Soccer Capsules: Altidore hits first EPL goal as Hull upsets Man City
HULL, England — U.S. forward Jozy Altidore scored his first Premier League goal Saturday as relegation-threatened Hull upset big-spending Manchester City 2-1.
The 20-year-old Altidore, playing his 18th Premier League match, scored in the 31st minute after being fed by Jan Venegoor of Hesselink on the edge of the penalty area and curling into the bottom corner past goalkeeper Shay Given. Altidore's only other goal for Hull came in the League Cup against Southend on Aug. 25, his second match after arriving on loan from Spain's Villarreal.
George Boateng made it 2-0 in the 54th. Emmanuel Adebayor scored five minutes later for City, which lost for the first time since Roberto Mancini replaced Mark Hughes as manager in December.
Altidore is set to make the American squad for the World Cup in South Africa, where the U.S. opens against England on June 12.
While Manchester City (11-4-8) is fighting for a berth in next season's Champions League, Hull (5-11-8) began the day 19th among 20 teams.
League News
Man United routs Pompey to go top; City loses
LONDON — Manchester United returned to the Premier League summit by routing bottom-place Portsmouth 5-0 on Saturday, while Manchester City lost 2-1 at relegation-threatened Hull.
Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov each scored for United, while three Portsmouth players scored own goals to add to the debt-ridden club's woes.
United will now hope Chelsea is beaten by third-place Arsenal on Sunday so the champions retain their one-point lead.
The top four regained a familiar look after Liverpool climbed to fourth with a 1-0 victory over Everton, while Tottenham drew 0-0 with Aston Villa and Man City lost.
At Old Trafford, Wayne Rooney headed in from close range from Darren Fletcher's cross and Portsmouth defender Anthony Vanden Borre turned in Nani's attempted cross just before halftime.
After the break, Michael Carrick's shot deflected in off Richard Hughes before Dimitar Berbatov tormented the Pompey defense and fired home the fourth. Mark Wilson became the third Pompey player to score an own goal to round off the miserable day for the visitors.
United's crosstown rival City slumped to its second league loss since Roberto Mancini replaced Mark Hughes as manager in December as Hull climbed out of the relegation zone.
United States forward Jozy Altidore scored his first Premier League goal at his 18th game and George Boateng volleyed in Hull's second. Emmanuel Adebayor's goal for City wasn't enough to spark a comeback, despite Patrick Viera coming on as a substitute to make his debut for the club.
"In the first half we didn't play very well. Hull were more aggressive and put us under pressure," Mancini said. "In the second half we played very well, for me. When we brought on Patrick Vieira and Adam Johnson, the game changed. If we play like we did in the second half, we can arrive in the top four — but not if we play like we did in the first."
At White Hart Lane, Spurs were angered by their failure to get a penalty when Stiliyan Petrov appeared to trip Jermain Defoe in the closing minutes.
"It looked like a penalty, but we got a good decision and we're happy," Villa defender Richard Dunne said.
Tottenham's failure to find a way past Villa goalkeeper Brad Friedel at White Hart Lane meant Liverpool's lunchtime victory kept the 18-time champions in fourth.
Following a lackluster start to the season, Liverpool has now collected 17 points from a possible 21 in the last seven matches.
Despite Everton defender Phil Neville clinging to him, Dirk Kuyt sent Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard's inswinging corner past goalkeeper Tim Howard from close range in the 55th minute for the game's only goal.
Liverpool was a man down from the 35th after Sotirios Kyrgiakos was sent off for a two-footed challenge on Everton midfielder Marouane Fellaini, who escaped punishment for stamping on the Greek defender in the same incident.
Everton winger Steven Pienaar was shown a second yellow card in the 90th for a light challenge on Gerrard, but the South African was fortunate not to be sent off in the first half for a foul on Javier Mascherano.
"Derbies are all about passion, commitment and fight, and we've beaten a good Everton side here with 10 men, so we should be proud and enjoy this," Gerrard said. "Our attitude prevailed, we stuck together and then took our chance when it came."
Burnley climbed out of the relegation zone and sent West Ham back into the bottom three with a 2-1 victory over the east London club.
Bolton is just one point above West Ham after drawing 0-0 with Fulham and Wigan is a further point ahead after holding Sunderland to a 1-1 draw.
