Soca Warriors Online.

I'm off to Germany says T&T's Clayton Ince.
By Andy Turner.

Clayton Ince is confident that he will be going to Germany to this season to fulfil his World Cup dream.Despite only playing four senior games for Coventry City this season, the goalkeeper believes his vast international experience will give him the edge to get a place in Trinidad and Tobago's squad this summer.
The Soca Warriors official party is yet to be confirmed, but the 33-year-old Sky Blues second choice said: "I have been given a good indication that I will be included in the final squad.
"Although I am not playing for my club right now, I am staying focused and fit so that I am ready for the occasion.
"That is the most important thing so that I am in the right shape and frame of mind when called upon to do the job, and I am looking forward to it.
"They will be taking three goalkeepers but, with the record I have back home, I think has been taken into consideration. I know the manager is yet to make his final decision but it still looks really positive to me.
"Dundee's Kelvin Jack and West Ham's Shaka Hislop are expected to be picked ahead of him, while Fulham's Tony Warner is also vying for that coveted third place.
"So far Kelvin Jack has been doing really well, as has Shaka, and I have the experience from before and we are all looking to see who the manager will pick at the right time to play in the games.
"I have got a lot of caps for Trinidad - almost 90 - and a lot of experience so I know exactly what they are looking for and what they expect, and particularly what the manager (Leo Beenhakker) expects. So I am looking forward to going to Germany and showing the manager even though I am not playing for my club, I am fully focused and committed to the job.
"And, once in the final squad, Ince is hoping to show his worth in one of three friendlies scheduled for May.
"I hope to get a game and I think the manager will allow each keeper to have at least one to show that they are really ready for it and able to take the No.1 spot," said the player whose nation is in the same World Cup group as England.
"I have a lot of caps because I made my senior debut in 1994, so hopefully that experience will count for a lot. "I just want to play football and be happy, which is the most important thing for a footballer."I played in the 1990 Youth World Cup in Portugal as an under-20 player so I would love to add a senior World Cup to my career."

Henry tips Fab star to shine bright.
Cesc Fabregas has all the necessary qualities to cope with life as one of the game's top players, according to French striker Thierry Henry. Fabregas earned all the plaudits after an inspirational performance against Juventus during their 2-0 Champions League quarter-final victory on Tuesday.
The 18-year-old's mature midfield performance, particularly when compared with ageing former team-mate Patrick Vieira, has brought the teenager's talents to the attention of Europe's top clubs as well as the media.
But Henry has no doubts that the youngster is capable of handling all the attention.
"You have Wayne Rooney, you have Patrick Vieira when he was young, Ronaldinho, people like that," said Henry.
"There is not a lot of them. I hope he will have the same career.
"He plays well and people say he is a genius. If he doesn't play well then in a year's time they are going to say what happened? He has to cope with that and he can.
"You have some players that if you have a go at them they just drop. He has the character to handle it. He is 18 but he is already holding his head. I hope he can carry on for a long time."

Bruce out to avoid relegation hurt.
Steve Bruce is determined not to experience relegation in his career for the second time as he tries to revive Birmingham's fortunes. It is 21 years since Bruce suffered the despair of losing his top-flight status as a player with Norwich in the same season as winning the League Cup.
Despite all the glory he subsequently achieved with Manchester United, going through the relegation trap door with the Canaries is still a painful memory for Bruce and one he is keen not to repeat.
He said: "I still remember suffering relegation with Norwich and that still hurts. The sad thing was that we won the Milk Cup (League Cup) by beating Sunderland and both teams got relegated that year.
"It was a horrible situation and we had been in mid-table around the time of winning the cup. I had only played one year at the top and had just come from Gillingham.
"It was my first season in the top flight and the last thing I wanted to be doing was going down a league after taking so long to get there.
"I have been there, accepted it and done it. It was a horrible feeling and I never want to experience it again, that's for sure. No-one wants that on their CV twice."
Bruce knows the consequences of City being relegated and the affect it can have on the entire club, and not just the playing side.
He said: "It's the overall Premiership package with the vast sums of money involved.
"The backroom staff you have, the groundsman is better, the kit is better and the balls are better, you employ more people. When you are in the First Division you have to make a cull. It's terrible."
The odds on Blues staying up are lengthening week by week given their current poor string of results and a continuing lengthy list of injuries. Bruce said: "We have had five or six players missing for many months but I won't run up the white flag. I will keep fighting and doing everything I can to stay in this division.
"But I won't walk away from the fight and if we can get some of our big players back, up and running for the last five or six weeks of the season, I am still convinced we will be okay and stay up. "Chris Sutton, Muzzy Izzet and Matthew Upson are all edging towards fitness for the big push."

Pards eyes home comforts.
West Ham manager Alan Pardew wants his side to erase the memory of their last home performance by beating Charlton on Sunday. The Hammers lost 4-2 to relegation-threatened Portsmouth on their last appearance at Upton Park, although they went some way to repairing the damage by beating Manchester City to reach the FA Cup semi-final.
They also beat Wigan at the JJB Stadium last week but midweek defeat to Manchester United at Old Trafford has left Pardew looking for a positive response against the Addicks.
"Hopefully we can get three points on Sunday," Pardew said.
"Our home fans deserve a performance. They have seen us win the cup game at City and win at Wigan but their lasting memory was the Portsmouth defeat in the league.
"We want to erase that and put on a grand display in what will be a good local derby."
Reaching the FA Cup final would virtually guarantee European football next season as Liverpool and Chelsea, who contest the other semi-final, are almost certain to qualify for the Champions League.

Mellberg out of Gunners clash.
Aston Villa captain and centre-back Olof Mellberg has been ruled out of Saturday's clash with Arsenal at Highbury because of a flu bug. The Sweden international had been hopeful of returning after missing last weekend's goalless draw with Fulham at Villa Park because of a hamstring injury.
But the player has been confined to bed because of the virus and Villa manager David O'Leary will again have to put his faith in Liam Ridgewell and Aaron Hughes.
The duo have played together only twice as a central defensive partnership for Villa but have kept clean sheets on both occasions.
Ten-goal leading scorer Milan Baros remains a doubt because of his ankle injury although he has returned to training.
O'Leary said: "He has trained but he has been out since the (FA) Cup game with Manchester City and not done anything and he looks a bit tired and unfit.
"He has still got a little niggle in his ankle and we will have to see if there is any reaction."
On a more positive note midfielder James Milner will have tests on Monday to see how far he has improved after being laid low for the last four games with a virus.
Patrik Berger will return to training on Monday after suffering an Achilles injury while warming up for the cup replay with Stuart Pearce's side.
O'Leary said: "James is improving and we'll have a really good idea next week as to when we'll have him back and Patrik will return to training on Monday."

Semi spot still in sight - McClaren.
Middlesbrough boss Steve McClaren is backing his in-form strikers to rescue the club's UEFA Cup dream despite their 2-0 defeat to Basle. Boro head into next Thursday's quarter-final second-leg clash with the Swiss outfit trailing 2-0 after a disastrous three-minute spell at the end of the first half at St Jakob Park left their hopes in tatters.
However, McClaren is confident Aiyegbeni Yakubu, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Mark Viduka, who have scored 46 goals between them so far this season, can drag them back into contention.
"We need to score goals and we need to score them at home," he said. "We have done that - if we can score four against Bolton, we can score four against anybody.
"We are one of the top scorers in the Premier League. With Hasselbaink, Viduka and Yakubu, whoever plays is going to be a threat.
"We didn't do enough of that this evening, but we will do at the Riverside.
"It's not the ideal situation, 2-0 at half-time, but we have home advantage, we know we can play better and we know we can score goals."
Boro looked to be in little danger as the half-time whistle approached, but their game-plan was ripped apart as Basle struck with devastating effect.
First keeper Mark Schwarzer was horrified to see Matias Delgado's dipping shot explode off the turf in front of him and fly into the back of the net with 43 minutes gone.
But worse was to follow when striker Eduardo played in David Degen behind central defender Emanuel Pogatetz - who later suffered a suspected fractured skull and a badly-broken nose in a clash of heads with Mladen Petric - and the midfielder took full advantage.
The salvo radically altered McClaren's half-time team-talk, although he was pleased with the response of his players after the break.
"We felt we had to keep a clean sheet in the second half, that was the number one priority," he said. "A third goal would have left us an Everest to climb.
"They did that, they concentrated, they were disciplined and we controlled the game again without really threatening in front of goal.
"That was the disappointing part of the performance, the lack of concentration for the two goals and us not creating enough opportunities going forward."
The game was marred at half-time by fighting in the crowd, and it was later confirmed that one steward had been injured and one Boro fan arrested.
However, as the Teessiders headed for home, it was the Swiss who were celebrating, although manager Christian Gross was not getting too carried away.
"No, it's not over, it's not over at all," he said. "We have taken the first step and it is a very important step, but in front of us is a very tough football match.
"English teams never give in and we will prepare for this game in the best way.
"But we are able to score away from home, and I guess we might need to at Middlesbrough."

N.Y.'s Djorkaeff contemplates retiring.
By Dylan Butler / MLSnet.com Staff.
NEW YORK -- Team MVP from '05 season Djorkaeff happy with club built for upcoming year. Youri Djorkaeff was definitive in his answer -- if only for a second -- when the 38-year-old World Cup champion was asked if he would retire at the end of his second season in Major League Soccer.
"Yeah, I'm sure," he said. "No, no, no. I'm not sure. The French are never sure."
The New York Red Bulls forward then explained why this might be his final season.
"I'm 38 and I'm sure my passion will be less [tomorrow] than [it is] today, I'm sure I'll find less pleasure to go to training," he said. "I prefer to stop when I'm still happy and still enjoy playing soccer."
It's not the first time Djorkaeff contemplated ending his 22-year professional career, which has seen him play for world-renowned clubs AS Monaco, Paris Saint Germain, Inter Milan, Bolton Wanderers and Blackburn Rovers. Following the MetroStars 4-1 home loss to D.C. United late last season, Djorkaeff questioned his teammates' desire and told Bob Bradley that he's had enough.
"I said OK, the players are not really involved in the game, an important game at home," he said. "I said, 'Bob, I have nothing to do here. If the game is like this, a derby, we play like this and players are not more involved, I lose my time.'"
But they met the following day over coffee and, after also receiving some assurances from teammates, Djorkaeff decided to return.
The game, though, would be Bradley's last as MetroStars coach and assistant Mo Johnston would take over on an interim basis. The club made a passionate push for the playoffs and beat New England in the first leg of the Eastern Conference Semifinal Series before eventually losing at Gillette Stadium. All the while, Djorkaeff was the team's best player.
And when the season ended, Djorkaeff met with Johnston to discuss the prospects of returning for a second year in MLS. He told Johnston that he wanted better players and he is comfortable the coach has delivered.
"We look better than last year, we look stronger, we look ready," he said. "It's a great moment for the club, an exciting moment for the fans but we need time to be really one of the special ones ... We are a good group."
Djorkaeff, who was in a jovial mood at the Red Bulls annual media day Tuesday in Times Square, said it has taken him some time to get used to MLS. He remembers being upset after an early-season loss and couldn't understand the American sports philosophy regarding the length of seasons and how the important games are played at the end.
"It's a long season, you have to be ready at the end of the season," he said. "Why? This one is more important to me than the last one."
He said it was also a difficult adjustment to playing in the summer heat, especially on the artificial turf at Giants Stadium.
"Sometimes you have to really, really, really love the game because sometimes it's really, really, really difficult to play here," he said. "When it's summertime and you play on the Giants Stadium [turf] and it's burning your feet. You think like it's a desert. You have to push all the time. You have to love the game."

By Jon Bramley.

LONDON, (Reuters) - England's World Cup training pitch in Germany will be ripped up and re-laid with new turf after a Football Association inspection found the original surface sub-standard on Thursday. Adrian Bevington, communications director of the FA, told Reuters that England's campaign needed top quality conditions which the sportsground pitch at Buhle near Baden Baden failed to reach.
"Following an inspection of the training ground today, which included Wembley groundsman Steve Welch, the decision has been taken that the pitch will have to be returfed which will commence on May 1," said Bevington.
"All will be ready and in mint condition for when the England team take part in their first training session on June 6.
"It is vital we give (manager) Sven (Goran Eriksson) and the team the best possible facilities throughout the tournament and clearly the training pitch is an integral part of that."
Bevington said the hard winter experienced in central Germany -- "they have only just been able to clear the pitch of snow in the past few weeks" -- had caused the problems.
World Cup organisers and governing body FIFA are responsible for top-quality facilities for each of the 32 teams competing in the tournament.
"We have no problems with the other facilities there," said Bevington after the inspection which was also attended by FA chief executive Brian Barwick and director of operations Andrew Halstead and Eriksson's assistant Tord Grip.
The FA will be asking FIFA to foot the bill for the improvements to a playing surface which is usually used by a local sports club.
England face Paraguay, Sweden and Trinidad & Tobago in Group B. The tournament starts on June 9.

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Major League Soccer opens its 11th season on Saturday with the 12-team US football league seeing signs of growth and stability despite major changes for two founding clubs.
Gone are the San Jose Earthquakes, who moved to Texas and became the Houston Dynamo after an ill-fated nickname choice of "1836", which honored the city's founding year but upset Hispanic fans mindful of Mexican secession that year.
The MetroStars, who struggled for support in the New York market, are now Red Bull New York. New Austrian owners plan to build a smaller new stadium in the same mold as parks that have been vital to survival for other MLS clubs.
Chicago Fire, who visit FC Dallas in Saturday's opener, must begin the season with nine away games until their new stadium opens.
The Fire will join Columbus, FC Dallas and two Los Angeles clubs with exclusive stadiums with other clubs hopeful of similar moves to boost their bottom lines and ensure stability.
MLS will not take a break during the World Cup, hopeful teams without top talent can lure crowds inspired by the global showdown in Germany.
The league develops top US and Latin American talent but much of the American World Cup squad will be comprised of players from European clubs.
Reigning champion Los Angeles Galaxy faces a setback after the death of general manager Doug Hamilton of a heart attack on March 9.
Los Angeles-based Chivas revamped a largely Mexican squad that flopped at 4-22 with six drawn last year in its debut season, hoping new coach Bob Bradley and forward Ante Razov can improve the only club worse than Real Salt Lake, which added Eddie Pope and Jeff Cunningham.
D.C. United boasts reverse Freddy Adu, the teen standout whose US World Cup tryout ended quickly, while the New England Revolution and Kansas City Wizards figure to lose the most talent to the US World Cup team.
The Revolution reached last year's MLS final and 2005 MLS Most Valuable Player Taylor Twellman and US World Cup veteran Clint Dempsey will lead the squad once again.
MLS has paid for television coverage the past decade but signed a deal that will bring some rights fee revenues as well as pass along production costs.
And expansion is on the horizon with Toronto being awarded a club expected to begin play next year.

By Pedro Fonseca.

RIO DE JANEIRO, (Reuters) - Former Brazil striker Romario will join United States club Miami FC for a six-month loan, his present club Vasco da Gama said on Thursday.
The 40-year-old striker, who claims to have scored 964 goals, stood with his arms folded and refused to comment as Vasco president Eurico Miranda made the announcement during a media conference.
"Romario will return to the club after this period to take part in the Brazilian championship and, after that, we will discuss whether he will end his career or keep playing," said the cigar-smoking Miranda.
Romario, top scorer in last year's Brazilian championship with 22 goals, had failed to turn up for training with Vasco during the previous two weeks.
Before that, he had bitterly criticised his team mates in a 2-0 defeat by Cabofriense and said they had made "schoolboy errors".
Miami FC are not involved in the MLS, the main U.S. soccer championship, taking part instead in the less prestigious United Soccer Leagues (USL).
The move could help Romario, who won the World Cup with Brazil in 1994 and also played for PSV Eindhoven, Barcelona and Valencia, to achieve his target of scoring 1,000 goals.
Brazilian media have widely questioned the total of 964, saying it includes youth team matches, reserve team matches and training sessions billed as friendlies.
Miami FC are due to play 28 games during the regular USL season, giving Romario an excellent chance to boost his total. "When Romario scores 35 goals, he must stop," said Miranda. "I'm sure that Romario's 1,000th goal will be scored wearing a Vasco shirt here at Sao Januario."

ROME (AFP) - AC Milan striker Andriy Shevchenko has dismissed English media reports that he has agreed to join big-spending Premiership club Chelsea this summer. "I don't know about any offer," he was quoted as saying by Italian news agency ANSA when he arrived back in Milan after Wednesday's 0-0 draw with Lyon in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final.
"I don't have to deny anything, everything is clear. It's only other people who continue to talk about this story. I thank the English press because maybe Milan will extend my contract."
According to English newspaper The Daily Mail, Chelsea have agreed terms with the 29-year-old Ukraine international on a four-year deal that will earn him around 110,000 pounds (158,000 euros) a week.
The paper said Chelsea were now negotiating a transfer fee with Milan, believed to be around 35 million pounds (50 million euros).
Shevchenko's wife, model Kristen Pazik, visited London last month as a guest of Chelsea's Russian billionaire owner Roman Abramovich and was taken to see several properties close to Chelsea's training ground, the Daily Mail said.
In an interview published in French sports daily L'Equipe earlier this week, Shevchenko said he was upset at the constant media speculation about his future and insisted he would be happy to finish his career with Milan.
"I am annoyed," he said. "Today, I only think about Milan and ending the season in the best way possible. I repeat it: I am fine at Milan. "I've already said I want to end my career here, even if you can't plan for it in football." Shevchenko, a former European Footballer of the Year, has three years left to run on his Milan contract.

LONDON (AFP) - Chelsea have signed a ground-breaking deal with an American sports conglomerate that they hope will help them become the most popular European football club in the United States. The Premiership champions said the alliance with AEG, who run four Major League Soccer Teams as well as several sports venues, would see them involved in all levels of football in the United States from grassroots up.
The deal will see Chelsea forge close links with Los Angeles Galaxy, and commits the London club to playing in an exhibition tournament against an MLS side every two years.
"Chelsea is absolutely delighted to be partnering with AEG, the leading backer of soccer in the US," Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon said in a statement on the club's website.
"This is a unique, ground-breaking relationship that not only demonstrates our commitment to the development of US soccer, but will also help Chelsea work towards its aim of becoming the most popular European club in the US, one of our key target markets."
The statement said the alliance with LA Galaxy would eventually involve exchange programmes with young players, as well as the pooling of ideas on sports medicine and coaching.
Chelsea business affairs director Paul Smith insisted the deal would involve more than just exhibition matches.
"Chelsea's involvement in US football will be from top to bottom. We will not just fly in and fly out for the tournaments," Smith said.
"We will seek to develop a programme of activity that will also cover the huge interest in soccer at youth level, as well as the professional game."
Although hailed by Chelsea as the first of its kind, the deal echoes the strategic partnership set up between Manchester United and baseball giants the New York Yankees in 2001.

