Soccer Capsules: Chelsea beats Wigan 8-0 to win Premier League
LONDON — Chelsea regained the Premier League title from Manchester United with a 8-0 victory over Wigan on Sunday with Didier Drogba scoring three times.
Even though United finished the campaign with a 4-0 victory over Stoke at Old Trafford, the big celebrations were at Stamford Bridge where goals by Drogba, two by Nicolas Anelka and one each by Frank Lampard, Salomon Kalou and Ashley Cole left Chelsea champions by one point in manager Carlo Ancelotti's first season in English football.
It is Chelsea's third league title in six years — the others being under Jose Mourinho in 2005 and '06 — and the result means it prevented United becoming the first team to win the English title four years in a row.
"After 1-0 today that was the first time I thought, 'Yes, that's ours,'" said Chelsea captain John Terry, whose private life brought distracting headlines to the club and led to him losing the England captaincy.
"Forget everything else, this is about Chelsea Football Club and our day today," Terry said. "It has been a hard three years not winning the Premiership and today we deserved it. It's been hurting inside of me for three years, seeing Man United lifting it season after season."
Now Ancelotti hopes to complete Chelsea's first league and FA Cup double by beating Portsmouth in Saturday's final at Wembley.
"There are a lot of things we're happy about," said the former AC Milan coach. "We're happy for this record, for Didier being the top scorer. But the most important thing is that we showed some good play.
"Mourinho did some fantastic work and won two titles consecutively. This is my first and I hope to do the same as Mourinho. Now we have the opportunity to win the double and I hope that my players can, after these celebrations."
Chelsea went into the final round one point ahead of United after a see-sawing season, and Anelka fired Ancelotti's team into a sixth-minute lead.
Although Darren Fletcher put United a goal up at Old Trafford in the 31st, within a minute it was 2-0 at Stamford Bridge.
Lampard scored from the penalty spot for his 22nd league goal of the season after he had been brought down by Gary Caldwell. The Scottish defender was also sent off for the challenge, which made United's hopes of a Wigan comeback even slimmer.
Ryan Giggs scored a second for United before halftime but the goal celebrations were muted. News of further Chelsea goals by Salomon Kalou, Anelka, Drogba and Ashley Cole made the atmosphere worse at Old Trafford, with United's fans turning their attention to chanting their opposition to the club's ownership by Malcolm Glazer and his family.
Outside Old Trafford before the game, fans let off at least one smoke bomb in protest at the Glazers, who have landed the club with an enormous debt to finance their purchase of the club.
United manager Alex Ferguson saluted Ancelotti for his achievement.
"When we heard Wigan was down to 10 men, our hopes evaporated then," Ferguson said. "We know how difficult it is to win the Premier League and that's why we congratulate Carlo Ancelotti and his team.
"It's a great achievement to beat Manchester United. Losing this title makes you appreciate the achievement of winning the last three and also getting so near. We've got to try again."
Drogba finished the campaign as leading scorer with 29 goals, three more than longtime leader Wayne Rooney, who failed to hit the target for Man United against Stoke and limped off the field with an injury,
It was the fourth time this season Chelsea has hit at least seven goals, the other victims being Sunderland, Aston Villa and Stoke.
Arsenal made sure of finishing third ahead of north London neighbor Tottenham with a 4-0 victory over a weakened Fulham side, which is headed for Wednesday's Europa League final against Atletico Madrid in Hamburg.
Andrei Arshavin, Robin van Persie and an own-goal by Fulham's Chris Board put Arsenal in control by halftime, and Carlos Vela later added a fourth.
The victory means that Arsene Wenger's team, which has failed to win a trophy for the fifth season in a row, will now go straight into the group phase of the Champions League
Tottenham threw away a two-goal lead after early strikes by Gareth Bale and Luka Modric to lose 4-2 at relegated Burnley and has to be satisfied with fourth place, its highest finish since placing third in 1990.
Another relegated side, Hull held Liverpool to a 0-0 draw. Portsmouth, which finished last, conceded an injury-time winner to Diniyar Bilyaletdinov to lose 1-0 at Everton.
In Sunday's other games, Manchester City was held 1-1 at West Ham, Blackburn won 1-0 at Aston Villa, Bolton beat Birmingham 2-1 and Wolves edged Sunderland 2-1.
In the playoffs to decide the third team to gain promotion to the top flight, Peter Whittingham's 78th-minute free kick gave Cardiff a 1-0 victory at Leicester in the first leg. In the other semifinal, Blackpool leads Nottingham Forest 2-1.
Newcastle and West Bromwich Albion have already gained promotion from the League Championship after finishing first and second.
Carlo Ancelotti brings back Chelsea swagger
LONDON — Chelsea has the statistical proof that its third title in six years was fully deserved, scoring a record 103 times for a goal difference of 71 and six wins in six games against its big three traditional rivals.
Chelsea finished the season with an 8-0 thrashing of Wigan on Sunday to become the first Premier League team to score a century of goals and the first in topflight football since Tottenham in 1963.
And behind those figures was the impressive way Chelsea did it.
While Jose Mourinho's two title-winning teams, in 2005 and '06, were pragmatic rather than stylish, Carlo Ancelotti marked his first season in English football by creating a Chelsea team that blew away many of its opponents with a swagger — even if it did only beat Manchester United by one point.
