro defender Gerson Magrao made a nice defensive play to block his shot.
Things became heated in the 37th and a brawl nearly began after a ball dispute at midfield, and Chilean referee Carlos Chandia gave a yellow card to Cruzeiro striker Kleber and Veron. Both teams began committing hard fouls, and Estudiantes midfielder Rodrigo struck Kleber hard just before halftime to receive another yellow card.
Estudiantes took an extra five minutes to return from the halftime, trying to take the crowd out of the game, but Cruzeiro was quick to ignite its fans when midfielder Henrique scored with a right-footer from long range in the 52nd. The ball deflected off Estudiantes defender Leandro Desabato to find the right corner of Andujar.
Fans were still celebrating when striker Gaston Fernandez equalized for Estudiantes from close range in the 58th, completing a right-flank pass from defender Christian Cellay. Veron set up the play from midfield with a pass to Cellay.
Cruzeiro, which had outscored opponents 13-2 at home before Wednesday, would concede a decisive fourth soon after.
From a corner taken by Veron in the 78th, Boselli headed the ball past Cruzeiro goalkeeper Fabio to seal the victory. With the goal, Boselli finished the competition as the top scorer with eight goals.
"They knew how to take advantage of the opportunities and played very well," Fabio said.
Veron nearly scored with from a free kick in the 79th.
Only two Argentine teams had beaten Cruzeiro in 35 matches at Mineirao — Velez Sarsfield in 1996 in the Supercopa Sudamericana and Boca Juniors in last year's round of 16 of the Copa Libertadores.
Argentina features the most Copa Libertadores champions with 22, while Brazil was second with 13. It was the 12th final between Brazilian and Argentine clubs, with Argentina winning nine of them.
It was the 50th edition of the Copa Libertadores.
Glory at last for Estudiantes, Sabella
BELO HORIZONTE, Brazil — Estudiantes coach Alejandro Sabella has plenty of reason to be jubilant about his team's victory over Cruzeiro in the Copa Libertadores final.
In addition to giving the Argentine club its fourth triumph in Latin America's most important club competition on Wednesday — and the first in 39 years — he also was able to avenge his loss to Cruzeiro when he was a player in the 1976 final.
Estudiantes rallied to beat Cruzeiro 2-1 at a packed Mineirao stadium, finally giving Sabella his first trophy in the tournament.
"It's not really about revenge, that's not something anyone should seek," Sabella said. "It's more about the satisfaction of achieving a glory like this."
Sabella, a former midfielder, was a starter for River Plate when the Argentine club lost to Cruzeiro in a best-of-three series in the '76 final.
"It's good to finally come out with the victory," the 54-year-old Sabella said. "At last glory is on our side."
The coach said Wednesday's title also came as redemption for the players who failed to win the Copa Sudamericana against Brazil's Internacional last December.
"These players deserved a title like this," he said. "They have been a great group of players and have been playing great. They played a great match (Wednesday), did exactly what they were supposed to do."
Boosted by more than 65,000 fans, Cruzeiro appeared on its way to its third Copa Libertadores title after midfielder Henrique scored with a long-range shot in the 52nd minute. But Estudiantes kept fighting and rallied with a goal by Gaston Fernandez in the 58th minute and a header by striker Mauro Boselli in the 73rd.
Estudiantes had won three consecutive Copa Libertadores in 1968, '69 and '70.
Sabella won two Argentine titles with Estudiantes as a player in the 1980s after a couple of seasons playing for Sheffield United and Leeds United in England. He also had a brief stint with the Argentine national team.
He became a coach after retirement, and worked as an assistant to Daniel Passarella for many years, including ahead of the national team and several international clubs.
He took over Estudiantes in March 2009 to replace Leonardo Astrada, and quickly improved the team and gained the players' confidence.
-- Tales Azzoni
Veron key for Estudiantes in Copa final
BELO HORIZONTE, Brazil — The experience of Juan Sebastian Veron proved crucial to Estudiantes as the veteran midfielder led the Argentine club to the Copa Libertadores title in a dramatic final against Cruzeiro.
