Soccer Capsules: Everton in talks to sign Donovan on loan from L.A.
LIVERPOOL, England — U.S. forward Landon Donovan is in talks about a loan move to Everton that would give him experience in the English Premier League in the run up to the World Cup.
The loan would put the Los Angeles Galaxy star on the same team as U.S. goalkeeper Tim Howard and allow him to play against many of the England players he will face in South Africa next June.
"Landon is a player (that manager) David Moyes has identified as someone he would like to bring to the club," Everton chief executive Robert Elstone said Thursday. "We are working to make that happen and hope we can reach agreement soon with all the appropriate parties."
Everton lost last season's FA Cup final to Chelsea. It is 15th in the 20-team Premier League standings, just three points above the relegation zone.
If a deal is reached, Donovan would likely join the Liverpool-based club in January for three months before returning to the U.S. for the start of the Major League Soccer season in March.
"They are one of a number of clubs who have contacted the Galaxy about the possibility of a short-term loan agreement for Landon," the Galaxy said in a statement to The Associated Press. "The Galaxy, MLS and Landon's representative will work together to determine if and whether an arrangement with Everton or any other club would be beneficial to all parties."
England midfielder David Beckham, Donovan's Galaxy teammate, will also be on loan in January for a second stint at AC Milan, but he will not return to LA until after the World Cup.
While Donovan has an American record 42 goals in 120 internationals, he has struggled during three previous stints in Europe.
He signed a six-year deal with Bayern Leverkusen as a 16-year-old in 1999, but didn't play a game in two years and was loaned to the San Jose Earthquakes of MLS in 2001.
After four seasons in the MLS, he rejoined Leverkusen in January 2005. He made nine appearances — seven in the Bundesliga and two in the Champions League — but just two of them were starts. Two months later, he returned to the MLS with the Galaxy.
He made five Bundesliga appearances and one German Cup appearance for Bayern Munich during a loan earlier this year.
Donovan was selected as the best player on the U.S. team for a record-breaking sixth time in October after being instrumental in helping the Americans reach the Confederations Cup final and World Cup.
Top-seeded Akron plus 3 ACC teams make College Cup
CARY, N.C. — The site of this weekend’s NCAA College Cup is the same spot the ACC used for its conference tournament, and with three of the league’s teams back in town, it almost looks the same.
"We appreciate the ACC inviting us to their conference tournament this weekend," joked Caleb Porter, the coach of top-seeded Akron, the only non-ACC team among the final four. "No, we’re aware that even though we’ve been ranked No. 1 in the country all year long and we have the record that we have, people are probably putting us as an underdog."
The Zips (23-0-0) are trying to become the first team in 35 years to win the NCAA Division I men’s soccer title with a perfect record — but they’re outsiders this weekend. They have traveled more than 500 miles to play fifth-seeded North Carolina (16-2-3), which had just a 23-mile commute, in Friday’s semifinals.
No. 2 seed Virginia (17-3-3) and No. 3 seed Wake Forest (17-3-3) square off in Friday’s first game. The semifinal winners will play in Sunday’s championship game.
The ACC has put three teams in the national semifinals for the second year in a row. Wake Forest and North Carolina joined Maryland, the eventual champion, in last season’s final four in Frisco, Texas. The year before, the last time the College Cup was here, the Demon Deacons took the title.
"Our conference is the best conference in the country, and they’ve demonstrated that over the years," said Virginia coach George Gelnovatch, whose team won the ACC tournament here nearly four weeks ago. "Two years in a row, having three ACC teams in the final four is unbelievable."
In the first semifinal, Wake Forest will be trying to finally break through against Virginia.
The Demon Deacons are winless against the Cavaliers in two meetings this season, losing 1-0 in the regular season and falling in penalty kicks after a scoreless game in the ACC semifinals.
Wake Forest is just the eighth school to advance to the College Cup in four consecutive seasons. The team’s leading scorer, senior Zack Schilawski, gets to end his college career in his hometown.