LONDON (AFP) - Brazil coach Carlos Alberto Parreira wants his team to play with a smile on their faces at this year's World Cup -- so has ruled out imposing a sex ban.
While Parreira's predecessor Luis Felipe Scolari ran a famously strict regime during the 2002 finals, a more relaxed mood will prevail in Germany -- and that includes as much sex as his players want.
"I don't think that sex one day before the game will have any harm on the player. Just sex, no problem," Parreira told Maxim magazine.
"The problem is, they don't eat, they don't sleep, they smoke and they drink. That is the problem. Sex? No, sex is always very good -- always welcome."
Parreira also gave an insight into the methods his team uses to maintain spirit during tournaments.
Ronaldinho is a keen player of the samba drums -- and the world champions will be packing their instruments once again when they head to Germany.
"Psychologists say it is very important in the dressing room and coming from the hotel to the stadium that you do something with your hands, with your mouth," Parreira said.
"If you just sit there worrying? Clutching your hands? That does not help. If you play something it helps relax. That is why we give them the drums and things.
"Since 1970 we have done this. We buy instruments for them, and they play on the bus -- instead of saying, 'Oh my God, we are going to play Germany or England in a World Cup game.' That does not help."
Parreira also said there was no chance that Brazil would play more conservatively in Germany.
"We have to give a good impression and keep our style. We don't have to change that because we are going to play a World Cup."
"We have to defend, as well, otherwise we go nowhere. But we can't deny our roots -- we play a happy game."

LONDON, (Reuters) - Manchester United consolidated second place in the Premier League on Wednesday, the recalled Ruud van Nistelrooy scoring in a 1-0 home win over West Ham United.
The Dutch striker, back in the starting line-up after three substitute appearances, struck a typical close-range goal in first-half injury time to secure a deserved victory at Old Trafford.
"It was a very open game, both teams had a go and we played some fantastic attacking football," Man Utd manager Alex Ferguson told reporters.
"We should have had more goals but we collected another three points. The most important thing is we keep winning, and you never know where that will take us." The victory gave Man Utd 69 points from 31 matches, nine points behind leaders Chelsea and five ahead of third-placed Liverpool, the Merseysiders having played one game more than Ferguson's men.
West Ham remain ninth, with their hopes of making next season's UEFA Cup now looking reliant on FA Cup success rather than a top-six finish. The Londoners play Charlton Athletic or Middlesbrough in next month's semi-finals.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
On a night when former Old Trafford employees Juan Sebastian Veron and Diego Forlan were going head to head in the Champions League quarter-final between Inter Milan and Villarreal, Man Utd's fans had to settle for less exciting fare.
Ferguson, absent from the knockout phase of Europe's top competition for the first time in 10 years, recalled Van Nistelrooy to a below-strength team and left the prolific Louis Saha on the bench.
Nemanja Vidic, Patrice Evra and Gerard Pique also started as Ferguson rotated his squad with an eye on forthcoming games against Bolton Wanderers and Arsenal.
However, the players on duty were good enough to see off a West Ham side who had picked up 2-1 away wins from their last two games.
The visitors made a positive start and had plenty of possession but Man Utd looked dangerous on the break.
West Ham goalkeeper Shaka Hislop saved well from Pique and Van Nistelrooy hit a post before United got the breakthrough.
South Korean midfielder Park Ji-sung did well to find Van Nistelrooy in the box and the Dutchman finished cleanly.
West Ham appeared to run out of ideas in the second half and Van Nistelrooy set up a good chance for Saha in the last minute that the French substitute missed.
"This is a big stage, they (Man Utd) have some very good players and we found them in good form so it was a tough ask for us," said West Ham manager Alan Pardew.
"Sometimes you have to have a little bit of devilment in your game. I thought we lacked that, not just individually but also as a team."

Fergie Delighted With Dilemma.
Sir Alex Ferguson wants to roll back the years to 1999 and get some genuine competition into his striking department again.
AdvertisementIronically, three members of his Treble-winning strikeforce were at Old Trafford last night to witness Manchester United's current most-talked about forward mark his return to action in the best manner possible.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Dwight Yorke were in the stands and Teddy Sheringham was on the receiving end as Ruud van Nistelrooy netted the only goal in first-half stoppage time to seal a narrow win over West Ham.
After five games as understudy to Louis Saha, Van Nistelrooy's 149th career goal for the Red Devils was the perfect way to prove he has retained all the old predatory instincts.
And, rather than worry about how he can keep Van Nistelrooy, Saha, Wayne Rooney and promising teenager Giuseppe Rossi happy, Ferguson is delighted to find himself in a position of strength once more.
"When we were at our very best, we had four great strikers," said Ferguson.
"It was one of the factors in us winning the Treble. We had great players at the time and everyone did their job.
"If we can do that again and get four strikers competing for the position, and we can rotate them at the right moments, that has to be good for the club.
"It was Ruud's first game for a few weeks and he needed the game, but he scored a vital goal for us. It was just the kind of response we wanted to see.
"Now, I have a job picking my team for a massive game at Bolton on Saturday, although that is what I am paid to do."
After an encouraging start against a United side lacking Gary Neville and Ryan Giggs, West Ham were eventually forced back.
Once tiredness took a hold in the final half hour, the visitors never looked like levelling and not even the introduction of Sheringham 10 minutes from time could prompt a revival.
With Nemanja Vidic thumping a shot against a post before Van Nistelrooy's opener and Wayne Rooney smacking a volley against the bar late on, the margin of victory could have been greater.
Nevertheless, a seventh successive league win allowed United to close the gap on leaders Chelsea to nine points, although Hammers boss Alan Pardew still reckons the title is a forlorn hope.
"It is going to be tough for United," he said.
"Chelsea are a team who can get results and they have proved it over the season.
"But United are making a really good fist of it and you cannot ask for any more than that."

CHICAGO (AP) -- Omar Bravo scored twice to lead Mexico to a 2-1 win over Paraguay in a World Cup tuneup match Wednesday night at Soldier Field, Chicago. Bravo collected the ball on a cross from Israel Lopez, spun, and shot into the lower left corner of the net for the deciding goal in the 82nd minute. His first goal -- a penalty shot in the 31st minute -- tied it at 1-1 when he easily beat keeper Derlis Gomez after being taken down by Pedro Benitz in the box.
The heavily favored Mexican team, which drew most of the game's 46,510 fans, found itself behind just three minutes into the game after Paraguay's Salvador Cabaas sent the ball to Nelson Cuevas, who finished for a 1-0 lead.
Mexican keeper Oswaldo Sanchez broke up numerous plays and finished with seven saves on the night -- six in the second half, including a key stop in the 90th minute.
Veteran defender Claudio Suarez made his 174th international appearance with Mexico, breaking the FIFA record for international appearances with a national team held by Mohammed Al Deayea of Saudi Arabia.
Mexico and Paraguay move to 1-1 in matches at Soldier Field. Paraguay won the previous meeting 1-0 on Oct. 13, 1999.
Wednesday night's game marked the fourth in the 2006 U.S. Mexico Tour, with the three previous games played in California or Texas. Mexico is 3-1-0 on the tour, with the other wins coming against Norway and Ghana, and the loss to Korea.

Friendlies

29.03.2006: Chicago, Illinois USA; Soldier Field
MEXICO – PARAGUAY 2:1 (1:1)
Omar BRAVO 30’ pen, 81’ – Nelson CUEVAS 2’

27.05.2006: Saint-Denis, FRANCE; Stade de France (21:00)
FRANCE – MEXICO

01.06.2006: Eindhoven, NETHERLANDS;
NETHERLANDS – MEXICO

By Pierre Serisier.

LYON, France, (Reuters) - Olympique Lyon coach Gerard Houllier believes his side's away form can give them the edge in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final against AC Milan next week.
The French league leaders drew 0-0 at home on Wednesday and while the players admitted they felt intimidated before taking on the six-times European champions, they feel qualification for the semis is now within reach.
"This draw can be a problem for us but for them too," Houllier said after the stalemate in the Gerland Stadium. "They will have little choice but to score at home."
"We have good results away so far. And we proved that we don't have any problem to score even when we are not playing at home," added Houllier, whose side has not lost a single match away from home this season.
A scoring draw would put Lyon through to the semi-finals for the first time, but captain Claudio Cacapa says they will go for victory in the San Siro.
"We will go to Milan to win the second leg. More than ever, the odds are now fifty-fifty," said Cacapa. "We must not feel disappointed by this draw. We haven't given anything away."
Milan dominated for most of the first half but after the interval Lyon found another gear and created two clear chances for midfielder Tiago.
Lyon's ambitious chairman Jean-Michel Aulas has set the team the goal to become only the second French side to lift the continental trophy after Olympique Marseille in 1993.
Having learned from the last two seasons when they fell at the quarter-final stage, Lyon look better equipped this time to tackle Europe's big guns.
"We are confident for the second leg," said midfielder Jeremy Clement. "It's going to be tough but we are going to show them what we are worth. We gave them a hell of a trouble here."
"We realised that Milan were not as strong as we thought they were," added fellow midfielder Benoit Pedretti. "And I don't think they have any edge on us."
Lyon will be boosted for the second leg by the return of the talismanic Brazilian playmaker Juninho, who sat out the first leg through suspension.
However they will be without the influential Tiago who will be suspended after he was booked for a foul on Milan's Kaka during stoppage time.
"He sacrificed himself to deny Milan a chance to score," said Cacapa. "We will go to Milan to qualify and we will dedicate our qualification to him."

MILAN, Italy (AFP) - Inter Milan recovered from the shock of going a goal down inside the first minute to beat Spanish side Villarreal 2-1 in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final.
Uruguayan striker Diego Forlan put the visitors ahead only for Adriano, who was unsure of his place in the starting line-up due to an alarming loss of form, to equalize six minutes later.
Nigerian international Obafemi Martins, a first-half substitute for Alvaro Recoba, netted Inter's second goal nine minutes into the second half to complete the turnaround for the two-time European champions.
Villarreal's mercurial Argentine midfielder Juan Roman Riquelme hit the bar bar in the 63rd minute, but Inter held on for a precious victory.
Competing in the Champions League for the first time, Villarreal will be kicking themselves for throwing away their early advantage, but their away goal means they are still very much in the tie.
The second leg takes place next Tuesday and the winners will meet either Juventus or Arsenal in the semi-finals.
Inter coach Roberto Mancini was proud of his team for recovering from their early setback.
"We paid for a lapse in concentration and it could have been disastrous," he said.
"But the players deserve a lot of credit for the way they came back immediately.
"With a bit more luck we might have scored a third goal, which would have made life a little easier in the second leg.
"But having come back from an extremely difficult situation, I'm more than happy with the result."
Mancini opted to play Recoba up front alongside Adriano, while Cesar replaced the injured Luis Figo in midfield.
Villarreal were decimated by suspensions with Alessio Tacchinardi, who moved to Spain last summer after 11 years with Italian giants Juventus, Josico and Rodolfo Arruabarrena all ruled out.
Inter were caught cold with just 45 seconds on the clock.
Jose Mari burst in between Pierre Wome and Walter Samuel and his low shot was palmed away by Francesco Toldo.
The loose ball ran kindly for Forlan, who tucked home his second goal of the competition.
The home side came close to levelling the score 60 seconds later.
Adriano broke the offside trap to race after Dejan Stankovic's chipped pass, before lobbing the ball over Villarreal keeper Sebastian Viera.
Javi Venta sped to reach the Brazilian's goalbound effort, and managed to hook the ball clear just before it crossed the line.
Adriano cursed his luck, but fortune soon smiled upon him.
The powerfully-built South American had his back to goal when Juan Manuel Pena's attempted clearance fell at his feet, and with a quick turn he slammed a left-footed shot into the net from six yards.
Recoba's tested Viera from distance with a low drive, before limping off with an injury and making way for Martins.
Adriano curled two identical 20-yard free-kicks over the bar and sent a free header inches wide as Inter ended the half in complete control.
The break failed to interrupt Inter's momentum and they took the lead in the 54th minute.
Juan Sebastian Veron fed Stankovic down the right touchline and he flicked the ball over Juan Pablo Sorin's head and went haring towards the box.
The creative Serbian international looked up and delivered a low cross which Martins diverted past Viera with his knee.
Riquelme was thwarted by the woodwoork before Viera's reflex save kept out Martins' powerful header.
Sorin gave Inter a fright seven minutes from time when, under pressure from Ivan Cordoba, he side footed wide with the goal at his mercy and Villarreal fell to their first defeat in the competition.

AMSTERDAM, (Reuters) - Manchester United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy's place in the Dutch World Cup squad is not in doubt, according to coach Marco van Basten.
The 29-year-old Van Nistelrooy has found himself on the bench recently for United, with Alex Ferguson preferring Frenchman Louis Saha to partner Wayne Rooney.
"I made clear to him (Van Nistelrooy) that he should not worry about his spot in the Dutch squad," Van Basten said in an interview with the Dutch weekly magazine, Voetbal International. Second-placed United play West Ham United on Wednesday looking for a seventh consecutive league win and Ferguson has hinted that Van Nistelrooy will start.
"It has not been easy for Ruud sitting on the bench but...it has been impossible to leave Louis Saha out since the Carling Cup final, given his tremendous scoring form," Ferguson said in the match programme for Wednesday's game.
"Playing three strikers is possible in some games...but not always because it can leave the wrong balance. "The one thing that's certain is that all three will play their part and help us maintain the momentum." Van Nistelrooy is the joint leading scorer in the Premier League this season with 19 goals, the same as Arsenal's Thierry Henry.

Blatter warns elite teams to prepare for 'world war'
By BOUAZZA BEN BOUAZZA.

TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) -- FIFA president Sepp Blatter warned Europe's elite soccer teams to prepare for "world war" if it persists in opposing the sport's governing body.
G-14, a group of major European clubs, is trying to gain greater influence. Blatter criticized the clubs for seeking compensation when players are injured while playing for their national teams.
"If they are rich, why do they ask for more money?" Blatter said during a visit to Tunisia. "It's the world upside down."
Four-time French champion Lyon is suing FIFA for $1.18 million after defender Eric Abidal cracked a bone in his foot in France's 3-2 exhibition victory over Costa Rica in November.
Belgium's Sporting Charleroi is seeking $747,000 from FIFA after Abdelmajid Oulmers seriously injured his ankle while playing for Morocco. G-14 joined Charleroi in the case.
Blatter also accused G-14 clubs of "pillaging" Africa to find new players.
"If they want a world war, they will get one," Blatter said Monday.
Blatter also warned that clubs that refuse to release players for their national teams could be kicked out of international club competitions.
"You have to got to hit them where it hurts," Blatter said.
Blatter also said that under new rules a player guilty of racist conduct would be banned for five games. The clubs of fans who show an "incomprehensible and nasty attitude" will be docked three points for a first racist offense, six points for a second and relegation to the division below if they offend a third time. Blatter said clubs that fail to enforce these rules won't play in international competitions.
G-14 originally consisted of 14 clubs: Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, Manchester United, Liverpool, Juventus, AC Milan, Inter Milan, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Marseille, Paris Saint-Germain, Ajax, PSV Eindhoven and FC Porto. In 2002, it expanded to 18 by adding Valencia, Arsenal, Bayer Leverkusen and Lyon.
G-14 wants to broker new rules to give clubs a bigger say in running the game, including a system that will give teams sending players to the World Cup or major continental championships a share of the revenues from the tournaments.

TOKYO (AFP) - Japan coach Zico admits the Asian champions are under huge pressure to defeat Australia in their first World Cup match, in a tough group that also includes Brazil and Croatia.
"Victory would give us more tranquillity for the remaining group matches. You just cannot afford to lose your first match in a World Cup," Zico told the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) website.
"First because you will have the added pressure of having to win the next match at all costs. And secondly you know that another defeat and you're out of the tournament in the first week."
Japan will kick off the World Cup against Australia, then play Croatia and Brazil in the Group F preliminary round.
Zico, a Brazilian, refused to concede that Japan was competing for the runners-up place to secure a berth in the knock-out round, with Brazil hot favourites to top the group.
"On paper it appears that way. But on the field things can be much different," he said.
"The pressure on Brazil is enormous and of course you never know in football. We shall have to wait and see what sort of condition the Brazilians will be in come June."
Asked about Japan's chances against Brazil, Zico said: "Just pray that they have an off-day.
"But if you sit back you'd be asking for trouble. You should pressurise their defence so as to stop the whole team from developing their usual pattern and rhythm.
"You should also take a few risks against them. Football is all about risks. And hoping for the best."
Zico said the most difficult task leading Japan, a nation known for its perfectionist ethic, was to make his players realise that "it was no crime to make a mistake."
"Players should have the courage to improvise, like the Brazilians do. Today I'm glad to say that my players know they will not be replaced as soon as they make a mistake. They are playing with a peaceful frame of mind," said Zico.
"Being champions of Asia is good. And my players should not be afraid of this responsibility. It is a good responsibility to have."

LONDON (AFP) - David Beckham believes England boss Sven-Goran Eriksson is the "obvious choice" to take over at Real Madrid after this summer's World Cup.
The Swede is one of seven potential Real managers named on a shortlist by Bernabeu president Fernando Martin and, according to one leading British bookmaker, is 2/1 favourite to get the job.
Eriksson, who will leave the England job after this summer's World Cup, is the hot favourite on a list which also includes Jose Mourinho (Chelsea), Arsene Wenger (Arsenal), Rafael Benitez (Liverpool), Fabio Capello (Juventus), Carlos Ancelotti (AC Milan) and Marcelo Lippi (Italy).
However the first five coaches in that list have stated their commitment to their respective clubs.
If Eriksson wants a character reference to put before the Real board, he need look no further than Beckham to provide one.
The 30-year-old Madrid midfielder said: "Sven is one of the best managers around and his name was bound to come into the equation. I think he would work well.
"I don't know who it will be as it's not my decision. Sven is the obvious one because he will be out of a job. He will be free and available so we will see.
"I don't think he would have a problem with any place he went to. I think he is an experienced manager and can handle it.
"He has been the English manager for five years and has handled the pressures there so I'm sure he can handle it wherever he manages.
"One of his biggest qualities is his man-management - the way he treats the players and what he gets out of the players. He gives the players a lot of respect."

