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Soccer Capsules: Salt Lake blanks defending MLS Cup champion Crew
Comments 0 | Recommend 0SANDY, Utah — Robbie Findley scored in the 88th minute to give Real Salt Lake a 1-0 win over the defending MLS Cup champion Columbus Crew on Saturday in the first leg of the two-game playoff series.
Yura Movsisyan corralled the ball following a throw-in and sent a cross toward the right post. Findley rushed to the ball, slid and threaded it perfectly between Columbus goalkeeper William Hesmer and the post.
The Crew, a two-time Supporters' Shield winner, is the third straight opponent Salt Lake has held scoreless at Rio Tinto Stadium.
Real Salt Lake, which went 9-1-5 at home this season, shut out New York and Colorado to clinch a playoff spot for the second consecutive season.
The second leg will be in Columbus on Nov. 5.
League Roundups
Chelsea beats Bolton 4-0 to stay top in England
LONDON — Chelsea stayed at the top of the Premier League by outplaying Bolton 4-0 Saturday, and Manchester United remained two points behind with a 2-0 victory over Blackburn.
On a day with a record eight red cards in the Premier League, Liverpool ended with nine men in a 3-1 loss at Fulham — its fifth loss of the season — to slip further out of contention for a league title it has not won since 1990. But third-place Arsenal stayed just behind the pacesetters with a game in hand by beating north London rival Tottenham 3-0.
Frank Lampard, Deco and Didier Drogba scored a goal each for Chelsea, while Bolton defender Zat Knight put in an own-goal. Bolton played the second half with 10 men after JLloyd Samuel was sent off for giving away a penalty.
Dimitar Berbatov put Man United ahead in the 55th minute, collecting the ball with his back to goal and spinning around to score. Wayne Rooney, who has been mired in a spell of poor form, skillfully turned home a cross from Anderson in the 87th.
United now has 25 points, two fewer than Chelsea.
Robin van Persie scored twice and Cesc Fabregas added the other in Arsenal's win at the Emirates Stadium. The Gunners scored two quick goals just before halftime and now have 22 points, five fewer than Chelsea.
After Bobby Zamora had given Fulham a 24th-minute lead against Liverpool, Fernando Torres equalized from 25 meters (yards) with his 10th goal of the season. Erik Nevland then made it 2-1 in the 73rd, Torres was soon taken off and Philipp Degen and Jamie Carragher were sent off before Clint Dempsey added a third for Fulham.
"I'm very disappointed because I felt we were controlling the game," Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez said. "It was a one-sided game with plenty of possession and we conceded a goal by making one mistake. Then we made a massive mistake with the second goal and the first red card (Degen) was a surprise for me. I thought it was only a yellow card. These two incidents at the end changed everything."
Aruna Dindane scored his first three goals of the season as last-place Portsmouth beat Wigan 4-0 for its first home victory. Portsmouth stayed last but was level on points with West Ham, which drew 2-2 at Sunderland in a game where a player from each side was red-carded.
After Guillermo Franco and Carlton Cole had given West Ham a two-goal lead inside the first 36 minutes, Andy Reid pulled a goal back with a free kick and Kieran Richardson equalized in the 76th.
Sunderland striker Kenwyne Jones was sent off for pushing West Ham's Herita Ilunga in the face, and the visitors' Radoslav Kovac received two yellows.
Two players were sent off as Everton and Aston Villa drew 1-1. Dinyar Bilyaledtinov scored for the home side but Villa substitute John Carew equalized within 44 seconds of taking the field. In the closing stages, Bilyaledtinov was sent off for a late tackle and Carlos Cuellar was ordered off for his second yellow card.
Burnley beat 10-man Hull 2-0 with a penalty and a 25-meter (yard) shot from Graham Alexander to keep the pressure on visiting manager Phil Brown. Hull had Geovanni sent off for two yellow cards.
Stoke surrendered a two-goal lead and was held to a 2-2 draw at home by Wolves. An own-goal by George Ekokobi and Matthew Etherington's strike a minute before halftime put Stoke in control at the Britannia Stadium. But Jody Craddock scored twice in the second half to earn a point for Wolves.
