Soccer Capsules: Toluca overwhelms Olimpia 4-0
TOLUCA, Mexico (AP) — Argentine forward Juan Cuevas scored two goals in the first 10 minutes to lead defending Mexican champion Toluca to a 4-0 victory over Honduran club Olimpia in Group D of the CONCACAF Champions League on Thursday.
Hector Mancilla of Chile made it 3-0 in the 63rd minute and an own-goal by Jose Arevalo in the 85th capped the scoring.
Toluca has four points to share the group lead with the Puerto Rico Islanders after two matches, while Olimpia has one.
U.S. Soccer
Sky Blue of WPS gets another player-coach
SOMERSET, N.J. (AP) — Sky Blue FC of Women's Professional Soccer has another player-coach.
Assistant Jennifer Grubb was added to the roster Thursday. The club won last season's championship with veteran Christie Rampone doubling as head coach.
Grubb joined the staff Aug. 5 as part of the team's latest coaching shake-up. Assistant Rick Stainton was promoted last month to become Sky Blue's fifth coach in 14 months.
Rampone took over as player-coach with two games left last year.
The 32-year-old Grubb is a former U.S. national team defender. She starred at Notre Dame and for the Washington Freedom in the WPS's predecessor, the Women's United Soccer Association.
Sky Blue is 7-9-4 with four games left, tied for fourth out of seven teams. Four clubs make the playoffs.
World Cup
Inspection team positive about England bid
MANCHESTER, England (AP) — The chairman of FIFA's inspection team spoke positively on Thursday about England's bid to host the World Cup in 2018 or '22 at the end of a four-day visit to scrutinize the country's stadiums and infrastructure.
In a closing statement, Harold Mayne-Nicholls said all of the inspectors' needs had been met following the six-man team's visit of London, Manchester, Newcastle and Sunderland this week.
"We are positive that the World Cup in England in 2018 or '22 would be a great experience with a long-lasting legacy for this country and its football, as well as for football worldwide," Mayne-Nicholls said.
A 24-man FIFA executive committee will vote on Dec. 2 to decide which countries will host the 2018 and '22 tournaments. Russia is bidding to host both and is expected to be England's chief rival.
Mayne-Nicholls, president of Chile's soccer federation, said many aspects of England's bid were "perfect" but suggested FIFA needed more guarantees on the level of accommodation offered in the country.
"Concerning public transportation and event facilities, there seems to be no problem in hosting an event of such scope. This also counts for safety and security matters," Mayne-Nicholls said.
"One thing FIFA are particularly focused on is accommodation, as we need a very high number of quality rooms. This is why we ask all bidders for a certain number of contracted hotel rooms. We trust that you will be able to fulfill the necessary requirements."
Mayne-Nicholls said inspectors had been warmly received by England bid chiefs, adding: "They have organized the visit in a perfect way, with great professionalism, but also with a sense of friendship and hospitality."
None of the inspectors who visited England this week is a member of the executive committee that will vote in less than 100 days' time.
Russia was warned by Mayne-Nicholls last week that it would have to start work immediately on constructing up to 10 new stadiums from scratch to be ready in time.
While Russia and England are bidding for both 2018 and '22, it is widely expected that the former will go to Europe, which also has joint bids from Belgium and the Netherlands, and Spain and Portugal.
The only non-European contender for 2018 is the United States, which is also vying for '22 alongside Australia, Japan, South Korea and Qatar.
League Roundup
Madrid, Milan, Ajax to meet in Champions League
MONACO (AP) — Real Madrid, AC Milan and Ajax, who have won 20 European Cups between them, will meet in the group stage of the Champions League.
It is the second consecutive season that nine-time champion Madrid and seven-time winner Milan have been drawn together. Auxerre is the fourth team in Group G.
"Facing Real Madrid is very evocative — it's a very stimulating challenge," AC Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri said after Thursday's draw in Monaco. "The San Siro and Santiago Bernabeu will be completely full and it's sure to be a show. Ajax and Auxerre got through their playoffs brilliantly and are two very worthy opponents.
"We're going to have to maintain our concentration and physical condition for all these games. It's an iron-tough group."
Defending champion Inter will play Werder Bremen, Tottenham and FC Twente in Group A. Madrid has not won the competition since 2002 and has not been past the quarterfinals since 2004.
"It is a very difficult group of course, but very attractive for the fans (because) of all the history with these three clubs," Madrid director of football Emilio Butragueno said. "It will be very even."
For Jose Mourinho, the draw is an early chance to impress at Madrid after leaving Inter having won the title in May.
"We hope that he is the right man to take the team to the title," Butragueno said. "Maybe (he wanted) a little easier (group). But, anyway, we have to face this situation. We are Real Madrid and we will try to do our best."
Ajax, which won the last of its four European Cups in 1995, is back in the Champions League for the first time since 2005 after beating Dynamo Kiev in the playoff round.
"You want to win every match and when you see AC Milan and Real Madrid in the pool, you know it will be tough," Ajax coach Martin Jol said.
It was an intriguing draw for Milan midfielder Clarence Seedorf, a two-time winner with the Serie A side who has also won the competition with Madrid and Ajax.
Bayern Munich, last season's losing finalist, was drawn with AS Roma, FC Basel and Cluj in Group E.
Barcelona will be hoping to avoid losing to Rubin Kazan for a second straight season. The 2009 champions were drawn with the Russian club in Group D alongside Panathinaikos and FC Copenhagen.
Premier League champion Chelsea will also be traveling to Russia, to face Spartak Moscow. Marseille and newcomer Zilina are also in Group F.