BERLIN, (Reuters) - Germany's Football Association (DFB) will investigate a soccer match in the east German city of Halle in which a Nigerian player was the target of racist taunts from fans and responded with a stiff-armed Hitler salute.
German authorities requested a report from the Northeastern Football Federation on the events surrounding the Oberliga (fourth division) match between Halle and Leipzig on Saturday.
Leipzig defender Adebowale Ogungbure, a Nigerian national, was taunted by spectators throughout the match and assaulted as he left the pitch. He countered by making a Nazi salute.
"We take any disputes of a racist nature very seriously," DFB chief Theo Zwanziger said in a statement on Wednesday.
"Despite the fact that events like those seen in Halle occur only occasionally among the approximately 80,000 soccer games which take place in Germany each weekend, we give them our fullest attention," Zwanziger said.
Making a Hitler gesture is illegal in Germany. However, an investigation into the 25-year-old Nigerian's gesture has been dropped because prosecutors say Ogungbure was acting in protest rather than in support of a banned political organisation.
Police will now review security video footage to seek out the abusive spectators.
Germany said this month it was taking seriously the possibility that right-wing radicals and neo-Nazis might try to disrupt this year´s soccer World Cup and has vowed to clamp down on racism. The tournament starts on June 9.

Arsenal's youngsters upset Italy's old guard.
By Trevor Huggins.

LONDON, (Reuters) - Arsenal's 2-0 win over Juventus was the latest show of strength by a young side who are revelling in upsetting the old order of European football.
A few weeks after knocking out nine-times European champions Real Madrid, Tuesday's convincing quarter-final, first leg victory has left Arsenal on the verge of their first appearance in the last four of the Champions League.
Juventus, known reverently in Italy as The Old Lady, looked more than a little staid against the exuberant Arsenal team driven forward by 18-year-old midfielder Francesc Fabregas.
The Spanish teenager slotted home their opener and handed the second on a plate to captain Thierry Henry as Arsenal outplayed Italy's reigning champions and Serie A leaders.
Determined in the tackle and quick to attack, Arsene Wenger's side showed they had no time for the reputation of a club with 28 Italian league titles, two European Cups and three UEFA Cups to its esteemed name.
"They are not inhibited," Wenger said. "I find that a great quality."
Juventus struggled with the attacking runs made by Fabregas and 22-year-old compatriot Jose Antonio Reyes from midfield and made little headway against Arsenal's youthful back four.
Mathieu Flamini, Philippe Senderos and Emmanuel Eboue are all 22 or under, while Kolo Toure, who made some vital interceptions on Tuesday, is currently the 'senior' player after turning 25 earlier this month.
Henry, winger Robert Pires and defensive midfielder Gilberto provide the experience in a side that is going through a period of transition both on and off the pitch.
Beaten 10 times in the Premier League, knocked out of both domestic cup competitions and still having to scrap for a place in the Champions League qualifiers, Arsenal have clearly suffered the growing pains of a young team.
However, they are now delivering on some of that potential and their final season before moving to the nearby Emirates Stadium could yet finish on a high.
Though he felt Arsenal could have scored a third goal, Wenger was pleased with the quality of their latest performance and the way it reflected his whole approach to the game.
"Keep football as simple as you can, play in a positive mood and that's what these boys do," he said. "They do it well and they can still do much better....there's quality in the side and it's good to watch."

REPLACING VIEIRA
Nowhere was the transition more evident than in central midfield, where Fabregas helped make it a miserable return for his 29-year-old predecessor Patrick Vieira.
The Frenchman, who left last year for Juventus after a nine-year spell at Highbury, had won seven major trophies under Wenger. The captain's unexpected departure was even seen by some as the beginning of the end.
Instead, Fabregas has blossomed in his place and Vieira had to endure a wretched night. His loss of possession to Pires led to Arsenal's first goal and he will miss next week's second leg after picking up a yellow card.
Fellow midfielder Mauro Camoranesi and defender Jonathan Zebina will also miss out after both were shown red cards as Juventus imploded in the final minutes.
However, Arsenal may yet live to regret that failure to score a third goal which would have made a semi-final berth against either Inter Milan or Villarreal a near certainty.
Juve will have Czech playmaker Pavel Nedved back from suspension and striker Alessandro Del Piero could be fit again for duty after missing out on Tuesday through injury.
Coach Fabio Capello insisted his team are still very much alive in this tie and has already called for a big performance from them at the Stadio Delle Alpi. If they respond, Arsenal's learning curve will suddenly become a lot steeper.

Benfica expect similar pattern in Barcelona says Koeman.
By Ian Simpson.

LISBON, (Reuters) - Benfica expect a another Barcelona onslaught in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final at the Nou Camp next week. Favourites Barcelona had Benfica at their mercy in the first leg in Lisbon on Tuesday night but let them off the hook with some poor finishing.
"In the second game we're going to do the same thing, fight until the last minute. Barcelona will have to attack and it will be a game more or less like this one," Benfica coach Ronald Koeman said.
"We have to give up less space and get the ball more. We have to show the level of play we had here in the second half," he told reporters.
"Barcelona are a great team and showed it here. With this result everything is wide open, although playing away it's going to be more complicated."
Barcelona missed three good chances to score in the first half, when they were on top, and could have scored again in a more evenly contested second period in which Benfica also came close to an upset.
Benfica defender Ricardo Rocha earned praise from Ronaldinho for keeping a tight rein on him although Barcelona's brilliant Brazilian still managed to set up both Deco and Samuel Eto'o for good chances the pair squandered.
"Ricardo Rocha was very good, I wasn't able to play my game or serve up my colleagues the assists I'm used to," Ronaldinho told reporters.

BARCA STUNNED
The Barca players were stunned by the result and Ronaldinho said: "We always go out to score goals but I can't explain how we didn't score today.
"But in front of our own fans, and with the confidence and motivation we have in the side I am sure we will progress," he said looking ahead to next Wednesday's return leg.
Barcelona had to thank lady luck in the end for not having a penalty awarded against them for handball by Thiago Motta, a midfielder filling in at centre back.
"It could have been a penalty. But the referee is the one who has to judge and he thought that Motta acted involuntarily," Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard said.
While the failure to score dominated most Barca players' thoughts, Brazilian defender Juliano Belletti preferred to talk up the positives and the work of a make-shift defence.
Barcelona were without suspended captain Carles Puyol and the injured Rafael Marquez and Edmilson. "We know we can do better at home, but the most important thing from today was that we didn't concede a goal," he said.

(Additional reporting by Mark Elkington in Madrid).

Luis Figo sets his sights high.
By: FIFAworldcup.com

As a former FIFA World Player of the Year, Inter Milan and Portugal midfielder Luis Figo has all the experience required to be one of the stars of the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany™.
The gifted playmaker and most-capped Portuguese international of all time will be hoping his wealth of experience will be a decisive factor in leading his team to glory in Germany. In this exclusive interview with FIFAworldcup.com, Figo discusses Portugal's failure at Korea/Japan 2002, his admiration for national coach Luiz Felipe Scolari and his country's chances of success this summer.

FIFAworldcup.com: You are one of the Portugal team captains (coach Scolari generally rotates the armband between Figo, Pauleta and Costinha). What is your relationship with Scolari like?
Luis Figo: Very good. I think we have a relationship based on friendship and respect. He's someone who likes to talk to the players a lot and have a strong, united group - almost like a family. He really understands football. Just look at his achievements. He’s won the World Cup and been a runner-up in the European Championship. I think we're extremely lucky to have such an experienced guy like him leading us.

What do you make of the other teams in Portugal's group at Germany 2006?
I honestly don't know anything about Iran, as I've never played against them. We don't tend to play against teams from that part of the world but we'll have time to study and analyse the way that they play before the World Cup begins. Mexico will be one of the favourites to get through to the next round. I've played against them a few times and they have some technically excellent players who have done really well in important tournaments over the past few years. There are a lot of Angolan players currently playing in Portugal. Angola's a former Portuguese colony, so I imagine a lot of people back home will be unsure as to who they'll support. Like all the African teams, they're physically very powerful and will obviously have to be respected.

For teams like Brazil and Argentina anything less than winning the FIFA World Cup will be considered a failure? What are Portuguese expectations? What would you consider a successful campaign?
Portugal are not at the same level as Brazil and Argentina, because we don't have the same sort of World Cup finals experience as those two countries. As far as I'm concerned, the only really successful outcome would be to win the tournament. Any professional footballer has to have that attitude, while also taking into account that there are other teams out there who are more likely to win than we are. Still, you never know what might happen. Portugal don't have the same wealth of talent to choose from as Brazil or Argentina, because we don't have a population anywhere near as big as those two.
But we all have high hopes of winning, regardless of nationality. It goes without saying, though, that if we reach the last four then it won't have been a bad tournament for us. That is exactly what Scolari said during EURO 2004 - that the main aim was to reach the semi-finals and anything else Portugal achieved would be a bonus. It's so important that we go one step at a time. First we need to get through our group. If we fail to do that, like we did last time around, then our World Cup will have been a complete failure. Once we've managed that then anything can happen in the knockout stages.

In 2002 Portugal arrived at the FIFA World Cup on the back of an excellent campaign at EURO 2000 and with a team containing what was widely regarded as the golden generation of Portuguese football. Now you're coming into this tournament having enjoyed another superb European Championship and a very good qualifying campaign.
(Interrupts the question) Let's hope that what happened last time doesn't occur again.

But what went wrong in Korea/Japan?
From start to finish, everything went wrong. So we need to learn from that and not make the same mistakes again. What happened in 2002 is history now, we need to move on and learn from both the good and bad things that happened back then.

With the exception of yourself, who do you think will be the star of the FIFA World Cup, or even the star of the Portuguese team?
Hopefully Portugal will be the star. I mean that in a collective sense, because to have a good World Cup we'll need the whole team to perform, and not just one or two individuals.

And are you already thinking about it? Have you imagined yourself on the pitch and scoring a goal in Germany?
No, because I've got so many other things to think about before then. There's no point in thinking about what might or might not happen in a tournament that's still three months away.

By Alison Wildey.

LONDON, (Reuters) - A last-minute penalty from Robbie Keane boosted Tottenham Hotspur's bid for a Champions League place with a 2-1 win over West Bromwich Albion on Monday.
Keane, who had earlier notched his 50th Premier League goal for the London club, scored from the spot after West Brom keeper Tomasz Kuszczak hit a clearance straight to Jermain Defoe and then pulled him down under pressure.
Egypt international Mido put the loose ball into the net but the referee had already blown the whistle.
The win gave fourth placed Tottenham, who occupy the final Champions League spot, 55 points. They are three clear of Blackburn Rovers and five ahead of Arsenal, who have a game in hand after their clash at Portsmouth was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch at the weekend.
West Brom stay 17th on 27 points, three clear of the relegation zone. Chelsea top the table with 78 points.
Spurs manager Martin Jol was pleased with their second-half performance.
"You need quality in the passing and that is what we lacked in the first half an hour but I think in the second half we worked very hard and overall we deserved it," the Dutchman told Sky Sports.
"I think 55 points is marvellous. Everyone was saying 'we knew Tottenham would be there' but then that's maybe been the same story for the last 20 years and now we are there so we are very proud."
West Brom defender Curtis Davies gave the visitors a deserved lead in the 21st minute when he outjumped Michael Dawson at the far post to head home Jonathan Greening's free kick.
Tottenham, unbeaten at home in the league since losing to Chelsea in August, got into their stride towards the end of the half and Kuszczak produced good saves to deny Defoe and midfielder Aaron Lennon.
Substitute Mido almost scored with his first touch when he sent the ball across the face of goal from a tight angle on 61 minutes.
The equaliser came when Keane received the ball from Michael Carrick and deftly chipped it over Kuszczak.
Hungarian substitute Zoltan Gera almost salvaged a point for West Brom in the final seconds but Paul Robinson saved his header.
"Even when they got the equaliser we were the dominant team," West Brom manager Bryan Robson said.
"We've had good situations ourselves, great chances off set plays but we haven't capitalised and then we shot ourselves in the foot but we do that every week."

MADRID, (Reuters) - Real Madrid president Fernando Martin has targeted seven high-profile coaches as potential candidates to take over at the Primera Liga club next season.
"We are clear about the type of coach we want," Martin told Spanish television station Antena 3 on Monday.
"We want one of the coaches that you all know we want. (Jose) Mourinho, (Fabio) Capello, (Rafa) Benitez, (Arsene) Wenger, (Carlo) Ancelotti, (Marcelo) Lippi and (Sven-Goran) Eriksson."
He went on to add that if any of the above were selected, Real would speak to the coach's club first.
Martin has made it clear that he is looking for a replacement for Juan Ramon Lopez Caro, who he believes lacks experience at the highest level after being promoted from B team coach to replace Vanderlei Luxemburgo in December.
Arsenal's Wenger, Liverpool's Benitez and Capello of Juventus have all distanced themselves from the Real job in recent weeks.
Mourinho has always expressed his desire to continue at Chelsea, while it is well-known that Eriksson is leaving the England job after the World Cup finals in July.
It is the first time Italy coach Lippi's name has been linked with the position.

CONTRACT EXTENSION
Spanish media continue to tout AC Milan coach Ancelotti as favourite to take over at the Bernabeu in July, despite his having signed a contract extension until 2008 with the Italian club last week.
"I have decided to stay with Milan, who have always been my team. They are my first choice," Ancelotti was quoted as saying in sports daily Marca on Monday.
"The decision is definitive but anything can happen in football."
Earlier in the day Real had made it clear that there was no deal in place with a new coach, going back on Martin's assertions a week ago that he had chosen a successor to Lopez Caro.
In an official statement, the club said: "Contrary to what has been reported in the Spanish and European media the club has made no decision on who will be the club's coach next season. The club has no agreement or contract with any coach."
Last week Martin, who replaced Florentino Perez in February, was interviewed by Spanish daily El Mundo where he said: "I know who will be the new coach and I'm not going to name any names."
Real are second in the Primera Liga, 11 points behind leaders Barcelona, who they visit on Saturday, with eight games left.

LONDON (Ticker) - England striker Michael Owen expects to go to the World Cup "100 percent fit." The 26-year-old fractured a metatarsal in his right foot in a Barclays Premiership game at Tottenham on December 31.
He had a screw inserted into his foot in January and his recovery suffered a setback last week when doctors decided that screw should be replaced and tightened.
Owen underwent the surgery on Friday and was expected to return to the hospital Monday to have a protective cover fitted.
"I have to admit I was a bit down when the surgeon rang last week to say he was advising me to go back into hospital," Owen told British newspaper The Times. "But it was my brother who pointed out that there are still 11 weeks until the World Cup starts. I should be back in four. That leaves plenty of time to get my full fitness and, as for scoring goals, I have been doing that all my life and I will have all the same instincts when I am 50.
"There is always a scare or two before a tournament but, if this is as bad as it gets for England, then we should be pretty well off. There is just one bit of the bone that needs another helping hand and Friday's operation, which went well, should do that. I expect to be playing in four weeks, which, hopefully, gives me the chance to finish the season with Newcastle. The club and the fans have been great to me and I want to pay them back."
England captain David Beckham broke a metatarsal in the build-up to the 2002 World Cup in Japan and Korea and was below his best when the tournament began.
"I have heard people compare it to David's injury and ask whether the manager should be taking players if they are not fully fit," Owen said. "I'm not expecting that to be an issue. I am expecting to go to Germany 100 percent fit."

Vieira has no regrets about leaving Arsenal.
By Simon Vincent.

LONDON, (Reuters) - Juventus midfielder Patrick Vieira insisted he did not regret leaving Arsenal and said he was looking forward to facing his old club in the quarter-finals of the Champions League on Tuesday.
Vieira left Arsenal after nine years last July to join the Serie A leaders for 20 million euros ($24.09 million).
"When I signed for Juventus, the Arsenal page was over," Vieira told a news conference on the eve of Juventus' first leg against Arsenal at Highbury.
"I've talked enough about the past. I'm just here to talk about this game and to prepare for the game.
"I'm really trying to focus on the game and that is what is really important."
The former Arsenal captain was confident his emotional return to Highbury would not affect his performance.
"In the nine years it was the best bit of history of Arsenal and I proud to be part of it," the French international said.
"But I never regret any decision.
"The emotional side will come after the game. But for now I'm focussed on the game and Juventus."
Vieira believes Juventus are geared up to go all the way to the final in Paris this year.
While the Italian club are eight points clear at the top of Serie A, Arsenal have failed to live up to expectations in the Premier League this season and are sixth, 28 points behind leaders Chelsea.
Vieira felt Juventus would be able to maintain their top form into the latter stages of the European competition.
"We know it will not be an easy game. But we believe we are strong enough to go through to the final," Vieira said.
"I was a little bit surprised (how Arsenal are doing) because they have got the quality to do better than they are doing. "But it is not over yet."

