Soccer Capsules: Santos beats Columbus
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Defender Ivan Estrada scored in the third minute of second-half injury time to lift Mexican club Santos to a 1-0 victory over U.S. side Columbus Crew in a Group B of the CONCACAF Champions League on Tuesday
Santos dominated the game and deserved the victory with Estrada, who came on as a substitute in the 70th minute, scoring from 16 meters (yards).
Columbus' Andy Iro found the net in the 21st minute, but Panama referee Luis Rodriquez disallowed the goal because of an illegal substitution by the Americans moments earlier.
Santos, which leads the Mexico Apertura tournament, also is atop Group B with six points from two matches. Columbus has three points from two matches.
League Roundup
Blackburn, Stoke, Sunderland advance in League Cup
LONDON (AP) — Blackburn, Stoke and Sunderland were among the seven Premier League clubs to advance from the second round of England's League Cup on Tuesday.
While the topflight teams involved in European competition get a bye to the next round, England striker Darren Bent scored twice to lead Sunderland to a 2-0 win over lowly Colchester and Stoke beat Shrewsbury 2-1.
On-loan Manchester United striker Mame Diouf scored a hat trick on his full Blackburn debut to give his new team a 3-1 win over Norwich, Scott Parker scored in the last minute to give West Ham a 1-0 win over Oxford, and Wigan won 3-0 at Hartlepool.
West Bromwich Albion won 2-0 at Leyton Orient and Bolton beat Southampton 1-0, but Wolverhampton Wanderers needed extra time to beat Southend 2-1, and Blackpool lost 4-3 at Milton Keynes Dons.
Diouf started for the first time for Blackburn after coming on as a substitute in the first two rounds of the Premier League and headed Rovers' opening goal in the 29th minute.
The Senegal striker hit the bar from close range before prodding the ball in 11 minutes before fulltime and heading a third goal four minutes later. Jens Berthal Askou got a 90th-minute goal for second-tier Norwich.
"Diouf scored three very good goals but could have scored more than that," Blackburn manager Sam Allardyce said. "A hat trick for one of our players is always very encouraging and hopefully he can carry on scoring in the Premier League.
"He took up lovely positions: For the first goal he drifts off to the far post, gets himself unmarked and waits for the flick on and then runs in and taps it in."
West Ham looked to be heading for the embarrassment of extra time against Oxford, which was promoted back to the bottom tier of the Football League only at the end of last season. But Parker smashed in Frederic Piquionne's cross to give Avram Grant his first win as Hammers manager.
Wigan, which lost its opening Premier League matches 4-0 and 6-0, needed a third-minute own goal to set it on the way to its first win of the season.
Blackpool rallied from 3-1 down to take its game at MK Dons into extra time with an 82nd-minute penalty by Charlie Adam. But Lewis Guy scored with 10 minutes of added time left to dump the Premier League newcomer out of the competition.
There are three more matches on Wednesday, when Newcastle, Everton and Fulham enter the competition, while the second round concludes on Thursday with Birmingham playing Rochdale.
Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal, Tottenham, Manchester City, Aston Villa and Liverpool all enter the tournament in the next round, which is scheduled for the week beginning Sept. 20.
-- Stuart Condie
Braga reaches Champions League for first time
LONDON (AP) — Rodrigo Lima scored a hat trick to lead Braga to a 4-3 win at Sevilla that put the Portuguese club into European club football's Champions League for the first time on Tuesday.
Matheus followed his goal in last week's 1-0 first-leg victory with a low shot into the bottom right corner before substitute Lima put Braga 2-0 up from close range.
Sevilla got a goal back and then drew level in the 84th but Lima went straight up the other end to score just seconds later. The Brazilian striker completed his hat trick before a last-minute goal by Sevilla's Frederic Kanoute made it 5-3 on aggregate to Braga.
Werder Bremen scored in extra time to advance and will be joined in Thursday's group stage draw by Hapoel Tel Aviv, Basel and Partizan Belgrade.
Bremen was 3-0 down in injury time and on the verge of elimination until Markus Rosenberg scored to take the match at Sampdoria into extra time.
