Soccer Capsules: Beckham: Issues with Donovan squashed
Comments 0CARSON, Calif. — David Beckham has resolved his issues with Landon Donovan, saying he recently had a good conversation with his Los Angeles Galaxy teammate.
Beckham practiced with the Galaxy on Monday for the first time since returning from a five-month loan to Italian club AC Milan. Since his arrival back in Southern California, he has been peppered with questions about Donovan calling him a bad captain and portraying the English star as stingy in an upcoming book.
Beckham said details of their meeting will remain private but it went very well.
"I'm not going to talk about what was said," Beckham said. "That was between me, Landon and the manager (Bruce Arena). I said the other day everything that was needed to say."
On Saturday at an MLS event, Beckham called Donovan's behavior "unprofessional."
Beckham will play his first game of the season with the Galaxy when they face the Red Bulls at Giants Stadium on Thursday. The Galaxy host AC Milan on Sunday.
"We're getting past it, we're moving on," Donovan said. "There's a lot of things I regret. I regret the way that I went about this process and I also regret some of the things I said."
Donovan said he knew what he was getting into when he talked to Sports Illustrated senior writer Grant Wahl, the author of "The Beckham Experiment."
"There were no surprises," he said. "I'm generally a pretty honest person, but that doesn't mean I need to share things with everybody."
The Galaxy has won three straight to improve to 5-3-9 heading into the matchup with the Red Bulls, and they're hoping Beckham's return will help them continue their strong run.
Midfielder Chris Klein said Beckham and Donovan interacted just fine at practice.
"I don't know if it's buried or not, but for them to carry any of that is silly," he said.
Beckham said his discussions with Milan on returning to the team in 2010 will be resolved in the next couple of months.
"Obviously Milan expressed that they want me to go back so I don't see any reason why that would change," he said. "We'll have to wait and see. I hope to be going back there."
So what about that Sunday matchup?
"It's going to be strange, funny and exciting," Beckham said. "It's good when teams like that of that class and the players that they have come over. It's about preparing yourself and it's about also the excitement of having such great players here."
Landon Donovan selected MLS All-Star for 9th time
NEW YORK — Landon Donovan is an All-Star for the ninth time in nine MLS seasons.
The Los Angeles Galaxy forward joins seven first-time All-Stars among the first 11 players announced Monday. Players, coaches, general managers, media and fans voted on the group, which will face Premier League club Everton on July 29 in Utah.
The defending champion Columbus Crew, first-year Seattle Sounders and Houston Dynamo have two players each.
New England Revolution midfielder Shalrie Joseph is on his sixth straight All-Star team, and Toronto FC midfielder Dwayne De Rosario was picked for the first 11 for the fourth consecutive season. Crew midfielder Guillermo Barros Schelotto is an All-Star for the second time.
First-time All-Stars are Seattle goalkeeper Kasey Keller, Houston defender Geoff Cameron, Chicago defender Wilman Conde, Columbus defender Chad Marshall, Houston midfielder Stuart Holden, Seattle midfielder Freddie Ljungberg and Colorado forward Conor Casey.
Sounders Ljungberg, Keller are All-Stars
SEATTLE — Midfielder Freddie Ljungberg and hometown goalkeeper Kasey Keller of the expansion Seattle Sounders FC are Major League Soccer All-Stars.
The league announced Monday that Ljungberg and Keller are among seven first-time All-Stars, as determined by voting from the league's fans, players and media.
The 11-man team will play Everton FC of the English Premier League on July 29 in Sandy, Utah.
The 39-year-old Keller, from Lacey, Wash., returned home to eventually retire after playing 17 seasons in Europe. He set an MLS record for the longest shutout streak to start a season, 457 minutes, and is 7-1-7 as Seattle's starting keeper.
The 32-year-old Ljungberg has two goals in five assists for the second-place team in the Western Conference.
The Swedish midfielder and former star for Arsenal in England signed in 2008 as Seattle's star designated player.