-- Rob Harris
Barcelona beats Getafe 2-1 in Spanish league
MADRID — Real Madrid beat Espanyol 3-0 to stay in touch with Spanish league leader Barcelona, which beat Getafe 2-1 despite playing mostly with 10 men on Saturday.
Barcelona remains five points clear at the top with 55 points. Real Madrid was second on 50. Third-place Valencia beat Valladolid 2-0 earlier to reach 42 points.
Sergio Ramos put Real Madrid ahead in the sixth minute in Bernabeu Stadium, heading in Esteban Granero's pass.
Kaka scored the second in the 29th, sweeping the ball in after Carlos Kameni had saved Raul Gonzalez's header.
Gonzalo Higuain controlled a long pass to score in the 90th, after going on as a substitute.
"We played well, things are going well for me and for Real Madrid," said Kaka. "We just have to hope that Barcelona starts dropping points."
Raul partnered Karim Benzema in attack for most of the game and Madrid dominated throughout, rarely looking like conceding.
However, in the 23rd, Sergio Ramos left an Espanyol cross for his goalkeeper Iker Casillas, who had to save when Ferran Corominas charged in and got a foot to the ball.
Espanyol had difficulty handling Madrid's aerial game and Ramos nearly scored again in the 28th, rising to head Xabi Alonso's cross just wide of the left post.
Kameni then made a spectacular save from a powerful Raul header, before pushing a Granero free kick round the post. The lively Kaka struck the post on the hour as Madrid had a string of chances.
Lassana Diarra replaced Jose Maria "Guti" Gutierrez 20 minutes from the end and Higuain went on for Benzema in the 73rd.
At Camp Nou, Lionel Messi was in scintillating form as he scored and set up another goal.
Messi's 16th league goal of the season came in the sixth, curling in a shot with his left foot after Yaya Toure set him up from a corner.
In the 67th, Messi dribbled from the halfway line into the goalkeeper's area before laying the ball on for Xavi Hernandez to score.
After Rafael Marquez was sent off for bringing down Kepa Blanco, Roberto Soldado scored for Getafe with an injury-time penalty.
"It was an unusual game, we were a man down from the first half onward," said Barcelona's Gabriel Milito. "But we're happy with the result, despite the penalty at the end."
Messi nearly scored again in the 16th when he managed to control the ball yet could manage only a weak shot.
Two minutes later he threatened again after swapping passes with Maxwell and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, although goalkeeper Jordi Codina got a foot to his strike.
With the goal lead and control of possession, Barcelona looked comfortable. However, the champions suffered a setback in the 25th when defender Gerard Pique was ejected for a late tackle on Getafe's Rafael Lopez. Xavi Hernandez was booked for dissent after a lengthy protest by Barcelona's players.
With Getafe seeing more of the ball, Nicolas "Miku" Ladislao drew two fine saves in a row from Victor Valdes.
Barcelona struck back when Ibrahimovic rounded Codina and his goalbound shot from a tight angle on the right was just intercepted by Lopez.
Early in the second half Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola bolstered the midfield to make up for the numerical disadvantage, replacing Ibrahimovic, who has not scored in the last five league games, with Sergio Busquets.
Seydou Keita should have scored soon after, shooting wide after he went through with only Codina to beat from close range.
At Valencia's Mestalla Stadium, Ever Banega found space on the edge of the area and shot into the top left-hand corner in the eighth.
Banega was involved in the second goal, crossing to David Villa who found the net with a powerful header in the 30th.
Valencia always looked in control, with Jeremy Mathieu on the left flank unsettling the Valladolid defense early on. In the 17th, goalkeeper Justo Villar made a fine save from Juan Manuel Mata following a cross by the French defender. Mathieu then shot high a minute later.
Diego Costa was Valladolid's biggest threat and he stole the ball in the 58th following a defensive mix-up from Valencia and goalkeeper Cesar Sanchez was forced to run out to block.
Four minutes later Villa nearly scored his second, striking the post from Mata's pass.
On Sunday it's: Athletic Bilbao vs. Xerez; Malaga vs. Deportivo La Coruna; Osasuna vs. Tenerife; Mallorca vs. Villarreal; Zaragoza vs. Sevilla; Almeria vs. Sporting Gijon; and Racing Santander vs. Atletico Madrid.
-- Guy Hedgecoe
Palermo beats Parma 2-1 for 5th in the Serie A
JEREMY INSON,Associated Press Writer
MILAN (AP) — Palermo scored twice in the second half to beat Parma 2-1 and move past Juventus into fifth place in the Serie A on Saturday.
