Soccer Capsules: Beasley and Edu on U.S. roster for Dutch match
NEW YORK — Glasgow Rangers midfielders DaMarcus Beasley and Maurice Edu were among 20 players picked for the United States’ exhibition at the Netherlands next Wednesday — the last match before American coach Bob Bradley selects his World Cup roster.
Aris Thessaloniki forward Eddie Johnson also was chosen Thursday but Freddy Adu, his teammate on the Greek club, was bypassed.
Just three players from Major League Soccer were selected: defenders Jonathan Bornstein and Heath Pearce, and forward Robbie Findley. Sixteen players are based in Europe, including nine with English clubs, and one in Mexico: midfielder Jose Torres.
Players will start gathering Sunday for the match in Amsterdam. The U.S. will wear its new World Cup uniforms for the first time Wednesday.
A veteran of two World Cups, Beasley has 17 goals in 89 appearances but has not played for the U.S. since June 18. That was when he allowed Landon Donovan’s corner kick to roll past him, leading to Brazil’s second goal in a 3-0 victory at the Confederations Cup.
After appearing in just three matches for Rangers this season through November, Beasley regained his form and scored twice in five games in December before straining a thigh during training. The 27-year-old from Fort Wayne, Ind., was sidelined from Dec. 19 to Feb. 14.
Edu had just one appearance for the Americans last year, entering as a 90th-minute substitute March 28 in a World Cup qualifier at El Salvador. The 23-year-old from Fontana, Calif., injured a knee ligament May 24 and had surgery June 4. He didn’t return to action until Dec. 27 and played four games before being sidelined with an ankle problem until Feb. 17. Edu has five goals in 11 international appearances.
Johnson, a 25-year-old forward on loan to Aris from Fulham, scored once with the Greek club — off a pass from Adu.
A half-dozen players are out with injuries: AC Milan defender Oguchi Onyewu (Oct. 21 surgery to repair ruptured patellar tendon in his left knee); Hannover defender Steve Cherundolo (injured a shoulder in practice Jan. 31); Fulham midfielder Clint Dempsey (injured right knee on Jan. 17); Eintracht Frankfurt midfielder Ricardo Clark (pulled right calf muscle); Aarhus midfielder Benny Feilhaber (damaged ankle cartilage); and Sochaux forward Charlie Davies (recovering from injuries sustained in Oct. 13 car crash).
The U.S. has played two warmups this year using mostly MLS players: a 3-1 loss to Honduras and a 2-1 victory Wednesday night over El Salvador. The only holdover from Wednesday’s match is IK Start defender Clarence Goodson.
After the match against the third-ranked Netherlands in Amsterdam, the No. 14 Americans will gather in mid-May and play exhibitions against the Czech Republic (May 25, possibly in East Hartford, Conn.) and Turkey (May 29 at Philadelphia). The U.S. plays England on June 12 in its World Cup opener before meeting Slovenia six days later and finishing the first round against Algeria on June 23.
The roster: Goalkeepers: Brad Guzan (Aston Villa, England), Marcus Hahnemann (Wolverhampton, England), Tim Howard (Everton, England); Defenders: Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA), Carlos Bocanegra (Rennes, France), Jay DeMerit (Watford, England), Clarence Goodson (IK Start, Norway), Heath Pearce (Dallas), Frank Simek (Sheffield Wednesday, England), Jonathan Spector (West Ham, England); Midfielders: DaMarcus Beasley (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland), Alejandro Bedoya (Orebro, Sweden), Michael Bradley (Borussia Moenchengladbach, Germany), Landon Donovan (Everton, England), Maurice Edu (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland), Stuart Holden (Bolton, England), Jose Torres (Pachuca, Mexico); Forwards: Jozy Altidore (Hull, England), Robbie Findley (Salt Lake), Eddie Johnson (Aris, Greece)
Goalie, 90, recalls upset loss to U.S. in 1950 WCup
LONDON — England’s World Cup match against United States in June will bring back memories Bert Williams would rather forget.
Now 90, Williams was the goalkeeper who conceded the only goal of the game when a team of journeymen Americans beat a talented England side in Brazil in 1950, one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history.
Joe Gaetjens scored a first-half goal for the U.S., but the result was such a shock that some parts of the media queried whether the score was 10-1 to England instead of 1-0 to the Americans.
In the U.S. media, it was labeled the "Miracle on Grass," in the same way that the Americans’ famous ice hockey victory over the Soviet Union at the 1980 Olympics was called the "Miracle on Ice."
"It’s been 60 years. It’s taken a lot of forgetting as far as I am concerned," Williams said.
Williams spent almost the entire 90 minutes watching England make wave after wave of attacks in the group game at Belo Horizonte only to see a defense-minded American lineup block every move on the edge of their area.
Behind a team that included England greats such as Tom Finney, Stan Mortensen and Alf Ramsey, who coached the team to its 1966 World Cup triumph, Williams said he was little more than an onlooker
"As soon as England played a good ball through, the whole American team retreated to the 18-yard line," the former Wolverhampton Wanderers player told The Associated Press in a telephone interview.
"You could hardly see their goal. We hit the crossbar and the upright three times to my knowledge but we could not get the ball past this crowd of players."
Williams said some of the American players arrived at the ground smoking cigars and wearing "cowboy hats."
"You have got to give them a certain amount of credit," he said. "But they came there not with any intention to win. They didn’t think they had much chance to do that. That came with the intention of avoiding a hatful of goals against them.
"We thought the score should have been 8-1, 10-1 even — and I was virtually one of the spectators."
Williams said the Americans’ good fortune didn’t only extend to their defending.
"I don’t remember a great deal about the goal," Williams said. "I had the ball covered and it was a deflection off one of their players who was standing in front of me. I was going the right way. It just happened."
Although Williams played only 24 times for his country, he was one of the most recognizable names. When he played in a 2-0 victory over Italy in 1949, the Italians nicknamed him "The Cat" for his spectacular saves.
England may have been attending its first World Cup in 1950 but the team was expected to go for the title. Instead, the loss to the U.S. team was followed by another 1-0 defeat to Spain and elimination.
"There was no shaking of hands after the game, but no animosity at all. Just utter, sheer dejection. We just couldn’t believe it," Williams said. "I think what lost us the match against Spain was the utter dejection from losing 1-0 to the Americans. Our spirits were so low. I felt sorry for everyone who was on that tour.
