Soccer Capsules: Soccer star experiencing swelling around brain
MEXICO CITY — Doctors treating Paraguay soccer star Salvador Cabanas say he is showing symptoms of swelling around the brain as he tries to recover from being shot in the head.
Dr. Enrique Martinez said Wednesday that Cabanas remained in critical but stable condition two days after the shooting in a Mexico City bar. He said Cabanas, who plays in Mexico for Club America, would remain under sedation despite an attempt late Tuesday to lower the dosage.
Mexico City Attorney General Miguel Angel Mancera identified a main suspect Tuesday — Jose J. Balderas Garza — from surveillance videos. Police have not reported detaining him.
Martinez said Cabanas responded favorably to the voices of his mother and wife when the sedation level was lowered on Tuesday.
"He has not moved out of the critical stage and we’re not going to lower the sedation now that we are seeing an increase in pressure around the brain area," Martinez said.
The 29-year-old Cabanas was shot at point-blank range on Monday just before dawn in the bathroom of a bar in a well-off Mexico City neighborhood.
Police said the shooting may have been linked to a dispute that Cabanas’ brother-in-law might have been having with a Cuban woman and the suspect, Balderas Garza. Cabanas was at the bar with his wife and brother-in-law
Hours after the shooting, surgeons attempted to remove a bullet lodged in Cabanas’ skull but decided the operation was too risky.
Cabanas has played in Mexico since 2003 and has scored 125 goals in 218 matches. He also has scored 10 for the Paraguay national team and was expected to lead the team when the World Cup opens in June in South Africa.
Earlier this month he attracted the attention of Sunderland manager Steve Bruce, who expressed interest in bringing Cabanas to the English Premier League club. Reports suggested the deal didn’t go through because Club America’s asking price was too high.
Tottenham says Dos Santos has joined Galatasaray
LONDON — Tottenham has confirmed that Mexico forward Giovani Dos Santos is joining Turkish club Galatasaray on loan until the end of the season.
Dos Santos has played just 15 matches for Tottenham since joining the Premier League club from Barcelona in 2008.
He went on loan to second-tier Ipswich last season and scored four goals in eight matches before returning to Spurs. An ankle injury restricted him to just three appearances this season.
The move reunites Dos Santos with Frank Rijkaard, who coached Barcelona before moving to Galatasaray.
U.S. Soccer
ESPN and ABC expand World Cup coverage
NEW YORK — At ESPN's offices in Bristol, Conn., a World Cup countdown clock is outdoors, clicking down the hours until the kickoff on June 11.
A room inside has a "Wheel of Fortune" style spinner, where staffers can come in to pick up additional teams to root for.
But when the action shifts to South Africa, ESPN and ABC will make a major shift in their coverage. The U.S. networks will have crews on site for all 64 games at the 10 stadiums. During the 2006 tournament in Germany, two of five crews stayed home and called 20 matches from the U.S. studios.
"At some point you've got to treat it like the significant sporting event that is," said John Skipper, ESPN's executive vice president of content. "I understand it has not traditionally stopped work and stopped the country to watch it in past years. But we're going to treat it like it should."
The networks, owned by The Walt Disney Co., announced Wednesday that 10 games will be on ABC, including the U.S.-England matchup on June 12 and the final on July 11.
ESPN will televise 44 matches, with the remaining 10 on ESPN2. All but the ABC games also will be on ESPN360.com, 46 games will be on ESPN Mobile TV and every game will be replayed at night on ESPN Classic.
In what appears to be an attempt to ambush Univision's Spanish-language coverage, ESPN Deportes will broadcast up to 40 matches — Cristiano Ronaldo fans take note — in Portuguese.
ESPN2 will go all soccer for a 24-hour countdown before the opener. The pre-World Cup concert will be televised live on ESPN on June 10, with an edited version replayed on ABC the following night. ESPN plans about 250 hours of originally programming around the games.
Jed Drake, coordinating producer of ESPN's World Cup coverage, said the network is sending 165 people to South Africa and will have 50 local hires — double the staff it used four years ago. The network will be broadcasting soccer 12 hours a day during the first round.
"The level of ambition we have for this project is second to none compared to anything we do at ESPN," he said.
ABC/ESPN acquired rights to the 2010 and 2014 tournaments directly from FIFA in late 2005 for $100 million. For the previous two World Cups, the rights were owned by Soccer United Marketing, an affiliate of Major League Soccer that bought them for $40 million and then purchased air time. Univision bought the Spanish-language U.S. rights for 2010 and 2014 for $325 million.
But South Africa especially will be an expensive place to produce. One of ESPN's first actions was to hire its own private security company for the tournament. The logistical issues are unusual for a major event.
"How are you going to get around? Eat? Sleep? Get to the stadium? Get in and out? Get there on time? Park or take the bus in?" said Skipper, who thinks people will be safe as long as they don't go off the beaten track. "FIFA, the South African government, the South African police, international security, they can only control so much if guys get themselves drunk and wander down the street with 1,000-rand bills ($132) hanging out of their pockets."