New York Red Bulls sign defender Leo Krupnik
SECAUCUS, New Jersey — The New York Red Bulls have signed defender Leo Krupnik from Maccabi Haifa of the Israeli Premier League.
The 29-year-old Krupnik can't be added to the team's 24-man roster until after the international transfer window opens on Wednesday. The club is also awaiting receipt of his international transfer certificate.
Red Bulls sporting director Jeff Agoos said Monday that Krupnik will add depth and experience to the defense.
Krupnik appeared in 30 matches last season for Maccabi Haifa, helping it win and 11th league title. He also had stints with three other Israeli clubs.
Krupnik was drafted in the sixth round of the 2002 MLS SuperDraft by the MetroStars before they became the Red Bulls, but never played with the first team.
World Cup
Strike continues in South Africa
JOHANNESBURG — A union official says construction workers are continuing with their strike that has crippled work on World Cup projects in South Africa.
National Union of Mineworkers spokesman Lesiba Seshoka said Monday that workers are holding out for a 13 percent pay increase. Employers have offered 11.5 percent.
Seshoka said ongoing talks could lead to a deal Tuesday if employers agreed to the increase, otherwise the strike would continue.
The strike is threatening to derail already tight schedules for construction projects supposed to be completed by December.
Elsewhere
Sunderland signs Paraguay captain Paulo da Silva
SUNDERLAND, England — Paraguay captain Paulo da Silva has joined Premier League club Sunderland on a three-year deal.
The 29-year-old center back has moved from Mexican outfit Toluca.
Sunderland manager Steve Bruce said Monday: "I'm delighted to have signed a player of Paulo's experience. He is captain of his country and has played at the highest level in South America, so he will bring leadership qualities to our side."
Da Silva has also played in Italy with Perugia and Venezia.
Ferguson: Madrid priced United out of transfers
MANCHESTER, England — Manager Alex Ferguson said Monday that Manchester United won't be signing any more players this offseason because of inflated transfer fees.
Preparing for his 24th season in charge at Old Trafford, Ferguson said he would continue to operate astutely rather than trying to match the "sky high" spending levels of Real Madrid or crosstown rival Manchester City.
"I am not going to be stupid," Ferguson said.
The bar in the already-inflated transfer market was raised further when the Red Devils received a world record 80 million pounds ($131 million) for world player of the year Cristiano Ronaldo.
But with no plans to spend most of that windfall, Ferguson is content with the deals already completed: signing striker Michael Owen on a free transfer and paying a total of around $32 million on wingers Antonio Valencia and Gabriel Obertan from Wigan and Bordeaux.
"That's concluded our business — we are in the middle of a difficult summer in football where it's been difficult to get good value," Ferguson said at his first media conference since last season. "We have that wonderful sum of money from Real Madrid but we are not going to throw it away and spend it in situations when an extra zero is being placed on the end of transfer fees.
"We have always had to pay a bit extra and this summer we were not prepared to do that."
United's outlay is a tenth of the $300 million Madrid has lavished this offseason to lure the likes of Brazil playmaker Kaka from AC Milan as well as France striker Karim Benzema, who rejected United, and — of course — Ronaldo.
"There was no need to have a knee jerk reaction to losing Cristiano," Ferguson said. "We should not panic because of one player leaving. We have some good young players in all positions so what I have done is bring in youth in Antonio (23) and Gabriel (20) and an old codger in Michael. That will balance things up."
While Madrid has been unveiling its new talent in front of tens of thousands of screaming fans inside the Santiago Bernabeu, United presented Valencia, Owen and Obertan to barely two dozen journalists at its training ground on Monday.
The injury-prone Owen joined when his Newcastle contract expired in the biggest shock of the offseason. The 29-year-old forward, who hopes to prove his fitness and return to the England team, will wear the number seven shirt vacated by Ronaldo and once worn by George Best and David Beckham.
But the replacement for Manchester City-bound Carlos Tevez that Ferguson had targeted was Benzema.