Veron set up both goals in Estudiantes' come-from-behind 2-1 win over Cruzeiro on Wednesday, helping the Argentine team win its fourth trophy in Latin America's most important club competition.
With the title, Veron matched his father, Juan Ramon, who played in all three previous Copa Libertadores titles won by Estudiantes in 1968, '69 and '70.
"It took a lot of heart," Veron said as nearly 3,000 Estudiantes fans chanted his name from the stands. "It was incredible."
The Verons are only the second father-son duo to have won the Copa Libertadores, joining Jorge Goncalves and father Nestor who both won a title with Uruguayan club Penarol.
Veron showed his leadership on Wednesday, taking control of the midfield and helping Estudiantes keep Cruzeiro from pressuring despite the support of more than 65,000 fans at Mineirao stadium.
"The fans can't celebrate now," Veron said. "They celebrated ahead of time but we are the ones with the trophy now."
Estudiantes coach Alejandro Sabella praised the veteran striker and said he was the main reason for the team's victory.
"It was a great match by Veron," Sabella said. "He was coming off an injury and we knew he was going to keep improving and play even better today."
Cruzeiro coach Adilson Batista also was quick to show his appreciation for the midfielder's performance.
"It was a pleasure to see a player like Veron perform like he did," Batista said. "He is very intelligent tactically."
Veron nearly missed the first leg of the finals because of a calf injury sustained in the semifinal against Uruguay's Nacional, but recovered in time to help the Argentines in the 0-0 draw at home.
On Wednesday, Veron made a great pass to defender Christian Cellay to set up Estudiantes first goal in the 58th minute, just six minutes after Cruzeiro had gone ahead with a long-range shot by defender Henrique.
Cellay's cross found striker Gaston Fernandez inside the area and he easily found the open net.
Then Veron took the corner kick which led to striker Mauro Boselli's winner in the 73rd, securing Estudiantes victory and the title.
The midfielder nearly scored from a free kick in the 79th, but his shot went just over the crossbar.
Veron began his career at Estudiantes in 1994 before moving to European football, where he played for Sampdoria, Parma, Lazio and Inter Milan in Italy. He also played for Manchester United and Chelsea in England. He returned to Argentina in 2006 to rejoin his former club.
He played for Argentina in the 1998 and 2002 World Cups, but was left off the roster for the 2006 tournament in Germany by coach Jose Pekerman.
-- Tales Azzoni
Cruzeiro tries to regroup after Copa final loss
BELO HORIZONTE, Brazil — Cruzeiro coach Adilson Batista is hoping his side can turn its attention back to the Brazilian league after the disappointment of losing at home to Estudiantes in the Copa Libertadores final.
Batista's team went down 2-1 in a second leg match watched by nearly 65,000 fans at a packed Mineirao stadium on Wednesday.
"We have to rebound from this disappointment," he said. "It's hard, but we are going to do it."
Cruzeiro appeared on its way to winning the title after scoring early in the second half, but Estudiantes struck twice to clinch its fourth trophy in Latin America's most important club competition.
The two sides had drawn 0-0 in the first leg last week in Argentina, while Cruzeiro had won all its previous six matches at home in this year's Copa Libertadores.
"I have to apologize to Cruzeiro fans for failing to give them this title which was so important," Batista said. "The players were saddened, they were crying because of this loss."
Many players rushed off the field weeping as stunned fans watched from the stands. It was only the third loss for Cruzeiro against Argentine teams in 36 matches at Mineiro — Velez Sarsfield had done it in 1996 in the Supercopa Sudamericana and Boca Juniors in last year's round of 16 of the Copa Libertadores.
In the Brazilian league, Cruzeiro is only 16th in the 20-team standings, just off the relegation zone. The bottom four clubs will go down, while the top four will secure a spot in next year's Copa Libertadores.
"Hopefully now we can play well against Corinthians on Sunday and then beat Santo Andre (on Wednesday)," the coach said, referring to the team's upcoming matches. "We have to try to recover to go back to the Copa Libertadores."
Cruzeiro is coming off a 3-0 loss to Atletico Mineiro, a result that ended its 12-match unbeaten streak against the Belo Horizonte rival. The loss came after Batista rested most of its regular starters ahead of the Copa Libertadores final.