Since Mourinho guided Chelsea to its first league title for half a century, Chelsea has had four more coaches to try and wrest the title back from Manchester United, which had won it three seasons in a row.
It looked as if the balance of Premier League power had swung back to Old Trafford.
But the club from a fashionable part of West London is now hot favorite to complete the rare league and cup double by beating the Premier League's last-place team, Portsmouth, in next weekend's FA Cup final at Wembley.
Until it began winning titles on a regular basis from 1997, Chelsea was taunted by its rivals for having little history — just one league championship, one FA Cup, one League Cup and one European Cup Winners' Cup to show for a club formed in 1905.
Chelsea would play football with panache but little depth and was considered something of a lightweight in the race for trophies.
How that has changed.
"We can win a double and, if we do, it will be a very good achievement, a first for the club and a piece of history," Ancelotti said. "It won't make people forget Jose Mourinho, because he won two (league) titles here and did a fantastic job. But it's important to keep making history."
If Chelsea adds the FA Cup to its third Premier League triumph, the club will have won 11 domestic trophies from 1997 onward.
In his first season in English football, it would have been easy for Ancelotti to become distracted by the mind games played by rival coaches, notably Manchester United's vastly experienced Alex Ferguson.
But the man who led AC Milan to two Champions League titles lifted the pressure off himself and his players by making as few changes as possible from the squad he had inherited from the previous men in charge.
Rather than plunder his old club for players he knew well, Ancelotti trusted those already at Stamford Bridge.
He also refused to look too far ahead. Even when the championship was within sight, he would only concentrate on the next game, never allowing himself to think about winning the league and cup double, one of the most sought-after achievements in one of the toughest leagues in the world.
Ancelotti managed to harness the talents of strikers Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka, two players known to have fragile temperaments, and they have rewarded him with plenty of goals and assists. With three against Wigan, Drogba finished top Premier League scorer with 29. Frank Lampard scored 22 league goals from midfield.
Chelsea also hit seven goals in games against Sunderland, Aston Villa and Stoke, and 17 without reply in consecutive league and cup matches against Atletico Madrid (4-0), Blackburn (5-0) and Bolton (4-0 and 4-0).
Ancelotti didn't panic when Chelsea went into a dip midway through the season, with only one win in seven games. His team hit back with six wins in a row to make sure it stayed in the title race.
In a season where the title race has been closely fought from start to finish, Chelsea has had to shrug off allegations in the media about the private lives of John Terry and Ashley Cole, who were both reported to have had affairs.
Terry even had the England captaincy taken off him and there was speculation that it had affected his form.
"But we're fine if we can go on and do the double. That will be even better," Terry said. "But it's not about my form or anyone else's form, it's about Chelsea winning things. That puts a smile on the fans' faces and, if we can do that, that makes us happy as a group of players."
While the scandals dominated the front pages of the media, Ancelotti remained calm and in control of what happened on the field.
After he sets out to join a select group of managers — Ferguson included — by winning the league and cup double, he will sit down with the club's billionaire owner, Roman Abramovich, and plan for next season.
Ancelotti says he is not likely to ask the Russian to finance big-money signings, even though the club has been linked with Liverpool striker Fernando Torres.
"Spending is not the main thing. This squad is good enough for next season," Ancelotti said. "I think the club can invest money for any player but only if it's necessary. If it is not, we can keep the money.
"Our academy is working very well and our philosophy is to grow our own players for the first team. That is our aim, not signing Fernando Torres. He is a fantastic player but we already have Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka."
-- Robert Millward
Hodgson says UEFA should consider postponing final
LONDON — Fulham manager Roy Hodgson called on UEFA on Sunday to consider postponing the Europa League final, fearful that the volcanic ash cloud disrupting air travel throughout Europe may upset the team's travel plans to Germany.
Hodgson said he didn't believe it would be fair on Fulham or Atletico Madrid and both team's traveling fans to make extremely long journeys over land to try to make it in time to Wednesday's final in Hamburg.
Fulham is scheduled to fly out Tuesday morning from London, but Hodgson said plans were being frantically investigated to see if the team could fly out a day earlier but that it's not as easy as "snapping our fingers."
"We're worried," Hodgson said. "It's all very well people saying, 'Change the flight.' We're talking about 40 people and we're talking about lots of kit. It's not just one person going on a package holiday. We're talking about a major operation to get people over to Hamburg."
Fulham lost 4-0 to Arsenal on Sunday's last day of the season. Hodgson had unsuccessfully called on the Premier League to move the game forward one day to help his team's preparations for the final.
Fulham has already made one journey by bus because of volcanic ash this season, travelling 900 kilometers (560 miles) to Hamburg for the Europa League semifinal.
In the most recent volcanic activity, airlines have canceled hundreds of flights across Europe and added hours to trans-Atlantic journeys with planes being diverted around a large plume of ash spewed by the volcano that stretches from Greenland to Portugal.
So far, the number of weekend cancellations have been a fraction of the flights grounded last month when European air traffic authorities closed down much of the continent's airspace fearful that the ash could harm jet engines.
