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Soccer Capsules: Chivas stumbles as Mexican season opens
MEXICO CITY (AP) — One of the favorites to win the title, Guadalajara Chivas, stumbled to a 1-0 loss against Atlante on the opening weekend of Mexico's Clausura season.
Defending champions Tigres also got off a slow start with a 1-1 draw against Cruz Azul.
In other results, last season's runner-up Santos drew 0-0 against Pachuca, America defeated Queretaro 2-0, and Toluca defeated Estudiantes Tecos 3-1. Also, Monterrey won 2-1 against Jaguares, Morelia and Tijuana drew 1-1, San Luis defeated Pumas 1-0, and Puebla drew 0-0 against Atlas.
Chivas went behind a minute before halftime on a goal from Michael Arroyo of Ecuador. Peruvian forward Andres Mendoza drove into the penalty area and squared the ball to Arroyo, who tapped into an empty net to give Atlante the victory.
Tigres' visit to Cruz Azul began with Tigres midfielder Carlos Salcido getting hit on the head with a bottle as he was getting off the team bus in Mexico City. Salcido wasn't seriously injured and played the full game.
On the field, a sixth-minute goal by Christian Gimenez put Cruz Azul into the lead, with Tigres captain Lucas Lobos equalizing in the 70th.
Both Santos and Pachuca had good opportunities to score, but failed to convert.
Cesar Ibanez was sent off for Santos in the 89th minute after receiving his second yellow card.
Ecuador striker Christian Benitez had a penalty saved in the 27th, but opened the scoring for America against Queretaro in the 69th when he was sent clear on goal by a defense-splitting pass from Matias Vuoso. Juan Carlos Medina added America's second in injury time.
Toluca defeated relegation-threatened Estudiantes Tecos, with all the goals coming in the second half. Chilean striker Ivan Alonso, the league's top goalscorer last season, started the new season by scoring two goals for Toluca, with Edgar Duenas getting the team's third. Fredy Bareiro got a consolation goal for Estudiantes Tecos.
Two second-half goals in the space of three minutes from Walter Ayovi put Monterrey two ahead against Jaguares, who got a goal back through Jackson Martinez in the 80th.
Morelia took the lead in the 23rd minute with a goal by Rafael Marquez. Argentine Jose Sand equalized for Tijuana from the penalty spot in the 47th after Colombian striker Duvier Riascos had been brought down.
San Luis went down to 10 men in the 34th when Argentine Anibal Matellan was sent off, but a dipping volley from 25 meters (yards) by Jehu Chiapas in the 41st gave San Luis the victory against Pumas.
Puebla couldn't break down 10-man Atlas in the second half after Lucas Ayala was sent off just before halftime for swinging his arm in anger. Rodrigo Salinas came close for Puebla in the 83rd when he drove a right-footed shot from outside the area, but the ball struck the crossbar.
League Capsules
Man United ousts holder City from FA Cup in derby
MANCHESTER, England (AP) — The FA Cup's Manchester derby left Alex Ferguson seething about United's carelessness and Roberto Mancini hailing City's strength and positive attitude.
The winner of Sunday's third-round contest, though, was Manchester United — just.
Having stormed into a 3-0 lead and seen City captain Vincent Kompany sent off in the first half, United stumbled after the break against the holders before clinging on to win 3-2 and book a trip to Liverpool.
"We were 3-0 up at halftime and we thought we were through," Ferguson said. "(We) took our foot off the pedal."
City hauled itself back into contention after strikes from Aleksandar Kolarov and Sergio Aguero, whose goal came after the ball was given away by United midfielder Paul Scholes hours after he surprisingly came out of retirement.
"It was a careless performance in the second half and we should have been home and dry," Ferguson said. "We made mistakes and you suffer if you make mistakes."
Similar mistakes have seen the champions lose back-to-back Premier League matches to slip three points behind leader City, and despite the defeat, Sunday's game only strengthened Mancini's belief that he will deliver the club's first English title since 1968.
"If we show the same attitude and strength in other games that we showed against United with only 10 men then yes we can win the league," the City manager said. "If we show the same attitude and strength in other games that we showed against United with only ten men then yes we can win the league. I said we had to improve and I think we are doing so.
"To play 80 minutes against one of the best teams in Europe with ten men and come so close to saving the game was fantastic."
City defender Micah Richards added: "We lost today but in our heads we won!"
But United advanced and were also joined in the fourth round Sunday by Chelsea, Sunderland and Sheffield Wednesday. Chelsea routed Portsmouth 4-0 after scoring all four goals in the second half, Sunderland won 2-0 at Peterborough, and Sheffield Wednesday beat West Ham 1-0.
At the Etihad Stadium, it seemed that United would avenge its 6-1 league loss to City earlier in the season with its own derby rout after a dominant first half.
Wayne Rooney was rampant two days after being forced to deny he was about to leave United due to a rift with Ferguson, scoring the opener after 10 minutes.
The England striker played the ball to Antonio Valencia on the right flank and sprinted forward to meet the return cross, rising above Kompany and Richards to head home.