"Obviously in 2007, probably the biggest moment of our careers took place on that field," Schilawski said. "It’s a lot good memories and a lot of good moments, and we’re excited to be back."
Wake Forest’s inability to score against Virginia this season isn’t unique. The Cavaliers, who have a 14-game unbeaten streak, lead the nation in goals against average (0.29). They have posted a school-record 11 consecutive shutouts and have not allowed a goal since Oct. 17, a span of 1,107 minutes, 34 seconds.
Akron, right behind Virginia in goals against average (0.30), also leads the nation in goals (2.5 per game). The Zips, who have tied the NCAA record for consecutive wins in a season, are seeking their school’s first NCAA team title in any sport.
North Carolina, which won the 2001 College Cup, has claimed NCAA titles in field hockey and women’s soccer in the past month. The men’s soccer team enters the weekend with an eight-game unbeaten streak, including three consecutive shutouts.
"We are facing a team that knows what they’re doing, and we try to claim the same thing for ourselves," North Carolina coach Elmar Bolowich said. "I’m just looking forward to a really good game and a really competitive game."
The ingredients are in place for three such games this weekend.
For the first time since seeding began in 1994, the top three seeds advanced to the final four. It’s also the first time that four of the top five seeds reached the final weekend.
This group of semifinalists has the fewest combined losses (eight) of any final four since 1991.
"I honestly believe you have the four best teams here," Gelnovatch said. "Especially in our sport, it doesn’t always work out that way. Hopefully that translates into some good, exciting soccer."
League Previews
Chelsea, Man United concerned by defensive woes
LONDON — Chelsea's priority in the Premier League is banishing defensive lapses, while Manchester United's is overcoming the lack of players to fill the back-four.
While Chelsea lost at Manchester City last weekend, the team leads Manchester United by two points going into Saturday's match against Everton.
But that collapse at City, coupled with Tuesday's 2-2 draw with APOEL Nicosia in the Champions League and the previous week's League Cup elimination at Blackburn, have exposed frailties in the Chelsea team.
"It's got to be a real wake-up call," Chelsea captain John Terry said. "We're still top by two points and this emphasizes that the Premier League's not a walk, it's a big, big battle."
Before the end of 2009, the Blues also have home games against last-place Portsmouth and Fulham, along with potentially tricky away matches at West Ham and resurgent Birmingham.
Midfielder Michael Essien will be missing for the next month after tearing a hamstring in the meaningless Champions League match when first place in Group D had already been secured. Striker Salomon Kalou is also sidelined.
"It has been a bit of a bumpy week and we need to bounce back at the weekend and get back to winning ways," Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole said. "The next five Premier League games are very important — the Christmas period is always vital. We want to still be sitting on top of the league at the start of January."
By then, the league season will be passed its halfway mark — and that's when United manager Alex Ferguson has targeted a return to the top as he chases a fourth straight title.
The Red Devils are looking for a fourth straight league win Saturday when they host Aston Villa, which is eight points behind United in fifth.
"We won't take our foot off the pedal now," said United midfielder Michael Carrick, who is likely to start in central defense alongside Nemanja Vidic due to the injury crisis. "We are starting to play well now and we are scoring some goals so we want that to continue. There is an awful long way to go and we are not getting carried away."
Patrice Evra and Vidic are the only regular United defenders who are fit, with Rio Ferdinand, John O'Shea, Jonny Evans, Gary Neville, Wes Brown, Rafael da Silva and Fabio da Silva all set to be out. Wayne Rooney, Dimitar Berbatov and Ryan Giggs should all be available to reinforce Ferguson's squad at Old Trafford after recovering from injuries.
Also Saturday, it's: Birmingham vs. West Ham; Bolton vs. Manchester City; Burnley vs. Fulham; Hull vs. Blackburn; Stoke vs. Wigan; Sunderland vs. Portsmouth; and Tottenham vs. Wolverhampton.
Sunday's only match is a meeting between third-place Arsenal — six points behind Chelsea — and Liverpool, which is seventh and a further four points off the pace.
