Soccer Capsules: Fulham signs Mexico defender Salcido from PSV
LONDON (AP) — Fulham signed Mexico defender Carlos Salcido from Dutch club PSV Eindhoven on a three-year contract on Friday.
The fee for the 30-year-old left-back was undisclosed, but is reportedly about >1.6 million pounds ($2.5 million).
"It has always been an ambition to play in England in the Premier League," Salcido said. "The season has already started, so I know that I need to work hard with the manager and the team to make sure that I settle quickly, and that I can help the team to do well."
Salcido, who has made 77 appearances for his national side, played every game at the World Cup in South Africa where Mexico was beaten by Argentina in the round of 16.
He began his club career at Guadalajara before moving to PSV in 2006, making over 100 appearances and winning the Dutch league title twice.
"Carlos is a versatile defender who can play in a number of positions," Fulham manager Mark Hughes said. "It is pleasing that we have been able to make additions of extremely high quality during this window."
Salcido's arrival at Fulham could pave the way for the departure of left-back Paul Konchesky, who has been strongly linked with a move to Liverpool.
U.S. Soccer
Internet sensation Lambert returns from suspension
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Elizabeth Lambert went from Internet sensation to the end of the bench.
The senior defender for New Mexico didn't get on the field Friday night in her first chance since serving a two-game suspension. Lambert was the player caught on video in November yanking her opponent to the ground by the ponytail during the Mountain West Conference tournament.
The video was posted on the Internet and watched by millions worldwide.
Lambert was reinstated Tuesday, but didn't talk to reporters then and didn't appear in the first game she was eligible against Wisconsin-Milwaukee on Friday.
School spokesman Frank Mercogliano said Lambert wouldn't speak unless she was involved in a play that helped determine the outcome. The Lobos and the Panthers played to a 1-1 draw.
Lambert received a two-game suspension for her role in the widely publicized hair-pulling fracas against BYU. The most infamous images are of Lambert grabbing BYU's Kassidy Shumway by her ponytail and yanking her to the ground, but Lambert also was the recipient of some rough play, receiving an elbow to the ribs during a dead ball and responding with one of her own.
The Lobos tried to distance their program from the wider debate the video sparked, including sexism in coverage of women's sports. Lambert addressed those issues briefly after the episode in her only public comments when she told The New York Times, "I definitely feel because I am a female, it did bring about a lot more attention than if a male were to do it."
New Mexico athletics director Paul Krebs said Lambert fulfilled the terms of her suspension by missing two games and other requirements that included keeping up her grades, participating in community service and staying away from the team until fall workouts.
Lambert is expected to be a key contributor for the Lobos this season, but she started out on Friday night as just another cheerleader.
"You go girl! Work it!" Lambert shouted from the bench, and a minute later Rachel Fields put the Lobos up 1-0 off the assist from Stephanie Rowe early in the 52nd minute. Milwaukee's Laurel Ragalie scored the equalizer 29 minutes later.
Lambert, who started all 21 games as a junior, switched numbers from 15 to 19 and was vocal on the sideline, standing most of the time on top of the bench and clapping in support.
The only time she touched the ball came when she scooped it up out of bounds and tossed it to Lobos defender Roxie McFarland for a throw in.
At halftime, Lambert put her arm around McFarland and her teammate burst out laughing. When they were done talking, Lambert gave McFarland a big hug and shouted, "Go get a goal!"
Lambert began warming up in the 36th minute after coach Kit Vela motioned for her, but she never entered the game. She'll get another next chance when the Lobos play No. 23 Marquette on Sunday in the finale of the Milwaukee Cup competition that also features Auburn.
"We've got to find our legs again after overtime, everything else, but it is what it is," said Vela, who declined to say if Lambert would play Sunday. "We do a pretty good job of recovering and we're a pretty good group."
-- Colin Fly
League News
Atletico beats Inter 2-0 to win Super Cup
MONACO (AP) — Jose Antonio Reyes and Sergio Aguero scored second-half goals as Atletico Madrid beat Inter Milan 2-0 to win the European Super Cup for the first time Friday.