"In those days, the World Cup didn’t have anything like the same euphoria as it does now. People didn’t really pay very much attention to it. But they did in South America and the conditions were so different for us — it was so hot and the euphoria there was terrific."
Now the oldest-living England international player, Williams has teamed up with 1966 World Cup winner Martin Peters and goalkeeper Peter Shilton from the 1986 team for a TV advertisement for Mars, an official supplier to the current national team.
-- Robert Millward
MLS strike possibility looms as agreement expires
NEW YORK — Major League Soccer players say they won't go on strike just yet, despite the expiration of the collective bargaining agreement.
The deal between the league and the players' union was set to expire Thursday night after players balked at a third short-term extension.
The sides, whose five-year contract initially was due to expire Jan. 31, have not met since Monday's session in Washington, D.C.
"We have advised our players to keep working for the time being, but as of Friday they will be doing so without a CBA," Major League Soccer Players Union executive director Bob Foose said in a statement. "In the meantime, all options are being considered as the process continues."
MLS president Mark Abbott said last weekend that the league didn't plan to lock out players and was prepared to start the season under the terms and conditions of the old contract.
Players have sought free agent rights and more guaranteed contracts from the league, which launched in 1996 and negotiates all player contracts on behalf of its teams.
"We have listened to the issues raised by the MLS Players Union and the league has made detailed proposals that have addressed these issues, including in the areas of economics, guaranteed contracts, options and the ability of a player to move to another MLS club if he is released by his current club," MLS said in a statement. "These proposals, which represent substantial changes from the current CBA, will significantly increase our spending and provide substantially more rights to the players."
Income for players averaged $147,945 at the start of last season, according to the union. But the median — the point at which an equal number of players make above and below — was $88,000.
"While we expect that negotiations with MLS will resume at some point, there simply hasn't been enough progress made in the negotiations to date to warrant an extension of the old agreement," Foose said. "We are completely committed to forging real changes to the way MLS players are treated."
The MLS schedule begins March 25, when the new Philadelphia Union team is away at Seattle, but there are some matches before then. Columbus hosts Toluca on March 9 in the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Champions League on March 9, then plays the second leg at the Mexican club eight days later.
Red Bull Arena, a $200 million, 25,000-seat stadium in Harrison, New Jersey, formally opens with an exhibition game between the Red Bulls and Brazil's Santos on March 20. The Red Bulls said Thursday that Robinho, on loan to Santos from Manchester City, will be part of the travel roster along with Neymar, Giovani and Fabio Costa.
-- Ronald Blum
U.S. forward Dempsey expects to be back by mid-March
LONDON — Clint Dempsey says he will be back in action for Fulham by mid-March.
The American attacker has been sidelined since injuring his right knee in a 2-0 Premier League loss to Blackburn on Jan. 17. Dempsey said Thursday he is running freely in training and building up the strength of the knee before resuming contact training.
"I don't know exactly the protocol for that but I know I'll start touching the ball on Friday, which is tomorrow," Dempsey told The Associated Press. "Obviously, I'm looking forward to that."
Dempsey's injury initially seemed to threaten his involvement in the World Cup. The U.S. plays England on June 12 in its World Cup opener before meeting Slovenia six days later and finishing the first round against Algeria on June 23.
Dempsey could return for the second leg of Fulham's third-round Europa League matchup against Ajax or Juventus on March 18. In their first season of European competition, the Cottagers advanced Thursday with a 1-1 tie at Shakhtar Donetsk, the last UEFA Cup champion.
He will miss Wednesday's U.S. exhibition at the Netherlands but may link up with the team in Amsterdam. It will be the latest gathering of the American players before training camp in mid-May.
Dempsey said he had kept in regular contact with fellow U.S. forward Charlie Davies during his rehabilitation from injuries sustained in a car crash in October. But Dempsey said their conversations had not centered on comparing injuries.
"That's the last thing you want to focus on, but I know he's doing well," Dempsey said. "He's doing jogging and doing some fast feet work and hopefully he'll be fit.
-- Stuart Condie
St. Louis to host UN soccer game for Haiti
ST. LOUIS — St. Louis will host an international soccer game to benefit sports and education programs in the city and in Haiti.
The United Nations Players for Peace Goodwill Game will be held Aug. 7 at the Edward Jones Dome.
The event was announced Wednesday. Organizers say a team nicknamed "The Rest of the World" will challenge South America. The game will be played in the United States for the first time.
Former U.S. national team and Hall of Fame player Eric Wynalda will coach "The Rest of the World" squad. Brazilian legend Carlos Alberto will coach the South American team.
Carlos Alberto was captain of Brazil’s 1970 World Cup championship team.
Mexico Soccer
Mexico calls up Marquez, Blanco for exhibition
MEXICO CITY — Key defender Rafael Marquez and playmaker Cuauhtemoc Blanco have been selected by Mexico coach Javier Aguirre for Wednesday night's World Cup warmup against New Zealand at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif.
Aguirre also called up young midfielder Andres Guardado of Spain's Deportivo La Coruna for the match between two nations preparing for the World Cup.
The roster: Goalkeepers: Luis Ernesto Michel (Chivas), Jonathan Orozco (Monterrey); Defenders: Efrain Juarez (Pumas UNAM), Rafael Marquez (Barcelona, Spain), Hector Moreno (AZ Alkmaar, Netherlands), Ricardo Osorio (Stuttgart, Germany), Francisco Javier Rodriguez (PSV Eindhoven, Netherlands), Carlos Salcido (PSV Eindhoven, Netherlands); Midfielders: Israel Castro (Pumas UNAM), Jonathan Dos Santos (Barcelona, Spain), Andres Guardado (Deportivo La Coruna, Spain), Braulio Luna (San Luis), Luis Miguel Noriega (Puebla), Gerardo Torrado (Cruz Azul); Forwards: Cuauhtemoc Blanco (Veracruz), Aldo Jesus De Nigris (Monterrey), Giovanni Dos Santos (Galatasaray, Turkey), Javier Hernandez (Chivas), Carlos Vela (Arsenal, England)
Mexico bar staff charged in Cabanas shooting
MEXICO CITY — Mexico City prosecutors have charged six employees of a bar with covering for the suspect in the shooting of Paraguay striker Salvador Cabanas.