Wenger wary of Juve French connection he helped create.
LONDON (AFP) - If Juventus wreck Arsenal's dream of Champions League glory this season, Arsene Wenger will have only himself to blame.
The Gunners manager has had, directly or indirectly, a hugely influential role in the careers of three Frenchman who form the spine of the side the Italian champions will field in Tuesday's quarter-final first leg at Highbury.
From the ethereal composure of Lilian Thuram at the back, through the unrivalled enforcement qualities of Patrick Vieira in midfield to the predatory instincts of David Trezeguet in attack, Wenger can claim credit for helping to create the defining ingredients of the current Juve mix.
Thuram may be a 34-year-old with World Cup and European Championship winner's medals sitting at home, but the great French defender has never got out of the habit of referring to the man who gave him his professional debut 15 years ago as "Monsieur Wenger."
Thuram played 98 games for Wenger at Monaco before he became one of France's most successful exports to Serie A. He has never forgotten how much he owes to his first manager and the admiration is mutual.
"Lilian is the rock at the heart of the Juve defence," Wenger confided to AFP in the build-up to Tuesday's match.
"Mentally, he is very, very strong -- even when he was very young he always astonished me with his capacity for concentration.
"And he never gives up. He is a player with the right mentality to play in England. Several times I tried to bring him here to Highbury, but he was always too expensive for us."
Vieira's debt to Wenger is even greater. It was the Arsenal manager who rescued a player now recognised as Europe's finest defensive midfielder from the purgatory of the AC Milan reserves and turned him into a Highbury legend.
Vieira may have opted to quit Arsenal last summer in search of the motivation generated by a fresh challenge, but he is still expected to be warmly received by the Gunners faithful in recognition of his role as one of the cornerstones of the revolution orchestrated by Wenger in north London.
"Only eight months ago, he was still the captain of my team," Wenger reflected.
"He was a massive player for Arsenal for nine years. He arrived very young and grew with the club. His physical potential is amazing but Patrick is also a leader of men."
Wenger has not had any direct involvement in the career of Trezeguet, who arrived at Monaco two years after he had left.
But it was the youth development structure created by Wenger which allowed the 28-year-old to evolve into one of Europe's most feared strikers.
"He loves to be in the box," Wenger said. "That's his job, it's what he loves and what he's always loved. He is a great finisher, good with both feet and with his head. He's the player every coach wants to have."
Juve's traditional caution means this encounter is unlikely to produce the exhibition of sustained attacking football that made Arsenal's win over Real Madrid in the last round such a delight.
"It is different this time because we have the first game at home," Wenger said. "Psychologically it is harder because you have to attack but you know conceding a goal is a big problem.
"But the Real Madrid result has given us more self-belief."
Arsenal should be fresh going into the match following the last-minute postponement of Saturday's Premiership match at Portsmouth.
Wenger could however have done with the opportunity to assess the sharpness of Sol Campbell, who is available again after nearly two months on the sidelines due to a combination of an ankle injury and a crisis of confidence.
Philippe Senderos will continue at centreback if Wenger decides not to take a risk on Campbell.
Juventus will be without all-time leading scorer Alessandro Del Piero, who strained a hamstring strain in Saturday's 1-1 home draw with Roma, and Czech playmaker Pavel Nedved, who is suspended.

Juventus striker Del Piero out of Arsenal clash.
ROME, (Reuters) - Striker Alessandro Del Piero has been left out of Juventus's squad for Tuesday's Champions League match against Arsenal after suffering a thigh injury.
The 31-year-old Italy international, who limped off clutching his left thigh after 15 minutes of Saturday's 1-1 draw with Serie A rivals AS Roma, had been expected to start the quarter-final first leg in London alongside David Trezeguet.
His place will be taken by Swedish international Zlatan Ibrahimovic, whose erratic recent form has led to him starting more and more frequently on the bench.
Del Piero's injury is a big setback for the Serie A leaders, who are already missing midfielder Pavel Nedved through suspension.
Del Piero has been in superb form this season, scoring three times in seven Champions League appearances and 10 goals in 26 Serie A matches -- many after coming on as a substitute -- to replace Giampiero Boniperti as the club's all-time leading scorer.
The injury is not expected to keep him out of the return leg at Turin's Stadio delle Alpi on April 5.

Barca draw bore at Malaga but Osasuna lose.
MADRID (AFP) - Barcelona's seemingly unstoppable march towards their second successive league title had the brakes put on it by Malaga when they were held to a 0-0 draw by the bottom club.
"Perhaps a draw was fair because neither side could make an impression in front of goal," reflected Barca coach Frank Rijkaard.
Poor finishing by the Catalan club and a great game by the Malaga keeper Francesc Arnau against his former club, where he spent seven seasons, meant Barca failed to score for only the third time this season.
Barcelona were by far the better side and had more than twice as many shots on goal as the home side but they were missing some of the magic usually provided by their inspirational World Player of the Year Ronaldinho.
Ronaldinho was rested by Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard on Saturday to keep the Brazilain striker fresh for Tuesday's Champions League quarter-final first leg match at Benfica.
Henrik Larsson and Ludovic Giuly both went close in the first half before African Player of the Year Samuel Eto'o, who was playing his 200th league game, had a goal controversially disallowed just before the break.
Referee Julian Rodriguez Santiago originally gave the goal but then his linesman said that Henrik Larsson had handled the ball.
Larsson and most of the rest of Barca protested his innocence and television replays showed clearly that the linesman had got it wrong with the wayward hand belonged to Malaga captain Fernando Sanz.
Eto'o had further cause to feel frustrated when he hit the cross bar in injury time at the end of the rather tepid encounter.
Barcelona have 68 points from 30 games and a 14-point point lead at the top of the Spanish first division after second-placed Osasuna let them off the hook when they went down 1-0 at Athletic Bilbao later on Saturday.
The only goal of an entertaining game came after 59 minutes when Luis Prieto headed home a Francisco Yeste free kick.
Both teams ended with 10-men after Osasuna's Ludovic Delporte and Athletic's Ismael Urzaiz were sent off for an injury-time brawl.
Real Madrid are one place and one point further back but have a game in hand and, after three consecutive league draws, they will be hoping to get back to winning ways against Deportivo La Coruna on Sunday.
"We've recently been lacking a little confidence to make the most of our chances," admitted Real's under-fire coach Juan Ramon Lopez Caro on Saturday.
"We can turn things around and if we have an ambitious mentality. We've shown promise and worked hard in recent games, now we have to turn that into results," added Lopez Caro.
The Real coach conspicously failed to confirm that Ronaldo would keep his place in the starting lineup despite scoring his first goal for more than a month in Wednesday's 1-1 draw at Real Zaragoza.
"Ronaldo at a good level, I want his to continue to recover his abilities, but we have other talented strikers like Cassano and Raul," commented Lopez Caro on Saturday.
At the back, Alvaro Mejia is suspended and fellow central defender Jonathan Woodgate has back problems, which means a probable start for Raul Bravo.
Real Betis eased their relegation worries with a 2-1 win at Villarreal earlier on Saturday, the Seville-based side's second win in a week and just their second victory away from home this season.
Betis' Brazilian striker Robert put them seemingly well in control with two first half goals but they had to survive a nervous last few minutes as Villarreal staged a furious bid to salvage a point.
Argentine international Juan Pablo Sorin headed home a cross from his compatriot Juan Roman Riquelme after 78 minutes.
Villarreal nearly got a draw when another of their Argentine contingent Rodolfo Arruabarrena found the net in injury time but the goal was disallowed because Sorin was judged to have fouled Betis keeper Pedro Contreras.

Drogba's two goals lead Chelsea over Manchester City 2-0.
LONDON (AP) -- Didier Drogba's two first-half goals lifted Chelsea to a 2-0 victory over Manchester City on Saturday, giving the Blues a 14-point lead atop the Premier League.
With Manchester United playing on Sunday, Liverpool moved into second place, beating Everton 3-1 in the Merseyside Derby. Luis Garcia and Harry Kewell scored for Liverpool, with the other coming from Phil Neville's own goal.
Arsenal's game at Portsmouth was called off because of heavy rain.
In other Saturday games: Aston Villa 0, Fulham 0; Sunderland 0, Blackburn 1; Wigan 1, West Ham 2.
Three games are scheduled for Sunday: Middlesbrough vs. Bolton, Charlton vs. Newcastle, Manchester United vs. Birmingham. On Monday, Tottenham hosts West Bromwich Albion.
Chelsea leads the Premier League with 78 points, followed by Liverpool (64), Manchester United (63), Tottenham (52), Blackburn (52) and Arsenal (50). Bolton is next with 48 with Wigan on 46 and West Ham on 45.
In the League Championship -- the level just below the Premier League -- Reading clinched promotion to the Premier League with a 1-1 draw at Leicester.
With Leicester leading 1-0 on Iain Hume's 38th-minute goal, Kevin Doyle tied it in the 85th. It was the goal that meant promotion, with two Americans on the team likely to move up -- midfielder Bobby Convey and Marcus Hahnemann in goal.
With five games to play, Reading has 92 points, with Sheffield United at 78. Watford and Leeds have 72 points. Although Reading has not clinched first place, it clinched one of the two top spots.
The top two teams get promoted automatically to the Premier League. The next four teams have a playoff for the other promotion spot.

Milan close gap as Juve held by Roma.
By Simon Evans.
MILAN, (Reuters) - Serie A leaders Juventus were held to a 1-1 draw at home by AS Roma on Saturday allowing rivals AC Milan to cut their lead to eight points with their 3-1
victory over Fiorentina.
Juve led through a 35th minute header from Brazilian midfielder Emerson but had Czech midfielder Pavel Nedved sent off on the stroke of halftime.
Down to 10 men for the second half, Juve looked to have held on but five minutes from the end Roma drew level with a header from Moroccan midfielder Houssine Kharja.
Juve keeper Gianluigi Buffon then had to produce a fine save to keep out a long-range drive from Roma defender Cesare Bovo.
The Turin side had suffered an early blow when striker Alessandro Del Piero limped off with a thigh injury that could make him doubtful for Tuesday's Champions League quarter-final,
first leg tie away to Arsenal.
Although an eight-point lead is still comfortable with seven games remaining, Juve will be keeping a closer eye on Milan who are entering the final stages of the campaign in good form.
At the San Siro, Milan came from behind to beat Fiorentina comfortably after Italy international and Serie A's top scorer Luca Toni had put the Florence side ahead in the 13th minute
with his 25th strike of the season.
Ukrainian Andriy Shevchenko scored the equaliser from a tight angle in the 20th minute before second half goals ensured the points for Carlo Ancelotti's team.

FIRST APPEARANCE
Brazilian Kaka headed in a cross from 39-year-old defender Alessandro Costacurta and then midfielder Gennaro Gattuso blasted in from the edge of the area on the hour to make it 3-1.
Milan, who are away to Olympique Lyon in their Champions League tie on Wednesday, received a boost when captain Paolo Maldini came on in the 75th minute to make his first appearance after three months out with injury.
Champions League contenders Inter Milan's hopes of catching AC Milan suffered a blow with a 1-0 defeat at mid-table Parma which leaves them in third-place trailing their city rivals by
five points.
Inter, who face Spain's Villarreal in their Champions League quarter-final, first leg on Wednesday, were beaten by a 39th minute goal from Parma's Brazilian midfielder Fabio Simplicio as they fell to their sixth league defeat of the season. Bernardo Corradi broke down the left flank and put in a low cross which Inter's Cameroonian defender Pierre Wome badly
miscontrolled, allowing the ball to spill to Simplicio who drove home his ninth league goal of the season.
Parma went close to a second on several occasions but Inter keeper Francesco Toldo produced a series of good saves -- twice keeping out excellent long-range strikes from Australian
midfielder Mark Bresciano. Inter almost grabbed a last-minute equaliser but Parma keeper Luca Bucci's diving save kept out a glancing header from Argentine Esteban Cambiasso.

Lyon held to draw before AC Milan test.
By Patrick Vignal.
PARIS, (Reuters) - Olympique Lyon had to be content with a 1-1 draw at home to lowly Toulouse on Saturday in their last game before facing AC Milan in the Champions League.
The French Ligue 1 champions, who will entertain Milan in the first leg of their quarter-final tie on Wednesday, moved 12 points clear of second-placed Girondins Bordeaux who host Nice on Sunday.
Striker Daniel Moreira put the visitors ahead against the run of play just before halftime.
Lyon, chasing a record fifth consecutive title, equalised through Norway striker John Carew four minutes into the second half.
The home side kept racing forward after that but were denied by a string of brilliant saves from Toulouse goalkeeper Nicolas Douchez.
Lyon top the standings with 69 points from 31 games, followed by Bordeaux on 57. Both sides will have seven matches left to play after the weekend.
"My players fought extremely hard in the second half and were not rewarded," said Lyon coach Gerard Houllier.
"We played really well in that second half. However, we made mistakes tonight which we cannot afford to make against Milan."
Houllier's men, in a class of their own at home, are desperate to make an impact in Europe at last after leaving the Champions League in the quarter-finals the last two seasons.
Third-placed Lille had to share the points with a 2-2 draw at struggling Racing Strasbourg, who equalised in the last minute courtesy of striker Amara Diane.
Northerners Lille are four points behind Bordeaux and two ahead of fourth-placed Auxerre, who managed only a 0-0 draw at home to once-great St Etienne.
The first two in Ligue 1 make the Champions League with the third-placed team entering the showcase competition's qualifying round. The fourth-placed team go into the UEFA Cup.
On a night with plenty of draws, Olympique Marseille were held to a 1-1 draw by Le Mans.
Marseille, who undermined their chances of playing in Europe next season, drop two spots to seventh.
The 1993 European champions opened the scoring on 23 minutes with a superb goal from striker Toifilou Maoulida but Le Mans levelled 12 minutes later through forward James Fanchone.

Bayern on cloud nine as Hamburg falter.
BERLIN (AFP) - Bayern Munich moved closer to their 20th Bundesliga title with a 3-1 comeback win over MSV Duisburg, stretching their lead at the top to nine points with just seven games to go.
Second-placed SV Hamburg lost 4-2 at home to Borussia Dortmund and with just 21 points left to play for Bayern need to win four of their remaining seven games to be almost certain of picking up their sixth title in eight years.
"We have some breathing space which is great," said Bayern coach Felix Magath. "There is less pressure on us now. We just need to keep building on our lead until the title is secure."
Bayern had gone behind against promoted Duisburg shortly before half-time with Abdelaziz Ahanfouf scoring from the penalty spot but Bosnian international Hasan Salihamidzic equalized in the 66th minute.
Dutch striker Roy Makaay, back in the starting line-up, then put Bayern ahead in the 76th minute and Claudio Pizarro scored again four minutes later to cap the comeback.
Duisburg coach Jurgen Kohler, who won the title as a Bayern player in 1990, said the championship race was over.
"We saw the German champions today," Kohler declared. "For 65 minutes or so we made life difficult for Bayern but their individual class shone through."
The only negative from the game was an injury to German international goalkeeper Oliver Kahn who hobbled off in the 12th minute due to a hip injury although it is not thought to be serious.
"It does not look too bad and I expect him to be back in training next week," added Magath.
Hamburg may have beaten Bayern twice this season but any hopes of a first German title since 1983 evaporated after the loss against Dortmund.
Brazilian striker Ailton had put Hamburg 2-1 up in the 67th minute with his first goal for the club but Dortmund responded.
Czech international Tomas Rosicky, looking to leave the club in the summer, equalised sixty seconds later with a sensational volley and scored again in the final minute after Hamburg pushed everyone, including their goalkeeper, forward.
"Dortmund deserved to win. We needed to hold the lead longer and we never recovered after the quick equalizer for 2-2," admitted Hamburg chief Thomas Doll.
"You have to say it was a brilliant goal from Rosicky but we did not react to the second ball quickly enough."
Werder Bremen are now just three points behind Hamburg after crushing Hanover 5-0 on Saturday to enhance their chances of securing a Champions League slot.
"We are in the race for the Champions League and it is more in our own hands now," explained Bremen manager Thomas Schaaf.
Paraguayan international Nelson Haedo Valdez took the match ball after scoring a hat-trick (43min, 52, 82).
"We are fortunate to have good strikers at this club and Nelson is one of them," added Schaaf. "We decided to start him and he showed his quality with three goals."
Schalke 04 drop to fourth, one point behind Bremen, after sharing a 2-2 draw with VfL Wolfsburg. The UEFA Cup hopefuls twice went in front only to be pegged back for a point.
Down at the bottom FC Cologne, nine points from safety, are staring relegation full in the face after a 1-1 draw against Frankfurt.
A fiercely-contested relegation match was spiced up by the fact that Cologne defender Ozalan Alpay and Frankfurt midfielder Benjamin Huggel faced one another for the first time since the heated post-match brawl in the Turkey-Switzerland World Cup qualifier last November.
Swiss star Huggel and Turkish centre-back Alpay tussled after the final whistle in the Istanbul match and football's governing body FIFA banned both players for four competitive matches.

GLASGOW, Scotland (AP) -- Hearts and Rangers picked up victories Saturday in an effort to keep up with league-leading Celtic. Second-place Hearts won 2-1 at Falkirk with Edgaras Jankauskas scoring the winner in the 81st minute. Rangers defeated Dunfermline 1-0, with Sotirios Kyrgiakos scoring in the 70th at Rangers' Ibrox Stadium.
Celtic plays at Livingston on Sunday. Celtic leads with 76 points with Hearts on 62 and Rangers on 56.

Ronaldo finds support amid storm.
by FIFAworldcup.com.

The man considered by many as simply the best striker in the game, Ronaldo, is currently struggling to find form. But to what extent should Brazil's rivals be rejoicing?
Throughout his career, the Real Madrid player has revealed a remarkable facility for bouncing back. For fans of the Merengues, starved of success since 2002, a return to his best cannot come soon enough. This season, O Fenômeno has scored 11 goals in the Spanish league, few for a man who is used to figuring among the top scorers. Nevertheless, he is still the player at the Santiago Bernabeu with most strikes to his name.
Ronaldo's disenchantment with his current predicament came to a head recently when he declared he did not feel wanted by local fans. Coach Juan Ramon Lopez Caro's reaction was to leave him out of the side for the derby against city rivals Atletico – indeed he did not even get a place on the bench.

To make matters worse for the Brazilian, some big names in the football world have recently criticised him for being out of shape and for his wayward lifestyle. Hardened by previous troubles, however, Ronaldo has promised his critics that he will answer them on the pitch. "My dedication and the sacrifices I need to make to recover need to be even greater. They need to be 100 per cent. I know I'm going to get through this."

The comeback kid.
Ronaldo has already endured long periods of criticism and uncertainty. After the 1998 FIFA World Cup™ Final in Paris he was the focus of considerable controversy for playing so soon after suffering a sudden illness – the precise nature of which has never been fully explained. Worse was to come the following year, when an injury he sustained to his right knee worsened at the start of 2000 and kept him out of action for 17 months.
But when many then wrote him off prematurely, Ronaldo returned and led Brazil to victory at the 2002 FIFA World Cup in Korea/Japan. In the same year, he was crowned FIFA World Player of the Year for the third time. A similar redemption is what the player and Brazilian fans will be looking for this summer in Germany.