The team had been playing mostly with second stringers in the Brazilian league so the starters could focus on the Copa.
-- Tales Azzoni
Gold Cup
U.S. playing short-handed against Panama
PHILADELPHIA — The United States will be playing short-handed in Saturday’s CONCACAF Gold Cup quarterfinal against Panama.
Four of the 23 players on the original U.S. roster have returned to their European clubs: forwards Charlie Davies (Sochaux) and Freddy Adu (Benfica), and defenders Steve Cherundolo (Hannover) and Michael Parkhurst (Nordsjaellands).
In addition, midfielder Benny Feilhaber has gone back to Aarhus after playing for the U.S. in the first round. Feilhaber was among seven additions to the original U.S. roster allowed by CONCACAF because the Americans headed to the Gold Cup immediately after the Confederations Cup.
None of the additional players will be with the U.S. for this weekend’s game, team spokesman Michael Kammarman said. The winner plays Canada or Honduras in the semifinals.
The U.S. is seeking its third straight Gold Cup title.
MLS
Dynamo’s Ching fined for anti-ref "tweet"
HOUSTON — Houston Dynamo forward Brian Ching has been fined $500 by Major League Soccer for criticizing the officiating in a recent game through his Twitter account.
Ching didn’t play in Houston’s 2-1 loss in Seattle on Saturday because he was playing for the United States later that night in a Gold Cup match in Foxborough, Mass. Ching watched the Dynamo on television.
Houston led 1-0 when Seattle’s Fredy Montero fired a shot in the 32nd minute. Dynamo defender Mike Chabala kicked the ball away near the goal line, but linesman Emiliano Monje said the ball crossed the line and awarded the goal, tying the game at 1-1.
Within minutes, Ching posted his reaction on Twitter.
"Ref in seattle just cheated the dynamo," Ching tweeted. "What a joke. Not even close. Ref is a cheat."
He apologized in two Twitter posts the next morning, blaming "the heat of the moment."
Ching, 31, is Houston’s all-time leading scorer and was named the Most Valuable Player of the 2006 MLS Cup, the first of the franchise’s back-to-back championships.
A Dynamo spokesman declined comment.
Beckham back as Galaxy beat Red Bulls 3-1
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — David Beckham returned to Major League Soccer with a whisper, not a shout.
Playing in a stadium nearly three-quarters empty, the star midfielder was slow and had little role in the Los Angeles Galaxy’s 3-1 victory over the New York Red Bulls on Thursday night.
In his first match since the Italian League’s season finale on May 31, Beckham was often behind the play and seemed winded. He had no free-kick chances near the goal, didn’t make any crosses that created threats and didn’t even take all the Galaxy corner kicks while he was in the match.
Still, fans scurried down the aisles to get better pictures when he did take corner kicks, and many booed when he came out in the 70th minute.
While he’s back in the U.S., the buzz has worn off.
Los Angeles drew 66,237 for its 5-4 win at the Red Bulls two years ago, the largest soccer crowd at Giants Stadium for a U.S. league game in 27 years. Attendance dropped to 46,754 for last year’s 2-2 tie and fell by 50 percent to 23,238 Thursday. Eleven of 36 sections in lower deck were covered with navy tarp, and there were only a handful of people in the second deck and none at all in the third.
Alecko Eskandarian, Landon Donovan and Eddie Lewis scored first-half goals for the Galaxy (6-3-9), who have won four straight MLS games for the first time since September-October 2007 and are fighting for a playoff berth.
Juan Pablo Angel had an 87th-minute penalty kick and failed to convert one in the 90th minute for the Red Bulls (2-14-4), who would be a lock for relegation if the MLS had relegation. They dropped to 0-9-2 in the league and 0-10-2 overall since beating San Jose on May 8.
Beckham appeared to go out of his way to be friendly with Donovan, who in a book out this week criticized his teammate as unprofessional for allegedly quitting on the Galaxy in the late stages of a disappointing 2008 season.
