Soccer Capsules: Women's Professional Soccer suspends 2012 season
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Women's Professional Soccer won't play the 2012 season amid a legal dispute with an ousted owner. The league's Board of Governors voted Monday to suspend the season with hopes of resuming in 2013, the WPS announced.
In October, it terminated its South Florida franchise after clashing with owner Dan Borislow all season. A Florida judge ruled earlier this month that the league failed to follow its own dispute procedures when it terminated the franchise, and another court hearing is set for Wednesday.
WPS CEO Jennifer O'Sullivan said owners chose to cancel the season over possibly working with Borislow in the league again.
"We have diverted so many resources into litigation," she said. "This is something that needs to be resolved before we can move forward with play."
Borislow purchased the former Washington Freedom before last season and moved the club to South Florida, renaming it for a telephone call device he invented. The magicJack franchise was repeatedly disciplined during the season for not meeting league standards. In August, after Borislow filed suit against the WPS, the league released a statement accusing him of violations ranging from "unprofessional and disparaging treatment of his players to failure to pay his bills."
The league has played three seasons. It needed a waiver from the U.S. Soccer Federation to be sanctioned as a first-division league in 2012 with only five teams, below the required eight. In the deal with the governing body in December, WPS agreed to increase the number of teams to a minimum of six for 2013 and at least eight for 2014.
A longtime thoroughbred owner, Borislow was an outspoken figure in horse racing but sold most of his stable because of a dispute with the IRS.
O'Sullivan was not yet CEO when he was approved as an owner, but she acknowledged the vetting process might have been hurried.
"I do think the league at the time was in a situation where they were in a bit of a rush," she said.
With the Olympics this summer, the league's absence could give national team players more time to train together even if it means fewer games for them to play. The attention paid to the Olympics would have been valuable marketing for the WPS during the 2012 season.
The league's predecessor, the Women's United Soccer Association, folded after three years.
U.S. negotiating for exhibition against Scotland
CHICAGO (AP) — The U.S. men's soccer team is negotiating to play Scotland in an exhibition game May 26 or 27. The Americans, preparing for the start of World Cup qualifying, also are negotiating to play Brazil on May 30 or 31, at Landover, Md., or Foxborough, Mass.
U.S. Soccer Federation spokesman Neil Buethe said Monday that they've been in discussions with a "number of federations about a game in late May, including Scotland. Nothing is finalized, and we'll continue to have those discussions."
The game against Scotland, the first for the U.S. since 2005, would be in the eastern or central part of the United States. The Americans open qualifying for the 2014 World Cup on June 8 at home against Antigua and Barbuda.
Union release goalkeeper Mondragon
CHESTER, Pa. (AP) — The Philadelphia Union have released goalie Faryd Mondragon so he can return to his native Columbia and play for Deportivo Cali. The Union announced the move Monday. The 40-year-old Mondragon was Philadelphia's team captain.
Mondragon signed with the Union on Jan. 20, 2011 on a free transfer from FC Cologne of the German Bundesliga and immediately helped transform the Union into one of the league's top defensive units in 2011. He was the Union's second straight All-Star representative, starting against Manchester United in the 2011 midseason showcase.
Mondragon says he requested the move for family reasons.
Red Bulls acquire D Conde from Chicago
HARRISON, N.J. (AP) — The New York Red Bulls have acquired Wilman Conde from the Chicago Fire for allocation money and signed the defender.
Conde spent last year with Mexico's Atlas, where he scored two goals in 13 appearances. He started 66 games for the Fire from 2007-10, helping the team to postseason appearances in his first three seasons. He was a two-time MLS All-Star. The 29-year-old Colombian came to the MLS from Millonarios in his home country. The trade was announced Monday.
Timbers sign Scottish forward Boyd
PORTLAND, Oregon (AP) — Scotland striker Kris Boyd, the Scottish Premier League's all-time leading scorer, is joining Major League Soccer's Portland Timbers. Timbers general manager Gavin Wilkinson announced the move on Monday, with the deal subject to Boyd obtaining a visa and passing a medical. No financial details were released.
The 28-year-old Boyd scored 164 goals in a total of 296 appearances in the SPL with Kilmarnock and Rangers. He was the league's top scorer for four seasons in his SPL career.
League Capsules
Juventus looking to extend unbeaten Serie A season
MILAN (AP) — Serie A leader Juventus will look to extend its unbeaten league run to 21 games this season at Parma on Tuesday and move four points provisionally clear at the top of the standings.
Juventus is the only club still unbeaten in Serie A, with every other team having lost at least three games.
"We're performing beyond the most rose-colored predictions," defender Giorgio Chiellini said. "We were convinced we could have a very good season but we were also coming off the back of two difficult years and in summer, although we didn't start building again from zero, we changed a lot.
"We've been good in immediately finding a balance and a style of play and now we're continuing to grow. It's a process that has not stopped yet and it has to continue if we want to achieve a dream."
Parma is unlikely to pose Juventus much of a challenge, having won just once in its past 10 games. Juventus gave another solid performance on Saturday by beating third-place Udinese 2-1 to remain a point clear of second-place AC Milan, which faces Lazio on Wednesday in a rematch of last week's Italian Cup clash. Milan won that match 3-1.
