Soccer Capsules: Marquez on Mexico roster to face Spain
MEXICO CITY (AP) — New Red Bulls defender Rafael Marquez is among 13 World Cup players picked by Mexico for Wednesday's exhibition against Spain at Azteca Stadium.
Marquez, the Mexican captain, left Barcelona and signed with New York this week.
Interim coach Enrique Meza also selected new Manchester United forward Javier Hernandez along with two other Premier League strikers: Giovani dos Santos of Tottenham and Carlos Vela of Arsenal.
Meza did not call up a single player from Chivas Guadalajara, which plays Wednesday in the first leg of the Copa Libertadores final, Latin America's biggest club tournament.
The roster: Goalkeepers: Jesus Corona (Cruz Azul), Guillermo Ochoa (America), Defenders: Paul Aguilar (Pachuca), Leobardo Lopez (Pachuca). Rafael Marquez (New York, U.S.), Hector Moreno (AZ Alkmaar, Netherlands), Fausto Pinto (Cruz Azul), Francisco Rodriguez (PSV Eindhoven, Netherlands), Carlos Salcido (PSV Eindhoven, Netherlands); Midfielders: Pablo Barrera (West Ham, England), Jonathan Dos Santos (Barcelona, Spain), Andres Guardado (Deportivo La Coruna, Spain), Efrain Juarez (Glasgow Celtic, Scotland), Gerardo Torrado (Cruz Azul); Forwards: Giovani Dos Santos (Tottenham, England), Enrique Esqueda (America), Elias Hernandez (Morelia), Javier Hernandez (Manchester United, England), Carlos Vela (Arsenal, England).
Del Bosque picks 18 World Cup players for Mexico
MADRID (AP) — Spain coach Vicente del Bosque picked 18 of his 23 World Cup champions for next week's exhibition at Mexico, dropping Andres Iniesta and Fernando Torres.
Del Bosque will bring 21 players to Mexico for Wednesday's game, Spain's first as World Cup champion. Del Bosque included seven players from Barcelona, a group that hasn't returned to training since the World Cup final on July 11 and is not with the club on its Asian tour. That prompted an angry response from the Catalan club.
Iniesta, Torres, goalkeeper Pepe Reina and defender Raul Albiol were omitted because of injury concerns, while midfielder Javi Martinez is playing with Spain's Under-21 team.
Torres is recovering from a thigh injury sustained in the closing moments of the 1-0 final win over the Netherlands. Iniesta, who scored the winning goal, was left off for precautionary reasons after arriving in South Africa with a thigh muscle worry.
"It's a special case," Del Bosque said. "We preferred he joined his club without problem."
Santi Cazorla, part of Spain's European Championship-winning team two years ago, was called in along with Osasuna defender Ignacio Monreal and Villarreal midfielder Bruno Soriano. Bruno was the only first-time callup.
Del Bosque brushed off concerns over the health of Barcelona's players, who return from Mexico to play Sevilla in the first leg of the Spanish Supercup match on Aug. 14.
Forwards David Villa and Pedro Rodriguez, midfielders Xavi Hernandez and Sergio Busquets, defenders Gerard Pique and Carles Puyol and goalkeeper Victor Valdes all will be at Azteca Stadium despite not having trained since the World Cup.
"We're considerate enough to the demands of all the clubs, but that's not motive enough," Del Bosque said. "We want to maintain a consistent list following the World Cup. They'll be there on the 12th, all in good physical shape. I think they will be able to do it all."
Barcelona sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta called the decision to call up his players an "extraordinarily negative" one.
"It'll be the first time in history that players still on holiday will have been called up," Zubizarreta said. "Logic would say they are not in a situation to make such a great effort and such a long trip."
Albiol's absence left Real Madrid with four players in the team: captain Iker Casillas, defenders Sergio Ramos and Alvaro Arbeloa, and midfielder Xabi Alonso. They already are in California with Real Madrid for Saturday's exhibition against the Los Angeles Galaxy at the Rose Bowl.
Del Bosque also thought Spain's $9,650 fine for five yellow cards incurred in the final was exaggerated. The Dutch federation has to pay $14,480 after eight of its players received bookings in the physical game.
"We tried to play as cleanly as possible as we did throughout the World Cup," Del Bosque said from the team's Las Rozas headquarters.
Most of Spain's players travel to Mexico on Monday. La Furia Roja have two losses in their last 55 games, to the United States in the 2009 Confederations Cup and to Switzerland in their World Cup opener this year.
Spain begins its Euro 2008 defense at Liechtenstein on Sept. 3, then has an exhibition four days later at Argentina.
The roster: Goalkeepers: Iker Casillas (Real Madrid), Victor Valdes (Barcelona); Defenders: Alvaro Arbeloa (Real Madrid), Joan Capdevila (Villarreal), Carlos Marchena (Villarreal), Ignacio Monreal (Osasuna), Gerard Pique (Barcelona), Carles Puyol (Barcelona), Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid); Midfielders: Xabi Alonso (Real Madrid), Sergio Busquets (Barcelona), Santi Cazorla (Villarreal), Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal, England), Xavi Hernandez (Barcelona), Bruno Soriano (Villarreal); Forwards: David Silva (Manchester City, England), Juanma Mata (Valencia), Jesus Navas (Sevilla), Fernando Llorente (Athletic Bilbao), Pedro Rodriguez (Barcelona), David Villa (Barcelona)
-- Paul Logothetis
U.S. Soccer
Altidore & Gonzalez in; Jones & Marshall out
CHICAGO (AP) — Villarreal forward Jozy Altidore and Los Angeles Galaxy defender Omar Gonzalez have been added to the U.S. roster for Tuesday's exhibition against Brazil in place of Schalke midfielder Jermaine Jones and Columbus defender Chad Marshall.