Hodgson said the team is scheduled to train Monday morning and a decision to fly out later that evening is not in his hands.
"It's not just a question of us deciding we will go tomorrow (Monday) night," Hodgson said. "We need to get the air aviation authorities to give us take-off times and routes between London and Hamburg. And I can pretty much guess that we're not the only aircraft wishing to make changes to their schedules with a view to the volcanic ash."
Hodgson said that traveling by train may not be an option because all seats will probably be booked.
"We may be in the situation of having no choice," he said. "In that situation, I would really be expecting, if Madrid especially is in the same situation, for UEFA maybe to show some transigence rather than the usual intransigence and possibly trying to find a solution which helps us both, i.e. by postponing the game for the time when we can both play there.
"I don't think it's quite that simple, you just say: 'Well, the game's Wednesday, you better get there' if Madrid's facing a 30-hour journey and we're facing a 20-hour journey."
Hodgson said forcing the teams to make long journeys over land would put a dampener on the occasion.
"It's another reason for UEFA to maybe reconsider and not to be so intransigent and say, 'The game's the 12th and it's up to you, you better get there,'" Hodgson said. "That seems to me a little bit harsh."
The volcano is not the only problem Hodgson is facing before the final, with key players racing to be fit. They include Paul Konchesky (ankle), Brede Hangeland (knee), Aaron Hughes (groin), Damien Duff (leg) and Bobby Zamora (Achilles).
In addition, defender John Pantsil, who recently returned from a long lay-off because of injury, picked up a thigh strain in the Arsenal loss, and midfielder Bjorn Helge Riise was replaced at the end of the first half because of stomach cramps.
-- Frank Griffiths
Argentinos tops table after dramatic late win
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — Argentinos Juniors leapt to the top of the Argentine Clausura standings after scoring two late goals to win 4-3 over Independiente on Sunday and complete an incredible comeback.
The win moved Argentinos to 38 points with one round remaining, one point ahead of Estudiantes, which had captain Juan Sebastian Veron sent off in a scoreless draw with Rosario Central.
Argentinos travels to Huracan in its final match, while Estudiantes is away to Colon de Santa Fe, currently in the bottom half of the 20-team standings.
Nicolas Pavlovich opened the scoring for Argentinos against Independiente, finishing at the back post after a pass across the box from Jose Luis Calderon in the 27th minute.
Leonel Nunez equalized directly from a corner barely a minute later and Independiente took the lead with a 49th-minute header from Dario Gandin and another strike by Nunez in the 68th.
Argentinos looked beaten, but Pavlovich pulled a goal back by heading in Ignacio Canuto's right-wing cross in the 74th minute and Juan Sabia equalized with a strike into the roof of the net in the final minute of regular time.
As both sides committed players forward in search of a winner, Calderon passed to Matias Caruzzo whose deflected shot in the third minute of stoppage time gave Argentinos all three points.
"We won because we put in a lot of fight, a lot of attitude. There's still some way to go though and we've got to stay calm, manage the anxiety," said Caruzzo. "We've got 90 tough minutes to go against Huracan."
The result was bad news for Estudiantes, which could have clinched the title Sunday if it had won and Argentinos hadn't beaten Independiente.
Things started to go wrong for Estudiantes when former Manchester United midfielder Veron was sent off for elbowing an opposition player after half an hour.
Without the playmaker, Estudiantes struggled to break down the Rosario defence and will have to hope Argentinos slips up in its last match to have any chance of claiming the title.
"A player as experienced as Sebastian is difficult to replace," Estudiantes coach Alejandro Sabella said. "The players who were left on the pitch played a great match, but they just couldn't do it. We thought we were going to keep the advantage, and it's a hard knock because we are not at the top any more."
In other matches Sunday, Boca Juniors looks certain to end its miserable season in the bottom half after losing 2-1 at home against Huracan, while Banfield won 2-1 at Tigre and Atletico Tucuman was held 1-1 by Arsenal de Sarandi.
Adrian Peralta gave Huracan the lead in Boca's Bombonera stadium just before the break, but Gabriel Paletta equalized in the 50th minute. Boca had defender Juan Krupoviesa sent off in the 58th minute and Gaston Machin made the extra man count with the winning goal in the 79th.
A Ruben Ramirez penalty and a second-half goal from Roberto Battion earned Banfield a 2-1 victory at Tigre. Brian Rodriguez got a late consolation for Tigre.
Elsewhere, Luciano Leguizamon opened the scoring in the 20th minute for Arsenal de Sarandi but Juan Pereyra equalized after half time for already-relegated Atletico Tucuman.
In results from Saturday: Velez Sarsfield 4, Chacarita Juniors 1; Newell's Old Boys 6, Gimnasia 0; River Plate 3, Racing Club 0.
On Monday, Godoy Cruz takes on Colon and Lanus plays San Lorenzo.
Inter Milan wins, but forced to wait for title
MILAN — Inter Milan will have to wait until the final weekend of the Serie A season to wrap up its fifth consecutive title, despite beating Chievo Verona 4-3 on Sunday.
Francesco Totti kept AS Roma's hopes alive of overtaking Inter by scoring twice to help his team rally for a 2-1 win over Cagliari. That leaves Roma still two points behind Inter ahead of the final round.