Tuesday will also be significant in that the transfer window closes at 7 p.m. local time (1800 GMT) and Juve has not ruled out strengthening its squad still further.
"If tomorrow we sense the possibility of improving the squad, we will do so," general director Giuseppe Marotta said on Sunday. "We shouldn't hide, the numbers are on our side. We're unbeaten and we have to act out the role of protagonists. We will fight until the end so that we can give everyone a glorious finish."
Milan is likely to chase Juventus all the way and the current Serie A champion is still clinging close after a comfortable 3-0 win against Cagliari as the bid for the title swiftly looks like developing into a two-horse race.
"The table's stretched out a bit now," Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri said. "It was important to win to remain in Juventus' wake and to create a gap between third and fourth after the weekend's results."
Allegri is also unconcerned that midfielder Alexander Merkel will be out for at least two months with a knee injury.
"I'm sad to have lost Merkel for two months," he said. "However, it's not a worry for me because Emanuelson played very well. This lad has grown a lot in the last few games, also because he has played in a run of games."
Maxi Lopez could make his debut after the new signing was on the bench for Milan at the weekend.
Lazio will present a tougher challenge than Cagliari. It beat Chievo Verona at the weekend to leapfrog above Inter Milan and into fourth place in the standings. Any slip up from Udinese, which faces rapidly-improving Lecce, could see Lazio move into third in the table.
Inter is a point behind Lazio after a surprise loss to Lecce at the weekend which snapped the Nerazzurri's seven-match winning streak in the league. Claudio Ranieri's team hosts Palermo, which has picked up just three points on its travels all season.
Elsewhere, it's: Atalanta vs. Genoa; Bologna vs. Fiorentina; Cagliari vs. Roma; Napoli vs. Cesena; and Siena vs. Catania. On Thursday rock-bottom Novara faces Chievo.
Mirandes to play Bilbao in Copa del Rey semifinals
MADRID (AP) — Third-tier club Mirandes' improbable run in the Copa del Rey reaches the semifinals against Athletic Bilbao on Tuesday, while Barcelona will be looking to shake off its recent woes away from home at Valencia on Wednesday.
Mirandes has already eliminated topflight clubs Villarreal, Racing Santander and Espanyol to become only the third team below the second division to reach the last four.
But now the northern club, guided by daytime banker and forward Pablo Infante, faces perhaps its toughest test yet against its Basque neighbor. Bilbao is a 23-time cup champion that has won five of its last six games, with striker Fernando Llorente scoring six goals over that stretch.
"We're filled with hope, and a lot of desire because we know we're just one step away from the final," Infante, who leads the competition with six goals, told The Associated Press. "Let's see what we're capable of."
The only other third-tier clubs to reach the semifinals were Figueres in 2002 and Deportivo Logrono, 81 years ago.
Mirandes coach Carlos Pouso said his club's chances of progressing were slim since a two-legged series favors the stronger team, but that his team would not change its approach.
"We're well prepared for the good or the bad. We're all implicated in this and the players believe in our ideas, so there's little more to say," Pouso told the AP. "Our fans have helped us very much, they are the motor that pushes us on."
The club was building an extra seating section to accommodate an extra 1,700 fans at its 6,000-capacity Anduva stadium.
Barcelona overcame Real Madrid in the quarterfinals but has slipped to seven points behind its fierce rival in the league standings after yet another draw away from home on Sunday.
Barcelona has dropped 13 league points in 10 games away from the Camp Nou this season, including the 0-0 draw at Villarreal. But in the Copa del Rey it has won all three road matches so far by a combined score of 12-1.
The record 25-time cup winner is without Andres Iniesta for the match at the Mestalla Stadium while forward Pedro Rodriguez may also miss out to injury. Defender Gerard Pique came off with a knee problem but trained with his teammates on Monday.
Lionel Messi was far from his best and failed to convert several opportunities he usually puts away.
"The message inside the locker room is of belief and confidence," said goalkeeper Jose Manuel Pinto, who will play in place of Victor Valdes as usual in the cup. "The team isn't tired. But it is difficult for things to work out perfectly every single day."
Tuesday's game begins a rematch of the 2008 semifinals when Valencia emerged victorious.
-- Paul Logothetis
Atletico beats Osasuna 1-0 for third straight win
PAMPLONA, Spain (AP) — Diego Godin's goal and keeper Thibaut Courtois' saves guided Atletico Madrid to a 1-0 win at Osasuna on Monday and a third straight victory under new coach Diego Simeone.
Godin met Koke's 40th-minute corner to head Atletico into the lead, and Courtois made some vital saves to deny Raul Garcia and Dejan Lekic with headers from point-blank range. Atletico finished January unbeaten in four matches, with Simeone's arrival sparking a bid to qualify for next season's Champions League. Atletico and Athletic Bilbao are two points off fourth place.
Real Madrid's 3-1 victory over last-place Zaragoza on Saturday stretched its lead to seven points over defending champion Barcelona, which drew 0-0 at Villarreal.
