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Soccer Capsules: Mexican soccer clubs ban major sports tabloid
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Nearly all of Mexico's first-division soccer clubs and the Mexico Football Federation have agreed to ban access to one of the country's most important sports newspapers.
An announcement posted on the website of the Mexican federation Saturday said the football clubs acted in solidarity with the Chivas team of Guadalajara, whose owner has often denounced coverage by the tabloid Record.
A Chivas statement accused the paper of "a campaign of hate and abuses." It said all 18 clubs agreed to ban the paper's representatives from their stadiums and other facilities.
But two of the league's top clubs distanced themselves from the announcement. Cruz Azul said it was not yet enforcing the ban, and later in the day the UNAM Pumas team announced it would not go along with the ban at all.
Chivas and Record have had a running battles about coverage. The dispute has intensified recently with poor play by Chivas, which failed to win any of its first six games in the current tournament.
Chivas spokeswoman Eugenia Valdez told the AP that the club had no comment. Alejandro Gomez, sports director of Grupo Editorial Notimusa, which publishes Record, told the AP he did not plan legal action to overturn the decision, but said the newspaper would continue to cover football.
"This is dangerous," Gomez said. "Today it was us, but tomorrow any club that is unhappy with coverage of its team can ask for the same thing and the rest will have to go along. It's a shame because Mexican football needs to improve and polish its image instead of taking measures like this."
In a column published Saturday, Gomez called the action "simple, retrograde and inefficient" and denied publishing personal material about Fuentes or other football league officials.
Cruz Azul, a team based in Mexico City, said it would allow the Record access this weekend.
"Since we have not received an official notice yet, we're going to continue as things were," said Manuel Velazquez, spokesman for the club Cruz Azul.
The Pumas team, a Mexico City club associated with Mexico's biggest university, the National Autonomous University of Mexico, known as UNAM, said it would not hinder Record journalists.
"The professional football team of the UNAM has never contemplated the possibility of restricting in any manner the exercise of the freedom of expression," the team said in a statement.
Chivas is one of Mexico's most popular clubs and Record has blamed the team's recent abysmal play on owner Jorge Vergara and his wife Angelica Fuentes, who serves as executive president of the team. It has suggested they have failed to invest in player talent. Vergara said the coverage had prompted death threats against him. Vergara owns the Omnilife company, which sells health supplements throughout the Americas and in Spain.
Four of the teams in the league are owned by large media corporations that cover sports. Televisa controls Club America and San Luis. Grupo Azteca or its subsidiaries have majority control of Morelia and Jaguares. Televisa also owns Aztec Stadium, home to Club America and Mexico's national team.
League Capsules
Arsenal out, Chelsea stumbles to draw in FA Cup
LONDON (AP) — Arsenal and Chelsea watched their seasons get even worse Saturday, when the Gunners were knocked out of the FA Cup 2-0 by Sunderland and the Blues were held to a disappointing 1-1 home draw by second-tier Birmingham.
The London rivals are out of contention for the Premier League and are struggling to maintain a place in the top four of the English championship, so success in football's oldest knockout competition was more important than usual this season.
But Arsenal is just about certain to go without a trophy of any kind for a seventh straight season after Kieran Richardson's volley and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's own-goal.
Chelsea will replay at Birmingham but coach Andre Villas-Boas is still under huge pressure after his team was jeered by fans at Stamford Bridge.
Villas-Boas acknowledged this week that he had lost the support of some players after the west London club slipped to fifth in the Premier League and his team needed a 62nd-minute equalizer from Daniel Sturridge to avoid a humiliating defeat.
"It was a quite poor result of course," Villas-Boas said. "1-1 is not what we were expecting but it gives us another chance at Birmingham to continue trying to win the trophy.
"The aggression was there and the desire and ambition, but I think Birmingham matched us today in that sense."
Birmingham lost captain Stephen Carr to a 12th-minute injury but took the lead eight minutes later when David Luiz and Branislav Ivanovic failed to clear a corner kick, giving David Murphy the chance to smash the ball into the net from close range.
It was only the fourth goal Chelsea conceded in 12 FA Cup matches — a streak that includes the 2009 and '10 titles.
Chelsea missed the chance to level the scores when Birmingham goalkeeper Colin Doyle saved Juan Mata's 22nd-minute penalty, awarded when Wade Elliott fouled Ramires, and the team was jeered off at the interval.