With the captain’s armband stripped from Beckham and restored to Donovan, the 27-year-old American led the Galaxy onto the field while Beckham was next-to-last among the 11 starters, ahead of only goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts.
Beckham and Donovan shook hands and embraced ahead of the opening whistle. Beckham draped his arm around Donovan after the American scored, and the two hugged after Donovan assisted on the third goal.
Beckham, twice runner-up in FIFA player of the year voting and former star with Manchester United and Real Madrid, joined the Galaxy with great fanfare two years ago and received a $32.5 million, five-year contract in a league where many players earn $30,000 annually and young players as little as $20,100. He bolted for a half-season loan to Italian power AC Milan in January, saying he needed to face top competition to keep a spot on England’s national team, and he likely will return to Europe at the start of 2010 to stay sharp ahead of the World Cup.
But for now, the 34-year-old midfielder is in the soccer backwater of the United States. While the crowd was small, it was more than double the Red Bulls’ previous home average this year of 11,385. The team moves next season to Red Bull Arena, a 25,189-capacity soccer stadium under construction in Harrison, and a shakeup is likely.
Playing on the type of artificial turf surface Beckham criticized two years ago, the Galaxy went ahead when Eskandarian scored in the third minute on a left-footed volley that beat goalkeeper Danny Cepero from about 28 yards. Eskandarian, acquired by Chivas USA on July 1, was an All-America at Bergen Catholic High School and is a son of former Cosmos star Andranik Eskandarian.
Donovan, back from playing with the U.S. national team at the Confederations Cup in South Africa, showed the type of speed Beckham lacked. He got his seventh MLS goal of the season in the 31st minute with a 28-yard right-footed shot after Beckham took a corner kick, the ball bounded out of the area and Lewis passed to him.
Lewis scored in the 45th minute from 15 yards off a Donovan cross. In a dull second half, Ricketts deflected Angel’s second penalty off a post, then collected it.
NOTES: Red Bulls D Carlos Mendes had season-ending surgery to repair a torn hip labrum. ... New York signed 25-year-old Ernst Oebster from sister club Red Bull Salzburg. He had two goals in five league matches, three Austrian Cup and four UEFA Cup qualification matches last season, scoring three goals.
-- Ronald Blum
Beckham’s 1st home game with Galaxy is sellout
CARSON, Calif. — The Los Angeles Galaxy says its upcoming game against AC Milan is sold out for David Beckham’s first home game of the season with the MLS team.
The club said Thursday that the standing room only seats for Sunday’s exhibition it put on sale last weekend are completely gone.
Beckham rejoined the Galaxy this week after completing a five-month loan with AC Milan a couple months ago. He was set to make his season debut Thursday night with the team on the road against the New York Red Bulls.
Sounders’ Ljungberg says he’ll fulfill contract
REDMOND, Wash. — Seattle Sounders FC midfielder Freddie Ljungberg says he has no intention of leaving MLS before the end of his contract.
After practice on the Microsoft Corp. campus Thursday, Ljungberg dispelled rumors he might be looking at a return to playing in Europe.
The Swedish star and former standout with Arsenal in the English Premier League says he is happy playing in Seattle and intends to fulfill the two-year contract he signed. Ljungberg is the Sounders’ highest paid player at $1.3 million per season.
Reports surfaced earlier this week that many European teams were looking at Ljungberg after his strong start to his first MLS season. He recently was selected to the MLS All-Star team that will face Everton FC later this month.
Seattle releases injured F Smith
RENTON, Wash. — Forward Jarrod Smith has been released by the Seattle Sounders after spending all season on the disabled list.
Smith was cut Thursday. He had surgery last week to repair a torn right hamstring tendon and will continue his rehabilitation with the team. His MLS rights also remain with Seattle.
Smith spent most of June playing for the New Zealand national team. He appeared in two U.S. Open Cup games for the Sounders.
Also, Seattle is a potential host for the U.S. Open Cup final. If Seattle beats Houston in next week’s semifinals and Rochester of the USL First Division upsets D.C. United, then Seattle would host the final on Sept. 1.