African Cup
Sudan snatches quarterfinal berth with 2-1 win
MALABO, Equatorial Guinea (AP) — Sudan celebrated its biggest football achievement in more than 40 years on Monday when it clinched a place in the African Cup of Nations quarterfinals with a 2-1 win against Burkina Faso.
Mudather Tayeb scored both of Sudan's goals at Estadio de Bata to squeeze through on goal difference and provide the first high point since winning the African Cup on home soil in 1970.
Sudan finished second in Group B behind cup favorite Ivory Coast, which had already qualified before its mostly second-string team beat Angola 2-0 in Malabo with goals from Emmanuel Eboue and Wilfried Bony. Angola had only needed a draw to progress.
Ivory Coast will now play co-host Equatorial Guinea and Sudan will face Zambia.
"We know if we leave here not having gone all the way, everything that we have done up to now will be in vain," Ivory Coast coach Francois Zahoui said. "I'll be really happy when I have reached the goal of really pleasing the Ivorians that are supporting us. There are a lot of prayers behind us."
Sudan, competing with a squad of exclusively home-based players, was winless in nine matches stretching over its three previous African Cup appearances since the 1970 triumph, but needed a victory to have any chance of beating Angola to the second qualification spot.
Despite its status as the second-lowest ranked team at the tournament, Sudan impressed in the 1-0 opening loss to Ivory Coast and has improved from match to match. Going into the final game, Sudan needed a win against Burkina Faso and hope Ivory Coast beat Angola.
Mudather got Sudan moving in the right direction when he rode a rash challenge from Mamadou Tall and opened his body to stroke the ball past Daouda Diakite in the 33rd minute.
Angola was losing 1-0 at halftime against Ivory Coast, but Sudan still needed another goal in its favor to move into the qualification positions.
News filtered through of a second goal for Ivory Coast against Angola in the second half — a result that would put Sudan through to the quarterfinals for the first time in nearly half a century.
Mudather scored a second goal for Sudan to calm nerves in the closing stages after pouncing on a moment's hesitation from Diakite to round the 'keeper and score in the 80th minute.
Issiaka Ouedraogo scored for Burkina Faso in the seventh minute of stoppage time to close the gap, but Sudan held on to its crucial advantage.
Ivory Coast made nine changes to the starting lineup against Angola, with captain Didier Drogba among those rested on the bench.
Eboue scored in the 32nd minute and Bony added a second in the 64th as the cup favorite Ivory Coast sealed a third straight victory.
"We know the match against Equatorial Guinea will be very hard because it's against the organizing country and they are playing on their home pitch," Zahoui said.
Angola produced a nervy performance to blow its chances of reaching the quarterfinals after needing just a point to progress.
"We lost because we played against a very strong team in Ivory Coast, which is one of the main candidates to win this tournament," coach Lito Vidigal said. "We did a good job and worked hard, but unfortunately we couldn't quite make it."
Angolan police reportedly formed a barricade to stop the national team's players speaking to journalists after the defeat.
Despite the qualification issues at stake, both matches were played in front of just a few hundred fans.
Filling the stadiums is a recurrent problem at the African Cup of Nations, with games not involving the host nation often underselling. It's been the same story at this tournament in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.
A pocket of around 500 Angola fans sat just a few seats away from a contingent of around 100 Ivory Coast supporters, but the rest of the 15,000-plus Nuevo Estadio de Malabo was almost empty.
The few fans that turned up to watch Sudan and Burkina Faso were also scattered sparsely at the 37,500 Estadio de Bata.
The lack of fans in Malabo made for an unusual atmosphere for the players from both Ivory Coast and Angola, many of whom are used to playing in front of tens of thousands in Europe's top leagues.
-- Mark Walsh
Drogba's mum cooks up Ivorian favorites for fans
MALABO, Equatorial Guinea (AP) — Didier Drogba's mother spent Monday preparing traditional west African food for a group of 60 traveling Ivory Coast fans at the African Cup.
Clotilde Drogba works in a makeshift kitchen at a dusty stadium on the outskirts of Malabo cooking Ivorian dishes such as chicken and fish with rice, plantains, potatoes and spicy sauces.
"Everyone has their thing and what they like to do," Clotilde said. "This is what I like to do — be helpful to people. I would support my son doing anything whether he was famous or not. This isn't about my son, it's about supporting my country."
Clotilde also prepared food for fans at the 2006 World Cup in Germany.
Tournament favorite Ivory Coast already qualified for the quarterfinals before its final Group B match against Angola on Monday.
While the Chelsea star and his teammates got ready at a luxury hotel outside town, Clotilde sat on a bench in the dirt-floor kitchen chopping raw chicken with a cleaver as flies buzzed round the fresh meat.
Metal pots and pans containing bananas, onions, peanuts and tomatoes were scattered around, while portable gas hobs were used for cooking the food.
At first, Clotilde was shy about being interviewed, insisting she needed time to wash her hands and clean up.
"The mother of Drogba cannot be seen like this," she protested.
A coach-load of supporters wearing the orange of Ivory Coast turned up soon after and took their places at plastic picnic tables. A gazebo provided shade from the fierce sun.
"The best moment is when you make a good meal and people are satisfied," said Clotilde, sitting down for a rest after helping the handful of female kitchen workers serve the food. "But it's even better when Didier scores and the team wins."
