Soccer Capsules: Wambach scores twice as U.S. tops Norway 2-1
OLHAO, Portugal — Abby Wambach scored both goals as the United States beat Norway 2-1 Friday in the Algarve Cup.
Wambach scored the winner — her 103rd international goal — from close range in the last minute of injury time.
Wambach earned the opening goal in the 13th minute when she ran to a pass from Lori Lindsey, beat a defender and fired a shot into the corner of the net.
Norwegian substitute Isabel Herlovsen evened it in the 61st with a glancing header past Nicole Barnhart.
The U.S. can reach the final Wednesday with only a draw on Monday against Sweden. The Swedes routed Iceland 5-1 in the other group B game on Friday.
In Group A, two-time world champion Germany trounced Finland 7-0 for its second straight win, while two-time Algarve Cup champion China beat Denmark 2-0.
Vlaar back with Netherlands after 4-year absence
AMSTERDAM — Ron Vlaar is returning to the Netherlands’ national team after a four-year absence for Wednesday’s exhibition game against the United States.
The Feyenoord defender has two international appearances but none since November 2005.
Andre Ooijer, Arjen Robben and Demy de Zeeuw also return after missing the last exhibition, against Paraguay.
The Netherlands is preparing for the World Cup, where it plays Denmark. Japan and Cameroon in the first round.
The roster: Goalkeepers: Maarten Stekelenburg (Ajax Amsterdam), Piet Velthuizen (Vitesse Arnhem), Michel Vorm (Utrecht). Defenders: Edson Braafheid (Glasgow Celtic, Scotland), Giovanni van Bronckhorst (Feyenoord), John Heitinga (Everton, Everton), Joris Mathijsen (Hamburg, Germany), Andre Ooijer (PSV Eindhoven), Ron Vlaar (Feyenoord), Gregory van der Wiel (Ajax Amsterdam) Midfielders: Ibrahim Afellay (PSV Eindhoven), Mark van Bommel (Bayern Munich, Germany), Orlando Engelaar (PSV Eindhoven), Nigel de Jong (Manchester City, England), Stijn Schaars (AZ Alkmaar), Wesley Sneijder (Inter Milan, Italy), Rafael van der Vaart (Real Madrid, Spain), Demy de Zeeuw (Ajax Amsterdam) Forwards: Ryan Babel (Liverpool, England), Eljero Elia (Hamburg, Germany), Klaas Jan Huntelaar (AC Milan, Italy), Dirk Kuyt (Liverpool, England), Arjen Robben (Bayern Munich, Germany)
Fox Soccer Plus reaches deals to start airing
LOS ANGELES — DirecTV, DISH Network and Verizon FiOS have agreed to carry Fox Soccer Plus when the network launches Monday.
In addition, Time Warner Cable will start carrying the network in select markets on dates yet to be specified, Fox Cable Networks spokesman Brian Peterson said Friday.
The new network, a companion to Fox Soccer Channel, is taking over many of the rights that had been held by Setanta USA, which shuts down Sunday night. Fox Soccer Plus, a premium channel, will televise the European Champions League, the English Premier League, FA Cup, League Championship, FA Cup and national team and the Italian Serie A, plus rugby from the Magners League, the Guinness Premiership and the Heineken Cup.
None of the cable carriers will televise the new network in HD at this time. DISH is carrying FSC in HD and will charge $14.999 monthly for Fox Soccer Plus as an "a la carte" option.
World Cup
South Africa tries to rally fans with WCup bus
JOHANNESBURG — A new South Africa team bus will take a six-week tour of the country in an attempt to rally fans behind the host nation for the World Cup.
The apparent lack of local interest has spurred the South African Football Association to take Bafana Bafana’s new vehicle across the country.
South Africa will celebrate the 100-day countdown to the 2010 tournament next week when it plays neighbor Namibia in an exhibition in Durban.
The bus has been provided by one of the team’s official sponsors and will carry the team to and from matches, beginning with the tournament opener at Soccer City in Johannesburg on June 11.