City's day took another turn for the worse inside two minutes when Kompany was sent off by referee Chris Foy for a two-footed low lunge on Nani. City will appeal against the red card to prevent Kompany serving a four-match ban.
United made its man advantage count on the half-hour, as Patrice Evra crossed from the left into a crowded penalty area, and Welbeck took advantage of Samir Nasri's failed clearance to smash a spectacular volley into the net with his back turned toward the goal.
The third came five minutes before the break after Welbeck ran onto Giggs' ball and was tripped by Kolarov in the area. Rooney's penalty was saved by Pantilimon — deputizing for the rested Joe Hart — but the striker headed the rebound into the net.
United was never so comfortable again.
After Patrice Evra fouled Richards, Kolarov curled his free kick into the net just three minutes into the second half.
The much-anticipated return of Scholes then came, with the midfielder replacing Nani, but United still had a difficult last 30 minutes.
Within minutes — just after United was denied another penalty when Valencia was fouled by Kolarov — Scholes gave away the ball to James Milner on the right. Aguero latched on to Milner's cross and buried the ball into the net after Lindegaard spilled his initial shot.
"We had other chances to score in the end and we didn't concede any chances for them to score," Mancini said.
But United clung on in the face of a City onslaught to secure its first away victory in a Manchester derby since Scholes scored the winner in 2010 in the league.
The 37-year-old Scholes announced on Sunday morning that he was returning to the squad seven months after retiring, with United in the midst of an injury crisis.
"I was surprised, we didn't find out until we got to the dressing room," Rooney said. "It gave everyone a lift. He's a fantastic player."
At Stamford Bridge, Juan Mata put Chelsea ahead against second-tier side Portsmouth at the start of the second half. Ramires scored twice and Frank Lampard completed the victory in stoppage time against the 2008 FA Cup winners.
-- Rob Harris
Barcelona draws to slip further behind Madrid
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Barcelona slipped five points behind Spanish leader Real Madrid after an 86th-minute equalizer by substitute Alvaro Vazquez gave Espanyol a 1-1 draw against the defending champions on Sunday.
With Lionel Messi relatively anonymous in Barcelona's play, midfielder Cesc Fabregas continued his scoring ways by heading home Daniel Alves' cross to put Barcelona ahead after 16 minutes at the Cornella-El Prat stadium.
Barcelona looked certain to take three points as it controlled the city derby, but Thievy Fibouma flicked on Raul Rodriguez's cross for Vazquez to guide home the equalizer four minutes from time.
Barcelona nearly stole the game at the close as first Gerard Pique hit the crossbar in the 90th and then Rodriguez appeared to handle Pedro Rodriguez's shot on the follow-up.
"The team played hard and at the end we got the draw we deserved," Vazquez said. "We arrived alive to the last minutes and we had a that little bit of luck."
Espanyol has been Barcelona's toughest opponent over the past five seasons — taking more league points off its crosstown rival than any other club, and the European champion continued to look vulnerable on the road. Pep Guardiola's side has taken only 13 of 24 points from eight games.
Messi, who seems certain to win his third straight Ballon d'Or as the world's best player on Monday, managed his only shot in the 77th. The Argentina forward was booked for handling in the 13th after stealing from Cristian Alvarez to feed Fabregas for a goal that was disallowed.
"The other day he played only little, so (his play) was not due to (fatigue)," Guardiola said of Messi before turning his attention to Madrid's advantage. "There's a lot of league left to play, a lot of points. We can recover from this."
Guardiola, who is expected to win FIFA's award as best coach on Monday, started the same 11 that beat Madrid last month, with Andres Iniesta returning from a leg muscle injury, but Espanyol held firm early and looked to the counter, with Victor Valdes clearing Joan Verdu's header off the line in the sixth minute, with the Barcelona defense scrambling to keep Verdu's follow-up out too.
Three minutes after the disallowed goal, Fabregas scored his ninth league goal and seventh in six games after connecting with a cross from Alves, who was subjected to racist chants from sections of the home fans during the match.
Fabregas continued to create Barcelona's best chances with Alvarez saving just before halftime. Verdu and Romaric N'Dri both hit shots over for the hosts while Barcelona defenders Eric Abidal and Carles Puyol blocked hard shots from Sergio Garcia and Thievy Bifouma.
Bifouma was unlucky to be whistled for a foul as he battled with Puyol inside Barcelona's area as the hosts found some second-half momentum.
"We applied a lot of pressure and tried to take the ball away and at the end we had a little bit of luck," Vazquez said.
Espanyol continued to press for the equalizer and Bifouma was tripped up inside the area without being awarded a penalty moments before Vazquez's heroics, although the hosts conceded they were fortunate not to concede a late spot-kick.
"The ball hit my hand but I'm not the referee," Rodriguez said.
Elsewhere, Jose Antonio Reyes' return to Sevilla was spoiled by Rayo Vallecano as the promoted side won 2-1 to break a four-game losing streak.