And Ronaldo should certainly not be short of motivation: alongside Pele, he is already Brazil's top goal scorer at FIFA World Cups, and if he scores three more, he will beat the record set by Gerd Muller (14 goals).
While on the one hand there has been an avalanche of criticism for the star of late, not everyone has forgotten his achievements in the game. Taking advantage of the flood of speculation surrounding the player's future, Massimo Moratti, the president of Inter Milan, has already announced to the press that the doors of his club would be open if Ronaldo wanted to return.

"If he is still physically and mentally strong, and if we believe that he can play well alongside Adriano, we are going to consider the possibility," said Moratti. "He was hugely successful for the image of our club. With him on the pitch, we won the UEFA Cup (in 1998) and came close to winning Serie A twice."
In February the vice-president of AC Milan, Adriano Galliani, also expressed an interest in the Ronaldo. And the case does not rest solely on the opinion of foreigners. Brazilian great Zico, who is now coach of Japan, has declared that Ronaldo would have a guaranteed place on any team he managed.

His national coach Carlos Alberto Parreira also made a point of speaking out in defence of the striker. Parreira singled out Ronaldo's performance for Madrid in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League tie with Arsenal - and this despite their elimination and Ronaldo's inability to score. "He's in top form," said Parreira. "I was with Ronaldo in Moscow and I saw that he isn't fat. He just needs to play and get into a better rhythm."
However, Parreira also outlined what he expected from the player over the coming months: "I'm hoping he sorts out his problems. It's important that he plays regularly and arrives fit at the World Cup."

Ronaldo's last-minute equaliser in Madrid's 1-1 draw at Real Zaragoza was a step in the right direction and Barcelona star Ronaldinho said this week that his friend would soon be back to his best. The current FIFA World Player of the Year said Ronaldo could yet outshine him in Germany. "He is the idol of every Brazilian and I'm sure he'll prepare very well and play the best World Cup of his career. I really believe he'll be the best player in the competition," he said.

Perhaps the biggest message of support the player has received of late, however, came from Flamengo supporters during last weekend's derby against Vasco da Gama in the Carioca championship. The Flamengo fans, who hope one day to see Ronaldo don the club's famous black and red strip, unfolded an enormous banner across the terraces of the Maracana stadium which read: "Ronaldo, your happiness is here. A nation is waiting for you."

LONDON, (Reuters) - England striker Michael Owen has undergone further surgery on a broken foot raising concerns over his fitness for the World Cup.
The 26-year-old Newcastle forward had what his club called a minor procedure at a Manchester hospital on Friday after feeling soreness round the metatarsal he broke on Dec. 31.
"The specialists have said that everything is healing fine but to speed the process they need to tighten the screw they inserted at the time of may operation in January," Owen said on the club's website.
Owen said last month he expected to be playing for Newcastle by the beginning of April but the new surgery will delay his return to the end of next month.
England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson has said one of his greatest concerns is his injury list before the World Cup finals, which start on June 9.
Eriksson names his provisional squad on May 8 with friendlies scheduled against Hungary on May 30 and Jamaica on June 3, leaving Owen little time to get match fit.

LONDON (AFP) - Arsene Wenger has taken issue with this week's attack by Birmingham boss David Sullivan on the vast wages paid out in the Premiership - as long as the players' have the right attitude.
"It does not matter how much you are paid in life, it is your attitude that is important," the Arsenal manager said.
"I have earned 10 times less in my life but I had exactly the same attitude, so it does not matter.
"If I agree to do a job for one pound I will do it well. The players do not decide or force the club to spend the money they do.
"We still have a wage cap at Arsenal. We are in a world that is well paid but when you compare that with worlds that are not that well paid, it looks not right.
"But as long as the income of the money at the club is balanced with what goes out, I don't have a problem. At our club I have always felt that I can only be proud of the attitude, motivation and dedication of the players."
Wenger was reacting to comments by Sullivan who said he resented paying out salaries of 20-30,000 pounds a week to players who then didn't bother to turn up for club events.
Wenger said if anything he was there to help his players make money out of the game.
"I am here, basically, to help the players to make money and have a good life. I am not here to help them have a bad life.
"I feel the first respect a player has is to the guy who spends 50 pounds because he wants to see a guy who plays football properly.
"The community does not help the football club to survive. Individually everybody can decide to visit hospitals and do good things.
"We have a responsibility in our job in the way we behave, but outside of our job, our responsibility is the same as anybody else - no more or no less."

Wenger won't hijack Ballack bid.
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has ruled out any move to snatch Bayern Munich captain Michael Ballack from under the noses of Chelsea. Chelsea are set to land the Germany international on a free transfer when his contract ends in the summer but Wenger says he was never given the chance to sign him.
"I have not been offered Michael Ballack because he has signed somewhere else," said Wenger. "Blue suits him much better."
Wenger, meanwhile, has defended the right of players to earn huge salaries - as long as their attitude is right.
The massive wages earned by players have come under fire again this week with Birmingham co-owner David Sullivan lashing out at City stars who felt they did not need to turn up for club events despite picking up £20,000 to £30,000 a week.
But the Arsenal coach insists as long as their attitude is right, he has no problems with his top players earning vast sums.
"It does not matter how much you are paid in life, it is your attitude that is important," said Wenger.
"I have earned 10 times less in my life but I had exactly the same attitude, so it does not matter.
"If I agree to do a job for £1 I will do it well. The players do not decide or force the club to spend the money they do.
"I do not have a problem with the money the players earn as long as they have the right attitude.
"We still have a wage cap at Arsenal. We are in a world that is well paid but when you compare that with worlds that are not that well paid, it looks not right.
"But as long as the income of the money at the club is balanced with what goes out, I don't have a problem. At our club I have always felt that I can only be proud of the attitude, motivation and dedication of the players."
Wenger said if anything he was there to help his players make money out of the game.
"I am here, basically, to help the players to make money and have a good life," said Wenger. "I am not here to help them have a bad life.
"I feel the first respect a player has is to the guy who spends £50 because he wants to see a guy who plays football properly.
"The community does not help the football club to survive. Individually everybody can decide to visit hospitals and do good things.
"We have a responsibility in our job in the way we behave, but outside of our job, our responsibility is the same as anybody else - no more or no less."

By Mitch Phillips.

LONDON, (Reuters) - Chelsea and Liverpool will meet for the 10th time in two seasons after being paired in the FA Cup semi-final draw on Friday. West Ham United will play Middlesbrough or Charlton Athletic in the other semi as the door opens for one of England's smaller clubs to savour the FA Cup final.
Chelsea meet Liverpool at Old Trafford on Apr. 22 and the other semi will take place the following day at Villa Park.
Champions Chelsea, 12 points clear in the Premier League and bidding for a first league and Cup double, have played Liverpool nine times in the last two seasons with Liverpool winning just one, last season's Champions League semi-final second leg.
This season Chelsea won 4-1 at Anfield and 2-0 at home in their two league games while their two Champions League meetings were goalless draws.
European champions Liverpool, out of Europe and fighting it out with Manchester United for second place in the league, are seeking to win the Cup for the seventh time.
If Charlton win their replay against Middlesbrough following Thursday's goalless draw at The Valley they will be in the semis for the first time since they won the Cup in 1947.
They have played London rivals West Ham five times in the Cup, losing every time.
West Ham are seeking to reach the final for the first time since they won it as a second division club in 1980. Their last semi-final appearance was a 4-0 thrashing by Nottingham Forest in 1991.
Middlesbrough's only final appearance came in 1997 when they lost 2-0 to Chelsea.
The final will be at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium on May 13 after the rebuilding of Wembley fell behind schedule.

Ronaldinho eyes 'perfect' Thierry Henry capture.
Ronaldinho has urged Barcelona to sign Thierry Henry this summer as he feels "it would be perfect" to play alongside the Arsenal striker. France hitman Henry has yet to sign a new deal with the Gunners, prompting frenzied speculation that he could be on his way to the Nou Camp after the World Cup in Germany.
His current Highbury deal expires in the summer of 2007 - and Brazilian magician Ronaldinho has urged him to join Frank Rijkaard's Spanish champions rather than extend his stay in north London.
Barca's talismanic playmaker was promoting a Nike advert with Henry in the Catalan capital and said: "Without a doubt, it would be great to play with a quality player like Henry.
"If he arrives, it would be perfect because to have a player that has so much quality would thrill everyone."

England will suit me better says Ballack.
LONDON (AFP) - Michael Ballack has his heart set on a move to the Premiership -- and reckons he can emulate Patrick Vieira and Roy Keane.
The 29-year-old Bayern Munich midfielder will be a free agent in the summer is being strongly linked with a move to Chelsea, although Real Madrid are also believed to be interested.
But Ballack has made it clear that he wants to play in England, where he believes the league is tailor-made for his style.
"For me it is the Premiership rather than La Liga," Ballack told the Daily Express. "I am a very physical player and in England the pace is fast and the tackles are hard.
"If you look at the players that have become legends in England, like Patrick Vieira and Roy Keane, I see a lot of myself in players like that."
Chelsea, bankrolled by billionaire Russian owner Roman Abramovich, are reportedly ready to make the 29-year-old Ballack the world's highest-paid player with a weekly salary of 121,000 pounds (177,600 euros, 210,900 dollars).
Ballack turned down a four-year contract at Bayern in January and the German champions have targeted Barcelona's Dutch international Mark van Bommel as a replacement.

Tottenham could pounce for Cisse.
LONDON (AFP) - Djibril Cisse could leave Liverpool for Tottenham this summer, the player's agent believes. Cisse has been out of favour with Reds boss Rafael Benitez and Liverpool are likely to take a substantial loss on the player by selling him to Spurs.
The 24-year-old French striker has scored in his last two games for Liverpool - last night's 7-0 win at Birmingham in the FA Cup and Sunday's 3-1 Barclays Premiership win at Newcastle.
But that will not be enough to save his Anfield career according to Serb agent Ranko Stojic.
"Tottenham should be in touch again this summer and Djibril is very interested," Stojic told The Sun.
"Spurs are a club on the way up which can offer him more time on the pitch. A departure is very probable but Djibril has a very good relationship with the Liverpool fans.
"The situation will sort itself out at the end of the season and I do not think the club will oppose his leaving if they can get 8million pounds. Liverpool will need to sell in order to buy this summer.
"We know Tottenham are very interested. They got in touch with us on January 31 at 3pm. That was only a few hours before the market closed and we did not want to do business."
Cisse joined Liverpool from Auxerre for 14 million pounds two seasons ago but is not thought to be part of Benitez' long-term plans.

Tottenham's Jol rules out move to PSV Eindhoven.
CHIGWELL, England, (Reuters) - Tottenham Hotspur manager Martin Jol says he would not be interested in taking over at PSV Eindhoven should manager Guus Hiddink step down.
"I'm focused on this club," Jol told reporters when asked about joining the Dutch champions. "This is my first club as a manager and I love this club. My plan is to stay here."
Jol had been linked with the PSV job by the Dutch media this week along with Borussia Dortmund's Bert van Marwijk and Henk ten Cate, who is Frank Rijkaard's assistant at Barcelona.
Hiddink, who will lead Australia at this year's World Cup, has been touted as a possible successor to Sven-Goran Eriksson as England manager after the finals or as Russia's new manager and PSV want to know his plans before the end of the season.
Jol has been successful at Spurs since taking over from former France manager Jacques Santini in 2004, rebuilding the team and steering them to fourth place in the Premier League, and a possible Champions League qualifying place.
"I said 18 months ago I hoped to improve our football and get results and we did exactly that and then maybe in the next couple of years we can be as good as the top four," said Jol referring to Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal.
"And that does not mean one year be fourth then in the next year be 10th but structurally be a top club and I think we can do that. All the ingredients are there -- the organisation, the fan base -- so everybody is waiting for me and the players."
Jol also ruled out a move for Liverpool's unsettled France striker Djibril Cisse, whose Serbian agent Ranko Stojic recalled this week that Spurs had tried to sign him in January.
"Tottenham should be in touch again this summer and Djibril is very interested," said Stojic. "Spurs are a club on the way up which can offer him more time on the pitch."
However, Jol said on Thursday; "There's no truth in it if we're talking about next year (season). Everybdoy knows we were looking for somebody to get in on loan. Somebody did mention him (Cisse) but it didn't come off (in January)."

MADRID (AFP) - Sevilla beat eight-man Atletico Madrid 1-0, to keep alive their hopes of European competition next season, but the game was marred by crowd trouble which saw the match halted for 25 minutes.
Atletico fans showered Sevilla players with objects, and the visitor's goalkeeper Andres Palop was hit with a glass whisky bottle, just moments after Sevilla had taken the lead after 76 minutes.
Referee Miguel Angel Ayza Gamez quickly called a halt to the game after retrieving the heavy bottle which had hit Palop, despite the the Atletico players trying to persuade him to carry on.
"I am not surprised the referee took the players off the pitch, it was getting dangerous," said Sevilla coach Juande Ramos, after the game which eventually finished well after midnight.
Atletico can now look at a heavy fine or even having points docked when the Spanish football federation meet to consider the incident, and the sanctions could potentially end their own bid to qualify for the UEFA Cup.
All had been going well for Atletico up to 18 minutes before the end with their goalkeeper Leo Franco having an outstanding game, stopping two first half penalties.
The Argentine international blocked Frederic Kanoute's effort after 15 minutes after French midfielder Peter Luccin was controversially judged to have tripped Sevilla's Javier Saviola.
Saviola stepped up to take Sevilla's second penalty 15 minutes later, after Antonio Lopez handled the ball in the box, but the result was the same with Franco proving to be unbeatable.
For good measure, Franco also pulled off a great save to deny Saviola again shortly afterwards.
Lopez almost redeemed himself four minutes from the break with a free kick that skimmed the cross bar.
Both sides were evenly matched in the second half but things started to go wrong for Atletico when they were reduced to 10 men after 72 minutes.
Luccin, who had harshly been booked for his supposed trip of Saviola that led to the first penalty, recieved his second yellow card and his marching orders.
Sevilla made the best of their advantage four minutes later when a left foot volley from second-half substitute Antonio Puerta bobbled off the ground and past Franco for the only goal of the game.
However, the home fans thought Puerta was offside and some responded to the questionable decision to allow the goal in shameful fashion.
Atletico ended the game with only eight players as Martin Petrov and Luis Perea also recieved their second yellow cards after the referee restarted the match and played the final 12 minutes and injury time.
Sevilla move up to fifth place with 48 points after their victory which will be remembered for all the wrong reasons.
Barcelona lead the league with 67 points from their 29 games beating Getafe 3-1 on Tuesday.
Osasuna beat Real Sociedad 2-0 on Wednesday to become the nearest rivals of the runaway league leaders but are still 12 points behind the Catalans while Barca's bitter rivals Real Madrid are now one place and one point further back.
An injury-time goal from Real's Brazilian star Ronaldo salvaged a point and secured a 1-1 draw at Real Zaragoza on Wednesday after Argentine striker Diego Milito put the hosts into the lead three minutes after the break.

ASUNCION, (Reuters) - World Cup finalists Paraguay have named four uncapped players in a largely experimental squad for next Wednesday's friendly against Mexico in Chicago.
Defenders Julio Irrazabal and Gilberto Velasquez, midfielder Carlos Ruiz Peralta and striker Julio Gonzalez were all included by coach Anibal Ruiz.
Ruiz was unable to call on most of his regulars as the match is not being played on a date approved by world governing body FIFA for friendlies. Paraguay, who drew 0-0 in Wales earlier this month, face England, Sweden and Trinidad & Tobago in their first-round group at the World Cup in Germany.

Goalkeepers: Derlis Gomez (Sportivo Luqueno), Diego Berreto (Cerro Porteno)

Defenders: Denis Caniza (Cruz Azul), Pedro Benitez (Cerro Porteno), Julio Irrazabal (Nacional), Ignacio Paniagua (Nacional, Uruguay), Hector Sosa (12 de Octubre), Gilberto Velazquez (Guarani)

Midfielders: Roberto Acuna (Deportivo Coruna, Spain), Jose Montiel (Olimpia), Carlos Ruiz Peralta (Tacuary), Luis Nunez (Sportivo Luqueno), Troadio Duarte (Nacional), Walter Fretes (Cerro Porteno)

Forwards: Salvador Cabanas (Chiapas, Mexico), Nelson Cuevas (Pachuca, Mexico), Julio Martinez (2 de Mayo), Raul Roman (Tacuary)

Lay off bumbling Boumsong says Newcastle boss.

LONDON (AFP) - Newcastle caretaker boss Glenn Roeder is concerned that the flak directed at Jean-Alain Boumsong is starting to affect the hapless French defender's form.
The Magpies head to the Valley on Sunday to play Charlton, with Boumsong relatively fresh for the challenge after a one-match ban.
Boumsong has continually been in the firing line this season, with fans targeting the centre-back for much of Newcastle's defensive woes.
The criticism gathered momentum in the wake of Newcastle's 3-1 loss to Liverpool at St James' Park on Sunday, with the 26-year-old sent off.
Roeder said: "When things go wrong you are criticised, and you have to accept it, just as when things go well you're praised.
"But I had a good chat with him after the game and he has to pick himself up, and he has two options.
"You can either lay down in a corner until it all goes away, or you can get up and come out swinging, which I'm sure he will do."
Charlton boss Alan Curbishley meanwhile knows his team must record a win if they are to get back into the top half of the table and into the running for a European place.
"For us to finish in the top 10, on the budget we have got, is not such a bad situation, but obviously people want more," the Addicks boss reflected. "We have created a lot of new fans and the reality is if you finish mid-table, you only win a third of your games."

Arena: Playing Germany was a mistake.
By RONALD BLUM.

