Soccer Capsules: Mexico coach faces dilemma for next U.S. match
MEXICO CITY — One day after beating the United States in the Gold Cup final, Mexico coach Javier Aguirre already has a problem — figuring out who should play in next month's World Cup qualifier against the U.S.
Aguirre played a largely "B'' team in the Gold Cup, but the group performed better with each match and won 5-0 on Sunday for Mexico's first victory against the U.S. on American soil in 10 years.
Only goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa, striker Giovani Dos Santos, captain Gerardo Torrado and defender Jonny Magallon are likely to back up. And Magallon may only play if Barcelona's Rafael Marquez does not recover from injury.
"I respect what is said or written," Aguirre said after arriving home Monday. "But our objective of going to the World Cup with our best players is very clear. I don't know if this will be the base. I have time to think about it and analyze. We'll put out the players we think are best suited to getting three points off the United States."
Not one American starter from Sunday is likely to be in the lineup to play Mexico on Aug. 12 at Azteca Stadium in Mexico City. The U.S. has never won in Mexico.
Aguirre, like U.S. coach Bob Bradley, left most Europe-based players off the Gold Cup squad. The missing players included: Carlos Salcido and Javier Rodriguez (PSV Eindhoven), Ricardo Osorio (Stuttgart), Pavel Pardo (America) and Aaron Galindo (Guadalajara). Guillermo Franco (Villarreal) was also left off the team, but called up after Omar Arellano was injured.
"I remember having read — and I hated it — that this was a 'B' team. And now it might be the base," Aguirre said.
Nestor de la Torre, the director of national teams, is expected to announce Wednesday the squad that will face United States. Aguirre said the team would have a week to practice together.
"It's important the players are training together seven days before the match," Aguirre said. "You must understand, this is more than a game. These are three very important points."
Once the undisputed regional power, Mexico is struggling to reach next year's World Cup in South Africa.
Midway through the final round of qualifying for the North and Central American and Caribbean region, Costa Rica leads with 12 points, followed by the United States with 10, followed by Honduras (7), Mexico (6), El Salvador (5) and Trinidad and Tobago (2).
The top three teams qualify automatically, and the fourth meets the fifth-place team from South America in a playoff for another berth.
MLS
Houston to host 2010 MLS All-Star Game
PARK CITY, Utah — Major League Soccer has picked Houston to host the 2010 All-Star Game.
MLS commissioner Don Garber made the announcement Monday after a news conference previewing this year's game, which will take place Wednesday outside Salt Lake City. The MLS team will play Premier League club Everton.
Garber says the league will stick with the current format of the select MLS players taking on an international club. Next year, it might be a team from Mexico.
Houston Dynamo president Oliver Luck says the game could be played in either Robertson Stadium, where the Dynamo play their home games, or Reliant Stadium, home of the NFL's Houston Texans.
Lifetime ban rescinded for Beckham fan
CARSON, California — The Los Angeles Galaxy fan who jumped onto the field during an ill-tempered exchange between David Beckham and the home crowd has had his lifetime ban from the stadium rescinded Monday.
The unidentified Galaxy supporter leaped from the Riot Squad fan section onto the field at halftime of Beckham's return to the Galaxy on July 19 for a friendly against AC Milan. Beckham made what appeared to be an inciting gesture — but which might actually have been an invitation for a handshake — at the booing fans, who resent the superstar's reluctant return to Los Angeles after playing with AC Milan.
Beckham himself was involved in discussions surrounding the incident and advocated for the ban to be rescinded, according to a person with knowledge of the situation who was not authorized to speak publicly and requested anonymity.
Katie Pandolfo, the Home Depot Center's general manager, said the Galaxy asked the stadium complex's management to reconsider the ban, noting Beckham shared responsibility for the fan's actions.
"When David Beckham motioned to the fan to come down to the field to shake his hand, he was unaware of the stadium's policies regarding fans who enter the field of play," Pandolfo said in a statement. "Therefore, we have decided to remove the life ban issued to the individual."