Marseille coach Didier Deschamps and Chelsea striker Didier Drogba will both come up against clubs they used to play for.
"It's a good Champions League group, with Chelsea as the team that's shaping up as the big favorite and the rest of the group is open," Marseille sporting director Jose Anigo said. "But compared to last season, I feel that we're better equipped."
Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson will be reunited with Rangers, which he played for in the 1960s as a striker. Valencia and Bursaspor of Turkey make up Group C.
"(Rangers manager) Walter Smith's already been on the phone, talking about tickets for Old Trafford. Like me, he's really looking forward to our games against each other," Ferguson said. "It's a good draw for us. You always look at the traveling side of it and the only one that's of any great distance is the trip to Turkey."
Arsenal will face former striker Eduardo da Silva when it plays Shakhtar Donetsk, while FC Braga of Portugal and Partizan Belgrade complete Group H.
"In Shakhtar, we are playing a team that was UEFA Cup champions a couple of seasons ago, a team that has invested a lot and has made a lot of progress," Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis said. "(Eduardo) will get an incredibly warm welcome from our fans who love him and wish him nothing but the best ... unless he's playing against us."
Lyon, the top-seeded team in Group B, was paired with Benfica, Schalke and Hapoel Tel Aviv. Lyon reached the semifinals for the first time last season, but club president Jean-Michel Aulas is wary of the group.
"Sometimes draws are more difficult than they seem at first. Benfica eliminated Marseille (in last season's Europa League) and Schalke made Bayern suffer," Aulas said. "We will have to be very vigilant. It is a very balanced group and we will need to be at our best to get out of this group."
-- Jerome Pugmire
Benitez faces tough test early in Inter career
MONACO (AP) — New Inter Milan coach Rafael Benitez knows his players need time to understand his methods as they aim to capture the European Super Cup against Atletico Madrid after tasting unprecedented success last season with Jose Mourinho.
Inter meet Atletico in Monaco on Friday in the match that pits the previous season's Champions League winners against the Europa League champions.
But Benitez will need more than victory on Friday for Inter fans to forget about their team's previous coach, the treble-winning Mourinho.
"If we are here it's because the club did really well before I joined the club, and now we have to exploit the opportunities," Benitez said on Thursday. "We have been working very hard this past month to get to know each other. Clearly it's more difficult to enter a final with a new coach."
Mourinho guided Inter to an Italian league and cup double and the Champions League title last season. But he then left to take over at Real Madrid.
Benitez, who joined Inter after a poor season as manager of Liverpool, would not respond on Thursday to Mourinho's recent barbs about him inheriting a winning team.
"I don't want to talk about other coaches, for us it's important to focus on the game," Benitez said.
Benitez guided Liverpool to the Champions League trophy in 2005 and added the European Super Cup later that year. He got his Inter career off to a good start last weekend by beating Roma 3-1 in the Italian Super Cup.
Argentina's veteran defender Javier Zanetti has played under a plethora of coaches during his 15-year Inter career and promises the players will be patient with Benitez.
"Clearly it takes some time to adapt to new methods," Zanetti said. "We hope the measures he introduces will help us play well and lead to excellent results. We want to follow our managers advice."
The advice for Friday's game should be fairly simple for Zanetti and the rest of Inter's defense: stop Diego Forlan.
The Uruguay striker was one of the best players at the World Cup, scoring five goals and thrilling fans with his energetic, all-action style.
"Forlan has just played a wonderful World Cup," Zanetti said. "He was one of the best players there, not just for the goals he scored but all the work he did for his team."
Benitez has been doing his homework on Atletico, which beat Fulham to win the Europa League thanks to Forlan's winning goal in extra time.
"We have looked at this final and the games that Atletico Madrid have played in the (Spanish) league, to get all the knowledge about them," Benitez said. "It's a difficult match against a rival that is also experienced, but we trust we will be able to win."
Benitez also ignored questions regarding whether or not Inter would sign any players from his former club Liverpool.
"We have a technical director and a chairman and they have a very good relationship with (Liverpool coach) Roy Hodgson and it's a problem for them," Benitez said.
-- Jerome Pugmire
Liverpool, Man City advance into Europa League
LONDON (AP) — English clubs Liverpool and Manchester City qualified for the Europa League group stage on Thursday along with Italian sides Juventus, Napoli and Palermo.
The German trio of Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen and Stuttgart also secured spots in Friday's draw, but Celtic, Galatasaray, Fenerbahce, Feyenoord and Aston Villa were all eliminated.
Liverpool won 2-1 at Turkish club Trabzonspor after conceding an early goal to go through 3-1 on aggregate, while Man City defeated Timisoara 2-0 to advance 3-0 on aggregate.
English rival Aston Villa crashed out after losing 3-2 to Rapid Vienna and 4-3 over two legs.
Alessandro Del Piero's goal secured Juventus' 1-0 victory over Sturm Graz to progress 3-1 overall, and Napoli downed Elfsborg 2-0 after having led 1-0 from the first leg. Palermo advanced 5-3 on aggregate despite losing 3-2 at Maribor.
Liverpool's victory came without captain Steven Gerrard and striker Fernando Torres.
The five-time winners of the more illustrious European Cup went behind in the fourth minute when Colombian striker Teofilo Gutierrez found the net.
Liverpool equalized in the 83rd minute due to an own-goal from Giray Kacar, who was under pressure from Reds forward David Ngog. Dirk Kuyt struck five minutes later to seal Liverpool's progress.
"It was very tough," Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher said. "The lads showed great character and concentration ... not just to go through but to beat them with some of our top players not playing."