HAMBURG, Germany (AP) -- A day after his team's fiasco against Germany, U.S. coach Bruce Arena blamed himself for scheduling the game. An undermanned American team was overwhelmed by the Germans 4-1 Wednesday night in Dortmund, and Arena didn't offer much encouragement in his assessment.
"We had anywhere from two to three first-team players playing, seven, eight, nine players fighting for a roster spot," he said after arriving Thursday in Hamburg, where the United States will be based during the tournament.
Because of injuries and club commitments, Landon Donovan, Brian McBride, Claudio Reyna, DaMarcus Beasley, Oguchi Onyewu and Eddie Lewis weren't with the U.S. team.
Arena's starting lineup included goalkeeper Kasey Keller, defender Steve Cherundolo and midfielder Pablo Mastroeni -- who all could be World Cup starters -- plus defenders Gregg Berhalter, Cory Gibbs and Jimmy Conrad; midfielder Kerry Zavagnin; and forwards Josh Wolff, Eddie Johnson and Brian Ching. Coming in as reserves were defender Heath Pearce; midfielders Chris Klein and Ben Olsen; and forward Taylor Twellman.
"I think there's some disappointment in some players because it was an opportunity for them to try to convince me that they belong on our roster for the World Cup," Arena said. "Most did not have a strong argument; some did."
Some of the regular starters weren't available because Wednesday wasn't set aside by FIFA as an international fixture date -- when all clubs must allow players to join national teams.
"We've worked real hard to build our team to where it is today, and to not prepare properly to play a game of that magnitude is a mistake, and I accept the full responsibility for that," Arena said. "If I felt that it wasn't the right time for us to play that game, I should have been a little bit strong in saying this is not the right time to play."
Keller gave up four goals in the second half and was upset at his team's performance against 22nd-ranked Germany, a soccer power that has struggled of late.
"I don't know what some our players thought, that they could just run around, do what they wanted to and Germany's players were just going to roll over and let you do that?" he said.
The United States, which has a No. 5 ranking that even it admits is misleading, has four remaining World Cup warmups, all at home and all against relatively weak opponents: No. 45 Jamaica (April 11 at Cary, N.C.), No. 37 Morocco (May 23 at Nashville, Tenn.), No. 70 Venezuela (May 26 at Cleveland) and No. 68 Latvia (May 28 at East Hartford, Conn.).
Against Jamaica, the roster is likely to be filled from players in Major League Soccer. Most of the Europe-based group will be available for the final three games.
Arena plans to narrow his potential roster to 30-33 following the Jamaica game, then announce his 23-man team about May 1, well before FIFA's May 15 deadline. The Americans leave June 1 for Germany and have first-round games against the Czech Republic, Italy and Ghana.
He was not too concerned about the latest injury to Reyna, who separated a shoulder last weekend playing for England's Manchester City. The U.S. captain is expected to be sidelined about a month.
"I think Claudio is fairly fit right now," Arena said. "Getting over the broken ankle was big. His ankle now is sound, so that's a positive. I think the shoulder separation is a temporary setback."
Arena chose Hamburg last July over Berlin and Munich. He said the northern port city, where the Beatles got their start, will suit his team well leading to the World Cup.
"When I stepped off the train in Hamburg, we could sense this was the right city for the American team, an exciting environment,"' he said. "This is a city that's very similar to cities in the United States, and I just think it's a perfect match. Great restaurants, a lot of entertainment, a lot of things to do, a great hotel, great training facilities. Everything we wanted was here."

Charlton, Middlesbrough draw 0-0 in FA Cup.

LONDON (AP) -- Charlton and Middlesbrough played to a 0-0 draw Thursday in the quarterfinals of the FA Cup, failing to decide the last club to advance to the final four in England's premier knockout competition.
West Ham, Liverpool and Chelsea won their quarterfinals earlier in the week. The draw for the semifinals is Friday, with Charlton and Middlesbrough facing a replay to determine which team advances.
The semifinals will be played at neutral venues that have yet to be announced by the Football Association.
The game at Charlton offered both teams few chances. The best opportunity in the first half -- and probably in the game -- came in the 36th when Charlton's Hermann Hreidarsson struck a left-footed, close-range shot that Mark Schwarzer blocked with his left hand in a diving save.
The second half offered little more. The most threatening chance again was by Charlton in the 70th minute, with winger Dennis Rommendahl striking a long-range effort that sailed just over the crossbar. Win or lose, Middlesbrough will remain in cup competition, facing Basel next week in the quarterfinals of the Europe-wide UEFA Cup.

McLaren shrugs off fixture woe after FA cup stalemate.

LONDON (AFP) - Steve McClaren insisted Middlesbrough's season would not be derailed by a surfeit of fixtures, despite his side's FA Cup quarter-final against Charlton going to a replay.
With Boro facing the Swiss side FC Basel in the UEFA Cup quarter-final over two legs, the replay will not be played until April 12.
"We don't mind [the congestion] so long as we're still in the competition," McLaren said. "It shows we've been successful. Coming here is difficult.
"I wouldn't have settled for a draw, didn't want it, but I'll take it if it means we 're still in the Cup."
Boro could conceivably face eight games in addition to their remaining league games this season, which was why McClaren felt the need to make seven changes from the side that lost 3-2 to Blackburn on Saturday.
"There's no way everybody can play in every game," he acknowledged.
They cannot afford to over-prioritise the cups, though, standing just 10 points clear of the relegation zone.
"We need to win games in the Premier League," McClaren said. "We need to collect points."
In a league game, this might have been hailed as a hard-fought away point, but it was hard to see much positive in a shapeless 0-0 draw.
McClaren, though, did his best.
"We played our football and opened them up," he said. "But then Charlton got right on top and stopped us playing, dominated the first half and but for our two centre-halves, the goalkeeper and Charlton missing some good chances we'd have gone in behind.
"I said before the game that if we kept a clean sheet we'd win it, but we didn't really have our shooting boots on. It was one of those nights when we missed the target a lot and wasted the final ball.
"When you come here you have to have a platform and we had that. At the end of the day, it was a quarter-final of the FA Cup, and sometimes you don't get a great spectacle - the prize is too big, the pressure is too great, and you can't get the flow."
"Neither side wants to make mistakes, but I'm delighted we're still in the Cup."
However he tried to spin it, though, it was a dire, dire game, riddled with errors and stultified by a lack of invention on either side.
Charlton had a five-minute spell towards the end of the first half in which they briefly threatened.
First a stretching Darren Bent just failed to divert Bryan Hughes's lob on target as Mark Schwarzer, injured in a challenge with Hermann Hreidarsson, hobbled back across his goal. Then Schwarzer made a fine reaction save to push away a Hreidarsson volley at the back-post.
That the Icelandic centre-back was probably the most threatening player on either side said everything about the game.
No side has such a range of form as Middlesbrough, who can hammer Manchester United and Chelsea at home and then lose 4-0 at home to Aston Villa.
This was nearer the bottom of their range, and although Yakubu put a free header over in the third minute, it wasn't until the 84th that they managed an effort on target, James Morrison's scuffed effort drawing Thomas Myhre into a low save at his near post.
Given that that could have snatched the game from them, their manager Alan Curbishley was perhaps understandably sanguine.
"I felt tonight it was always going to be tight," he said. "They played a very experienced side, but we had opportunities in the first half that we didn't take. Both of us went for it in the second half, but they couldn't fashion a chance and neither could we, so it drizzled out. I asked the players to keep our season alive and they have."

LONDON (AFP) - Wayne Rooney kept his distance from the greatest prize in football but is looking forward to reuniting with the World Cup trophy this summer. Rooney declined the chance to lift the trophy up as the FIFA World Cup tour arrived in London, saying he did not want to tempt fate.
"For me it's the biggest trophy in the world and in the summer I hope to be holding it up," said Rooney, the central figure in England's World Cup plans.
"If you win the trophy obviously you should be allowed to pick it up, otherwise just leave it alone," the Manchester United striker added.
"Some of the greatest footballers ever have lifted this trophy so it was an awesome feeling to get up close to it.
"The boys will do everything they can to make sure we see it back here later on this summer."
Rooney admitted that, with 78 days to go to the tournament, the excitement is mounting for players as well as the fans and he fancies England's chances of becoming World champions for the first time since 1966.
"I think we have a good chance. We have a lot of experienced players and a lot of young players as well," he said.
"Over the last year we've been playing well and hopefully we can take that into the World Cup finals and come back as winners.
"We have a lot of good players in the squad and I think we'll be disappointed if we don't come back with the World Cup.
"I'm excited - it's building up and obviously there is a lot of pressure on us all going to the World Cup."
Rooney told the event, attended by 500 competition winners from around Britain, that his first real memories of the World Cup were the 1998 tournament in France.
He explained: "I was about 12 and was sitting at my nan's watching England and Argentina and I saw Michael Owen, who was only 18 at the time.
"It was disappointing they went out on penalties - that's the worst way you can lose a football match - but later I went out playing football with my mates and pretended to be him.
"Although I wanted to become a professional footballer, I didn't think at the time I'd be playing with him for England."
Now Rooney is hoping to partner a fully fit Owen - who is currently recovering from a fractured foot and looking forward to his return to action with Newcastle - at this summer's finals.
He continued: "If you look at Michael's record he's a proven goalscorer and every team needs one.
"If he isn't fully fit it will be a big disappointment for us all but if he is fully fit it's going to be a big boost for us.''
The young Manchester United sensation admitted it took him some time to come to terms with the fame game but that it no longer bothers him being continually in the public spotlight.
"I don't tend to think too much about it - I think of myself as a football player and try to be as normal as I can.
"There are a lot of benefits from being a professional footballer and there are a lot of downsides as well but you just have to deal with it.
"There are always people wanting autographs and photographs, wherever you go, but I can enjoy that now."

CD Toluca takes first-leg over Deportivo Saprissa.

CONCACAF.COM - CD Toluca (MEX) took the first-leg of the 2006 CONCACAF Champions’ Cup™ Semifinal Series 2 after a 2:0 victory over visiting Deportivo Saprissa (CRC) at the Estadio Nemesio Diez in Toluca, Estado de México on Wednesday. Carlos Esquivel Silva scored in the 22nd and 62nd minutes, respectively, to extend CD Toluca’s unbeaten streak in Champions’ Cup play to six matches.
The return-leg of the Series 2 will take place on 29 March, as the defending CONCACAF champions Deportivo Saprissa host CD Toluca at the Estadio Ricardo Saprissa in San José, Costa Rica.
The 2006 CONCACAF Champions’ Cup™ continues on Thursday (23 March), as Club América (MEX) visits LD Alajuelense (CRC) in the opening-leg of the Semifinal Series 1 at the Estadio Alejandro Morera Soto in Alajuela, Costa Rica. The second-leg is set for 29 March at the Ciudad de México’s Estadio Azteca.
The Semifinal victors will play for the 2006 CONCACAF Champions’ Cup™ in a two-game final series in April with the winner also qualifying to the FIFA Club World Championship in Japan later this year. The Champions’ Cup Runner-up will be one of the three CONCACAF invitees to the 2006 Copa Nissan Sudamericana.
The 2006 CONCACAF Champions’ Cup™ is being broadcast on television by the FoxSports International regional programming channels (Fox Soccer Channel – USA; FoxSports en Español – USA; Fox Sports Latin America Northern Cone – Caribbean, Central America & Mexico).

2006 CONCACAF CHAMPIONS’ CUP™
Semifinals
SF 1
23.03.2006: Alajuela, COSTA RICA; Estadio Alejandro Morera Soto (20:00)

LD ALAJUELENSE (CRC) – CLUB AMÉRICA (MEX)
R: Brian HALL (USA)

29.03.2006: Ciudad de México, MEXICO; Estadio Azteca (18:00)
CLUB AMÉRICA (MEX) – LD ALAJUELENSE (CRC)
R: Mauricio NAVARRO (CAN)

SF 2
22.03.2006: Toluca, Estado de MEXICO; Estadio Nemesio Diez
CD TOLUCA (MEX) – DEPORTIVO SAPRISSA (CRC) 2:0 (1:0)
Carlos ESQUIVEL SILVA 22’, 62’

CD Toluca: Rolando Hernán Cristante – Paulo Cesár Da Silva, Javier Ariel Rosada, Manuel Alejandro De La Torre, Édgar Esteban Dueñas, Miguel Alzamán, José Manuel Cruzalta, Israel López, Rodrigo Díaz (76: Diego Javier De La Torre), Carlos Esquivel Silva (81: Josúe Castillejos Toledo), Vicente Martín Sánchez (85: Iván Castillejos). Booked: none

TD: Américo GALLEGO

Deportivo Saprissa: José Francisco Porras – Reynaldo Parks, Víctor Cordero, Jervis Drummond, Gabriel Badilla, Rándall Azofeifa, Wilson Muñoz (76: Saul Phillip), Cristian Bolaños, Pablo Brenes (63: Allan Alemán Avila), Alonso Solís (63: Gerrold Drummond), Rónald Gómez. Booked: J. Drummond 72’, Avila 81’, G. Drummond 89’

TD: Hernán MEDFORD

R: Terry VAUGHN (USA)

29.03.2006: San José, COSTA RICA; Estadio Ricardo Saprissa (20:00)
DEPORTIVO SAPRISSA (CRC) – CD TOLUCA (MEX)
R: Peter PRENDERGAST (JAM)

Chelsea reach FA Cup semi-finals.

LONDON, (Reuters) - Champions Chelsea, looking for a league and Cup double, reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup on Wednesday with a bad-tempered 1-0 win over a depleted Newcastle United, who had Robbie Elliott sent off.
Chelsea, 12 points clear in the league, needed only four minutes to find the net, Damien Duff's corner from the left meeting John Terry low in the area and the captain glancing the ball into the net off the legs of a defender.
Newcastle, looking for their first silverware for more than 50 years, frequently rattled Chelsea going forward in a physically bruising enounter, although they struggled to create any clear opportunities.
Elliott was sent off in the 86th minute for a second bookable offence.
Liverpool thumped Birmingham City 7-0 on Tuesday and West Ham United beat Manchester City 2-1 on Monday to reach the semi-finals. Charlton Athletic play Middlesbrough on Thursday and the semi-final draw will be made on Friday.

Chelsea under siege once more after FA Cup win.

LONDON (AFP) - Chelsea's magnetic attraction for controversy was in evidence once more after skipper John Terry's goal sent the Premiership champions into the last four of the FA Cup at the expense of Newcastle.
An uninspiring contest was settled by the England centreback's fourth-minute strike, allowing the runaway Premiership leaders to join West Ham, Liverpool and either Charlton or Middlesbrough in the last four.
But the immediate aftermath of the encounter was shrouded in debate over the late sending-off of Newcastle left-back Robbie Elliot, who earned a second yellow card for blocking Shaun Wright-Phillips.
The defeat ended Newcastle captain Alan Shearer's last chance of securing a winner's medal with his hometown club and, while he had no complaints about the result, the former England striker was critical of Wright-Phillips.
"It was a blatant dive. There was absolutely no contact and I thought that at the time," he said. "I have seen it again on a replay and it was definitely the case."
Shearer, who is due to retire at the end of the season, earned a booking for arguing with the decision but did not dispute that Chelsea had deservedly crushed his hopes of a fairytale ending to his career.
"The script sounded nice but it didn't happen and that's football," he said.
"It's not nice when you get knocked out of this great competition but there is only one team that can win it. I've got no qualms, no arguments, we've been beaten by a very good side and good luck to them."
Newcastle's caretaker manager Glenn Roeder also voiced his fury with Wright-Phillips.
"I am disappointed with the young man - and I don't think his dad (former Arsenal striker Ian Wright) will be too pleased either."
Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho refused to speak to the press after the game but match-winner Terry voiced his satisfaction at the way his team had bounced back from their shock defeat by Fulham at the weekend.
"It was important to get a good early start and we did that straight from the kick-off," Terry said.
"We turned them around and squeezed them and that set the tone for the whole game. We lost to Newcastle last season but it's not about revenge, the important thing is that we are in the hat for the draw on Friday and we are pleased to bounce back after a very disappointing result at the weekend."
Chelsea had been handed a perfect start when Terry met Damien Duff's low corner with a sweetly struck left foot volley.
Shay Given appeared to have the danger covered but the ball found its way into the net with the aid of a deflection off Nolberto Solano's unhelpfully outstretched boot.
It should have been a killer blow but Chelsea appeared to lack the cutting edge required to build on it while Newcastle refused to buckle.
In fact it was the visitors who looked the more likely to score during what remained of the opening period.
It took a fine save from Carlo Cudicini, standing in for Petr Cech, to keep out Lee Bowyer's low drive from the edge of the area and a Solano free-kick drifted inches wide as the champions struggled to assert their authority on the game.
Shola Ameobi also went close for Newcastle, five minutes before the break, but Chelsea were to spurn a much better chance a minute later.
Scott Parker pulled down Asier del Horno and, from the resulting free-kick, Portuguese centreback Ricardo Carvalho contrived to divert Frank Lampard's inch-perfect delivery wide of the target from barely three yards out.
The insipid nature of much of Chelsea's work was clearly not to the liking of Jose Mourinho and there was a noticably greater urgency about his side's approach after the break.
Given had to produce two good stops in quick succession to deny Didier Drogba and Eidur Gudjohnsen's low cross skidded across the goalmouth with Joe Cole arriving fractionally too late.
Australian defender Craig Moore, who joined Newcastle last summer, finally made his debut for the club seven minutes into the second half as a substitute for Celestine Babayaro.
Moore did a good enough job of shackling Didier Drogba for what remained of the match, but Newcastle's forwards were equally impotent at the other end as the contest drifted to a predictable conclusion.

Paraguay hungry to prove themselves.
By FIFAworldcup.com.

Less than 80 days before the start of the FIFA World Cup™, those national team coaches taking sides to Germany this summer face a difficult decision: who to take with them as they bid for world football's biggest prize.
At a time when you would expect coaches across the globe to be frowning in concentration, however, Paraguay's Anibal Ruiz was in expansive mood as he spoke to FIFAworldcup.com. The 50-year-old tactician, Uruguayan by birth but completely at home in his adopted country, is determined to improve on the guaraníes' second-round exits at France 98 and Korea/Japan 2002.
Should the Paraguayans fail in their task, it will not be for lack of preparation. "We've already organised friendly games against Norway, Denmark and Georgia for our final phase of preparation," announces Ruiz confidently. The best, it seems, is yet to come...

Señor Ruiz, the FIFA World Cup is just around the corner. What was your verdict on your side's recent friendly draw with Wales?Anibal Ruiz:
Extremely positive. But, aside from the game itself, it's important to point out that it was an opportunity to get the whole group together. We hadn't seen each other for four months, so we needed to have a chat and go over a few things. You have to take into account that many of our players play a different tactical system at club level, so they need time to readapt to the national team.