Miguel "Michu" Perez and Raul Tamudo put Rayo in command before Julien Escude pulled one back for Sevilla.
"Taking into account that (Reyes) was playing with new teammates and that he hadn't played much recently, he played well," said Sevilla coach Marcelino Garcia of former Arsenal player Reyes, who returned to his boyhood club from Atletico Madrid on Thursay.
Elsewhere, Valencia came from two goals down to draw 2-2 at Villarreal in coach Jose Molina's debut for the "Yellow Submarine," Athletic Bilbao drew 0-0 at Getafe and Real Betis beat nine-man Sporting Gijon 2-0 for a third straight win.
Villarreal remained winless in nine consecutive games in all competitions, while Valencia stayed in third place, nine points behind league leader Real Madrid, which beat Granada 5-1 on Saturday.
Bilbao striker Fernando Llorente returned after missing seven games with a left knee injury and teammate Iker Muniain set the record for the youngest player to have made 100 league appearances at the age of 19 years and 20 days.
On Saturday, Racing Santander edged last-place Zaragoza 1-0. Malaga vs. Atletico Madrid, Levante vs. Mallorca and Real Sociedad vs. Osasuna all ended in scoreless draws.
-- Paul Logothetis
Milan, Juventus win to stay joint top of Serie A
MILAN (AP) — Joint Serie A leaders AC Milan and Juventus seemed to be suffering from post-Christmas hangovers as they struggled to grind out wins against Atalanta and Lecce on Sunday.
In Bergamo, Zlatan Ibrahimovic converted from the spot after Milan was awarded a dubious penalty in the 22nd minute and Kevin Prince Boateng sealed the result eight minutes from time.
Milan was made to sweat before Boateng's goal, with the league's top scorer German Denis hitting the post for Atalanta. The Serie A champions will need to step up a gear ahead of next weekend's mouthwatering derby against a rejuvenated Inter Milan.
Massimiliano Allegri's side is level on 37 points with Juventus, which ground out a 1-0 win at rock-bottom Lecce, courtesy of substitute Alessandro Matri's 27th minute header.
Udinese is two points further back after a 4-1 victory over 10-man Cesena.
Milan took the lead when Alexandre Pato took a tumble in the box amid a crowd of players and the referee pointed to the spot. Ibrahimovic had scored all five of his previous penalties this season and he converted number six with a low shot into the left corner.
And Milan sealed the match when Ibrahimovic threaded a ball through to Boateng who lashed in an effort under the crossbar.
"It was a difficult game but we knew Atlanta play good football and is a spirited side," Allegri said. "They created a lot of problems for us. But they are three important points, it's never easy to win here.
"We're better physically than I would have thought and we did well to deal with the difficulty of the game. We've got a very important derby on Sunday, we're doing great things and Inter is as well now."
Juventus striker Matri had only come off the bench four minutes earlier but he was on hand to head home the only goal of the game after Lecce goalkeeper Massimiliano Benassi parried Mirko Vucinic's shot.
"I said before the game that everything is uncertain immediately after the winter break, especially for a team like Juve which is still unbeaten," Juventus coach Antonio Conte said. "If you don't prepare yourself adequately you can have somewhat of a false start.
"I'm pleased with the three points, although there remains a bit of disappointment that we didn't manage to close the game earlier. We suffered in certain parts, but the defense reacted well. We deserved to win, even without that good a performance."
Unsung Udinese remain in touch with the leaders. It got off to a perfect start when Antonio Di Natale opened the scoring with less than a minute on the clock.
Kwadwo Asamoah restored its lead in the second half after Eder leveled six minutes before the break. And Cesena's hopes of getting back into the game evaporated on the hour mark when Maurizio Lauro was handed a second yellow card and dismissed.
Dusan Basta extended Udinese's lead in stunning fashion with a perfect lobbed shot into the far corner from the edge of the area, and Di Natale scored his 12th goal of the season shortly afterward to seal the result.
Edinson Cavani scored against his former club to help Napoli to a 3-1 win at Palermo. Goran Pandev opened the scoring in the 35th minute and Cavani pounced 10 minutes after the interval. The Argentinian, who spent three years at Palermo before joining Napoli in 2010, did not celebrate his fantastic curling effort, although he was rewarded with applause by the home fans.
Marek Hamsik added the third five minutes later. Fabrizio Miccoli grabbed a consolation for Palermo three minutes from time.
Bologna is now six points clear of the drop zone after beating 10-man Catania 2-0.
Nicolo Cherubin scored five minutes into the second half and captain Marco Di Vaio doubled Bologna's lead in stoppage time. Catania captain Marco Biagianti was dismissed in the 77th minute for a second yellow card.
Pasquale Marino replaced Alberto Malesani on the Genoa bench at the start of the break time in charge of Genoa got off to a dreadful start as he saw his new side lose 3-0 at Cagliari.
Joaquin Larrivey fired Cagliari in front in the 13th minute from the spot and Victor Ibarbo doubled its lead after the break before Genoa fell apart as defender Emiliano Moretti was dismissed in the 66th minute and Andreas Granqvist turned the ball into his own net six minutes later.