Atletico continued its run of form after winning the Europa League last season. Inter won the Champions League under former coach Jose Mourinho, who has been replaced by former Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez.
"We have the squad to win titles. Today we showed it," Reyes said. "It was a tremendous joy. To score a goal in the final is every player's dream."
Atletico took the lead in the 62nd minute when Inter failed to clear the ball on the edge of the area and it fell to Reyes, who glided past Maicon with a neat touch and drove a shot into the bottom left corner past goalkeeper Julio Cesar
Aguero tapped into an empty net in the 83rd.
Inter striker Diego Milito's last-minute penalty was superbly saved by Atletico goalkeeper David de Gea.
Benitez, who guided Liverpool to its fifth Champions League title in 2005, remained upbeat despite the defeat.
"I think we played well, we had three dangerous situations in front of the goal," the Spaniard said, adding that he felt some of his players were tired.
"We were not at the level we needed to be against a team that was physically stronger and very good tactically," he said.
Benitez does admit he will have to decide what he needs to change after inheriting Mourinho's team.
"Some things we will need to do in the same way as we did before and change the way we do some other things," Benitez said. "It's clear we will need some time, but how long you never know."
Moments before Atletico's opening goal, Cesar had denied Reyes with a brilliant one-handed save low to his right as the former Arsenal forward cut inside down the right side and curled a shot goalward.
Milito, Inter's star when it beat Bayern Munich to win the Champions League, saw his shot deflected for a corner as Inter started brightly before gradually losing steam.
Samuel Eto'o, playing in a role out on the left, looked frustrated as he rarely got on the ball, but in the 32nd, he jinked past two defenders and hit a low shot which flew just past the right post.
Atletico striker Diego Forlan, the star of Uruguay's run to the World Cup semifinals, was well contained by the Inter defense and the Spanish side's most threatening player in the first half was the Argentina forward Aguero.
Roared on by Atletico's noisy fans, Aguero found space in the penalty area moments before the interval, but drove his powerful shot over the crossbar.
Atletico got on top in the second half, mainly because Inter failed to contain the pace of Reyes and the clever runs off the ball of Aguero as their defenders still had to keep an eye on the sleek and elusive Forlan.
"We faced a very good team tonight, the best in Europe last season, so we are happy with the result and the performance," Atletico midfielder Fran Merida said. "We dominated the game for the most part and we were strong enough to face them."
Inter still might have set up a grandstand finish when Goran Pandev was fouled in the box, but Milito's penalty was tipped around the post by Atletico's 19-year-old goalkeeper De Gea.
Prior to the game, police intervened quickly to prevent a clash between small factions of hooligans from Atletico and Inter.
Around 25 Atletico hooligans were waiting outside a shop near Monaco's Stade Louis II stadium when some 30-40 thugs from Inter turned a corner into the road, putting the rivals just yards apart.
Atletico thugs, some who smashed wooden crates and ripped off pieces to use as weapons, rushed into the road as they were beckoned on by their counterparts.
A handful of police formed a line to push the Atletico hooligans back before further reinforcements helped contain the Inter hooligans, some of whom were waving belts.
-- Jerome Pugmire
Man City's strong start can't quell player unrest
LONDON (AP) — Player unrest at Manchester City remains a major challenge heading into Sunday's Premier League match at Sunderland, with striker Emmanuel Adebayor threatening to leave after being dropped from the team.
City manager Roberto Mancini has been unable to satisfy the demands of all his players following another offseason spending spree that exceeded 100 million pounds ($154 million). Despite being key players in recent years, Craig Bellamy and Stephen Ireland have already been forced out this month, while goalkeeper Shay Given has also lost his starting spot.
The 26-year-old Adebayor is pushing for a transfer a year after his signing from Arsenal was viewed as a major coup for a club that hasn't won a major trophy since 1976.
The former Togo striker played less than 10 minutes of City's opening league draw against Tottenham and watched the team produce an emphatic 3-0 victory over Liverpool without him.
Asked if he would fight for his place in the team, Adebayor told Talk Sport radio: "If you're not playing and there is a team that comes in for me then definitely I will be on my way out because I am a footballer and I love playing."
