Soccer Capsules: FIFA sets tighter ethics rules for World Cup bids

ZURICH (AP) — FIFA has imposed tighter transparency rules on World Cup bidders when they seek meetings with voters who will choose the 2018 and 2022 hosts.

World soccer’s governing body said Thursday that the nine bid teams must explain in writing why they need access to the 24 Executive Committee members or voters’ national associations.

FIFA told bidders in a statement that they are forbidden from trying to influence voters by “offering benefits for specific behavior.”

The 24 executive voters noted that various bid teams approached them “either formally or informally” during the World Cup in South Africa. FIFA said it wanted to “better monitor these contacts and also preserve the independence of members in the bidding procedure.”

FIFA’s warning comes days after the World Cup ended, and much of the organization’s focus shifts toward a blockbuster vote on Dec. 2 to award back-to-back World Cup hosting rights.

The United States has retained its entry for the 2018 World Cup, which is expected to be awarded to one of four European bids: England, Russia, and the joint bids of Spain-Portugal and Netherlands-Belgium.

The U.S. is competing with Japan, Qatar, South Korea and Australia to host the 2022 World Cup.

Next week, a FIFA team of technical experts will begin inspection visits of the nine bids to assess their ability to host the tournament.

The World Cup brings FIFA 95 percent of its total income, and is budgeted to earn at least $3.8 billion in commercial revenue for the 2014 tournament, which is being staged in Brazil.

FIFA bid rules say candidates can give voters gifts of merely symbolic value, which must not influence the bidding process. Candidates also cannot criticize rival bids or make deals to trade support on the FIFA ruling executive, with eight of the 24 members representing countries in the bidding races.

The new transparency rule requires all bid teams to register any planned attempt to contact voters or their national association.

All contacts “shall be reported in advance and in writing to the secretariat to the FIFA Ethics Committee,” the governing body’s secretary general, Jerome Valcke, said in the letter. “Any violation of this principle will lead to an investigation ... with possible sanctions in accordance with the FIFA code of ethics.”

The ethics panel, chaired by former Switzerland international forward Claudio Sulser, is finalizing its investigation into the behavior of Australia’s bid team.

The probe was launched last month after Australian newspapers reported that bid leaders offered jewelry to FIFA voters and their wives, and offered to pay travel expenses for soccer projects.

MLS has no intention of accepting Donovan offers

HARRISON, N.J. (AP) — Major League Soccer plans to keep Landon Donovan.

MLS commissioner Don Garber said the league has no intention of accepting transfer offers for the Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder.

“He’s become a real soccer hero,” Garber said Thursday after the news conference to announce French star Thierry Henry’s signing with the New York Red Bulls. “MLS needs soccer heroes, and we have a great American soccer hero playing for us in LA, holding the torch for the sport in our country, and that’s very important. I don’t believe that it’s something we can do without.”

Donovan was the best U.S. player at the World Cup, scoring three goals to become the American career leader with five. He agreed in December to a four-year contract with MLS that pays him a base salary this year of $2.05 million.

While Donovan struggled during previous stints with Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern Munich, he played strongly and attracted renewed attention in Europe when MLS loaned him to Everton for 10 weeks in January. Donovan scored two goals in 13 matches, helping the Toffees beat Chelsea and Manchester United, and draw against Arsenal.

Everton captain Phil Neville told Everton TV last week during the club’s preseason tour of Australia that “I’ve spoken to Landon and I know for a fact that he wants to come back here.”

When he returned to the Galaxy from the World Cup on July 2, Donovan left an opening.

“Right now, I want to be in America,” he said. “If there’s something serious to look at, then I will. I never say never to anything. But for now, I’m very excited to be home.”

Garber said additional offseason loans are possible but isn’t interested in a permanent transfer.

“Landon is in my view the greatest player of our generation and an incredibly valuable part of our history but also of our future,” Garber said. “He proved in England last year on loan and he proved in South Africa that he’s a world-class player and he’s also proved that he loves our league and really has accepted the mantle of really being one of the leaders of the sport. It is my hope and my expectation that we have him for the rest of his career because I think the contributions that he makes are invaluable to our future success.”

Donovan’s agent, Richard Motzkin, declined to respond to Garber’s remarks.