Elsewhere, Roma captain Francesco Totti scored two penalties to help his side to a 2-0 win over Chievo Verona.
Stevan Jovetic also scored twice — including once from the spot — as Fiorentina beat struggling Novara 3-0. Riccardo Montolivo grabbed the Tuscan side's other goal.
-- Daniella Matar
PSG scrapes through 2-1 vs. Locmine in French Cup
PARIS (AP) — Carlo Ancelotti's first official match in charge of Paris Saint-Germain ended with a scrappy 2-1 win against non-league side Locmine in the French Cup on Sunday.
Uruguay defender Diego Lugano scored with a header with 30 seconds remaining in injury time as PSG avoided the embarrassment of being taken to extra time and reached the last 32.
"I wasn't scared, no," Ancelotti said. "It was a difficult game, but we didn't lose the desire to win and scored in the last seconds."
PSG has spent €82 million ($116 million) on players this season, but struggled early on against a team of part-timers which plays four divisions below PSG and has an annual budget of €240,000 ($343,000).
"It's sad to lose, but this was amazing," Locmine coach Didier Noblet said. "When you're a coach and your players are able to play like that, you can only be proud of them."
PSG's next cup opponent is Sable-sur-Sarthe, which plays at the same level as Locmine.
Pastore, who cost PSG a French transfer record of €42 million ($60 million), looked totally out of sorts in a scrappy first half before putting his side ahead in the 53rd minute.
Pastore was largely outshone by Abou Maiga, a former professional who came back to France from Qatar's second division to try and better his career. Maiga equalized for Locmine from the penalty spot in the 72nd minute.
Maiga also went clean through in the fourth minute and his rising shot beat Salvatore Sirigu, but the Italian keeper was saved by his crossbar.
"These are the hardest games because the motivation of teams like this is even higher," Sirigu said.
Defender Yoann Le Roux, who is a junior school teacher, then hit the side-netting as PSG failed to properly defend a corner and spent a frenetic opening spell on the back foot.
Guillaume Hoarau almost put PSG ahead in the 15th minute, but goalkeeper Erwan Flegeo did well to save his lob.
PSG continued to struggle, however, with Lugano often pulled out of position by Maiga's runs.
As the first half drew to a close, Ancelotti had seen enough and got up from the bench to stand near the touchline, glaring moodily at his players. With two Champions League titles as coach of AC Milan, he clearly expected better.
"I explained to the players that they needed to play higher up the field and get behind the defense more," Ancelotti said.
Pastore broke the deadlock shortly after the break, tapping the ball into an empty net after Flegeo saved his first effort. Pastore then hit the crossbar from a narrow angle moments later after rounding Flegeo.
"You have to take your chances when you're 1-0 up because you're never safe in these games," PSG defender Christophe Jallet said. "We didn't play well at all, but the important thing is get through. We also expected better but they came at our throats."
With 20 minutes remaining, Pastore crashed a shot into the side-netting with two of his teammates totally unmarked in the penalty area, much to the annoyance of Ancelotti — and Locmine equalized a minute later.
Mamadou Sakho tripped Fabrice Peru as he burst into the area, and Maiga sent Sirigu the wrong way from the spot.
"Pastore had the chance to score, and he could also have set up (Mevlut) Erding (for a goal)," Ancelotti said.
Locmine kept pressing for the winning goal as Ancelotti paced up and down nervously, but Nene kept a cool head to pick out Lugano with a chipped pass over the defense and he headed home.
Elsewhere, striker Lisandro Lopez scored a hat trick as Lyon beat its non-league neighbor Lyon-Duchere 3-1.
Lopez got his goals in the first half, taking his season's tally to 10 in all competitions.
Ajaccio beat Toulouse 1-0 in an all first-division match, while Evian squeezed past second-division Metz in a penalty shootout after the match finished 2-2.
-- Jerome Pugmire
Mariners increase first-place lead in A-League
SYDNEY (AP) — Central Coast attacking midfielder Oliver Bozanic scored in the ninth minute to secure a 1-0 win over Sydney on Sunday, increasing the Mariners' lead in Australia's A-League to eight points and their unbeaten streak to 12 matches.
Second-place Brisbane Roar's winless streak was extended to six matches after a 1-1 draw at Adelaide United on Saturday. Issey Nakajima-Farran's goal gave the Roar the lead but Reds striker Sergio Van Dijk scored a penalty to level.
Brisbane hasn't won since its record 37-match unbeaten streak ended with a loss to Sydney on Dec. 4.
Adelaide United coach John Kosmina is unbeaten in four matches since he took over from the sacked Rini Coolen.
"It's good so far," Kosmina said. "I got pretty wired up. I was involved in the game."
He said the Roar, despite their winless streak, are a benchmark for the league.
"You know what they are going to do, but they do it so well," Kosmina said. "They are so well-drilled and they have a high level of technicality and skill, they don't make a lot of mistakes."