Clotilde said she saw Ivory Coast's opening two victories on a screen at the modest stadium where she's working, but added that she hoped to watch the semifinal in the stadium in Bata if Drogba and his teammates make it that far.
Unfortunately, Drogba himself will miss out on the home cooking.
"The best food is what mom makes, but Didier has to eat at the hotel, which is normal. He has to eat with the team — these are the rules and I respect that," she said.
Before Drogba became a star player in France, Clotilde said she was complimented on her son's powerful physique.
"In France, they say you have to give children lots of soup so they will grow up strong," she said. "Didier was so big they always said I must have given him lots of soup. Didier's favorite was always sweet puree of plantain."
It was also no surprise to mum that Drogba turned into a world-class footballer.
"I was a fan of Franz Beckenbauer when I was pregnant with Didier and I wanted him to be a big footballer like that — and God made it happen," Clotilde said.
Even without mom's cooking, Clotilde is confident she will see her son finally lift the African Cup.
"The team plays very well, and it's my wish that they win the cup," she said.
Ivory Coast fan Euloge Ngbesso was enjoying a big bowl of rice and spicy chicken as Drogba's mom helped clean up the dishes before posing for a seemingly interminable round of photos with supporters.
"She's a good woman," he said. "She's like a mother to the supporters here. She's very open and people respect her for who she is, not just because she's Didier Drogba's mom."
-- Mark Walsh
Libya leaves African Cup happy after historic win
BATA, Equatorial Guinea (AP) — In the end, Ihaab Boussefi's late volley wasn't enough to send Libya through to the African Cup of Nations quarterfinals.
Boussefi's second goal in Sunday night's game in Bata, however, did clinch a 2-1 win over Senegal for Libya's first victory at the tournament on foreign soil, ultimately sending the players home happy at the end of an inspiring adventure.
Libya was never expected to even reach the tournament with the civil war raging at home during its qualifying campaign. Some players even left the squad to fight for the rebels on the front line.
Somehow Libya made it, and at Estadio de Bata against Senegal the players celebrated an historic victory which was a just reward for the team's perseverance.
"For us, this result was so important because of the situation and the problems, the painful situation in Libya for the people," said Marcos Paqueta, Libya's Brazilian coach.
No one illustrated what it meant to Libya more than veteran goalkeeper and captain Samir Aboud, who sank to his knees at the final whistle with his arms held out in front of him to give thanks.
After more than a decade with the team, Aboud could celebrate a victory at the African Cup.
Libya's team made the final at home in 1982 but failed to win a game at its only other trip to the tournament in 2006.
To reach Gabon and Equatorial Guinea this year, the team had to play its home games in Mali and Egypt as chaos reigned back in Libya. Yet it came through qualifying unbeaten and, despite a loss in its opening game against co-host Equatorial Guinea at the tournament, lifted itself for a creditable draw against Zambia before the success against the Senegalese.
At Estadio de Bata, Libya also had to rally after Senegal equalized following Boussefi's fifth-minute opener. But striker Boussefi, one of 12 home-based players in the squad who had no club football in the buildup because of the suspension of Libya's league, popped up with a sweetly struck volley in the final minutes.
"The players did a great job," Paqueta said. "They provided a big effort and this crowned the achievements they have made since the beginning."
The coach also called for Libya's new leaders and its reformed football federation to support the team and help it develop, and not let its "crowning moment" go to waste.
Libya's joy contrasted with the despair of Senegal's highly rated players, who fell to a third straight loss at the Cup of Nations and an embarrassing end after being tipped as a possible contender for the title.
Even with one of the best forward lines at the tournament — which included Newcastle strikers Demba Ba and Papiss Demba Cisse, Lille's Moussa Sow and captain Mamadou Niang — Senegal badly underperformed.
The team slipped to 2-1 defeats in all three games to exit the tournament without a point for the first time in its history and put coach Amara Traore's future in serious doubt.
Traore remained defiant afterward, however.
"There is no question, I will not resign. That is clear," Traore said. "I will not resign. I can't be clearer than that. It's clear. I will not resign. I have a burning desire to continue. The only certainty I have is to continue."
Elsewhere
Player retracts after making steroids accusation
SAO PAULO (AP) — Former CSKA Moscow midfielder Daniel Carvalho on Monday apologized and retracted allegations he had to take anabolic steroids while playing for the Russian club early in his career.
Carvalho, now with Brazilian club Palmeiras, told a local radio station he was given anabolic steroids to improve his physical condition because he was "too skinny" when he arrived at the CSKA Moscow in 2003.
Hours later, after his interview made headlines across the world, Carvalho released a statement through Palmeiras saying he didn't know if the substance in the injections he received was actually steroids.
"I don't know if it was an anabolic steroid, I don't have the medical knowledge to know that," he said. "If it was, it's something that happened 10 years ago and it's in the past. If it wasn't, I apologize to the Russians for the badly used words."
The 28-year-old Brazilian also said in the statement that he was never forced to take anything against his will during his time with CSKA Moscow.
"I took the same food supplements that all other athletes took regularly," he said. "Nobody was forced to take anything."