Jones had been set to make his U.S. debut after playing three exhibitions for Germany and being approved for a switch last year by FIFA. The U.S. Soccer Federation said Thursday that after accepting the invitation, he decided to remain with his club ahead of its opener at Hamburg on Aug. 21. Jones missed last season because of a shin injury.
"I would like to thank Bob Bradley and the U.S. federation greatly for my first official invitation," Jones said in a statement released by his agent. "It is an honor that I have been working towards for over a year, and while I initially felt like I was ready to make my first appearance, it is also extremely important to me that I am 100 percent fit for my first national team game and that I make a good impression on the manager and my teammates.
"I hope to receive another invitation and finally fulfill my goal of playing with the U.S. national team in the very near future."
Gonzalez, last year's Major League Soccer rookie of the year, could make his international debut.
Altidore, who has nine goals in 29 appearances, returned to Spain's Villarreal this week after being loaned to Hull last season.
Ticket sales for the match at the New Meadowlands Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., have topped 58,000 for the match, the first for both nations on the road to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
Ferreira helps FC Dallas to 2-2 draw with Inter
FRISCO (AP) — David Ferreira converted a penalty in the 75th minute as FC Dallas salvaged a 2-2 draw with Inter Milan in a friendly match Thursday, the last match in the Italian club's North American tour under new coach Rafael Benitez.
Italian and European champion Inter took the lead in the 25th minute via Milito's header from 12 yards.
George John made it 1-1 with a headed in a low cross in the in the 42nd.
Samuel Eto'o scored from 30 yards in the 63rd to again put Inter in front, but Dallas was given the chance to equalize when Jeff Cunningham was dragged down in the area by Marco Materazzi.
Ferreira drove the penalty into the upper right corner past Julio Cesar.
In the first two stops on the tour, Inter beat Manchester City 3-0 in Baltimore and lost to Greek champion Panathinaikos 3-2 in Toronto.
Morelia beats Dynamo to reach SuperLiga finals
HOUSTON (AP) — Miguel Sabah scored in the 47th minute as Monaracas Morelia beat Houston Dynamo 1-0 on Thursday night to advance to the SuperLiga finals.
Morelia will face New England, which defeated Puebla on penalties after their semifinal ended 1-1, in the championship match in the last week of August.
The Dynamo had chances to score at the end of each half, with Cam Weaver's header hitting the post to end the first half and Lovel Palmer's shot from 22 yards just missing to the right in second half stoppage time.
Forward Gordon traded from L.A. Galaxy to Chivas USA
CARSON, Calif. (AP) — The Los Angeles Galaxy has traded forward Alan Gordon to Chivas USA in exchange for allocation money.
Gordon was the Galaxy's longest-tenured player, having spent seven years with the club. He had 16 goals and 12 assists in 99 regular-season games, while playing in nine postseason games during that time.
Gordon had one goal in 12 games this season.
Martino to host new show on Fox Soccer Channel
NEW YORK (AP) — Retired Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder Kyle Martino has been hired by Fox Soccer Channel as host of "Soccer Talk Live," a new show that debuts Aug. 16 and will attempt to draw fans of the sport and pop culture.
The talk show takes over the Monday evening time slot vacated with the cancellation this summer of "Fox Football Fone-In," which featured former U.S. national team star Eric Wynalda.
Martino, who broadcast for ESPN Radio during the World Cup, said FSC had committed to 42 hour-long segments of the new show. He said it will attempt to meld together hard-core soccer supporters who watch every Premier League game with viewers interested both in Lindsay Lohan and Portugal and Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo.
"Soccer is that underground, gaining momentum, that buzz, that cool thing," he said. "The trick for us is going to be to find the show that can marry the commonalities."
He envisioned the format including elements of "The Daily Show," ''The Best Damn Sports Show" and "SportsNation."
U.S. national team and Galaxy star Landon Donovan is scheduled to be the first guest. The show is scheduled to run into May.
Martino had eight appearances for the United States and played for Columbus and the Galaxy from 2002-07.
"This is the first move for Fox to say we want to create something that will compete with the ESPNs of the world," Martino said.
-- Ronald Blum
Silverdome says yes to vuvuzelas for soccer match
PONTIAC, Mich. (AP) — Officials are turning the former home of the Detroit Lions into a horn aplenty.
Venue spokesman John Mozena said Thursday vuvuzelas will be allowed inside the Pontiac Silverdome for Friday's match between club teams AC Milan of Italy and Panathinaikos FC of Greece.
The stadium's owner had asked fans whether they wanted to let the buzzing horns inside. But despite polling that ran about 60-40 against, Mozena says "the numbers were a lot closer than we had expected" so officials decided to "give it a try."
The constant drone of vuvuzelas during this summer's World Cup matches in South Africa was a source of annoyance to broadcasters and players alike.
League News
Chelsea leads contenders in open league title race
LONDON (AP) — Chelsea faces what could be the most open Premier League for years when it tries to hold on to the title it won by just a single point last season.
The Blues are favorites but their near decade-long status as the biggest spender in football's richest league has been surpassed by Manchester City's reaction to last season's failure to reach the Champions League.
City looks set to be a contender after spending about 80 million pounds ($127 million) to bolster its squad and take its spending in two years past 300 million pounds ($477 million).
Manchester United has signed Mexico striker Javier Hernandez after finishing second last season and Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger says his young side is finally ready to challenge for the title.
"The Premier League has got progressively harder to win," United striker Wayne Rooney said. "In previous seasons, you might have had straightforward games where the top clubs could afford to rest players, but that's not the case anymore.
"Nowadays it's hard to leave players out because every game is competitive and difficult."
Predictions are even harder than usual because of new Premier League rules limiting squad sizes in an effort to wean clubs off big money transfers.
The ruling that teams must now draw from a pool of 25 players instead of a limitless supply could hit City especially hard since it lists 38 first-team squad players on its website.