It was a more comfortable night for Man City, which held a 1-0 lead from the first leg.
Shaun Wright-Phillips extended City's advantage after a latching onto Patrick Vieira's through ball in the 43rd. Dedryck Boyata headed in his first goal for City from David Silva's free kick in the 59th.
"It is not like the Champions League, sure, but it is important," City manager Roberto Mancini said.
Villa went out despite twice leading after Gabriel Agbonlahor and Emile Heskey scored, but Stiliyan Petrov had a penalty saved. Atdhe Nuhiu, Mario Sonnleitner and Rene Gartler hit goals for Rapid Vienna.
Dortmund downed FK Qarabag 1-0 after having won the home leg 4-0, Leverkusen beat Tavriya Symferopol 3-1 to advance 6-1 and Stuttgart was held 2-2 by Slovan Bratislava but went through 3-2.
PSV Eindhoven wiped out a 1-0 first-leg deficit against Sibir Novosibirsk to progress 5-1, but Dutch rival Feyenoord was beaten 2-0 by Ghent having won the first leg 1-0.
Goals from Evaldo, Nuno Coelho and Yannick Djalo gave Sporting Lisbon a 3-0 win at Brondby to win 3-2 overall.
There will be no Scottish teams in the Europa League. Celtic squandered a 2-0 first-leg led over Utrecht to lose 4-0 with Ricky van Wolfswinkel scoring a hat trick for the Dutch side. Motherwell's 1-0 loss to Danish side OB completed a 3-1 aggregate defeat and Dundee United's 1-1 draw with AEK saw it go out 2-1 on aggregate.
Apart from Besiktas routing Helsinki 4-0 to build on its 2-0 first-leg win, it was a bleak night for Turkish sides, with Galatasaray and Fenerbahce following Trabzonspor out of the competition.
Galatasaray went out on away goals amid late drama at Karpaty Lviv, which had drawn 2-2 in Turkey last week.
Serhiy Kuznetsov had been sent off for Lviv with around 20 minutes to go and Aydin Yilmaz put Galatasaray ahead in the first minute of stoppage time. But there was still time for Artem Fedeskiy to score and secure a 3-3 aggregate draw.
Fenerbahce was held to a 1-1 draw by PAOK Thessaloniki, which went through courtesy of its 1-0 win in Greece.
Lausanne, which qualified as a beaten Swiss Cup finalist, pulled off a surprise result by eliminating Lokomotiv Moscow in a penalty shootout after the first leg ended 1-1, just like last week.
"We're a small team from the Swiss second division so getting into the Europa League is a big achievement for us," Lausanne coach Martin Rueda said.
Former European champion Steaua Bucharest also required penalties to oust Grasshopper, while Paris Saint-Germain lost 4-3 to Maccabi Tel-Aviv but advanced 5-4 on aggregate.
New-look Madrid opens league campaign at Mallorca
MADRID (AP) — A new-look Real Madrid will open its Spanish league campaign Sunday with a visit to Mallorca, and defending champion Barcelona hopes to put squad concerns behind it at Racing Santander.
With new coach Jose Mourinho bringing in a raft of players, expectations are high at the Bernabeu after big-spending Madrid failed to secure any titles last season. The Portuguese coach has some new bite in attack with winger Angel Di Maria, midfielders Mesut Oezil and Pedro Leon, and forward Sergio Canales. The team's ball-winning ability should be boosted by midfielder Sami Khedira and defender Ricardo Carvalho.
"With a new coach and six signings, we haven't had a lot of time," Mourinho said ahead of his debut, stressing the need for his team to improve as the season continues. "The important thing is that we grow, that we are solid, that we play at a medium-high level and show stability in our play and our results."
Mourinho, who won the Champions League, Italian league and Italian Cup titles last season with Inter Milan, has several injury worries to balance out the new arrivals.
Midfielders Fernando Gago and Kaka will miss Sunday's game and the defense looks stretched without Pepe, Ezequiel Garay and Raul Albiol. Carvalho could be brought straight into central defense to cover the deficit.
Mourinho has made clear he prefers to play Cristiano Ronaldo on the wing rather than as a center forward, which was his usual role last season, and Gonzalo Higuain is likely to start up front.
For defender Marcelo, Mourinho has already made an impact at the Bernabeu.
"He's changed our spirit," Marcelo said. "Our training sessions are a constant battle to win a place (on the team) and they make us stronger every day."
A visit to Mallorca last season was a daunting prospect for any team, as the team played well at home record under coach Gregorio Manzano. However, the club is in financial turmoil, causing the departure of several key players. Manzano has also left, to be replaced by Michael Laudrup.
Mallorca received a morale boost this week when senior player Carlos Nunes revealed he had rejected an offer from Sevilla and will stay at the club.
Meanwhile, Santander was a candidate for relegation last season and Barcelona goes into the game on the back of a resounding win against Sevilla in the Supercup and a victory on penalties following a 1-1 draw against AC Milan in a friendly Wednesday.
On the field, the team with eight members of Spain's World Cup squad looks as confident as it did last season when it won a second straight league title. Moreover, new signing David Villa opened his scoring account with his new team against Milan.
However, behind the scenes, Barcelona is still trying to resolve some key squad issues as the transfer window closure looms.
On Thursday, the agent of unsettled striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic met with representatives of Barcelona and Milan to discuss the possibility of the player moving to the Italian club, although no deal was reached. Reports of a breakdown of the Sweden striker's relationship with coach Pep Guardiola have emerged in the media and the coach clearly wants to resolve the issue swiftly.