Brazilian media reported the Russian club denied the accusations and called on Carvalho to explain why he made his comments.
An email message sent to CSKA Moscow by The Associated Press seeking comment was not immediately answered and calls to the team's press office were not returned late Monday.
Carvalho said in the interview with Radio Estadao/ESPN that it was "normal" for players to use steroids because there were no doping tests in Russia at the time.
At one point he mentioned Ronaldinho and Alexandre Pato as examples of players who considerably improved their physical structure and became stronger after moving to European football, just as happened to him. But he did not accuse the players or their clubs of making use of anabolic steroids, and said that he could only talk about what happened in Russia, where he played.
He said the doctors at CSKA Moscow used "huge syringes" to make the injections that made him gain 8 kilograms (nearly 18 pounds) after only six months.
Carvalho said that at the time he didn't know what was being given to him, and that he stopped taking it when others said that the injections could damage his health.
"I stopped taking the injections when I found out that the substance went straight to the heart," he said in the statement.
Carvalho mentioned the steroids after being asked to comment on criticism he has received from Palmeiras fans for being overweight. He blamed the steroids for changing his physical structure and not allowing him to maintain his form more easily.
Carvalho moved to Russia after starring for Brazilian club Internacional as a teenager. He played a few matches with Brazil's national team in 2006, and after leaving CSKA Moscow he played in Qatar and for Brazil's Atletico Mineiro.
He joined Palmeiras a few weeks ago and played as a starter for the first time in the team's 1-1 draw with Catanduvendse on Sunday in the Sao Paulo state championship.
-- Tales Azzoni
Crespo costliest player in Indian football auction
KOLKATA, India (AP) — Former Argentina striker Hernan Crespo was the most expensive player in an auction on Monday for an inaugural Indian football league based on the successful IPL cricket tournament.
Crespo was bought for his base price of $840,000 by Barasat, one of the five city franchises which will play in the Premier League Soccer tournament to be held in the eastern state of West Bengal in March-April this year.
Italy's World Cup-winning captain, Fabio Cannavaro, was the next most expensive after costing Siliguri $830,000.
Former France midfielder player Robert Pires went to Howrah for $800,000, Nigerian playmaker Jay Jay Okocha to Durgapur for $550,000 and ex-England striker Robbie Fowler was taken by Kolkata for $530,000.
Apart from these five "icon" players which had to sign for different teams, other overseas footballers who were the objects of bids included Nigerian defender Robert Egbeta (Kolkata, $350,000) and midfielder Christian Lara of Ecuador (Barasat, $200,000).
All teams also received a foreign coach — Fernando Couto of Portugal (Howrah, $240,000), Samson Siasia of Nigeria (Durgapur, $210,000), Teitur Thordorson of Iceland (Barasat, $210,000), Peter Reid of England ($200,000) and Marco Etcheverry of Bolivia (Siliguri, $200,000).
Teams have a salary cap of $2.5 million.
The league is organized by a company called Celebrity Management Group and the Indian Football Association and is expected to boost the popularity of the sport by giving local players a chance to learn from top professionals and experienced coaches.
"The response has been fabulous considering this is a new idea," CMG executive director Bhaswar Goswami said. "We'll now have another auction on Feb. 2 for Indian players."
The tournament was originally planned to have six teams but the city franchise of Haldia failed to find any financial backers
Organizers also said they would announce new dates for the tournament, which was originally due to be held from Feb. 25 to April 8 but is now expected to begin in mid-March.
Indian football has been in the news lately despite its national team being ranked a lowly 158th by FIFA.
India qualified for the 2011 Asian Cup by winning a competition for second-tier nations and had also reached the second round of Asian qualifying for the 2014 World Cup before losing to the United Arab Emirates.
National body All India Football Federation, which runs its own competition called the I-League, has also managed to bring in some money to the game lately.
IMG-Reliance — a partnership between IMG Worldwide and Indian company Reliance Industries Ltd. — signed a 15-year deal in 2010 worth $140 million for all commercial rights to promote and market football in the India.
Foreign clubs like Manchester United, Liverpool and Bayern Munich have also been organizing activities and planning academies in the country in a bid to increase their fan base in this cricket-crazy country of 1.2 billion.
-- Manik Banerjee
Asian soccer urges sport's rule makers to OK hijab
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — The Asian Football Confederation has urged soccer's rule-making body to approve a headscarf with new safety features for use by Islamic female players.
AFC acting chief Zhang Jilong said in a statement Monday that a favorable decision when the International Football Association Board debates the issue on March 3 in London is crucial to the future of women's soccer worldwide.
"Many women footballers in Asia wear headscarves. I would like to request the IFAB to favorably consider FIFA's proposal and review the rule and allow women players to play wearing a safe headscarf that covers the neck," he said in a statement.
Though FIFA originally banned the hijab or headscarf in 2007 as a possible strangulation hazard, the executive committee of world soccer's governing body agreed in December to put forward a proposal to amend the rules. It was prompted by a presentation from AFC vice president Prince Ali Bin Hussein of Jordan, who called on the IFAB to sanction a Velcro-opening headscarf for players and officials.