Beckham pointed and shouted at the fans on his way to the locker room, and even appeared ready to jump over the advertising boards before several layers of security blocked Beckham and subdued the fan. Beckham was fined $1,000 by Major League Soccer last Friday.
Beckham agreed to a 5-year contract with the Galaxy in July 2007, but has played irregularly for one of MLS' least successful clubs. He angered Los Angeles fans earlier this year with his desire to stay in Italy beyond March, when his loan to AC Milan was intended to end.
MLS made a deal to keep Beckham in Italy until the end of the Serie A season, where the level of play likely makes him a better candidate for a spot on England's national team. Upon his return to California, Beckham dealt with derogatory comments about his leadership by high-scoring teammate Landon Donovan, who was quoted in a book about Beckham's stint in Los Angeles.
An administrator on the Riot Squad's Web site has expressed why the section boos the world's most popular player in a statement posted on its message board.
"We were really torn between our desire to support the team and the need to register our disappointment with the entire Beckham circus," the administrator wrote. "We don't fault David for his desire to play for his country and for playing abroad during the offseason, but we do find fault with his stated desire to play in Europe rather than (with) the Galaxy."
The Galaxy will face FC Barcelona on Saturday night at the Rose Bowl, with more than 70,000 tickets already sold for the friendly. Los Angeles' next MLS match at the Home Depot Center is Aug. 15 against the Seattle Sounders.
-- Greg Beacham
Elsewhere
Liverpool owners repay debt as loan talks continue
LONDON — Liverpool's American owners have reduced the club's debt to 250 million pounds ($412 million) as negotiations continue over a refinanced long-term loan with Royal Bank of Scotland, an executive familiar with the talks said Monday.
Tom Hicks and George Gillett Jr. have paid back 40 million pounds on the loan used to purchase the club and are expected to pay a further 20 million pounds in the coming months to get the debt down to 230 million pounds, the executive told The Associated Press. He was speaking on condition of anonymity because the talks over a refinanced loan were still ongoing.
He said Liverpool managing director Christian Purslow, who also works for private equity firm MidOcean Partners, is in talks this week with RBS about a new long-term financial package.
The American duo were granted a re-negotiated loan of 350 million pounds in January 2008 from the Royal Bank of Scotland and Wachovia, but had only been using 290 million pounds by the time the terms expired over the weekend.
Hicks and Gillett bought Liverpool in 2007 for 174 million pounds, taking on 44.8 million pounds of liabilities. They have been criticized by fans for burdening the club with so much debt.
RBS received complaints from fans about their ongoing support of the owners, and the bank took the unusual step last month of reassuring fans about the club's financial health in an e-mail.
RBS is now Britain's biggest government-controlled bank as a result of an industry bailout last year. One major fans' group led calls for the bank to pull the plug on the owners' loan since taxpayers had effectively bailed out RBS.
Liverpool made a profit of 10.2 million pounds in the financial year ending July 2008. However, parent company Kop Football (Holdings) Ltd. posted a loss of 42.6 million pounds, mainly due to interest payments totaling 36.5 million pounds.
Liverpool also has less debt than the other so-called "big four" teams in the Premier League.
Champion Manchester United, which is owned by the American Glazer family, has debts of more than $1 billion, Chelsea's obligations to owner Roman Abramovich from his interest-free loans are more than $560 million, while Arsenal's debt has soared to some $525 million.
In the run-up to the new deal, Hicks and Gillett have been shoring up their financial positions in North America.
Gillett sold the Montreal Canadiens ice hockey team, the Gillett Entertainment Centre and the Bell Centre back to the Molson family for a reported $580 million.
Hicks is looking to sell Major League Baseball team Texas Rangers, but intends to keep the National Hockey League's Dallas Stars. The holding company that owns the teams recently defaulted on about $525 million in loans.
-- Rob Harris
Crouch joins Spurs; reunites with Defoe, Redknapp
LONDON — Peter Crouch signed for Tottenham on Monday to renew his strike partnership with Jermain Defoe and link up with manager Harry Redknapp from their time at Portsmouth.
