Soccer Capsules: FIFA inspectors arrive to assess U.S. World Cup bid
NEW YORK (AP) — A delegation of FIFA inspectors has arrived in the United States to assess the Americans' bid for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.
Harold Mayne-Nicholls, president of the Chile Football Association, heads the FIFA group, which also includes Danny Jordaan, head of the South African organizers of this year's World Cup. Among the officials from soccer's governing body are FIFA head of event management Juergen Muller, FIFA media officer Wolfgang Eichler, David Fowler of FIFA marketing and Julio Avellar of FIFA competitions.
Five of the 18 cities proposed by the U.S. as World Cup sites will be visited this week by the group, which starts in New York and New Jersey and finishes in Houston.
FIFA's 24-man executive committee will vote Dec. 2 in Zurich on the 2018 and 2022 sites.
After a reception in New York on Monday night, the group was to go Tuesday to the Javits Center, proposed for either the qualifying or final draw. It then tours Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J., proposed as a training camp, and the New Meadowlands Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. The group also was to inspect George Mason University in Washington, D.C., another proposed training site.
Wednesday starts at the Washington Monument, proposed for a Fan Fest, followed by a tour of Sun Life Stadium in Miami and the Miami Beach Convention Center, a possible site for the final draw.
On Thursday, the delegation visits the Dallas Convention Center, a possible site for a FIFA Congress; Reliant Stadium in Houston; and Houston's George R. Brown Convention Center, a possible home for the International Broadcast Center.
England, Russia, Spain-Portugal and Belgium-Netherlands also are bidding for both tournaments. Australia, Japan, South Korea and Qatar are competing for 2022 only. Because eight votes are from Europe, that region is expected to be awarded the 2018 tournament.
The U.S. hosted the World Cup in 1994, setting attendance records. The 2014 tournament will be held in Brazil.
League News
Italy seeks improvement in Euro 2012 qualifiers
LONDON (AP) — While France tries to recover from humiliation when it plays Bosnia-Herzegovina in Tuesday's European Championship qualifiers, Italy is also struggling to find its best form ahead of its game against the Faeroe Islands.
A friendly loss to Ivory Coast and a narrow win over Estonia are all Italy has to show since its embarrassing exit from the first round of the World Cup. But Friday's victory in Tallinn at least showed some of the spirit Italy seemingly mislaid during the tournament in South Africa.
Antonio Cassano scored one goal and set up the other to help Italy come back from a goal down and the striker, who was left out of his country's World Cup squad, puts his change in fortunes down to an improved attitude.
Cassano's undoubted talent has long been overshadowed by his fiery temperament and constant chafing against authority. He has fallen out with coaches and teammates everywhere he has played.
The 28-year-old forward's newfound appetite for teamwork is illustrated by his performance against Estonia and reaction to coach Cesare Prandelli's decision to replace him with a substitute.
"Before I used to think about myself, but now I think about the team because the only player who would win a match on his own was Maradona and I am not Diego, even if I used to think I was," Cassano said. "Prandelli asked me how I was after my back problems against Estonia.
"I said to him that if he wanted to take me off, I wouldn't have been a problem and after two minutes he substituted me."
The Sampdoria striker made his debut in 2003 but has made fewer than 20 appearances for Italy since, making the squad for the 2004 and '08 European Championships but twice being left out of the World Cup.
"I've been in and out of the team for years and for the most part it's my fault and I take responsibility for the errors I've made," Cassano said. "Now I've started well and I hope to stay on the right track.
"To become a serious player I decided to change. If not, I'd have gone back to being a butcher."
Italy shares the early Group C lead with Serbia, which beat Faeroe Islands 3-0 on Friday and hosts Slovenia on Tuesday.
After a humiliating World Cup campaign under Raymond Domenech, when the players refused to train before being knocked out in the first round, France has no room for error when it travels to Bosnia-Herzegovina.