FIFA's ban was condemned by Islamic leaders and Iran forfeited a 2012 Olympic women's qualifier against Jordan in June because the players refused to play without the hijabs.
Zhang, who also is also a member of FIFA's executive committee, said several new headscarf designs that ensure player safety were now available.
"I have personally seen the new designs with a Velcro joined at the neck, which releases if the headscarf is pulled, ensuring the player's safety," he said.
While FIFA is soccer's world governing body, the IFAB determines the rules of the game.
Coroner: Speed may have killed self accidentally
WARRINGTON, England (AP) — A coroner ruled Monday that Wales manager Gary Speed may have killed himself accidentally.
In an inquest at Warrington Coroner's Court, coroner Nicholas Rheinberg said Speed died of hanging but that there was insufficient evidence to prove that he had committed suicide. Speed's body was found by his wife on Nov. 27 at their home.
"The evidence does not sufficiently determine whether this was intentional or accidental," Rheinberg said, adding that Speed could have fallen asleep with the cable around his neck while sitting on stairs in his garage.
"It seems likely that Mr. Speed was sitting for some time with a ligature around his neck. It may have been that this was some sort of dramatic gesture, not normally in Mr. Speed's character, but nonetheless, a possibility."
Speed's widow, Louise, told the inquest Speed had sent a text to her just days before he died in which he mentioned suicide but that he also spoke positively and optimistically about the future and their two sons.
She said her husband's job as Wales manager placed stress upon him and their relationship but that they had been "working through" the issues.
The first man to play 500 games in the English Premier League and the youngest member of the midfield that carried Leeds to its most recent league title in 1992, Speed had overhauled Wales' ailing national team and coached a young squad to four wins in five matches before his death at 42.
Zimbabwe suspends 67 players after corruption case
HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — The Zimbabwe Football Association has suspended 67 players, including most of its national team, following a long-standing investigation into match-fixing.
A ZIFA probe last year led to a number of players admitting that they accepted money from an Asian betting syndicate to lose exhibition games on Far East trips from 2007-09.
The ZIFA report said the money was handed out by agents of Singaporean Wilson Raj Perumal, who is in jail in Finland for fixing activities in that country.
In a statement Monday, ZIFA chief executive Jonathan Mashingaidze said implicated players must not be included in the national team unless they are cleared by the organization's ethics committee.
Former Zimbabwe captain Method Mwanjali and top national team players Daniel Vheremu, Benjamin Marere and Thomas Sweswe made statements admitting taking money, along with a member of the coaching staff, Joey Antipas.
The list of players who featured in the matches includes several key members of the current squad: Nyasha Mushekwi, Khama Billiat and Ovidy Karuru.
The decision to suspend the players was made during an emergency board meeting to review Zimbabwe's failure to qualify for the African Cup of Nations, currently under way in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.
Last September, ZIFA suspended three of its board members, pending further investigation, for their alleged involvement.
Inter Milan signs Brazilian youngster Juan
MILAN (AP) — Inter Milan completed the signing of Brazilian youngster Juan from Internacional on Monday and reportedly also reached a deal for Colombia midfielder Fredy Guarin, as Serie A clubs strengthened their squads before the January transfer window closes.
A talented defender, Juan helped Brazil's under-20 team win the South America Youth Championship last year. Inter was considering loaning Juan to Novara until the end of the season, but has now decided to keep him in Milan.
The Nerazzurri also agreed a loan deal with Porto for Guarin for about €2 million ($2.6 million), according to the Gazzetta dello Sport. Including a full transfer at the end of the season, the total deal would reportedly cost €11 million ($14.4 million).
Meanwhile, Roma has signed Fluminense winger Marquinho on loan and former Juventus midfielder Ruben Olivera has become Fiorentina's fifth January signing after joining from Lecce.
Olivera, who has featured 11 times for Lecce this season, has reportedly signed a two-and-a-half year deal with the Tuscan club.
The Uruguayan was at Juventus from 2002 to 2010 but made just 39 appearances for the Serie A club and was shipped out on several loan spells.
Fiorentina has already signed Amauri, Guido Pizarro, Mounir El Hamdaoui and Kenneth Zohore this month. The transfer window closes at 7 p.m. local time (1800 GMT) on Tuesday.
Ukraine 'keeper Rybka gets two-year ban for doping
DONETSK, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine goalkeeper Oleksandr Rybka received a two-year doping ban Monday, ruling him out of the European Championship being co-hosted by his country.
Rybka, who plays for Shakhtar Donetsk, tested positive for a banned diuretic in November, one month after making his national team debut. His two-year ban was imposed by UEFA, and runs through Jan. 10, 2014.
"This suspension covers all types of matches, including domestic, international, friendly and official fixtures played under the UEFA jurisdiction," the European body said in a statement.
UEFA said it will ask FIFA to extend the suspension globally, preventing Rybka from playing in any of the other five soccer confederations. Shakhtar plans to appeal to UEFA on Rybka's behalf.
"In Shakhtar's view it is an extraordinarily harsh sentence, which does not fully correspond to the scale of the footballer's offense," the club said.
Ukraine, which is co-hosting the Euro 2012 tournament with Poland, will play France and England in Rybka's home stadium in June. The group also includes Sweden.