"The directors have told me they want to sell me, but I don't know what the coach wants because he doesn't talk to me," Ibrahimovic told Italian media Wednesday after the game against Milan. "In the last six months Guardiola has spoken to me twice."
Guardiola replied Thursday: "If I've only spoken to him twice, it's for a reason."
Also, with Yaya Toure's close-season move to Manchester City, Guardiola wants a new defensive midfielder, preferably Liverpool's Javier Mascherano, though Barcelona's ability to buy big is restricted due to financial issues.
Santander, though, is bracing itself for the arrival of the league champions Sunday.
"It's the best team in the world," Santander goalkeeper Antonio "Tono" Rodriguez said. "It's the same whether you face them now or in Week 10 of the season."
In other games, Sevilla will be looking to bounce back from its elimination from the Champions League by Braga when it visits promoted Levante Saturday, and Europa League champion Atletico Madrid hosts Sporting Gijon on Monday.
Also Saturday, it's: Hercules vs. Athletic Bilbao, and Malaga vs. Valencia. On Sunday, it's: Deportivo La Coruna vs. Zaragoza; Espanyol vs. Getafe; Real Sociedad vs. Villarreal; and Osasuna vs. Almeria.
-- Guy Hedgecoe
Schalke and Bremen target first Bundesliga wins
BERLIN (AP) — Schalke and Werder Bremen are both hoping to bounce back from poor opening performances as they prepare for the second round of the Bundesliga, but they do so in contrasting moods.
Bremen conceded four goals in the first half of a 4-1 defeat at Hoffenheim in week one, while Schalke finished with 10 men as it lost 2-1 at Hamburg.
But as Bremen heads into Saturday's home game against Cologne on a high after beating Sampdoria to reach the Champions League group stage, Schalke appears to be a club in turmoil as it prepares to host Hanover.
Fans have been voicing their unhappiness about the leadership of head coach Felix Magath, who recently caused controversy by sacking the club's supporter liaison officer.
And despite the high-profile signings of Raul and Christoph Metzelder, Schalke is still feverishly scouring the player market to solidify a suddenly-suspect defense and boost its offense, with Zvjezdan Misimovic of Wolfsburg strongly rumored to be a target.
German sports magazine Kicker reported that there "will not be a Magath resignation despite the turbulent times," while Magath himself insisted: "I am still having fun with the training work and continuing to restructure the team."
Bremen, meanwhile, is still a club trying to find itself after losing star playmaker Mesut Oezil to Real Madrid just before the first leg of its Champions League playoff, and seeing center back Naldo suffer a knee injury.
"We have to get used to the injuries and transfers of teammates," said Bremen defender Per Mertesacker. "We lost some important players and have new players in the team who have to find their way. This kind of process takes time.
"I have a feeling that other clubs are given more time to find themselves. Everyone expects great things from us right away. Still we reached the Champions League despite these circumstances."
With a spot in the Champions League secured and a second round German Cup showdown against Bayern Munich not taking place until the end of October, Bremen can now focus on the Bundesliga.
And if it needs inspiration, it only needs to recall the start of last season when it lost its opener at home against Eintracht Frankfurt before reeling off a 23-game unbeaten streak.
Also on Saturday, Wolfsburg hosts Mainz in a match which could see the Wolfsburg debut of Diego, who is close to signing with the 2009 league champions.
Saturday's bill includes early leader Hoffenheim traveling to St. Pauli, Eintracht Frankfurt welcoming Hamburg, and Nuremberg hosting Freiburg.
On Friday, defending Bundesliga and German Cup champion Bayern Munich looks for its second straight victory as it travels to promoted side Kaiserslautern, who celebrated its return to the topflight with a convincing 3-1 win over Cologne.
Sunday's standout match has Stuttgart taking on Borussia Dortmund, with both teams looking to recover from 2-0 defeat in their opening games.
While Stuttgart continues to deal with a major facelift of the team, Dortmund must rebound from defeat at home, which happened just three times last season.
Marseille and Lyon set to play new signings
PARIS (AP) — Marseille and Lyon will hope their new attacking signings can spark an upturn in fortunes as they attempt to recover from poor starts to the French league season.
Defending champion Marseille, which lost its opening two matches of the season, has added strikers Loic Remy and Andre-Pierre Gignac to its squad while midtable Lyon has brought in forward Jimmy Briand and playmaker Yoann Gourcuff during the transfer window.
Both teams have the opportunity to display their new France internationals this weekend, with Marseille visiting Bordeaux on Sunday and Lyon taking on Lorient on Saturday.
Bordeaux, champion in 2009, has followed a different path because of financial constraints. The club has lost its two most prized assets from the past two seasons — Morocco striker Marouane Chamakh, who joined English club Arsenal on a free transfer, and Gourcuff, who left for Lyon for a reported fee of 22 million euros ($25 million).
Those moves raised questions about the club's capacity to contend for the title but coach Jean Tigana is adamant about his team's potential.
"In training sessions, it's perfect," Tigana said. "We aren't managing to reproduce it in matches and we must succeed in doing that. But we're on the right track."
Bordeaux has replaced Chamakh with Nigerian forward Moussa Maazou, who has joined on a year-long loan from Russian club CSKA Moscow.
Both Marseille and Bordeaux are looking to make up ground as they have only three points from three matches. Bordeaux picked up its first win of the season last weekend when it beat Paris Saint-Germain.
"PSG was one of the in-form teams at the start of this season," Bordeaux midfielder Alou Diarra said. "Beating them on their home turf can have a positive psychological impact and I believe it can kickstart our season."