Josh Mitchell scored three minutes into added time to give the Perth Glory a 1-0 win at Wellington. Melbourne Victory took advantage of two own-goals by Newcastle defender Byun Sung-hwan to win 2-1 at home Saturday with new coach Jim Magilton sitting in the stands.
Magilton, who played 52 matches for Northern Ireland, will take over the club this week.
Maceo Rigters scored in the 72nd minute to give Gold Coast United a 1-1 draw with the Melbourne Heart in the final match of the 14th round.
The Heart, who led after eight minutes on Kristian Sarkies' goal, pulled level with Brisbane on points but are behind on goal differential.
Olympiakos held to 0-0 draw at Drama in Greece
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Defending champion Olympiakos was held to a 0-0 draw at last-place Drama on Sunday, allowing archrival Panathinaikos to close the gap at the top to four points with a 1-0 win over visiting Kerkyra.
Sebastian Leto scored his league-leading 15th goal of the season to secure the victory for Panathinaikos, which has two games in hand over Olympiakos.
Also Sunday, Xanthi and PAOK drew 0-0, Aris beat Giannena 1-0 and Atromitos beat OFI 2-0.
Olympiakos, which had beaten Drama 6-0 at home, looked set for an easy evening when David Fuster sent Kevin Mirallas clear with a deep ball less than 30 seconds into the game. The Belgian forward, with just the goalkeeper to beat, sent the ball just wide.
Winless Drama was unfazed, though, and defended skillfully throughout the game while keeping Olympiakos' defense on its toes with frequent forays forward, even in the closing minutes.
Olympiakos' major scoring chance came in the 59th minute, when Rafik Djebbour headed against the left post from close range. Mirallas got to the rebound, but goalkeeper Dino Seremet blocked the shot with his legs.
In Athens earlier Sunday, Panathinaikos scored early against lowly Kerkyra when Cleyton latched onto a through ball and passed to a charging Leto, who shot into the empty net in the 23rd.
From then on, however, the visitors dominated possession and the end of the game found Panathinaikos desperately defending its lead before its players left the pitch to a chorus of boos from the few fans who braved the bitter cold.
Benfica beats Leiria to take lead in Portugal
LISBON, Portugal (AP) — Benfica took sole possession of the Portuguese league lead with a 4-0 rout at Leiria on Sunday, moving two points clear of defending champion FC Porto.
Benfica, which is undefeated in league this season, had been joint top with Porto since October, but took advantage of its rivals' 0-0 draw at Sporting a day earlier.
Bruno Cesar opened the scoring for Benfica in the 10th with a shot from outside the area. Striker Oscar Cardozo added the second in the 48th, and Spaniard Rodrigo Moreno capped the win by scoring two late goals in four minutes.
Also on Sunday, it was: Maritimo 2, Olhanense 1; Rio Ave 1, Pacos de Ferreira 0; Gil Vicente 0, Nacional 3; and Guimaraes 1, Feirense 0. Fourth-place Braga visits Beira Mar on Monday.
Holder Celtic, Rangers through in Scottish Cup
GLASGOW, Scotland (AP) — Holder Celtic reached the fifth round of the Scottish Cup with a 3-0 victory over Peterhead and Rangers routed Arbroath 4-0 on Sunday.
Having struggled to break down a well organized Peterhead defense, Anthony Stokes broke the deadlock for Celtic before the break and netted another two after the break to complete his hat trick. Salim Kerkar scored his first competitive goal for Rangers to complete the Glasgow side's easy progress from the third round.
An own goal by Craig Wedderburn was sandwiched between strikes from David Healy and Nikica Jelavic before Kerkar sealed the win late on.
Elsewhere
Guardiola's soccer dream began in Santpedor
SANTPEDOR, Spain (AP) — In this medieval town that dates to the 14th century, the locals remember when Pep Guardiola was practicing his game in the plaza and smashing windows with a soccer ball.
The Barcelona coach is revered in Santpedor, the city of some 7,000 where he was born, about 50 miles from Barcelona, deep in the heart of Catalunya's wooded Bages region.
Guardiola is the unquestioned favorite son. Santpedor's soccer complex is called Municipal Sports Center Josep Guardiola. Photos adorn various spots, especially the city's fan club, which hopes Guardiola will make an appearance May 27 when it celebrates its 25th anniversary.
One more honor should come Monday — Guardiola is the overwhelming favorite to win FIFA's coach of the year award.
Guardiola's career with Barcelona reads like a soccer dream. A young prospect signs for his boyhood club and goes on to play an integral part in the team's successes, first as a player and then as coach.
"(Santpedor's) a small town and while people don't all personally know him, they are very proud of him," club president Toni Valverde, a longtime friend of Guardiola's, told The Associated Press on Sunday. "But like any small town there is also the usual envy that accompanies it and people tend to criticize and find personal grievances. I suppose it's normal to feel envious of him."