France slipped to an embarrassing 1-0 loss to visiting Belarus on Friday in Laurent Blanc's first competitive match as coach and another defeat would put it in an perilous position.
Bosnia can take early control of Group D after easily beating Luxembourg 3-0 Friday.
"We have to pick ourselves up for Bosnia," Blanc said. "It was already an important game, and now that we've already lost once, it becomes even more important. We will have decisive games right up until the end of qualifying."
France, which has lost its last four games overall and won one of the last nine, is without three strikers after injuries to Louis Saha, Loic Remy and Guillaume Hoarau.
But Blanc has been boosted by the news that Karim Benzema has recovered from a sore ankle.
While World and European champion Spain follows its 4-0 Group I win over Liechtenstein with a friendly against Argentina, the Netherlands hosts Finland, England is at Switzerland and Greece is at Croatia in other of the 23 qualifying matches.
While Europe's biggest sides opened qualifying last week, Denmark starts against visiting Iceland in Group H.
Denmark has won 16 and drawn four of its 20 games against Iceland, but coach Morten Olsen faces the challenge of rebuilding the team following the retirement of Jon Dahl Tomasson, Martin Jorgensen, Jesper Groenkjaer and Martin Laursen after a lackluster World Cup performance.
Key striker Nicklas Bendtner is out with a groin problem that hampered him during the World Cup, leaving Olsen mulling the inclusion of defender Leon Jessen, midfielders Christian Eriksen and Johnny Thomsen, and forwards Kasper Lorentzen, Lasse Schone and Mads Junker.
Portugal, the Euro 2004 runner-up, threw away a chance to take an early lead in Group H when it drew 4-4 with unfavored Cyprus in Guimaraes. It travels to Norway, which won 2-1 at Iceland on Friday.
"We need to be more compact and prevent Norway scoring easy goals," Portugal forward Hugo Almeida said. "The whole team has to fight for that. We also need to make use of our attacking power, stay concentrated and play forcefully."
-- Stuart Condie
Defending champion Egypt held by Sierra Leone
JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Defending champion Egypt was held to a 1-1 draw by Sierra Leone, and World Cup quarterfinalist Ghana beat Swaziland 3-0 in qualifying for the 2012 African Cup of Nations.
Egypt stuttered at home Sunday to hand the early advantage in Group G to South Africa, which beat Niger 2-0 on Saturday.
There were no such problems for Africa's star team at the World Cup as Ghana cruised to victory in Swaziland with goals from midfielder Andre Ayew, striker Prince Tapoe and defender Hans Adu-Sarpei.
Also, Obafemi Martins and Michael Eneramo gave Nigeria a straightforward 2-0 win at home to Madagascar.
Egypt, which won a third straight African title in Angola earlier this year, had to battle back for a point after forward Moustapha Bangura put Sierra Leone ahead in the 57th minute at the Cairo International Stadium. The seven-time African champions equalized four minutes later when Mahmoud Fathallah headed in a curling cross from fellow defender Sayed Moawad.
"I am not satisfied with the output of the team today," Egypt assistant coach Shawki Gharib said. "Losing two points is not good and we need to make amends in the remaining games."
Even without Michael Essien and Sulley Muntari, Ghana outclassed the home team in front of Swaziland's King Mswati at the Somhlolo Stadium in Lobamba.
Ayew, son of former Ghana great Abedi Pele, scored the opener in the 13th minute. Tapoe doubled the advantage in the 64th and Adu-Sarpei added an 80th-minute header.
Ghana leads Group I on goal difference ahead of Sudan, which beat Congo 2-0 Saturday.
Under caretaker coach Austin Eguavoen, who replaced Lars Lagerback following a disappointing World Cup, Nigeria missed a number of chances but were still too strong for visiting Madagascar.
Martins scored the opener in the 20th minute and Eneramo added a tap-in just before halftime — although Nigeria was unimpressive in the second half.
"What mattered was the three points and I am glad we got them," Eguavoen said. "At least we won the match."