Arsenal will be without Emmanuel Eboue and Tomas Rosicky, who were injured last weekend when the team beat Stoke.
"We have problems with many players — there are little knocks and bruises," Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said. "Eduardo (da Silva) and (Abou) Diaby maybe could make the squad. (William) Gallas and Armand (Traore) are still doubts but I think they will make it. (Cesc) Fabregas has a back problem and (Andrei) Arshavin has got a bruised foot too but I think they will make it, too."
Striker Nicklas Bendtner, who has been out since October with a groin injury, will not be fit until January, Wenger said.
Liverpool has won only three of its last 14 games in all competitions.
"It's difficult because we're not winning two or three games in a row at the moment," Liverpool midfielder Javier Mascherano said. "All of us want to win and to get the confidence. We want to play like we can play. We have a big game on Sunday to show ourselves, to show the fans and to show everyone that Liverpool still has a good team that can fight for something."
While Liverpool had already failed to clinch a spot in the knockout round of the Champions League, the 2-1 loss to Fiorentina on Wednesday did give Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez a chance to hand midfielder Alberto Aquilani his first start and see Fernando Torres return from injury.
"Those were the real positive things for the next match and the rest of our season," Benitez said. "Aquilani showed his quality, his touch was good. His vision and passing were good but obviously he will have to work on his match fitness."
-- Rob Harris
Valencia faces Madrid, Barcelona plays Espanyol
MADRID — Valencia will be tested again Saturday in the Spanish league when it faces second-place Real Madrid, and leader Barcelona is likely to be without Lionel Messi for its crosstown derby against struggling Espanyol.
Valencia hasn't lost since September in any competition, a stretch of 15 games, and has David Villa, the league's leading scorer with 11 goals. The team can already boast a victory over Sevilla and a draw against Spanish champion Barcelona in a game it dominated.
Valencia, which is eight points behind Barcelona, will be without injured forward David Silva for the match at the Mestalla stadium. Madrid is without the suspended Cristiano Ronaldo, while Kaka could miss out with a groin strain.
"If they don't come, all the better. And if any other players also can't make it, even better," Valencia midfielder David Albelda said.
Ronaldo's return from an ankle injury has seen a marked improvement in Madrid's play, and the Portugal forward scored twice in his team's 3-1 win at Marseille on Tuesday. But his sending-off against Almeria last weekend earned him a one-game domestic suspension. Karim Benzema is likely to replace him in the starting lineup.
Barcelona will look to consolidate its lead at the top of the standings in its last league game before the Christmas break.
Barcelona leads the league with 36 points, five more than Madrid. A win at the Camp Nou would see the team extend its unbeaten record to 15 games, matching a feat it achieved in the 1984-85 season.
But the European champions could be without Messi after the Golden Ball winner limped off with an ankle injury at the end of Wednesday's 2-1 Champions League win at Dynamo Kiev.
Barcelona will not play again until January as it travels to the Club World Cup seeking its sixth major trophy of the season.
Espanyol turned last season around thanks in part to a victory at the Camp Nou, and the team could do with a similar result after losing three straight matches.
"I've felt pretty humiliated by these defeats and that's what the team should be feeling to help get us out of this slump," Espanyol coach Mauricio Pochettino said. "The team is conscious that it must improve after its recent failings."
Espanyol will be without striker Raul Tamudo, midfielders Ivan de la Pena and Jose Fernando Marques, and defender David Garcia.
In Saturday's only other game, Athletic Bilbao plays Zaragoza.
Atletico Madrid returns to league play following a 3-0 loss to FC Porto which confirmed its worst Champions League campaign.
Atletico has won two straight in the league going into Sunday's game against Villarreal, which has also been on the rebound following a poor start.
Spain midfielder Santi Cazorla has returned to Villarreal's lineup from a groin strain, while Atletico is expected to count on Argentina striker Sergio Aguero, who came off with a leg problem Tuesday.