-- Robert Millward
Real gets crucial win as Barcelona held to draw
MADRID — Gonzalo Higuain scored two goals Saturday to give 10-man Real Madrid a much-needed 2-0 win over Getafe that also trimmed Barcelona's lead at the top of the Spanish league to one point after the defending champions drew 1-1 at Osasuna.
Higuain put Madrid ahead 1-0 in the 53rd minute, chesting down Marcelo's pass from the left and taking his time before shooting. He scored his second three minutes later, running on to Karim Benzema's pass and shooting low past goalkeeper Oscar Ustari.
Madrid defender Raul Albiol was sent off in the 27th minute.
It was an improved performance by Madrid after Tuesday's humiliating 4-0 loss to third-division club Alcorcon in the first leg of the fourth round of the Copa del Rey, a result that brought speculation that coach Manuel Pellegrini was about to be fired.
"For me, it was very important to give the Bernabeu a game played with spirit," said Pellegrini. "From a spiritual point of view, I was looking for a game like this."
Barcelona defender Gerard Pique scored an injury-time own-goal on a cross from Javier Camunas for Osasuna to steal a point.
Seydou Keita broke the stalemate in the 71st after a swift passing move by Barcelona around the area saw the Malian control Carles Puyol's cross from the right and score from close range his sixth goal of the season.
"Both teams had chances," Camunas said. "When Barcelona went ahead it looked like they were comfortable ... But you have to have faith."
Barcelona leads with 23 points. Madrid has 22. Sevilla is third with 19 after a 2-0 victory at 19th-place Xerez.
Atletico Madrid lost 1-0 at Athletic Bilbao to remain near the bottom of the standings.
Madrid's preparations for the game were overshadowed by speculation over the future of Pellegrini following a run that also included losses to AC Milan and Sevilla.
Against Getafe, midfielder Jose Maria "Guti" Gutierrez was left out of the lineup after a reported altercation he had with the Chilean coach during the Alcorcon game. Xabi Alonso and Lassana Diarra played in central midfield.
With Cristiano Ronaldo recovering from injury and Raul Gonzalez on the bench, Higuain and Benzema led the attack and Kaka was in support.
In the 27th, referee Mateu Lahoz sent Albiol off for pulling Roberto Soldado down on the edge of the area. Despite the numerical advantage, Getafe's right flank looked vulnerable and Madrid started exploiting it.
Higuain nearly managed a hat trick when a counterattack put him clear again and his shot hit the post.
Barcelona went into its game off the back of a 6-1 victory against Zaragoza in the league and a 2-0 win over Cultural Leonesa in the Copa del Rey.
However, the European champions didn't look their fluent selves in the first half at Reyno de Navarra stadium. Osasuna pressured the midfield, leaving playmaker Xavi Hernandez struggling to link with his forwards.
The hosts carved out chances in the first half. In the 11th, Osasuna's Carlos Aranda was put clear but missed from close range.
In the second half, Barcelona started to take control and Leo Messi threatened as he saw more of the ball.
At Capin stadium, Sevilla lacked the quality that has made it a league contender this season and was kept at bay until the 42nd. Spain striker Alvaro Negredo did well to control a long pass before heading over goalkeeper Renan Brito.
Luis Fabiano scored the second in the 89th.
Atletico coach Quique Sanchez Flores took charge of first league game since replacing Abel Resino, and his team was unlucky not to equalize with Athletic.
In an intense game at San Mames, both sides enjoyed chances in the first half with Atletico's Maxi Rodriguez hitting the post in the 13th. Athletic went ahead through Javier Martinez's header in the 19th.
In the second half, Atletico enjoyed plenty of possession although its forwards failed to convert a series of chances.
Both Diego Forlan and Sergio Aguero struck the post with long-range efforts, and Forlan also had a low shot pushed round the post by goalkeeper Gorka Iraizoz.
With only one win in eight league games, this is the worst start to a season for Atletico since 1953-54.