Germany coach Loew plays down Euro 2012 ambitions
MUNICH (AP) — Joachim Loew says Germany still has plenty of time to develop as he attempts to take the pressure off his young side going into the 2012 European Championship.
The Germany coach says his team is not under pressure to win the tournament in Poland and Ukraine and that he doesn't believe 2012 "is an all or nothing year" for the side.
Loew says players like Mario Goetze, Mesut Oezil, Toni Kroos and Mats Hummels can play at the World Cup in Qatar in 2022 and "even Bastian Schweinsteiger and Philipp Lahm could play at the 2014 or 2016 tournaments."
Three-time champion Germany faces 1988 winner Netherlands, Portugal and 1992 winner Denmark in Group B of the tournament which runs June 8-July 1.
Loew says holder Spain is the "clear favorite."
Cologne signs North Korea striker Jong Tae Se
COLOGNE, Germany (AP) — Cologne says its has signed North Korea striker Jong Tae Se from second-division side Bochum. The Bundesliga club did not disclose how much it paid for the 27-year-old forward or the length of the contract.
Jong, who is called Chong Tese in Germany, will step in for the injured Lukas Podolski who was ruled out for at least three weeks with a foot injury.
Podolski partially tore a tendon in his left foot during Saturday's 4-1 league defeat at home to Schalke. Sporting director Volker Finke says Jong fits Cologne's requirements "exactly."
Jong scored 14 goals and set up five more for Bochum since arriving from Japanese side Kawasaki Frontale in 2010. He played for North Korea at the 2010 World Cup.
Munich Olympic Stadium to host women's club final
NYON, Switzerland (AP) — UEFA says the women's Champions League final will be played at the 70,000-capacity Olympic Stadium in Munich on May 17. The match is scheduled two days before Bayern Munich's Allianz Arena stages the men's Champions League final.
Last year, Fulham's 25,000-capacity Craven Cottage stadium in London staged the women's European final. A crowd of 14,303 saw Lyon beat Turbine Pottsdam 2-0.
UEFA has named German great Steffi Jones, who headed the 2011 Women's World Cup organizing committee, as ambassador for the match.
The Olympic Stadium was built for the 1972 Summer Games. It has staged three European Cup or Champions League finals, plus the 1974 World Cup final and 1988 European Championship final.
Slovak soccer coach Weiss loses job
BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (AP) — The Slovak soccer federation says the contract of national team coach Vladimir Weiss has been terminated by mutual agreement.
The federation says that the 47-year-old Weiss, who took charge in June 2008, will leave Tuesday. His contract was due to expire in 2014. No explanation was given Monday for the decision that came after the team failed to qualify for the 2012 European Championship.
Under Weiss, Slovakia won its qualifying group to advance to a major tournament — the 2010 World Cup — for the first time. In South Africa, Slovakia upset defending champion Italy 3-2 in its last group match and advanced to the second round.
It is not immediately clear who will replace Weiss.
Portsmouth bank accounts frozen over unpaid tax
PORTSMOUTH, England (AP) — Portsmouth says the second-tier club's bank accounts have been frozen after the British tax authorities moved to recover unpaid tax.
The authorities are owed 1.6 million pounds ($2.5 million) according to the Championship club's administrator, and have asked for a winding up order — which will be heard in court on Feb. 20.
Portsmouth says on its website that "the club's bank accounts have been frozen, which is the normal process in these circumstances."
It also says it has applied to the court to have its bank accounts unfrozen "so that staff wages and suppliers can be paid." The club expects to be able to use its account again "by the end of the week."
Dortmund coach Klopp extends contract
DORTMUND, Germany (AP) — Borussia Dortmund says it has extended the contracts of coach Juergen Klopp and sporting director Michael Zorc. The defending Bundesliga champion says in a statement that both have agreed deals with the club until June 2016.
Dortmund president Hans-Joachim Watzke says "we're delighted that we could extend the contracts with both of them so early. Both have accomplished outstanding work in the last years."
Former Dortmund player Zorc has been sporting director since 2005. The 44-year-old Klopp, who took over in 2008, led Dortmund to its seventh league title in his 100th game in charge last season. Klopp says "I'm lucky to be able to work at a magnificent club."
Roberto Carlos says he will retire this year
SAO PAULO (AP) — Former Brazil left back Roberto Carlos says he will retire from football by the end of the year. The 38-year-old Roberto Carlos has a contract with Russian club Anzhi until 2013 but said he will stop playing either in June or in December of 2012.
He told Brazil's GloboEsporte.com on Monday that he intends to continue "helping" the Russian club off the field after retiring.
Roberto Carlos played for Brazil until the 2006 World Cup. He helped the national team win the 2002 tournament in South Korea and Japan. He also was a starter when Brazil was runner-up in 1998. He thrived with Real Madrid from 1996 until 2007 and also played for Inter Milan and Fenerbahce.
Argentine midfielder Gonzalez to join Porto
PARIS (AP) — Marseille says it reached an agreement with Porto on Monday to transfer Argentine midfielder Lucho Gonzalez back to his Portuguese former club.