Inter travels to play Siena, while Roma is away to Chievo next weekend. If both teams finish with level on points, Roma will take the title because of a better head-to-head record.
"It is fantastic that we are still in contention on the last weekend," Roma defender Nicolas Burdisso said. "To have a chance to win this championship is great because it has been such a hard season."
Inter seemed headed for a comfortable win when leading 4-1, but Pablo Granoche and Sergio Pellissier scored late for Chievo.
"The important thing is that the team held on till the end," Inter midfielder Esteban Cambiasso said. "We have to go to the last weekend and while it isn't something we wanted, that's football and we just have to win our last game."
AC Milan remains in the third Champions League place despite a 1-0 loss to Genoa, while Sampdoria drew 1-1 away to Palermo to stay fourth.
At the foot of the table, Atalanta lost 2-0 to Napoli and is relegated along with Siena and Livorno.
Inter started in determined fashion, and Maicon and Dejan Stankovic came close with early shots, but it was Chievo which took the lead when Thiago Motta deflected in Michele Marcolini's free kick.
Another own goal immediately brought Inter level. Samuel Eto'o crossed and Andrea Mantovani could do little to stop the ball deflecting off him and past Chievo keeper Stefano Sorrentino.
Cambiasso put Inter ahead in the 34th, volleying home a cross by Maicon at the far post. Diego Milito scored the third five minutes later, chipping Sorrentino from the edge of the area.
Mario Balotelli scored Inter's fourth and Jose Mourinho's team appeared well in control and on course for the title, as Roma was level at 0-0 at the time.
Chievo didn't give up, though, and goals from Granoche and Pellissier meant that Inter finished the match in a nervous, rather than celebratory, mood.
"Football is full of matches that change at the last minute," Cambiasso said. "We knew what was happening as we heard our supporters explode when they heard that Cagliari had scored."
Meanwhile, Roma looked headed for a draw at most after wasting a number of chances, with Luca Toni, Marco Motta and John Arne Riise all hitting the frame of the goal.
Simone Perrotta had a header ruled out for offside, Totti missed an open goal and Cagliari goalkeeper Cristiano Lupatelli made desperate saves from Jeremy Menez and Rodrigo Taddei.
"We were playing a team that we knew would make life difficult for us," Roma coach Claudio Ranieri said. "We have had a near perfect season, but Inter has the advantage and all we can do is keep competing till the end."
Andrea Lazzari then appeared to have ended Roma's championship hopes when he fired in a low free kick in the 73rd, but Totti linked up with Daniele De Rossi to equalize in the 79th.
He added his second from the penalty spot in the 83rd after Davide Biondini handled Riise's cross.
"He is the captain and our figurehead," Ranieri said. "The fans and everyone knows what he is about; goals and linkup play. That is what he did today."
In Palermo, both sides struggled in the first half and only two headers from Edinson Cavani came close to opening the scoring.
Giampaolo Pazzini gave Sampdoria the lead in the 54th, striking home a penalty after Salvatore Sirigu brought down Daniele Mannini.
Palermo came back and after Luciano Mauri bundled over Fabrizio Miccoli, the Palermo captain got up and brought his side level.
Also Sunday, it was; Bologna 1, Catania 1; Fiorentina 1, Siena 1; Juventus 2, Parma 3; Livorno 1, Lazio 2; Udinese 3, Bari 3.
-- Jeremy Inson
Barcelona not taking league title for granted
MADRID — Barcelona isn't taking its 20th Spanish league title for granted even though it needs just one more win to collect the trophy.
Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola said there was "still a lot of sweating and running to do" as he looked ahead to next weekend's final round, which sees his team play Valladolid.
After Saturday's results, Barcelona has 96 points and Real Madrid 95.
The Catalans held their nerve in a tough away fixture at Sevilla to clinch a 3-2 win, while Madrid improved after a poor start to beat Athletic Bilbao 5-1.
Barcelona needs only to match Madrid's result in the final round to claim a second successive league title. One of the teams, however, will end the season without a single trophy.
Madrid plays Malaga, which, like Valladolid, is battling relegation.
"The great thing is that it depends on us but we have to win next week's game, because Valladolid is fighting to stay up and, knowing (coach) Javi Clemente, I'm expecting a really tough game," Guardiola said.
Madrid's players are still upbeat about the chance that Barcelona could slip up. Goalkeeper Iker Casillas even said the team will take champagne to Malaga in case it wins the title there.
"We're going to Malaga with the idea of getting 98 points. If (Barcelona) get 99, then we'll just have to congratulate them," he said.
Whatever happens next weekend, the winner will end the season with a record number of league points.
Despite Saturday's 5-1 scoreline, Madrid coach Manuel Pellegrini admitted his team was left with a "bitter taste" due to Barcelona's march toward the title. However, he is hoping desperation at the foot of the table will help his cause.
"There's one round left," he said. "It's difficult but Valladolid is fighting to stay up, and in football anything is possible. We won't lose faith."
Barcelona may be the favorite to take the title, but Madrid and Valladolid can take heart from the way Sevilla managed to steal two late goals and nearly grab a point following lapses by Barca's defense.
They can also draw hope from Clemente's long and impressive record of inspiring desperate teams to overperform in dire circumstances.
