Soccer Capsules: Crew's Marshall selected MLS defender of the year

With left back Gael Clichy ruled out with a back injury, Domenech needs cover and he watched Cissokho play in the 1-1 draw with Liverpool in the Champions League on Wednesday.

The 33-year-old Vieira has been blighted by nagging injuries and has rarely played for Inter Milan over the past two seasons. Vieira failed to impress with France in a friendly against Nigeria in June, but made a strong start this season, prompting speculation Domenech would call him back.

Domenech waited until Thursday morning before finally making up his mind to leave Vieira out.

"It was not easy, it never is, and I am happy Pat is getting back to his best level little by little," Domenech said. "We weighed up the pros and cons this morning with the staff."

France plays in Ireland on Nov. 14, and then at Stade de France four days later.

"The whole of France is behind the team. These will be two great games to play in," Domenech said. "We do not take the (Ireland) players lightly, we know all about their qualities."

France has often endured its own fans jeering and booing the team at home games, but Domenech is optimistic that Les Bleus will get good backing for such a crucial match.

"We like the way the fans reacted to get tickets for the return leg. This pleased us, because it means that the whole of France is interested in this match ... not just a handful of people who are behind the team," Domenech said. "These two matches will be super to play in, everyone will be up for it and there is also something at stake here — qualification — which adds a bit more spice."

The 22-year-old Cissokho was playing second-division football for Guegnon two seasons ago, and even struggled to get into that team.

His luck changed when a scout recommended him to Portuguese club Vitoria Setubal last season and he was then quickly snapped up by FC Porto. Several impressive performances for Porto in the Champions League — particularly against former Manchester United winger Cristiano Ronaldo — earned him a chance to move to AC Milan.

"It's magnificent. I have watched the French team since I was small. It's reward for all the hard work I have done since the start of the season," Cissokho said. "Still, now I will have to work even harder and not rest on my laurels. A lot more will be expected of me."

But that transfer fell through after Milan said they detected a dental problem during his medical check, and Lyon signed him on a five-year deal for €15 million ($24.3 million) — prompting Italy defender Fabio Grosso to leave and join Juventus.

France will be without winger Franck Ribery (knee) and Clichy against Ireland, but playmaker Yoann Gourcuff and winger Sidney Govou return to Domenech's squad.

Cissokho is important because Patrice Evra, Eric Abidal and William Gallas will miss the return match if they get a yellow card in Ireland.

"We had to cover every position, as we don't know what can happen in a match and in the return leg," Domenech said. "We have players who offer a solution and we have to bear this is mind."

Even though France lost only one game and finished one point behind Serbia in Group 7, Les Bleus labored throughout the qualifying campaign, alternating between poor defending and a lackluster attack.

Ireland was unbeaten in Group 8, but six draws in 10 games left the team six points behind Italy.

Lodeiro picked for Uruguay squad for WCup playoff

United's hitherto solid defense has been hit by injury and poor form and could be especially fragile at Stamford Bridge against a vibrant Chelsea side that has scored 19 goals in its past five games.

And while Chelsea's attack of Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka has been further boosted by the return from injury of midfielder Joe Cole, United is still figuring out how to compensate for the goals it lost when it sold Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid.

United won just one of its six matches against the other so-called top four sides last season and has not won at Stamford Bridge since 2002, hinting that the champions could struggle.

"There's a long way to go yet in the title race, but Sunday's game could be important psychologically," United midfielder Darren Fletcher said. "We'll just concentrate on ourselves: we know we're capable of going there and winning.

"It won't be easy, but we'll go there with a game plan and the manager will have a lot of options for the side he wants to pick and we'll try and get a result."

Fletcher's return has been a welcome fillip for United, with the midfielder's ability to shield the defense taking pressure off the out-of-form Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic.

Both sat out Tuesday's Champions League match against CSKA Moscow but their replacements, Jonny Evans and Wes Brown, looked even shakier as United needed two late goals to draw 3-3 at Old Trafford.

Chelsea, meanwhile, has no such problems.

The two goals it conceded to draw 2-2 at Atletico Madrid in midweek were the first it had let in for five matches.

Victory for Chelsea would take it five points clear of United almost a third of the way into the season, while defeat for United could leave it susceptible to being overtaken by resurgent Arsenal.

The Gunners are at Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday seeking to stretch a two-month unbeaten streak in which it has outscored its league opponents 19-5.

"Maybe we were a little bit underestimated at the start of the season," Arsenal defender Thomas Vermaelen said. "A lot of people were talking about Arsenal not being good enough to be at the top, but we have done well so far in the Premier League and Champions League."

The Gunners lost to United this season so is seeking to build momentum ahead of a crucial match against Chelsea on Nov. 29.

"We have some big games coming up including Chelsea," Vermaelen said. "If we have a good result there, then it will be very big for us."