FIFA announced this month that 413,072 match tickets had been allocated to South Africans, some at discounted rates.
League News
Problems mount for Mancini ahead of Chelsea trip
LONDON — Problems are mounting for Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini and now he has another to deal with: a trip to Premier League leader Chelsea.
City beat Chelsea 2-1 in December shortly before Mancini took over from Mark Hughes but the chances of a repeat performance Saturday look slim.
Emmanuel Adebayor and Patrick Vieira are suspended, several players are rumored to be unhappy, City has one win from six matches and was knocked out of the FA Cup by Stoke this week.
Added to that, Carlos Tevez has only just returned from a leave of absence in Argentina and has yet to train with his teammates ahead of one his club's most important matches of the season.
"Carlos is in London," Mancini said. "We will meet up with him at the hotel when we get there tonight. He has told me he has been training every day while he has been away, and we will need him, because we don't have many strikers to pick from for tomorrow.
"I hope he has been able to do some kind of work during these two weeks."
With Adebayor out for four games following his second violent conduct charge of the season after his sending off against Stoke, Tevez is almost certain to start at Stamford Bridge.
City desperately needs him to quickly find the form that has brought him 19 goals so far this season.
If Tottenham beats Everton and Liverpool beats Blackburn, City could be three points and two places outside the Champions League qualification spots by Sunday.
"We're out of the cups now and we need to get our heads up and concentrate on the league because there is nothing else to distract us between now and the end of the season," defender Pablo Zabaleta said.
City does have Wayne Bridge in its squad, meaning the leftback is likely to come up against Chelsea captain John Terry.
Bridge ruled himself out of this year's World Cup because he does not want to play alongside Terry, who was stripped of the England captaincy over the scandal surrounding an extramarital relationship with Bridge's former partner.
City, Tottenham, Liverpool and Aston Villa are all in contention for fourth place and separated by just a single point.
Tottenham currently occupies fourth place on goal difference from City ahead of its meeting with in-form Everton on Sunday.
The Toffees were eliminated from the Europa League on Thursday but have lost just one of their past 12 Premier League matches and beat Chelsea and Manchester United in its past two.
Tottenham beat Everton in the League Cup this season but has lost its last three home games against the same opponent.
Roman Pavlyuchenko could start up front for Spurs after hitting five goals in three matches.
"In the transfer window there were clubs interested in taking Pav," Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp said. "But I went in with our chairman, Daniel Levy, discussed the offers and we both felt we wanted him to stay.
"Pav has come in, scored and he is sky-high right now. We play Everton on Sunday and it would be very difficult not to start him now."
Also Sunday, Sunderland hosts Fulham and Liverpool hosts Blackburn. Man United and Aston Villa meet at Wembley in the League Cup final.
On Saturday, it's: Birmingham vs. Wigan, Bolton vs. Wolverhampton, Burnley vs. Portsmouth and Stoke vs. third-place Arsenal.
-- Stuart Condie
Schalke edges Dortmund 2-1
FRANKFURT — Ivan Rakitic made up for conceding a penalty by scoring the winner for Schalke in a 2-1 victory over Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga on Friday.
The win put third-place Schalke within a point of Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern Munich, at least until the 24th round is completed over the weekend. Dortmund will remain fifth no matter what.
Rakitic gave away the penalty in the 47th minute when he stepped on the foot of Dortmund striker Nelson Valdez. Nurd Sahib converted from the spot.
But Schalke stepped up the pressure and worked its way back. Benedikt Howedes headed in a cross from Lukas Schmitz to level the score in the 66th.
Rakitic clinched Schalke's victory when he picked up a backheel pass from Edu and curled the ball in from 17 meters (yards).
Elsewhere
Premier League’s Portsmouth enters bankruptcy
LONDON — Portsmouth became the first Premier League team forced to seek bankruptcy protection from its creditors on Friday, enabling the insolvent business to restructure financially.
The bottom club in the world’s richest league was placed into administration by the High Court less than two years after winning the FA Cup because Balram Chainrai — its fourth owner this season — was unable to clear debts of around $105 million.