Drake already has made four trips to South Africa in the past year to prepare and is scheduled to go back in February and March.
"It doesn't feel nearly as foreign as it used to," he said. "And the flight doesn't seem as long. I know that sounds bizarre."
Soccer is one of the few sports whose ratings haven't declined.
ABC's 12 telecasts four years ago averaged 3.5 million households, according to Nielsen Media Research, up from 1.7 million for ESPN's 21 games and 919,000 million for ESPN2's 31 matches. In addition, Spanish-language coverage averaged 1.5 million for 56 games on Univision and 122,000 for four on Telefutura.
When ABC and ESPN broadcast the entire tournament for the first time in 1994 — it was the United States that year — the 52 games were viewed by an average of 1.95 million households. That was up from an average of 685,000 homes for the 25 games televised by Turner Broadcasting's TNT network in 1990, when the U.S. made its first World Cup appearance in 40 years.
In an effort to widen soccer interest, ABC and ESPN televised the European Championship for the first time two years ago, and Spain's victory over Germany in the final was seen by 3.76 million viewers on ABC. Skipper said ABC/ESPN intends to bid aggressively for rights for the 2012 Euros, which likely will be put up for bid in about three months.
And this time is has jettisoned Dave O'Brien, criticized for his lack of soccer knowledge, and added Martin Tyler of Britain's Sky Sports along with a pair of retired European stars, Ruud Gullit and Steve McManaman.
For all the enthusiasm, Skipper keeps soccer in perspective. Speaking on Monday afternoon, he cited ESPN's broadcast of Spain's La Liga the previous day.
"It's great counterprogramming for us to the NFL," he said. "We didn't quite beat it yesterday. I think we did a 0.2 and they did a 33."
-- Ronald Blum
Donovan scores first Premier League goal
LIVERPOOL, England — U.S. midfielder Landon Donovan scored his first Premier League goal, helping Everton defeat Sunderland 2-0 on Wednesday night.
Donovan, on a 10-week loan from Major League Soccer's Los Angeles Galaxy, scored in the 19th minute at Goodison Park with a left-footed shot off a headed pass from Tim Cahill.
Cahill put Everton ahead with a sixth-minute header at Goodison Park.
Donovan has signed a new contract with the Galaxy through 2013 and is scheduled to rejoin the team for its March 27 league opener, but a MLS work stoppage could start next week and prompt Donovan to try to extend the loan.
Eintracht goalie Nikolov set to join Red Bulls
FRANKFURT — Eintracht Frankfurt goalkeeper Oka Nikolov is set to leave the Bundesliga club after more than 18 years and move to Major League Soccer’s New York Red Bulls.
Eintracht chairman Heribert Bruchhagen said Wednesday the 35-year-old goalkeeper had turned down a two-year contract extension offer and told the club he wants to go to the United States. Frankfurt media said he was heading to Red Bulls, the worst team in the league last season at 5-6-19.
Nikolov has been at Eintracht since the summer of 1991.
Also, Eintracht announced it had released striker Mehdi Mahdavikia to Asin Steel Tehran and was seeking to sign Halil Altintop from Schalke.
Sounders FC to cap season tickets at 32,000
RENTON, Wash. — Already having set new Major League Soccer standards for attendance in their inaugural season, the Seattle Sounders FC are taking it up a notch in year No. 2.
The Sounders said Wednesday that they will cap season ticket sales at 32,000 for the 2010 season. That's 10,000 more than their first season, when the Sounders averaged a league-record 30,943 per match.
Seattle says its season ticket package includes 15 regular season MLS matches and three international friendlies yet to be announced. The team says less than 1,000 season-ticket packages remain.
The Sounders will kick off the 2010 MLS season when they host the expansion Philadelphia Union on March 25.
Setanta USA to shut down on Feb. 28
NEW YORK — Setanta will stop broadcasting in the United States and Caribbean on Feb. 28 and turn over many of its rights for soccer and rugby events to Fox, which launches its second all-soccer U.S. network the following day.
Setanta said in a statement Wednesday that it will continue broadcasting in Australia, Canada and Ireland.
"Having examined several options for our U.S. business, we concluded that the best course of action for the group is to exit the U.S. market and to concentrate on other markets where we can be a more substantial player in sports television," Setanta Sports co-founder Leonard Ryan said in a statement.
The company is launching Setanta Bet next week to enter the online gaming market
Setanta’s British division filed for bankruptcy protection last summer and all of its channels went off air in Britain, where it failed to make payments for Premier League rights. ESPN, part of The Walt Disney Co., took over Setanta’s Premier League packages in Britain.
Fox Soccer Channel, a division of Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp., announced Jan. 12 that it is launching Fox Soccer Plus on March 1. The new network will televise matches of the European Champions League, England’s Premier League, the English Football Association Cup and the Italian Serie A.