On Sunday, it's: Villarreal vs. Tenerife; Espanyol vs. Valladolid; Mallorca vs. Racing Santander; Zaragoza vs. Almeria; Malaga vs. Valencia and Deportivo La Coruna vs. Sporting Gijon.
Milan beats Parma 2-0, Napoli defeats Juventus 3-2
MILAN — Marco Borriello scored twice to give AC Milan a 2-0 win over Parma, and Marek Hamsik also struck two goals as Napoli hit back from 2-0 down to win 3-2 at Juventus in the Serie A on Saturday.
Borriello collected his first goal of the season in the 12th minute following a swift break by Ronaldinho, and the Italian added a spectacular second in injury time.
"I would say we're on the right track now," Borriello said. "We are getting better and nearer the top. It was a great evening for both myself and the team."
Since joining Milan in 2008, Borriello has been constantly been troubled by back problems and subsequently lost his place in the Italian national team.
"I hope those bad times have passed," he said. "I have to thank the medical staff for curing my back problems and getting me back to playing. It has been nearly a year since I started a game."
League leader Inter Milan, which plays Livorno on Sunday, has 25 points. Juventus has 21, one more than Sampdoria. Milan has 19, two in front of Napoli and Parma.
Milan took the lead when Ronaldinho broke down the left wing and slipped the ball through to Borriello, who clipped it past Parma goalkeeper Antonio Mirante.
Parma striker Valeri Bojinov twice went close, first hitting the crossbar and then forcing goalkeeper Dida to react quickly to block his header.
Parma striker Alberto Paloschi, who is on loan from Milan, had a chance to equalize just after halftime but blasted wide when through on goal.
Borriello hit his second after Ronaldinho had time to pick him out with a cross, and the former Genoa striker hit a spectacular bicycle kick past Mirante.
At Turin, David Trezeguet gave Juventus the lead in the 35th minute, and Sebastien Giovinco doubled it in the 54th.
Hamsik began Napoli's fightback five minutes later. Teammate Jesus Datolo equalized in the 65th before Hamsik hit the winning goal in the 81st.
"At 2-0 down we had to score as soon as possible. We kept believing and kept playing and didn't panic," Napoli coach Walter Mazzarri said. "At halftime we were only 1-0 down, and I told them to keep playing the way we were as we had three good chances to score in the first half."
Juventus began the match in confident form following its 5-1 win over Sampdoria. Giovinco should have given his side the lead in the first minute after beating an offside trap, but he shot wide with just De Sanctis to beat.
Napoli's Salvatore Aronica had a long-range drive that just flew over the crossbar, and striker German Denis went close with a header.
Trezeguet scored by rising above Napoli's defense to head home from Zdenek Grygera's cross from the right.
After a slow start to the second half, Juventus doubled its lead following a mistake by Napoli defender Matteo Contini. Trezeguet crossed the ball and Contini headed straight to Giovinco, who rolled a shot past De Sanctis.
Napoli hit back when Datolo crossed from the left for Hamsik to race in and score at the far post.
Datolo and Hamsik then reversed roles for Napoli's equalizer. The Slovakia midfielder's corner was headed by Denis to force goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon into a sharp save, but Datolo was quickest to react and stabbed the ball into the unprotected net.
The pair linked up again for Hamsik's second goal. Datolo crossed from the left, Juventus midfielder Tiago failed to clear and Hamsik struck his third goal of the season from the edge of the area.
Juventus substitute Amauri was sent off in injury time for a foul on goalkeeper Morgan De Sanctis.
-- Jeremy Inson
Hamburg loses first game, Bayern draws
FRANKFURT — Hamburger SV lost its first game of the Bundesliga season Saturday, going down 3-2 at home to lowly Borussia Moenchengladbach after twice being a goal in front.
Defending champion Wolfsburg also struggled in a 3-3 draw at home with promoted Mainz, while Bayern Munich finished up with a 0-0 draw at Stuttgart.
Werder Bremen came from behind to earn a last-minute 2-2 draw at Nuremberg and join Hamburg and Bayer Leverkusen at the top of the standings with 22 points.