Since finishing fifth last season, City has bought Spain midfielder David Silva, Ivory Coast midfielder Yaya Toure, Serbia defender Alesksandar Kolarov and Germany defender Jerome Boateng. It has also tried to sign Inter Milan's Mario Balotelli and Aston Villa's James Milner.
"Yaya is one of the best midfielders in the world and for him to come to City shows the kind of ambition this club has," City midfielder Patrick Vieira said. "We want to win trophies and I think we'll do it."
That ambition was clear last season, when City fired Mark Hughes to hire former Inter Milan coach Roberto Mancini when it had lost just two of 17 Premier League matches.
Hughes will be at Fulham this season, replacing Roy Hodgson following his move to Liverpool, which was replaced in the top four by Tottenham.
Fulham could finish in the top 10 without the distraction of the Europa League, which last season provided the unfashionable west London club with only the second final of its 131-year history.
Hodgson is already popular with Liverpool fans after persuading Spain striker Fernando Torres and club captain Steven Gerrard to spurn transfers and stick with a team that slumped to seventh last season. He has also signed England midfielder Joe Cole on a free transfer following the expiry of his Chelsea contract.
"Last season was a very disappointing season for the club in every respect, culminating in a popular manager leaving," Hodgson said. "You don't dispel that with a couple of signings and I would never want to dupe the Liverpool public by telling them all is rosy now because Joe Cole has signed."
But Liverpool should improve, with Cole, Gerrard, Torres and goalkeeper Jose Reina providing a strong spine to the team. And with City also stronger, Tottenham will struggle to match last season's fourth place, its highest finish since 1990.
The north London club will also have the extra demands of a debut Champions League appearance should it advance to the group stage.
But Chelsea looks to be the team City and the other contenders will have to beat.
Chelsea won all of its meetings with Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool last season and has replaced Cole with Israel midfielder Yossi Benayoun and is on the brink of bringing in midfielder Ramires — one of the few bright spots in Brazil's disappointing World Cup campaign.
Hernandez will help alleviate the burden on Wayne Rooney, who was left lethargic and listless at the World Cup after scoring 34 goals for Manchester United last season, but United still relies heavily on veterans Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Edwin van der Sar.
The trio, who have a combined age of 110, continue to defy predictions of retirement but Giggs and Scholes at least cannot be expected to play all United's 38 Premier League matches.
Arsenal has failed to compete seriously since they went unbeaten through the 2003-04 season but Wenger thinks that another year's experience and minor tweaks to his squad will put his young players in contention.
"The money will not be an excuse for us if we do not achieve our targets," Wenger said. "Do I have a team I think can play at the top? I say, 'Yes.'
"I judge my players are ready to compete for the championship."
The biggest offseason news for Arsenal was not the signing of Morocco striker Marouane Chamakh, but the club's successful thwarting of Barcelona's attempt to sign captain Cesc Fabregas.
Similarly, defender Nemanja Vidic's decision to sign a new contract at United could be a huge fillip to his team ahead of a season where the margin between success and failure could be tiny.
Each club can still sign as many players as it likes but is limited to a 25-man squad for the league, just as in the Champions League.
All 20 Premier League clubs must submit a list including at least eight so-called "homegrown" players, by Sept. 1 — the day after the summer transfer window closes.
A homegrown player is one who, irrespective of nationality or age, has been registered with an English or Welsh club for three full seasons or 36 months prior to his 21st birthday.
"I think the new homegrown rules coming in are important," Rooney said at the Premier League season review. "For me, it's a welcome ruling because it will make the league a bit more interesting, especially in the transfer market."
The Premier League believes that the ruling will benefit the England national team following its dismal performance at the World Cup.
"We want to develop Premier League players," Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore said. "In doing so, we will develop English players."
Clubs can add a limitless number of extra players, providing they are under 21, so Chelsea's Fabio Borini, Gael Kakuta and Jeffrey Bruma could play important roles this season.
But Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said the rules will do nothing to stop top sides hoarding talent because they will simply make surplus players into attractive loan targets by paying part of their salaries while they take short-term deals with other clubs.
"I think it is a disastrous decision for football and I am amazed the union accepted it," Wenger said.
-- Stuart Condie
Returning Newcastle aiming to avoid past mistakes
LONDON (AP) — Newcastle returns to the Premier League this season as the biggest of a trio of promoted clubs and intent on avoiding the mistakes of its last spell in the top flight.
Newcastle's 15-year spell in the Premier League ended in 2009 amid financial chaos, uncertainty over its ownership and fans livid at underperforming star players.
Chris Hughton stepped up from the role of assistant manager to guide the team back up after just a single season, alongside West Bromwich Albion and Blackpool. He is now warning against unrealistic expectations and another headlong chase for honors.
"It's stability we need and that can't happen overnight," Hughton said.
Newcastle finished third the last time it was promoted to the Premier League for the 1993-94 season, but that was only with the millions of former owner John Hall and the fervor of coach Kevin Keegan.
"It is important that this club has a period of stability in the Premier League and I don't think anybody would expect a team coming from the championship to the Premier League to be knocking on the door of Europe," Hughton said.
Newcastle sold or released five big-earning stars, including Michael Owen, after it was relegated and signed a cluster of less prestigious names. Hughton said his influence was minimal and that the players bonded in adversity to win the League Championship.
Hughton seems to be counting on the morale again. He has so far only bolstered his squad with veteran defender Sol Campbell, Everton midfielder Dan Gosling and Nottingham Forest youngster James Perch.
While Newcastle and West Brom are back in familiar territory after a single season in the League Championship, Blackpool has not been in the top flight since 1971.
Blackpool's limited hopes of avoiding last place and relegation apparently hinge on maintaining the momentum that teams promoted through the playoffs often carry through to the start of the new season.