There were some cheers when Villas-Boas replaced the struggling Fernando Torres with Didier Drogba at halftime and even more when Sturridge headed in Ivanovic's cross, but the jeers returned when the coach hauled off Mata to bring on Frank Lampard late on.
At least Chelsea will get another chance in the replay.
Having lost the first leg of its Champions League knockout match 4-0 at AC Milan this week, Arsenal is out of contention for all honors unless it can summon a most unlikely European comeback.
Ahead of Chelsea in the Premier League only on goals scored, Arsenal is 17 points behind leader Manchester City and was comprehensively beaten by Sunderland on Saturday.
Arsenal failed to properly clear Sebastian Larsson's 40th-minute free kick and Richardson volleyed in. Larsson then hit the post with 12 minutes left, with the rebound hitting Oxlade-Chamberlain and rolling over the line.
Thierry Henry — who scored the winning goal in last week's 2-1 Premier League win against the same opponent — ended his loan spell from the New York Red Bulls on Thursday and coach Arsene Wenger made five changes to the team beaten in Italy to no avail.
Also Saturday, second-tier Leicester eliminated Norwich with a 2-1 win at the Premier League club's ground, Everton beat Blackpool 2-0 and Bolton won 2-0 at Millwall.
One-time England striker David Nugent scored a 71st-minute winner to give Leicester victory.
Sean St. Ledger had put Leicester ahead in the fifth minute and captain Wes Hoolahan only scored Norwich's single goal when he equalized from a rebound after goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, the son of former Manchester United great Peter Schmeichel, saved his penalty.
Everton was without Landon Donovan, who missed the final game of his loan from the Los Angeles Galaxy because of the 'flu, but led Blackpool 2-0 after just six minutes through goals by Royston Drenthe and Denis Stracqualursi.
Japanese winger Ryo Miyaichi and French striker David Ngog scored for Bolton.
There are three more FA Cup games to follow Sunday, including eight-time winner Tottenham at third-tier side Stevenage.
-- Stuart Condie
Real Madrid piles pressure on Barca with easy win
MADRID (AP) — Spanish leader Real Madrid piled the pressure on Barcelona by taking a provisional 13-point lead over its rival with a 4-0 victory over Racing Santander on Saturday.
Cristiano Ronaldo headed home his league-leading 28th goal after six minutes and the hosts played against 10 men from the 39th when Domingo Cisma was red-carded for handling for a second time.
Karim Benzema scored a goal either side of the break while Angel di Maria marked his first appearance of 2012 with an impressive 73rd-minute strike as Madrid prepared for Tuesday's Champions League last-16 match at CSKA Moscow with its 18th win in 19 league games, which includes eight straight victories.
"We won easily, we won without much shine or too much effort, but we won well," Madrid coach Jose Mourinho said. "We won without having to suffer, which is the most positive aspect."
Three-time defending champion Barcelona will need to beat Valencia on Sunday at the Camp Nou to remain within 10 points of its biggest rival.
As encouraging as Di Maria's and Sami Khedira's returns from injuries ahead of the CSKA match were, Di Maria and Ronaldo both limped off after the final whistle. Di Maria appeared to hurt the same right thigh muscle that had sidelined him since December at the close, while Ronaldo's ankle bothered him.
Madrid was keen to end a recent run of conceding the opener at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium as it charged out of the start buoyed by the return of Kaka and Marcelo to the starting lineup, while Raphael Varane made a rare start at centerback to shift Sergio Ramos wide. Di Maria and Khedira both got minutes as second-half substitutes while Gonzalo Higuain watched from the bench as Mourinho looked to save the Argentina striker for Moscow.
"It's important to have as many players as possible available now that we're entering a period when we'll play games every three days," Mourinho said.
Ronaldo watched a header come off the post before scoring after Kaka's initial cross rebounded back to the Brazilian to head to the wide-open Ronaldo inside the box. Madrid has won all 30 games in which Kaka has scored or assisted on a goal and the Brazilian playmaker was active throughout.
Antonio Rodriguez continued to be Santander's standout player as the Spanish 'keeper saved from Benzema and Marcelo before Cisma's hands got in the way of Ronaldo's cross to leave Santander with little hope as Madrid was already dominating.