Lyon seemed to adopt a new policy this summer, emphasizing youth development at the expense of costly transfers.
"It's true that we have a very young team," Lyon midfielder Maxime Gonalons said. "It's not easy. But we try to adapt."
The signing of Gourcuff, who has impressed since returning to French football after a spell in Italy, should improve Lyon going forward.
"It will increase competition within the squad but we know that Yoann can bring us a lot," Lyon midfielder Jean Makoun said. "Everybody knows his technical skills and his accuracy on set pieces."
Lyon has four points from its three opening matches and will play a Lorient team under pressure.
Lorient is in the relegation zone with just a point. Its defense has been weakened by the departures of Laurent Koscielny and Sylvain Marchal to Arsenal and Saint-Etienne, respectively, while Lamine Kone is also out for up to four months because of a fractured fibula.
Toulouse, which tops the standings with a maximum haul of nine points, hosts Nancy on Saturday.
"Those nine points are a small cushion," Toulouse coach Alain Casanova said. "They allow us to build up some self-confidence. So far, we haven't achieved anything yet. We will have to start from scratch every Saturday."
After selling Gignac to Marseille, Toulouse was able to sign promising forward Yannis Tafer on loan from Lyon for a year. Tafer won the European Championship with France's Under-19 team.
Also on Saturday, it's: Arles-Avignon vs. Rennes, Saint-Etienne vs. Lens, Valenciennes vs. Montpellier and Caen vs. Brest.
On Sunday, it's: Lille vs. Nice, Monaco vs. Auxerre and Sochaux vs. Paris Saint-Germain.
France coach Blanc calls up Gameiro
PARIS (AP) — France coach Laurent Blanc combined youth with experience in his squad announced on Thursday for the European Championship qualifiers against Belarus and Bosnia-Herzegovina in September.
Blanc called up young Lorient striker Kevin Gameiro and veteran Everton forward Louis Saha to compensate for an offense hit by suspensions and weakened by Thierry Henry's international retirement.
"We've tried to build a group that combines youth and talent with players who have a bit more experience," Blanc said.
The 23-year-old Gameiro was the second most prolific striker in the French league last season with 17 goals.
"We will have to create chances and score goals against Belarus and he could be an interesting option," Blanc said about Gameiro.
Saha returns to the France squad after a four-year absence. He was part of the team that reached the 2006 World Cup final.
"Having a team with young players is good, but I believe that it's not enough to be competitive at the top level," Blanc said. "We must try to find people who have a bit more experience and who can guide them."
Blanc was unable to call on Chelsea forward Nicolas Anelka, Manchester United defender Patrice Evra, Bayern Munich winger Franck Ribery, and Lyon defender Jeremy Toulalan, who were suspended by the French Football Federation for their involvement in a World Cup mutiny.
UEFA president Michel Platini, formerly France's captain and manager as well as one its greatest ever players, backed the FFF's decision to sanction those who played a major part in the strike during a World Cup training session.
"I am speaking as the former captain of France," Platini said Thursday. "The players are not just players, they are also ambassadors and the image of the French players in South Africa was deplorable and humiliating, for the (national) flag, the France team and for France (itself)."
Barcelona defender Eric Abidal escaped sanctions by the federation but was not included in the squad.
"I really hope to get over with what happened in South Africa," Blanc said.
As a collective punishment, Blanc dropped all 23 World Cup players for his first match in charge earlier this month — a 2-1 loss in Norway.
Of those 23 players, only nine were picked by Blanc on Thursday: goalkeepers Hugo Lloris, Cedric Carrasso and Steve Mandanda; defenders Gael Clichy and Bacary Sagna; and midfielders Abou Diaby, Alou Diarra, Mathieu Valbuena and Florent Malouda.
France will also be without Lyon playmaker Yoann Gourcuff, who is suspended for a red card at the World Cup, and the injured Samir Nasri and Aly Cissokho.
Blanc also dropped from his squad Tottenham defender William Gallas and forwards Andre-Pierre Gignac and Djibril Cisse.
Gignac is recovering from an ankle injury and Gallas lacks match fitness.
-- Trung Latieule
Chelsea bids to extend stunning scoring form
LONDON (AP) — Heavy-scoring Chelsea hosts a Stoke team it beat 7-0 at home last season as the reigning champions look to extend a stunning run of form that has taken them to the top of the Premier League.
After two rounds of matches, the league table already has an ominous look to it, with the London club leading the way on maximum points and Arsenal, Manchester United and Manchester City all two behind.
Chelsea has beaten both West Bromwich Albion and Wigan 6-0, making it 29 goals in its last five top-flight matches. That includes a 7-0 thrashing of Stoke in Chelsea's penultimate home game last season and Tony Pulis' side visits Stamford Bridge on Saturday.
"We know we have the quality up front and that everybody in the squad can score, so that brings confidence," said Chelsea midfielder Florent Malouda, who has scored three of his team's 12 goals this campaign.
"We are scoring a lot of goals because we always keep the focus all game. We never lie back and say we will play easy."
It has been a record-breaking start to the Premier League season, with 64 goals scored in the first 20 matches — the most in the top flight since it was reduced to 20 teams. Arsenal and Newcastle joined Chelsea in easing to 6-0 wins last weekend and teams appear prepared to play open, attacking football in the early stages of the season.
There is the strong possibility of more heavy scoring this weekend with bottom-place Wigan, which has conceded 10 goals already, traveling to White Hart Lane to play Tottenham, which beat Young Boys 4-0 on Wednesday to qualify for the group stages of the Champions League. Wigan is also returning to the ground where it conceded nine goals last season.