Hull's early form compensated for a later collapse to keep it up in 2009 and Burnley beat Manchester United and Everton in its first two home games before sliding to relegation last season.
The Tangerines are on a roll after winning seven of their last eight matches to qualify for the final playoff spot and then winning all three of its playoff games. But only one promoted team has ever avoided relegation after finishing sixth in the League Championship.
Blackpool has topflight experience in Jason Euell and Brett Ormerod but the 33-year-old Euell has not played in the Premier League since 2007. He is now a midfielder instead of the striker for whom Charlton paid Wimbledon 4.75 million pounds (then $6.73 million) in 2001.
Ormerod's Premier League experience consists of 12 goals in 98 games in a five-year spell at Southampton that was punctuated by loan spells at two lower-league sides.
"Some of the players have been coming up to me asking me what it's like and how it is," Euell said. "Again I can only go from experience from the games I've played in and I just say, 'football is football.'
"The only difference is that in this league the quality is a lot different and it's just down to concentration. I think a lot of that is key to the way we play and what mentality we go into the games at."
With club-record 500,000 pound ($797,600) signing Charlie Adam central in midfield, Blackpool played some entertaining football last season, but its limited resources and allure means it has added only Israel defender Dekel Keinan to the 18 players listed on its website.
And manager Ian Holloway is determined to be picky over who he brings in, particularly after watching team including Bradford, Barnsley and Hull stumble badly after paying too much for bigger names.
"It won't be tried and tested because, basically, what you've got is people who have been to the Premiership and failed," Holloway said. "The most important thing is to marry people up in positions that have got more life in them and can go on again.
"They'll have to come for the right reason, which isn't their wage packet. It'll be wanting to play in the Premiership for Blackpool."
The club will comfortably conform to the Premier League's new 25-man squad rule but will struggle if it picks up more injuries.
Striker Billy Clarke could miss the whole season following knee surgery and midfielder Keith Southern will at least miss the season opener at Wigan after injuring his knee in a preseason friendly defeat at Bristol City.
West Brom's fourth promotion since 2002 came when the Baggies finished second to Newcastle in the League Championship with a club-record 91 points.
Manager Roberto Di Matteo has signed Pablo Ibanez and Steven Reid but his biggest move may have been to thwart interest in midfielder Graeme Dorrans from bigger clubs.
West Ham wanted to sign the highly rated 23-year-old Scotland international but he instead signed a new four-year contract.
West Brom opens with a daunting trip to defending champion Chelsea. The Baggies are unlikely to get much from the game but it will be a highlight for Di Matteo, who spent six years with the west London club before retiring injured in 2002.
"We'll certainly need to hit the ground running as opening fixtures don't come much tougher than Chelsea away," Di Matteo said. "Of course, going back to Stamford Bridge will be a special occasion.
"But we will all be fully focused on one thing: getting a result for Albion."
-- Stuart Condie
With riches comes pressure for Mancini
LONDON (AP) — British oddsmakers are already listing Roberto Mancini as favorite to be the first manager fired in the Premier League this season, highlighting the pressure on the man in charge at Manchester City.
Even the slightest of setbacks won't be acceptable for City's wealthy Abu Dhabi owner — as Mark Hughes discovered to his cost last season.
Even helping the club to a fifth-place finish in May — City's highest since 1992 — after less than five months in the job wasn't enough to silence Mancini's critics.
But the 45-year-old Italian isn't showing any strain, outwardly at least.
"I don't get pressure," Mancini insists. "Before I was a manager, I was a player for 11 years and I never felt pressure then. I managed Inter Milan for four years. No other manager has been there for that long."
He replaced Hughes, who enjoyed success in his first managerial position with his native Wales and then at Blackburn but was fired in December, midway through his second season with Manchester City, when the club's owners began to doubt his ability to guide the team to a top-four finish.
While there's plenty of focus on Mancini at big-spending City, Alex Ferguson's rule is virtually unchallenged at Manchester United despite only collecting the League Cup last season and making just minor adjustments to his aging squad in the offseason.
Ferguson's 11 Premier League titles and two Champions League triumphs make him almost untouchable at Old Trafford.
"I can keep going as long as my health keeps going," Ferguson said. "I tried quitting a few years ago and it was a disaster. Agony."
Arsene Wenger also goes into the new season at Arsenal with no serious threat to his job security despite failing to produce a trophy since 2005. Top-four finishes in the league have proved acceptable for the Gunners despite struggling in Europe competition.
It's the stability enjoyed at United and Arsenal that Chelsea must forge after a succession of managers at Stamford Bridge. The Blues went through three managers in the two years before settling on Carlo Ancelotti last June.
And with Ancelotti, Chelsea has a manager who can create such stable foundations at the club.
Crucially, he's living up to the expectations created under Jose Mourinho, who won the Premier League in 2005 and '06, after winning the league title in his debut campaign.
What Ancelotti shares with fellow Italian Mancini — albeit in smaller measures — is the backing of a wealthy owner in Roman Abramovich.
Operating in more frugal conditions is Roy Hodgson, who was persuaded to defect to Liverpool from Fulham after Rafa Benitez's troubled relationship with the Anfield hierarchy proved beyond repair in June.
Benitez was expected to deliver the Premier League title in May. Now the Reds are just desperate for Hodgson to guide them back into the top four — and with it the Champions League competition in 2011.
While Liverpool remains English football's most successful team historically, it hasn't added to the 18th title won in 1990 and slumped to seventh last season.
Hodgson has none of the riches available to Mancini or Ancelotti.
What the appointment of Hodgson in July did do, however, was to provide a boost for English managers at a time when Premier League clubs were looking abroad for coaches.
Having previously taken charge of three national teams and managed clubs in six countries, the much-traveled Hodgson finally secured a top job at home he has craved after masterminding Fulham's remarkable run to the Europa League final in May.