Setanta’s Canadian operations are jointly owned by the Setanta Group and Rogers Communications Inc.
-- Ronald Blum
World Cup
One-third of World Cup tickets unsold
JOHANNESBURG — The world soccer’s governing body says one-third of World Cup tickets remain unsold less than five months before the first tournament held in South Africa.
About 1 million of the 3 million tickets are still available, FIFA officials said Wednesday. South Africans and Americans had made the most bids for tickets in the third round of sales, which will be settled by lottery on Monday.
FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke dismissed concerns that South Africa — notorious for its high crime rates — would be dangerous for visiting fans.
"Don’t kill the World Cup before the World Cup is taking place," Valcke said. "I mean give us a chance. Give South Africa a chance to organize a great World Cup. Give a chance to people to fly to South Africa and don’t tell them every day that they should not fly to South Africa."
FIFA has received 1.2 million ticket applications from 192 countries for the Feb. 1 draw and said that the semifinal and final matches are attracting the most demand. Some 960,000 applications came from South African residents, who are eligible for cheaper tickets.
U.S. residents sent in some 50,000 applications, followed by Britain with 41,000. Neighboring Botswana, Mozambique and Namibia made a combined 5,500 bids.
Two ticket draws remain before the World Cup begins June 11.
Valcke’s words echoed those of South African President Jacob Zuma. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Zuma said Wednesday that his country would ensure the safety of fans.
South Africa has one of the world’s highest murder rates, with at least 50 people killed each day. The country plans to beef up police and training by investing in high-tech equipment and crime-busting surveillance to combat crime as well as threats from terrorists and hooligans.
Safety fears mounted after three people were killed this month when the Togo national soccer team bus was attacked en route to the African Cup of Nations in Angola.
-- Nkemeling Nkosi
Zuma: No worries about security at World Cup
DAVOS, Switzerland — South African President Jacob Zuma said Wednesday his country is ready to ensure security for the upcoming World Cup, brushing off fears stemming from a deadly attack on Togo’s national football team.
"We are ready. There is no doubt about it. We are confident nothing will ever happen," Zuma said at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
South Africa has one of the world’s highest murder rates, and security has been a major challenge as the country prepares to become the first in Africa to host the World Cup. Safety fears mounted after three people were killed when the Togolese national football team was attacked en route to the African Cup of Nations in Angola earlier this month.
But Zuma warned against unfair comparisons.
He said his government has been working hard to ensure security, despite concerns about "what happened in the African tournament in Angola."
"You cannot equate (Angola) with South Africa," Zuma said. Angola has only recently overcome decades of violence, while South Africa is the continent’s economic powerhouse with a richer and larger security structure, he said.
"South Africa has a very clear plan in terms of security. The police force aided by our army and other security elements are very clearly ready," he said.
An estimated 450,000 fans will visit the country for the 32-team, monthlong tournament at 10 venues in nine cities across the country for the June 11-July 11 World Cup.
Zuma also shrugged off the low expectations of his low-ranked team at the tournament.
"We always rise to the occasion." Those who think his team is weak "are making the biggest mistake," he said.
"We’ll surprise you. The cup will remain in the borders of South Africa," Zuma said, to laughter in a crowd at the Davos forum.
Osim to assist Japan in bid for World Cup
TOKYO — Japan is enlisting the help of Ivica Osim and several other former national team coaches to help with its bid to host either the 2018 or 2022 World Cup.
The Japan Football Association said Wednesday that Osim, Zico, and Philippe Troussier will be among a group of ambassadors who will assist in Japan's bid to host football's showcase event. The 68-year-old Osim suffered a stroke in 2007 but has maintained close ties to Japanese football since stepping down as Japan's coach.
Other names listed included former Urawa Reds coach Guido Buchwald and Espanyol's Shunsuke Nakamura. Other main contenders include England, Netherlands-Belgium, Russia, Spain-Portugal and Australia. FIFA's executive committee will vote in December.
African Cup
Egypt, Algeria face off again in fierce rivalry
LUANDA, Angola — After ending Egypt's hopes of reaching the World Cup for the first time since 1990, Algeria can now stop the Pharaohs in their bid to win a third straight African Cup of Nations in the latest edition of the teams' intense rivalry.
On Thursday, Algeria takes on Egypt in Benguela and Ghana plays Nigeria in Luanda in the African Cup semifinals.
Algeria, which last won the African Cup in 1990 and hasn't reached the final four since then, will play at the World Cup in South Africa in June instead of Egypt after a couple of playoffs that were marked by violence off the pitch.
Egyptian supporters had pelted a bus carrying the Algerian team with missiles in a group stage qualifier in Cairo, injuring three players. Fan violence after the deciding match in November at Sudan left more than 32 people injured.
While Algeria coach Rabah Saadane tried to downplay tensions ahead of Thursday's match by saying it would "only be about football," Egypt striker Mohamed Zidan declared it would be about much more than that.