The employees were already in custody for investigation in the case. Another employee faces attempted homicide charges.
The waiters and other staff allegedly either helped the suspect escape, covered up evidence or failed to provide information on the crime.
Neither they nor their lawyers were available for comment on Wednesday.
Cabanas is recovering after being shot in the head on Jan. 25. The man suspected of shooting him remains at large.
Cabanas plays for Mexico's Club America and had been expected to lead Paraguay at the World Cup in South Africa.
Copa Libertadores
Once Caldas, Lanus win in Copa Libertadores
BOGOTA, Colombia — Colombia's Once Caldas came from behind to claim a 2-1 home victory over Sao Paulo of Brazil in the Copa Libertadores group stage on Thursday.
Argentina's Lanus was a 4-1 winner over Bolivia's Blooming, with Diego Lagos scoring twice, while Peru's Universitario drew 0-0 at home with Libertad of Paraguay.
Once Caldas, who were the surprise winners of the Libertadores in 2004, moved to the top of Group 2 after two games each, three points clear of Sao Paulo and Mexico's Monterrey.
Goalkeeper Rogerio Ceni scored from a deflected free kick to give Sao Paulo the lead in the 33rd minute, but Fernando Uribe equalized for Once Caldas in the 50th.
Dayro Moreno scored the winner in the 72nd minute, picking up the ball on the halfway line and riding three challenges before firing a low shot into the far corner.
Lanus' first points in three group games put the Argentine club in third place in Group 4, four points behind Universitario and Libertad.
Luis Vieira put Blooming ahead in the 10th minute, but goals from Sebastian Blanco in the 25th and Santiago Salcedo in the 38th gave the Argentine club a half-time lead.
Lagos struck goals in the 61st and 76th to seal victory.
The Copa Libertadores is the top club competition in Latin America, featuring teams from 11 different nations.
Eight group winners and the six best placed runners-up will qualify for the knockout round of 16.
World Cup
More cheap World Cup tickets for South Africans
JOHANNESBURG — World Cup organizers are more than doubling the number of tickets priced for working-class South Africans, amid indications wealthy foreigners aren’t snapping up seats.
Only 11 percent of tickets had been set aside for citizens of the host country at about $20 each, far less than the price of other tickets. That number has increased to 29 percent, said Danny Jordaan, chief executive of the South African organizing committee.
"You have to take into account that (soccer) fans in South Africa are working-class people of low income," Jordaan said.
Labor unions and the media pressed Jordaan to make more low-cost tickets available. Half of South Africans live in poverty, and at least a quarter of the nation’s work force is unemployed.
Other steps taken to make soccer’s premier event accessible to those hosting it include distributing 120,000 free tickets through sponsors like Coca-Cola, and giving more free tickets to the men and women who built the stadiums.
"We have made this commitment that the tournament will be affordable," Jordaan said.
The CEO added he would not be able to determine until all the tickets had been sold what effect the larger percentage of inexpensive tickets would have on his bottom line.
"We are comfortable we have enough money, more than enough, to deliver," he said.
FIFA acknowledged this month that only half of the VIP tickets for spots in luxury booths had been sold, which organizers blamed on the global recession.
FIFA secretary-general Jerome Valcke, who joined Jordaan on Thursday following an organizing committee board meeting, said 2.24 million of 2.9 million total tickets had been sold.
Officials said other matters discussed at the board meeting included concerns about the readiness of some stadiums. Drainage problems were discovered at the stadium in Nelspruit, in eastern South Africa, and a special committee has been formed to monitor the playing surface in all 10 facilities.
Valcke said that while work remained outside the main Johannesburg stadium, where parking lots and access roads are not complete, the field itself is impressive.
"There could be a game tomorrow morning," Valcke said of Soccer City, which will host the opening match and final. "From the inside, this stadium looks beautiful."
South Africa has faced persistent questions about whether a developing country can pull off a World Cup, and officials have just as persistently insisted they would be ready for the June 11 opener.
"The work goes on," Jordaan said, "and the next two weeks are quite critical."
-- Donna Bryson
Executive: Nike already benefiting from World Cup
LONDON — A Nike Inc. executive said Thursday that the U.S. sports outfitter is cautiously optimistic about overall trading prospects for the year, with sales of its football-related kit already up dramatically ahead of this year's World Cup.
Brand president Charlie Denson said that total revenue growth will likely mirror a global economic recovery, with the 32-nation World Cup in South Africa helping extend the company's lead over rival Adidas.
Denson declined to put a figure on Nike's expected sales of football-related products for this year but said that "from a revenue standpoint, we feel we're the biggest and best football company in the world."
Adidas, which is sponsoring 12 of the teams at the June 11-July 11 World Cup as well as the event itself, has forecast beating its record sales of football-related products of €1.3 billion ($1.8 billion) in 2008.
The Nike logo will be on the shirts of nine competing nations.
"Our football numbers going into the world cup are up dramatically," Denson told The Associated Press in London, where the company is launching key products related to the tournament.
Nike, the world's largest athletic shoe and clothing company, bought England team sponsor Umbro in 2007, a key acquisition to a stable that includes Brazil, Portugal and Holland. It also takes over sponsorship of the French team from next year, after besting Adidas for the contract in 2008.
"We feel very good about where we are," Denson said. "We feel very good about our competitive position with regards to them and everybody else in the game."
Nike reported a 4 percent fall in profit to $375.4 million, in the fiscal second quarter. Tight inventory and cost controls helped it withstand an 8 percent decline in revenue to $4.4 billion.
Denson said he was cautiously positive about the outlook, and stressed emerging markets growth.
"We will probably see our growth mirror the economic recovery," he said. "Right now we're seeing positive growth coming out of China."
"Our emerging markets business continues to outperform," he said.
He added that the U.S. seemed to be "relatively stable," while the two toughest markets continued to be central and eastern Europe and Japan.
-- Stuart Condie
Domenech calls up Saha for Spain friendly
PARIS — Everton striker Louis Saha was summoned to play for France for the first time in more than three years but veteran midfielder Patrick Vieira was again omitted on Thursday for the friendly against European champion Spain next week.
Saha, scorer of 13 English Premier League goals this season, hasn't played for France since a 1-0 win over Greece in a friendly in November 2006.