Juventus drew 1-1 away to Livorno and saw midfielder Felipe Melo sent off. Coach Alberto Zaccheroni has recorded two draws in two games since taking over from Ciro Ferrara, extending Juventus' run without a win to six games.
At Palermo, Edinson Cavani opened the scoring midway through the second half with a header before Jonathan Biabiany brought Parma level. With three minutes remaining, substitute Fabio Simplicio gave the Sicilian side the win.
"I'm delighted," Palermo coach Delio Rossi said. "Our desire never once dropped and we kept on till the end. Even when Parma equalized we didn't lose our heads and just tried to get back in the lead.
"It was an intense match but we deserved to win because we did more than Parma."
Livorno's Antonio Filippini gave the host the lead midway through the first half, but Nicola Legrottaglie equalized for Juventus three minutes before halftime.
"I'm happy to have scored, but overall I'm unhappy because we didn't win," Legrottaglie said. "It is a shame because we could have done more. It is 1-1, but it is more like a loss.
"When you haven't won in a while you can't just put things right," he added. "You need to build up again slowly."
Parma goalkeeper Antonio Mirante kept his side in the match when he saved a Fabio Miccoli penalty and stopped a free kick from the striker before the break.
Palermo took the lead in the 62nd. Miccoli whipped in a free kick and Cavani glanced a header into the top corner.
Parma equalized 10 minutes later. Daniele Galloppa found Biabiany and the midfielder beat Palermo stopper Salvatore Sirigu with a low shot.
With three minutes remaining Miccoli picked out Simplicio on the edge of the box and Simplicio fired in the winner.
Livorno took the lead in the 26th after a slow start. Luigi Vitale swung over a cross and Filippini beat Fabio Grosso to the ball and headed past Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon.
Juventus replied in the 42nd. Diego floated a free kick into the area and Legrottaglie rose highest to head past goalkeeper Rubinho at the near post.
After halftime Nico Pulzetti wasted a good chance when Filippini cut the ball back and the midfielder shot over from close range.
As the match came to a close, Juventus midfielder Melo was sent off for a second bookable offense.
-- Jeremy Inson
Rennes stuns leader Bordeaux 4-2 in French league
PARIS — Bordeaux's lead was cut to three points after it lost 4-2 to Rennes and Montpellier beat Boulogne 2-0 to consolidate second place in the French league on Saturday and increase the pressure on the defending champion.
Rennes hit Bordeaux on the fast break in the fourth minute when Jimmy Briand fed Sylvain Marveaux, who beat goalkeeper Cedric Carrasso with a low shot.
Bordeaux midfielder Alou Diarra picked up a thigh injury and was replaced in the 14th by Geraldo Wendel.
The Bordeaux defense was again exposed on a counterattack in the 17th and Jaroslav Plasil fouled Marveaux to give Rennes a penalty kick that Briand converted by sending Carrasso the wrong way.
Forward Ismael Bangoura made it 3-0 with a powerful strike in the 48th.
Yoan Gouffran pulled one goal back for Bordeaux in the 64th, heading in a free kick from Wendel.
When Wendel trimmed Rennes' lead to 3-2 with a free kick in the 69th, Bordeaux hoped it could salvage a point.
But Asamoah Gyan came off the bench to score an insurance goal for Rennes in the 78th. Gyan dribbled past a defender before curling in his ninth goal this season.
"We got off to a very bad start by conceding two goals quickly," Bordeaux forward Marouane Chamakh told Orange Sport television. "The pressure is increasing because our lead has shrunk."
Bordeaux has 48 points, Montpellier 45, and Lille 41 after drawing with Nice 1-1. Lyon and Monaco, with 39 each, could overtake Lille with wins on Sunday.
In Boulogne, Souleymane Camara volleyed home a cross from Cyril Jeunechamp in the 27th and forward Victor Hugo Montano notched his eighth goal this season to seal the win in stoppage time after a swift counterattack.
In Saturday's other games, it was: Grenoble 5, Auxerre 0; Paris Saint-Germain 0, Lorient 3; Sochaux 1, Nancy 1; and Lens 2, Le Mans 1.
In Nice, forward Chaouki Ben Saada scored with a header in the 16th for the host, but Tulio de Melo headed home a free kick by Ludovic Obraniak in the 74th to equalize for Lille.