"It will be a matter of life and death in that game," Zidan said. "For both sides, it will be like a war. For us, it is a chance to show the world that we deserve to go to the World Cup, and if we beat them we will be able to watch the World Cup with pride."
Unbeaten in 17 matches at the African Cup, Egypt has won all four games at this event capped by a 3-1 extra-time win over Cameroon in the quarterfinals.
Without several of their top players including Amr Zaki and Mohamed Aboutrika but led by their emblematic captain Ahmed Hassan, the Egyptians have played attack-minded football and displayed impressive mental strength.
"We are the ones who do not have any pressure," Zidan said. "We are the champions and we are better than them. Everybody will see which is the better team."
After drawing much criticism following a 3-0 loss to Malawi in its opening match, Algeria has improved in each game to knock out star-studded, tournament favorite Ivory Coast in the quarterfinals.
Playing in the tournament for the first time since 2004, the Algerians looked to be heading out against Ivory Coast until late goals from Madjid Bougherra and substitute Hameur Bouazza secured a 3-2 win in extra time.
"Egypt is a very good team. We also have momentum after a false start in the competition. It's a big game," Algeria defender Nadir Belhadj said. "We will try to develop our game from our previous games for a convincing result. We are under no pressure."
In the other semifinal between two World Cup-bound teams, Ghana is chasing its first African title since 1992 while Nigeria won the tournament for the last time two years later. As host in 2008, Ghana reached the semifinals by beating Nigeria.
With a squad deprived of many key members, Ghana coach Milevan Rajevac had to promote numerous young players.
"I took eight players from the squad which played at the under-20 (World Cup last year) and they have proved their quality. They are tough," said Rajevac, who will be without injured midfielder Anthony Annan and suspended striker Opoku Agyemang.
Rajevac said he is expecting a stronger performance from their opponents after Nigerian struggled to beat Zambia in a penalty shootoout following a 0-0 draw in the last round.
"Nigeria is an experienced team and the match will be tough because it is a semifinal," he said.
Nigeria defender Onyekachi Apam is suspended and coach Shaibu Amodu said he will make several changes to his team.
"There will be a need to introduce fresh legs," Amodu said. "Unlike Ghana, we went through 120 minutes and penalties on Monday and we spent the whole of Tuesday travelling from Lubango to Luanda, and we just have to counter that.
"Yet if we get our house in order, there will be no problems. We need to sharpen our attack and stabilize the midfield, these were our greatest worries against Zambia. I have looked at my bench, we have some depth in defence. I need to introduce two or three fresh legs."
-- Samuel Petrequin
Algerians brace for semifinal match against Egypt
ALGIERS, Algeria — Algerian colors flew all over the country's capital as the nation braced for another dramatic and emotional football match against Egypt — this time in the African Cup of Nations semifinals.
Though "brotherly countries" within the Arab League, Algeria and Egypt have a history of sour relations linked to football. After beating Egypt in a playoff match for a spot at the World Cup in South Africa, the two teams will meet again on Thursday in Angola for a place in the continental tournament's final.
Violence broke out last year when the two countries played each other in the group stage of World Cup qualifying, and Algeria's leading daily newspaper described the upcoming match as "the duel that we can't lose if we are to definitively save face."
Algerians often voice annoyance at Egypt's dominant position in the Arab world, which they claim should be theirs. Many also bitterly recall how little support they felt they received from Cairo during the decade-long civil war between Algerian authorities and armed Islamist groups in the 1990s.
The current bout of tension most Algerians feel was initiated by Egyptians, who stoned and injured Algerian players at the Cairo airport in early November ahead of their second qualifying match.
However, most Algerian newspapers reported Wednesday that authorities in both countries had decided to try to tone down the tension ahead of Thursday's game.
While Algerian authorities flew thousands of supporters for free to Sudan on military flights for the one-match playoff in mid-November, the trip to Angola will only be partially backed by authorities.
National radio Alger Chaine 3 reported the state was funding about half the fare to Angola, on chartered Air Algerie flights rather than military planes. The ticket now costs 60,000 Dinars (about €600), but Alger Chaine 3 reported that the 1,000 seats available hadn't sold out because the price vastly exceeds what most Algerians can afford.
The feud between the two countries has had major economic consequences. Algeria's main cell phone operator, Djezzy, is owned by the Egypt-based Orascom group, the property of the Sawiris family deemed close to Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. Several of its stores were looted in downtown Algiers, and haven't reopened since.
Many hardline Algerian supporters have also canceled their contract with the phone operator, switching to other firms deemed more "patriotic," including Nedjma, which has sprawled posters stating it sponsors the national team all over town.
Meanwhile, the national APS news agency reported that Algerian team T-shirts had sold out in France.
-- Alfred de Montesquiou
2012 African Cup hosts to ease visa restrictions
LUANDA, Angola — Gabon and Equatorial Guinea will waive tough immigration restrictions and adopt a joint visa when they co-host the next African Cup of Nations in 2012.