Saha has scored four times in 18 appearances for France and was part of the team that reached the 2006 World Cup final.
"There was a competition between him and (Panathinaikos striker) Djibril Cisse," France coach Raymond Domenech told a press conference. "We had to make a choice and we decided to take Saha."
France will host Spain on March 3 at Stade de France for its first match since a controversial playoff win over Ireland that sent Domenech's team to the World Cup. After its 1-0 win in Dublin, France secured a 1-1 draw at Stade de France thanks to striker Thierry Henry's handball in the buildup to William Gallas' equalizer.
"We didn't see the players since this last match against Ireland," Domenech said. "It's been a while. Now we have only two days to reunite and prepare for the World Cup. All the players should have the World Cup in mind."
The 33-year-old Vieira has been plagued by injuries over the past two seasons and rarely played for Inter Milan. He joined Manchester City in January in a move designed to revive his bid for a World Cup spot.
But Vieira was recently banned for three matches for kicking a Stoke player and has played just four games for City.
"I spoke with Patrick and we decided together that he was not ready," Domenech said. "He should play regularly and show that he has found his level back."
With seven regular players out with injuries, including Arsenal defender William Gallas and Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema, Domenech called up for the first time Marseille midfielder Benoit Cheyrou and Bordeaux defender Michael Ciani.
"This match will be played in a very difficult context, with a lot of injured players," Domenech said. "The good thing is that we will have a chance to see new faces."
Ciani scored Bordeaux's winner in a 1-0 win at Olympiakos earlier this week in the first leg of their Round of 16 Champions League tie.
Having been limited to just a few games this season because of a series of injuries, Bayern Munich winger Franck Ribery made the cut and is likely to get his 42nd cap.
"He hasn't reached his physical peak but I'm really happy to see him back," said Domenech, who will name his 23-man World Cup squad in early May.
France, the 1998 World Cup winner and runner-up to Italy in 2006, plays Uruguay, Mexico and South Africa in Group A at the World Cup.
France has claimed only 11 wins in 29 meetings with Spain but has the better record in big matches. France won the 1984 European championships final against the Spaniards and beat them at both Euro 2000 and the World Cup 2006.
"For me and the people who follow the France team, this match is linked to good memories," Domenech said. "Just more than two months before a World Cup we are all waiting for, this will be a particular encounter. Spain is one of the World Cup biggest favorites and their ambition is enormous. We are going to face a strong test, this is the beginning of our journey to the World Cup."
-- Samuel Petrequin
Striker Holosko back in Slovak squad after injury
BRATISLAVA, Slovakia — Besiktas striker Filip Holosko was back in the Slovakia squad on Thursday for the first time since September when he broke his leg in the Champions League.
Holosko was named for next week's World Cup warmup against Norway. He's scored five goals in 36 internationals.
After breaking his leg at the end of September, Holosko missed the last two World Cup qualifiers against Slovenia and Poland and friendlies against Chile and the United States in November. He returned to action in January and has been playing at least an hour in each outing for Besiktas in the Turkish league.
Slovakia won its European qualifying group to secure qualification for the World Cup in South Africa for the first time. Norway didn't qualify.
Slovakia's remaining top players, including Napoli midfielder Marek Hamsik and Liverpool defender Martin Skrtel, are in the 20-man squad for the March 3 game in the western Slovak city of Zilina.
Slovakia is also scheduled to play a warmup against Costa Rica at home on June 5 and is negotiating one more with Ghana on May 29 in Klagenfurt, Austria where the team will have a training camp in Bad Kleinkirchheim ahead of the June 11-July 11 World Cup. In South Africa, Slovakia faces defending champion Italy, Paraguay and New Zealand in Group F.
SAfrica to play Denmark in final WCup friendly
JOHANNESBURG — World Cup host South Africa will play a friendly against Denmark on June 5 in its final warmup match before the tournament begins.
South Africa coach Carlos Alberto Parreira says he had hoped to play Brazil, but added that teams are reluctant to play friendlies against the hosts. Parreira is still looking for more teams to play before South Africa's World Cup campaign begins on June 11 against Mexico. The hosts will also face Uruguay and France in Group A.
Denmark will play the Netherlands, Cameroon and Japan in Group E.
Brazil midfielder Anderson to miss World Cup
MANCHESTER, England — Manchester United midfielder Anderson has a ruptured cruciate ligament in a knee that will sideline him for the rest of the season and cause him to miss the World Cup.
The Brazilian has struggled to keep a regular place in Manchester United’s starting lineup this season and is on the fringe of Brazil’s national team. He was injured in the first half of United’s 3-0 victory over West Ham on Tuesday.
United manager Alex Ferguson said Thursday that Anderson will be sidelined for six months.
League News
Man United chases repeat League Cup final triumph
LONDON — Manchester United is out to become the first club in 20 years to win the League Cup two years in a row when it faces Aston Villa at Wembley, and also hopes that neighbor Manchester City will do it a big favor by beating Chelsea in the Premier League.
The worst-case scenario for manager Alex Ferguson and his team, however, is that they lose the final at Wembley and Man City loses at Chelsea to leave United four points behind in the league title race.
United is coming off a 3-0 victory over West Ham in the league on Tuesday with striker Wayne Rooney taking his goals tally for the season to 27 including 11 in his last eight games.
But Ferguson has announced two more injury problems with centerback Rio Ferdinand out of Sunday's game with a recurrence of his nagging back injury and midfielder Anderson ruled out for six months with a ruptured cruciate-ligament injury.
Ferguson is likely to make several changes from the lineup that beat West Ham with experienced goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar expected to return along with defenders Rafael da Silva, Jonny Evans and midfielder Michael Carrick.
"The final itself has a great attraction," Ferguson said. "We recognize very seriously the challenge from Aston Villa. When you think of the team Martin O'Neill inherited and compare it with the team he has got now it's completely different in every department.
"He has brought consistency to them. He doesn't make many changes and it could be a successful season. They are also in the FA Cup quarterfinal now."
Villa beat second tier Crystal Palace in a fifth-round replay on Wednesday and faces another League Championship club, Reading, in the last eight.
O'Neill is likely to start with England strikers Gabriel Agbonlahor and Emile Heskey against United on Sunday even though the tall Norwegian forward, John Carew, scored twice against Palace.