Arsenal is just three points behind United, which, with Chelsea, has occupied the top two spots since Sept. 13.

Liverpool, meanwhile, has spent less than three weeks in the top four since the season started in mid August and is desperate for victory over Birmingham on Monday after its fifth Premier League loss last weekend.

Hit by injuries to key players and the sale of Xabi Alonso to Real Madrid, Liverpool is already nine points behind Chelsea. It followed a shock 2-0 win over United with a 3-1 defeat at Fulham and has lost six of its past eight games in all competitions.

Liverpool is also on the verge of elimination from the Champions League after conceding late to draw 1-1 at Lyon on Wednesday, leaving manager Rafa Benitez hopeful of bringing Martin Skrtel back into his side to shore up the defense.

But captain Steven Gerrard is set to miss out again and striker Fernando Torres could be absent after playing with a groin injury against Lyon.

"When he is playing with pain it is not easy," Benitez said. "We have some time and we will be working with him."

Also Saturday, fourth-place Manchester City hosts Burnley, Tottenham hosts Sunderland, Aston Villa hosts Bolton and Portsmouth is at Blackburn.

West Ham hosts Everton on Sunday, when Fulham is at Wigan and Stoke is at Hull.

Newcastle seeks to stay top of the second-tier League Championship when it plays Peterborough on Saturday, with second-place West Bromwich Albion at fourth-place Leicester.

-- Stuart Condie

Atletico confident of rare Madrid derby win 

Shaken Bayern Munich faces Schalke

FRANKFURT — Bayern Munich hopes to bounce back from Champions League disappointment when it faces Schalke, the team with the best away record in the Bundesliga this season.

Bayern, which lost 2-0 at home to Bordeaux on Tuesday and faces an uphill struggle to qualify for the knockout round of the Champions League, meets former coach Felix Magath on Saturday. Magath was fired by Bayern despite leading them to two successive domestic doubles.

In January 2007, after a 0-0 draw against Bochum dropped Bayern to fourth place, Magath was sent packing. Ottmar Hitzfeld returned to the club and Bayern won another double.

Magath moved on and won another Bundesliga title last season with Wolfsburg. Then he left to take over Schalke and is bidding to lead the club to its first championship in 51 years.

Now, Schalke is above Bayern in the standings and Magath's team is earning accolades for its spirited play.

Bayern in contrast has been laboring in the Bundesliga as well as Europe, already raising questions about coach Louis van Gaal's future at the club.

"The frustration is there," defender Philipp Lahm said. "We are under great pressure, in the league and internationally. We are in a difficult stage."

Schalke, coming off draws at home to league-leaders Bayer Leverkusen and Hamburger SV, has won more points away than at home, 13 to 8. Its total of 21 puts it in fourth place, while Bayern is sixth on 19.

"Our backs are to the wall, it's a like a final," Lahm said.

Leverkusen, which leads with 23 points, kicks off the 12th round Friday at home against Eintracht Frankfurt.

The other top teams play Sunday — Hamburger SV (22 points) in Hannover, Werder Bremen (22) at home to Borussia Dortmund. Fifth-place Hoffenheim (20) hosts defending champion Wolfsburg (18) on Saturday.

Magath believes Bayern's loss to Bordeaux could make the hosts more dangerous as they strive to impress their disappointed fans.

"I can't predict but I can imagine that it could make our life difficult," he said.

His captain Heiko Westermann, however, thinks that could be to Schalke's advantage.

"They have to act, they have to create pressure and that could work for us," said Westermann, whose team has excelled at counterattacking.

Another loss could threaten van Gaal's job. Criticism of the Dutchman has been growing in recent weeks and many commentators have pointed out that his predecessor, Juergen Klinsmann, had more points at home and in the Champions League at this stage last season than Bayern has now.

Coincidentally, Klinsmann got fired five games before the end of the last season after losing to Schalke 1-0 at home.

Van Gaal has not started two games with the same lineup and has repeatedly tinkered with the team's formation as he struggles to find a winning formula.

The game in Munich will also feature Schalke goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, who was the target of an unsuccessful transfer bid by Bayern in the offseason. Bayern has said it remains interested in the goalkeeper, although it also does not expect Magath to release him.

Neuer insists the game has no special importance for him.

"The only thing special is that it's my 100th Bundesliga game," Neuer said.

-- Nesha Starcevic

AC Milan in need of win to overtake Sampdoria

MILAN — A resurgent AC Milan will aim to continue its rise up the Serie A table and move into third place with a win at Lazio on Sunday.

Leonardo's side seems to have overcome its mediocre early-season form and has won three of its last five league matches and drawn the other two to sit fourth with 19 points, two behind Sampdoria in third. Milan also leads its Champions League group ahead of Real Madrid, after beating the Spanish giant away and drawing 1-1 at home on Tuesday.