"The price tag was beyond his value," Ferguson said. "Maybe Lyon thought we undervalued him and that's fine, it's their decision. They got €42 million for him and they will be happy with that. They have done well — all this says is that we are sensible."
"The values of players have just shot sky high," the 67-year-old Ferguson said. "I don't think in any of the transfers that you look at you would say it's realistic, but for some reason it seems to have caught fire this summer and it's an unusual summer."
Ferguson highlighted how Madrid's spending spree has been funded by taking on bank loans, but studiously ignored mentioning United's debts of more than $1 billion.
"They did the same with (Zinedine) Zidane and (Luis) Figo — so it's in their nature to do these things, it's the way they operate," Ferguson said. "They are not nearly as afraid of debt as anyone else in the world so that's a big plus for them. Also it's how they control the debt, you have to applaud the system they are in with the banks ... it's a fantastic position it puts them in, it's different from us.
"We are happy the way we operate and no matter which players we have brought in, we are still going to be strong next year."
As for Madrid's prospects, Ferguson rates Barcelona, which beat United in May's Champions League final, as the bigger threat.
"Barcelona are the team to aim for," he said.
-- Rob Harris
Tevez agrees to join Manchester City
MANCHESTER, England — Argentina striker Carlos Tevez agreed to join Manchester City on a five-year deal Monday, further enhancing the wealthy Premier League club's bid to become a force in the game.
The 25-year-old Tevez will complete his switch across Manchester from City's more illustrious neighbor United, where he had been on loan for two years, after a medical examination.
City will have to pay 25.5 million pounds ($41 million) to sign Tevez from the group that owned his economic rights.
Despite last winning a league title in 1968, City is gradually becoming an attractive destination for top players since being bought last September by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, a member of the Abu Dhabi royal family.
"It is terrific news," City manager Mark Hughes said. "Carlos is an international player of the highest class who possesses all the attributes that will help drive this club forward.
"He is not only outstanding technically but he is a reliable goal scorer and someone who will contribute fully to the team ethic. He gives us another exciting, attacking dimension."
Tevez will link up in attack with Brazil's Robinho, who joined for a British record fee of €42.5 million (then $61.7 million) last September, Roque Santa Cruz, the 18 million-pound signing from Blackburn, and Craig Bellamy. City also is reportedly pursuing Arsenal's Togo striker Emmanuel Adebayor.
Tevez left United last month after his two-year loan deal expired with the English champions and he rebuffed their interest in agreeing a permanent deal. Tevez said he felt manager Alex Ferguson had shown him a lack of respect by not playing him often enough.
"I cannot wait to welcome him to City," Hughes said. "This is yet another deal that shows the commitment of the owner Sheikh Mansour to make this club the very best it can possibly be. I am sure our fans will give Carlos an exceptionally warm welcome."
That Tevez is leaving United after winning the Champions League and back-to-back Premier League titles will help City attract more top talent. Despite being able to offer lucrative wages City is not in Europe next season and it has failed to sign both Brazil playmaker Kaka and Cameroon forward Samuel Eto'o in recent months.
Hughes is also pursuing Chelsea and England captain John Terry.
He will hope Tevez finally settles at Eastlands after struggling to fit in at both West Ham and Manchester United since arriving in the Premier League in 2006.
Alex Ferguson said earlier Monday that Tevez had ignored his phone calls and text messages as he tried to persuade the striker to stay at Old Trafford.
"I half expected Carlos Tevez would be going a long time back," Ferguson said in his first public comments since Tevez rejected United last month. "I think he maybe did a deal around January because I spoke to him and gave him an offer on the night we played Inter Milan (in March) and he never came back to me.
"I phoned him on holiday and he never got back to me and I texted him twice and he never got back to me then either, so obviously he had made his mind up a long time ago. He was a good player and did well for us, but he obviously assessed the situation and wanted to go somewhere else."
Tevez signing a permanent deal at City will end a divisive chapter in English football that led to a string of bitter legal cases and the rules on third party ownership being changed.
Tevez joined West Ham from Brazilian club Corinthians in 2006 along with Argentina teammate Javier Mascherano, but their contracts were owned by Media Sports Investments.