In what is likely to be his last match in charge, Eguavoen handed international debuts to promising young midfielder Eneji Otekpa and 17-year-old pair Stanley Okoro and Ahmed Musa as Nigeria looks to build for the future.
Under Lagerback, the team failed to win a game at the World Cup and was caught up in a battle with FIFA when Nigeria's president threatened to temporarily hold back the team from international competition because of its poor performances.
Former Nigeria striker Samson Siasia, an African Cup of Nations winner in 1994, is expected to be named coach of the national team before the next round of qualifiers on Oct. 8.
Guinea leads Group B ahead of Nigeria after it won 4-1 at Ethiopia on Sunday.
Zambia made a strong start to Group C with a 4-0 win over Comoros. Mozambique and Libya drew 0-0 in the group's other encounter.
Senegal joins Cameroon at the top of Group E after a 4-2 win at Congo. In Group H, Benin and Burundi drew 1-1 to share second place in the early standings behind Ivory Coast, which kicked off with a 3-0 win over Rwanda.
-- Gerald Imray
Elsewhere
Capello urges Rooney to work through his problems
BASEL, Switzerland (AP) — Wayne Rooney needs to be strong and keep his troubled personal life separate from his job as a footballer — starting in England's European Championship qualifier against Switzerland on Tuesday.
That's the view of England coach Fabio Capello, who said starting Rooney could ensure he forgets "any problems" caused by tabloid allegations at home that he cheated on his pregnant wife last year with a prostitute.
"You have to divide different moments: private life and job," Capello said Monday, after confirming the 24-year-old forward would start at St. Jakob Park. "It is important to stay with the players, to play. For the players, to play is a fantastic moment."
The revelations in two Sunday newspapers fueled speculation that Rooney would stay in England to address his family issues.
However, Capello said he knew Rooney was ready for duty after watching him closely in Sunday's team practice.
"I monitored everything during the training. He was good, he was focused on the game," the England coach said. "During this period, when you stay on the pitch he forgot any problems.
"We have to be focused on the game, not other things. Rooney is an important player for England, for the young people, for all English people."
Rooney is just the latest of Capello's key players to have their off-the-field behavior splashed over the front pages of the famously aggressive London tabloids.
In a briefing with English sportswriters on Monday, Capello was asked if he was surprised by the intensity of the media's coverage of footballers' lives.
The Italian sighed, then said with a smile: "It's England. It's the newspapers."
Capello, who has coached high-profile clubs such as AC Milan and Real Madrid, said he had previous experience of similar stories involving his players, particularly those tracked by Italy's paparazzi photographers.
"I remember different moments in my job with some problems like this. I have to be ready for everything in my job," he said.
Rooney will be reunited in the forward line with Jermain Defoe, who used his partner's assists to score a hat trick in a 4-0 win over Bulgaria in England's opening qualifier on Friday.
Capello hailed the pair's chemistry at Wembley, when Rooney was freed to roam across the pitch and create danger.
"The movement off the ball of Defoe was fantastic, the passing of Rooney was fantastic, the finish of Defoe was really, really good," Capello said.
Capello said he will be happy if Defoe follows his "euphoria" of confident finishing with just one goal at St. Jakob Park.
His only selection issue is choosing one of Gary Cahill, Joleon Lescott or Matthew Upson to partner Phil Jagielka in the center of defense. Regular starters Rio Ferdinand and John Terry are injured and unavailable, while Michael Dawson was hurt on Friday.
Capello regards hosts Switzerland — which kicks off its qualifying program Tuesday — as England's most dangerous opponent in a balanced Group C, respecting its fast counterattacking style.
"The pressure to the ball is really, really good," Capello said. "When they arrive at the box, they play with one touch. It's dangerous."
-- Graham Dunbar
Dirk Kuyt injures shoulder in Netherlands training
ROTTERDAM, Netherlands (AP) — Winger Dirk Kuyt injured his left shoulder in training Monday and could be out for several weeks, Netherlands coach Bert van Marwijk said.