Super Liga
Tigres beats Santos 3-2 to reach final
FOXBOROUGH, Massachusetts — Brazilian striker Itamar Batista scored in the 82nd minute to give Tigres UANL a 3-2 win over Santos Laguna in the Superliga semifinals Wednesday.
Tigres will meet Chicago in the Aug. 5 final of the North American club tournament after the U.S. team beat New England 2-1 in the other semifinal.
Tigres dominated its Mexican Primera Division rival from the opening stages of what was an entertaining, wide-open game.
Jesus Molina rose above the defense and headed a corner past Santos goalie Oswaldo Sanchez in the second minute.
Lucas Lobos' cross caught Jose Francisco Fonseca in full stride and he easily beat Sanchez to make it to 2-0 in the 18th minute.
Santos' Carlos Quintero headed home a cross from Jorge Estrada in the 26th minute.
Batista made a solo run before launching a shot between Sanchez's legs and into the goal.
Francisco Torres' header for Santos Laguna during stoppage time closed it to 3-2.
Tigres star Argentinian midfielder Lobos earned his second yellow card in the 69th minute and will miss the Superliga final.
Elsewhere
Madrid's spending leaves Barcelona in the shade
MADRID — An array of blockbuster signings by Real Madrid is already taking the shine off Barcelona's historic season.
Madrid has spent €214 million ($302 million) on five players, bringing the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka and Karim Benzema to the Spanish capital after a trophyless season.
Meanwhile, classic rival Barcelona signed its first player of the offseason on Wednesday after agreeing to pay Inter Milan €4.5 million for left back Maxwell, a 27-year-old Brazilian expected to take over in defence after the departure of Sylvinho.
It's hardly the start expected for a team that became the first Spanish club to win the league, Copa del Rey and Champions League trophies in one campaign.
"The quality of the players is not because of how expensive he is," Ronaldo said Thursday from Madrid's preseason training camp in Ireland. "Maxwell is a fantastic player and I played against him a couple of times. I'm happy for him, that he signed for Barcelona."
Maxwell's arrival for the next five seasons was met by some question marks, with Barcelona newspaper Sport asking "Who is Maxwell?"
It's a tame statement after a campaign that will be remembered for the exciting, attacking football in coach Pep Guardiola's first season in charge. But Maxwell was a second choice after the Catalan club couldn't reach an agreement with Deportivo La Coruna over left back Filipe Luis.
Now that that position has been filled, the club is also likely to struggle in its bid to sign a striker — amid a contract saga involving Samuel Eto'o — as Madrid's record spending spree has inflated player prices.
Barcelona has extended the Cameroon striker's holidays by one week to July 27 to give it more time to try and find a solution, with Eto'o so far declining Barcelona's two-year extension offer. As it stands, he can leave for free at the end of next season.
Eto'o rebuffed Manchester City, a move which has made Barcelona's pursuit of Valencia striker David Villa or Atletico Madrid's Diego Forlan more difficult.
Villa reportedly said he would be ready to pay the difference to leave Valencia, with Barcelona falling short of the club's €50 million ($71 million) asking price for the Spain striker.
A €36 million ($51 million) buyout clause appears to be Forlan's price with Atletico unwilling to let go of the Spanish league's top scorer.
"We're not selling any player in the squad," Atletico president Enrique Cerenzo said. "(Sergio) Aguero, Forlan, Maxi (Rodriguez) and all the rest fit into our plans."
Regardless of the outcome, Real Madrid was eager for the season to start.
"It's not important for me who Barcelona signs. I'm training here with the best players in the world, and I don't care who the other teams sign," Ronaldo said. "The new players have to show they have been brought in for a reason. We have to think about winning everything."
-- Paul Logothetis
Hughes showcases new signings in Abu Dhabi
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — Manchester City's talks with Arsenal about buying striker Emmanuel Adebayor are at an "advanced stage," according to manager Mark Hughes.
Hughes, who is in Abu Dhabi to showcase his latest signings to City's owner Sheikh Mansour, said he expects more top players to join the team before the end of the transfer window.
"Talks are going on (about Adebayor) and are at an advanced stage," Hughes said.