West Ham was fined 5.5 million pounds (then US$10.8 million) in April 2007 for breaking Premier League rules on third-party contracts following a ruling that said Tevez and Mascherano, who had joined Liverpool by that point, should not have been eligible to play.
But the Hammers were not docked points which led to them staying in the Premier League at the expense of Sheffield United.
Sheffield was relegated at the end of the 2007 season, when the Hammers beat Manchester United on the final day of the campaign and Tevez scored the decisive goal.
An independent tribunal eventually ruled that the Blades were entitled to compensation and the clubs reached an out-of-court settlement earlier this year.
-- Rob Harris
Man City midfielder Kompany set for foot surgery
MANCHESTER, England — Manchester City midfielder Vincent Kompany may miss the start of the season if he has to have an operation to cure a long-standing foot injury.
The Belgium international returned early from the Premier League club's training camp in Germany as he continues to be troubled by a toe injury.
City manager Mark Hughes said Monday: "The likelihood is that he will need a procedure. If he has to have an operation Vincent will miss the start of the season."
Despite requiring painkilling injections and wearing specially adapted boots, Kompany made 34 appearances in his debut season.
Hughes said: "We nursed him through to the point where he had to concede that he just couldn't carry on. He had numerous needles into the joint but he stuck with it bravely."
Former Brazil coach Parreira fired by Fluminense
RIO DE JANEIRO — Fluminense fired former Brazil coach Carlos Alberto Parreira on Monday, a day after the team lost 1-0 to Santo Andre and slipped into the relegation zone of the Brazilian league.
The result extended Fluminense's winless streak to five matches and left the team 18th in the 20-team standings. The bottom four clubs will be demoted.
Parreira, who coached Brazil to victory at the 1994 World Cup in the United States, leaves after 24 matches with Fluminense, leading the club to eight victories, nine draws and seven losses.
"It needed a victory for survival, but it didn't happen," Parreira told local media. "In Brazil you don't have the opportunity to work, you only play and pray for the results to happen. There is no patience with the project."
Parreira's replacement will be his assistant coach, Vinicius Eutropio. Local media had been reporting the club would try to hire Muricy Ramalho or Vanderlei Luxemburgo, who are each without a team since being fired by Sao Paulo and Palmeiras, respectively.
"Right now (Eutropio) is the right person for the job, we are not searching for a new coach," team director Tote Menezes said on the team's Web site. "Let's give him some time."
Menezes said Fluminense will try to keep Parreira as football coordinator.
"It was the job he wanted before he accepted to be our coach," Menezes said. "Now we have to sit down together and talk about it."
Parreira also coached Brazil at the 2006 World Cup in Germany, where the team was eliminated by France in the quarterfinals.
Parreira said he hasn't decided whether he will continue to coach, but if he does he said he is likely to stay in Rio de Janeiro near his family.
Santos is another team without a coach on Monday after it fired Vagner Mancini following the team's 6-2 loss to Vitoria in Salvador on Sunday, while Nautico — which lost 4-1 to Palmeiras on Saturday — fired coach Marcio Bittencourt and hired Geninho as his replacement.
D'Alessandro suspended 60 days after altercation
SAO PAULO — Brazil's sports tribunal has suspended Argentine midfielder Andres D'Alessandro for 60 days after he tried to fight with an opponent in the Brazilian Cup final last month.
D'Alessandro will be sidelined until Sept. 12 because of the altercation in the July 1 final against Corinthians in Porto Alegre.
With the match tied 2-2 in the 75th minute and Internacional needing five unanswered goals to win the title at home, D'Alessandro became upset by perceived delaying tactics by Corinthians players, and charged toward defender Willian calling him for a fight.
Internacional players initially retrained D'Alessandro, but he escaped and continued to go after Willian. The Corinthians defender ran away and D'Alessandro was not able to land any punches or kicks, but was eventually sent off by the referee.
Internacional lawyers said the club will appeal the suspension.