In Grenoble, Danijel Ljuboja opened the scoring with a long-range shot after seven minutes to help the last-place team snap a four-game losing streak.
Nassim Akrour headed in a cross from midfielder Daisuke Matsui in the 10th to double the lead.
Matsui made it 3-0 with a header in the 36th before Akrour volleyed home from close range in the 42nd to add a fourth. Matsui put the result beyond doubt with a low strike in the 52nd.
Auxerre, which has 39 points, missed a chance to leapfrog Lille in the race for a European spot.
In Paris, Marama Vahirua put mid-table Lorient ahead with a penalty kick in the 24th.
Two minutes later, Kevin Gameiro played a one-two with Varihua before shooting past PSG goalkeeper Apoula Edima Edel to raise his season tally to nine goals.
Morgan Amalfitano rounded out the scoring with a lob in the 35th.
PSG's fourth straight loss dropped it to 15th place with 29 points and virtually ended its hopes of a European spot.
"It's a huge disappointment," PSG coach Antoine Kombouare told Europe 1 radio. "Our first half was a complete failure.
"We must stay united. We shouldn't panic but we must put ourselves into question."
In Sochaux, Stephane Dalmat leveled in the 52nd on a counterattack after Issiar Dia netted for Nancy in the 32nd with a drive in the top corner.
Nancy remained in 12th place with 31 points, level on points with Sochaux.
In Lens, striker Eduardo fed Kevin Monnet-Paquet, who fired home a low drive in the 29th.
Eduardo increased his team's lead in the 49th by cutting inside to curl a shot in.
Forward Modibo Maiga scored a consolation goal for Le Mans in the 83rd.
Le Mans remained in the relegation zone with 16 points while Lens moved into 14th place with 30 points.
On Sunday, Lyon visits Toulouse, Saint-Etienne hosts Monaco and Marseille faces Valenciennes.
-- Trung Latieule
Melbourne wins to go top of A-League
SYDNEY — Costa Rican international Carlos Hernandez scored two goals as the Melbourne Victory moved into first place in Australian football's A-League with a 2-0 win over the North Queensland Fury.
Hernandez's 66th-minute goal on a long-range free kick sealed the match and officially ended any chances North Queensland had of making the playoffs.
The win put the Victory three points clear of second-placed Gold Coast and five points ahead of Sydney, with Melbourne holding a superior goal difference.
Sydney will try to close the gap when it plays Perth later Sunday, as will Gold Coast when it takes on Wellington.
Melbourne's win came at a high cost, with defender Matthew Kemp suffering what appeared a serious knee injury set to rule him out of the club's A-League playoff campaign. The Socceroo defender was injured inside the first minute of the match, when his knee wobbled awkwardly in a tackle.
He left the field for treatment then attempted to play on before clutching his knee and leaving the pitch. He will have scans on Monday.
The defending champions are already without star striker Archie Thompson for a month with a broken bone in his foot, while skipper Kevin Muscat is missing for another week through suspension.
Victory coach Ernie Merrick said Kemp may require a full reconstruction.
"First impressions are he's done some damage to his anterior cruciate ligament," Merrick said. "It's not been a good week for us with injuries ... another top player who's had such a good year."
Adelaide United ended Brisbane Roar's finals hopes with a 2-0 win. Midfielders Fabian Barbiero and Lucas Pantelis scored in the seventh and 51st minutes to give Adelaide only its second win in its past nine games.
A match between Central Coast Mariners and the Newcastle Jets at Gosford, north of Sydney, was postponed due to heavy rain and wet pitch. It was rescheduled for Monday night.
AEK beats Xanthi 3-1
ATHENS, Greece — Ismael Blanco scored twice Saturday to help AEK Athens overcome an early deficit and beat visiting Xanthi 3-1 Saturday.
Leonardo scored AEK's other goal. Mugurel Buga had given Xanthi the lead.
The victory moved AEK to fourth place with 33 points after 21 games, 16 behind leader Panathinaikos, which visits Larissa Sunday, and ten behind Olympiakos and PAOK. Olympiakos hosts Levadiakos and PAOK plays at Iraklis, Sunday.
A defensive error allowed Buga to gain the ball in AEK's area, dribble past goalkeeper Sebastian Saja and score from a very tight angle in the 9th minute.