Hodgson's main rival among the other English managers is likely to be Harry Redknapp, who is one year his senior and also at the pinnacle of his career having helped Tottenham into the Premier League's top four.
Finishing among the Champions League places is the target for Martin O'Neill, who has transformed the fortunes of Aston Villa and led the Birmingham club to three successive top six finishes.
For Blackpool, manager Ian Holloway's task will just be ensuring the club survives its first season in the topflight since 1971. Even if the newcomers don't provide memorable performances on the pitch, Holloway is likely to be the most entertaining character off the field with his array of one-liners and quips.
At least he sounds like he's willing to take on all comers.
As he joked during his time as Queens Park Rangers manager: "Most of our fans get behind us and are fantastic, but those who don't should shut ... up or they can come round my house and I will fight them."
-- Rob Harris
Boca Juniors, River Plate among title favorites
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — It has been a few years since Argentina's two most popular clubs — Boca Juniors and River Plate — have won league titles.
As Argentina's Apertura season prepares to kick off on Friday with Arsenal vs. Lanus, nobody is predicting Boca and River Plate will win it this time, but they should at least be in the chase in a country no longer defined by a few powerful clubs.
Boca was the last club to win back-to-back titles, and that was in the 2005 Apertura and 2006 Clausura. Since then, eight different clubs have won the title, culminating with 2010 Clausura winner Argentinos Juniors.
It has been a busy off-season, with reports estimating clubs have spent about $50 million on transfers to bolster their chances.
Boca, which opens on Sunday against Godoy Cruz, has added six new faces including new coach Claudio Borghi, who moved from Argentinos Juniors just days after winning the title. Borghi has also been mentioned as a possible replacement for Diego Maradona as national team coach.
Boca — as usual — will be led by veteran forward Martin Palermo and playmaker Juan Roman Riquelme.
Boca has also added two key midfielders: Damian Escudero moved from Spanish club Villarreal for $1.8 million and Matias Caruzzo moved from Borghi's old club Argentinos Juniors for $2.5 million.
River Plate begins the season faced with the possibility of relegation, which in Argentina is based on a team's record over several seasons.
"It (relegation) bothers us a bit," River coach Angel Cappa said. "But we are not thinking about relegation. Our goal is to fight for the title."
River has added three key players: goalkeeper Juan Pablo Carrizo from Lazio, midfielder Walter Acevedo from Independiente and forward Mariano Pavone from Spanish club Betis. The club has also added Peru forward Josemir Ballon from San Martin de Porres.
Racing Club, one of Argentina's traditional "Big Five," has fired up its fans by signing Colombian Giovanni Moreno from Atletico Nacional de Medellin. The transfer price is about $4.5 million.
"I know the fans are excited about my arrival," Moreno said. "But I'm also excited about being with a club with the most loyal fans in the world."
The Argentine league is increasingly bringing in Latin American players from outside traditional countries like Brazil and Argentina.
Venezuelan Cesar Cichero is joining Newell's Old Boys, the first Venezuelan to play for the club.
"Going to play in Argentina was always on my mind," Cichero said. "People there have passion for the game, and it's played with speed, guts and power."
Argentinos Juniors' new coach is Pedro Troglio. The club has added several new faces including goalkeeper Nicolas Navarro from River Plate and Sergio Escudero from Corinthians of Brazil.
San Lorenzo has a new coach in Ramon Diaz.
At Estudiantes, many of its key players have left — including winger Clemente Rodriguez to Boca — with coach Alejandro Sabella struggling to keep the team competitive. Captain Juan Sebastian Veron will again be the main man.
-- Vicente L. Panetta
Big guns enter Champions League in playoff round
GENEVA (AP) — Sevilla, Sampdoria and Tottenham enter the Champions League playoff draw on Friday, needing to beat just one opponent to progress to the lucrative group stage.
Werder Bremen — with its World Cup star Mesut Oezil — and Auxerre also join the action as Europe's top five leagues send in a team to the qualifying route for non-champions.
Also in the draw are four-time European champion Ajax and 2008 UEFA Cup winner Zenit St. Petersburg which edged through their third qualifying round matches on Wednesday.
Ten teams will be drawn in the so-called "league route" for non-champions, with the five winners moving on. Ten champions from Europe's lower-ranked leagues have a separate competition for five places in the group stage, where 22 of Europe's powerhouses, including defending champion Inter Milan, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Chelsea and Manchester United, await.
Sevilla heads the five seeded non-champion teams — including Bremen, Zenit, Spurs and Ajax — thanks to winning back-to-back UEFA Cups in 2006 and 2007, and reaching the Champions League knockout rounds last season.
Possible opponents are Dynamo Kiev and debutants Braga, Auxerre and Italy's Sampdoria which was runner-up in the 1992 European Cup. That was the last such tournament played in a pure knockout format.
The unseeded list is completed by Swiss underdog Young Boys, which scored an upset 1-0 win in Turkey on Wednesday to eliminate group stage regulars Fenerbahce 3-2 on aggregate.
Young Boys coach Vladimir Petkovic called it "probably my greatest victory ever. The team have accomplished something unbelievable."
The club from the Swiss capital of Bern lost its only previous qualifying-round tie six years ago and is the No. 175-ranked European club, according to UEFA's rankings on the basis of European competitions over the last five seasons.
Swiss title-winner FC Basel heads the seeded champions with Anderlecht, Copenhagen, Hapoel Tel-Aviv and Sparta Prague.
They will be paired in Friday's draw at UEFA headquarters in Nyon with unseeded sides Rosenborg, Salzburg, Partizan Belgrade, Moldovan champion Sheriff and Zilina from Slovakia.
First-leg matches are played Aug. 17-18 and return games on Aug. 24-25. The group-stage draw is made Aug. 26 in Monaco.