However, he would not comment on the club's chances of signing Chelsea captain John Terry, who is seen as City's main target.
"It would be unfair for me to comment on each name since we are talking to many clubs for many players," Hughes said.
Hughes traveled to Abu Dhabi with the club's marquee signings — former Manchester United striker Carlos Tevez, Paraguay forward Roque Santa Cruz and England midfielder Gareth Barry — along with midfielder Stephen Ireland.
If City does buy Adebayor, the club's squad would include 10 quality strikers. Hughes, however, doesn't seem worried about having a surplus of talent fighting for playing time.
"The top players have become what they are because they have been professional in their approach," Hughes said. "They realize what it takes to play along with others and yet ensure the game we play is of quality."
Santa Cruz said the multitude of attacking options will just help make the forwards better.
"At any club there will be a lot of competition for a place in the team, but that is what makes things exciting," Santa Cruz said. "I know there are a lot of great strikers here now, but I know that if I do as well as I can, I have a great chance and the team will benefit as well."
Hughes emphasized that the club is following a clear-cut plan when it comes to purchases, rather than just buying up what's available.
"Choosing players is not exact science. The transfer window is an ongoing process and we have still some time," Hughes said. "It is wrong to believe that we are after every big player from the clubs everywhere. We are clear about the direction in which we are going and the kind of players we need to achieve that."
Cristiano Ronaldo ready for challenge at Madrid
MAYNOOTH, Ireland — Cristiano Ronaldo is the player expected to lead Real Madrid back to the top of the football world, and he is relishing the chance to prove he can do just that.
"Life is a challenge, and I'm a challenge man," Ronaldo said Thursday at Madrid's preseason training camp near Dublin.
The Portugal winger moved to Madrid from Manchester United for a record 80 million pound ($131 million) transfer fee. Along with Kaka, Karim Benzema and Raul Albiol, Ronaldo said he and his teammates have a job to do when the Spanish season starts next month.
"The new players have to show they have been brought in for a reason," Ronaldo said. "We have to win the league."
Last year, Barcelona not only won the league title but also added the Champions League and the Copa del Rey, becoming the first Spanish team to win all three in one season. Ronaldo, who won the Champions League with Manchester United but lost to Barcelona in last season's European Cup final, is hoping his new team can do the same thing.
"You need sometimes a little bit of luck, but I believe we have a good team, a good coach. Why not?" Ronaldo said of the nine-time European Cup champions. "We have to be thinking like that to win."
Ronaldo dismissed reports that the new wave of "galacticos" at Madrid was causing friction with the star players already there.
"All of us have to concentrate together to win championships," Ronaldo said. "I'm the same as all the others, and together I think we can achieve that."
Ronaldo's first match with Madrid is likely to be on Monday when the team plays a friendly against Shamrock Rovers. He said coach Manuel Pellegrini hadn't told him yet whether he will play at Rovers in a stadium where special stands have been erected to accommodate the more than 10,000 fans expected to attend.
Whether or not he plays, Ronaldo was not prepared to offer any insight into Madrid's opponent.
"To be honest with you, I don't know. I don't know any player," Ronaldo said. "Sorry about that."
-- Shawn Pogatchnik
Brazil defender Lucio heads for Inter Milan
MUNICH — Brazil defender Lucio is leaving Bayern Munich for Italian champion Inter Milan, where he is expected to sign a three-year contract, the German club said Thursday.
Bayern agreed to release Lucio from his contract, which had another year to run, ending weeks of speculation over the 31-year-old's future.
Bayern manager Uli Hoeness said Bayern agreed "through gritted teeth" to accept Lucio's wish to leave. Lucio will sign a three-year deal with Inter, subject to a medical, he said.
The German club said both sides agreed not to disclose the transfer fee for Lucio, the 2002 World Cup winner who captained the Brazil team that won the Confederations Cup in South Africa.
Hoeness said that Inter Milan wanted to offer players in exchange "but we rejected that. We wanted cash. Now we have cash — so we agreed."
Inter did not immediately confirm the transfer.
Club president Massimo Moratti said on Inter's Web site that "it is not official yet." He did not elaborate.