"It's important the entire squad is ready and focused for what will be like a cup final for us, going in search of our first league win of the season," Wigan manager Roberto Martinez said.
"They (Tottenham) are in a great moment after a good result in European competition so you can imagine how they are feeling."
Second-place Arsenal will look to follow up its thrashing of Blackpool at Emirates Stadium when it visits Blackburn on Saturday. Third-place Man United, which conceded a last-minute goal at Fulham to draw 2-2 last weekend, is at home to West Ham, which like Wigan is without a point and has looked porous in defense.
Also on Saturday, promoted Blackpool plays its first home match in the Premier League when it hosts Fulham, and Newcastle, which routed Aston Villa at St James' Park on Sunday, goes to Wolverhampton Wanderers.
On Sunday, Liverpool looks for its first victory of the season in the league when it hosts West Brom at Anfield. After drawing its opening match 1-1 against Arsenal, Roy Hodgson's side was beaten 3-0 by Man City on Monday and currently is fourth from bottom in the fledgling table.
Fourth-place City is away at Sunderland and Bolton is at home to Birmingham. In Sunday's other game, Aston Villa hosts Everton, with Villa's interim manager Kevin MacDonald seeking a win to improve his hopes of replacing the departed Martin O'Neill on a fulltime basis.
-- Steve Douglas
Birmingham beats Rochdale to advance in League Cup
LONDON (AP) — Birmingham came from behind to beat third-tier club Rochdale 3-2 and reach the third round of the League Cup.
Rochdale captain Gary Jones scored twice, but goals from James McFadden, David Murphy and Matt Derbyshire sent the Premier League side through.
Derbyshire's 53rd-minute goal proved decisive, his first for Birmingham since joining from Olympiakos in the offseason.
Elsewhere
Euro soccer head says video technology not needed
MONACO (AP) — The head of European soccer insists referees do not need help from video technology.
UEFA president Michel Platini contends that five officials should be enough to spot a penalty, hand ball or whether the ball crosses the line.
"I will always defend it and with a lot of rigor as I believe it is the only solution," he said Thursday. "In terms of technology, I'm very measured because I go on the basis that if you have an additional referee he can see it just as well as technology."
Disputed plays during this year's World Cup led to worldwide criticism, strengthening calls to bring high-tech methods to soccer.
The five-official format started during last season's Europa League and will be used during this season's Champions League. The system features an assistant behind each goal as well as the two linesmen and referee.
"Eyes have always functioned and have always worked, so I am more in favor of testing the experience of whether the referee there has seen whether the ball went in or not," Platini said. "Let's wait and see how the (five-official system) works before seeing whether goal-line technology is important."
UEFA also has also taken steps to reinvigorate its officiating by appointing famed former Italian referee Pierluigi Collina as its new chief refereeing officer.
One of the latest flaps came Wednesday when Tottenham beat the Swiss club Young Boys 4-0 to reach the Champions League group stage for the first time.
Jermain Defoe scored a disputed second goal after controlling a pass with his left hand. The hand ball was missed by the extra official behind the goal. Defoe admitted handling the ball.
At the World Cup, England was denied a clear goal when Frank Lampard's shot bounced down from the crossbar over the goal line. That would have made the score 2-2 against Germany, which went on to win 4-1. Argentina led 1-0 against Mexico when Carlos Tevez scored while clearly offside. Argentina won 3-1.
Ireland was knocked out of its World Cup playoff against France when Thierry Henry controlled the ball with his hand before crossing for William Gallas to score.
Platini said the high-profile errors affecting Ireland, England and Mexico were made with three officials instead of five, and such mistakes will be less frequent in the new system.
Collina will be assisted by Marc Batta of France and Hugh Dallas of Scotland. They will designate officials and help improve conditioning programs. Collina stresses the importance of stopping the "pulling and pushing" inside the penalty area — a recurring issue during the World Cup.
He promises to be ruthless.
"The referees will have no more excuses," he said. "If they're not good enough to be on the pitch, they will not be on the pitch anymore."
-- Jerome Pugmire
New South Africa coach mixes youth and experience
JOHANNESBURG (AP) — New South Africa coach Pitso Mosimane opted for a blend of youth and experience in a 25-man squad named Thursday to face Niger in Bafana Bafana's first qualifying match for the 2012 African Cup of Nations.
Mosimane included youngsters Kermit Erasmus, Daylon Claasen and Keegan Ritchie alongside experienced England-based internationals Steven Pienaar of Everton and Portsmouth's Aaron Mokoena.
Defender Bongani Khumalo also returns after missing Mosimane's first match in charge — the 1-0 friendly win over Ghana earlier this month — with injury.
South Africa faces Niger at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit on Sept. 4 in Mosimane's first competitive international since taking over from World Cup coach Carlos Alberto Parreira.
The South African Football Association has demanded that Mosimane, Parreira's former assistant who was appointed to the top job last month, qualify the 2010 World Cup host country for the 2012 Cup of Nations and the World Cup in Brazil in 2014.
"In presenting Vision 2014, I said we will utilize a combination of youth and experience to achieve our objectives, hence a gradual inclusion of youngsters into the fold," Mosimane said. "I will not throw them into the deep end."
Erasmus and Ritchie play for local clubs in South Africa's Premier Soccer League, while highly-rated midfielder Claasen is with Lierse FC of Belgium.
There are also places in Mosimane's squad for World Cup star Siphiwe Tshabalala and striker Katlego Mphela, but Benni McCarthy is again not included after being left out of Bafana's final draft for the World Cup.