Gonzalez, who played for Porto from 2005 to 2009 before joining Marseille, was instrumental as the southern club won the French league and League Cup in 2010. However, his form has dipped this season, with only two goals scored and no assists in 19 league matches.
Marseille says the move was part of a strategy to trim payroll as Gonzalez earns €400,000 ($525,000) a month. Gonzalez had already expressed his desire for a transfer last year after he and his family were victims of an armed robbery in his house.
Reports: Maradona on short list to coach UAE
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Diego Maradona is reportedly among the candidates to take over as coach of the United Arab Emirates national team.
Yousuf Al Serkal, chairman of the UAE's Football Association interim committee, was quoted Monday in the local media as saying the Argentine great is on a short list that contains at least three names. A decision is expected before the UAE's league season wraps up in May.
Last month, Maradona said would accept the job "with pleasure." He has coached Dubai-based Al Wasl since last year. The UAE has had a caretaker coach since Srecko Katanec of Slovenia was fired after a 3-1 loss to Lebanon in September.
D'Alessandro to stay at Inter despite China offer
SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazilian club Internacional says it has reached a deal to keep Argentine playmaker Andres D'Alessandro despite a good offer for him to play in China. Internacional says it raised D'Alessandro's salary and over the weekend convinced him to stay in Brazil.
D'Alessandro said on the team's website that he was "happy" with the outcome of the negotiations and that he was "proud to be able to stay with the club."
The 30-year-old midfielder has been playing with Internacional since 2008. He previously played for Wolfsburg, Portsmouth and Zaragoza, as well as for the Argentine national team. Details on the Chinese offer were not immediately available.
FIFA delays match-fixing whistleblowers' hotline
ZURICH (AP) — FIFA says a whistleblowers' hotline to help fight match-fixing won't now open as planned on Wednesday. FIFA has cited "administrative issues" for the delay, and didn't set a new date to launch the anti-corruption initiative.
FIFA insists it "remains committed to implementing this measure as soon as possible."
The hotline was to be run independently by an outside organization and operate throughout 2012. FIFA is offering a plea-bargaining amnesty for just three months to players, coaches, referees and officials who report their own involvement or connections to fixing scams.
Espanyol signs Inter Milan's Coutinho on loan
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Espanyol has signed Brazilian midfielder Philippe Coutinho on loan from Inter Milan for the remainder of the Spanish league season. The 19-year-old Coutinho says the move will help him gain playing time in preparation for the London Olympics this summer.
Coutinho's signing gives Espanyol an attack-minded player to fill in for injured striker Alvaro Vazquez and midfielder Segio Garcia.
Espanyol, which is tied for fourth in the table, also signed Nigerian striker Kalu Uche from Swiss club Neuchatel to a deal that keeps him at the club until the end of the 2012-13 season.
Greece's lower league players announce strike
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Players in Greece's second and third-tier leagues say they will strike starting Wednesday to protest a lack of insurance coverage for them and their dependents.
A previous coverage deal expired on Dec. 31 and since then the league has been negotiating each week and covering only the players — and then only during games.
In a statement Monday, the players say this arrangement is inadequate. They warn that they will not play Wednesday's game and strike until their demand for continuous coverage for them and their dependents is met.
QPR signs Mali midfielder Diakite on loan
LONDON (AP) — Queens Park Rangers has signed midfielder Samba Diakite on loan for the rest of the season from Nancy, with the Mali international set to join the Premier League club after the African Cup of Nations. The 23-year-old Diakite left the tournament for a medical in London on Sunday before returning to Gabon the same day.
QPR has an option to sign the player permanently at the end of the season. QPR manager Mark Hughes says Diakite "is a good age, has got strength, power, can carry the ball and can score goals from midfield."
Novara fires coach Tesser, 12th Serie A change
MILAN (AP) — In the 12th coaching change in the Italian Serie A since August, Novara has fired Attilio Tesser and replaced him with Emiliano Mondonico.
Mondonico has not coached in the top division since being fired by Fiorentina seven years ago. He quit as coach of Serie B Albinoleffe in the offseason to focus on battling cancer.
Tesser had been at Novara since 2009 and took the team to back-to-back promotions. Novara (2-12-6) is last in the 20-team Serie A. The move was announced Monday.
Juventus striker Luca Toni signs for Al-Nasr
MILAN (AP) — Juventus says World Cup-winner Luca Toni has signed for United Arab Emirates side Al-Nasr. Toni moved to Juventus a year ago but has made only 15 appearances in all competitions for the Serie A team, scoring two goals.
The former Palermo and Fiorentina striker played just once for Antonio Conte's side this campaign. Toni won the World Cup with Italy in 2006. He also won the Bundesliga and German Cup double with Bayern Munich in 2008.
Bomb damages Panathinaikos fan club in Greece
PATRAS, Greece (AP) — Police say an improvised explosive device has exploded outside a fan club for Greek soccer team Panathinaikos, causing extensive damage but no injuries.
A police statement Monday said the pre-dawn explosion in the southern city of Patras smashed windows in surrounding homes and shops and severely damaged five parked cars. Police are investigating the possible involvement of rival fans. Panathinaikos currently leads the Greek league.