Benzema patiently ran on to Alonso's threaded free kick before looping over Rodriguez, with either Ramos or Bernardo Espinosa likely helping the ball over the line for a 2-0 lead before the break. Madrid's defense was sturdy and allowed few chances to its 18th-place opponents.
Di Maria scored within 10 minutes of going on as the Argentina international carried across the face of the area before curling a tricky shot that touched Rodriguez's fingertips on its course into goal.
Benzema capped the rout with his 13th league goal in the 89th as the France striker's rising shot touched a Santander defender before finishing in the top corner.
"Every game we want to play like this and prepare like this for the Champions League," said Benzema, who gave Madrid 79 goals through 23 games as it chases the record of 109 in a season.
Also, Getafe striker Nicolas "Miku" Fedor won and scored a late penalty to salvage a 1-1 draw against Espanyol, and Sevilla ended an eight-game winless slide with a 2-0 win over Osasuna.
Fedor stepped up to slot home the spot kick in the 70th minute after he was fouled by Espanyol's Thievy Boufama inside the area.
Espanyol had gone ahead only four minutes earlier through Alvaro Vazquez, who was returning from injury. The visitors played with 10 men from the 81st when Ernesto Galan was sent off for a second yellow card.
Espanyol moved into provisional fourth place with the point, one point above Levante. Valencia was eight points back of Barcelona in third.
Sevilla moved within four points of Espanyol with a much-needed victory that also provided new coach Michel with his first win in his second game in charge.
Gary Medel's 16th-minute goal proved enough in a match dominated by the hosts, who were saved by Andres Palop in the 78th as the Sevilla goalkeeper stretched to his left to keep substitute Roland Lamah's shot from inside the area out. Sevilla sealed the victory in stoppage time as Jesus Navas fed substitute Piotr Trochowski to score on the counter with Osasuna pressing for an equalizer.
In other 23rd-round games, it's: Levante vs. Rayo Vallecano; Granada vs. Real Sociedad; Athletic Bilbao vs. Malaga; Sporting Gijon vs. Atletico Madrid; Mallorca vs. Villarreal; and Zaragoza vs. Real Betis.
Juventus top after beating 10-man Catania 3-1
MILAN (AP) — Unbeaten Juventus moved back to provisional top of the Serie A after coming from behind to beat 10-man Catania 3-1 in an entertaining match on Saturday.
Catania got off to the perfect start when Pablo Barrientos gave it a surprise lead with less than four minutes on the clock. Andrea Pirlo leveled with a free kick in the 22nd minute, for his first goal since joining from Milan in the summer.
Juventus was the only team still unbeaten in Serie A, and visiting Catania's chances diminished when Marco Motta, who arrived on loan from Juventus in January, received a second yellow and was sent off. Giorgio Chiellini put Juve in front in the 74th and Fabio Quagliarella sealed the result 10 minutes from time.
Juventus was two points clear of AC Milan, having now played the same amount of games as the defending champion. Milan visits struggling Cesena on Sunday, before hosting Juventus in a mouthwatering clash next weekend.
"We've never gone behind at home, but we were mature and did well to play with a focused game, giving the best response to the fans and showing that this is a strong team," Juventus coach Antonio Conte said. "We are a great group and you could see that in the celebrations as well.
"We knew that we were playing a strong and motivated team in Catania, which showed its strengths tonight. It has very interesting players and that shows the club is doing really good work."
Catania gave Juventus an early warning with a long-range effort from Sergio Almiron which Gianluigi Buffon did well to parry to safety.
Buffon could do nothing seconds later when Barrrientos turned his marker before curling a well-directed shot past the Juventus goalkeeper's outstretched hand.
Juventus came close to equalizing in the 16th. Paolo De Ceglie put a great cross into the area and Marco Borriello connected powerfully but his header was straight at Catania keeper Tomas Kosicky.
Borriello went closer two minutes later with another header which the Catania defense scrambled clear.
Juventus finally drew level when Pirlo drilled a 25-yard free kick into the bottom right corner past a static Kosicky.
It almost took the lead on the half-hour when Quagliarella sent an effort crashing off the crossbar. Moments later, Gonzalo Bergessio did the same at the other end.
Juve had another good opportunity shortly before halftime when Kosicky spilled Pirlo's shot into the path of Quagliarella, but his effort flew into the sidenetting from a tight angle.