The tournament will be played in the Equatorial Guinean cities of Malobo and Bata along with Gabonese cities Libreville and Franceville.
A new stadium is being built in Libreville.
The two oil-rich nations said in a statement Wednesday that "everything that needs to be done will be done."
Libya will host the African Cup in 2014.
Angola is hosting the 2010 edition of the tournament with Ghana due to face Nigeria in the semifinals Thursday, while Egypt plays Algeria.
League News
United reaches final as Chelsea goes top of league
LONDON — Defending champion Manchester United overcame archrival Manchester City to reach the League Cup final, but was toppled from the English Premier League summit by Chelsea on Wednesday.
Wayne Rooney scored in stoppage time to prevent the Manchester derby going into extra time, clinching a 3-1 victory at Old Trafford to send United through 4-3 on aggregate.
But in London, Frank Lampard scored twice as Chelsea cruised to a 3-0 victory over Birmingham to go a point ahead of United in the title race.
Arsenal was a further point adrift in third after being held to 0-0 at seventh-place Villa, which moved four points clear of crosstown rival Birmingham.
The focus of the night was on England's second-tier knockout competition, and second-half goals from Paul Scholes and Michael Carrick looked to have clinched a spot in the final for Alex Ferguson's side after overturning the 2-1 first-leg deficit.
But Carlos Tevez volleyed past former United teammate Edwin van der Sar in the 76th minute to level the semifinal at 3-3 on aggregate.
With away goals not counting until extra time, another 30 minutes was looming until Rooney headed past Shay Given in the second minute of stoppage time.
Birmingham arrived at Stamford Bridge on a club-record 15-match unbeaten run, but there was no way back after Chelsea scored inside six minutes.
Florent Malouda was left unmarked in a prime central position to head in Joe Cole's cross from the right flank.
The pressure was unrelenting from Chelsea, with Ricardo Carvalho hitting the post and Lampard denied from 20 meters (yards) by Joe Hart before the England midfielder strengthened the home side's lead.
Ballack squared to Lampard, who controlled the ball with his left boot before striking beyond Hart from 25 meters (yards) with his right.
Lampard added a third in the 90th, firing into the bottom right after being fed by Malouda.
As Chelsea's bid for a first title since 2006 continues to gather pace, Arsenal squandered a chance to stay neck-and-neck on points.
Arsenal's best chance came just before halftime at Villa Park when captain Cesc Fabregas hit the post when Brad Friedel was beaten.
The bar also denied Arsenal in the second half when Andrei Arshavin's shot was parried by Friedel and Tomas Rosicky's shot came off the underside of the woodwork but did not cross the line.
But it was a good night for Friedel's fellow American Landon Donovan, who scored his first goal for Everton since arriving on loan from the Los Angeles Galaxy as the Liverpool club beat Sunderland 2-0.
Donovan, on a 10-week loan from Major League Soccer, scored in the 19th with a left-footed shot after being fed by Tim Cahill's header. Cahill had headed Everton in front in the 6th.
Blackburn continued its rise up the standings, with a 2-1 victory over Wigan putting the team seven points clear of the relegation zone in 11th.
-- Rob Harris
Udinese beats AC Milan 1-0 in Italian Cup
MILAN — Udinese ousted AC Milan from the Italian Cup quarterfinals with a 1-0 win at San Siro on Wednesday.
Gokhan Inler struck in the 56th minute, but both sides were guilty of wasting numerous chances to score.
In the semifinals, Udinese will play the winner of Thursday's match between Inter Milan and Juventus.
"I would say that it was an important match for us," Udinese coach Gianni De Biasi said. "We wanted to play well and we did, creating many chances. I'm pleased with how we played.
"When you aren't doing well every mistake seems to count and affects confidence. Tonight was different. You saw a team at the top of its game and playing well."
After a slow opening 20 minutes, Antonio Di Natale had the first chance. Alexis Sanchez broke down the right and pulled the ball back to Di Natale, but Milan goalkeeper Christian Abbiati pushed his shot wide.
A minute later, Giovanni Pasquale hit a long ball over the Milan defense, Di Natale shot from a tight angle, but again Abbiati was equal to the shot.
In the 25th, Udinese squandered a great opportunity. Gaetano D'Agostino found Sanchez with a long ball and whilst he beat Abbiati his shot hit the outside of the post.
Marek Jankulovski and Matheiu Flamini then forced Udinese goalkeeper Samir Handanovic into sharp stops in the 27th and 29th.
Di Natale went close from the edge of the area twice more and Antonio Floro Flores wasted a close-range effort, to leave the match scoreless at halftime.
Udinese took the lead 11 minutes into the second half. Sanchez caught Luca Antonini in possession on the edge of the area and pulled the ball back for Inler, who shot low inside the far post.
By now Udinese was giving Milan's defense big problems and Di Natale, twice, and Floro Flores went close to doubling the lead.