Leverkusen played later at Schalke and either team could finish the day at the top of the table.
In another game, Hannover won 1-0 at Cologne.
Piotr Trochowski put Hamburg ahead after 13 minutes but Marco Reus leveled by chipping Hamburg goalkeeper Frank Rost before halftime. Ze Roberto found the net with a free kick two minutes into the second half to restore Hamburg's lead, before defender Dante's powerful header made it 2-2 in the 76th.
Rob Friend then collected a good pass from Juan Arango to slot home the winner and give Moenchengladbach its first away victory of the season.
In Stuttgart, striker Mario Gomez started his first game for Bayern in five weeks against his old club but had little impact.
While Stuttgart had the better chances in the first hour, with Julian Schieber, Christian Traesch and Roberto Hilbert all forcing Joerg Butt into good saves, Bayern came closer to scoring later in the game, especially after Luca Toni had come on for the ineffectual Miroslav Klose.
Toni was on the field for about two minutes when he nearly scored in the 67th, and the Italian striker came close with another good header before having a strike disallowed for offside.
Stuttgart ended a five-game losing streak and gave embattled coach Markus Babbel a reprieve with the draw.
Bremen quickly conceded two goals in Nuremberg, both coming after defensive mistakes in the first half. Christian Eigler and Albert Bunjaku scored for the home side, before Bremen staged its comeback after the break with two goals from Aaron Hunt, the equalizer coming in the second minute of injury time.
The draw meant Bremen remained unbeaten for a 17th consecutive match.
Obafemi Martins scored twice to put Wolfsburg 2-0 up after 20 minutes, but Chadli Amri and Andreas Ivanschitz equalized for Mainz before halftime.
Zvjezdan Misimovic fired Wolfsburg ahead again in the 64th but Tim Hoogland earned the point for the promoted team in the 85th minute.
Jan Rosenthal scored in the 37th minute to give Hannover its victory over Cologne.
On Friday, Borussia Dortmund beat bottom-place Hertha Berlin 2-0.
-- Nesha Starcevic
Bordeaux beats Monaco 1-0 to extend French lead
PARIS — Bordeaux extended its lead in the French league on Saturday by beating Monaco 1-0 through defender Marc Planus' second-half goal, while seven-time champion Lyon rose to second overall with a 1-0 win at fierce rival Saint-Etienne.
Planus scored his first goal in the league this season in the 63rd minute. Marouane Chamakh's header from a free kick by Wendel was saved by goalkeeper Stephane Ruffier, and Planus pounced to hit the net from the rebound.
The result also extended Bordeaux's unbeaten home run to 39 games. The defending champions have 25 points, two more than Lyon. Monaco is third with 21 points.
"When we look at the standings, it's a nice feeling," Bordeaux coach Laurent Blanc said. "We knew that we would be in first place with a win. To achieve our goals while others can't follow our pace makes us happy."
Monaco created several chances in the first 10 minutes, but Bordeaux, which plays at Bayern Munich next week in the Champions League, then gradually took hold of the game.
"If you look at the score, it looks like we struggled," Blanc said. "But if you look at the game, we were dominant. Bordeaux was better than Monaco tonight."
Lyon maintained its 15-year unbeaten record at Saint-Etienne and bounced back after two consecutive league losses.
Claude Puel's team struggled until the 83rd minute, when former Saint-Etienne striker Bafetimbi Gomis took advantage of goalkeeper Jeremy Janot's bad clearance to score his fifth league goal this season.
Marseille lost ground on Bordeaux after drawing 1-1 at home with Toulouse.
Toulouse midfielder Moussa Sissoko put his team ahead in the 30th minute with a 30-meter free kick into the top corner before Brazilian striker Brandao leveled in the 75th.
Striker Ireneusz Jelen scored twice as Auxerre beat fourth-place Montpellier 2-1 for its fifth consecutive victory.
Jelen scored in the 16th minute by beating goalkeeper Geoffrey Jourdren from close range following Aurelien Capoue's cross.