Pompey had to sell the 28-year-old Crouch to meet debt repayments and allow a Middle Eastern businessman to complete his takeover of the Premier League club.
Spurs will pay a reported nine million pounds ($14.8 million), three million pounds less than Sunderland was offering until Crouch backed out of the deal because he didn't want to move to the north east of England. The length of the Spurs deal wasn't announced.
Unless Spurs can sell Darren Bent, Crouch's arrival is likely to end the pursuit of Real Madrid striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar. Redknapp has previously said he could only afford to sign one of the two players.
The 2.01-meter (6-foot-7) Crouch was previously at Spurs but failed to make the first team and left in 2000. He has also played at Queens Park Rangers, Aston Villa, Norwich, Southampton and Liverpool.
Crouch scored 16 goals in his one season at Pompey — the same number he has scored for England since making his debut in 2005. By reuniting with the diminutive Defoe, the pair could boost their chances of playing key roles for England at the 2010 World Cup.
"Crouchy is a great player and he is someone who will score goals," Defoe said. "We play a bit differently away from home and I think bringing Crouchy in will help us. Sometimes you get difficult games and teams put you under pressure. You can't play football and sometimes you have to go long and be more direct.
"If you look at Crouchy's size and presence, he allows you to do that."
Crouch is the latest high-profile player to leave Pompey in the past 12 months, following Lassana Diarra (Real Madrid), Glen Johnson (Liverpool) and Defoe.
Sulaiman al-Fahim's proposed takeover of Portsmouth was approved by the Premier League last week, but the United Arab Emirates businessman is still completing the buyout.
"We are sorry to see Peter go, both as a player and a person, and would like to thank him for playing a key role in keeping the club in the Premier League last season," Pompey said in a statement. "His sale was necessitated by the club's commitment to repay scheduled debts while we are in the transitional period of completing the takeover.
"We will now be looking to add fresh faces to the first-team squad as soon as possible."
Tottenham is currently in Beijing to play in the Asia Trophy preseason tournament.
-- Rob Harris
Zlatan Ibrahimovic signs 5-year Barcelona contract
BARCELONA, Spain — Zlatan Ibrahimovic signed a five-year contract with Barcelona after passing a medical test on Monday.
The Sweden striker completed the Spanish champions' most expensive transfer, a €46 million ($65.6 million) move from Inter Milan. He was presented to more than 40,000 fans at Camp Nou stadium wearing the No. 9 Barcelona jersey.
The 27-year-old Ibrahimovic is contracted at Barcelona through to 2014. He has a buy-out clause at €250 million ($357 million).
Barcelona's Cameroon striker, Samuel Eto'o, is set to join Inter as part of the deal, while Belarus midfielder Aleksandr Hleb will go on loan to the Italian club for one season.
"I haven't come to replace Eto'o because I'm a very different player," Ibrahimovic said. "I'm going to work to the maximum to demonstrate you haven't made a mistake in signing me. Thanks to Inter Milan for allowing me to sign for Barcelona. This is a very big day for me."
Barcelona said Ibrahimovic has a broken finger on his left hand and will require surgery. The injury happened during Inter's last friendly, against Chelsea in Los Angeles last week.
"It will require setting surgically, which will be done tomorrow at noon," technical secretary Txiki Beguiristain said.
Ibrahimovic became Barcelona's third signing this summer as part of coach Pep Guardiola's bid to strengthen a team that last season won an unprecedented treble of Spanish, Champions League and Copa del Rey titles.
The other two new players are both from Brazil — Maxwell also moved from Inter, while Keirrison signed from Palmeiras.
Ibrahimovic moved from Ajax to Juventus in 2004 before spending the next three seasons at Inter, leading Serie A in scoring with 25 goals as the Nerazzurri won a fourth straight league title last season.
Ibrahimovic, who is of Bosnian and Croatian ancestry, never hid his desire to leave Italian football.