--Ronald Blum

Club America tops Portsmouth FC

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Enrique Esqueda and Israel Martinez scored in a two-minute span to give Club America of Mexico City a 2-1 victory over English club Portsmouth F.C. in an exhibition soccer match Wednesday night.

Esqueda put Club America ahead 1-0 in the 14th minute. A back-heel pass from Martinez set up Esqueda, who broke in and drew Portsmouth goalie Liam O’Brien completely out of the play. Esqueda rifled a shot off his right foot from the edge of the box into the open net.

In the 16th minute Martinez volleyed Daniel Montenegro’s left-wing cross inside the right post from 17 yards past a diving O’Brien to make it 2-0.

Tom Kilvey of Portsmouth knocked home his own rebound in the 50th minute after Club America goalie Guillermo Ochoa made an initial stop.

Thierry Henry retires from French national team

NEW YORK (AP) — Thierry Henry is retiring from the French national team.

The 32-year-old forward announced his decision Thursday at the offices of The Associated Press before a news conference to discuss his signing with Major League Soccer’s New York Red Bulls.

A member of France’s 1998 world championship and 2000 European champion teams, Henry said he will not try to emulate England’s David Beckham and commute between the U.S. and Europe.

“I always want to be here 100 percent and fully committed to this cause and the organization,” Henry said.

Henry had a French record 51 goals in 123 international appearances. He made his debut Oct. 11, 1997, scoring in injury time of a 2-1 win over South Africa. His finale was June 22 against the Bafana Bafana, when he entered in the 55th minute as the French were eliminated from the World Cup with a 2-1, first-round loss.

“That was my last game against South Africa,” he said. “Ironically, it was also my first game in the national team against South Africa.”

Henry made up his mind before the tournament.

“I couldn’t announce it before because that’s not the type of thing you announce before a World Cup,” he said.

French players went on strike and refused to train before their final match when striker Nicolas Anelka was sent home for verbally using coach Raymond Domenech, who was replaced after the tournament by Laurent Blanc.

“We still have a good team,” Henry said. “I think the guys that are going to stay, they still are great players. If you see the guys playing individually in their team, they’re always doing great. But as you know, in a team sport, it’s always a matter of having a great team. it’s not only about individuals, and I think Laurent Blanc can do this.”

Still, Henry doesn’t think this World Cup was the lowest point in his career. The 2002 World Cup in South Korea has that distinction.

“We didn’t even score one goal and we were the reigning world champion,” he said. “And we bounced back, and we went to the final of the World Cup in 2006. Obviously we didn’t win it. It still hurts.”

Domenech didn’t start Henry at the tournament, using him twice as a substitute.

“I will always respect and accept that. It wasn’t easy at the time, but I don’t regret anything,” Henry said. “I think for the French team and French football it’s time to move on and make sure that they can be again successful.”

By coming to New York, Henry realizes he could anger a large Irish community. On a blown call last November, Henry handled the ball twice with his left hand, poking it to William Gallas for a go-ahead extra-time goal against Ireland in a playoff that put France into the World Cup.

“After the game, I did apologize and I was saying this to the guys on the pitch, to the Irish guys,” Henry said. “But, hey, the rules of the game are the ref doesn’t blow the whistle, you’ve got to play.”

He compared it with another clear hand ball call that was missed.

“It was kind of funny to see (Brazil’s) Luis Fabiano score this goal against Ivory Coast in the World Cup, and nobody ever said anything,” he said. “It was kind of weird, but that’s the way the game is.”

With the Red Bulls, Henry will go back to playing in the middle of the field rather than on the left, where he had played with Barcelona. He said he played with a knee injury for much of the first half of last season, making it only fair that he lost playing time to Pedro Rodriguez and Bojan Krkic.

He thinks he has a lot to contribute to MLS.

“Maybe I’m not like the 20-year-old who used to run past anybody, but it’s all about awareness,” he said.

His new contract runs for 4½ seasons. After that, he’d like to remain in the game.

“I think at 37 maybe it will be time to say goodbye,” he said. “I can see being a manager sometime. It is not that easy. So we’ll see.”

He is to make his Red Bulls debut against Tottenham on July 22. Having scored a club-record 226 goals for Arsenal from 1999-07, it’s more than an exhibition game.

“I won’t even mention the name of the team that we are going to play on the 22nd,” he said. “That’s how big a rivalry is it for me.”

--Ronald Blum