Fourth-place Sevilla is looking to reaffirm its standing as a title contender following two straight draws and it gets the chance against Sporting Gijon, although it will be without leading striker Luis Fabiano.
Alvaro Negredo and Frederic Kanoute, fresh off scoring in a 1-0 win over Rangers on Wednesday to see Sevilla advance in the Champions League, will lead the attack.
Also Sunday, it's: Valladolid vs. Malaga; Getafe vs. Tenerife; Racing Santander vs. Xerez; Almeria vs. Deportivo; and Osasuna vs. Mallorca.
-- Paul Logothetis
Juventus back in crisis after Bayern rout
ROME — Juventus has gone from emergency-mode to a state of joy and back to crisis in the space of three days. The current state could last a while, even if the Turin power manages to win at newly promoted Bari on Saturday.
A devastating 4-1 home loss to Bayern Munich on Tuesday eliminated Juventus from the Champions League, three days after the Bianconeri managed to beat Serie A leader Inter Milan.
Juve entered the Inter game coming off two 2-0 losses — to Bordeaux and Cagliari.
"Just the other day we were all joyous for the big win over Inter and now we're all disappointed over this heavy loss," left back Fabio Grosso said. "In times like these the best thing to do is to get back out on the field right away and try to turn things around."
Goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon has put off knee surgery until Sunday to stay with the club during these trying times and could play against Bari. Buffon appeared immobile on occasion against Bayern and should have stopped at least one of the German club's goals.
Juve's two new Brazil players, Diego and Felipe Melo, were both removed after underperforming against Bayern and the €25 million ($37 million) paid to Fiorentina for Felipe Melo is looking more and more like a failed investment, especially since Cristiano Zanetti — who plays the same position — was sent to the Tuscan club and flourished.
Juventus president Jean-Claude Blanc isn't putting the blame on coach Ciro Ferrara.
"We're going to move forward with him as the coach," Blanc said. "We've got a good project and we're going to stick to it."
Inter leads the Italian league with 35 points, Juventus is next with 31 and AC Milan has 30.
Inter visits struggling Atalanta on Sunday after securing its pass to the next round of the Champions League with a 2-0 win over Rubin Kazan, with goals from Samuel Eto'o and Mario Balotelli.
Both Inter manager Jose Mourinho and Atalanta counterpart Antonio Conte are banned after getting sent off last weekend.
Milan, which slid through in Europe with a 1-1 draw at FC Zurich, hosts Palermo with defensive problems following injuries to Thiago Silva and Daniele Bonera.
Fiorentina became the only Italian club to win its Champions League group by beating Liverpool for the second time this season and now visits Chievo Verona.
"Let's celebrate now because we deserve it," Fiorentina coach Cesare Prandelli said following the Viola's fifth consecutive win in Europe. "Then let's recuperate our energy and focus on the league."
Struggling Sampdoria hosts an improved AS Roma squad and the Genova club's talented but temperamental striker Antonio Cassano has been acting up again, getting into a heated verbal argument with critical fans at midweek training.
Udinese visits Siena without Serie A scoring leader Antonio Di Natale, who has been banned for two games after threatening the referee following a 2-1 loss to Bologna last weekend.
New Catania coach Sinisa Mihajlovic makes his debut against Livorno.
Also this weekend, it's: Cagliari vs. Napoli; Lazio vs. Genoa; Parma vs. Bologna; and Siena vs. Udinese.
-- Andrew Dampf
Bayern Munich plays at Bochum in Bundesliga
FRANKFURT — Bayern Munich is done celebrating its Champions League exploits in Turin and now will get back to the everyday business of the Bundesliga with a trip to Bochum.
Bayern is in fourth place in the league, four points behind leader Bayer Leverkusen, and is aiming to cut the gap in the last two games remaining before the Christmas break.
"We won our game of the year. Now we have to gain the six points in the Bundesliga," said striker Ivica Olic, the hero of Bayern's 4-1 win at Juventus on Tuesday that was described by club chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge as a "magical night."