In the closing minutes Jankulovski had a fantastic chance to equalize, but blasted his volley wide from close range.
Santander reaches Copa del Rey semis
MADRID — Racing Santander advanced to the Copa del Rey semifinals by beating Osasuna 3-0 for a 5-1 aggregate on Wednesday.
Santander led 2-1 from the first leg and Francisco "Xisco" Jimenez Tejada put the club further ahead in the sixth minute, slotting the ball past goalkeeper Roberto Fernandez from inside the area.
Henrique put the tie out of reach of the 2005 finalist following a corner, when he headed home from close-range in the 23rd.
Teenager Sergio Canales, who has interested some of Europe's top clubs with his recent performances, scored the visitor's third with a free kick in the 79th.
A well-organized Santander dominated in Osasuna's Reyno de Navarra Stadium although 'keeper Fabio Coltorti had to save efforts by Carlos Aranda and Walter Pandiani just before halftime.
Some individual brilliance from Xisco at the start of the second half saw him dribble through and nearly score his second. The striker was replaced by Mohammed Tchite in the 65th.
Osasuna stepped up in the last half hour with Pandiani going close on several occasions as Coltorti was forced to make a string of outstanding saves.
Later, Sevilla went into its quarterfinal against Deportivo La Coruna with a 3-0 advantage from the first leg.
On Thursday, it's Getafe vs. Mallorca and Celta Vigo vs. Atletico Madrid.
Plabennec beats Nancy 2-0 in French Cup
NANCY, France — Third-division Plabennec upset first-division Nancy 2-0 to reach the last 16 of the French Cup on Wednesday.
Vincent Crehin scored in the 58th minute, and two minutes later Jean-Michel Abiven was in to earn Plabennec another upset win at Nancy after it knocked out Nice in the previous round.
Plabennec, which languishes in the third division's relegation zone, will play at Auxerre in the next round on Feb. 9.
In Wednesday's League Cup quarterfinals, it was Marseille 2, Lille 1; Lorient 1, Lyon 0; and Guingamp 0, Toulouse 1.
Kevin Gameiro scored in the fourth minute for Lorient, while Albin Ebondo's second-half goal was enough for Toulouse.
Striker Tulio De Melo put Lille ahead in the fourth minute, but Marseille midfielder Lucho Gonzalez equalized in the 10th, and winger Mathieu Valbeuna scored the winner in the 81st.
Lille and Lyon are now eliminated from the French Cup and the League Cup.
Rangers goes 10 points clear in Scotland
GLASGOW, Scotland — Rangers strengthened its grip on top spot in the Scottish Premier League by beating St. Mirren 2-0 as Celtic lost to Hibernian 2-1 on Wednesday.
Rangers has a 10-point lead over Celtic as it bids for a second straight title, although it has played a game more than its Glasgow rival.
Midfielder Steven Davis netted in the opening two minutes for Rangers before Nacho Novo marked his comeback from injury with a late goal.
Substitute Danny Galbraith's stoppage-time winner clinched Hibernian's win at Celtic. Marc-Antoine Fortune had headed Celtic into a 5th-minute lead from Paul Caddis' corner and the home side appeared to be in control.
But Anthony Stokes found room inside the Celtic box to flick a header past Artur Boruc in the 26th.
Also on Wednesday, Fraser Fyvie became the youngest goalscorer in Scottish Premier League history as Aberdeen routed Hearts 3-0, fourth-place Dundee United was held to 3-3 by St. Johnstone and Falkirk drew 0-0 with Motherwell.
Elsewhere
Research suggests height is a factor in fouls
THE HAGUE, Netherlands — Soccer referees forced to make quick decisions on questionable foul calls are more likely to rule against the taller player, according to a new study.
Niels van Quaquebeke and Steffen Giessner, researchers at Erasmus University’s Rotterdam School of Management, reached the conclusion after studying 123,844 fouls from seven Champions League and German Bundesliga seasons, along with the last three World Cups.
"We found that on average the player who committed the foul is taller than the one who was the victim," Giessner said Wednesday in a telephone interview.
To support their initial finding, they carried out experiments by showing a group of soccer fans drawings of two players involved in a tackle — one taller than the other. The fans said taller players were more likely to have committed a foul than shorter players.
The reason, Van Quaquebeke and Giessner say, can be traced back to human nature.
"Humans throughout evolution needed to be more afraid of bigger animals because bigger animals usually have more potential to harm us," Van Quaquebeke said.
Height is not the only factor influencing referees’ decisions, though. Earlier research has suggested that even the color of a player’s shirt could have an effect.
"We are human beings, we are not objective information processors," Van Quaquebeke said. "We are very subjective, especially if we don’t have all the information available. We’ve got to make the best guess."
While the findings could bolster the case for using video replay to help soccer officials, Van Quaquebeke and Giessner say they agree with FIFA president Sepp Blatter that such reviews would slow down the game and take away its human element.