Pirlo almost doubled his tally four minutes after the break with another free kick which skimmed the top of the crossbar.
Juventus was looking the more dangerous and Catania all but sealed its fate when Motta was sent off in the 65th. It did, however, have its best chance of the second half seconds later when Buffon was forced into a great save to deny Almiron.
The home side went in front when Kosicky flapped at a free kick, allowing Chiellini to head into an empty net.
Another Kosicky mistake handed Juventus its third goal. The Slovak goalkeeper's clearance fell straight to the ever-dangerous Pirlo and he picked out Quagliarella, who raced towards goal before unleashing a shot which bounced off Kosicky's leg and into the back of the net.
-- Daniella Matar
Both Borussias win, Dortmund remains top
FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Borussia Dortmund won 1-0 at Hertha Berlin to remain unbeaten in a club-record 16 games and on top of the Bundesliga on Saturday, as Bayern Munich fell to third place with a 0-0 draw at last-place Freiburg.
Kevin Grosskreutz scored in the 66th minute for the defending champion, which lost to Hertha at home in the first half of the season, but has now won six straight.
"I don't care if it wasn't pretty, the main thing is we won," Grosskreutz said.
Borussia Moenchengladbach also won on the road, beating Kaiserslautern 2-1 to move past Bayern. Dortmund leads Moenchengladbach by three points, and Bayern by four on the table.
Werder Bremen won 3-1 in the northern derby at Hamburger SV, Nuremberg edged Cologne 2-1 and Bayer Leverkusen beat Augsburg 4-1.
It took Bayern 43 minutes to create its first chance but it was an exceptional one. Franck Ribery crossed from the left to the far post and Thomas Mueller fired a volley that was parried by Freiburg goalkeeper Oliver Baumann.
Arjen Robben came in at the start of the second half and had a good effort less than three minutes later, but Baumann dived to his right to save.
Franck Ribery then got a yellow card for a dive inside the penalty box. Less than a minute later, Robben had a penalty claim denied.
Bayern keeper Manuel Neuer had to make a diving save to deny Daniel Caligiuri in the 84th as the home side got close several times.
In Berlin's Olympic Stadium, Dortmund had to play without injured Japan midfielder Shinji Kagawa and was made to work hard against a team that was winless in 11 games and playing its 1,000th Bundesliga match.
Shortly before kickoff, Hertha Berlin manager Michael Preetz confirmed that veteran coach Otto Rehhagel was poised to join the struggling side.
Preetz said the 73-year-old Rehhagel was expected to take over next week. Hertha fired Michael Skibbe a week ago after just five games in charge, all defeats.
Rehhagel "has promised to help us" and will work together with interim coaches Rene Tretschok and Ante Covic until the end of the season, Preetz said. Hertha was two points away from the relegation zone.
Rehhagel led Greece to the European Championship title in 2004, and also coached Bayern Munich, Kaiserslautern and Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga.
He hasn't worked since resigning as Greece coach in 2010. His last stint in the Bundesliga ended in 2000 with Kaiserslautern, which he sensationally coached to the title in 1998 having led the side to promotion the year before.
Striker Lucas Barrios started in Kagawa's place, with Robert Lewandowski playing a more midfield role.
Dortmund's midfield labored without Kagawa, but Lewandowski played a part in creating Dortmund's goal.
He connected with a cross from Jakub Blaszczykowski, Hertha goalie Thomas Kraft parried his header but Grosskreutz reacted with an overhead volley into the roof of the net.
"It was a hard-earned win," Dortmund keeper Roman Weidenfeller said. "We had a couple of chances in the first half but it was close and we showed good morale."
Moenchengladbach won for the first time since 1995 in Kaiserslautern, getting early goals from Patrick Herrmann and Juan Arango.
Herrmann finished a counterattack in the ninth off a pass from Igor de Camargo and Arango scored a spectacular goal five minutes later, after Pirre de Wit hit the crossbar of Moenchengladbach's goal.
Marco Reus sent a perfectly timed pass behind three Kaiserslautern defenders and Arango scored with a first-touch shot with the outside of his left foot.
Leon Jessen also scored a fine goal in the 63rd to cut Kaiserslautern's deficit but the home side could not find the equalizer.
Herrmann was carried off the field in the first half and the club later said one of its top players had suffered a broken collarbone.