The locals are accustomed to questions about Guardiola, and they eventually slip out of Catalan to answer in Spanish to accommodate visitors. And more and more visitors of late have been heading to No. 15 Plaza de la Generalitat, the lime-green, three-story building where Guardiola lived with his parents, Valenti and Dolores, brother Pere and sisters Olga and Francesca until leaving for Barcelona's youth academy at age 13.
"We have a lot of tourists who come to look at the house, last month we had a large group. They take photos and ask questions, they are nice usually, always curious," said 38-year-old Khalid Abid, who is from Morocco and now lives in the home with his family and another. "It's pretty nice knowing you live somewhere like this, somewhere people want to remember and see. I've spoken with the parents a few times and they are nice. Never with Pep, though."
Valverde, like Guardiola, will celebrate his 41st birthday this month. He said the former Spain midfielder returns only for holidays and local celebrations, rarely venturing from his parents' home on the outskirts of town.
"I'm sure he would like to go out more but people go nuts when he is here," said Valverde, who traveled to Barcelona to see his friend's games until he reached Barcelona's B team, when it became more difficult.
"He is much more extroverted than he seems in news conferences, where he seems to hold himself back a lot. He's very outgoing," said Valverde, who visits Guardiola at his parents' home when in town with his wife and three children. "We don't talk about football much. The thing is you don't feel like you are in front of the world's best coach, you never feel a distance between yourself and him. He's very inquisitive, always asking questions."
Neighbors recall the young Guardiola breaking windows and knocking down power lines as he used the doorways in the plaza outside his home as a goal.
"He never stopped kicking the ball around," Guardiola's mother Dolors told Spanish TV several years ago. "As soon as he finished breakfast, he carried his ball down into the street and into the plaza, where the doorways worked as the goal."
Like most of the villagers, Genis Cos Rubio holds Guardiola in esteem but those early bonds — Cos Rubio is also 40 and went to school with Guardiola — are now distant memories since Guardiola never really returned after coach Johan Cruyff decided to use the skinny, 18-year-old midfielder.
Guardiola went on to become a key part of the 1990s teams that won four straight league titles and the club's first Champions League in 1992. Since then, coming home was never as easy.
"I knew him when I was in school but he left as a child and now, it's nearly impossible to see him here on the street with so many people clamoring for photos with him. He can barely go out," Cos Rubio said. "He put Santpedor on the map. Every time we see him on TV, we think 'he's one of ours.'"
Since taking over as Barcelona coach in 2008, Guardiola has led the Catalan club to 13 of a possible 16 trophies, including a pair of Champions League titles, Club World Cups and European Super Cups, three straight Spanish leagues and a Copa del Rey.
He is widely expected to capture the FIFA coaching award ahead of Real Madrid rival Jose Mourinho and Manchester United's Alex Ferguson.
Valverde prefers not to speculate on whether Guardiola can maintain this level of success, but he is certain the work ethic and determination will remain.
"What Pep assures is work and discipline, and success comes from that," Valverde said. "Maybe he doesn't win anything else this season, but at least there is always a chance because of who he is."
-- Paul Logothetis
Scholes comes out of retirement for Man United
MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Seven months after his career seemingly ended with a gloomy loss to Barcelona, Paul Scholes surprisingly returned to action Sunday to help injury-hit Manchester United's pursuit of trophies in the second half of the season.
Scholes came on as a substitute to help United end neighbor Manchester City's FA Cup defense with a 3-2 victory in the third round — just a couple of hours after the announcement of his comeback stunned even his own teammates.
"I was surprised, we didn't find out until we got to the dressing room," striker Wayne Rooney said after providing two of United's goals. "I think someone asked him what he's doing."
Some fans may have been asking the same thing about the 37-year-old midfielder when he showed some signs of rust just five minutes after replacing Nani on the hour. Scholes gave the ball away to James Milner, whose resulting cross led to Sergio Aguero scoring City's second.
But after seeing a low shot saved by City goalkeeper Costel Pantilimon, Scholes helped United run the clock down by frustrating the hosts in the closing minutes at Etihad Stadium.
It ensured United won at its neighbor for the first time since Scholes scored the winner in April 2010 during one of his 10 Premier League title-winning campaigns.
"I've been pretty clear since I stopped playing that I miss it," Scholes said. "I'm delighted the manager feels I can still make a contribution to the team. I'm looking forward to playing my part in trying to bring more success to this great club."
Since retiring after the 3-1 loss to Barcelona in the Champions League final in May, Scholes had been working as a coach at United.
"He came to see me and said he wanted to come back, he was missing it too much," United manager Alex Ferguson said. "There were no negatives as far as I'm concerned. The players were fantastic about it, the fans I'm sure will be happy and I'm happy."
The move came immediately after United lost two consecutive matches to leave the defending champions three points behind neighbor City in the Premier League title race, having already been knocked out of the Champions League at the group stage.
Ferguson now has Scholes back among his midfield options for the rest of the season, with Darren Fletcher out for an indefinite period with a bowel disease and Tom Cleverley also sidelined.
"It's great, it gave everyone a lift," Rooney said. "He's a fantastic player."