While United will hope that Man City wins on Saturday to stop Chelsea moving further ahead in the standings, Villa is likely to be cheering on the Premier League leader.
That is because Villa and Man City are rivals — along with Tottenham and Liverpool — for a fourth-place finish in the Premier League which would mean a shot at playing in next season's Champions League.
A Chelsea victory at Stamford Bridge will give Carlo Ancelotti's team a four-point cushion. It would also mean Villa remains only a point behind Man City but with a game in hand.
Going into the weekend's league games, Chelsea has 61 points from 27 games, Man United has 60 from 28 and third-placed Arsenal, which goes to Stoke, has 55 from 27.
With games running out, the three appear to be the only realistic contenders for the title while the four teams behind them are more concerned with fourth place and are tightly bunched.
Tottenham and Man City have 46 points and Liverpool and Villa have 45. Tottenham hosts improving Everton on Sunday when Liverpool welcomes Blackburn.
There should be a few more twists and turns in the struggle to avoid relegation although that is likely to be virtually confirmed in the next few days for last-placed Portsmouth.
Deeply in debt and facing a winding-up order on Monday, Portsmouth seems set to go into financial administration unless it finds a new owner. Administration would bring a nine-point deduction.
With only 16 points so far, the loss of nine would make it only a matter of time before it is mathematically impossible for Portsmouth to survive even if beats next-to-last Burnley on Saturday.
Bolton, which is also in the relegation zone, faces Wolves, which is two places above. Hull lies in between the two, doesn't have a game this weekend and will slide to next to last if Bolton and Burnley win.
In 15th place, Wigan is also in danger of being sucked into the relegation battle and has a difficult game at Birmingham on Saturday. Likewise, Sunderland, which is only three points above the relegation zone, has a tough game at home to Fulham on Sunday.
In the race for promotion, Newcastle holds a five-point lead at the top of the League Championship. It hopes to capture three more points at Watford on Saturday to maintain momentum toward an immediate return to the top flight after relegation last season.
Second-placed Nottingham Forest goes to neighbor Leicester and third-placed West Bromwich Albion, which is six points behind Newcastle, hosts Derby.
-- Robert Millward
Barcelona aims to keep Madrid at bay in league
MADRID — Barcelona seeks to bounce back from an unconvincing midweek display in the Champions League when it hosts Malaga, while Real Madrid attempts to close a two-point gap on the leader when it visits Tenerife in the Spanish league on Saturday.
Barcelona salvaged a 1-1 draw from its visit to Stuttgart in the round of 16 first-leg game although it was a sub-par performance by the champion.
"If you're not quite right things are hard," said Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola. "The result isn't bad but we know we have to do better if we want to push for titles."
A recent concern for the Catalans has been the form of striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The Swede has scored 12 league goals in his first season in Spain and he equalized against Stuttgart. However, since Christmas his scoring has slowed and Guardiola said his movement off the ball needs to improve.
"He moves, but sometimes it's hard to find him," said the coach. "I want him to score goals because a No. 9 is judged on that basis."
Although Barcelona beat Racing Santander 4-0 in the league last weekend it was an uninspired showing which prompted former Barcelona player and coach Johan Cruyff to call it the "worst game of the Guardiola era."
Saturday's opponent Malaga struggled near the bottom of the table early in the season but is now 12th after a four-game unbeaten run.
With 56 points, two less than Barca, Real Madrid knows it could go top this weekend if the champion slips up.
With Tenerife in the relegation zone, Madrid should be confident of winning in the Heliodoro Rodriguez Lopez Stadium. However, in the corresponding fixture in 1992 and 1993, losses to Tenerife in the final game of the season handed Barcelona the league title and Madrid will be wary of dropping points.
A 1-0 loss against Lyon in the Champions League on Feb. 16 was a rare blip in a run in which Madrid has won five league games in a row.
Jose Maria "Guti" Gutierrez appears to have recovered from an injury although he is still a doubt for Saturday. If Guti does not play, coach Manuel Pellegrini could replace him with Lassana Diarra. However, the France midfielder's ability to combine with Xabi Alonso was questioned earlier in the season.
"I don't have any problem with Xabi Alonso," Diarra said. "I think we can both play in the team. We're all Real Madrid players and we're available to the coach, who is the one to decide."
Also, third-place Valencia visits Atletico Madrid on Sunday. Valencia is on 46 points, 12 off the lead, and is aiming to stay in the Champions League spots, while 13th-place Atletico is aiming to find some consistency in an erratic league season.
One of Atletico's problems has been in goal, with first-choice goalkeeper David de Gea injured and Sergio Asenjo enduring a crisis of confidence which has at times sparked the ire of his own fans.
"The Calderon has more than enough reasons to boo me but I'm trying to turn the situation around," said Asenjo. "I need to improve my performances to change the boos to applause."
A string of fine saves during Atletico's 1-0 defeat to Almeria last weekend will have doubtless helped change the fans' opinion.
Also Saturday it's: Getafe vs. Zaragoza.
On Sunday, it's: Xerez vs. Espanyol; Villarreal vs. Deportivo La Coruna; Valladolid vs. Mallorca; Racing Santander vs. Almeria; Sporting Gijon vs. Osasuna; and Sevilla vs. Athletic Bilbao.
-- Guy Hedgecoe
AC Milan hoping to close gap further on Inter
MILAN — AC Milan will be doing its utmost to maintain the pressure on Serie A league leader Inter Milan when it takes on Atalanta at the weekend.
Milan is four points behind its city rival in second place, though it needed a last-minute goal from Alexandre Pato to earn a midweek win over Fiorentina.
"Even though we won and closed the gap to four points, we have to take things match by match," defender Ignazio Abate said. "We are only thinking about what we have to do and this victory is a step forward."
Milan's third league win in a row has and allowed it to put behind its run of four matches without a victory.
"We can't repeat what happened at home against Livorno (1-1) or against Bologna (0-0)," Abate said. "We can't throw away all the positive work we've done this week against Bari or Fiorentina."
Inter has drawn its last three league matches to allow Milan and AS Roma to close in, but Inter will be buoyed by a Champions League win over Chelsea on Wednesday.
"Milan may be four points behind us," striker Diego Milito said, "but we have to think about playing our own game."