The goal appeared to reinvigorate the German side. Marko Marin hit the bar in extra time before Claudio Pizarro struck from about 25 meters (yards) to put Bremen 5-4 ahead over two matches.
Eran Zahavi scored in the last minute to give Hapoel Tel Aviv a 1-1 draw against Salzburg and a 4-3 aggregate win, Basel won 3-0 at Sheriff, and Partizan advanced past Anderlecht 3-2 in a shootout after a 2-2 draw in Belgium left the sides tied 4-4.
Anderlecht was undone in the shootout by the poor state of its pitch. The turf gave way under the penalty spot several times, leading to three of Anderlecht's five kicks sailing high over the bar.
Sevilla won the second-tier UEFA Cup in 2006 and '07 and has been in the Champions League two of the past three seasons but trailed 1-0 from last week's visit to Portugal and fell further behind in the 31st minute on Tuesday.
Lima then rounded off a 58th-minute counterattack by smashing in a low right-wing cross from the edge of the six-meter(yard) box before Luis Fabiano got a goal back for Sevilla, his 60th-minute shot inexplicably running through goalkeeper Luiz Felipe's fingers and into the net.
Fernandez Jose Carlos struck the bar with a fierce shot from a narrow angle and Felipe saved a cross-shot by Jesus Navas before Jesus Navas gave Sevilla real hope with a shot high into the far corner. But Lima burst through on the right of the Sevilla defense for a goal that made Kanoute's late effort meaningless.
"We played two great games and last year we had a great season in Portugal," Braga coach Domingos Paciencia said. "Braga was superior."
Giampaolo Pazzini seemed to have made Werder Bremen's players regret the late goal they let him score in the first leg when he struck twice in the first 13 minutes to give Sampdoria a 2-0 win and put the Italian side through on away goals.
Pazzini headed in a cross by Antonio Cassano and scored a remarkable side-footed volley before Cassano tapped in from close range in the 85th.
Sampdoria was seemingly through but its defense stood off Rosenberg to give him space to score.
Anderlecht was in a strong position after scoring two away goals in last week's 2-2 draw at Partizan but threw away the advantage when the Serbian side went 2-0 ahead by the 53rd.
But Romelu Lukaku and Guillaume Gillet scored to take the match into extra time and Anderlecht's pitch did the hard work for Partizan in the shootout.
Basel scored three times in the last 16 minutes against Sheriff to deny the Moldovan champion a first appearance in the Champions League despite 10 straight seasons in the qualifying rounds.
Four-time European champion Ajax has an away goal in its favor when it hosts Dynamo Kiev on Wednesday with the teams tied 1-1.
Zenit St. Petersburg is at Auxerre with a 1-0 lead, Rosenborg is at FC Copenhagen with a 2-1 lead, Zilina leads Sparta Prague 2-0 before hosting the Czech side and Tottenham must overcome a 3-2 deficit when it hosts Switzerland's Young Boys in London.
-- Stuart Condie
Liverpool, PSV Eindhoven face Europa League battle
LONDON (AP) — Former European champions Liverpool and PSV Eindhoven face a battle to reach the group stages of the Europa League in the second legs of their qualifying playoffs on Thursday.
English side Liverpool travels to Turkey with only a 1-0 lead from its first leg against Trabzonspor at Anfield last week, courtesy of Ryan Babel's goal.
In unfamiliar territory after failing to qualify for the Champions League last season, Liverpool risk missing out on making the group stages of Europe's second-tier club competition.
"Whether the margin of victory is enough, only time will tell, but we can at least go there with a lead and having not conceded a goal," manager Roy Hodgson said.
Liverpool is yet to win in the Premier League this season, its 3-0 defeat at Manchester City following a goalless draw at home to Arsenal.
The five-time European champion should welcome back attacking midfielder Joe Cole from domestic suspension but is set to be without Javier Mascherano, who "isn't in the right frame of mind at the moment to play," according to Hodgson, after being the subject of a bid from Barcelona.
PSV fared worse in its opening match in the playoffs, losing 1-0 to Russian side Sibir Novosibirsk after having Francisco Rodriguez sent off in the first half. The Dutch club, which won the European Cup in 1988, conceded a goal to Aleksandr Degtyarev in the second minute of injury time.