Although Portsmouth will still operate, relegation to the second-tier is a near certainty, with the nine-point penalty that administration brings leaving manager Avram Grant’s team 17 points from safety.
Court-appointed Andrew Andronikou has asked the Premier League to allow it to sell one or two players and advance a $16.7 million parachute payment that would be due after relegation to the League Championship.
"I am hoping to obtain some sort of concessions from them," said Andronikou of accountancy firm UHY Hacker Young. "We are looking to immediately address the significant monthly cash burn of the club by implementing a strict cost rationalization program."
By going into administration, a winding up order from the government’s Revenue and Customs authority over unpaid tax will be suspended.
But everyone from manager Avram Grant to the players at the club likely will see their wages slashed, while chief executive Peter Storrie said he will leave after the club’s future is secured.
Storrie described Portsmouth entering administration as "an extremely sad day for everyone connected with the club."
Pompey have been in administration once before, in December 1998, when Milan Mandaric bought the then-second tier club.
The Premier League board will meet to invoke the nine-point sanction.
"The board will also meet the administrator at the earliest opportunity to receive their views on the financial status of Portsmouth FC and set out the conditions for the club to fulfill its commitments for the remainder of the season," the Premier League said in a statement. "We understand the need to act as swiftly and transparently as possible; however there is a process which means we can only provide comment at the appropriate junctures."
Chainrai is looking to recover a $25.8 million loan he made to the previous owners. The Hong Kong businessman took over the club this month as a short-term arrangement to protect his investment after becoming frustrated that several deadlines were missed to repay loans he had made to the club.
"He was told the club had certain debts but didn’t know that Premier League rules say football debts become a priority, that money owed on transfers must be paid first," Chainrai spokesman Phil Hall said. "He asked the questions and was given answers and assurances that turned out not to be true."
FIFA is set to discuss the plight of the 112-year-old club at its next executive committee meeting on March 18.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown had expressed concern about the high levels of debt in English soccer.
"It is a sad day for a great club and it is deeply regrettable if they do go into administration," Brown spokesman Simon Lewis said Friday. "We remain concerned that fans and communities of football clubs like Portsmouth shouldn’t suffer because of the inability of clubs to manage their finances properly."
--Rob Harris
Arsenal cuts overall debt by almost 40 percent
LONDON — Arsenal has cut its debt by almost 40 percent to 203.6 million pounds ($311. 6 million) through selling more of the apartments it built on the site of its former stadium
Buoyed by the sale of another 261 units in the Highbury Square property development, the north London club said Friday that it made a pretax profit of 35.2 million pounds ($53.8 million) for the six months ending Nov. 30.
It cut its debt from 332.8 million pounds ($537.5 million) the previous May to maintain its reputation as one of the more financially stable clubs in the Premier League.
Chief executive Ivan Gazidis said the profit was less important than the reduction in debt.
"It's important to note that this isn't our primary objective," Gazidis said. "The reason we run a responsible, profitable and self-sustaining business is so that we can deliver success to the club and invest in the club and ultimately deliver success on the pitch, something that our fans can be proud of."
But Arsenal's success in this aspect could threaten its independence.
Denver-based businessman Stan Kroenke is close to reaching the share threshold required to launch a takeover bid for Arsenal, while Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov is also rumored to be interested in the club.
The club left Highbury, its home of 93 years, in 2006 and moved to the new Emirates Stadium nearby.
The increase in stadium capacity from 38,000 to 60,000 generates more than 1 million pounds ($1.52 million) extra income for each home game, while the decision to build homes in a stadium-style development seems to have paid off despite the unpredictability of the property market during Britain's economic downturn.
Arsenal now has just 13 million pounds ($19.8 million) of a 137 million-pound ($208.6 million) construction loan left outstanding.
Arsenal has sold 524 of the 655 Highbury Square apartments and non-executive chairman Peter Hill-Wood said "the next couple of years will see our property activities delivering surplus cash."