Exactly what sort of things did you discuss?
We didn't just talk about football, we took the opportunity to tell them about our stay in Germany - we spoke about the places where we'll be staying and explained to them that while they are not five-star hotels, they are ideal for a national team that is ambitious, that respects the opposition and is determined to put in a big performance. We also brought copies of our upcoming schedule, in order to give them some idea of what is to come. We want to improve on our achievements at previous World Cups.

And from a footballing point of view?
Well, unfortunately neither (Julio) Caceres nor (Carlos) Gamarra was able to play, although we were able to see them in Buenos Aires and Sao Paulo (where they play their club football). We were also able to give a decent run-out to Julio Dos Santos, who rediscovered his form and got back in sync with his team-mates. We also took the opportunity to take a look at Nelson Haedo. We've still got one more game to answer a few remaining questions before we decide on the final list for Germany.

Which decisions are yet to be made?
There are still a few lingering doubts in my mind, as you'd expect, but I'm in the fortunate position of having too many good players to choose from, as opposed to too few. We can reveal that we have decided on 18 (of the 23) players so far, but there are two or three questions that we intend to answer in the friendly against Mexico on 29 March (in Chicago). There are a few things that I'd like to clarify regarding the forwards and the midfield. On the other hand, the defence is already decided, as are the goalkeepers.

Is Roque Santa Cruz's injury your biggest concern at this stage?
There's no doubt we're worried, but we met him a few days ago and both the player and his doctor at Bayern were very optimistic. Their confidence left us feeling 100 per cent sure that he'll be fit in time. He says that he'll be ready to play football as of 15 April, which was our aim in the first place. He'll be going into the tournament with a month and a half, nearly two months of match practice.

Let us talk about your side's start to the tournament. You claimed after the draw in Leipzig that playing England in the opening game is the best thing that could have happened to Paraguay. Do you still believe that?
Of course! What is it that every team at this level aspires to? Playing against the very best, that's the only way to prove how good you are. We need to prove ourselves. Paraguay are a big-game side. Obviously, we are aware that England are a great side, but I maintain that it is the best thing that could have happened to us and the players agree. It's a bonus to be playing them first; it won't allow us a moment's overconfidence. From now until the World Cup kicks off, and during the tournament itself, we need to be totally switched on and focused to avoid making even the slightest error.

What kind of a side can people who have not seen Paraguay expect to see?
They will see an organised unit, and as a result, one that works well. We're a team who don't waste possession, who prefer to keep the ball on the floor as opposed to using long balls. Occasionally a direct pass might be a useful weapon but not used continuously like in the past. Our players are good enough to play that way, and we want to play a style of football that is easy on the eye, using two basic attacking ideals: width and penetration.
With this in mind, what is your goal for the finals? To go further than we have done at the previous two World Cups. That's what we're working towards and we're good enough to make it happen.

DORTMUND, Germany (Ticker) - Manager Bruce Arena could have used Landon Donovan for the United States' friendly against Germany. Or Clint Dempsey, Claudio Reyna, Brian McBride, Eddie Lewis, Eddie Pope, Carlos Bocanegra or Oguchi Onyewu.
Bastian Schweinsteiger scored a minute after the break and Oliver Neuville, Miroslav Klose and Michael Ballack tallied within a six-minute span later in the second half as Germany routed the undermanned U.S., 4-1, in a key friendly 2 1/2 months before the start of the World Cup.
German coach Jurgen Klinsmann had been feeling heat for his team's lackluster performances of late, including a 4-1 home loss to Italy on March 1. His team was booed after a scoreless first half but soon earned cheers from the 60,000-plus fans at Signal Iduna Park, which will be renamed FIFA World Cup Stadium Dortmund for the tournament in June.
The U.S. began the second half with the ball but soon lost possession. Schweinsteiger, who did not play in the first half, delivered a long free kick from the left side into the box that fooled American goalkeeper Kasey Keller, took one bounce and settled inside the far post. Keller, who plays in the German Bundesliga, was playing for a deflection and was several feet too far to the near post as the ball sailed past him.
Eddie Johnson had an excellent chance to tie the game with a header in the 66th minute, but German goalkeeper Oliver Kahn made a sensational save diving to his right.
Neuville then doubled the hosts' advantage with a blast from just outside the box in the 73rd minute after clearing space from American defender Gregg Berhalter. Two minutes later, Berhalter - who also plays in the Bundesliga - turned the ball over with a weak pass, and Klose made the Americans pay, firing the ball past Keller.
Just four minutes later, Ballack scored off a header to make it 4-0.
The U.S. got on the board in the 86th minute when Steve Cherundolo fired a long pass to Johnson, who collided with Kahn as the ball trickled into the net. Since Johnson did not touch the ball, Cherundolo - another Bundesliga player - was credited with the goal.
The last time the U.S. surrendered four goals in a game was in a 4-2 loss to Germany in a friendly before the 2002 World Cup. The Germans went on to eliminate the U.S. with a 1-0 triumph in the quarterfinals.
The Americans had been 4-0-1 this year in preparation for the World Cup, including a 1-0 triumph in Germany over Poland three weeks ago, and moved up to an all-time best fifth in the FIFA world rankings last week. Arena was missing several starters due to injury, suspension or club commitments.
The Germans were without midfielders Sebastian Deisler and Torsten Frings and striker Michael Hanke. An expected starter for the World Cup, Bayern Munich star Deisler has a torn ACL and will be out at least six months. Frings got away with a hand ball that prevented the U.S. from tying the Germans in the World Cup quarterfinal four years ago.

Klinsmann relief as Germany crush USA.
DORTMUND, Germany (AFP) - World Cup hosts Germany crushed the United States 4-1 for a much-needed morale boost ahead of this summer's footballing extravaganza.
Germany coach Jurgen Klinsmann was hammered in the press after a 4-1 drubbing by Italy in Florence 21 days ago and was relieved to lift spirits by recording the same scoreline over a weakened United States team.
It was the last game before Klinsmann names his 23-man World Cup squad on May 15 and several players stated their case.
Bayern Munich midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger took just 46 seconds to have an impact after coming on as a second half substitute, with his inswinging free-kick evading everyone and finding the back of the net.
It has been a turbulent time for the 21-year-old Schweinsteiger who was wrongly named in connection with a match-fixing scandal by a Munich newspaper.
Bayern goalkeeper Oliver Kahn also had room for personal celebration, pulling off a brilliant low save from an Eddie Johnson header.
Kahn, winning his 84th cap, has been embroiled in a long battle with Arsenal goalkeeper Jens Lehmann for the number one jersey for the World Cup finals.
Kahn's save was vital as it stopped the vistors from levelling at 1-1 but thereafter Germany took control scoring three times in six minutes.
Oliver Neuville, an outside bet for a place in Klinsmann's final squad, curled a brilliant volley past Borussia Monchengladbach team-mate Kasey Keller to make it 2-0 on 73 minutes.
The inexperienced US defence collapsed with Miroslav Klose netting in the 75th minute and captain Michael Ballack was on target four minutes later.
It was a slightly flattering scoreline, although Steve Cherundolo scored late on to put the US on the scoresheet, but that did not bother Klinsmann or the bulk of the 66,000 fans at Dortmund's Westfalen Stadium.
Germany have now won 12 of their 13 matches in Dortmund which is turning into something of a fortress for the national team.
Klinsmann will hope it stays that way with the World Cup group match against Poland being played here.
Klinsmann's charges now head into the final two warm-up games in higher spirits ahead of the World Cup opener against Costa Rica in Munich on June 9.
Germany face Japan in Leverkusen on May 30 with Colombia the next test in Monchengladbach three days later. The United States, shorn of several top stars, must also prepare for the World Cup where they are pooled with Italy, the Czech Republic and Ghana.

Line-Up.

USA (4-4-2): 18-Kasey Keller (capt.); 3-Gregg Berhalter, 12-Cory Gibbs (19-Heath Pearce, 77’), 4-Jimmy Conrad, 6-Steve Cherundolo; 15-Bobby Convey, 25-Pablo Mastoreni (14-Ben Olsen, 74), 5-Kerry Zavagnin, 16-Josh Wolff (17-Chris Klein, 17’); 9-Eddie Johnson, 11-Brian Ching (20-Taylor Twellman, 60’) .

GER (4-3-3): 1-Oliver Kahn (capt.); 3-Arne Friedrich (25-Patrick Owomoyela, 82’), 16-Philipp Lahm, 29-Per Mertesacker, 21-Christoph Metzelder; 17-Sebastian Kehl (15-Fabian Ernst, 82’), 13-Michael Ballack, 19-Bernd Schneider (18-Tim Borowski, 68’); 14-Gerald Asamoahl (30-Oliver Neuville, 67’), 11-Miroslav Klose, 20-Lukas Podolski (7-Bastian Schweinsteiger, 46’) .

Scoring.

Bastian Schweinsteiger (unassisted) 46. GER
Oliver Neuville (Miroslav Klose) 73. GER
Klose (Neuville) 75. GER
Michael Ballack (Klose) 79. GER
Steve Cherundolo (Kasey Keller) 85. USA

By Simon Evans.

MILAN, (Reuters) - Inter Milan owner Massimo Moratti says his club would be ready to make a bid for Arsenal's French international Thierry Henry -- if the striker opts against staying with the London club.
"Which team with the potential to make a signing of that kind wouldn't do so?" Moratti told Inter's official website.
"For anyone who loves football it is a delight to watch him play and it is nice to think, as a fan, that he could play for your team.
"At this moment it seems difficult because he is tied by his contract to Arsenal and because I have the impression he would like to stay in London," added Moratti.
The Inter owner said that if Henry, who has yet to sign a new contract with Arsenal, opted for a switch, the Serie A club would be ready.
"I wouldn't say that we are in pole position but we are in position," said Moratti.
Henry, who speaks Italian, played briefly in Serie A for Juventus where he made little impact. He joined Arsenal in 1999.
Italian media have reported that Inter are in the market for a big-name striker to partner their Brazilian forward Adriano next season as they bid to end a 17-year wait for a Serie A title.
Inter have been linked with a possible attempt to bring Brazilian Ronaldo, reported to be unhappy at Real Madrid, back to the club he left in 2002.
Ronaldo left the San Siro in acrimonious circumstances when after several lengthy absences due to injury he finally refound his form at the World Cup finals and immediately moved to the Spanish club to the anger of Inter fans.
Moratti talked down the likelihood of a move for the striker who spent five seasons with the 'Nerazzurri'.
"When there is talk of a new striker, there is always talk of the same person, who is very respected but who is not the only striker in the world," he said.
In comments reported by the daily Gazzetta dello Sport, Moratti also gave his view on Manchester United's Dutch striker Ruud van Nistelrooy, who has started on the bench in recent matches.
"He is also an excellent forward who, in contrast to Henry, I know does not feel good at Manchester," said the Inter owner.
Inter are currently third in Serie A, 12 points behind leaders Juventus and they face Spain's Villarreal in the Champions League quarter-finals next week.

In-form Saha on course for World Cup call-up.
By Julien Pretot.
PARIS, (Reuters) - Manchester United striker Louis Saha's scintillating form for the past two months has forced him back into the World Cup reckoning for France.
Saha, who joined United from Fulham in January 2004 for 12.82 million pounds ($22.52 million), has pushed Dutch scoring machine Ruud Van Nistelrooy on to the Old Trafford substitutes' bench.
Now, 16 months after the last of his eight international appearances, he is timing his run to perfection on the eve of the World Cup.
Saha played his first game of the season at the end of November after returning from knee surgery and was quickly into his stride with a goal in his second game.
Twelve more followed, including one in United's 4-0 League Cup final victory over Wigan Athletic in Cardiff and both in last weekend's 2-1 win at West Bromwich Albion.
"Louis currently deserves to play because of his performances and his goals," said coach Alex Ferguson.
However, the former Metz player, who left France at the age of 21 to join Fulham, refuses to blow his own trumpet.
"All I want is to play as much as possible with my club. I hope I'm going to keep scoring and regain all my confidence," he told Sky Sports on Saturday.

CALF PROBLEMS
Saha's time at Old Trafford has been hampered by injuries as knee, ankle and calf problems restricted his appearances. Last season he only scored one goal in 14 Premier League games.
He now looks the ideal back-up for France behind first choice duo David Trezeguet of Juventus and Thierry Henry of Arsenal and was an unused squad member in last month's 2-1 friendly defeat by Slovakia.
Liverpool's Djibril Cisse has yet to convince Rafael Benitez he is the striker the Reds need, while Nicolas Anelka, who made his return to international duty in a friendly against Costa Rica last November, is also failing to impress at Fenerbahce.
Saha has scored two goals from his eight caps. He was in the squad who went out in the quarter-finals at Euro 2004 at the hands of eventual champions Greece.
However, Saha had been under-employed during the tournament, playing only 33 minutes, during which he set up Thierry Henry's first goal in a 3-1 defeat of Switzerland.
His last appearance came in a 0-0 draw with Poland in November 2004.

By Kevin Fylan.

FRANKFURT, (Reuters) - FIFA hopes to have a new communication system for referees in place in time for the 2006 World Cup. Three different systems are being tested by world soccer's governing body in Zurich and one of them, or a combination of the three, should be ready for the start of the tournament on June 9.
"It could be used for the first time at the World Cup," Jose Maria Garcia Aranda, director of FIFA's department of refereeing, told Reuters at the start of a referees' workshop on Tuesday.
"It's basically a way for the referee to communicate with the two assistants and the fourth official during the match.
"We may choose to optimise one of the systems by taking the best from each."
In December last year, FIFA decided a smart-ball technology system, designed to rule out mistakes on goal-line decisions, needed more testing and would not be used at the World Cup.
Devising a closed system to enable match officials to talk to each other sounds a lot simpler although there are potential problems.
"One of the most important things is to make sure there is no interference and that people can't listen into the conversations," said Garcia Aranda, a former World Cup referee.
UEFA has been using a communication system for its referees in some European club matches. FIFA has yet to run any tests of its systems in matches.
The 44 refereeing trios still in the running for World Cup places gathered on Tuesday for a four-day workshop designed to test their knowledge of the game and levels of mental and physical fitness.

QUOTA SYSTEM
FIFA will decide on March 31 how many of the teams to use at the World Cup, which will feature 64 matches in 12 venues from June 9 to July 9.
"We used 36 refereeing trios at the last World Cup in Japan and South Korea but that was for 20 venues in two countries," FIFA general secretary Urs Linsi said at a news conference to mark the opening of the workshop.
"The exact number will be decided by the committee but it will not be higher than 36."
Representatives from all six of FIFA's confederations are present in Neu Isenburg on the outskirts of Frankfurt. Linsi said there would be no quota system in place for the finals.
"Performance is the key," he said. "We want to take the best wherever the referees come from."
Referees will be tested on their proficiency in English as well as on their fitness, ability to cope with stress and interpretation of the rules of the game.
"We want the referees to be a team and they should all be able to speak and write a common language," Linsi said.

MADRID, (Reuters) - Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard says he has tried to persuade Sweden striker Henrik Larsson to stay for another season rather than end his career with hometown club Helsingborg.
"Everyone from the coaching staff to the directors tried to convince him to stay, but he made the decision to leave and we have to respect that," Rijkaard was quoted as saying on the club's website on Tuesday.
Larsson has been in impressive form recently, scoring in each of Barca's last five league matches to take his season tally to nine - despite rarely featuring in the starting line-up.
Rijkaard admitted the 34-year-old's lack of minutes was behind his decision to leave the club.
"He is an exemplary sportsman," said the Dutchman. "Strikers want to play all the time and he has had some difficult times, but has shown that he is capable of putting them to one side."
Larsson, who joined Barcelona after seven successful years at Celtic, missed most of his first season with the Catalans after tearing his cruciate ligament in his left knee during a 3-0 win over Real Madrid in November 2004.
He returned from international retirement to help Sweden qualify for the World Cup and will play in the finals in Germany before moving back to his first club Helsingborg.
Rijkaard, who has rested the Swede for Barca's game at home to Getafe on Tuesday, warned against any premature euphoria at the club after stretching their lead to 11 points last weekend.
"I don't like phrases like 'the league is already won' because we all know that this isn't true in sport," he said.
"In any case as well as respect for our rivals, the Barcelona philosophy is that we have to get on with our work, look for the win and if possible play good football.
"I hope we can win something important this season. It is true we have a comfortable advantage but we have to keep working hard." Barca are also hoping for success in the Champions League, where they Benfica in the quarter-finals.

MANCHESTER, England (AFP) - Sir Alex Ferguson believes Manchester United could yet pull off a sensational comeback in a Premiership title race that has been considered all over since Christmas.
Chelsea retain a 12-point advantage over United with eight games left to play -- one more than Ferguson's men.
But the champions' unstoppable aura has been dented by a run in which they have dropped ten points in their last eight games, culminating in Sunday's stormy 1-0 defeat at Fulham.
Chelsea will not want their current advantage to be reduced any further, particularly as they must face United in the penultimate match of the season.
"I have said we want to be in a position to take advantage if Chelsea start to slip," Ferguson said.
"There are signs Chelsea have hit the wall. Only time will tell how long it will last."
Ferguson's number two, Carlos Queiroz, claimed there has been a sea-change in the way other teams approach their matches with Chelsea since Fulham and Middlesbrough (last month) emulated United by beating Jose Mourinho's men in the league.
"We did not have to wait for Chelsea to play Barcelona (in the Champions League defeat) to realise they are not invincible," said the Portuguese coach. "We have already beaten them.
"But over the last four or five games it seems that other teams are beginning to think they can do something against them too.
"Teams are finding a way of creating problems for them."
Despite the optimism emanating from the managerial team at United, Irish defender John O'Shea admitted he would happily swap places with Chelsea right now, even if that means being a little unloved.
"It's fair to say that Chelsea have taken our place as the most hated team in England," said O'Shea.
"When they had their little blip a few weeks back, people were jumping on it and seemed pleased that they were having a few problems. That's the way it was with us for a long time and we want to get back to that."
In the meantime, O'Shea is happy to pay tribute to the qualities that have put Mourinho and co. in such a commanding position in the league.
"Their consistency is fantastic, no doubt about it and they work their socks off from start to finish," he said.
"Throw in that they have some great players and it means they are a very tough side to get around."
O'Shea added: "I think teams are scared of Chelsea, as if they are beaten before they go out to play against them and that has made their life easier. Maybe we were like that at one point and Arsenal were the same 18 months ago."