The victory earned Bayern a place in the knockout round of the Champions League. A few weeks ago, the team seemed all but eliminated from the competition after a 2-0 home loss to Bordeaux while it was mired in mid-table in the Bundesliga. But Bayern has picked itself up and now travels to a team that has won only one game at home and lost three of seven.
"Bochum is a typical Bundesliga team and it's going to be very, very hard," Bayern coach Louis van Gaal said.
Bochum may be in 15th place but it earned a 1-1 draw at Stuttgart last weekend with 10 men, a result that ultimately cost Stuttgart coach Markus Babbel his job.
Christian Gross, Babbel's successor, celebrated a 3-1 win over Unirea Urziceni and a place in the next stage of the Champions League in his debut match in charge, and now hopes to keep up the momentum at Mainz on Sunday.
Stuttgart, the 2007 champion and last season's third-place finisher, is in the relegation zone in 16th place.
Leverkusen, still undefeated after 15 games, visits last-place Hertha Berlin, which has only five points and already looks doomed to relegation.
Leverkusen has 31 points, three more than Werder Bremen and Schalke, which play Saturday in Bremen.
Werder lost its opening game of the Bundesliga season but hasn't been defeated since — a run of 23 games in all competitions. Goalkeeper Tim Wiese and striker Claudio Pizarro are expected to return after overcoming illness and injury, respectively, but midfielders Mesut Oezil and Aaron Hunt are doubts. Schalke will be without suspended central defender Marcelo Bordon.
Hoffenheim, which led the Bundesliga at this point last season after getting promoted, has won only one of its last four matches ahead of its match against Eintracht Frankfurt, which is riding a two-match winning streak.
Hamburger SV, which has dropped to fifth, has not won any of its last seven games — ever since the ankle injury to Mladen Petric. The striker is expected to start Saturday in Nuremberg, which has lost its last two matches.
Defending champion Wolfsburg hosts Borussia Dortmund on Sunday as it looks to recover from a 3-1 loss at home to Manchester United on Tuesday that eliminated Armin Veh's team from the Champions League.
Borussia Moenchengladbach hosts a Hannover side which has not scored a goal in three games since the death of its goalkeeper Robert Enke. Hannover, however, held Leverkusen to a 0-0 draw in the last game and could have won if it had made the most of a number of opportunities.
Cologne, which has not scored in three games, travels to Freiburg.
-- Nesha Starcevic
Bordeaux to take on 7-time champion Lyon in France
PARIS — Defending champion Bordeaux can open up an eight-point gap on Lyon by beating the seven-time French winners on Sunday.
Bordeaux tops the French league standings with 31 points, four clear of second-place Montpellier. Lyon is fourth with 26 points.
Lyon used to be the most dominant force in the league, winning seven titles this decade. It has the best attack this season with 27 goals, but its porous defense has conceded 22 goals and shown why Lyon is no longer leading the league.
Lyon defender Jean-Alain Boumsong hopes the 4-0 win over Debrecen in the Champions League on Wednesday will help his team turn a corner.
"There will be a bit of fatigue left against Bordeaux but this victory warms our hearts," Boumsong told French daily L'Equipe.
Bordeaux will hope to frustrate Lyon with its tight defense, the best in the league with only 10 goals conceded.
"We care about that first place and we want to keep it as long as possible until the winter break," Bordeaux midfielder Alou Diarra told Canal Plus television.
Both teams have high expectations.
Bordeaux made sure its key players had plenty of rest ahead of the clash. From the starting lineup that beat Paris Saint-Germain last week, only one player — Gregory Sertic — was in the squad that beat Maccabi Haifa 1-0 in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Lkewise, Lyon rested star striker Lisandro Lopez, the second most prolific scorer in the league with eight goals. The Argentine scored a hat trick in his team's loss to Lille last week and came off the bench to just play the last 25 minutes against Debrecen.
Lyon will, however, miss France winger Sidney Govou, who picked up an injury Wednesday.