Inter travels to Udinese, which has been struggling near the foot of the table and recently brought back Pasquale Marino as coach after replacing him with Gianni De Biasi midway through the season.
Udinese also boasts the league's leading scorer, Antonio Di Natale, who hit his 18th goal this season in a 2-1 win over Cagliari midweek.
"It was an uphill struggle and thankfully we did well," Marino said. "When you are coming off a long period of bad results morale becomes low and it becomes even harder to come back from a goal down. I was worried that the guys would fall apart when we went behind, but they reacted well."
Juventus was rocked this week by news that goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon would be out of action for a month with a thigh injury. However, the side has been boosted by the return to action of Alessandro Del Piero.
Two weeks ago Del Piero earned and then converted the penalty that gave new coach Alberto Zaccheroni his first win as Juventus coach, and in the lastest round of matches he set up Andrea Candreva to score the winner against Bologna.
"Alessandro is world class, that is of no doubt," defender Giorgio Chiellini said. "He has always shown that and this year is no different. It is no coincidence that we improve when certain players come back into the team.
"Everyone felt his absence, and when he is in the team, everybody's performance improves."
Also this weekend, it is; Catania vs. Bari; Lazio vs. Fiorentina; Chievo Verona vs. Cagliari; Genoa vs. Bologna; Livorno vs. Siena; Napoli vs. AS Roma and Parma vs. Sampdoria.
-- Jeremy Inson
Bayern hosts Hamburg in Bundesliga
FRANKFURT — Bayern Munich remained neck-and-neck with Bayer Leverkusen at the top of the Bundesliga standings thanks to some help from an unexpected source and will look to take matters into its own hands when it plays Hamburger SV on Sunday.
Per Mertesacker's goal in stoppage time gave Werder Bremen a 2-2 draw against Leverkusen last Sunday. That result prevented Bayern from falling two points behind after its own 1-1 draw at next-to-last placed Nuremberg. Bayern and Leverkusen are equal on points (49) though Leverkusen holds a single-goal edge on goal difference.
At the same time, third-placed Schalke failed to take advantage to close the gap when it lost at Wolfsburg and is now four points behind.
Relying on outside help is probably not a viable long-term option for Bayern.
"We have to win three points, no matter how," midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger said ahead of Sunday's home match against fourth-placed Hamburger SV (40 points).
"We are still angry over the 1-1 in Nuremberg. We should have won that game," Schweinsteiger said.
The draw ended Bayern's run of 13 consecutive wins, nine of them in the Bundesliga.
"I knew that after 13 straight wins a draw or a defeat would come. Bayern can't win all games," Bayern's director of sports Christian Nerlinger said. "But Leverkusen did not use the chance. That last-gasp draw must feel like a defeat to them. They could have taken a great step (toward the championship).
"One goal behind is not something to make us nervous. At the end (of the season) we'll be in front. It doesn't matter when we take over the top, what matters is that we are there after 34 matches."
"It will be interesting to see how Leverkusen will handle to growing pressure until the end of the season," Nerlinger added.
Bayern midfielder Thomas Mueller said his team was stronger than Leverkusen.
"We have to concentrate on ourselves," he said.
Leverkusen is undefeated in 23 games and one more game without defeat will set a Bundesliga record.
"It's a strange feeling," said Leverkusen striker Eren Derdiyok, who still hasn't lost in the Bundesliga since moving to the team from Basel.
"If we remain right there at the top until the game against Bayern (in the 30th round), it will be in our hands," Derdiyok said of Leverkusen's chances of lifting its first championship.
"But we have to focus on the next game because if we starting thinking far ahead we could jeopardize our chances," said Derdiyok, who has six goals in the last seven games.
Leverkusen on Saturday hosts lowly Cologne, which is coming off a 5-1 defeat at home against Stuttgart.
"We have to score an early goal and not allow the match to get out of hand," Leverkusen's defender Gonzalo Castro said.
The matches between the two neighboring clubs can become hotheaded affairs.
Another bitter local rivalry will take place Friday when Schalke plays fifth-place Borussia Dortmund.
Also on Saturday, it's Hertha Berlin vs. Hoffenheim; Mainz vs. Werder Bremen; Stuttgart vs. Eintracht Frankfurt; Borussia Moenchengladbach vs. Freiburg and Bochum vs. Nuremberg.
On Sunday, Hannover hosts Wolfsburg.
-- Nesha Starcevic
Bordeaux confident after midweek European triumph
PARIS — After an encouraging start to it Champions League campaign, Bordeaux is poised to take advantage of a trip to struggling Le Mans on Sunday to increase its lead at the top of the French league.
Following a string of disappointing performances in domestic competitions since the beginning of the year, Laurent Blanc's side finally put on a convincing display on Tuesday to win 1-0 at Olympiakos in the first leg of their Round of 16 Champions League tie.
A draw on March 17 at their Chaban-Delmas stadium will be enough to reach the quarterfinals of the competition for the first time since 1988 and Bordeaux now has the opportunity to focus on defending its French league title.
While Bordeaux's European run has been impressive — with six wins in seven matches and only two goals conceded — the team recently struggled on home soil and saw its lead in the league cut to three points from a cushion of nine points at the winter break.
"We had a tough January, and February was complicated as well," said Michael Ciani, who scored Bordeaux's winner in Greece. "There is room to improve in the way we played but Bordeaux finally got going again. And we showed we have the fighting spirit."
Bordeaux has 51 points from 24 games, second-placed Montpellier has 48 and Lille is third with 47.
"Before the game at Olympiakos, I told my players that this was a wonderful occasion to become again a solid team," Blanc said. "We expected this performance for a long time. The team has shown me good things. It is encouraging for the future."
Bordeaux's strong performance at Olympiakos coincided with Yoann Gourcuff's return to form, with the France playmaker delivering the decisive free kick for Ciani, his first assist of 2010.
Bordeaux's revival is not exactly good news for Le Mans, which is 18th in the standings and features a squad decimated by injuries.
After losing four of its last six league games, Le Mans coach Arnaud Cormier is likely to be without Joao Paulo Andrade (hamstring), Almen Abdi (ankle) and Guillaume Loriot (calf) on Sunday while Cyriaque Louvion, Frederic Thomas and Fredrik Stromstad have resumed training but are also doubtful.