PSV at least recovered from its European setback by winning in its domestic championship, 3-1 against AZ Alkmaar on Sunday.
"We're happy to have bounced back from the defeat at FC Sibir. I asked the players to switch over and that's what they've done," coach Fred Rutten said.
Rodriguez will miss the second leg after being handed a one-match ban following his sending-off.
Meanwhile, fallen Italian giant Juventus has a 2-1 lead over Sturm Graz to take into the return leg thanks to a stoppage-time winner by Brazilian striker Amauri.
Aston Villa, which is level at 1-1 with Rapid Vienna, will look to avoid being eliminated in the Europa League playoffs by the Austrian team for the second year running.
Fellow English side Manchester City will be without first-leg match-winner Mario Balotelli for its return match against FC Timisoara, which lost 1-0 in Romania last week. The Italy forward is still nursing an injury sustained late in the first leg.
Elsewhere, Turkish sides Fenerbahce and Galatasaray are struggling to make it through. Galatasaray drew 2-2 at home to Karpaty Lviv of Ukraine and Fenerbahce lost 1-0 at PAOK Salonika in the first leg.
-- Steve Douglas
World Cup
Brazil president warns of problems ahead of WCup
SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil's president says preparations for the 2014 World Cup could be jeopardized if government officials and businessmen fail to work together in the coming years.
Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said businessmen and those responsible for monitoring and executing the necessary infrastructure and stadium improvements must cooperate to guarantee the country will be ready to host the tournament in four years.
"We are going to have problems if we are not in agreement," Silva said late Monday while meeting with members of the infrastructure sector in Sao Paulo.
Brazil needs significant upgrades to successfully host soccer's biggest showcase. Many critics and some government officials say the country needs to pick up the pace to get ready on time.
Brazil is expected to invest nearly $20 billion in infrastructure to prepare for the World Cup, but bureaucracy — especially in the bidding process and environmental licensing — may create obstacles and delay some of the necessary construction work.
The country also will host the Confederations Cup in 2013 and the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in 2016.
Brazil has already missed a deadline to start renovating most of the 12 stadiums that will be used in the tournament. Sao Paulo, South America's largest city, is yet to present a project to replace Morumbi stadium after it was dropped because of a lack of financial guarantees.
Silva said "it would be irrational" not to have the tournament's opening match in Sao Paulo, but acknowledged that a decision on which venue would be presented to FIFA likely won't be made before Brazil's elections in October.
"Some of the (FIFA) demands are correct, but some are exaggerated," said Silva, who will leave office at the end of the year. "But I think we will reach an agreement."
Brazil's Sports Minister, Orlando Silva, said FIFA officials will be in Brazil in September to inspect all venues. He said it would be important for Sao Paulo to have a project in place by then.
"I hope Sao Paulo comes up with something, but I've virtually thrown (in) the towel," the minister said.
Along with extensive improvements in infrastructure, Brazil will have to overcome other challenges similar to the ones faced by South Africa — high crime rates, a huge disparity between rich and poor and long distances between host cities.
The Brazilian soccer federation on Monday sought to offer reassurances the 2014 tournament will be unaffected by urban violence after 30 people were held hostage at a luxury tourist hotel following an intense gunfight in Rio.
The gunfight made headlines across the world, but the federation said it was "confident" that local authorities will be able to quell the violence during the monthlong event in 2014.
On Tuesday, police practiced a series of drills — including anti-bomb actions — aimed at maintaining public safety inside stadiums.
Meanwhile, the renovations at Maracana Stadium have begun. The stadium in Rio de Janeiro, which is expected to host the 2014 World Cup final, will have its capacity reduced during the renovation.
More than 80,000 fans packed the Maracana in a Brazilian league match between Fluminense and Vasco on Sunday.
The stadium, built for the 1950 World Cup., likely will be used in the 2013 Confederations Cup.
-- Tales Azzoni
Renovation begins at Maracana for 2014 World Cup
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Renovation at Maracana Stadium has officially begun for the 2014 World Cup.