South Africa is grouped with Niger, Sierra Leone and defending African champion Egypt in its qualifying group and Mosimane sees the campaign opener at home to Niger as a must-win fixture.
"The key factor is collecting three points in this fixture," Mosimane said. "We are playing at home and it is therefore crucial to start with a win because when we play away you will never know what might happen.
"I would like to win with plenty of goals because we might need them later in the qualifiers."
South Africa then travels to Sierra Leone before successive games against Egypt in its next three qualifying matches.
Wenger confirms signing of defender Squillaci
LONDON (AP) — Sebastien Squillaci became the latest French defender to join Arsenal after his transfer was confirmed by manager Arsene Wenger on Thursday.
The Premier League club said Squillaci's move from Spanish side Sevilla was not concluded, with minor details still to be finalized, but the 30-year-old center back is set to take part in training with his new teammates on Friday.
Squillaci, who started one game for France at the World Cup in June, will link up with compatriots Laurent Koscielny, Gael Clichy and Bacary Sagna at the London club.
"We needed a center back of quality and experience if possible, and at the right price — Sebastien was all of that," Wenger said.
"He is a real defender and is good in the one against one, good in the air, and can score goals on set pieces as well. I believe he will be suited to the English game."
Wenger, who said Squillaci would not be available to play in Arsenal's Premier League match at Blackburn on Saturday, has been looking to sign another center back despite paying a reported 10 million pounds ($15.5 million) to sign Koscielny from Lorient in July.
Arsenal released defenders William Gallas, Mikael Silvestre and Sol Campbell over the summer and sold Philippe Senderos to Fulham, leaving Wenger short of cover in that position.
Former Lyon and Monaco defender Squillaci asked to be left out of Sevilla's squad for its two-legged Champions League playoff against Braga to ensure he could play in the tournament with Arsenal this season.
Wenger tried to sign goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer earlier this summer but had a bid turned down by Fulham. With the transfer window closing on Tuesday, the French manager said there were no other transfers imminent.
"We are where we are — we have four great keepers and it is important we give confidence to them for the next game," Wenger said. "At the moment I say I am not in a position to sign anybody."
Fiery attack by football fans draws inquiry
BERGAMO, Italy (AP) — Police in the northern Italian city of Bergamo were working Thursday to identify about 500 football fans who attacked a political rally to protest a controversial fan ID card system being introduced this season.
Atalanta supporters launched small bombs and flares late Wednesday night at the event, whose speakers included Interior Minister Roberto Maroni — who pushed for the new ID system — and two other ministers.
The ANSA news agency reported that two police cars and three other vehicles were set on fire.
One officer suffered a leg injury and two other police offers suffered smoke inhalation.
Italian football federation president Giancarlo Abete said that he is standing by the ID program, even if it means fewer fans at the stadiums — with season ticket sales down 20 percent league-wide.
"I'm worried, because the trend over the last three-four years, after the scandal, showed constant growth in fan attendance," Abete told Italian state radio RAI. "It's not a positive signal but the problem with football isn't having more or less spectators, it's battling violence, and if we need to pay these prices so be it."
Iniesta, Torres back in Spain squad after injuries
MADRID (AP) — Andres Iniesta and Fernando Torres will both return to the Spain team that opens its qualifying campaign for the 2012 European Championship against Liechtenstein on Sept. 3.
Spain coach Vicente del Bosque announced the 21-man squad Thursday for the qualifier and a friendly against Argentina on Sept. 7. The side is virtually unchanged from that which won the World Cup in Johannesburg on July 11.
Iniesta, who scored the winning goal in the World Cup final against the Netherlands, was injured for a friendly against Mexico earlier this month, as was Torres. Goalkeeper Pepe Reina will also return to the team after injury kept him out of the squad for the 1-1 draw in Mexico City.
Raul Albiol, Juan Manuel Mata and Javier Martinez were the only players from the World Cup-winning squad not included. Albiol is injured and Mata and Martinez have been called up by the under-21 side, which faces the Netherlands and Poland.
Scolari allowed to coach after cursing accusation
SAO PAULO (AP) — World Cup-winning coach Luiz Felipe Scolari has been found not guilty of cursing at a referee in Brazil, escaping a suspension that could have reached 12 matches.
Scolari had been accused of offending a referee in Palmeiras' 2-0 win over Atletico Paranaense in a Brazilian league match on Aug. 14, when he was ejected in the second half after harsh complaints.
Brazil's sports tribunal late Wednesday said there was not enough evidence to suspend the coach, who acknowledged that he "will try to control" himself from now on.
The colorful Scolari is known for having a short temper and has had heated discussions with referees and the media throughout his career.
Scolari led Brazil to the 2002 World Cup title.
Injury puts Adriano's Serie A return on hold
ROME (AP) — Newly signed AS Roma forward Adriano will miss the start of the Serie A season with a right thigh muscle tear.
Adriano was injured during training Wednesday and Roma said that tests Thursday revealed the tear. He could be out for up to a month.
Adriano signed a three-year contract with Roma in June after playing with Flamengo last season. The 28-year-old Adriano was a successful goalscorer for Inter Milan before he ran into weight and personal problems, prompting his departure from the Italian league two seasons ago.
He made his debut for Roma as a substitute in the second half of a 3-1 loss to Inter in last weekend's Italian Super Cup.
Roma opens the Serie A season against newly promoted Cesena on Saturday.
Gomes dropped from Brazil squad because of injury
SAO PAULO, Brazil (AP) — The Brazilian football federation says goalkeeper Gomes has been dropped from Brazil's squad because of a right leg muscle injury.