"When did I start thinking about moving somewhere else? In December, before Christmas," he reportedly said. "The more I saw Barcelona play, the more I wanted to leave. I was fed up of Italy, of Milan, of your football: you play badly, there's too much stress."
Ibrahimovic had also posted "Time to learn Spanish" on his Twitter page.
Luciano Moggi, Juventus' former director who signed Ibrahimovic from Ajax, said Inter have all but handed the Scudetto to Juve.
"Inter have committed suicide by selling Ibrahimovic," Moggi said. "They have sold their leader. Eto'o is a great player, but he is a player that does well when the team is doing well. Ibrahimovic can make the difference even when a team is playing badly."
CAS clears 2 Italians in case of missed drug tests
LAUSANNE, Switzerland — Sport's highest court cleared Italian footballers Daniele Mannini and Davide Possanzini on Monday after they were late for post-match doping tests.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport said the players were late because their coach was lecturing them following a defeat and therefore did not refuse the tests, dismissing an appeal by the World Anti-Doping Agency for worldwide bans of up to two years.
The ruling frees the players to continue their careers after a complex case that outraged the Italian football community when the players were given one-year bans at an earlier CAS hearing.
Those bans were temporarily lifted — and the case reopened — when the Italian football federation provided new evidence.
In its ruling Monday, the CAS said the Brescia players were summoned by their coach and president after losing a Serie B game to Chievo Verona in December 2007.
"Therefore, the panel concludes that the players cannot be deemed to have refused or failed to submit to sample collection under Article 2.3 (of the WADA code)," the court said.
"Through no fault or negligence of their own, the players themselves had no more than an 'impressionistic' view of what their exact duties were in terms of reporting immediately to the control station."
WADA president John Fahey said the agency respected the court's decision, though the case was a "strong reminder" that rigorous testing protocols were needed to prevent samples being altered.
"It is scientifically proven that it may take only a few minutes to manipulate a sample, mask the presence of a prohibited substance or the use of a prohibited method, or alter with the testing process," Fahey said in a statement.
Mannini and Possanzini were initially cleared by the Italian football federation, then banned for 15 days by the Italian Olympic committee in March 2008.
WADA appealed that ruling as too lenient and CAS imposed one-year bans in January, even while acknowledging that the players were not at significant fault.
The Italian football world rallied in support behind Mannini and Possanzini. All Serie A and B matches the next weekend were delayed by 15 minutes in protest, and FIFA president Sepp Blatter also expressed his backing.
The 33-year-old Possanzini, one of Brescia's top strikers, said he feared the ban could end his career. Mannini, a 25-year-old winger, has joined Sampdoria after playing for Napoli in Serie A last season.
The Italian federation provided new evidence in March with a more detailed explanation of what happened in the Verona stadium.
CAS said Monday it now found that the players spent 10 to 25 minutes in the dressing room before going to the doping control, and did not realize that being out of sight of drug testers was a potential violation.
The panel of three lawyers decided that the 15-day suspensions already served were sufficient.
It's the second court defeat for WADA in cases regarding Italian football this year. In March, CAS dismissed the agency's appeal to extend a one-month suspension for former Reggina defender Nicolo Cherubin after he missed a post-match test.
-- Graham Dunbar
Maradona: Messi reminds me of me
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — Argentina coach Diego Maradona says Lionel Messi's importance to the national team is reminiscent of himself.
"Messi is my Maradona. There is no other player more important than Messi," Maradona said in Monday's edition of sports newspaper Ole. "I could say that in my team, there is Messi and 10 others."
Messi, one of the best players in the world, has never performed as well with Argentina as he has with Barcelona, which won an unprecedented triple of Champions League, Spanish league and Copa Del Ray titles last season.
"I love working with him," Maradona said. "He makes everything seem easy. He's got the ball stuck to his foot, part of his body. It's like, here comes his foot and the ball as well. This is something I haven't seen in any other player, and I've seen lots of players."