Benfica wins 1st Portuguese title in 5 years
LISBON, Portugal — Benfica won its first Portuguese league title in five years Sunday with a 2-1 home victory over 10-man Rio Ave on the last day of the season.
Oscar Cardozo scored in each half to become the league's top scorer with 26 goals and put Benfica on 76 points, five clear of second-place FC Braga.
Benfica lost only two league games all season and has been top since December.
Braga, whose best previous finish was fourth, drew 1-1 at Nacional to snare a berth in the qualifying phase of the Champions League.
FC Porto, champion for the past four seasons, finished third on 68 points after a 4-1 victory at Leiria.
Sporting Lisbon ended fourth, 20 points behind Porto, by beating relegated Leixoes 2-1.
Benfica's 32nd league title was only its second in 17 years. During that time, it was eclipsed as northern club Porto captured the title 11 times.
Benfica ended the season with 78 goals — the highest in the league and the most it has scored since the 1960s, when it was a back-to-back European champion. It conceded just 20 goals — a record matched only by Braga.
"We deserved this title. We were the best over the season," said Benfica coach Jorge Jesus.
Jesus took charge last June, becoming Benfica's 12th coach in 10 years as the club desperately searched for a winning formula. The club spent big — in Portuguese terms — last offseason, spending about €33 million to secure the services of, among others, striker Javier Saviola and midfielder Javi Garcia from Real Madrid.
Also, Cardozo and Argentine winger Angel Di Maria have matured into stronger players this season, while Brazilian central defenders Luisao and David Luiz have been solid at the back.
Brazil season opens; win for Corinthians
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil — Souza and Ronaldo scored as Corinthians opened their Brazilian league season with a 2-1 victory over Atletico Paranaense on Sunday.
In a match pitting the winners of two state championships against each other, Rio de Janeiro state champion Botafogo and Sao Paulo state winner Santos played to a 3-3 draw.
Antonio Carlos scored twice for Botafogo and Argentine German Herrera scored the equalizer in the final minutes on Saturday. Neymar, Ze Eduardo and Andre scored for Santos.
Other first-round results were: Atletico 0, Gremio 0; Palmeiras 1, Vitoria 0; Flamengo 1, Sao Paulo 1; Internacional 1, Cruzeiro 2; Atletico 2, Vasco 1; Ceara 1, Fluminense 0; Guarani 1, Goias 0; Avai 6, Gremio Prudente 1.
In the Flamengo vs. Sao Paulo match, both teams left out some of their top players to prepare for this week's Copa Libertadores first-leg quarterfinal. Adriano was one of the key players rested by Flamengo.
Both clubs play in the Copa Libertadores on Wednesday. Sao Paulo travels to Cruzeiro, and Flamengo hosts Chilean club Universidad de Chile.
Washington scored for Sao Paulo and Denis Marques got Flamengo's goal.
In another match between teams still in Copa Libertadores contention, Cruzerio edged Internacional of Porto Alegre 2-1. Kleber scored both goals for Cruzeiro and Taison got Inter's lone goal.
Inter plays host to defending champion Estudiantes on Thursday in the Copa Libertadores.
PAOK beats Olympiakos 1-0 in playoffs for Europe
ATHENS, Greece — PAOK topped the four-team playoffs in the Greek league for European football on Sunday by beating Olympiakos 1-0 after Zlatan Muslimovic scored a first-half goal.
Halfway through the six-round competition, PAOK has 10 points, three ahead of Olympiakos. In the day's other game, nine-man AEK beat 10-man Aris 4-2. AEK has 5 points and Aris 3.
The winner of the playoffs will play in the third qualifying round of the Champions League. The other three teams will play in the Europa League.
Playing before nearly 30,000 hostile spectators , Olympiakos had a major scoring opportunity in the sixth minute when a shot by Matt Derbyshire grazed goalkeeper Costas Halkias' post. Five minutes later, Muslimovic scored after goalkeeper Antonis Nikopolidis inexplicably passed the ball to him at the edge of his area.
The visitors came close to leveling when a powerful header by Derbyshire forced Halkias to punch away the ball. Muslimovic came close to scoring again in the 34th when he shot wide.
In the other game, AEK took the lead when Rafik Djebbour volleyed the ball into the net from close range in the 26th minute.
The visitors leveled through Javier Campora's penalty in the 55th. Aris striker, Eddie Johnson, on loan from Fulham, made it 2-1 with a header. It was the American's third goal in the playoffs.
Leonardo made it 2-2 in the 75th. One minute later, Martin Scocco converted a penalty to give AEK the lead. Leonardo scored again in the 84th.
On Wednesday, Aris hosts AEK and PAOK plays at Olympiakos.
Basel routs Lausanne 6-0 in Swiss Cup final
BASEL, Switzerland — FC Basel lifted the Swiss Cup for the 10th time Sunday, routing Lausanne Sport 6-0 in the final.
Basel was heavily favored against second-tier club Lausanne at its home St. Jakob Park stadium, and cruised to victory after Switzerland internationals Valentin Stocker and 18-year-old Xherdan Shaqiri struck midway through the first half.