In the 17th, Blanco was brought down in Xanthi's area by goalkeeper Michael Gspurning and converted the penalty shot.
Leonardo gave AEK the lead in first half injury time with a header from close range off a cross by Rafik Djebbour.
Blanco scored his second goal, and AEK's third,in the 78th, following a swift AEK counterattack.
The game between host Aris Thesaloniki and Panthrakikos was suspended at the end of the first half when referee Christos Mitsios decided that the heavy rain had made the waterlogged field too slippery to play on.
Panthrakikos was leading 1-0 with a 42nd minute goal by Fotis Papoulis.
The second half will be played Sunday afternoon at the same place and time if the field's condition allows.
Also Saturday, Kavala beat Giannena 1-0.
On Sunday, it's Atromitos vs. Panionios and Ergotelis vs. Asteras.
Holder Rangers held by St. Mirren in Scottish Cup
GLASGOW, Scotland — Holder Rangers will have to replay its fifth-round Scottish Cup match against St. Mirren after being held to a 0-0 draw on Saturday.
Strikers Kris Boyd and Kenny Miller both made comebacks from injury for Rangers off the bench but couldn't find a decisive goal.
"It was a little bit frustrating but, trying to be as objective as I can, both teams deserve another crack at it," Rangers assistant manager Ally McCoist said. "There was not an awful lot between the sides, we knew it was going to be difficult."
"We didn't create as much as we hoped for but we're still in the cup, we've got two of our strikers back on the pitch and we have got to be reasonably happy."
Rangers will also play St. Mirren in the League Cup final on March 21 at Hampden Park.
Benfica four points clear after Setubal draw
LISBON, Portugal — Benfica moved four points clear of Braga at the top of the Portuguese league after drawing 1-1 at Setubal on Saturday.
Ricardo Silva's early goal for Benfica was equaled by David Luz in the 38th minute. Benfica could have taken three points after being awarded a penalty in injury time but Oscar Cardozo hit the bar.
Braga, with two games in hand, visits Belenenses on Monday.
Also on Saturday, fourth-place Sporting lost 2-1 to 11th-place Academica. The Lisbon team was on 27 points, 19 off the lead.
On Sunday it's: Olhanense vs. Nacional; Maritimo vs. Leiria; Rio Ave vs. Leixoes; Guimaraes vs. Pacos Ferreira; and FC Porto vs. Naval.
Euro 2012
Russia, Georgia, others to be kept apart at draw
WARSAW, Poland — Russia and Georgia and Armenia and Azerbaijan will be kept apart in the draw for the qualifying tournament for the 2012 European Championship, ensuring the former war foes will not play against each other in the qualifying stages.
The procedure for Sunday's draw specified that neither Russia or Georgia or Armenia and Azerbaijan can be drawn in the same group.
"It's precisely because we don't want to mix sport and politics," UEFA president Michel Platini said Saturday. "It's a very good decision."
Russia and Georgia fought a brief war in August 2008, while Armenia and Azerbaijan are in dispute over a contested enclave and have no diplomatic relations.
Armenia and Azerbaijan were drawn in the same qualifying group for Euro 2008 but did not play and Platini said then it was a mistake to have grouped them together.
"They didn't want to play each other and we did not want to have the same situation again," Platini said.
Armenia and Azerbaijan had back-to-back matches canceled in 2007 after the two failed to agree on a neutral venue. No points were awarded for the matches and both teams failed to qualify for Euro 2008 in Switzerland and Austria.
UEFA and FIFA, which run European and world football, said then they would try to keep nations with tense relations apart for future qualifying tournaments.
Armenia and Azerbaijan remain in dispute over the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, which is inside Azerbaijan but has been controlled — along with some surrounding areas — by local and Armenian forces since 1994.
Sunday's draw in Warsaw's imposing Palace of Culture and Sciences will divide the 51 teams in the running to qualify for the tournament into nine groups.
There will be six groups of six teams and three groups of five. The nine winners and the runner-up with the best record qualify directly for the final tournament. The remaining eight runners-up will go into a home-and-away playoff round that will be played in November 2011. Four teams in those playoffs will be seeded.
As co-hosts, Poland and Ukraine qualify for the tournament automatically.
"We are certain that we will have a very good European championship," Platini said of the tournament.
Although construction delays and other infrastructure problems have plagued preparations for the tournament in four Polish and four Ukrainian cities, Platini said the two host nations were "working well."