Paris Saint-Germain, which is 12th with 33 points, will host bitter rival Marseille in a game that has given rise to security fears. The teams' fans clashed in Marseille after the late postponement of their first encounter of the season last October. Nearly a dozen people were injured.
Marseille supporters attending the match will have to travel by special buses and the expected 1,500 fans will all be searched before setting off.
"Police forces will accompany the fans until the last toll before Paris," said Marseille police prefect Philippe Klaymann.
Back in the title race after securing four wins in its last five games, fifth-placed Marseille is in a jubilant mood although striker Mamadou Niang is nursing an Achilles injury he picked up in the 3-1 win over Nancy when he scored the first hat-trick of his career.
Montpellier will have a chance to go level on points with Bordeaux when it hosts Rennes on Saturday following a 1-0 loss at Saint-Etienne that ended a five-game winning streak last week. Lyon will play Nice at home.
In Saturday's other games, it is: Lorient vs. Sochaux; Monaco vs. Boulogne; Nancy vs. Grenoble; Toulouse vs. Lens and Valenciennes vs. Saint-Etienne.
Lille travels at Auxerre in Sunday's other match.
-- Samuel Petrequin
Elsewhere
Bridge quits England team in wake of Terry saga
LONDON — Wayne Bridge is refusing to play for England in the wake of teammate John Terry’s alleged affair with his former partner, saying Thursday that his presence in the World Cup squad could be "divisive."
Coach Fabio Capello expected Bridge to continue playing for England after stripping Terry of the captaincy when details of the Chelsea defender’s affair with Vanessa Perroncel were published.
But Bridge’s announcement, two days after Capello suggested the two could play together, left the coach with problems over selection and team harmony three months before England travels to South Africa.
"I was flying back from Milan when Wayne Bridge announced that he would not be with us for the Egypt match and also in South Africa for the World Cup," Capello said. "It surprised me, but I respect the decision of all the players. But the door is always open for him.
"We have time. There is still three months until I will decide my final squad for South Africa. I hope that Wayne Bridge will be with us."
After weeks of lurid headlines about his players, including starting left back Ashley Cole, Capello spoke Tuesday of the need to restore unity in the locker room. But Bridge is apparently unable to forge a professional relationship with Terry.
"I have thought long and hard about my position in the England football team in the light of the reporting and events over the last few weeks," Bridge said in a statement. "It has always been an honor to play for England. However, after careful thought I believe my position in the squad is now untenable and potentially divisive."
The rift could be on display Saturday when the pair come face-to-face during the pre-match formalities at Stamford Bridge when Manchester City plays Chelsea, the club Bridge left in 2009.
Terry’s continuing presence in the England team also could cause friction with teammates aware the defender’s alleged affair with the mother of Bridge’s child forced his one-time friend to miss out on a major tournament.
"I feel for the sake of the team and in order to avoid what will be inevitable distractions, I have decided not to put myself forward for selection," Bridge said. "I have today informed the management of this decision. I wish the team all the very best in South Africa."
The Professional Footballers’ Association tried to heal the rift between the former teammates.
"The PFA offered to help and contacted both parties with a view to acting as mediators, but neither came back to us," PFA chief executive Gordon Taylor said. "I am surprised and saddened that this matter could not be resolved. I would have hoped that things could have been patched up for the sake of the professional careers of both Wayne and John Terry, as well as the England team."
The Football Association backed Capello to ensure the fallout from the Terry-Bridge saga doesn’t affect the squad at the World Cup.
"I believe that (Capello) has increased his footballing perception around the world as a great manager because ultimately a good decision on the matter (sacking Terry) was reached," FA chief executive Ian Watmore told Talk Sport radio. "If you want to have great team spirit then you need someone who can manage that and we have the world’s best in Fabio dealing with these difficult decisions.
"Fabio has to judge what’s best for team spirit. We won’t win in South Africa if we don’t have that. But we should have confidence that we will have it and move on."
An immediate issue for Capello is filling the left back slot for Wednesday’s exhibition against Egypt, Cole recovering from a broken ankle and uncertain whether he will be fit for England’s World Cup opener against the United States on June 12.
Capello will use Wednesday’s match to audition others in the position. The likeliest candidates are Leighton Baines and Stephen Warnock.
Baines has yet to play for the national team but has impressed for Everton this season, while Warnock’s international experience amounts to six minutes as a substitute against Trinidad and Tobago in June 2008.
-- Rob Harris
Ronaldo wants to renew partnership with Rooney
LONDON — Cristiano Ronaldo said Wednesday he wants to renew his feared striking partnership with Wayne Rooney.
The Portugal forward has scored 12 goals in an injury-hit first season with Real Madrid since joining the Spanish club for a world-record 80 million pounds (€94 million; $131 million) but is still interested in linking up again with the man he left behind at Manchester United.
The chances of that happening any time soon are slim, with Rooney having taken over from his former teammate as the focal point of the United attack, but Ronaldo said he is still in touch with Rooney and is looking further down the line.
"I hope to play with him again some day," Ronaldo said. "Anything is possible. I am really happy for him this season, and not just for him but for the other players at Manchester."
Rooney has scored 27 goals for United this season and excelled under the extra responsibility thrust upon him by Ronaldo's exit in July.
With Rooney so central to United's progress, it may take Ronaldo to move back to the Premier League to reunite the pair. Ronaldo said that he is still in touch with many players at the club as well as manager Alex Ferguson.
"I speak with the boss, Ferguson, sometimes," Ronaldo said. "Rooney I speak with. Rio (Ferdinand), (Nemanja) Vidic, (Patrice) Evra, Nani, Anderson, many of them. Just because I have left the club does not mean my relationship with these guys ends.
"I have spent many years playing with them and they are still my friends. But what I speak to the boss about is private."
Unlike Ronaldo, Rooney has stated his loyalty to United and not expressed any desire to switch clubs, even for one as prestigious as Madrid or Barcelona.
"The form of Rooney does not impress me, because of the quality he has," Ronaldo said at the launch of Nike's Mercurial Superfly boot in London. "He was always brilliant. This season he is playing very well and scoring many goals, but he is not a different player.
"He is a winning guy."
Madrid and United are second in the Spanish league and Premier League respectively.