Gomes sustained the injury with Tottenham in the Premier League team's 4-0 win over Young Boys in the Champions League on Wednesday.
He will be replaced by 17-year-old Cruzeiro goalkeeper Gabriel, who has been playing with Brazil's youth squads.
The Brazil squad will meet for a training camp from Sept. 2-7 in Barcelona. The five-time world champion will play practice matches, but no friendlies have been scheduled for the period.
The 29-year-old Gomes was Brazil's reserve goalkeeper at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Inter Milan's Julio Cesar was the starter.
Ganso to miss rest of season with knee injury
SAO PAULO, Brazil (AP) — Young Brazil playmaker Paulo Henrique Ganso will miss the rest of the season because of a left knee injury that will require surgery.
Ganso tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during Santos' 2-1 victory over Gremio in Porto Alegre on Wednesday and his team said medical tests on Thursday showed he needs surgery that will leave him sidelined for about six months.
The 20-year-old midfielder is one of the most promising stars in Brazilian football and many fans wanted him to be included in Brazil's World Cup team in South Africa earlier this year.
Along with Santos teammate Neymar, he made his debut with the national team in a 2-0 victory over the United States in a friendly at New Jersey earlier this month.
Hapoel Tel Aviv to move home for Champions League
NYON, Switzerland (AP) — UEFA has told Hapoel Tel Aviv that its 13,000-capacity Bloomfield Stadium is not suitable to host Champions League group stage games.
UEFA says that the club has been asked to make arrangements to play its three home matches at Israel's national stadium in Ramat Gan.
Ramat Gan also hosted Maccabi Tel Aviv's group stage campaign six years ago and Maccabi Haifa's matches last season.
Hapoel qualified for the Champions League for the first time by drawing 1-1 with Austria's Salzburg at a packed Bloomfield Stadium on Tuesday, to win their playoff tie 4-3 on aggregate.
UEFA will draw the Champions League groups later Thursday in Monaco.
Report: Ballack not yet fit for Germany
BERLIN (AP) — German sports weekly Kicker says Germany coach Joachim Loew is leaving Michael Ballack home for the team's first two 2012 European Championship qualifiers, saying he is not yet fit.
Germany's longtime captain injured his ankle in the FA Cup final, knocking him out of the World Cup. Kicker reported without citing its sources Thursday that Loew will not name Ballack to his lineup. An announcement is planned Friday.
Ballack made a successful Bundesliga comeback with Bayer Leverkusen on Sunday. The team kept him home from a Europa League qualifier Thursday to "regenerate." He is to play again this weekend.
Denmark to play the Czech Republic in friendly
COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Denmark will play a friendly against the Czech Republic in November in Aarhus.
Denmark coach Morten Olsen says he "cannot get enough of friendlies" to test new players.
Several of Denmark's players retired from international football after the World Cup, including Jon Dahl Tomasson and Martin Jorgensen, allowing some new faces for the team's first 2012 European Championship qualifier against Iceland on Sept. 7.
The match will be played Nov. 27.
Report: buses carrying PAOK fans attacked
ISTANBUL (AP) — Turkish media say buses carrying fans of Greek Club PAOK Thessaloniki have been attacked with stones ahead of a Europa League playoff match against Fenerbahce.
The violence occurred Thursday in Istanbul.
Private NTV television says PAOK and Fenerbahce fans later threw bottles at each other outside of the stadium. Riot police intervened to prevent a possible brawl between the supporters from rivals Turkey and Greece.
No injuries were reported but NTV says a number of fans were detained. The game ended in a 1-1 draw.
Barcelona loans Sanchez to Getafe for 1 year
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Barcelona has loaned midfielder Victor Sanchez to Getafe on a one-season deal. The 23-year-old Sanchez was loaned out to Xerez last season, where he played 25 games and scored two goals.
During the 2008-09 season, Sanchez played several games for the Barcelona team that won the league, Copa del Rey and Champions League titles. The player came through Barcelona's youth team system. Barcelona says Getafe will unveil Sanchez on Friday.
Udinese's Di Natale rejects Juventus move
UDINE, Italy (AP) — Udinese striker Antonio Di Natale has rejected a transfer offer from Juventus. Udinese said Thursday that Di Natale, last season's Serie A top scorer, considered the offer for a few days and decided to stay.
The 32-year-old Di Natale, part of the Italy squad that was eliminated from the first round of the World Cup, led Serie A with 29 goals last season. He began his career with Empoli and is now entering his seventh season with Udinese.
Japan's Yano looking to sign with Freiburg
TOKYO (AP) — Japan forward Kisho Yano has flown to Germany to discuss terms over a move to Bundesliga club Freiburg.
Yano, who played in two games for Japan at the World Cup, and had been under contract to J-League club Albirex Niigata, departed Thursday.
The 26-year-old Yano would be the fourth Japanese to play in the Bundesliga, joining Shinji Kagawa (Borussia Dortmund), Atsuto Uchida (Schalke) and Makoto Hasebe (Wolfsburg).
Mancienne rejoins Wolves on loan
WOLVERHAMPTON, England (AP) — Michael Mancienne has rejoined Wolverhampton Wanderers on a season-long loan deal from Premier League rival Chelsea.
The 22-year-old defensive midfielder, who has struggled for first-team opportunities at Chelsea, had an impressive spell on loan at Wolves last season, making 33 league appearances.
He was also at Molineux for a short loan stint in the 2008-09 campaign, when Wolves was in the second-tier League Championship. He reecived an England call-up that season.