"There are things to improve but we still have two years to work and no major problems," he said. "There is a lot of enthusiasm and the Euro will be a success."
UEFA still hasn't decided on the venue of one quarterfinal in Ukraine because of delays in renovating airports and adding more hotel capacity, Platini said.
Platini said both Poland and Ukraine had been severely hit by the global economic downturn and that political instability compounded the problems in Ukraine.
"Maybe it will be easier after the (presidential) election," Platini said. The runoff ballot is Sunday, the day of the draw.
Qualifying for the tournament starts in September and runs until November 2011.
The draw ceremony will mark the 50th anniversary of the Soviet Union winning the first European championship and the scene fits the occasion. Once the tallest building in Europe, the Palace of Culture and Sciences was a gift of the Soviet Union to the people of Poland.
Former Polish stars Zbigniew Boniek and Andrzej Szarmach will help with the draw and will be joined by former Ukraine star Oleh Blokhin and striker Andriy Shevchenko.
The nine top-seeded teams are led by defending champion Spain, plus Germany, Netherlands, Italy, England, Croatia, Portugal, France and Russia.
-- Nesha Starcevic
Russia, Georgia, others to be kept apart at draw
WARSAW, Poland — Russia and Georgia and Armenia and Azerbaijan will be kept apart in the draw for the qualifying tournament for the 2012 European Championship, ensuring the former war foes will not play against each other in the qualifying stages.
The procedure for the draw was released on Saturday by UEFA and specified that neither Russia or Georgia or Armenia and Azerbaijan can be drawn in the same group.
Russia and Georgia fought a brief war in August 2008.
Armenia and Azerbaijan were drawn in the same qualifying group for Euro 2008 but did not play and UEFA president Michel Platini said then it was a mistake to have grouped them together.
The two countries have no diplomatic relations.
Armenia and Azerbaijan had back-to-back matches canceled in 2007 after the two failed to agree on a neutral venue. No points were awarded for the matches and both teams failed to qualify for Euro 2008 in Switzerland and Austria.
UEFA and FIFA, which run European and world football, said then they would try to keep nations with tense relations apart for future qualifying tournaments.
Armenia and Azerbaijan remain in dispute over the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, which is inside Azerbaijan but has been controlled — along with some surrounding areas — by local and Armenian forces since 1994.
France and Ireland together again?
WARSAW, Poland — UEFA president Michel Platini would like to see France play Ireland in qualifying for Euro 2012 and he got his wish — at least in the rehearsal for the draw ceremony.
Sunday's draw could end up with the two sides in the same group. France qualified for the World Cup after a now notorious hand ball by Thierry Henry set up William Gallas for the winner late in the decisive playoff against Ireland.
Frenchman Platini said he would sincerely love to see a rematch and revealed that the rehearsal for the draw Saturday put the teams in the same group.
World Cup
FIFA selects Henry hand ball referee for World Cup
ZURICH — FIFA has included Martin Hansson among 30 referees selected for the World Cup despite the Swede missing Thierry Henry’s hand ball during France’s decisive qualifier against Ireland in November.
One of Hansson’s assistants from the all-Swedish crew that officiated the France-Ireland playoff was omitted, Fredrik Nilsson, and replaced by Henrik Andren. The other assistant, Stefan Wittberg, will join Hansson at the World Cup.
Among those selected Saturday were Switzerland’s Massimo Busacca, voted best referee in 2009 by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics panel, and England’s Howard Webb.
No Americans officials were picked for the tournament, which is scheduled for June 11-July 11 in South Africa. Jair Marrufo of the United States had been on the provisional list of 38 referees announced in October 2008.
Also dropped from the provisional list was Norway’s Tom Henning Ovrebo, accused by Chelsea players and fans of making bad calls and missing penalties in the second leg of last season’s European Champions League semifinal, which saw Barcelona advance.
The four referees from North and Central America and the Caribbean are Benito Archundia and Marco Rodriguez of Mexico, Carlos Batres of Guatemala and Joel Aguilar of El Salvador.
Each referee will be accompanied by two linesmen after FIFA rejected the idea of additional officials at the tournament.
FIFA’s picks include 10 referees from Europe, six from South America, four each from Asia and Africa, and two from Oceania.
Nigeria fires soccer coach before World Cup
LAGOS, Nigeria — Nigeria has fired Shaibu Amodu following a disappointing African Cup of Nations, leaving the team without a head coach just months before the World Cup.