The two young midfielders will hope to have impressed watching national team coach Ottmar Hitzfeld, who names his 23-player squad for the World Cup on Tuesday.
Hitzfeld also saw his captain, and Switzerland's record scorer, Alex Frei return after being out injured since February.
Frei, who sustained a double fracture of his right arm, came on as a substitute when Basel led 4-0. Jacques Zoua scored with a header 30 seconds into the second half, and Scott Chipperfield tapped into an unguarded goal in the 52nd minute.
Frei soon assisted on Stocker's second in the 75th minute and another Swiss international, Benjamin Huggel, made it 6-0.
Basel is assured of finishing in the Swiss League top two and entry to the Champions League qualifying rounds, so Lausanne could take its place in the Europa League next season if it gets the required UEFA license.
The sides last played for the Swiss Cup in an infamous 1967 final. Basel won 3-0 by forfeit after Lausanne's players refused to continue when Basel took a 2-1 lead with a disputed late penalty kick.
Kennedy leads Nagoya over Sendai in J-League
SENDAI, Japan — Australian striker Josh Kennedy scored either side of halftime Sunday as Nagoya Grampus beat Vegalta Sendai 2-1 to move within two points of J-League leaders Shimizu S-Pulse.
Kennedy opened the scoring in the 38th minute from a penalty after being taken down in the area by Brazilian defender Elizeu.
Sendai equalized in the 84th minute when Fernandinho scored off the far post but Kennedy sealed the win with a header two minutes from time.
Kennedy has seven goals for Nagoya this season and is expected to be included in Australia's World Cup squad when coach Pim Verbeek names his lineup on Tuesday.
Grampus moved to 22 points from 11 games to threaten S-Pulse, which suffered its first defeat of the season in 2-0 home loss to Albirex Niigata on Saturday.
Kawasaki Frontale, which was did not play on the weekend, is in third place with 20 points followed by Urawa Reds (19) and defending the champion Kashima Antlers (18), who also had the weekend off.
Daigo Nishi scored in the 19th minute and Brazilian striker Michael doubled the lead in the last minute of the first half for Niigata.
Elsewhere, Yoshito Okubo, expected to be named to Japan's World Cup squad on Monday, scored early in the second half to lead Vissel Kobe to a 3-0 win over Jubilo Iwata. Brazilian Popo and Hiroto Mogi also scored for Kobe.
Kazuma Watanabe scored twice as Yokohama F Marinos defeated Urawa 3-2.
Asenjo to miss Europa League final with injury
MADRID — Atletico Madrid goalkeeper Sergio Asenjo will miss the Europa League final because of a knee injury he sustained during Saturday's league game against Racing Santander.
Atletico said on its Web site Sunday that Asenjo is set to have knee surgery on Tuesday after a ligament was damaged in the 1-1 draw.
Atletico faces Fulham in the Europa League final in Hamburg. Asenjo, who has been the team's second choice goalkeeper for much of the season after David de Gea, will almost certainly also miss the Copa del Rey final against Sevilla on May 19.
Late goals give Motherwell 3-3 draw at Rangers
GLASGOW, Scotland — Motherwell scored two goals in the last two minutes to capture a 3-3 draw at Rangers on Sunday but was beaten to fourth place in the Scottish Premier League by Hibernian, which won 2-0 at Dundee United.
Kyle Lafferty scored twice as Rangers led 3-1 going into the 90th minute. But Steve Jennings replied and a penalty in stoppage time by Lukas Jutkiewicz earned Motherwell a point against Rangers, who was already assured the league title.
Two goals by Colin Nish at Dundee United sent Hibernian up to fourth and booked a place in next season's Europa League. Motherwell finished fifth.
Runner-up Celtic won 2-1 at Hearts, thanks to a winner from China midfielder Zheng Zhi, to finish six points behind Rangers.
St. Pauli is promoted to Bundesliga despite losing
FRANKFURT — St. Pauli gained promotion to the Bundesliga for the fifth time despite losing 2-1 at home to Paderborn.
The club from Hamburg's red-light district with a cult following joined Kaiserslautern in being promoted. Kaiserslautern was assured of going up before Sunday's 1-1 home draw with Augsburg, which will meet Nuremberg in a playoff to reach the Bundesliga.
Kaiserslautern finished three points ahead of St. Pauli in the second division. Augsburg was third.
Nuremberg finished third from last in the top division, while Bochum and Hertha Berlin were relegated.
Elsewhere
Ferguson questions where Man U’s season went wrong
MANCHESTER, England — Manchester United’s failure to win an unprecedented fourth straight Premier League title has left manager Alex Ferguson questioning whether the squad was strong enough following Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure, or if tactical mistakes were made during the season.
United’s three-year reign as champions ended on Sunday despite beating Stoke 4-0. Chelsea remained a point ahead in the standings with a 8-0 rout of Wigan.
So all Ferguson has to show for his 24th season in charge is the League Cup — won in March by beating Aston Villa — after losing to Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarterfinals.
"Did I always make the right team selections with the appropriate tactics? Do we have a strong enough squad?" Ferguson said in a rare moment of introspection. "I have to weigh up whether to move into the transfer market, considering our own youth development and the players we have.