"So if I don't have a chance to play here probably there will be a lot of chance(s) to play somewhere else," Adebayor added. "I want to stay here and play, but if they force you out then you always have to follow your destiny."
While the transfer window closes on Tuesday, City football administrator Brian Marwood warned Adebayor to "remain professional" and honor his contract.
Although the season is only two games old, City is already in the top four, where it hopes to end the season.
The teams above City — Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United — are in action before them on Saturday.
Chelsea kicked its title defense with 6-0 routs of West Bromwich Albion and Wigan to lead the standings by two points. And Stoke, the visitors to Stamford Bridge on Saturday, were routed 7-0 in April.
Brazil midfielder Ramires is set for a place on the bench as the 17 million pound ($26 million) recruit from Benfica looks to make his debut. He is realistic about his chances of getting a regular place in a midfield which includes John Obi Mikel, Michael Essien and Frank Lampard.
"I'll just have to work hard, be patient and see what happens as I try to become a first-team player," the 23-year-old Ramires said.
Second-place Arsenal also produced a 6-0 rout last weekend, although the trip to Blackburn will be far tougher than a match against newcomer Blackpool.
The game may come too soon for new signing Sebastien Squillaci, but the Frenchman is ready to embrace the physicality of the Premier League.
"I am 30 and I have a bit of experience — now I am going to discover a new league," the former Sevilla defender said. "I do like the duels. I feel it is one of my qualities and here in England there are many duels and it is good to be able to respond physically."
Manchester United will host West Ham looking to recover from Sunday's setback at Fulham, when the 18-time champions conceded a late equalizer after Nani missed a penalty.
Confidence is high at Tottenham, which plays Wigan on Saturday after beating Young Boys 4-0 to qualify for the Champions League for the first time.
Having dropped out of the top four last season at Tottenham's expense, Liverpool is still without a win in the new campaign — collecting just one point from a possible six.
West Brom, though, should prove to be less challenging opponents than Arsenal and Manchester City.
Liverpool's preparations have been boosted by forward Dirk Kuyt committing his future to the club as Javier Mascherano prepared to join Barcelona.
While Liverpool qualified for the group stage of the Europa League on Thursday, Aston Villa lost its playoff, piling the pressure on interim manager Kevin MacDonald going into Sunday's home match against Everton.
"With the uncertainty of the manager (situation), it is difficult," Villa captain Villa Stiliyan Petrov said. "It would be nice to see who is going to be appointed."
Also on Saturday, Blackpool plays its first home match in the Premier League when Fulham travels to the northwest, while Newcastle, which beat Villa 6-0 on Sunday, goes to Wolverhampton.
On Sunday, Bolton and Birmingham, who have both won one and drawn one, meet at the Reebok Stadium.
-- Rob Harris
UEFA calls for tougher laws on football corruption
MONACO (AP) — European football leaders called on lawmakers Friday to adopt legislation against match-fixing and corrupt betting, as the game's biggest-ever investigation spreads across the continent.
UEFA's strategy council said it demanded a zero-tolerance approach to players, referees and officials involved in the "growing menace" of match-fixing.
The panel "urges the political authorities to engage with UEFA and national football bodies to adopt legislation, which must be enforced by the law enforcement authorities, to protect the integrity of football competitions," it said in a statement issued by UEFA.
UEFA is helping anti-corruption police in Bochum, Germany, investigate a scandal that has put more than 270 matches in at least nine domestic leagues — including Germany and Turkey — plus international competitions involving clubs from several more countries, under suspicion.
Croatian-led organized crime syndicates are believed to have made €7.5 million ($9.6 million) profit betting on matches after paying bribes to manipulate results.
Prosecutors in Bochum charged two men this week, after last month saying that more than 250 people were involved.
Since the criminal investigation was revealed last November, UEFA has used some of the information gathered to bring sporting sanctions.
UEFA has issued life bans to two referees, from Bosnia-Herzegovina and Ukraine, and suspended a Croatian assistant referee until June 2011.