"It was very, very difficult but it was an important win," Moenchengladbach coach Lucien Favre said.
Bremen snapped a four-game run of draws by winning the highly charged match in Hamburg.
Marko Marin opened the scoring in the ninth and Tom Trybull headed in off a corner with the last shot of the first half to double the lead.
A deflected free kick from Mladen Petric put Hamburg back into the match but Marko Arnautovic secured Bremen's win in the 86th. Heiko Westermann and Slobodan Rajkovic failed to agree on who would clear a long kick from keeper Tom Wiese and Arnautovic took advantage of their confusion to collect the ball and score from close range.
-- Nesha Starcevic
Lille beats Lorient 1-0 in French league
PARIS (AP) — Defending champion Lille made up ground in the title race and consolidated third place by edging Lorient 1-0 in the French league on Saturday.
Fullback Mathieu Debuchy scored the winning goal by flicking home a cross from Benoit Pedretti in the 76th minute.
"We're still in the running," Pedretti told Canal Plus television. "Everybody had written us off a bit quickly."
Lille trails leader Paris Saint-Germain by eight points. PSG hosts second-place Montpellier on Sunday with the top spot at stake.
Meanwhile, Marseille extended its unbeaten run in all competitions to 15 games but lost ground in the chase for a Champions League spot by drawing 1-1 with Valenciennes.
Marseille midfielder Alou Diarra headed home a cross from Rod Fanni in the 16th, but Brazilian centerback Gil fired under the bar from close range following a goalmouth scramble to level in the 51st.
"We lost two points tonight," Marseille coach Didier Deschamps said. "We did some good things today but we missed the essential, that is, efficiency."
Marseille forward Brandao came close to scoring the winner in the 89th but his header struck the post.
Also, it was: Nancy 0, Toulouse 3; Ajaccio 0, Brest 0; Caen 2, Evian 2; Dijon 3, Nice 0; Sochaux 0, Auxerre 0.
Toulouse midfielder Francois Sirieix opened the scoring with a long-range drive in the ninth minute. Adrien Regattin added a second goal with a strike into the top corner that deflected off Nancy midfielder Salif Sane in the 20th.
Emmanuel Riviere sealed the win by converting a rebound in the 72nd after Nancy goalkeeper Guy Ndy Assembe had denied Regattin.
Brest goalkeeper Steeve Elana salvaged a draw by stopping a penalty from Ajaccio striker Eduardo in the 82nd after Benoit Lesoimier had handled the ball.
In Caen, the hosts were denied victory by a late goal from Evian winger Sidney Govou.
Pierre-Alain Frau put Caen ahead by converting a penalty on the stroke of halftime after Evian fullback Guillaume Rippert had fouled him.
Evian leveled in the 50th with a free kick from midfielder Cedric Barbosa.
Caen forward Livio Nabab then beat goalkeeper Stephan Andersen in the 57th to give Caen a 2-1 lead. But the Caen defense poorly cleared a corner in the fourth minute of stoppage time and Govou volleyed home the equalizer.
In Dijon, striker Brice Jovial set up Gael Kakuta for the opening goal in the 44th. Jovial then took a pass from Kakuta in the 53rd to double the lead with a chip and raise his tally to nine goals this season. Midfielder Koro Kone made it 3-0 with a lob in the 87th.
On Sunday, Lyon visits Bordeaux and Saint-Etiennes hosts Rennes.
-- Trung Latieule
Ronaldinho, Vagner Love score in Flamengo victory
SAO PAULO (AP) — Ronaldinho and Vagner Love scored in the second half to help Flamengo come from behind to defeat Resende 3-1 on Saturday and reach the semifinals of the Guanabara Cup, the first stage of the Rio championship.
Vasco da Gama, Botafogo and Fluminense also advanced to the semifinals.
In the Sao Paulo state tournament, Argentine striker Hernan Barcos scored again for leader Palmeiras, while Corinthians won in the return of former Brazil striker Adriano.
Flamengo went a goal down when Marcelo Regis scored for Resende in the 47th minute in Volta Redonda, but Ronaldinho and former CSKA Moscow striker Vagner Love put Brazil's most popular club back in the game just 10 minutes later by scoring five minutes apart.
Ronaldinho equalized with a header in the 57th and recently signed foward Vagner Love scored the go-ahead goal from close range in the 62nd. Striker Negueba sealed the victory in the 72nd.