Some sitting sections started being removed on Tuesday, kick-starting work to make the famed venue ready for football's biggest showcase in four years.
The stadium, which is expected to host the World Cup final, will not be immediately closed, but its capacity will be reduced during the renovation.
More than 80,000 fans packed the Maracana in a Brazilian league match between Fluminense and Vasco on Sunday.
The stadium, built for the 1950 World Cup., will likely be used in the 2013 Confederations Cup.
Elsewhere
Ex-France captain appeals WCup-linked suspension
PARIS (AP) — The lawyer for former France captain Patrice Evra says his client is appealing his five-game suspension, the punishment for the team's boycott of a training session at the World Cup.
However, the French Football Federation's legal arm said Tuesday that the appeal will not suspend his punishment, meaning that he still will not be eligible to play in upcoming European Championship qualifying matches.
The federation punished four players at a mid-August hearing after the 23 France players boycotted a training session in South Africa to protest the expulsion of Nicolas Anelka. The expulsion came after Anelka — who has been suspended for 18 games — insulted then-coach Raymond Domenech during a 2-0 loss to Mexico on June 17.
Lawyer Jean-Yves Foucard said late Monday that Evra was appealing his punishment because "no grievance can be held against him on an individual level," the sports daily L'Equipe quoted the attorney as saying. The responsibility for the team boycott was "obviously collective," Foucard said.
When an appeal is filed in a court of law any punishment is suspended. However, the football federation said after a meeting Tuesday that in this case, nothing will be suspended.
Such a decision effectively deprives new coach Laurent Blanc of top players for qualification matches for the European Championship as he tries to restore France's competitiveness. Blanc is to announce his team Thursday for the Sept. 3 match against Belarus, to be followed by the Sept. 7 Bosnia match.
Franck Ribery was suspended for three games and Jeremy Toulalan for a single match.
In an unusual development, several prestigious former coaches, including Aime Jacquet, who coached the France team for the 1998 World Cup win, signed an open letter calling on the FFF to lift the sanctions by Thursday.
"The France team is in danger," began the strongly worded letter.
"Unjust (the punishment should be collective like the act), out of proportion, unbalanced (why such disparity?), without legal foundation, the sanctions pour oil on the fire without reason when the time has come to definitively douse the blaze and rebuild."
Blanc dropped all 23 World Cup players as a collective punishment for his first game in charge — a 2-1 loss to Norway earlier this month.
-- Jean-Luc Courthial
Weir, Hartley recalled by Scotland
GLASGOW, Scotland (AP) — Rangers captain David Weir is set to become the oldest player to turn out for Scotland after being recalled on Tuesday by manager Craig Levein for the European Championship qualifiers against Lithuania and Liechtenstein next month.
The 40-year-old Weir has not played for Scotland since a defeat by the Netherlands in a World Cup qualifier last September, but his great club form has prompted Levein to come calling after leaving the defender out of his first two squads.
"The thing about Davie is, he is still playing at the highest level week in, week out," Levein said. "The fact he is still turning in top-class performances means it was a pretty easy decision to make for me."
Weir will surpass former Manchester United goalkeeper Jim Leighton as the oldest ever Scotland player if he features in either the opening Group I qualifier against Lithuania in Kaunas on Sept. 3 or the home match against Liechtenstein at Hampden Park four days later. Leighton was 40 years, 2 months, 16 days when he played against Estonia in 1998.
Levein also recalled Paul Hartley following the 33-year-old midfielder's superb start to the season, which saw him score a hat trick on his debut for Aberdeen. He missed Scotland's 3-0 defeat by Sweden in a friendly earlier this month because he did not have a club at the time.
"Experience was the key with him. We do not have a natural holding midfield player but Paul's experience in the position is vital for me," Levein said.
Steven Fletcher (foot), Kevin McNaughton (hamstring) and Alan Hutton (groin) were included in the squad but will miss the match against Lithuania. Scotland's medical staff said they hoped the players' injuries will improve enough for them to be considered for the second game of the double-header.
Blackpool's Matt Gilks was called up for the first time and is one of three goalkeepers in the 26-man squad.