In June, UEFA suspended two players from Hungarian champion Debrecen for two years and 18 months, respectively, for failing to report an approach by match-fixers before a Champions League group match last year. The players have appealed against their sentences.
UEFA is investigating claims that the first-leg of Croatia's cup final last year was manipulated. The match referee who sent off two Hajduk Split players and awarded Dinamo Zagreb a penalty in its 3-0 victory was questioned last week.
In a separate Spanish case, the national federation is looking into reports that newly promoted club Hercules of Alicante tried to buy victories last season to ensure it reached the lucrative top division.
Meeting Friday on the sidelines of this season's Champions League draw in Monte Carlo, UEFA's strategy council said it "recognized and understands the gravity of the match-fixing threat."
The panel comprises representatives of Europe's 53 national federations, leagues, elite clubs and players' unions, and is chaired by UEFA president Michel Platini who created it to advise the European football authority's ruling executive.
"The strategy council believes that fighting match-fixing needs education, prevention and deterrents," it said, calling on UEFA "to intensify and extend its education program" in cooperation with football's stakeholders.
Under Platini's leadership, UEFA has invested in its own investigations unit and an early warning system to detect betting fraud.
It has monitored more than 29,000 matches in the past year played in its Champions League and Europa League, the top two divisions of each national league, plus domestic cup competitions.
Champion Panathinaikos draws with Xanthi in opener
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Defending champion Panathinaikos had to settle for a 1-1 home draw against Xanthi in the opening game of the Greek league season Friday.
Panathinaikos, without injured pair Gilberto Silva and Djibril Cisse, charged forward from the start. They took an early lead with a header by Antonis Petropoulos in the eighth minute.
The hosts had another good chance in the 33rd when French striker Sydney Govou's shot sailed over Xanthi's bar.
Xanthi came close to levelling in the 36th when a blistering shot by Christofer Katongo went wide, but five minutes into the half, the visitors did draw level when Nathan Ellington scored after a melee.
Panathinaikos had many chances to score the winner in the rest of the game, but Xanthi's defense survived.
Elsewhere
Barcelona reaches deal to sign Mascherano
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Barcelona won the race to sign Javier Mascherano from Liverpool, announcing Friday that the Argentina midfielder had agreed to a four-year contract.
The transfer fee for Mascherano, who must first pass the obligatory medical test, was undisclosed. Reports had said Liverpool demanded a fee of about 25 million pounds (€30.5 million; $38.8 million). Spanish reports put the price tag at €22 million (18 million pounds; $28 million).
The 26-year-old Mascherano, who was also thought to be a transfer target for Inter Milan and former Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez, is a natural replacement for the departed Yaya Toure as the defensive midfielder in the Spanish champion's lineup.
Liverpool had already rejected Barcelona's previous offer, which was described by manager Roy Hodgson as being "very far apart" from Liverpool's valuation of the Argentina captain. He was subsequently left out of Liverpool's lineup for a Premier League match against Manchester City and Thursday's Europa League match with Trabzonspor.
Although Hodgson preferred not to sell the player, he acknowledged that Mascherano had become intent on leaving.
"Mascherano is one of the best midfielders in the world and he has decided to go, and I'm sure Roy would not want one of his best players to leave without anyone coming in," Liverpool club secretary Ian Sylvester said. "There's still a few days until the transfer window closes."
Mascherano helped Corinthians to a Brazilian championship before his breakout performance at the 2006 World Cup led to a move to West Ham, where he was largely confined to the bench.
The former River Plate player moved to Anfield in 2007 and scored two goals in 139 total appearances for the Reds.
Mascherano has made 62 appearances for Argentina — scoring twice — since his debut in 2003, and was the youngest captain to lead Argentina to a World Cup tournament since Diego Maradona in 1986.
Jeremain Lens keeps place in Netherlands squad
AMSTERDAM (AP) — With Arjen Robben injured, PSV Eindhoven winger Jeremain Lens was named Friday in the Netherlands squad for the World Cup runner-up's first two European Championship qualifiers.