Instead, they suggest better training to help referees overcome such subjective decisions.
In the meantime, the researchers are hopeful about Germany’s chances at the World Cup in South Africa this year — and they see an advantage for their team because of the diminutive stature of one of their key players.
"We are happy to have Philipp Lahm," Van Quaquebeke said of the 5-foot-7 defender.
Van Quaquebeke and Giessner’s findings will be published in February’s edition of the Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology.
-- Mike Corder
Barnes says African teams should toughen up
LUANDA, Angola — Former England and Liverpool midfielder John Barnes says African teams need to toughen up mentally to improve their chances of winning the World Cup.
Barnes is in Angola, which is currently hosting the African Cup of Nations, to promote England's bid to host the 2018 World Cup.
"Physically and tactically, they can compete with anyone," Barnes told reporters at a Catholic-run orphanage, where he was running a football clinic Wednesday. "What they don't have is the psychological aspect of winning."
Besides host South Africa, five African nations — Nigeria, Algeria, Ghana, Cameroon and Ivory Coast — will be competing at the World Cup which begins in June.
The England delegation will be present as observers at the Confederation of African Football Congress Friday before attending the African Cup final two days later.
Four-time champion Ghana takes on Nigeria in semifinals Thursday while defending champion Egypt hopes to stay on course for its third straight title when it plays Algeria.
The Jamaican-born Barnes said Ghana and Nigeria are strong contenders for the World Cup but they need to believe in their abilities.
"Look at Pele. He said an African team will win the World Cup," Barnes said. "He is African but he is also Brazilian. He has the mental winning strength of a Brazilian. That's lacking here in Africa."
Barnes also addressed Liverpool's struggles in the Premier League, saying he thinks the team can still earn a Champions League spot despite a poor start to the season. But he urged the club to add more top-quality players.
"Liverpool overachieved last year," Barnes said. "They need to add more quality. They have (Steven) Gerrard and (Fernando) Torres. It's just not enough."
-- Bruce Mutsvairo
Santini, Sagnol join Saint-Etienne's staff
SAINT-ETIENNE, France — Former France coach Jacques Santini and former France defender Willy Sagnol have rejoined Saint-Etienne in a bid to help the struggling club.
The club said on Wednesday that the 33-year-old Sagnol, who played in the 2006 World Cup final when France lost to Italy on penalties, will join as part of a 12-member supervisory panel whose role is to develop the club's infrastructure.
The 57-year-old Santini, who coached France at the 2004 European Championship before taking charge of Tottenham, will use his experience to head a technical committee.
"It's a sign of trust from Saint-Etienne's directors," Santini told the club's Web site. "Given the club's prestige and what it represents for me, this is something big."
Sagnol and Santini both played for Saint-Etienne, which was languishing only one place above the relegation zone.
Santini played from 1969-81 and won four league titles and two French Cups during Saint-Etienne's heyday.
He coached Lyon to the first of its seven straight league titles in 2002 before leaving to take charge of France after the team's dismal performance at the 2002 World Cup, where it went out in the group stages.
Sagnol played over 50 games for Saint-Etienne from 1995-97 before joining Monaco and then Bayern Munich.
"I am very happy to come back," Sagnol said. "My mission will be to use my experience to try and help the (club's) development."
Saint-Etienne won the last of its 10 French titles in 1981, and has struggled in recent years.
Police arrest fans for League Cup violence
MANCHESTER, England — Police arrested 11 fans at the League Cup semifinal between Manchester United and Manchester City on Wednesday, detaining the same number of hooligans as in the last 48 hours following the first leg.
Police stepped up searches and patrols before the second leg at Old Trafford, but still had to make the arrests on suspicion of various offenses including public order, affray and criminal damage.
During the match, City forward Craig Bellamy appeared to be hit by a bottle and coin.
Trouble broke out inside and outside the City of Manchester Stadium when City beat United 2-1 in the first leg and police arrested 18 people last week.
Another 11 fans were detained on Tuesday and Wednesday on suspicion of conspiracy to commit violent disorder after Greater Manchester Police released TV footage of the violence to try and identify some of the troublemakers.
Montpellier signs Olivier Giroud from Tours
MONTPELLIER, France — Montpellier signed French second-division top scorer Olivier Giroud from Tours on Wednesday.
Montpellier said on its Web site the 23-year-old striker has signed a 3½-year contract but will be loaned back to Tours until the end of the season.
"This club showed a keen interest in me, I spoke to the coach Rene Girard on the phone," Giroud said. "Montpellier is having a good season. I like this team a lot."
Giroud has scored 15 goals so far this season. He turned down offers from Celtic and second-tier English club Middlesbrough.
After winning promotion to the French top flight, Montpellier is eight points behind defending champion Bordeaux in second place.
Blackburn signs Turkey midfielder Basturk on loan
BLACKBURN, England — Blackburn has signed midfielder Yildiray Basturk on loan from Stuttgart for the rest of the season.