Jelen doubled the lead just before the half-hour mark, latching on to Polish midfielder Dariusz Dudka's pass and slotting home. Defender Nenad Dzodic scored a consolation goal for Montpellier in the 90th following playmaker Alberto Costa's dismissal in the 74th.
"We were too naive on the goals," Montpellier coach Rene Girard said after his team's second consecutive defeat. "We sometimes forgot the basics."
Last-place Grenoble lost 2-0 at home to Lille for its 11th defeat in as many games. Midfielder Yoan Cabaye scored in the 26th minute with an angled shot following a one-two with Florent Balmont, and Gervinho eluded several defenders before beating goalkeeper Ronan Le Crom with a powerful right-footed strike in the 90th.
Struggling Lens was held to a 1-1 draw by Lorient, while Nancy won 2-1 at Boulogne after goals from Issiar Dia and Youssouf Hadji.
Following the postponement of last week's match against Marseille because of swine flu, Paris Saint-Germain will be at Sochaux on Sunday aiming to put an end to its five-match winless streak.
Nice hosts Le Mans and Valenciennes plays at Rennes in Sunday's other games.
-- Samuel Petrequin
Velez Sarsfield beats Godoy Cruz to top league
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — Fabian Cubero and Leandro Somoza scored either side of halftime to give defending champion Velez Sarsfield the Argentine league lead with a 2-0 home win over Godoy Cruz on Saturday.
In the day's other matches, Gimnasia La Plata scored an injury time goal to draw 2-2 with San Lorenzo, while Racing Club celebrated a first win of the season with a 4-0 victory over Atletico Tucuman.
The matches kicked off the 12th round of fixtures in the Apertura tournament. The remaining games will be played Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.
Cubero scored the first goal for Velez, arriving late to apply a crisp finish to Rolando Zarate's cross in the 14th minute.
Somoza hit the second with a long range strike in the 57th that Nelson Ibanez in the Godoy goal could only palm into his own net.
At La Plata, Jose Vizcarra opened the scoring for Gimnasia in the 23rd minute after robbing possession from San Lorenzo defender Jonathan Botinelli on the edge of the box.
Juan Menseguez evened the scores from the penalty spot in the 40th minute. Pablo Pintos put in-form San Lorenzo ahead with a 48th minute strike, but Ruben Maldonado equalized in stoppage time to earn a point for Gimnasia.
Also Saturday, struggling Racing Club shrugged off the disappointment of German great Lothar Matthaus' rejection of an offer to become head coach earlier this week with a 4-0 thrashing of newly-promoted Atletico Tucuman.
Pablo Luguercio started the rout in the 6th minute, Pablo Caballero doubled the lead in the 13th and Hector Desvaux scored an own goal in the 35th as Racing surged into a 3-0 lead at halftime.
Lucas Aveldano made it 4-0 in the 72nd and Tucuman's misery was complete when Desvaux was sent off five minutes before the final whistle.
Olympiakos beats Atromitos 1-0 in Greek league
ATHENS, Greece — Oscar scored a second-half goal Saturday to lead defending champion Olympiakos to a 1-0 win over host Atromitos in the Greek league.
Luciano Galletti found Oscar unmarked in the area in the 80th minute and the Brazilian midfielder easily slotted in the winner.
Olympiakos now has 25 points. Panathinaikos, which plays Sunday, can keep hold of first place on goal difference with a win over Panionios.
Playing without four regular starters because of injuries and two others suspended, Olympiakos controlled play from kickoff. But it was Atromitos that squandered two major scoring chances early in the match.
Andreas Tatos controlled the ball in the Olympiakos area in the 29th minute and his powerful shot forced goalkeeper Antonis Nikopolidis to leap high and send the ball over his crossbar. Five minutes later, a blistering shot by Ilias Kampas grazed Olympiakos' left post.
Olympiakos, which was eliminated from the Greek Cup on Wednesday, came close to scoring in the 61st but Atromitos goalkeeper Chrisostomos Michailidis jumped high to tip a lob from Costas Mitroglou over the bar.
In the 54th, Olympiakos squandered another opportunity when Michailidis made a diving save to a low drive by Ieroklis Stoltidis.