Ex-Arsenal striker John Hartson has brain cancer
LONDON — Former Arsenal and Celtic striker John Hartson was scheduled to begin chemotherapy treatment Monday after being diagnosed with brain cancer.
The 34-year-old Hartson was diagnosed Sunday after going to a hospital in Wales because of severe headaches, The Sun newspaper said.
"If anyone can beat this, I can," Hartson said.
The former Wales international was told by doctors that testicular cancer had spread to his brain.
Before enjoying five seasons at Celtic from 2001, Hartson played for Luton, Arsenal, West Ham, Wimbledon and Coventry. He retired last year after being released by West Bromwich Albion and has been working as a TV pundit and a columnist for The Sun.
"Everyone at the club fully supports John and his family at this extremely difficult time," Celtic said. "It is very difficult for us to understand what John is going through at the moment, but we will offer any support we can to a great Celtic player.
"The thoughts and prayers of the entire Celtic family are with John at this time."
Goalkeeper says Newcastle is dying without buyer
NEWCASTLE, England — Newcastle goalkeeper Steve Harper says the club is "dying a slow, painful death" as the search for a buyer continues.
Prospective owners are yet to seal a deal with owner Mike Ashley for the club that was relegated from the Premier League in May.
Consortiums from Malaysia and the United States remain the favorites to buy the Magpies, but a former member of the Irish group that owned Sunderland, has also expressed an interest.
Harper said Monday: "We want it to be done and dusted so we know where we are and where we are going because at this moment, the football club is dying a slow, painful death."
Newcastle is without a manager as Alan Shearer waits to see if he will be retained.
Russo leaves after keeping Rosario in top flight
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — Coach Miguel Angel Russo has left Rosario Central just a day after the club ensured it would keep its place in Argentina's first division.
Reports Monday said Russo left the club after it was unable to meet his salary demands. Russo was also reported to have asked for more money to spend on players.
The well-traveled Russo has coached Boca Juniors, Estudiantes, Velez Sarsfield, Universidad de Chile and Morelia in Mexico. He joined Rosario Central this season after leaving San Lorenzo after a string of poor results. He signed only until the end of the season.
Edgardo Bauza, a former coach of Rosario Central, and former players Jose Chamot and Claudio Ubeda are reported to be candidates to replace Russo.
Vonlanthen joins Zurich on loan deal from Salzburg
ZURICH — FC Zurich has signed Switzerland winger Johan Vonlanthen on a season-long loan deal from Red Bull Salzburg.
Zurich said Monday on its Web site that it had an option to make the move permanent next June.
The switch brings the 23-year-old Vonlanthen back to Switzerland for the season leading up to the 2010 World Cup.
National team coach Ottmar Hitzfeld has asked his players to prepare for the tournament in South Africa by taking on leadership roles at their clubs, and for some to consider returning to Switzerland.
Vonlanthen played in Switzerland's first three games after Hitzfeld took charge a year ago, but has not featured since the Swiss were beaten 2-1 by Luxembourg in a home qualifier last September. That upset is Hitzfeld's only loss in nine matches.
Vonlanthen made his international mark aged 18 at the 2004 European Championship when his goal against France broke Wayne Rooney's record as the youngest scorer at a Euro tournament.
He missed the 2006 World Cup through injury but played in all three Switzerland matches when it hosted Euro 2008.
Crespo hopes Genoa will help national team return
GENOA, Italy — Genoa's new signing Hernan Crespo said Monday that he hopes his move from Inter Milan will help him win back a place in Argentina's national team.
The 34-year-old striker has played in three World Cups, but in recent seasons has fallen behind the likes of Lionel Messi, Carlos Tevez and Sergio Aguero for a place in Argentina's attack.
The former Chelsea, Lazio and AC Milan forward joined Genoa for an undisclosed fee at the start of July.
"The national team is an objective, I can't ignore that in 2010 there is the World Cup," he said. "I hope to do well enough to return, I have to show I deserve to be there."