"I would not want to speculate on the exact quantum or timing of this," Hill-Wood said. "How we will use this surplus remains undecided but, in addition to investing in the team, I think we will examine investment in club projects and infrastructure both in and around Emirates Stadium."
Manager Arsene Wenger has so far refrained for the most part from spending big money on high-profile players, but the availability of cash could give his club an edge in the market over top-four Premier League rivals Manchester United and Liverpool.
United and Liverpool are both heavily indebted following leveraged takeovers by American owners.
Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez has bemoaned his inability to spend heavily on players, while United has spent little of the world-record 80 million pounds ($131 million) it received from Real Madrid for Cristiano Ronaldo in July.
"Arsenal's debt position is very healthy," Gazidis said. "I think it's important that clubs act responsibly with respect to debt. The important things that everybody needs to ask are, 'is the debt affordable, can the repayments be met?'
"And provided clubs act responsibly, then it's not true to say all debt is bad."
-- Stuart Condie
Marseille fans consider PSG boycott
MARSEILLE, France — Marseille fans are considering boycotting Sunday's match at Paris Saint-Germain to protest against security measures imposed on visiting fans.
Marseille and PSG fans have a long history of clashes. They fought in downtown Marseille after the late postponement of their first meeting of the season in October. Nearly a dozen people were injured.
Marseille supporters attending Sunday's French league match will be searched before setting off in special buses escorted by police.
"Fans are thinking about the situation and will take a common decision," Marseille president Jean-Claude Dassier said Friday.
Dassier said that Marseille officials will also not travel to Paris if the fans decide to stay home.
"Either everybody goes to Paris or nobody, and I'll be by their sides," Dassier said, adding that he understands the reasons for the security measures given the risks surrounding the match.
"The climate has deteriorated and the presidents of both clubs should work to make things go back to a purely sporting confrontation," Dassier added. "This match has to be played without violence."
Nearly a dozen PSG fans were arrested Thursday near the Stade Velodrome ahead of Marseille's Europa League match against Copenhagen, police said. The fans were trying to mix with Copenhagen fans and fight with their Marseille counterparts.
PSG is 12th with 33 points while fifth-placed Marseille is back in the title race after securing four wins in its last five games.
AP source: Premier League launching TV service
LONDON — English Premier League channels are set to start broadcasting across the world next season when a new 24-hour service is launched, a league executive with direct knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press on Friday.
The league will provide a continuous international feed of programing for broadcast rights holders outside Britain to form their own Premier League channels, the executive said. He spoke on condition of anonymity because a public announcement is yet to be made.
International broadcasters are set to pay around $1.6 billion to show live Premier League matches for the three seasons starting in August 2010 — an 80 percent increase on the current TV deal
Local networks will be able to pick and choose content from the league's official feed, which will include news and feature shows along with classic matches. The networks will be able to include local advertising and live matches.
While it is a de facto Premier League TV channel, the continuous feed officially is being called a "content service" so that it doesn't impede the ability of clubs, including Manchester United and MUTV, to sell their own channels around the world.
It will be run by Premier League Productions, a joint venture between the league and TWI, the sports production part of International Management Group.
The Premier League is searching for a recognizable anchor to be the face of the content.
Germany's Loew names Kroos, Mueller to squad
BERLIN — Germany coach Joachim Loew has included Bayer Leverkusen's Toni Kroos and Bayern Munich's Thomas Mueller in the squad for next week's friendly against Argentina.
"Both of them have caught the eye with good performances in the Bundesliga in recent months and have earned their chance," Loew said Friday. Leverkusen heads the table and Bayern is second.
The German football federation said Werder Bremen goalkeeper Tim Wiese is out of next Wednesday's match in Munich with an injury. Hamburg midfielder Marcell Jansen also is doubtful for the game because of illness.
The Argentina match will be Germany's last before its World Cup squad is named in May.
"This is a welcome challenge. Argentina is an attractive, strong opponent that will demand everything form us," Loew said.
Loew named 26 players in the squad, an unusually large number.