All 20 playoff round teams will get at least €2 million ($2.64 million) from UEFA for taking part, and earn a minimum €7 million ($9.24 million) in prize money for reaching the group stage.
-- Graham Dunbar
Liverpool, Juventus advance in Europa League
LONDON (AP) — Liverpool put aside the uncertainty surrounding the club's search for new owners by producing an assured performance on the pitch Thursday to reach the Europa League playoff with a 2-0 win over Rabotnicki.
Captain Steven Gerrard scored from the penalty spot after striker David Ngog's headed opener to reproduce the result of the first leg in Macedonia last week.
The five-time European champions will be joined in Friday's draw by Juventus, another former winner of the continent's more illustrious competition.
Alessandro Del Piero's goal clinched a 1-0 victory over Shamrock Rovers to advance 3-0 on aggregate from the third qualifying round.
Stuttgart progressed with a 5-4 aggregate win after drawing 2-2 with Molde, Galatasaray routed OFK 5-1 in Belgrade to advance 7-3 on aggregate, and AZ Alkmaar went through despite losing 1-0 to IFK Goteborg thanks to its 2-0 win last week.
At Anfield, Liverpool's unwelcome qualifier provided a distraction from the ongoing tussle to buy the club.
Joe Cole, Liverpool's main offseason signing, made his debut Thursday in a central attacking role and provided the cross for Ngog to head in the opener off the underside of the crossbar in the 22nd minute.
Five minutes before halftime, Ngog was fouled by Fernando Lopes and Gerrard slotted home the resulting penalty kick.
"We've probably been written off a bit over the summer and I think everyone believes we can improve on last season," said defender Jamie Carragher, whose Liverpool side finished seventh in the Premier League last season.
In Germany, Timo Gebhart scored with a diving header two minutes into injury time after a mistimed clearance by Molde's defense to salvage a 2-2 draw for Stuttgart.
Molde, persistently dangerous on the break, scored in the 41st when Emil Johansson was left unmarked at the far post for a simple goal after a pair of defensive mistakes by Stuttgart.
Molde, which lost the first leg 3-2, doubled its lead in the 49th when Knut Olav Rindaroy broke through unchallenged to the edge of the penalty area and drilled home with a left-footed shot.
Pavel Pogrebnyak's glancing header from Gebhart's free kick reduced Molde's lead in the 54th.
Mariners break Heart in A-League season opener
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Alex Wilkinson's header in the 16th minute gave Central Coast Mariners a 1-0 win over new club Melbourne Heart on Thursday in the opening match of the A-League season.
Wilkinson was unmarked at the far post and easily angled his header from a corner past Heart goalkeeper Clint Bolton.
The crowd for the Heart's debut match in the Australian domestic competition nudged just over 11,000 at AAMI Park in Melbourne.
The league has expanded to 11 clubs in 2010-11.
Among other first-round matches, ex-Liverpool striker Robbie Fowler will make his first appearance for Perth against his former club North Queensland Fury on Friday and Sydney FC hosts Melbourne Victory on Saturday in a replay of last season's final.
Elsewhere
Benzema returns for France game vs Norway
PARIS (AP) — Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema was picked for France's roster for Wednesday's exhibition against Norway despite his involvement in an investigation over allegations that he solicited an underage prostitute.
Benzema, who was not at the World Cup after an unimpressive season, received a call on Thursday along with seven new players, a group that includes Wigan's Charles N'Zogbia.
Bayern Munich winger Franck Ribery is also involved in the case and was left out by new France coach Laurent Blanc because he was among the 23 players who went on strike during the World Cup. Those players were suspended by Blanc.
A French judge last month issued preliminary charges against Ribery and Benzema as part of a probe into a suspected network of prostitutes operating out of a nightclub on Paris' Champs-Elysees.
Some members of the French government said it would be better if the players were left out of the national squad during the investigation, but Blanc said Benzema's private life was none of his business.
"I thought it was important to give him a call because he can be part of the team's core in a near future," Blanc said. "He has got the qualities and hopefully he will have the desire. It was my responsibility to take him even if he is not in the best physical and mental shape."
Benzema, in California on Real Madrid's preseason tour, has denied any wrongdoing.
"This is a relief," his lawyer. Sylvain Cormier, told RTL radio. "This selection means that for Laurent Blanc the preliminary charges are not the same thing as a conviction. We are getting back to more reasonable positions and to the respect of principles, including the essential one of presumption of innocence."
France will begin 2012 European Championship qualifying at home against Belarus on Sept. 3.
Blanc's 22-man roster for next week includes 13 players who haven't appeared for the national team. Among the veterans are Arsenal's Samir Nasri, Marseille's Hatem Ben Arfa and AS Roma's Philippe Mexes.
Real Madrid midfielder Lassana Diarra, who missed the World Cup due to a stomach problem, also earned a recall.
-- Samuel Petrequin
Anelka: 'Domenech should be ashamed'
PARIS (AP) — Chelsea forward Nicolas Anelka says former France coach Raymond Domenech made him feel disgusted with soccer by forcing him to play out of position during the World Cup.
Anelka, sent home from South Africa for verbally abusing Domenech, told Thursday's edition of France Soir newspaper that the former France coach "should be ashamed" after making "a casting mistake."
Domenech criticized Anelka for playing out of position and took him off during halftime of the first-round game against Mexico on June 17, prompting Anelka to launch a profanity-laced tirade at the coach.
"My biggest regret is that I was not given the chance to play in my best position," Anelka said. "If the coach wanted to take a player which stays in the box, he shouldn't have picked me. He made a casting mistake."
Domenech was replaced after the World Cup by former French national team player Laurent Blanc.
"It's the coach (not the players) who should be ashamed after his refusal in front of the world to shake hands with the coach of South Africa," Anelka said.
Domenech refused to shake Carlos Alberto Parreira's hand after France lost its final game 2-1 in South Africa.