Argentina has yet to qualify for next year's tournament in South Africa, but currently occupies the fourth and final guaranteed qualifying slot from South America.
One other player ahead of him for an international place is Diego Milito, the striker Crespo has been bought to replace following his move in the opposite direction.
Last season Milito hit 24 goals in Serie A to establish himself as a target man who Messi and Aguero could play off, whilst Crespo, by contrast, scored four times in 19 appearances.
"I'm feeling great about a lot of aspects. The location, the chance to be part of a group with high hopes. Of course I've been bought to play the role that Diego (Milito) and Marco (Borriello) played, I'm optimistic.
"I want to do well, to show what I can do. I have chosen a competitive team and I'm happy with that."
His experience will be valuable to Genoa as it enters the Europa League, its first European appearance since reaching the UEFA Cup semifinals in 1992.
Crespo scored for Parma in its 1999 UEFA Cup final victory over Marseille and has regularly featured in the Champions League with his former clubs.
"Genoa has excellent players at the right age and it will be a new experience for everyone. Perhaps I will be able to play a part, keep people calm and show them how to enjoy it," he said.
"European competition is a great stage, something special for the fans who have been waiting for it for a long time. We shouldn't worry about it, we should enjoy it."
Iraqi footballers beat Palestinians
BAGHDAD — Iraq defeated Palestine 4-0 in a friendly football match in Baghdad on Monday, triggering wild celebrations among Iraqis who for years were unable to watch their national sports teams live because of security fears and war.
The game was the second played against the same opponent after Iraq celebrated its first home football match since 2002 by defeating Palestine 3-0 in the northern city of Irbil on Friday.
In the capital, Shaab stadium was filled to capacity with 45,000 fans who were allowed free entry. Some supporters sat on the edge of the field, and police were barely able to contain the crowds that poured into the stadium.
Fans waved Iraqi and Palestinian flags and chanted "Glory to Baghdad", "The Shiites and the Sunnis are brothers" and "Our hearts are with Gaza."
Balloons and white doves were released before the start of the match.
Hawar Mulah Mohammed scored the first goal in the 27th minute, while Karar Jassim and Alaa Abdul-Zahraa consolidated the lead. Emad Mohammed scored the fourth with a penalty kick.
"I insisted on coming here despite my disability and the heat," said Karim Ahmed, a disabled man who came to the stadium from Baghdad's Sadr City district in a wheelchair four hours before the start of the match. "All the fans are eager to see the national team in Baghdad. It is a clear sign that Iraqis are not deterred by terrorist attacks."
Najih Hamoud, a senior Iraqi football federation official, said the match showed that Baghdad is safe.
"We hope that this match will make the FIFA officials think of lifting the ban on holding matches in Baghdad," he said.
Although violence is sharply down, insurgents still carry out attacks regularly. Four people died in bombings of churches in the capital on Sunday.
-- Sameer N. Yacoub
Nakamura presented before Espanyol fans
MADRID — Espanyol presented Japan international Shunsuke Nakamura before about 6,000 fans at the club's new stadium Monday.
Nakamura moved to Espanyol on a two-year deal last month after his contract with Celtic expired.
"It's clear that this (reception) increases the pressure, but once I'm on the field, I will give my best to return all this appreciation and make the fans happy," the club quoted the 31-year-old midfielder signing as saying on its Web site.
Nakamura said he chose the Spanish team because it enabled him to fulfill a childhood dream of playing in the country. There had been considerable speculation that he might return to former club Yokohama F Marinos.
"I will have to improve in everything, especially making sure my game is faster, as much physically as mentally," he said.
The presentation took place at the club's new Cornella-El Prat stadium, which seats about 40,000 spectators.
Nakamura left Yokohama in 2002 to join Italian club Reggina. He signed with Celtic in 2005 and became a favorite with fans, helping the team win three consecutive league championships from 2006-08.
He scored 29 goals in 119 appearances for Celtic, and 23 for Japan in 87 internationals, including at the 2006 World Cup.
Espanyol, based in Barcelona, finished 10th in the Spanish league last season.
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