The Premier League club announced the deal on Wednesday. There were no more details announced.
The 31-year-old Turkey international previously played for Bayer Leverkusen, reaching the 2002 Champions League final with the German side.
Blackburn is only four points above the Premier League's relegation zone.
Germany midfielder Hitzlsperger looking for club
STUTTGART, Germany — Germany midfielder Thomas Hitzlsperger says he is looking for a new team after losing his starting spot at Bundesliga club Stuttgart.
Hitzlsperger told two Stuttgart newspapers his agent was testing the market for a new club, although he would prefer to stay in Stuttgart. But Germany coach Joachim Loew has told Hitzlsperger he needs to play regularly to keep his chance of making the team for the World Cup in South Africa.
"I would prefer to remain in Stuttgart. A transfer now would be an emergency solution," Hitzlsperger told the Stuttgart News.
Hitzlsperger said he would seek another talk about his future with Stuttgart coach Christian Gross.
The former Stuttgart captain dismissed rumors of a transfer to Real Zaragoza in Spain as "nonsense."
Tosic joins Cologne on loan from Man United
MANCHESTER, England — Manchester United winger Zoran Tosic has joined Bundesliga side FC Cologne on loan for the rest of the season.
The 22-year-old Tosic has failed to make an impression at Old Trafford since arriving one year ago from Partizan Belgrade.
The Serbia international's two Man United appearances this season were in the League Cup.
Tosic told Serbian newspaper Blic that "hopefully my performances with Cologne will be my ticket back to Old Trafford."
Eguren completes Lazio switch from Villareal
ROME — Uruguay midfielder Sebastian Eguren has completed his move to Lazio after passing a medical.
Eguren is joining from Villareal on loan until the end of the season. The ANSA news agency reported Wednesday that Lazio will then have the option of making the move permanent.
The defensive midfielder joined Villareal in 2008 and scored one goal in 61 appearances. He has played 24 times for the Uruguay national team, scoring once.
The 29-year-old Eguren is likely to go straight into the squad for the match against Juventus on Sunday.
Liverpool: Benayoun staying despite Dynamo claims
LIVERPOOL, England — Liverpool says it won't sell midfielder Yossi Benayoun despite interest from Dynamo Moscow.
Dynamo sporting director Konstantin Sarsania has been reported as saying that an agreement had been reached for Benayoun, but Liverpool said Wednesday that "the player is not for sale. It's as simple as that."
The 29-year-old Israel captain joined Liverpool in 2007 after two years at West Ham.
Siena introduces identity card for supporters
SIENA, Italy — Siena has become the first Serie A club to introduce an identity card for supporters.
The club said Wednesday that the card will be brought in immediately. Fans will have to pass security checks to receive the card, and will need one to be allowed to travel to away games.
Italy's interior ministry has been pushing to introduce fan identity cards as a way of combatting violence and racism at games, and all other clubs will have to follow suit in time for next season.
Bundesliga has record turnover, debt remains high
FRANKFURT — The 36 German clubs in the top two division had a record turnover last season, although the total debt also rose to a four-year high.
The German Football League (DFL) that runs the two top divisions said Wednesday the turnover broke the €2 billion ($2.8 billion) threshold for the first time, reaching €2.03 billion ($2.84 billion). It was an increase of 5.3 percent compared to the previous season.
The total debt was €709 million ($993 million), compared to €632 million ($885 million) the previous season.
Sky announces world’s first live 3-D sports event
LONDON — Sky Sports says it will broadcast the world’s first live sports event in 3-D when Arsenal hosts Manchester United in the Premier League on Sunday.
Soccer fans will wear special glasses at nine pubs across Britain and Ireland, providing the public’s first taste of live 3-D soccer ahead of Sky’s dedicated channel launching in April.
Sky is claiming the 3-D milestone a week before England’s meeting with Wales in the Six Nations rugby tournament was due to be the first. The United States won’t witness live sports in 3-D until June, when ESPN broadcasts the World Cup.
Maradona's partner has miscarriage
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — The partner of Diego Maradona has had a miscarriage four months into her pregnancy.
Dr. Carlos Prigola treated Veronica Ojeda at the Clinica Suizo Argentina and said Wednesday the miscarriage was caused by a fall after she got out of bed in the middle of the night.
Maradona and Ojeda have been together since November 2005. The coach of the Argentina football team has two daughters from his marriage to Claudia Villafane and two other children he has never acknowledged but that paternity tests showed he is the father.
Ferdinand denies violent conduct charge
MANCHESTER, England — Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has denied a charge of violent conduct for apparently elbowing an opponent, making him available for Wednesday's match against Manchester City.
Ferdinand would have received a three-match ban if he pleaded guilty to clashing with Hull forward Craig Fagan in Saturday's 4-0 win. Denying the charge makes him eligible to play in the second leg of United's League Cup semifinal against City, but could also result in a longer ban once the Football Association decides on a possible sanction.