Van Marwijk said Kuyt was injured when he fell awkwardly while attempting to reach a cross while training at ADO The Hague's stadium.
"Dirk does that a lot, there was nobody close to him, but this time it went wrong," Van Marwijk told national broadcaster NOS.
Kuyt has "strained and possibly torn ligaments in his shoulder," Van Marwijk said.
Kuyt will miss the Netherlands' European Championship qualifier Tuesday against Finland at Feyenoord's Kuip stadium.
Kuyt opened the scoring from the penalty spot on Friday in the Netherlands' 5-0 defeat of San Marino in their opening Group E match.
The 30-year-old Liverpool player flew back to England on Monday to return to his club.
The Netherlands' attack is already missing Robin van Persie and Arjen Robben to injuries for Tuesday's match. Van Persie has a left ankle injury and Robben a left hamstring injury that threatens to sideline him for the rest of the year.
Spain gets official reception in Argentina
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Spain's World Cup winners were greeted by Argentina President Cristina Fernandez at her official government residence in downtown Buenos Aires on Monday .
Twenty of the 23 members of Spain's World Cup squad — and coach Vicente del Bosque — made the trip to Buenos Aries ahead of their Tuesday friendly against Argentina before 65,000 fans at River Plate's Monumental stadium.
Several nations including Brazil and Uruguay have won the World Cup and played afterward in Argentina, but they did not receive an official welcome like this one.
Fernandez reminded the Spanish players of the special cultural and linguistic links between the two countries, saying: "Spain is not just any country for us. We feel very close."
Fernandez invited the Argentina team to a similar reception after it was ousted 4-0 by Germany in the World Cup quarterfinals at South Africa. She reportedly did not receive a reply from the Argentine Football Federation and then-coach Diego Maradona.
Maradona has been replaced on an interim basis by Sergio Batista, who was Maradona's teammate on Argentina's 1986 World Cup-winning side.
Bebe included in United's Champions League squad
MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Manchester United has included new signing Bebe in its 25-man Champions League squad.
The Premier League club initially said the Portuguese striker had been left out of its European squad, along with injured England midfielder Owen Hargreaves.
United confirmed on Monday that Bebe, who was signed for 7 million pounds ($10.75 million) from Vitoria Guimaraes, is on the list as one of seven strikers available to manager Alex Ferguson. Bebe has yet to play a game for United since his move from Portugal.
Hargreaves was included in United's 25-man Premier League squad but Ferguson has decided not to call him up for the club's Champions League group-stage campaign. The midfielder is struggling to recover from a series of knee problems.
Maradona eyes birthday game in Naples
NAPLES, Italy (AP) — Diego Maradona wants to celebrate his 50th birthday next month by playing in a game with his old Napoli teammates in the San Paolo stadium.
Maradona told Monday's Gazzetta dello Sport that "I've had everything in life: a family that I adore, a brilliant career, and now thank god I don't need anything, not even money. My only desire is to return to Naples."
Maradona turns 50 on Oct. 30. He led Napoli to Serie A titles in 1987 and 1990 and the 1989 UEFA Cup title.
Maradona has asked his former Napoli teammate Salvatore Bagni to organize the birthday game.
Maradona's contract as Argentina coach was not renewed after the squad lost to Germany in the World Cup quarterfinals.
Reports: Houllier to take over as Villa manager
BIRMINGHAM, England (AP) — Gerard Houllier is widely reported to be on the verge of returning to English football as Aston Villa manager.
Sections of the British media say the 63-year-old former Liverpool manager will be appointed by the Premier League club this week after emerging as the leading contender to replace Martin O'Neill.
Houllier left Liverpool in 2004 after a six-year spell in charge and returned to France, where he coached Lyon between 2005-07. He is currently working for the French Football Federation as its technical director.
Villa's American owner Randy Lerner has said he wanted to appoint someone with previous experience of managing in the Premier League. O'Neill quit last month, just before the start of the season.