"It's important before the World Cup to see each other as often as possible and to be able to discuss with each player his situation. We will have a lot of talks with players in addition to training," Loew said.
Apart from Schalke's defender Heiko Westermann and Leverkusen's midfielder Simon Rolfes, who are both recovering from injuries, Loew has assembled most players believed to have a chance of making it on the plane to South Africa.
Stuttgart's striker Cacau is back after scoring five goals in his last two games following a month out with a groin injury.
Man Utd's Vidic returns to Serbia squad
BELGRADE, Serbia — Manchester United defender Nemanja Vidic has returned to the Serbia squad ahead of next week's friendly match against Algeria.
Vidic returned for United this week after a lengthy absence due to a leg injury.
Also included in Serbia's 23-man squad for next Wednesday's match in Algiers are Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic, Inter Milan midfielder Dejan Stankovic and striker Milan Jovanovic, who is set to move to Liverpool from Standard Liege in the summer.
The only new name on coach Radomir Antic's list is Red Star Belgrade forward Dejan Lekic.
Antic said he expects 70,000 Algeria fans to pack the stadium in Algiers on Wednesday.
"This will be a good chance to test ourselves playing in that kind of atmosphere," Antic said.
Serbia won its European qualifying group to secure a place at the World Cup in South Africa for the first time. Algeria has also qualified for the World Cup.
Serbia will play Ghana, Germany and Australia in the World Cup group stage, while Algeria faces England, the United States and Slovenia.
Antic added that he was skeptical about South Africa's ability to host the World Cup. But, after a visit earlier this month, he said: "I'm very satisfied."
Torres back for Spain against France
MADRID — Spain coach Vicente Del Bosque on Friday named Liverpool striker Fernando Torres to the squad to play France in a friendly next week, signaling the end of the Liverpool player's spell on the sidelines because of injury.
Torres, 25, returned to the Liverpool team after five weeks out with a knee injury when he came on as a substitute on Sunday.
Del Bosque did not pick him for Spain's last two matches, friendlies against Argentina and Austria in November, because of a hernia problem.
"Torres has gone through an (knee) operation and a recovery period," del Bosque said. "The impression is that he's OK.
"He played the other day and it's likely that this weekend he will play too, and he feels in condition to come, so that is why we are bringing him," he said.
The Spanish coach added that they would limit "the minutes he might play so as not to upset his recovery."
Torres has been a regular for Spain since 2003, scoring 23 goals in 71 appearances including the only goal in the European Championship final in 2008.
Villarreal midfielder Marcos Senna has also been recalled for the game. Senna has missed several matches for Spain because of poor form.
Del Bosque added that the squad named for the France friendly is not necessarily the same one that will go to the World Cup in South Africa.
"This is not an absolutely closed final list for the World Cup, but one for this match against France," he said.
"Obviously it will be a squad similar to this, but I have to say there are players that have been left out that might be with us," he said.
The friendly will be played on March 3 at the Stade de France in Paris.
France to play Brazil and England in friendlies
PARIS — France announced Friday that it will play friendly matches against England and Brazil after the World Cup.
The French football federation said that the 1998 World Cup winner and runner-up to Italy in 2006 will travel to England on Nov. 17 before hosting Brazil at the Stade de France on Feb. 9, 2011,
But the English Football Association said the fixture against France won't be confirmed until its 2012 European Championship qualification fixture program is confirmed on March 15.
A third friendly game for France is also scheduled on Aug. 11 in Norway before the team starts its Euro 2012 qualifying campaign at home against Belarus in September.
France plays Uruguay, Mexico and South Africa in Group A at the World Cup. Raymond Domenech's team opens against Uruguay in Cape Town on June 11.
France plays European Champion Spain at Stade de France next Wednesday in another friendly.
Barcelona signs defender Pique thru 2015
BARCELONA, Spain — Barcelona has signed defender Gerard Pique to a three-year contract extension that ties him to the European champions through 2015.
Barcelona did not reveal financial details of the deal but says the Spain defender's buy-out clause will be €200 million ($271 million).