"And they told me that I have no respect?" Anelka said. "I have no respect for kamikazes. If he (Domenech) wanted to kill himself, he should have done it alone, but not with us."
Anelka never denied ranting at Domenech but took French sports daily L'Equipe to court for libel after it printed details of the altercation, accusing the newspaper of distorting his words.
After Anelka's alleged words were splashed across the front page of the newspaper, the French Football Federation sent the forward home, and the following day the entire team went on strike at training in protest.
"I'd like to see Domenech confessing to the world that I didn't use those words," Anelka said. "I wish he had the honesty to say it, and to say it to his mother, too."
Anelka revealed he even thought about leaving the national team after a pre-World Cup exhibition in Tunisia.
"I was already sick of playing that way," Anelka said. "But three senior players asked me to stay for the team. I finally stayed and I should not have."
Messi says he didn't want Maradona to leave
BEIJING (AP) — Argentina star Lionel Messi said he didn't want Diego Maradona to leave and thought the soccer great would be kept as national coach.
Messi backed his former coach Thursday in his first public comments since last week's announcement that Maradona's contract would not be renewed.
"I had always thought he would be able to stay," Messi said before his Spanish club Barcelona plays an exhibition game Sunday. "But there are lots of things in football you can't predict. Now we're four years from the next World Cup and we need to do a good job of preparing."
The Argentine Football Association announced it wouldn't renew Maradona's contract, ending his erratic 21-month stint in charge of the national team that had mirrored his own long personal history of unpredictable behavior and defiance.
That move came just three weeks after Argentina lost to Germany 4-0 in the World Cup quarterfinals at South Africa. Maradona responded by saying he hadn't been given enough time to turn the team around and accused team officials of lying to him.
Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola said he expected Messi to play in Sunday's match against Chinese Super League champions Beijing Guoan. Messi made a 17-minute appearance and scored two goals in a 5-2 win Wednesday over a South Korean all-star team.
The Spanish champions are traveling in Asia without Andres Iniesta, Xavi Hernandez, David Villa and Carles Puyol.
Bayern hopes for compensation for Robben's injury
MUNICH, Germany (AP) — Bayern Munich is hoping for compensation from the Dutch football federation for the injury to winger Arjen Robben, who will be out for two months.
Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge told Thursday's edition of Munich newspaper Abendzeitung it would "only be fair" for the Dutch federation to compensate the club since the federation was responsible for Robben's injury by allowing him to play at the World Cup.
Robben's torn left-hamstring muscle was diagnosed after his return from vacation earlier this week. He went to the World Cup with the same injury but played through to the final after missing the first two games.
"He shouldn't have traveled to South Africa with this kind of injury. He shouldn't have played," Rummenigge told another Munich newspaper, the Sueddeutsche. "It was clear to me that it was the kind of injury one would prefer to keep under wraps."
Rummenigge said Bayern would seek a "fair solution" in direct talks with the Dutch federation.
The Netherlands coach Bert van Marwijk said Robben was fit at the end of the tournament, with his team losing the World Cup final 1-0 to Spain after extra time.
"Otherwise, he couldn't have managed the sprints he did at the end of extra time," Van Marwijk told Kicker magazine.
Robinho wants to continue playing for Santos
SAO PAULO (AP) — On-loan striker Robinho wants to continue playing for Santos and the club's president says he will do all he can to hang on to the Brazil international.
"If it were up to me I would continue with Santos," Robinho told the Folha de S.Paulo newspaper. "It would be great if Manchester City accepts, but if not I will honor my contract."
Robinho made the comments late Wednesday after helping Santos to win the Brazil Cup.
Robinho's six-month loan from Manchester City ends this week, and its doubtful City will allow Santos to stay home.
He was loaned out last season because he wasn't being used or producing at City, and reportedly took a pay cut at Santos, offset by sponsorship. Since then, he's thrived at his old club, helping it to two more trophies.
However, City paid Real Madrid 32.5 million pounds (then $58 million) in 2008 for Robinho, and Santos wasn't likely to afford that fee.
"It will be hard to hold on to him but we will do what we can," Santos president Luiz Alvaro de Oliveira told Folha de S.Paulo.
New Zealand World Cup defender Reid joins West Ham
LONDON (AP) — West Ham has signed New Zealand defender Winston Reid from Danish side FC Midtjylland.
The 22-year-old Reid featured in his country's unbeaten World Cup campaign, and joined the Premier League club on a three-year contract on Thursday. Financial details weren't disclosed.
Reid, who is of Maori heritage, moved to Denmark at the age of 10 and represented the country up to under-21 level before switching allegiance to his native New Zealand shortly before the World Cup.
In South Africa, Reid scored a late equalizer in the opening match against Slovakia. He also played in draws against Italy and Paraguay, which still weren't enough to send the Kiwis through to the last 16 phase.
Reid says that "the World Cup was a life-changing experience."
Benfica agrees to sell Ramires to Chelsea for €22m
LISBON, Portugal (AP) — Brazilian midfielder Ramires is expected in London soon for medical tests after Benfica agreed to sell him to Chelsea for €22 million ($29 million).
Benfica said in a statement to the Lisbon stock exchange late Wednesday it had reached an agreement with the Premier League club.
It said completion of the deal depends on the medical results and agreement between Chelsea and the player.
The 23-year-old Brazil international, whose full name is Ramires Santos Nascimento, joined Benfica last year from Cruzeiro in a €7.5 million ($10 million) transfer. He was a standout in the team that captured the Portuguese league title last season.
Ramires played in four games for Brazil at the World Cup in South Africa and has made 15 international appearances, scoring two goals.
CAS says no Mallorca appeal on Europa League place
LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — The Court of Arbitration for Sport says Mallorca has not appealed to overturn its exclusion from Friday's draw for the Europa League playoff round.