The Nigerian Football Federation said Saturday its short list of replacements includes Ratomir Dujkovic, Guus Hiddink, Bruno Metsu, Hassan Shehata, Peter Taylor and Louis van Gaal.
The candidates will be interviewed by the end of the month.
The Super Eagles lost to Ghana in the semifinals of the African Cup, then beat Algeria in the third-place match. Nigeria is in a World Cup group with Argentina, Greece and South Korea.
Pele: Ronaldinho should be on Brazil WCup team
RIO DE JANEIRO — Pele says he wants to see Ronaldinho on Brazil's national team when the World Cup begins in June.
The AC Milan playmaker hasn't been selected by Brazil coach Dunga since the beginning of 2009. But his recent good form has Brazilian fans calling for his return.
Others, however, says Brazil's current lineup with Kaka as the clear leader has it playing more as a team than in a disappointing 2006 World Cup — when the team lost in the quarterfinals.
But Pele said Saturday he thinks there is room on the team for many stars.
He says Ronaldinho, Kaka and Robinho playing together would be a potent combination. Robinho returned to Brazil last week to play for Santos in a bid to regain his form and seal a spot on Brazil's World Cup roster.
Elsewhere
Ferdinand sheds negative image to captain England
LONDON — Rio Ferdinand's appointment as England captain completes a long road to redemption for the player who once represented much that was wrong with the modern game.
In a turbulent start to the Manchester United defender's career, Ferdinand was exposed in newspapers for featuring on a sex tape with teammates, banned for drunken driving and suspended from soccer for eight months for forgetting to attend a drugs test.
That ban ruled Ferdinand out of the 2004 European Championship.
"I knew I had to change the opinions people had of me," the 31-year-old Ferdinand said.
Six years later, he's tasked with leading England at the World Cup in June after John Terry was sacked on Friday due to his own sex scandal.
"We are pleased for him and it's great for Manchester United to have one of our players captaining the country," United manager Alex Ferguson said Saturday. "Over the years we've had Gary (Neville), Bobby Charlton and Bryan Robson for 60-odd games or something so we're very proud of that."
Ferdinand has accepted he made mistakes growing up.
"I might make mistakes again in the future — but ones as costly as those in the past? I hope not," Ferdinand has said. "As a kid from West Ham, it's taken me some years to grow up enough to realize the responsibility that goes with being a professional footballer.
"I think I've grasped that now. Maturity is part of it. I've got a young family. I think everyone goes through ups and downs in their careers, and their lives. It's how you come out of it that matters."
Ferdinand survived growing up in the violent and deprived London suburb of Peckham, went through the youth system at West Ham, and made his full football debut in 1996.
The center back's form saw him become the youngest defender to play for England in 1997 before making the 1998 World Cup squad. But he did not play in France and missed out on a place in Kevin Keegan's Euro 2000 squad.
Leaving West Ham for Leeds in 2000 and the glitzy London nightlife helped him concentrate on football, but didn't prevent him making headlines for the wrong reasons.
A record British fee brought the defender to Man United from Leeds in 2002, but the following year he received the Football Association ban for "the failure or refusal by a player to submit to drug testing."
Ferdinand has reinvented himself, focusing on charitable work and being entrusted with the captain's armband both at United and first at England during manager Fabio Capello's drawn-out audition for the role in 2008, which Terry won.
"Being captain has had a big impact. I think people will think that the two managers of club and country would not make me captain if they didn't trust me or if they didn't think I'm responsible enough for it," Ferdinand has said. "That in turn leads people into believing that I am a reformed character."
Under the new tough regime introduced by Capello in 2008, it's unlikely England's World Cup preparations will feature a repeat of four years ago. Then, Ferdinand lived up to his reputation as a prankster by presenting a TV series, Rio's World Cup Windups, that duped England teammates, including an attempt to kidnap then-captain David Beckham.
Now Ferdinand is more likely to spend his time interviewing fellow sports stars like Usain Bolt for his digital magazine or raising money to build youth centers in deprived areas through his Live The Dream Foundation.
The perfect way Ferdinand can complete his turnaround is by becoming the first England captain to hoist the World Cup since 1966 and fostering team unity in the wake of the Terry scandal, which saw the defender accused of conducting an affair with teammate Wayne Bridge's former girlfriend.