The 23-year-old Pique has blossomed into one of Europe's best center backs since returning to his boyhood club from Manchester United in the summer of 2008.
Coach Pep Guardiola says "there is no other player in Europe with his skill at his age" before calling his €5 million (then $8 million) transfer from Man United a "historic" purchase.
Pique has helped the Spanish champions win six major trophies and has played 13 times for Spain, scoring four goals.
Bednar, Simunek injured, unavailable for Scotland
PRAGUE — The Czech Republic will be without West Bromwich Albion forward Roman Bednar and Wolfsburg defender Jan Simunek for next week's friendly against Scotland.
Bednar has a groin problem while Simunek suffered a thigh muscle injury.
The football federation said Friday coach Michal Bilek has instead called up striker Jan Blaek of Larissa and midfielder Daniel Pudil of Genk for the Scotland trip.
The Czechs are already missing key players for the March 3 game in Glasgow, including Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech and striker Milan Baros.
Cech was carried off on a stretcher during his side's 2-1 loss at Inter Milan in the Champions League on Wednesday and Chelsea said he could be out for up to four weeks after tearing a calf muscle.
Bolton's Cahill close to returning from blood clot
BOLTON, England — Bolton defender Gary Cahill could have a chance of making England's World Cup squad after a faster than expected recovery from a blood clot in his arm.
Bolton predicted this month that Cahill would be out of action for several months but now says he will return to light training within two weeks.
Bolton said Friday that a small part of one of Cahill's left ribs had been removed because it was restricting the flow of blood to a vein.
Cahill could be in contention for a place at the June 11-July 11 World Cup, particularly with captain Rio Ferdinand carrying a back injury and backups Ledley King and Jonathan Woodgate playing only infrequently.
Man City's Adebayor banned 4 matches for red card
LONDON — Manchester City striker Emmanuel Adebayor has been banned for four matches after his red card in Tuesday's FA Cup defeat at Stoke.
Adebayor was sent off in the 83rd minute of the 3-1 extra-time defeat for hitting Stoke's Ryan Shawcross with his outstretched arm
The Togo international was banned for longer than the three matches a red card usually warrants because it is the second time this season he has been found guilty of violent conduct.
Adebayor was banned for three games in September for a foul on former Arsenal teammate Robin van Persie.
Liverpool's Skrtel breaks metatarsal in right foot
LIVERPOOL, England — Liverpool defender Martin Skrtel looks likely to be on the sidelines for several weeks after scans showed he broke a metatarsal bone in his right foot.
The Slovakia international was carried from the field in Thursday's 3-1 Europa League win at Unirea Urziceni.
Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez says "we have to check over the next couple of days how long it will take to recover."
But Benitez says fullback Glen Johnson should be fit to return soon after two months out with a knee injury. The England international has returned to light training.
City was already without midfielder Patrick Vieira because of a three-match ban for violent conduct.
Bordeaux extends Sertic's contract
BORDEAUX, France — Gregory Sertic has extended his contract with Bordeaux for two more years.
The 20-year-old midfielder will stay with the French champions through June 2014, his club said Friday.
Sertic is the seventh player to recently extend his contract with the club, alongside Carlos Henrique, David Bellion, Lamine Sane, Fernando Menegazzo, Jussie and Matthieu Chalme.
Bordeaux, which plays at Le Mans on Sunday, tops the French league standings with 51 points from 24 games. Second-placed Montpellier has 48 and Lille is third with 47.
Luis Fabiano out for Brazil friendly
RIO DE JANEIRO — Brazil striker Luis Fabiano will not play in next week's friendly against Ireland because of a pulled pectoral muscle.
The Brazil football federation says on its Web site Friday that it has yet to decide if a replacement will be named. The statement didn't say how the Sevilla forward was hurt.
Fabiano didn't travel to Moscow this week for his Spanish team's 1-1 draw with CSKA in the Champions League.
In December, Fabiano hurt his ankle and was out for several weeks.
Robinho, Adriano and Nilmar are the three remaining strikers in the Brazil squad for the Ireland game on Tuesday in London.