Meanwhile, promoted Montpellier looks to maintain its good run in the league when it faces 12th-place Toulouse. Montpellier is still in the race for a European spot while the two other promoted teams, Lens and Boulogne, are fighting relegation.
"Being first, second or third is not our main concern," Montpellier midfielder Romain Pitau said. "We will make an assessment at the end of the season. It's not the right time to mention any goal."
There's no real star in the Montpellier squad. In fact, the most famous person in the club may be the coach, Rene Girard, who has shaped the team with a strong work ethic and an attractive passing game.
As a player, Girard won three French titles with Bordeaux and reached the semifinals with France at the 1982 World Cup. As a coach, Girard was best known for replacing Raymond Domenech in 2004 with the France under-21 team. He was also an assistant to coach Roger Lemerre when France won the European Championship in 2000.
Toulouse has the second best defense in the league with 12 goals conceded but is struggling in attack. Top forward Andre-Pierre Gignac was the leading scorer in the league last season with 24 goals but has notched only three goals this campaign.
Toulouse has also been hit by injuries with goalkeeper Yohann Pele tearing his knee ligaments last month and backup Olivier Blondel breaking his ankle in training Tuesday. The club signed goalkeeper Matthieu Valverde from Boulogne on Wednesday.
On Saturday, Arnaud Cormier will coach Le Mans for the first time after Paulo Duarte was dismissed by the club Wednesday.
Le Mans is in the relegation zone with nine points and hosts third-place Valenciennes, which has the best record on the road.
"I grew up here," said Cormier, who had been Duarte's assistant. "I used to go to the Leon Bollee stadium to support the team. I will therefore fight until the end for this club."
Duarte had planned to take January off to guide Burkina Faso at the African Cup of Nations, but Le Mans president Henri Legarda felt such a long absence was not appropriate, given the club's situation, and decided to part ways with the coach.
"We have no goal in terms of points from now until the winter break," Cromer said. "The only goal is to keep the club in the top division at the end of the season."
Also Saturday, it's: Lens vs. Nice, Marseille vs. Boulogne, Nancy vs. Rennes, and Lorient vs. Auxerre.
On Sunday, Monaco plays Lille, Paris Saint-Germain faces Saint-Etienne and Sochaux takes on Grenoble.
-- Trung Latieule
League Roundup
Lille routs Saint-Etienne 4-0 in French league
LILLE, France — Lille routed Saint-Etienne 4-0 and Andre-Pierre Gignac scored twice to give Toulouse a 2-0 victory over Sochaux in the French league on Thursday.
Lille climbed to eighth place with 25 points, six behind leader Bordeaux. Saint-Etienne remained in 17th place with 15 points.
"Today I'm glad not to have allowed any goal," Lille defender Adil Rami told RMC radio. "I was terrible Sunday against Lyon."
Lille edged Lyon 4-3 last weekend.
Lille's Pierre-Alain Frau scored his eighth goal of the season in the 33rd minute after receiving a cross by Rio Mavuba. Yohan Cabaye converted a penalty in the 58th after Guirane Ndaw had fouled Ivory Coast forward Gervinho.
Gervinho scored in the 72nd from a corner, and Rami sealed the win in the 82nd with a long-range shot into the top of the net.
Saint-Etienne went down to 10 men in the 81st when Yohan Benalouane picked up a second yellow card.
In Toulouse, Gignac took advantage of two defensive mistakes to raise his season tally to five.
Sochaux defender Jacques Faty failed to control a long kick from Toulouse's teenage goalkeeper Anthony Loustallot, and Gignac pounced on the loose ball to score with a lob in the 49th.
Two minutes later, the France forward intercepted a backpass from defender Ivan Stevanovic and slipped the ball past goalie Teddy Richert.
Sochaux had the best chance of the first half with a 41st-minute shot from the edge of area by Benjamin Gavanon, but Loustallot made the save.
The 17-year-old Loustallot made his debut in the French league due to Toulouse's three goalkeepers being injured.
"It was a dream for me tonight," Loustallot told the club's Web site. "My teammates helped me fit in quickly. We don't concede any goal and the team wins, that's great for me."