Ferdinand's appointment also marks another milestone for English football, which was once blighted by racism, as he becomes the country's first permanent black captain.
But while Ferdinand has the job title, the biggest challenge is staying fit for South Africa.
Ongoing back problems have restricted Ferdinand to just two appearances after spending three months out, and he is serving a four-match ban for elbowing Hull's Craig Fagan.
The next chance for Ferdinand to prove his fitness will be at Capello's office, Wembley Stadium, where United plays Aston Villa on Feb. 28 in the League Cup final.
-- Rob Harris
Japan draws 0-0 with China in East Asian Champs
TOKYO — Japan goalkeeper Seigo Narazaki saved a penalty in the 80th minute to help earn a 0-0 draw against China on Saturday in the East Asian Championship.
China was awarded the penalty when defender Yuto Nagatomo handled the ball in the area, but Narazaki made a diving save on Rong Hao's spot kick.
Japan's best scoring chance came eight minutes into the second half when defender Atsuto Uchida hit the post with a right-footed blast from 10 meters.
Japan next faces South Korea on Feb 14. Both countries are using the tournament to assess domestic-based players ahead of the World Cup.
Earlier, Aya Miyama and Yukari Kinga scored in each half to lead Japan's women's team to a 2-0 win over China.
Miyama opened the scoring with a free kick in the 21st minute and Kinga doubled the lead midway through the second half when she chipped the ball past China's goalkeeper.
Japan, South Korea, China and Taiwan are taking part in the women's tournament.
Fabregas wants to return to Barcelona "one day"
BARCELONA, Spain — Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas has said he hopes to go back to his boyhood club Barcelona in the future.
The London team's captain told Catalunya Radio on Friday that he has never hidden the fact that "one day I will return to Barcelona."
Barcelona and Real Madrid are reportedly interested in signing the 22-year-old Spain international, although he insisted he is focusing on Arsenal's current campaign.
In the radio interview, Fabregas said he had visited Barcelona's Camp Nou Stadium since the age of nine months, before joining the club as a youth-team player.
Fabregas has scored 11 goals in 20 league appearances for Arsenal this season.
Platini shrugs off Terry problems
WARSAW, Poland — UEFA president Michael Platini says John Terry's loss of the England captaincy and his private life were of no interest to the other 50 nations assembled for the draw for the qualifying round of Euro 2012.
Platini dismissed suggestions Saturday that the headline-grabbing affair in England could overshadow Sunday's draw ceremony.
"England problems are not the problems of Italy or Cyprus. There are 50 other countries here, not only England," Platini said.
England coach Fabio Capello stripped Terry of the captaincy following allegations that Terry had an affair with the girlfriend of teammate Wayne Bridge.
Asked his personal opinion about Terry's conduct and the fallout from his behavior, Platini replied: "I couldn't care less."
TV presenter says Portugal coach attacked him
LISBON, Portugal — A television presenter says Portuguese national football coach Carlos Queiroz attacked him at Lisbon airport.
Jorge Baptista told Portuguese news agency Lusa that he was eating breakfast and talking on the phone on Saturday morning when Queiroz started verbally and then physically abusing him in front of other passengers. Both men were about to travel to Warsaw for Sunday's draw for the qualifying round of Euro 2012.
Former Manchester United assistant coach Queiroz acknowledged there was a disagreement although he insisted it was merely "a sharp exchange of words" which did not involve violence.
Sevilla president in hospital after bathroom fall
SEVILLE, Spain — The president of Sevilla football club, Jose Maria del Nido, has been taken to a hospital in Seville after an accident at home.
Del Nido, 52, struck his head after losing consciousness and falling over in the bathroom of his home in the Andalusian city, the club's Web site said Saturday. The injury was not serious and he recovered consciousness, it added.
Del Nido is now resting in the hospital and doctors recommended he should not travel to Zaragoza, where Sevilla will play a league game Sunday.
The Sevilla president said he has a small scar "but I feel fine."
Daniel Alves cleared to return for Barcelona
BARCELONA, Spain — Barcelona defender Daniel Alves has been cleared to play in Saturday's league match against Getafe after recovering from a leg injury.
The Brazil defender hurt his right leg in training last month and missed last weekend's 1-0 win at Sporting Gijon.
Barcelona holds a five-point lead over Real Madrid in the standings, with Madrid playing Espanyol on Saturday.