Also Saturday, it was: Larissa 2, Aris 2; and PAOK 1, Xanthi 0. On Sunday, it's: Iraklis vs. Asteras; Kavala vs. Panthrakikos; Giannena vs. Levadiakos; and Ergotelis vs. AEK Athens.
FC Twente beats Roda to stay top in Dutch league
AMSTERDAM — Miroslav Stoch scored one goal and set up another Saturday as FC Twente maintained its two-point lead at the top of the Dutch league with a 2-1 win over Roda JC.
Stoch set up Bryan Ruiz in the 34th minute before finding the net himself second six minutes later.
Yulu Matondo reduced the deficit in the 51st, heading into an empty net after a cross by Anouar Hadouir.
Twente, which won its only league title in 1926, has 32 points. PSV Eindhoven is next with 30 after beating Vitesse Arnhem 1-0 following Balazs Dzsudzsak's 64th-minute goal. Both Twente and PSV are unbeaten this season.
The next two teams, Ajax and Feyenoord, meet Sunday. Ajax has 26 points, three more than Feyenoord.
Defending champion AZ Alkmaar moved up to sixth with 18 points after substitute Jeremain Lens scored in the 85th in a 1-0 win over FC Groningen.
Michal Papadopulos scored twice and Roy Beerens once in SC Heerenveen's 3-0 victory over 10-man ADO The Hague. Pascal Bosschaart was sent off after picking his second yellow card in the 43rd.
On Friday, VVV-Venlo held nine-man NAC Breda 1-1 for its eighth draw in 12 league games. NAC had Robbert Schilder and Tim Gilissen dismissed.
Also Sunday, it's: RKC Waalwijk vs. Willem II; Heracles Almelo vs. FC Utrecht and Sparta Rotterdam vs. NEC Nijmegen.
Celtic beats Kilmarnock 3-0 in Scottish league
GLASGOW, Scotland — Celtic beat Kilmarnock 3-0 on Saturday to cement its lead at the top of the Scottish Premier League.
Celtic dominated the game from the start and Aiden McGeady scored first in the 13th minute. The midfielder dribbled past two defenders before firing into the net from an acute angle.
Kilmarnock offered little resistance, and Celtic scored in the 32nd when Georgios Samaras headed in from Andreas Hinkel's cross.
Niall McGinn added the third goal in the 78th.
Celtic moved to 23 points in the standings. Hibernian beat Aberdeen 2-0 to be next with 20 points, although Rangers can reclaim second spot when it plays at Dundee United on Sunday.
Late goals by Colin Nish in the 86th and Liam Miller in the 90th won the game for Hibs. Aberdeen had to play most of second half with nine men after Maurice Ross and Chris Maguire were sent off.
Also Saturday, St. Johnstone beat Falkirk 3-1, Hamilton won at St. Mirren 2-0 and Motherwell beat Hearts 1-0.
Braga leads in Portugal after beating Benfica 2-0
LISBON, Portugal — Braga moved three points clear at the top of the Portuguese league on Saturday by beating Benfica 2-0 following goals from Hugo Viana and Paulo Cesar.
Viana scored in the seventh minute and Cesar in the 78th to snap Benfica's winning streak at seven games.
Braga has 25 points, three more than Benfica.
Braga's Andre Leone and Benfica's Oscar Cardozo were both sent off at the end of the first half following a fracas in the players tunnel.
Also Saturday, Naval beat Leixoes 1-0.
On Friday, Ernesto Farias' second-half goal gave FC Porto a 1-1 draw at Belenenses.
Sporting Lisbon, off to its worst start in 18 years, is desperate for a win against Maritimo on Sunday, when Olhanense welcomes Rio Ave, Pacos Ferreira plays Leiria and Nacional faces Setubal.
Elsewhere
Redknapp: No gap in quality between Spurs, Arsenal
LONDON — Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp has dismissed his side's 3-0 loss to Arsenal as a blip, saying Spurs have the same level of quality as their north London rival and a Champions League qualification is still possible.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, meanwhile, believes his team can win the Premier League.