The result set a semifinal against Vasco da Gama, which defeated Boavista 1-0 to win its seventh match in a row to start the season.
Also, Argentine striker German Herrera scored in the first half to lead Botafogo to a 3-0 victory at Macae. Botafogo will play the other semifinal against Fluminense, which routed Bangu 3-0 and advanced thanks to Vasco's victory. A draw by the rival would have eliminated Fluminense regardless of its victory.
The Guanabara Cup winner will play for the Rio state title against the Rio Cup champion later in the tournament.
The Brazilian football season does not follow the European calendar and starts in the beginning of the year. Regional championships in the 26 states take place in the first few months, with the Brazilian league running from May until December.
In the Sao Paulo state championship, leader Palmeiras defeated Guaratingueta 3-2 on Friday behind a penalty-kick goal by Barcos, one of the team's top acquisitions for the season. It was his second goal in three matches.
The away victory kept Luiz Felipe Scolari's side unbeaten in the regional championship and atop the 20-team standings.
Corinthians defeated Sao Caetano 1-0 in Sao Caetano do Sul to level with Palmeiras on points, but behind on goal difference. Striker Willian scored the winner in the 63rd.
Most of Corinthians' starters were rested for the Copa Libertadores, but the match marked Adriano's first match with Corinthians this year. Last week the striker was ordered to stay at the team's hotel to lose weight.
On Thursday, striker Willian Jose scored all the goals in Sao Paulo's 3-1 win over Paulista. The Brazil youth player was sent off later in the match.
Most championships had their matches played on Friday and Saturday because of Carnival celebrations.
-- Tales Azzoni
Panathinaikos beats Ergotelis 2-0 in Greek league
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Simao and Haris Mavrias scored their debut goals in the Greek league early in the second half to give leader Panathinaikos a 2-0 victory over host Ergotelis on Saturday.
Simao opened the scoring in the 55th minute and Mavrias followed up four minutes later. The win left Panathinaikos five points ahead of archrival and defending champion Olympiakos, which plays Panionios at home Sunday.
Also Sunday, it's Panaitolikos vs. Levadiakos, Giannena vs. Atromitos, Kerkyra vs. Drama and PAOK vs. Aris.
The AEK vs. OFI match was postponed for the second time. It was to have taken place Saturday, behind closed doors, because debt-ridden AEK owes back taxes and could not legally issue tickets. General Secretary for Sports Panos Bitsaxis postponed that game indefinitely, acting on police intelligence that AEK's hard-core fans, many of whom are violent anarchists, would show up and make trouble.
The league, which is at loggerheads with the government over a new sports law introducing heavier penalties for crowd trouble, had rescheduled the match for Sunday afternoon but Bitsaxis intervened again on Saturday to postpone it indefinitely.
In the other game Saturday, Asteras scored an upset 1-0 victory over host Xanthi.
In Iraklio, Crete, Ergotelis went on the attack in the early going down the left flank but Panathinaikos' defense easily saw off the threat.
The visitors played better after the 25th minute, repeatedly forcing Ergotelis' midfielders to give the ball away. The half's only scoring chance came in the 31st, when Toche released Lazaros Christodoulopoulos with a backheel kick but the subsequent shot was just wide of the left post.
Panathinaikos continued to dominate in the second half and should have scored in the 53rd when, after a quick exchange of passes, Vitolo found Cleyton unmarked near the penalty spot. However, Cleyton's shot was too weak and was easily handled by goalkeeper Soren Pirson.
Two minutes later, Simao rose to head Cleyton's corner into the net. The Mozambique player scored his debut league goal in his 109th game with Panathinaikos, which he joined in 2007.
Four minutes later, Christodoulopoulos unleashed a powerful shot from outside the area that Pirson could not control and 17-year-old Mavrias pounced to get the rebound and score from close range.
Rangers' troubles deepen with SPL defeat to Killie
GLASGOW, Scotland (AP) — Rangers' troubles deepened with a 1-0 Scottish Premier League defeat against Kilmarnock and the loss of its unbeaten home record on Saturday.
Four days after the 140-year-old Glasgow club was deducted 10 points for seeking bankruptcy protection, Rangers lost to a 12th-minute goal to Dean Shiels.
Defender Sasa Papac was sent off as the defending champions' first loss in 14 matches at Ibrox also ended a run of eight straight home wins over Kilmarnock.