The Spanish club had promised to challenge UEFA's ruling that it breached entry rules by going into administration in May with reported debts of €60 million ($79 million) after finishing fifth in the Spanish league.
Mallorca recently found new backers, including top-ranked tennis player Rafael Nadal.
However, UEFA's appeals panel said last week that Mallorca's Europa League berth should go to seventh-place Villareal.
UEFA said Thursday that Villareal officials are expected at the draw scheduled for 1:30 p.m. (1130 GMT) at European football headquarters.
Kaka out for 3-4 months after knee operation
MADRID (AP) — Real Madrid playmaker Kaka has undergone knee surgery and will miss three to four months.
The Spanish club said Friday that Kaka left the team's camp in Los Angeles to have the operation on his meniscus in Antwerp, Belgium.
Madrid coach Jose Mourinho said "if we lose him for some time it's no drama, we have other players, but he's one of the best in the world."
The team said a routine medical exam performed on Kaka after the Brazil international returned from vacation revealed a problem with his left knee.
Hamburg's Heung breaks foot
HAMBURG, Germany (AP) — Hamburg's South Korean talent Heung Min-son has a broken bone in his left foot and will be out of action for at least eight weeks.
Hamburg says the 18-year-old striker was hurt after scoring the winner in a 2-1 victory over Chelsea in a friendly on Wednesday.
The South Korean has been given a two-year contract. It was not immediately clear if he will need surgery.
Ayew likely to stay at Marseille
MARSEILLE, France (AP) — French club Marseille says Ghana midfielder Andre Ayew will sign a new three-year contract.
Marseille sports director Jose Anigo said on Thursday that Ayew agreed a deal that will see him play with the French champions until 2014.
Marseille said "only a few details remained to be arranged" before the deal will be finalized.
The 20-year-old Ayew, who was courted by German side Stuttgart, spent last season on loan with second-tier French club Arles, helping the team to promotion to the top flight.
Ayew also helped Ghana reach the African Cup of Nations final in January and the World Cup quarterfinals.
Lukaku in Belgium squad for Finland match
BRUSSELS (AP) — Anderlecht teenager Romelu Lukaku was called up Thursday for Belgium to face Finland in a friendly next week despite objections from his club that he is not fully fit following a knee injury.
The 17-year-old Romelu was top scorer in the Belgian league last year and made his return from injury on Tuesday when he scored twice as a substitute during a 3-0 victory over Welsh club The New Saints in qualifying for the Champions League. Anderlecht warned, however, that it was too early for a full program for the striker.
Belgium coach Georges Leekens said he would take no risks with the player during Wednesday's friendly in Finland. Belgium opens its 2012 European Championship qualifying campaign against Germany on Sept. 3.
Forlan, Suarez missing from Uruguay squad
MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay (AP) — Uruguay's top forwards, Diego Forlan and Luis Suarez, have been left out of the squad picked to face Angola in a friendly on Wednesday in Lisbon, Portugal.
Midfielder Cristian Rodriguez was included in Thursday's squad after missing the World Cup through suspension. Rodriguez was suspended for four games after the final qualifier against Argentina, which would have made him ineligible for two World Cup games.
The team will be coached by Juan Verzeri, who is taking over for Oscar Tabarez. Tabarez led Uruguay to a surprising fourth place in the World Cup but is still negotiating a new contract with the Uruguay federation.
Colombia coach chooses high-altitude team
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Colombia coach Hernan Dario Gomez has picked a team of players from clubs that play at high-altitude venues for Wednesday's game against Bolivia in La Paz.
Ten of Gomez's players are with clubs that play above 2,000 meters (6,550 feet). Four of those picked play in Bogota, which is located at 2,650 meters (8,700 feet). All players on the squad are with clubs in Colombia.
The Bolivian captial La Paz is located at 3,600 meters (11,800 feet) and always presents problems for visiting teams unaccustomed to the thin air.
Germany to play Brazil in friendly in 2011
FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Germany will play Brazil in August 2011 in Stuttgart in a friendly pitting two teams with eight World Cup titles between them.
The match will be played Aug. 10 next year to mark the end of the renovation of the Stuttgart stadium.
Germany coach Joachim Loew says "it's a classic. We are looking forward to an attractive game that will be an important test for both teams."
Lech fans attack buses with Sparta supporters
PRAGUE (AP) — Police say dozens of Lech Poznan fans attacked buses with Sparta Prague supporters following a Champions League qualifying match.
Police said in a statement that Polish fans in 20 cars blocked the buses on a road on Czech territory Thursday morning after they crossed the Polish-Czech border near the town of Nachod, 75 miles northeast of Prague.
The Czechs were returning home after Wednesday's match in Poznan. Sparta won the second leg of the third qualifying round 1-0 and advanced on a 2-0 aggregate score.
Police said the Poles damaged the buses but nobody was injured. Following the incident, police escorted the buses to prevent further attacks.
It was not clear whether any Polish fans were detained.
Prosecutor wants to hear 31 suspects in bribe case
BRUSSELS (AP) — Belgium's federal prosecutor's office wants 31 suspects to appear at a bribery trial linked to a match fixing scandal which rocked Belgian football five years ago.
The prosecutor's office suspects that a Chinese go-between sought to fix Belgian league matches in the 2004-05 season through the coach and several players of Lierse. The coach has already been suspended by the league for three years.
The case is tentatively scheduled for Nov. 30.
UEFA charges Rabotnicki over fans' behavior
NYON, Switzerland (AP) — UEFA has ordered Macedonian club Rabotnicki to answer charges of improper conduct by supporters during a Europa League tie against Liverpool.
UEFA said Thursday that its disciplinary panel will hear the case on Aug. 19. Liverpool won 2-0 in Skopje last Thursday with both goals scored by David Ngog.
The return match in the third qualifying round tie will be played at Liverpool's Anfield stadium later Thursday.