Toulouse moved into ninth place with 24 points, while Sochaux was stuck in 15th place with 19 points.
These two matches were scheduled for Dec. 15 or 16. But the French league moved them as Toulouse and Lille will play in the Europa League on Dec. 16-17.
"Maybe playing in the Europa League is tiring us," Rami acknowledged, "but playing every three days helps us question ourselves."
World Cup
Japan coach Okada says World Cup pressure good
TOKYO — Japan coach Takeshi Okada expects his team to thrive under the pressure of being drawn in a tough group at the 2010 World Cup.
Japan was drawn last Friday in Group E with the seeded Netherlands, a Denmark team that topped its European qualifying group, and a Cameroon expected to thrive on its home continent, but Okada was not downhearted.
"The pressure gives us the opportunity to prove ourselves," Okada said Thursday. "If you don't have pressure you will stay weak. The pressure makes you stronger."
The "Blue Samurai" made it to the second round of the 2002 World Cup, which they co-hosted with South Korea, but failed to win a game in their other appearances in 1998 and 2006.
However Okada has redicted his team can reach the quarterfinals in South Africa.
Japan forward Shinji Okazaki, who has 15 goals in 20 games for Japan, said Japan will have to play at its best to get through the first round.
"The coach has said we'll have to fight as if our lives depended on getting through," Okazaki said. "That's pretty much the way it is for us."
Honduras to set up World Cup base in Johannesburg
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras — Honduras will be setting up its World Cup training base in Johannesburg.
Football officials in the Central American country announced the plans on Thursday, and said pre-World Cup training would probably take place in Europe. Alfred Hawit, secretary of the Honduran federation, listed Italy, England, France and Austria as possibilities.
Honduras, appearing in only its second World Cup, plays in Group H and faces Chile on June 16 at Nelspruit, Spain on June 21 at Johannesburg, and Switzerland on June 25 at Bloemfontein.
Elsewhere
Arsenal striker Vela signs new contract with club
LONDON — Arsenal striker Carlos Vela signed a new "long-term" contract with the Premier League club on Thursday.
The Mexico international has been used more regularly in recent weeks since Robin van Persie was ruled out until April due to injury.
"Carlos is a fantastic talent and we have already seen glimpses of this during his performances," manager Arsene Wenger said. "Let's remember, he is still only 20 years old, so there is still a huge amount to come from this boy."
Arsenal, which didn't stipulate the length of the deal, signed Vela in January 2007. The left-footed forward was sent out on loan for 18 months to gain experience, but returned to Arsenal at the beginning of last season.
"We have invested a lot of time in Carlos, as we put him in Spain for two years to get some good experience," Wenger said. "Now he's back with us, we're working hard with him every day and he is a very exciting player."
Vela has made eight first-team appearances this season and is a regular for Mexico, having scored six goals in 19 internationals
"I just want to work hard and help this great club win trophies," Vela said. "I want to stay here for a long time and it's a great responsibility. I will keep working hard to show the boss and all the fans why I'm here."
Vela is the 11th first-team player to have committed his long-term future to Arsenal since the end of last season.
Arsenal goes to Liverpool on Sunday in third place in the Premier League, eight points adrift of leader Chelsea.
UEFA to announce Ukraine match hosts for Euro 2012
FUNCHAL, Madeira Islands — UEFA opened a meeting Thursday to decide which Ukraine cities will host games at the 2012 European Championship.
A decision on the tournament venues and whether Kiev will stage the final is expected at the end of a two-day meeting of UEFA's executive committee in Portugal's Madeira Islands.
Ukraine is co-hosting Euro 2012 with neighbor Poland, and UEFA earlier this year confirmed four Polish cities as match hosts.
But Ukraine's delays in building stadiums and public infrastructure raised fears its four proposed cities would not meet UEFA's hosting standards.
The executive committee was to evaluate technical reports before deciding which Ukrainian venues were up to scratch.