United seemed to struggle initially following the sale of Ronaldo, who led the club to a record-equaling three straight Premier League titles, but Rooney has hit 19 goals in his last 19 games to make this the most profitable of his career.
And Rooney could come up against Ronaldo at the World Cup in South Africa at the end of this season.
The pair met at the 2006 World Cup quarterfinal stage, with Rooney sent off and Ronaldo's Portugal advancing via a penalty shootout.
This time, England cruised to qualification, while Portugal was forced into a playoff before qualifying for a tough group that also includes Brazil, Ivory Coast and North Korea.
"In my opinion, Portugal has the most difficult group in the World Cup," Ronaldo said. "It is not just Brazil, but the Ivory Coast is a fantastic team and we have to make sure we win the first game."
-- Stuart Condie
Portsmouth to enter adminstration Friday
LONDON — Portsmouth will become the first Premier League club to go into financial administration on Friday, after four undisclosed buyers failed to prove they had the funds to buy the cash-strapped soccer club.
Andrew Andronikou of UHY Hacker Young will serve as the administrator after a Thursday afternoon deadline passed. Financial administration is a form of bankruptcy protection.
"We made a conscious decision to put it into administration tomorrow morning," Andronikou told The Associated Press.
Andronikou will issue a detailed statement Friday outlining how the club will be restructured to prevent it going into liquidation. The club is in last place in the world’s richest soccer league, and will be docked nine points for entering financial administration.
"I feel very sad, very angry," Portsmouth manager Avram Grant said.
The 112-year-old club has already had four owners this season, with debts reportedly reaching $105.5 million. Portsmouth reached the predicament by spending heavily on player transfers and salaries to win the 2008 FA Cup, its first major title since 1950.
The debts at Fratton Park continued to mount, and the club was in serious trouble in August when Sacha Gaydamak sold it to Dubai businessman Sulaiman Al-Fahim.
However, Al-Fahim’s ownership lasted less than six weeks after failing to refinance the club and pay the players’ wages on time. A subsequent takeover by Saudi businessman Ali Al-Faraj was portrayed as being necessary to rescue the club, but it still struggled to pay off debts.
Portsmouth was banned from buying players on permanent deals during the January transfer window, and any funds raised from player sales were taken by the Premier League to pass on to clubs owed money.
Hong Kong businessman Balram Chainrai took over the club this month as a short-term arrangement to protect his investment after becoming frustrated that several deadlines were missed to repay his loans to the club.
The Premier League has been working with Portsmouth for six months to prevent a potentially embarrassing closure.
-- Rob Harris
Rio Ferdinand to miss England-Egypt game
MANCHESTER, England — England captain Rio Ferdinand will miss Wednesday’s exhibition game against Egypt because of a back injury.
The Manchester United defender had a recurrence of a long-term back injury in training last week and didn’t play in Tuesday’s Premier League victory over West Ham.
He was due to return after a four-game suspension but United manager Alex Ferguson said he "tweaked" his back, an injury that also ruled him out of Sunday’s League Cup final against Aston Villa.
With England preparing to open the World Cup against the United States on June 12, Ferdinand replaced John Terry as England captain on Feb. 3.
Russia may terminate Hiddink's contract
MOSCOW — New Russian Football Union president Sergei Fursenko says it may terminate coach Guus Hiddink's contract before it ends in June.
Fursenko told reporters after a council meeting on Thursday there were seven or eight candidates to take over Hiddink. The decision on a new coach will be taken in a month or two. He then hinted that the contract with the Dutchman can be concluded.
Hiddink, who's contract expires on June 30, has already agreed to a two-year contract to coach Turkey until August 2012 with an option for two additional years.
Hiddink's contract hadn't been on the meeting agenda.
He guided Russia to the semifinals of the 2008 European Championship but the team fell short of qualifying for this year's World Cup.
Cech to miss Czech Republic friendly at Scotland
PRAGUE The Czech Republic will be without injured Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech for next week's friendly at Scotland.
Cech was carried off on a stretcher with a calf injury during his side's 2-1 loss at Inter Milan in the Champions League on Wednesday. Czech Republic coach Michal Bilek called up Michal Danek of Czech club Plzen as a possible replacement. The 26-year-old Danek has never played for the Czech Republic.
Defender Ondrej Kusnir of Sparta Prague and midfielder Jan Moravek of Schalke are also newcomers included in the 18-man squad named Thursday for the March 3 game in Glasgow.
Both teams, which have not qualified for this year's World Cup in South Africa, have been drawn together in the same 2012 European Championship qualifying group.
Nikolov to stay with Eintracht Frankfurt
FRANKFURT — Eintracht Frankfurt goalkeeper Oka Nikolov is staying with the club rather than move to Major League Soccer's New York Red Bulls.
Eintracht chairman Heribert Bruchhagen says the 35-year-old goalkeeper has accepted an improved offer to extend his contract by another two seasons and signed the new deal Thursday.
Nikolov has been at Eintracht since 1991. He has five caps for Macedonia.
In January, Nikolov said that he wanted to leave the club and move to MLS.
Parreira drafts in foreign-based players
JOHANNESBURG — South Africa coach Carlos Alberto Parreira called up three foreign-based players to his squad for the friendly match against Namibia next week and said it will be a "profound gesture" for South Africa to celebrate the 100-day countdown to the World Cup.
Parreira named defenders Bradley Carnell, Bryce Moon and Bevan Fransman in his 22-man squad on Thursday and left out English Premier League players Steven Pienaar and Aaron Mokoena, South Africa's captain.
Parreira said he already knew enough about the pair and did not need them to travel for the game in Durban.
South Africa's Bafana Bafana will play Namibia next Wednesday at the Moses Mabhida Stadium, one of the new World Cup venues.
Real Madrid's longest-serving fan dies, aged 89
MADRID — Real Madrid's longest-serving registered fan Jose Eulogio Aranguren has died, aged 89.
Aranguren became a supporter of the club when he was 2 years old in 1923, the club's Web site reported Thursday.
Known as Real Madrid's "No. 1" fan, Aranguren and his family were closely linked to the club. His uncle Sotero and father Eulogio played for the team in the early 20th century, winning the Copa del Rey in 1917.
Aranguren, who died in a hospital in the capital, became Madrid's longest-serving fan following the death of Felix Perez Alvarez aged 99 on Oct. 22, 2009.