Netherlands coach Bert van Marwijk named a squad that included most of the players who lost the World Cup final to Spain for Group E qualifiers in San Marino on Sept. 2 and against Finland in Rotterdam four days later.
Lens, who scored a goal in his international debut in the Netherlands' 1-1 draw with Ukraine earlier this month, was one of the few new additions.
Vurnon Anita of Ajax is expected to play at left back instead of Giovanni van Bronckhorst, who retired after the World Cup. PSV defender Erik Pieters also was included in the 23-man squad.
Everton defender John Heitinga, who was sent off in the World Cup final, is suspended for the San Marino match, but is eligible to play against Finland.
Van Marwijk did not name a new captain to take over the armband from Van Bronckhorst.
"That will come next week," Van Marwijk said. "We will have a captain against San Marino. Maybe a temporary captain."
Possibilities include Bayern Munich captain Mark van Bommel or Inter Milan midfielder Wesley Sniejder, who was one of the stars of the World Cup.
Van Marwijk again left Hamburg striker Ruud van Nistelrooy out of his squad but said the veteran could still play in the qualifying campaign.
"Ruud is already 34 and will be 36 in two years at the European Championship but we will call him up if necessary," Van Marwijk said.
Germany opens Euro 2012 qualifying without Ballack
BERLIN (AP) — Longtime Germany captain Michael Ballack was left out of Joachim Loew's squad Friday for the first two 2012 European Championship qualifiers.
Loew said he had spoken with Ballack in a "good and confidential" phone call in which they agreed the 33-year-old midfielder needs more training to return to form after an ankle injury that ruled him out of the World Cup.
Included in the 21-man squad for games next Friday against Belgium in Brussels and Azerbaijan on Sept. 7 in Cologne are 17 players from the World Cup team that finished third in South Africa.
"Of course we are striving for a successful start in the Euro 2012 qualification and want to build on our achievements at the World Cup," Loew said.
New to the lineup are Rene Adler, who joins World Cup goalkeepers Manuel Neuer and Tim Wiese, defender Heiko Westermann of Hamburg, midfielder Christian Traesch of Stuttgart and defender Sascha Riether of Wolfsburg.
Midfielder Thomas Hitzlsperger of West Ham is out injured, as are Arne Friedrich of Wolfsburg, Jerome Boateng of Manchester City and Piotr Trochowski of Hamburg.
With Ballack still out, Philipp Lahm will keep the captain's armband that he wore at the World Cup.
Ballack, who was injured in the FA Cup final in May when he was still at Chelsea, made a successful Bundesliga comeback with Bayer Leverkusen on Sunday. The team kept him home from a Europa League qualifier Thursday to "regenerate." He is to play again this weekend.
"Three months after a serious injury, Michael is back on track and we are all happy with how he is healing," Loew said. "But it is important that he works his way back to optimum fitness in Leverkusen in the coming weeks."
Lahm and Ballack have been at odds over who will continue as Germany captain. By keeping him off the squad for the first two games, Loew has bought himself more time to make a decision.
Switzerland calls up English-born Scott Sutter
BERN, Switzerland (AP) — English-born defender Scott Sutter was called up to the Switzerland squad for the first time on Friday ahead of the European Championship qualifier against England.
Switzerland coach Ottmar Hitzfeld selected Sutter — whose father is Swiss — for a 21-player squad to play Australia in a home Sept. 3 friendly, and its opening Euro 2012 qualifier against England at Basel four days later.
"I've been in Switzerland for eight-and-a-half years, and this country has become my home," the 24-year-old Sutter said in a Swiss FA statement. "This selection is even more special because we're playing the country where I spent the first years of my life."
Hitzfeld retained Sutter's Young Boys teammate Moreno Costanzo, who scored in a 1-0 warmup win against Austria this month after getting his international debut only when two other players dropped out injured.
Teenage central defender Francois Affolter, also from Young Boys, keeps his place after making his debut in Austria.
Hitzfeld recalled fit-again Basel forwards Alex Frei and Marco Streller whose goals in midweek helped their club advance to the Champions League.
Former Liverpool defender Philipp Degen is unavailable after being diagnosed with mononucleosis.