"It’s an assessment that has to be set against injuries, bad luck and of course the fact that there is a harder competitive edge in the Premier League these days. It’s a tough old league, very unforgiving, and a lot of the teams at the top have lost games they expected to win."
One of the most costly losses for United turned out to be its third match at newly promoted Burnley, which survived just one season in the Premier League.
But Ferguson was still angry on Sunday that the team lost 1-0 at Chelsea in November, when John Terry scored on a header off a free kick that Ferguson disputed.
United managed to finish second despite reinvesting barely a quarter of the $118 million Real Madrid paid for Ronaldo last June. Neighbor Manchester City finished fifth despite splurging more than $296 million.
"I always knew we would miss Cristiano Ronaldo," Ferguson said.
But the 68-year-old Scot ignored the loss of Carlos Tevez, the Argentina striker who defected to Man City last July and went on to score 29 goals.
That was 17 more than United signing Dimitar Berbatov, with the languid Bulgarian failing to shine in his second season at Old Trafford.
Berbatov had to share second place on United’s goalscoring leaderboard with "own-goals."
And the 12th own-goal of the campaign came Sunday, with Stoke’s Danny Higginbotham turning the ball into his own net for United’s third. Darren Fletcher, Ryan Giggs and Park Ji-sung scored the rest for the home side.
There was an over-reliance on Wayne Rooney — top scorer with 34 — who thrived in a more central role following Ronaldo’s exit but was plagued by injuries toward the end of the season.
"The way Wayne stepped up, not only to fill the gap but to demonstrate that he has taken his game to a new level, has been thrilling," Ferguson said. "Certainly his contribution has been one of the upsides of our year."
Amid the despondency, Ferguson reminded fans to put United’s hat trick of titles in context. When he arrived in 1986, the team hadn’t won the title in 20 years — a woeful run that ended in 1993.
"We have to measure the success against the disappointments and, taking everything into account, I think we are on the credit side," Ferguson said. "It’s not complacency, just common sense to conclude that we have had a good season that has not been without its rewards. It could have been better, but overall we are finishing in good shape."
Ferguson remains confident that United will next season "be ready and able to challenge for all the top honors," with the signings of Fulham defender Chris Smalling and Mexico striker Javier Hernandez from Chivas already agreed.
But the fans, whose protests against the owning Glazer family have provided the backdrop of the second half of the season, fear that the club’s debt of $1.05 billion will neuter Ferguson’s ability to compete in the transfer market.
Ferguson conceded in the last offseason that his pursuit of Franck Ribery and Karim Benzema was ended by the cost of signing them.
-- Rob Harris
Wenger criticizes new Premier League squad cap
LONDON — Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger criticized the new 25-member squad cap being implemented by the Premier League next season, saying Sunday that it will put clubs in a weakened position during transfer periods.
Wenger was speaking about the implications bringing Bordeaux striker Marouane Chamakh to Arsenal could have for other players at the club.
"Nothing has been sorted out yet," Wenger said when asked what would happen to Arsenal's other strikers. "The Premier League has created a rule that basically you should jump through the roof. I have never seen a rule that makes less business sense than they created."
The Premier League will also implement a rule that each squad must include at least eight "home-grown" players next season.
Wenger said "if you go out and buy one player, suddenly you're at 26" and the club has to cut another player from the squad. He said it would then be difficult to offload a player to other Premier League clubs because they would also have no room to accommodate him.
"I don't know what they think about the consequences for the clubs," he said.
On Thursday, Wenger said he was confident Arsenal would soon sign the 26-year-old Chamakh, who has been linked with a move to the club for months.
Wenger also hinted he will bolster his defense over the summer to strengthen the team's chances of winning trophies next season.
"We want to improve in quality, so it is not necessarily a big number of players needed," he said after Arsenal beat Fulham 4-0 on the final day of the Premier League season. "Overall, I believe you don't win the championship when you concede 40 goals."
Wenger refused to comment when pressed about which positions needed improvement, but focus throughout the season has centered on the need for a new goalkeeper and a center back if William Gallas, Sol Campbell and Mikael Silvestre don't agree to new deals.
Arsenal conceded 41 goals this season and the club's goalkeepers, Manuel Almunia and Lukasz Fabianski, were criticized by fans. Especially Fabianski for several mistakes in recent weeks.
-- Frank Griffiths
Bayern celebrates title in Munich square
MUNICH — More than 25,000 fans celebrated Bayern Munich's 22nd German championship as the team's lederhosen-clad players sang and danced on the balcony of the city hall.
Sunday's festivities came one day after Bayern clinched the Bundesliga title with a 3-1 win at relegated Hertha Berlin.
Coach Louis van Gaal's team can still win two more titles. Bayern plays Werder Bremen next Saturday in the German Cup final in Berlin, and takes on Inter Milan in the Champions League final one week later in Madrid.
"We are the best in Germany and maybe in Europe too," a jubilant van Gaal said in addressing the crowd.
The coach was given a triumphant welcome after he and his players arrived to the ceremony in a convoy of convertibles through Munich's streets.
The celebrations began after the match in Berlin, continued in a Munich restaurant and finished early in the morning in a nightclub.
Van Gaal won his seventh championship in a third country after his native Netherlands and Spain and became the first Dutch coach to win the Bundesliga title.