Marseille forward Loic Remy cleared to play
MARSEILLE, France (AP) — Marseille forward Loic Remy was cleared to play Tuesday despite a heart problem.
Marseille said that doubts about Remy's health were removed after the player underwent additional medical tests on Monday that showed the heart abnormality was no obstacle to his footballing career.
Club doctor Christophe Baudot said that heart specialists consulted by the club were of the opinion that Remy was fit for practicing sport at a high level.
"I am relieved to know the outcome," Remy said. "It will allow me to work with Marseille in good condition with a free mind.
"When you go through such moments, you don't feel calm. But I'd rather have it happen that way and really know today that I'm healthy."
Remy joined Marseille from Nice last Thursday for a reported €15 million ($19 million) fee, but his debut was put on hold the following day after a medical examination revealed a heart abnormality.
The 23-year-old forward, who signed a five-year contract with Marseille, said he never felt any specific pain throughout his career.
AC Milan pursues deal for Ibrahimovic
MILAN (AP) — Zlatan Ibrahimovic could be headed back to Italy's Serie A, with AC Milan maneuvering to sign the Sweden striker from Barcelona.
Milan vice president Adriano Galliani and Barcelona president Sandro Rosell are due to meet in Spain on Wednesday when their clubs face each other in a preseason friendly.
The Gazzetta dello Sport reported that Milan is prepared to take Ibrahimovic in a loan deal and pay half of his €12 million ($15.2 million) salary, plus offer forward Marco Borriello in return.
Barcelona reportedly wants to sell Ibrahimovic for €40 million ($50.8 million) in a full transfer.
Ibrahimovic played for Juventus and Inter Milan before joining Barcelona last season in a $66 million deal that sent striker Samuel Eto'o to Inter. He scored 16 goals in the Spanish league but often struggled to fit into Barcelona's intricate passing schemes.
Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola said Tuesday that he stood by his decision to let Eto'o go in return for Ibrahimovic.
"I have no regrets of this change we made with Samuel Eto'o," Guardiola said.
Four new players in Austria squad for qualifier
VIENNA (AP) — Austria coach Dietmar Constantini has called up four new players for the team's opening 2012 European Championship qualifier against Kazakhstan in Salzburg on Sept. 7.
Midfielders David Alaba, Veli Kavlak and Christoph Leitgeb and forward Stefan Maierhofer were added to the 23-man squad announced Tuesday by Constantini.
Zlatko Junuzovic, Daniel Beichler and Andreas Hoelzl, who played in Austria's 1-0 loss to Switzerland in a friendly two weeks ago, are missing with injuries while Patrick Wolf has been dropped.
The squad contained 12 players from foreign clubs, including eight from the German Bundesliga.
Austria and Kazakhstan are in qualifying group A with Germany, Turkey, Belgium and Azerbaijan. The finals tournament will take place in Poland and Ukraine in June 2012.
Austria has never qualified for the finals of a European Championship, though it took part in the 2008 event as a co-host with Switzerland.
Cech, Baros return to Czech squad
PRAGUE (AP) — Czech Republic goalkeeper Petr Cech and striker Milan Baros have been included in the 18-man squad for the team's opening 2012 European Championship qualifier against Lithuania in Olomouc on Sept. 7.
Key players Cech (calf) and Baros (Achilles tendon) missed the team's 4-1 friendly win over Latvia two weeks ago with injuries but returned to the squad announced Tuesday by Czech coach Michal Bilek.
Bilek made two more changes by adding defenders Marek Suchy and Jan Rajnoch to his squad.
Czech Republic and Lithuania are in qualifying group I, which also includes world champion Spain, Scotland and Liechtenstein. The group winner will qualify for the Euro 2012 finals tournament to be played in Poland and Ukraine in June 2012.
Inter Milan tops Champions League cash payouts
NYON, Switzerland (AP) — Champions League winner Inter Milan's €48.8 million ($61.5 million) payout was the biggest share of €746 million ($941 million) distributed by UEFA to the 32 clubs who competed in the group stage last season.
UEFA says that Inter earned more than €29 million in prize money and €19.6 million from the television rights pool.