Lucio said during the Confederations Cup that he wanted to play a few more years in Europe but was unsure whether he would remain with Bayern Munich following reported criticism from new coach Louis Van Gaal.
Club president Franz Beckenbauer said that was based on "misunderstandings" and argued that Bayern should keep Lucio, but speculation persisted.
Lucio joined Bayern in 2004 from German rival Bayer Leverkusen. He has played 144 Bundesliga games for the club, winning three league and German Cup doubles.
Bayern has made several major signings for the new season, including Croatia forward Ivica Olic and Germany striker Mario Gomez.
Alongside the Lucio saga, Bayern also has spent recent weeks fending off interest in France winger Franck Ribery from Real Madrid.
Hoeness said an internal club deadline for any Ribery transfer expired on Wednesday.
"It has been clearly determined that Franck is staying with us," Hoeness said.
Downing becomes Villa's first offseason recruit
BIRMINGHAM, England — England winger Stewart Downing has become Aston Villa's first offseason signing after joining from Middlesbrough on a four-year contract.
The deal for the left-sided player was reportedly worth up to 12 million pounds ($19.7 million).
The 24-year-old Downing passed a medical Thursday despite still being on crutches after breaking his foot against Villa toward the end of last season.
Villa finished sixth last season in the Premier League, qualifying for the Europa League, while Middlesbrough was relegated to the League Championship.
Hungarian police investigating football violence
BUDAPEST, Hungary — Budapest police said Thursday they are investigating attacks by Ferencvaros fans on Hertha Berlin supporters during an exhibition match.
At least three Hertha fans were injured and several German reporters were threatened by a group of some 70 Ferencvaros fans during Tuesday's match, which Hertha won 2-0.
Budapest police said they were investigating acts of "collective rowdyism" by the home fans and were also looking into the reasons behind the incidents.
According to local press reports, Ferencvaros fans also taunted the Germans with Nazi slogans.
The club issued a statement on Thursday condemning the attacks while at the same time denying any direct responsibility as the match was organized by an independent promoter.
Ferencvaros also said it would distance itself from any racist or violent behavior from fans, "who cannot be part of the Fradi (Ferencvaros) family."
Ferencvaros sports director Krisztian Berki told reporters Thursday that the club delayed a response to the violence because time was needed to carry out an internal club investigation.
"We can't declare that similar incidents will not be repeated, but the club's leadership ... will do everything in its power to prevent such fan disturbances," Berki said.
Budapest police said they had provided security outside Ferencvaros' Albert Florian Stadium during Tuesday's match, but were not told by the organizers about the violence taking place inside.
Ferencvaros, Hungary's most successful team, was relegated to the second division for the first time in its history in 2006 but will return to the top flight next season.
Austria bans vuvuzelas from stadiums
VIENNA — The Austrian league has banned vuvuzela trumpets from domestic stadiums, saying the loud instruments could easily lead to aggressive behavior by fans.
League spokesman Christian Kirchner said: "Vuvuzelas can be used as projectiles. They can also cause aggression by other fans."
Vuvuzelas, commonly used by fans in South Africa, came under attack during the Confederations Cup when several players, coaches and broadcasters complained about the relentless noise during matches.
FIFA, however, has said it won't exclude the vuvuzelas from next year's World Cup.
Austrian club Wiener Neustadt had asked the league for permission to give away 150 vuvuzelas for Friday's season-opening match against Austria Kaernten.
ESPN, Sky buy Scottish soccer rights
LONDON — ESPN and Sky will show Scottish Premier League soccer live in Britain and Ireland for the next three seasons, with an option for an additional two.
The rival broadcasters agreed to a deal Thursday worth $106 million over five years to acquire the rights taken off Setanta before the Irish network's British operation collapsed last month.
Between them, ESPN and Sky will show 30 live Scottish matches each season. The SPL will receive over $21 million each season, just $820,000 less than the Setanta deal.
SPL chairman Lex Gold said: "We are pleased that in just over three weeks we have been able to strike this deal."
Hughes also announced that the club will play a friendly against the United Arab Emirates national team on Nov. 12.