The former England midfielder scored 150 goals in 676 previous appearances for United over 17 years.
"It's always sad to see great players end their careers, but especially so when they do it early," Ferguson said. "But he has kept himself in great shape and I always felt that he had another season in him. It's terrific to have him back."
Starting his career as a deep-lying forward, Scholes eventually dropped back into central midfield where his touch, technique and vision could be more effectively utilized. He never lost his eye for goal, though, and turned his late runs into the penalty box into an art form, while also being a threat with his fierce shots from distance.
Scholes was once hailed by Spain midfielder Xavi as "the best central midfielder that I have seen" and by France great Zinedine Zidane as "almost untouchable."
"Everyone knows he's one of the greatest players in Manchester United's history," Ferguson said Sunday. "He's a fantastic footballer and there's no loss to his real fitness which is important. He's sometimes missed three or four months with injuries, so it's more or less the same kind of scenario (now)."
Scholes was part of a batch of young talent to burst into United's first team during the early 1990s, which also included David Beckham.
The 36-year-old Beckham was at Sunday's match at City as a fan while taking a break during the Major League Soccer offseason.
-- Rob Harris
QPR fires manager Warnock with club on slide
LONDON (AP) — Queens Park Rangers fired manager Neil Warnock on Sunday, with the club admitting it feared for its Premier League future.
QPR has lost six of its last eight league matches to sit 17th in the standings, one point above the relegation zone in its first season back in the topflight after 15 years.
Announcing the departure of the manager who led QPR back into the Premier League, the club said: "The board's commitment to retaining our Premier League status ultimately led to this decision."
Warnock's last match in charge saw the west London club held to a 1-1 draw in the FA Cup on Saturday by MK Dons of the third tier. Key midfielder Alejandro Faurlin was injured during that match and QPR's survival hopes were dealt a blow on Sunday with the Argentine announcing on Twitter that he had been ruled out for the rest of the season after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament.
QPR chairman Tony Fernandes, the Malaysian businessman whose Tune Group bought the club in August, said watching the team "slip alarmingly down the table" had forced the board into sacking Warnock.
"Neil has acted with honesty, professionalism and integrity throughout his time at the club, and I would personally like to thank him for his significant contribution," Fernandes said.
The 63-year-old Warnock had been in charge at the London club for just under two years after previous stints at Crystal Palace and Sheffield United, winning 33 of his 84 matches.
"Obviously I'm very disappointed, but having achieved so much, I leave the club with a great sense of pride," Warnock said. "I have enjoyed my time here more than anywhere else and the QPR fans have been brilliant with me — they deserve success.
"My biggest regret is that the takeover didn't happen earlier, because that would have given me the opportunity to bring in the targets I'd pinpointed all last summer and probably given us a better chance to succeed in the Premier League."
Assistant manager Mick Jones first team coach Keith Curle have also left the club.
"I've been involved in the game a long time and I will be spending the immediate future with my family and friends before deciding my next career move," Warnock said.
Espanyol president backs fans after racist chants
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Espanyol's supporters deserve top marks despite directing racist chants at Barcelona's Daniel Alves in Sunday's 1-1 draw between the city rivals, the Spanish club's president said.
Sections of fans in the Cornella-El Prat stadium imitated monkey sounds every time Alves touched the ball. The Brazilian defender, who is black, told Catalunya Radio that he did not hear the chants during the game.
"I didn't like it but the public's behavior was a 10, both Espanyol's and Barcelona's," said Ramon Condal, the club president. "If we can do something about those chants, we will."
Barcelona counterpart Sandro Rossel said: "It's clear we are not happy with this, not happy at all."
Espanyol coach Mauricio Pochettino also said he did not here the chants but that racism "is something we want to eradicate in every football ground."
The issue of racism in football has re-emerged in recent months in England, where leading clubs Liverpool and Chelsea are dealing with alleged on-field racist remarks made by their players.
Liverpool striker Luis Suarez was banned for eight matches after being found guilty by the English Football Association of repeatedly racially abusing Manchester United defender Patrice Evra during a Premier League game in October. Suarez and Liverpool denied the accusation.
In a separate case, a man was arrested on suspicion of racially abusing an Oldham player during last weekedn's F.A. Cup match at Liverpool.
Chelsea captain John Terry is facing a criminal charge for allegedly directing racist comments toward QPR defender Anton Ferdinand during a league match in October. Terry, who also denies the charge, will appear in court on Feb. 1.
Suspect in Anfield racial abuse probe out on bail
MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Liverpool apologized Sunday to the opposing player who was racially abused during an FA Cup match but stressed that such actions "do not represent our fans."
Oldham defender Tom Adeyemi was reduced to tears by insults from fans during Friday's 5-1 loss at Liverpool and had to be comforted by teammates and opposing players toward the end of the third-round match.
Merseyside police arrested a 20-year-old man from Aintree on Saturday on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offense and released him Sunday pending further inquiries. Adeyemi has spoken to police, according to the players' union.