Manchester United was the next highest earner with €45.8 million — even though it lost to Bayern Munich in the quarterfinals — because British TV deals are so valuable.
Bayern, which lost in the final, earned almost €45 million.
Maccabi Haifa got the smallest share with €8.5 million. It lost all six group matches and UEFA's current TV deal in Israel is small.
Inter reaches deal with West Ham striker Ilan
SAO PAULO (AP) — Copa Libertadores champion Internacional says it has reached a deal to acquire former West Ham striker Ilan.
The Brazilian club said on Tuesday that Ilan will arrive on Wednesday to sign a contract until the end of 2011. He will be the team's first addition for the Club World Cup at the end of the year in Dubai.
Internacional earned a spot in the competition by defeating Mexico's Guadalajara 3-2 in the Copa Libertadores final last Wednesday. Internacional will be trying to win the Club World Cup for the second time, adding to the 2006 title.
The 29-year-old Ilan was released by West Ham this year. He previously played for Sochaux and Saint Etienne in France.
He earned his first cap for Brazil in 2003.
Report: Robinho wants to play in Spain or Italy
SAO PAULO (AP) — Robinho says he has received an offer from Fenerbahce but wants to play either in Spain or Italy.
Robinho, still with Manchester City, says he is negotiating to leave the English club but doesn't want to play in the Turkish league at this point in his career.
The 26-year-old Brazil striker told the GloboEsporte website on Tuesday that he "will continue in Europe, in Italy or Spain."
Robinho has played this year with Santos on a loan, helping the Brazilian club win the traditional Sao Paulo state championship and the Brazilian Cup.
The final day for transfers is next Tuesday.
Reports: Santa Cruz set to join Lazio
ROME (AP) — Paraguay striker Roque Santa Cruz appears set to join Lazio on loan from Manchester City.
Italian media reported on Tuesday that Lazio will pay City €2 million ($2.5 million) and acquire the option to purchase Santa Cruz's full contract at the end of the season for €4 million ($5 million).
The deal reportedly would require City to continue paying part of Santa Cruz's salary, which is more than €2 million per season.
Neither club has announced the deal officially yet.
Injuries have affected most of Santa Cruz's career. He played in only parts of Paraguay's run to the World Cup quarterfinals and scored just three goals in 14 league appearances for City last season after a $30 million move from Blackburn.
Chelsea to play Thai All Stars in Bangkok
LONDON (AP) — Chelsea is to play in Thailand for the first time in 14 years as part of its offseason tour ahead of the 2011-12 season.
Chelsea chief executive Ron Gourlay announced Tuesday that the Premier League champions will take on a Thailand All Stars side at Bangkok's Rajamangala National Stadium.
Gourlay says that "by announcing this part of our tour schedule so far in advance, we have a year to engage with our increasing fan base in Thailand."
The date of the match is yet to be announced. Chelsea last went to Asia two years ago when it played games in China and Malaysia.
Valencia striker Soldado out for 2-3 weeks
VALENCIA, Spain (AP) — Valencia striker Roberto Soldado will miss the start of the Spanish league season due to a leg injury.
Soldado tore a muscle in his right leg and will be sidelined for two to three weeks, Valencia said on Tuesday.
Valencia, which opens against Malaga on Saturday, will be hopeful Soldado can recover in time for its first Champions League match on Sept. 14 or 15.
Soldado, who has made two appearances for Spain, joined from Getafe during the summer to replace Barcelona-bound David Villa. He scored 16 goals last season.
Sevilla to sign Alexis to replace Squillaci
SEVILLE, Spain (AP) — Sevilla is set to sign defender Alexis Ruano from Valencia to replace Sebastien Squillaci.
The 25-year-old Alexis will sign with the Andalucian club for five seasons but first has to pass a medical test. Squillaci, a 30-year-old France defender, is joining Premier League club Arsenal.
Alexis, who can play at fullback but normally plays at center back, has played more than 130 Spanish league games for Malaga, Getafe and Valencia. He scored a goal in the 2008 Copa del Rey final, which Valencia won.
Sevilla said in a statement on its website that Alexis "has much more experience for his age than the France defender (Squillaci)."