Maradona joked that the Barcelona star is so famous now, he can't be bothered to return his calls.
"He's impossible to reach," Maradona said. "It's easier to speak with (U.S. President Barack) Obama than with Leo."
Argentina hosts Brazil on Sept. 5 in a crucial World Cup qualifier. Brazil leads South American qualifying with 27 points. Argentina is in fourth place with 22. Only the top four teams automatically reach next year's tournament in South Africa. The fifth-place team faces a playoff with the No. 4 side from the North, Central and Caribbean region to advance.
Argentina also has qualifying games remaining with Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay.
"We have four very tough games, but we are aiming at the Brazilians. Brazil is the team to bring down," Maradona said. "(Brazil is) a team that plays well, that has talent, that has luck, and that has played so well for so long that it has many World Cups.
"But we are Argentina — you can't forget that!"
Maradona again suggested it was unlikely that playmaker Juan Ramon Riquelme would be re-called to the team.
The 31-year-old Riquelme retired from international football in March, saying he and Maradona did not get along. Maradona had criticized Riquelme's play and overlooked him for several friendlies after being selected as coach in November.
Julio Grondona, the head of the Argentine football federation, has tried to intervene and bring Riquelme back on the team.
However, Maradona said the siuation is "closed, although nothing is definite."
"But Riquelme has many things to explain to the players and staff," Maradona added.
Eto'o joins Inter as Ibrahimovic joins Barcelona
MILAN — Samuel Eto'o moved to Inter Milan on Monday in a deal that took Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the opposite direction to Barcelona.
Eto'o signed a five-year contract with the Italian champions after passing a medical, as Ibrahimovic was being paraded at the Camp Nou stadium in a transfer that will cost Barcelona €46 million (US$65.6 million).
Belarus midfielder Alex Hleb will also be joining Inter on a one-season loan move.
"I made history at Barcelona, but that chapter is over," said Eto'o, who will be presented as an Inter player on Tuesday. "At Inter, I am starting a new chapter and starting from zero. I am happy with this new adventure and hope everything goes well.
"I won a lot at Barcelona and now I hope to do so in these colors."
The 28-year-old Eto'o helped Barcelona win the 2006 and 2009 Champions League, scoring in both finals.
Inter coach Jose Mourinho was brought in a year ago with the goal of helping the team win its first European Cup since 1965, but Eto'o warned his new club not to focus too much on the Champions League.
"I know that Inter is desperate to win the Champions League, but you can't only think about that cup," he said. "Because if you are too focused on the Champions League, you forget about the other competitions and then you run the risk of being knocked out of European competition.
"You need to take it match by match and treat them all as a final."
Ronaldo sidelined for a month with broken hand
SAO PAULO — Ronaldo will be sidelined at least a month after breaking his hand in a league match over the weekend.
Doctors said Monday the Brazilian forward broke two bones in his left hand after a fall 20 minutes into Corinthians' 3-0 loss to Palmeiras on Sunday. Ronaldo could miss up to eight Brazilian league matches because of the injury.
Corinthians doctor Paulo de Faria says Ronaldo will miss four to five weeks because of the injury, and further exams would determine whether surgery was needed.
"The hand is still very swollen," Faria said. "We will have to conduct more exams. The recovery time with or without surgery is the same, but the surgery may be more effective."
Ronaldo, less than five months into a successful return from the third serious knee injury of his career, had to be replaced after falling at Prudentao Stadium in Presidente Prudente. Ronaldo was trying to dribble past Palmeiras midfielder Souza when he was bumped and lost his balance. He tried to soften his fall, but ended going down awkwardly on top of his hand.
Ronaldo stood up and left the pitch on his own, but was holding his hand in obvious pain. He later appeared near the field with his left arm supported by a brace.
Ronaldo entered Sunday's match as Corinthians' top player, having scored six goals in five matches. He was thriving in his comeback, and had already helped Corinthians win the traditional Sao Paulo state championship and the Brazilian Cup.