Degen's twin brother David also returned to the squad as a late replacement for injured midfielder Valentin Stocker.
Switzerland hosts Australia at St. Gallen, then moves to a soldout St. Jakob Park, Basel, to face England, which begins its Euro 2012 program next Friday at home to Bulgaria.
Group G also includes Montenegro and Wales.
Benayoun in Israel's team for Euro 2012 qualifiers
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Chelsea midfielder Yossi Benayoun was one of five British-based players named Friday in Israel coach Luis Fernadez's squad for upcoming European Championship qualifiers against Malta and Georgia.
Blackpool defender Dekel Keinan, who made his Premier League debut on Saturday, was also included, along with West Ham United center back Tal Ben Haim, Bolton midfielder Tamir Cohen and recent Celtic signing Biram Kiyal.
Seven Hapoel Tel Aviv players, who qualified for the Champions League for the first time, also made it into the 23-man squad, with strikers Etay Shechter and Ben Sahar both named.
Thursday's match against Malta will be Fernadez's first competitive game since taking over from Dror Kashtan in May.
Israel has not qualified for a major tournament since the 1970 World Cup, but the former Paris Saint-German and Betar Jerusalem coach believes he has a good chance this time.
"I very much want to open up on the right foot and beat Malta," Fernandez said. "The game against Malta won't be as easy as many people think. We have a deep squad and I believe in the players I have picked."
Cyprus weary of tough Euro 2012 qualifiers
NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — Cyprus' qualifying campaign for the 2012 European Championship that includes games against Portugal, Denmark and Norway will not be easy, the country's captain said Friday.
"Unfortunately, we had certainly been drawn in a very difficult group and I don't need to analyze each opponent separately for us to understand the high degree of difficulty," Ioannis Okkas told the Cyprus Football Association website.
Cyprus opens its campaign in Portugal on Sept. 3, having lost all eight of their previous matches. Group H also includes Iceland.
Okkas, who has scored 24 times in 98 games for Cyprus, advocated a "realistic approach" to playing against more accomplished opponents, but not at the cost of an attacking style of play.
He said the key to the team's success will be to remain focused until the final whistle to avoid late mistakes that have proven to be costly in the past.
Bulgaria names squad to face England, Montenegro
SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) — Levski Sofia defender Veselin Minev was recalled Friday to Bulgaria's team to open its qualifying campaign for the 2012 European Championship against England next Friday.
Bulgaria coach Stanimir Stoilov added Minev to the almost entirely foreign-based squad, which reflects the Bulgarian teams' poor showing in the domestic league.
Stoilov is struggling to find a replacement for Manchester United forward Dimitar Berbatov to lead Bulgaria's attack. Berbatov, who has been captain of the national team for the last three years, retired from international football in May after failing to lead the team to the World Cup in South Africa.
Bulgaria plays at England on Friday and then hosts Montenegro in Sofia on Sept. 7. The two other teams in Group G are Switzerland and Wales.
Portugal's Simao quits international football
LISBON, Portugal (AP) — Portugal winger Simao Sabrosa has announced he will no longer play international football.
The Atletico Madrid player cited unspecified personal reasons for his withdrawal in a letter to the Portuguese Football Federation, which posted it on its website Friday.
Sabrosa was the most capped player in the Portugal squad at the World Cup in South Africa where it went out in the round of 16.
He made 85 appearances for his country, scoring 22 goals, since his 1998 debut. Only four others have played more times for Portugal.
Sabrosa's announcement came as Portugal prepares for its 2012 European Championship qualifying campaign, with matches next week against Cyprus and Norway.
Barcelona set to break relations with Ibra's agent
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Zlatan Ibrahimovic's exit from Barcelona was thrown an added hurdle Friday after the Spanish champions said they were looking at ending relations with the Sweden striker's agent.
Barcelona says statements made by Mino Raiola in recent days "undermine the honor and integrity" of coach Pep Guardiola.
Raiola was quoted Friday as saying Ibrahimovic's situation was "surreal" as Guardiola had turned into an "enemy" of the player. Raiola added: "I don't know what the problem of the coach is."