"Whatever the outcome of what is now a police investigation, all of us are deeply sorry for what happened on Friday night and our players and our club pass on our sincere regrets to Tom Adeyemi for the upset and distress he suffered as a result of the matter at hand," Liverpool said in a statement.
"Our supporters are renowned throughout the world for their outstanding commitment, passion and fairness. They are drawn from nationalities across the globe with widely diverse backgrounds and heritages."
The racial taunting comes after Liverpool striker Luis Suarez started serving an eight-game ban for racially abusing Manchester United defender Patrice Evra during a match in October at Anfield.
Man United drawn to face Liverpool in FA Cup
MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Manchester United has drawn Liverpool in the fourth round of the FA Cup, with the last game between the teams marked by a racial dispute.
Liverpool's Luis Suarez was banned for eight matches after soccer authorities cited him for his conduct toward United's Patrice Evra during a Premier League game in October. Evra has yet to receive an apology from Suarez, who has only expressed regret "if" he caused offense by using the Spanish word "negro."
Liverpool accused the English champions of getting a rival's top player banned "without anything beyond an accusation" and questioning Evra's evidence. Suarez will still be suspended when Liverpool hosts United at Anfield on the weekend of Jan. 28-29.
A fourth-round game between Fulham and Everton will feature a meeting of U.S. stars Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan.
Also, Arsenal hosts Aston Villa if it gets past Leeds on Monday night. Tottenham makes the short trip north of London to second-tier club Watford. West Bromwich Albion will face Norwich, and Sunderland faces Middlesbrough.
Bilbao's Llorente returns after seven-game absence
MADRID (AP) — Athletic Bilbao striker Fernando Llorente returned to the pitch as a second-half substitute in his team's scoreless draw at Getafe on Sunday after missing seven games with a leg injury. Llorente replaced Gaizka Toquero up front in the 65th minute but failed to get a shot on goal.
"He hasn't played in 40 days, and that kind of layoff affects a player," Bilbao coach Marcelo Bielsa said. "The thing we need to do is to bring him along according to the minutes he can play."
The Spain international, who scored five goals in league play before the injury, had been sidelined with pain in his left knee. Bilbao only lost once in Llorente's absence.
The Basque side, currently in eighth place in the Spanish league standings, remained winless in eight visits all time to Getafe's Alfonso Perez coliseum.
Quagliarella set for surgery on cheekbone
LECCE, Italy (AP) — Juventus striker Fabio Quagliarella is likely to undergo surgery Monday after fracturing his cheekbone in a 1-0 victory at Lecce.
Quagliarella was forced off the pitch in the 23rd minute on Sunday and tests revealed the 28-year-old had fractured his right cheekbone. Juventus says Quagliarella will "probably undergo surgery tomorrow."
Quagliarella spent last season on loan at Juventus from Napoli but missed the second half of the campaign with a knee injury. He signed a permanent deal with the Turin club last summer.
Juventus is level with AC Milan at the top of the Serie A standings. Quagliarella's replacement, Alessandro Matri, scored the only goal of the match, four minutes after coming off the bench.
England's Downing reportedly arrested over assault
YARM, England (AP) — England winger Stewart Downing was reportedly arrested on suspicion of assault early Sunday at a pub in northeast England. The Liverpool player was held along with a 32-year-old woman after officers were called to a venue in Yarm at around 1 a.m.
In response to media reports about Downing's arrest, Cleveland Police confirmed that "a 27-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of assault." Downing is 27.
Both Downing and the woman, who was also arrested on suspicion of assault, were released on Sunday night on police bail pending further inquries into the incident.
Yarm is a popular night spot for footballers near Middlesbrough, where Downing played before joining Aston Villa in 2009. He joined Liverpool in the offseason for around $30 million.
Liverpool said it would not be commenting.
Travel trouble scraps African Cup qualifier
CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — The first qualifier for the 2013 African Cup of Nations has been postponed because Lesotho's team was unable to travel to Sao Tome e Principe in time for Sunday's game.
The Confederation of African Football said the game will now be played Jan. 15. Lesotho could not find flights to the island nation off Africa's west coast. The second leg remains scheduled for Jan. 22.
The start of qualifying for next year's tournament was already troubled by the withdrawal of Swaziland ahead of its first-round series against Seychelles. Swaziland's soccer federation said it could not afford to compete. The 2012 African Cup starts Jan. 21, after which it will move to odd years to avoid clashing with the World Cup.
Arsenal's Van Persie visits Maradona
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Arsenal striker Robin van Persie's family vacation to Dubai included a surprise visit with Diego Maradona during a training session at his Al Wasl club.
A statement from the Dubai-based team said van Persie and his family unexpectedly dropped in on the Argentine football legend late Saturday. Maradona took up the Al Wasl coaching post last year.
Van Persie was quoted as saying that he could not pass up the chance to meet one of his boyhood idols. Al Wasl said Maradona posed for photos with van Persie and his family and then joined the Arsenal striker in juggling balls in front of fans at the training ground.