-- Tales Azzoni
Totti aiming to be Europe's leading scorer again
ROME — AS Roma captain Francesco Totti thinks he can recapture the Golden Boot as Europe's leading scorer in the upcoming season.
Totti scored 35 goals in 2006-07 to beat Real Madrid's Ruud van Nistelrooy by one goal for the award, as Roma finished second in Serie A.
"One of my objectives is to be the leading goalscorer," Totti told local press on Monday. "If I can play 38 games next season it is an aim I want to reach."
Totti struggled with knee problems last season and only played sporadically, but still scored 13 goals in 24 appearances. However, Roma missed out on a spot in the Champions League, and will instead play in the newly formed Europa League this season.
Roma plays KAA Gent from Belgium on Thursday in Rome in the third qualifying round for the competition.
"We hope to have a good game and get qualification out of the way quickly," the ANSA news agency quoted Totti as saying. "It won't be easy, but we will take on the Belgium team with the correct determination and the will to do well."
Santos signs former Brazil midfielder Emerson
SAO PAULO — Santos says it has signed former Brazil midfielder Emerson.
The Brazilian club says it reached a deal to acquire the veteran player late Sunday. Financial details and the length of the contract were not immediately released.
The 33-year-old Emerson was without a club since leaving AC Milan in April. The defensive midfielder is returning to Brazilian football after 12 seasons in Europe. He also played for AS Roma, Juventus, Real Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen.
Emerson played for Brazil in the 1998 and 2006 World Cups. He was the team's captain ahead of the 2002 tournament, but was dropped just before the competition began because of a shoulder injury.
Santos, coached by Vanderlei Luxemburgo, is 12th in the 20-team Brazilian league.
Former Brazil coach Leao fired as Sport coach
SAO PAULO — Former Brazil coach Emerson Leao has been fired as coach of Sport after less than two months in charge.
The announcement was made Monday, a day after Sport drew 3-3 with Nautico to extend its winless streak to four matches and leave the club in 17th place.
After that match, Leao criticized a club director and Sport president Silvio Guimaraes said that contributed to his dismissal.
Leao, a former Brazil goalkeeper who coached the national team in 2002, led Sport to three victories, two draws and five losses.
It was Leao's third stint at Sport, which last year won the Brazilian Cup and this year reached the Copa Libertadores round of 16.
Former Flamengo coach Cuca and former Santos coach Vagner Mancini are possible replacements.
2 killed in rioting at Honduran football game
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras — A fight between fans at a Honduran football game has left two people dead, including a 12-year-old boy.
Fire department chief Carlos Cordero says fans of the Olimpia and Motagua teams fought each other "with everything they had in their hands." The rioters also battled police who tried to restore order.
Gunfire rang out, killing the boy and a 35-year-old man. Sixteen people were injured, including six who were shot.
It was unclear what provoked the rioting Sunday night.
The violence erupted amid tensions over a June 28 military coup that ousted President Manuel Zelaya. There is no indication that the soccer riot had anything to do with politics.
J-League side JEF United fires Miller as coach
CHIBA, Japan — JEF United Chiba fired coach Alex Miller on Monday with the team 16th in the 18-team J-League.
The 60-year-old Miller will be replaced by 42-year-old assistant coach Atsuhiko Ejiri.
Miller joined Chiba in 2008 after nearly 10 years at Liverpool, where he had been working as a first-team coach since Rafael Benitez's appointment as manager before the start of the 2004 campaign.
Chiba has won four games, drawn seven and lost eight this season.
2011 WCup ticket sales to start Oct. 29
BERLIN — Organizers of the 2011 women's World Cup in Germany say ticket sales will start Oct. 29.
The organizing committee said Monday that the launch date for the first phase of sales was chosen to coincide with a Germany-United States match in Augsburg, one of the nine venues for the tournament.
About 1 million tickets will be available for the 32 World Cup matches. The tournament opens June 26, 2011 and ends July 17.
Tickets can be ordered through FIFA's Web site, www.fifa.com.