"The players believed in me from day one. That's the best a coach can get," Van Gaal told Bayern's website. "We believed together that we can do it and the result has come."
Van Gaal can become the third coach to win the Champions League with two different teams. He also won it with Ajax in 1995.
Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said earlier Sunday that he believed France winger Franck Ribery would remian with Bayern, not only for another season but even longer.
Rummenigge said talks with Ribery on his future will not be held before the Champions League final. Ribery is suspended for the final unless the Court of Arbitration for Sport accepts Bayern's appeal.
German striker Kuranyi to join Dynamo Moscow
BERLIN — Former Germany striker Kevin Kuranyi announced Sunday that he is moving to Dynamo Moscow from Schalke.
Kuranyi said on his website that he decided on the move "after carefully weighing all the arguments." He gave no details on the length of his contract in Moscow.
"I have always said that, in the end, the overall package must be right. I have that feeling with Dynamo," Kuranyi said. "One aspect is certainly the financial one — to say anything else would be hypocritical." He did not elaborate.
However, he added that "it would be wrong and arrogant to underrate Russian football — there are sporting reasons for the (Russian) league too ... the results of recent years speak for themselves."
The 28-year-old forward's contract with Schalke expires at the end of June. Kuranyi's 18 goals helped the club to a second-place finish in the Bundesliga, qualifying it for Champions League play next season.
Kuranyi was kicked off Germany's national team in October 2008 for disciplinary reasons. Coach Joachim Loew decided against bringing him back for the World Cup next month.
New A-League club signs Brazilian striker Terra
MELBOURNE, Australia — Brazilian striker Alex Terra has signed a multiyear contract with the new Melbourne Heart team in Australia's A-League.
The 27-year-old Terra played in Fluminense's Rio de Janeiro State championship-winning teams in 2002 and 2005. He has also played with Portugal's Nacional and Brazil's Rio Branco.
Heart coach John van't Schip said Monday he was impressed by Terra during a recent scouting trip to South America, saying the Brazilian had "great first touch, pace and an eye for goal."
Terra is the club's second international signing, joining former Dutch youth international Rutger Worm.
The Heart will begin league play in August. It will play a preseason match on July 14 against English Premier League side Everton at Melbourne.
Ancelotti says 3-goal Drogba angry over penalty
LONDON — Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti has revealed that Didier Drogba was furious he was not allowed to take a first-half penalty, with the Ivory Coast striker later scoring a hat trick in a 8-0 thrashing of Wigan as the team secured the Premier League title.
First-choice penalty taker Frank Lampard instead scored from the spot to give his team a 2-0 lead, but Ancelotti says he had an exchange of words with Drogba at halftime.
Ancelotti says he told Drogba it was his decision and, if there was a penalty, he should let Lampard take it. He told Drogba to be quiet because he would have chances in the second half.
Drogba scored a penalty after the break as Chelsea ensured it stayed a point ahead of Manchester United to win the title.
Hoffenheim's general manager leaves post
FRANKFURT — Hoffenheim's general manager Jan Schindelmeister is leaving his post after four years in a move seen as strengthening the position of coach Ralf Rangnick.
Rangnick himself has not confirmed his future with the club ahead of talks with Hoffenheim's financial backer Dietmar Hopp, but the general manager's departure could mean Rangnick stays at the club.
Schindelmeister still had three years on his contract but the club said Sunday he was leaving on his own accord.
Hoffenheim had a disappointing second season in the Bundesliga, finishing 11th despite investing heavily in new players.
Man United fans set off smoke bomb in protest
MANCHESTER, England — Manchester United fans have set off a smoke bomb in a protest against the owning American Glazer family before the final match of the season.
At least one gold-colored smoke bomb was set off outside the club’s Megastore before Sunday’s match against Stoke — a reflection of the green and gold protest scarves adopted by fans.
They are the colors of Newton Heath, the club’s original incarnation, rather than the team’s usual red and black.
Since January, protests have escalated against the Glazers, who have burdened the club with around $1 billion of debt.
Hundreds of fans also converged on the directors’ entrance to bellow anti-Glazer chants.
Wolfsburg goalkeeper stabbed in disco
WOLFSBURG, Germany — Wolfsburg backup goalkeeper Andre Lenz has undergone emergency surgery after getting stabbed in a disco following the final Bundesliga round.
Police said Sunday the 36-year-old Lenz suffered several cuts and slash wounds and lost much blood but that his life was not in danger.
Three other people were injured in the mass fight, with bottles and glasses flying through the air. Police say they are still investigating how the fight started.
Wolfsburg was last season’s Bundesliga champion. It beat Eintracht Frankfurt 3-1 in the final round Saturday.
Disturbances mar 2nd-division German game
DUESSELDORF, Germany — Riots by fans before a German second-division game left 14 policemen injured and 159 people arrested.
The disturbances occurred during the night before Sunday’s game between Fortuna Duesseldorf and visiting Hansa Rostock and were caused by Rostock’s fans.
The game itself was interrupted for nearly 20 minutes with Hansa supporters throwing firecrackers and flares onto the field. There was another break shortly before the end. Fortuna won 3-1 and Rostock has to go to a playoff to retain a place in the second division.