UEFA president Michel Platini has stood by Ukraine since it was awarded co-hosting rights in April 2007, before the global financial crisis.
Last May, Platini approved the Polish cities of Warsaw, Gdansk, Poznan and Wroclaw as venues but only Kiev of the four proposed Ukrainian cities.
UEFA extended the deadline for Donetsk, Kharkiv and Lviv and withheld a promise that Kiev's reconstructed Olympic Stadium would host the final.
Since then, Ukraine has completed the 41,000-seat Metalist Stadium in Kharkiv and the Donbass Arena in Donetsk.
The capital's 77,000-capacity venue and the Lemberg Stadium in Lviv are still under construction.
The executive committee was also due to discuss European club finances and its betting fraud detection system.
Sweden and Norway’s joint Euro 2016 bid fails
STOCKHOLM — The Swedish Football Federation says the Swedish and Norwegian governments won’t fund the countries’ joint bid to host the 2016 European Championship.
The federation said late Wednesday the governments declined to help municipalities fund the necessary arena investments. The decision is expected to be formalized by the governments later, but the date has not yet been set.
Although municipalities could finance the investments themselves, the FA says it will be impossible to host the event if the governments’ plans are formalized.
Candidates to host Euro 2016 must have nine 30,000-capacity stadiums and return their bid dossiers to UEFA by Feb. 15.
The UEFA Executive Committee will decide the host in May.
Serbian hooligan gets 30 years for murder
BELGRADE, Serbia — A soccer hooligan in Serbia was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to 30 years in prison Thursday for a brawl that left one rival fan dead.
Belgrade District Court ruled that 24-year-old Bojan Hrvatin was guilty of stabbing the victim to death during a fight on a train in 2006.
The judge said the attack had been planned in advance. He said fans of Belgrade Rad club boarded the train armed with bars, knives and rocks, knowing their rivals were on it.
Three other fans of Belgrade club Rad also were convicted of taking part in the fight and sentenced to up to three years in prison.
The harsh sentencing signals apparent state resolve to curb hooligan violence. Fan groups have been behind recent attacks on liberals, gays and foreigners in Serbia, including the fatal beating of a French Toulouse fan in September.
Messi out of league play with ankle injury
BARCELONA, Spain — Lionel Messi will miss Barcelona's Spanish league match against Espanyol on Saturday after the Golden Ball winner sustained an ankle injury that could jeopardize his playing at the upcoming Club World Cup.
Messi scored the winner in a 2-1 victory against Dynamo Kiev in the 86th minute on Wednesday before being helped off the field with a right ankle injury picked up in the closing moments from an opponent's challenge.
Barcelona said Thursday that the Argentina forward would miss the crosstown derby match, the club's final domestic game before it travels to the Club World Cup.
Barcelona said Messi's availability for the international club competition would depend on his progress.
The Spanish and European champions hold a five-point advantage over Real Madrid in the domestic standings.
Messi has scored 12 goals in all competitions this season.
Sevilla signs winger Perotti to 6-year extension
SEVILLE, Spain — Sevilla has signed winger Diego Perotti to a contract extension that keeps him with the Spanish club through 2016.
Sevilla president Jose Maria del Nido says it renegotiated the contract for the next six years to include a €48 million ($71 million) buyout clause.
Perotti joined the Spanish club from second-division Argentina club CD Moron during the 2005-06 season. The 21-year-old has been a regular since making his debut last season, and earned his first appearance with Argentina last month.
Sevilla topped its Champions League group to reach the knockout stages and is fourth in the league standings.
Brazil’s Ronaldinho wins soccer honor
LONDON — The Brazilian star Ronaldinho has been selected soccer player of the decade by World Soccer magazine.
Ronaldinho finished ahead of Argentina forward Lionel Messi and Portugal winger Cristiano Ronaldo in the voting.
Ronaldinho, a playmaker for AC Milan, helped Brazil win the 2002 World Cup and Barcelona capture the 2006 Champions League.
The results were announced Thursday and determined by annual votes between 2000 and 2009.