Redknapp was satisfied with the first 42 minutes at Emirates Stadium on Saturday, saying Spurs were unsettling Arsenal players and forcing the home side to concede possession. But defensive sloppiness by Spurs led to two goals for Arsenal before half time.
"The goals we gave away turned the whole game upside down," Redknapp said. "I thought they (Arsenal) were edgy, they were giving the ball away, the crowd was moaning at every mistake. I thought we were going to come in at half time in great shape.
"There is no gap between the clubs in my opinion," he added. "I think two mistakes turned the game upside down."
Tottenham paid for its defensive lapses with Robin Van Persie putting Arsenal in front and Cesc Fabregas making it 2-0 just 11 seconds after play restarted — Wilson Palacios gave the ball away and Fabregas burst through three defenders before slotting into the net. Van Persie scored again in the 60th minute.
"It was a horrendous second goal," Redknapp said. "It made such a massive difference to the game really. ... They walked off at half time as if they played a fantastic first half, the crowd all singing and going wild. It's like 'What a performance this has been.' We walk off, our heads are on the floor. Goals change games unfortunately. For us, the two goals changed the game today."
Spurs have had a good start to the season and are fighting to keep themselves among the top four teams in the Premier League in order to qualify for a first-ever Champions League next year.
United to meet Tottenham in League Cup quarters
LONDON — Manchester United has drawn Tottenham in the League Cup quarterfinals in a repeat of last season's final, and Manchester City has been paired with Arsenal.
Also, Chelsea will go to Blackburn, and Portsmouth, which has lost all five home games in the Premier League, will host Aston Villa.
Man United won a penalty shootout after a 0-0 draw at Wembley in February to beat 2008 champion Tottenham.
The Man City-Arsenal match is scheduled to be played at the City of Manchester Stadium, where Gunners striker Emmanuel Adebayor was criticized for violent conduct against Robin van Persie and for an extravagant goal celebration that led to crowd trouble on Sept. 12. City won that match 4-2.
Bendtner out for a month with groin injury
LONDON — Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger says striker Nicklas Bendtner will be sidelined for a month with a groin injury picked up in Saturday's 3-0 victory over Tottenham.
Bendtner came off late in the first half and Wenger said the problem "looks quite serious."
Tottenham is in fourth place with 19 points after 11 games, but Manchester City, which has only played nine games, can move into fourth if it beats Birmingham on Sunday.
Arsenal is in third with 22 points after 10 games, with a game in hand on league leaders Chelsea (27) and Manchester United (25). Wenger believes his team can win the league this season.
"I say that since the first day of the season," he said. "I won't change my mind today. ... I believe we can, but we want to show consistency, intelligence."
Wenger found a way to become upset even when his team was winning 3-0, throwing his jacket down. He was trying to communicate with his players to not let Spurs back into the game with the same defensive mistakes Arsenal made last week in a 2-2 draw with West Ham. Arsenal was winning 2-0 before West Ham came back with two late goals.
"I was frustrated. I couldn't communicate with the players because of the noise of the stadium," Wenger said. "I felt it was important for the team not to concede a goal today because of what has happened recently — any goal could have caused panic."
-- Frank Griffiths
Ronaldo: Rooney 'would be a sensation' at Madrid
LONDON — Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney would be a "sensation" if he played for Real Madrid, former teammate Cristiano Ronaldo said.
"He would be brilliant if he came. This is the ideal place for the world's best players and there's little doubt he is one of them," Ronaldo said in Saturday's edition of The Sun newspaper. "Wayne would be a sensation out here."
Madrid has failed to win any of its past three games, including a 4-0 loss to third-division club Alcorcon in the first leg of the fourth round of the Copa del Rey. Ronaldo, who left United for Madrid in the offseason, missed all three of those matches with an ankle injury.
Despite his desire to reunite with Rooney, however, Ronaldo isn't expecting it to happen anytime soon.
"I realize it would take a lot for him to move from England," Ronaldo said. "He loves the country, he loves Manchester and he is a Liverpool boy. And United is a good club for him. But you never know what could happen in the future."
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