Hughes, Cathcart back in Northern Ireland squad
BELFAST, Northern Ireland (AP) — Defenders Aaron Hughes and Craig Cathcart were recalled by Northern Ireland on Tuesday for the European Championship qualifier against Slovenia next month.
Fulham center back Hughes returned from injury while new Blackpool signing Cathcart, the only uncapped player in the 20-man squad named by manager Nigel Worthington, was summoned after being overlooked for his country's last three friendlies.
Niall McGinn and George McCartney are out injured and Celtic striker Pat McCourt was left out of the squad. Northern Ireland take on Slovenia in Maribor on Sept. 3 in the sides' opening Euro 2012 qualifier.
Inter midfielder Thiago Motta has knee surgery
MILAN (AP) — Inter Milan midfielder Thiago Motta has had an arthroscopic cleaning of his right knee. Inter says the procedure was completed Monday in Vail, Colorado, by noted orthopedist Dr. Richard Steadman.
Steadman had already operated on Motta when the Brazilian played for Barcelona.
Inter did not set a return date for Motta but it is apparent that he will miss the European Super Cup against Atletico Madrid on Friday and Inter's Serie A opener against Bologna three days later.
Brazil to play Argentina twice in 2010
SAO PAULO (AP) — South American rivals Brazil and Argentina will play friendlies in November and December. Officials say the teams will meet in Qatar on Nov. 17 and in Argentina on Dec. 19.
The second match will mark the reopening of the Unico de La Plata stadium, which will host Copa America matches in 2011.
Brazil coach Mano Menezes says "it will be great for Brazil to play Argentina" this year.
The football federations from both countries last month agreed the teams will play two exhibition matches each year, although the friendly in Qatar is not part of that agreement.
Paraguay names team for Japan, China friendlies
ASUNCION, Paraguay (AP) — Paraguay's top forwards Roque Santa Cruz and Lucas Barrios have been selected in the squad for friendlies next month against Japan and China.
Coach Gerardo Martino named the team on Tuesday for a match in Yokohama, Japan, on Sept. 4 and another in Nanjing, China, on Sept. 7.
Martino did not call up forward Nelson Haedo Valdez and midfielder Cristian Riveros, who were members of the World Cup team which reached the quarterfinals in South Africa before being ousted by eventual champion Spain.
Wolfsburg defender Friedrich out indefinitely
WOLFSBURG, Germany (AP) — Wolfsburg and Germany defender Arne Friedrich will be out indefinitely with a back problem that requires an operation.
Friedrich is slated to undergo surgery on Thursday in Munich for the slipped disc that could not be treated without the operation.
It will not be known until after the operation how long Friedrich will be out of action. Friedrich joined the 2009 Bundesliga champions this year from relegated Hertha Berlin.
North Korean scores twice in German soccer debut
BOCHUM Germany (AP) — The first North Korean soccer player in Germany is off to a great start, scoring twice in his debut in a second division game.
Jong Tae-se signed with Bochum after the World Cup. The striker scored on two headers, leading his team to a 3-2 victory over 1860 Munich on Monday.
Bochum coach Friedhelm Funk likes what he saw, but says Jong still needs some time. The coach adds that Jong was "through after 65, 70 minutes."
Jong scores 2 in German debut
BOCHUM Germany (AP) — North Korea striker Jong Tae-se scored twice in his debut for Bochum in Germany's second division, making a major contribution in his new team's 3-2 victory over 1860 Munich.
Jong scored with two headers Monday and won praise from his new team. But coach Friedhelm Funk says Jong "still needs some time, you could see that he was through after 65, 70 minutes."
Jong became the first North Korean to play in Germany when he signed for Bochum after the World Cup.
Halliche joins Fulham from Benfica
LONDON (AP) — Fulham says Algeria defender Rafik Halliche has signed for the Premier League club from Portuguese side Benfica on a three-year contract.
The 23-year-old center back joined Fulham on Tuesday for an undisclosed fee, having spent the last two seasons on loan at Portuguese team C.D. Nacional.
Halliche has 20 caps for Algeria, and played every minute of his country's three group matches at the World Cup this summer.