Rangers was left 14 points behind leader Celtic, which is at Hibernian on Sunday. The 54-time Scottish champions have almost no chance of successfully defending their title.
Third-place Motherwell beat Hearts 3-0, Dundee United drew 0-0 with St. Mirren and Inverness drew 1-1 at Dunfermline.
Elsewhere
Boca unbeaten in 32 games, but coach on ropes
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Coach Julio Cesar Falcioni is undefeated in 32 matches with Boca Juniors and fresh from winning the Argentine league title in December.
Boca also is among the favorites to take the Copa Libertadores, which it won four times between 2000 and 2007. In short, the club that helped made Maradona famous is back on top and Falcioni is the toast of the Argentine capital.
Uhhh, not quite. Falcioni is teetering on the edge of being fired — or being forced to resign — after a locker room run-in with team captain Juan Roman Riquelme this week following a scoreless draw at Venezuela club Zamora in the Copa Libertadores. The saga has been running ever since and the next chapter comes Sunday when Boca plays a league game at Union Santa Fe.
Falcioni has brought a defensive, cautious style to Boca, whose rabid fans view the club as South America's version of Barcelona or Real Madrid — with one-tenth the payroll and little of the glitz.
Falcioni also has returned stability. When he was hired in December 2010, he was Boca's fifth coach in a year, following Claudio Borghi, Alfio Basile, Abel Alves and Roberto Pompei.
"Boca is solid," said club forward Santiago Silva, who joined recently from Italian club Fiorentina. "I like how the team plays. You can't question a team that has gone 30 matches without losing."
At Boca Juniors, the fans can — and do. It's reminiscent of when Vicente Del Bosque coached Real Madrid to two league titles and two Champions League titles in four years, and then left in 2003 when Real Madrid refused to renew his contract.
The dressing room confrontation in Venezuela seems to have undermined Falcioni, opening an avenue for players who were unhappy with his game tactics to complain. Riquelme, a favorite of Boca fans, is widely reported to have a frosty relationship with Falcioni. An artistic but temperamental midfielder, Riquelme has had his own problems getting along with teammates, including retired Boca forward Martin Palermo.
According to various versions, Falcioni became upset in Venezuela when he sensed that forward Dario Cvitanich was not following his directives, but rather the on-pitch directions of Riquelme.
Angry at Riquelme, Falcioni reportedly told him after the match: "When you're a coach, your team can play the way you want. But here I make the decisions."
In the two days following, Falcioni offered to step aside, then apologized to the team and personally to Riquelme, Cvitanich and several other key players.
"Falcioni asks for forgiveness and now the wait to see if calm returns," Argentina newspaper Clarin said in a Friday headline.
Club president Daniel Angelici termed it just "a misunderstanding," though sports talk shows in Argentina say it goes much deeper, with many fans suggesting Falcioni could be gone in days.
"It will not be easy to get out of this," club vice president Juan Carlos Crespi said in an interview. "But with the goodwill of everyone, it can be overcome."
Maybe only as long as Boca keeps winning.
-- Stephen Wade
Ex-China deputy soccer chief jailed for graft
BEIJING (AP) — The former deputy head of China's soccer association was sentenced Saturday to 10½ years in prison as part of a crackdown on corruption and match-fixing.
Yang Yimin, convicted of taking $200,000 in bribes, was one of 39 people sentenced in a single session by the court in the northeastern city of Tieling, the official Xinhua News Agency said.
Others receiving sentences included former head of the referees' committee Zhang Jianqiang, who received a 12-year sentence for taking bribes totaling $433,000, and the former presidents or head coaches of five clubs in the Chinese league. The club officials received sentences up to eight years for bribery, gambling, and other offenses related to fixing matches.
Others were given sentences of up to 5½ years for crimes including giving and taking bribes, embezzlement, holding people against their will, and disrupting public services.
The club Qingdao Hailifeng was fined $318,000 for bribery, while Chengdu Blades — a team owned by English League One side Sheffield United — was fined $9,525 on the same charge.
On Thursday, the same court sentenced referee Lu Jun, who officiated two games at the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan, to 5½ years in jail for taking about nearly $130,000 to fix seven league matches.
Three other referees and five company and soccer association officials were fined or sentenced to up to seven years for match fixing.