Barcelona says Raiola has "disrupted relations" between Ibrahimovic and Guardiola, which has affected the player's ability to meet his end of the contract.
Barcelona has been negotiating with AC Milan over a possible transfer.
Flamengo fires coach Rodrigo Lourenco
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Flamengo has fired coach Rodrigo Lourenco following a lackluster draw against Atletico Mineiro that left Brazil's most popular football team in 10th place in the national championship.
The team's website said Friday that Lourenco agreed to step down after a meeting with the team's executive director Zico.
In Thursday's game against Atletico Mineiro, fans jeered Lourenco and demanded he be fired.
The website says Toninho Barroso who coaches the team's youth division will replace Lourenco until a new coach is appointed.
Meanwhile, Goias has also fired its coach Emerson Leao following a series of losses that plunged the team to last place in the standings.
Swiss club Neuchatel fires coach Jean-Michel Aeby
NEUCHATEL, Switzerland (AP) — Swiss club Neuchatel Xamax has fired coach Jean-Michel Aeby after only four months in charge.
Neuchatel says on its website that Aeby was fired because of poor results, with the team losing four of its first six matches to be one place off the bottom of the Swiss league.
Aeby was in his second spell in charge at Neuchatel, which has fired its coach seven times in five years. The club, which last won the league 23 seasons ago, says it hopes to appoint a new coach within a week.
Assistant coach Radu Nunweiler will pick the team that travels to play defending champion FC Basel on Saturday.
Castillo names first Honduras squad
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP) — New Honduras coach Juan de Dios Castillo has called up only two players with clubs outside of Honduras for friendlies next month against El Salvador and Canada.
The two players are midfielder Roger Espinosa with MLS club Kansas City and defender Maynor Figueroa with English club Wigan.
Honduras, which played in the recent World Cup but failed to win a match, plays El Salvador on Sept. 4 in Los Angeles, and Canada on Sept. 7 in Montreal.
Mexico-born Castillo took over from Colombian Reinaldo Rueda, who resigned after the World Cup and was named just a few days later as Ecuador's national team coach.
Advocaat names squad for Euro 2012 qualifiers
MOSCOW (AP) — Russia coach Dick Advocaat has named a 21-man squad for the team's first two European Championship qualifiers — his first competitive games since joining in July.
Russia will travel to Andorra for its Group B opener on Sept. 3, and then hosts Slovakia in Moscow four days later.
Advocaat made two changes to the squad that beat Bulgaria 1-0 in a warm-up match earlier this month. Rubin Kazan striker Alan Kasayev replaces injured Zenit St. Petersburg midfielder Igor Denisov, while Zenit goalkeeper Vyacheslav Malafeev was added as a third 'keeper.
Advocaat replaced Guus Hiddink, whose team failed to qualify for the World Cup in South Africa after losing to Slovenia in a playoff.
Strikers Ruiz, Saborio named in Costa Rica squad
SAN JOSE, Costa Rica (AP) — Interim coach Ronald Gonzalez has called up star strikers Bryan Ruiz and Alvaro Saborio for friendly matches next month against Panama and Jamaica.
Gonzalez announced the team Friday for matches on Sept. 3 against Panama and Sept. 5 against Jamaica.
Except for Ruiz, who plays for Dutch club Twente, and Saborio, who is with Real Salt Lake in the MLS, most of the squad is made up of players with Costa Rican clubs.
Gonzalez is expected to be replaced by a full-time coach. Former Mexico coach Ricardo La Volpe is the top candidate and has said he is close to signing a deal.
Japan names team for Paraguay, Guatemala matches
TOKYO (AP) — Attacking duo Keisuke Honda and Yasuhito Endo have been named among a 23-man Japan squad for next month's friendlies against Paraguay and Guatemala.
Japan named a largely domestic-based squad on Friday for games against Paraguay on Sept. 4 in Yokohama and Guatemala three days later in Osaka.
Japan Football Association technical director Hiromi Hara, who has been criticized for not yet finding a successor to former coach Takeshi Okada, will be in charge for both matches.