Inter Milan leads the Serie A table with 28, while Juventus is second, seven points behind.

"The spirit is always positive," Leonardo said. "And you can see that by the way (strikers) Alexandre Pato and Ronaldinho help the defense.

"We have to read the game better to be able to perform at our best for the whole 90 minutes. We have to become a more balanced team and know what we have to do throughout the match."

Milan's recent results have been boosted by a return to form by its key players. In attack, Ronaldinho and Marco Borriello are linking up well with Pato, while Alessandro Nesta has returned to command the defense.

World Cup winner Massimo Oddo has also been a steady presence in the back four, despite Milan's attempt to sell him during the offseason.

"We have won important points in the championship," Oddo said. "We have to keep going like this without lowering our standards. The fans can see how much effort we are putting in to playing our best. Sometimes things go wrong, but we always give our best."

Sampdoria, meanwhile, needs a convincing win away to Cagliari after only taking one point from the last two games.

Having been neck-and-neck with Inter over the first two months of the season, Luigi Del Neri's team has lost some momentum since the end of October.

The team lost 5-1 to Juventus and then still appeared shell-shocked in the next fixture, a 0-0 draw at home to Bari.

The result was overshadowed by a post-match outburst from Antonio Cassano, who threatened to leave the team after being whistled by his own fans.

In response, the club's supporters wrote an open letter to the volatile striker imploring him to remain with the club, something Del Neri is confident he will do.

"Antonio will stay with us," Del Neri said. "The fans must be happy with the way the team is playing. This is Serie A and they can't expect us to win every game. We are doing big things and have to continue down this path."

Inter hosts AS Roma, a team whose fans have protested about the team's performances. Roma sits 14th with 14 points.

Francesco Totti will again be absent with knee problems and coach Claudio Ranieri is well aware that his side is in desperate need of someone to lead from the front.

"Every time we create a chance and then miss it, it becomes more obvious that we need a striker," Ranieri said. "A coach has to be happy with the players he has, but we are conceding goals through tactical mistakes and a lack of concentration."

Also this weekend, it is: Atalanta vs. Juventus; Catania vs. Napoli; Bari vs. Livorno; Bologna vs. Palermo; Genoa vs. Siena; Parma vs. Chievo Verona and Udinese vs. Fiorentina.

-- Jeremy Inson

Lyon focuses on catching Bordeaux in French league

PARIS — Having joined Bordeaux in the Champions League knockout round after just four group games, Lyon now takes a break from European action to focus on wrestling the league title back from its French rival.

BELO HORIZONTE, Brazil — More than 40,000 Cruzeiro fans have bid farewell to retired Argentine defender Juan Pablo Sorin in a testimonial match against Argentinos Juniors.

Sorin played a half with each of his former clubs in Wednesday's match at Mineirao stadium in Belo Horizonte.

A veteran of two World Cups, Sorin announced he was ending his 15-year football career last July.

The 33-year-old also previously played for Juventus and Lazio in Italy, Barcelona and Villarreal in Spain, Paris Saint-Germain in France, Hamburg in Germany and River Plate in Argentina.

"It was a privilege," Sorin said. "I'm retiring from football with a lot of happiness."

Cruzeiro won Wednesday's match 2-1.

Ronaldo told to continue treatment 2 more weeks

MADRID — Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo will continue treating his injured right ankle for two more weeks, after consulting with his former specialist on Thursday.

Ronaldo, sidelined for nearly a month, met with Professor Niek van Dijk, the Netherlands specialist who treated the same ankle last year.

Van Dijk confirmed medical scans this week that showed no improvement in the ankle, and told Ronaldo he can't resume training yet but must continue treatment until more exams in two weeks.

Ronaldo injured the ankle in a Champions League match and aggravated it in a World Cup qualifier for Portugal on Oct. 10.

Suspect arrested in death of French soccer fan

ATHENS, Greece — Hector Cuper has officially taken over as coach of Greek league club Aris Thessaloniki.

The 54-year-old Argentine coach is replacing Iomar Mazinho, who was fired late last month after a series of poor results.

The Thessaloniki club is fifth in the 16-team league standings with 14 points, 11 behind leader Panathinaikos and second-place Olympiakos.

Cuper, who previously coached Inter Milan, Valencia and Mallorca, signed a contract for the rest of the season with an option for another year. No financial terms were announced.

Aris next plays on Saturday against Kavala, a club promoted to the top flight after 28 years in lower divisions.

Austrian goalkeeper Macho joins LASK

VIENNA — Austrian club LASK Linz says it has signed goalkeeper Jurgen Macho until the end of the season.

The 32-year-old Macho was without a club since leaving AEK Athens over the summer.

Macho, who has played 18 games for Austria's national team, had stints with Rapid Vienna, Sunderland, Chelsea and Kaiserslautern before moving to Greece in 2007.

Court suspends future Serie A television deal