China launched the current crackdown on match-fixing in 2009, hoping to root out gambling, bribery, and other forms of corruption that are blamed for sapping the competitiveness of Chinese soccer. However, the league's problems date to at least 2001, when allegations of match-throwing and bribery of referees first emerged.
Meanwhile, China's performance in international competition slumped as soccer's popularity among fans lost ground in favor of basketball and young players turned away from the sport in droves.
China was knocked out of 2010 World Cup qualifying last year, failing to make the top 10 sides in Asia. In its only World Cup appearance, in 2002, China lost all three games while failing to score a single goal.
Guardiola still undecided over Barcelona future
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Pep Guardiola says he still hasn't decided whether he wants to continue coaching Barcelona beyond this season.
The 41-year-old Guardiola, who has won 13 out of a possible 16 titles since taking over the European champions nearly four seasons ago, says he needs to "find the motivation to continue, and it still isn't clear to me."
Guardiola signed consecutive one-year extensions after initially agreeing to a two-year deal. He says the club hasn't given him an ultimatum, adding: he would have liked to have made his decision earlier.
Guardiola's position has become a distraction for the Spanish champions because he had agreed to extensions by this stage of the season in the past two years.
Neymar pays $8,700 to referee after Twitter rift
SAO PAULO (AP) — Neymar reportedly has paid $8,700 to a referee who was described as a "thief" on the Brazil striker's Twitter account after a Santos match in 2010.
Neymar had been sued by referee Sandro Meira Ricci after a message on the player's Twitter said the referee was a "thief" and would have to leave a match "escorted by police." Another said that "my Santos is always harmed by the refereeing."
Neymar, touted as a future Brazilian star, didn't play in the match and was watching it from TV. He said it was a friend who posted the messages.
The Globoesporte.com website said Saturday that a court ruled against Neymar two months ago, but the payments were only made now. Ricci donated the money to charities.
Leeds appoints Warnock as manager
LEEDS, England (AP) — Leeds United has appointed Neil Warnock as manager, hoping the former Queens Park Rangers boss can revive its chances of a Premier League return.
Warnock sealed a quick return to management on Saturday following his sacking last month by topflight club QPR, which he led to promotion last season.
Leeds fired Simon Grayson on Feb. 1 after three years in charge. Grayson had taken Leeds back into the second-tier Championship in 2010 but hopes of a return to the Premier League for the first time since it was relegated in 2004 were fading.
Warnock, who has a contract until 2013, takes over with the team 11th, 11 points away from the automatic promotion places and six off the playoffs.
Gyan takes indefinite break from playing for Ghana
ACCRA, Ghana (AP) — The Ghana Football Association says it is urging Asamoah Gyan to change his mind after the striker decided to take an indefinite break from international football following abuse from fans.
The GFA says Sunderland striker Gyan, who is currently on loan at United Arab Emirates-based team Al Ain, is "frustrated over the verbal abuse he has received since playing for the country at the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations."
Gyan had a penalty saved in the semifinal against Zambia earlier this month, which Ghana lost 1-0. He also missed a penalty in the World Cup quarterfinal loss to Uruguay at the 2010 World Cup.
Rehhagel poised to become Hertha Berlin coach
BERLIN (AP) — Hertha Berlin team manager Michael Preetz has confirmed that veteran coach Otto Rehhagel is poised to join the struggling Bundesliga side.
Preetz says the 73-year-old Rehhagel is expected to take over next week. Hertha fired Michael Skibbe one week ago after just five games in charge, all defeats. Preetz says Rehhagel "has promised to help us" and will work together with interim coaches Rene Tretschok and Ante Covic.
Rehhagel led Greece to the European Championship title in 2004. He also coached Bayern Munich, Kaiserslautern and Werder Bremen.
Spanish football player dies from heart failure
MADRID (AP) — Spanish news agency Efe has reported that a 21-year-old Spanish football player has died from heart failure suffered after a training session.
Luis Miguel Lastra was found late Friday in the stairwell of his home following practice with his club Ciudad Jardin, of the Andalucia first division in a regional league. Ciudad Jardin president Jose Bonilla told Efe the player's death was "natural, as a result of heart failure."
Lastra's death follows deaths of other Spanish football players from heart-related problems in recent years, including Espanyol captain Daniel Jarque and Sevilla's Antonio Puerta.