BIRMINGHAM, England (AFP) - Steve Bruce insisted he was still the right man to lead Birmingham City in their fight against relegation after his club crashed out of the FA Cup in a 7-0 thrashing by Liverpool.
To make matters worse the humbling defeat took place in front of the Blues' own fans at St Andrews, with Birmingham conceding two goals inside the first five minutes as their top-flight rivals ran riot.
The Blues are currently 18th, three points shy of safety and there is little prospect of respite with their next two league games against Manchester United and leaders Chelsea, the reigning champions.
"I've never chucked nothing. It hurts badly but the one thing I'm determined to do is see it through and turn it around. I still think I am the right person and I will try my utmost," Bruce said after Tuesday's trouncing.
However, he added: "You will have to ask the board if they still have confidence in me - it is hard for me to answer that at the moment. That is a question for the board."
Trying to come to terms with the defeat, Bruce admitted: "Sometimes this job and this football lark kicks you in the teeth.
"That's the biggest one I've had in 25 years of being involved in it. In the end it was just men against boys really. You can't play a Cup tie like this. We were outdone by a far, far superior team on the night.
"You just want a bit of pride but unfortunately it got worse in the second-half."
And former United defender Bruce predicted life would not get easier when he returned to Old Trafford this weekend.
"You just have to take it on the chin, realise you've been humiliated in front of the nation, in front of your home supporters and go again tomorrow morning if you can.
"We've got two easy games coming up against Manchester United and Chelsea," he added, tongue in cheek. "It's a big test for us all."
Goals from Sami Hyypia and a Peter Crouch double left Liverpool in a commanding position at half-time.
Birmingham's evening deteriorated after the break with the Reds extending their lead through Fernando Morientes, John Arne Riise, an Olivier Tebily own-goal and an 89th minute shot from striker Djibril Cisse which embarrassingly squirmed under keeper Maik Taylor's body.
Liverpool now head into this weekend's Merseyside derby against Everton having scored 15 goals in their last three games and just two points behind United in the race for second place and direct entry into the Champions League.
It represents a remarkable turnaround for a club whose goal-shy strikers were widely regarded as a key reason for the European champions' failure to successfully defend their title.
"Of late we've been criticised for not scoring enough goals so hopefully we've proved a few critics wrong," said Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard.
"Nothing's changed, we're just getting a little luck in front of goal," the England midfielder added.

Liverpool destroy Birmingham 7-0 in FA Cup.
By Rex Gowar.
LONDON, (Reuters) - Liverpool scored twice in the opening five minutes on the way to a club record 7-0 rout of Birmingham City in an embarrassingly one-sided FA Cup quarter-final at St Andrew's on Tuesday.
Lanky England striker Peter Crouch netted twice for six-times winners Liverpool, who joined West Ham United in the last four after the London club beat Manchester City 2-1 on Monday.
Chelsea are at home to Newcastle United on Wednesday and Middlesbrough visit Charlton Athletic on Thursday in the other quarter-finals. The semi-final draw is on Friday.
Liverpool have scored 15 goals in their last three matches after only two in their previous five and manager Rafa Benitez told Sky Sports: "Today, every time we shot it was a goal.
"Sometimes you need luck (to score). We have quality, the strikers are really good, we needed luck."
It was Liverpool's biggest away win in the FA Cup and equal second biggest at any ground after their 8-0 home victory over Swansea in January 1990.
Tuesday's match had barely started when Steven Gerrard floated in a free kick from the left, Mohamed Sissoko nodded the ball on and unmarked defender Sami Hyypia headed home for the visitors.
Mali midfielder Sissoko was making his first appearance, wearing protective glasses, since an injury to his right eye exactly a month ago that had initially threatened to end his career.
Crouch made it 2-0 when his header from Gerrard's right-wing cross was parried by Maik Taylor but the keeper could not prevent the ball from crossing the line.
The 25-year-old Crouch notched his fourth goal in three games seven minutes before the interval when he steered the ball past Taylor after Luis Garcia had slipped a perfect pass into his path.
"Once you get a couple they seem to go in a lot easier," said Crouch.

GOAL GLUT
Fernando Morientes, who came on for Crouch in the 56th minute, added the fourth following a dummy by Garcia.
Left back John Arne Riise struck a blistering fifth 20 minutes from time after running on to a neat flick from Gerrard.
Seven minutes later, City substitute Olivier Tebily tried to block Harry Kewell's low cross but only succeeded in turning the ball into his own net.
One minute from time, Taylor let a shot from the right by substitute Djibril Cisse slip under his body for the seventh, rounding off a nightmare evening for the home side who are also fighting for survival in the Premier League.
"It's damaged us, let's hope not beyond repair," said City manager Steve Bruce.
The few chances Birmingham had were firmly dealt with by the steady Liverpool defence and goalkeeper Jose Reina.
Liverpool's England centre-back Jamie Carragher made a fine tackle on Mikael Forssell as the striker threatened to score midway through the first half and Jamie Clapham was just wide of the far post with a shot on the stroke of halftime. Forssell was on target in the 63rd minute but his stinging shot on the turn was parried by Reina.

By Stuart Mawhinney.

THE FA - CONCACAF Director of Development Richard Braithwaite visited The FA this week, building on the strong bonds that have been forged over recent years, and Richard was also able to watch one of his favourite players in The FA Cup.
With the excitement surrounding Trinidad and Tobago's qualification for the World Cup in Germany reaching fever pitch, Richard was delighted to watch Shaka Hislop in action for West Ham.
But once the game was over Richard spoke to TheFA.com about the relationship between CONCACAF and The FA, and how the work of the last five years has undoubtedly aided Trinidad and Tobago's incredible feat."It was an amazing feeling when they qualified for the World Cup and thoroughly deserved," Richard told us.
"It was ironic when it happened, because we were in the middle of an FA workshop on coaching development and we had to stop to celebrate."It was fitting because these workshops have helped so much in improving football in the region."Richard feels that it is important not to forget the work that has gone in over recent years that has given players and coaches from the region the platform to succeed.
"CONCACAF has an excellent relationship with The FA and we are extremely grateful for the support they have given us in the last five years. "We have had a number of workshops in the last five years, on coach education, football administration, refereeing and sports medicine. "Hundreds of people from the region have attended these workshops and the evidence of their success comes in growth of football in the area. It has been significant in the last few years, with the reggae boys of Jamaica and the Soca Warriors of Trinidad and Tobago.
"Football here is definitely on the upswing and The FA have certainly played a part in it. We are starting to see the signs of it. I recall a coach who attended an FA International coaching licence, well a year later he was in charge of the Panama Under-20 team who qualified for the Under-20 World Cup for the first time in their history. "But there is no doubting the player that brings the biggest joy to football fans in the Caribbean.
Richard told us with a beaming smile: "Dwight Yorke is something of a phenomenon, he has achieved consistent success at the highest level. When someone comes from a tiny island to make an impact as he did, it is an incredible story. "When the history of football is written, certainly in Caribbean terms, he is right at the top. His success if a fairytale story, I cannot speak highly enough about Dwight."But hopefully with work we can see more players like Dwight and Shaka.
"If we can educate our coaches we will certainly be on the way to doing that, some people say 'You can't coach genius' but with better coaches we can give it the best chance of developing. You may not find another Dwight, but we might come close." But what of Dwight and the Soca Warriors' chances come the summer?"They will give their best fight in Germany and I believe in them. France were not worried about Senegal last time, maybe they should have been. The World Cup is a big dance and for every team the ball is round.
"We have many players who know the English game, so they can certainly give England a tough test. It will be a marvelous moment for everyone from the region and hopefully there are many more in the future."

Tobago News.

Trinidad and Tobago captain Dwight Yorke is staying put at Sydney FC after sorting out his differences with club management. "I've spoken with the chairman and he has reassured me that there was a breakdown in communications and the intention was never to get rid of me," the 34-year-old Yorke was quoted as saying.
"I accept that and, as I've said before, I'm more than happy to stay in Sydney. I'm happy here and I want to help the team build on its success."
Yorke, who led Sydney FC to the inaugural Hyundai A-League title last week, claimed recently the club was planning to get rid of him after telling his agent he could leave when he was ready.
That immediately fuelled speculation that Yorke, with another year left on his contract at Sydney, would look for safe haven else where.
But Yorke refuted claims that he had planned to leave Down Under.
"I have never entertained the idea of moving at any time," Yorke stressed.
Those sentiments were echoed by Sydney FC director Peter Turnbull, who said it was never the club's intention to force Yorke to leave.
"The situation has been sorted out and now we can move on. We feel we've been fair with Dwight," Turnbull was quoted as saying.
"All that was said was that Dwight could go if he wanted to because we knew that he was going back to England anyway to prepare for the World Cup and might receive a better offer.
"It was out of respect for him, just giving him an option if somebody came in with the sort of money we couldn't match."
With the A-League season completed, Yorke is expected to begin training with Manchester United after being invited to do so by Sir Alex Fergusson in preparation for the World Cup in Germany in June.
Meanwhile, Though the Tobago sporting public in general was disappointed that their homeboy, Soca Warriors captain Dwight Yorke did not win the Sportsman of the Year title, some of them grudgingly admitted that West Indies star batsmen Brian Lara deserved the title.
Lara captured the title because of his superb performance in 2005 in which he scored five centuries in eight Tests and in the process broke Allan Border's record for the most runs in Test history recording 11,174 runs.
Yorke the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association nominee who returned to the national team when their qualification for the World Cup finals looked doomed, led by example and won back the hearts of the Trinidad public especially, through his tireless effort on the field.
Yorke climaxed his performance for the Soca Warriors by delivering the pinpoint cross to Dennis Lawrence who scored the winning goal against Bahrain in the crucial away game.
However, his performance was not enough to earn Tobago their second title in the history of the First Citizens Sports Award, which was formally sponsored by WITCO.
Elizabeth Dennis Baird, a former National and West Indies cricketer remain the only Tobago sports personality to ever win the prestigious award. Yorke, however was named third in the top ten list behind Lara and Candace Scott who won the female Sports Personality of the Year award. The two other Tobago sports personalities who received their associations' nominations, Kenya 'Ya Ya' Cordner-football and Yolande Leacock-lawn tennis collected their nominees' award.

Cisse bids to earn his Spurs.
TEAMtalk - Liverpool striker Djibril Cisse's agent has invited Tottenham to make a move for the Frenchman in the summer. Cisse was heavily linked with a move to White Hart Lane in January and although Spurs have denied they made a bid for the 24-year-old, Cisse's representative Ranko Stojic reckons a deal could yet be done.
He told the Daily Mail: "Djibril is very interested. We know Tottenham are too. The situation will be resolved at the end of the season and I do not believe that Liverpool will oppose his departure - if they can obtain £7-10million."A Spurs spokesman said: "We have never made an approach for Cisse and have not had any interest in the player."

Moyes 'targeted by Magpies'
TEAMtalk - Everton boss David Moyes has been added to the shortlist Newcastle have drawn up in their search for a new manager, according to reports. All of Tuesday's national newspapers claim Magpies chairman Freddy Shepherd has been so impressed with Moyes' efforts in turning around Everton's season that the Scot is a serious contender for the St James' Park job.The Toffees had a shaky start to the campaign after crashing out in the Champions League qualifiers to Spanish side Villarreal but have bounced back in style since the turn of the year, with six straight home wins having propelled them to the brink of a return to European football.
Former West Ham boss Glenn Roeder has been in caretaker charge of Newcastle following Graeme Souness' sacking last month, with Shepherd looking to make a permanent appointment in the summer. And it looks as though Moyes has joined a shortlist that is also thought to include Bolton boss Sam Allardyce and Martin O'Neill.

LONDON (AP) -- Liverpool stayed two points behind second-place Manchester United in the English Premier League after beating Newcastle 3-1 Sunday.
Peter Crouch, Steven Gerrard and Djibril Cisse scored for visiting Liverpool, which dominated from the start and controlled play.
Crouch put Liverpool ahead in the 10th minute, getting under a perfect lob to put a bouncing header beyond Newcastle goalkeeper Shay Given. Gerrard made it 2-0 in the 35th. He controlled a long cross, dished it off and scored from 16 yards off the return pass.
Newcastle's Shola Ameobi had a goal on a header in the 41st, but Cisse scored a penalty kick in the 52nd after Crouch was wrestled down by Jean-Alain Boumsong. The Frenchman also received a red card on the play.
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez fears a fixture schedule that forces his team to play twice in three days could threaten the fitness of England players Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher.Gerrard and Carragher are expected to head to Germany this summer as members of Sven-Goran Eriksson's England squad for the World Cup.But a hectic club schedule means Liverpool face Birmingham in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup on Tuesday after winning at Newcastle in the Premiership on Sunday."If you lose two or three players during the season, how can that help England?" asked Benitez. "We will see if it is counter productive, but I know we will not see the best of Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher if they are forced to play twice in three days."All the English players, if they played twice in three days, will be more at risk. They will have more problems."It is impossible to play twice in three days with just a day in between matches. A player is at his worst in terms of his physical condition two days after a game."He can be 70 per cent three days after, but he certainly cannot play at his level and the risk of injury is so much more."

GLASGOW, Scotland (AP) -- Rangers and Hearts tied 1-1 in the Scottish Premier League, with both teams still far behind leader Celtic. Edgaras Jankauskas gave Hearts a 1-0 lead in the ninth minute, but Rangers tied it on Thomas Buffel's goal in the 65th. Celtic leads with 73 points, followed by Hearts with 59 and Rangers with 53.
Meanwhile, Veteran Celtic striker Dion Dublin thought another cup final appearance was beyond him but admitted scoring in their CIS Cup final victory over Dunfermline was a 'dream come true'.The 36-year-old former Manchester United and Aston Villa striker, who was signed from Leicester in the winter, came off the bench to score the final goal in a 3-0 victory.And he said: "To come on and get the third goal was the kind of thing you dream about."You think it's not going to happen so this is a massive thing for me."I am 36 now and you think you are not going to play in a cup final again."But the gaffer (Gordon Strachan) had faith in me bringing me up here and he gave me the chance to score in the final."Dublin could have had a hat-trick having earlier missed a good chance and said: "I was a little bit worried but that happens."Unfortunately I missed the chances to score earlier but the first one was easier than the one I scored."But I am very pleased to score in the final."Celtic dedicated the triumph to Jimmy Johnstone, who died last Monday.It was a fitting tribute to the Lisbon Lion and something which shocked versatile Parkhead veteran Dublin."It was nice to score a goal for the manager, the fans and Jimmy Johnstone."I have never seen anything like it before. Jinky was a legend but I didn't know how big a legend he was until I got here."I am pleased for the fans and I'm pleased we won it for him."But Dublin also dedicated the first trophy of the season to manager Strachan in his debut season at Parkhead.After a shaky start to his new career, the Scot has Celtic on the verge of a league and cup double.Dublin added: "He does an awful lot of work on the training pitch and this is a reward for that."Strachan brought Ross Wallace in for the cup-tied Mark Wilson and Stephen McManus praised the recalled youngster.The defender said: "The most important thing was to win."He has done great having taken a wee bit of stick but it's not his fault."He went in there and was asked to do a job so it was great for him to win the cup."Celtic need 11 more points to guarantee the championship and face Inverness Caledonian Thistle at Parkhead tomorrow.

LONDON (AFP) - Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho dismissed speculation linking him with a summer move to Italian giants Inter Milan. The Portuguese coach insisted he will still be with the Premiership champions next season.
"There's no way I am going to join Inter Milan in the summer, no way at all," Mourinho told the News of the World. "I promise you I will be at Chelsea next season - I am absolutely certain of that."
Midfielder Frank Lampard said Chelsea would take years to recover if Mourinho left Stamford Bridge. The England star insists the champions success is mainly down to Mourinho and not simply the millions of owner Roman Abramovich.
Lampard, 27, warned: "Obviously the club has to be bigger than any one individual but it would be a massive disappointment if Mourinho was to go."
"It could put the club back years. Thats not being disrespectful to anyone else here players or staff it's just how important I think he is for us."

BUENOS AIRES, (Reuters) - River Plate knocked their arch-rivals Boca Juniors off the top of the Argentine championship by beating Olimpo 3-0.
Boca could manage only a goalless draw away to lowly Tiro Federal in torrid conditions in Sunday's fixtures.
River, who face Boca next Sunday, went top with 21 points from 10 games as the Clausura championship passed the halfway mark. Boca are one point behind, ahead of Newell's Old Boys on goal difference.
Midfielder Gonzalo Higuain scored two first half goals to set River on their way.
Daniel Montenegro, who scored two goals and set up two more in Thursday's 4-1 Libertadores Cup win over Paulista, added the third for Daniel Passarella's team in the 65th minute.
Boca coach Alfio Basile admitted his side played badly against opponents who are 18th in the 20-team table.
"The only thing I can say is we played badly," said Argentina's 1994 World Cup coach, adding that the heat in Rosario was also a problem.
"They defended well and put themselves about. Things didn't work out for us, we tried everything but there was no way through."
Boca had most of the possession but created few real chances while Tiro Federal looked more dangerous on the break.
Racing Club picked up their second point in five games under former Argentina midfielder Diego Simeone when they drew 0-0 at home to Lanus.
"I'm very satisfied with the way the team played," said Simeone, who won a record 106 Argentina caps.
Former Argentina forward Ariel Ortega scored the first goal as Newell's cruised to a 2-0 win over a disappointing Independiente. Fernando Belluschi scored the second for Newell's two minutes after halftime.

(Writing by Brian Homewood in Rio de Janeiro) .

New coach sees Guadalajara claim key victory.
MEXICO CITY, (Reuters) - Juan Manuel de la Torre, Guadalajara's fourth coach in less than eight months, made a winning start in the hot seat as his side beat Cruz Azul 1-0 at the weekend.
The win at the Jalisco stadium kept Mexico's most popular club in the hunt for a place in the quarter-finals of the Clausura championship.
Striker Adolfo Bautista volleyed home Gonzalo Pineda's cross in the 80th minute to keep Guadalajara fourth in Group 3, two points behind second-placed Cruz Azul.
De la Torre was appointed on Friday after the club's flamboyant owner Jorge Vergara fired Dutchman Hans Westerhof, who had been in charge for only 14 games.
Westerhof's predecessor Xabier Azkargorta also lasted 14 games after replacing Benjamin Galindo, who was fired last August.
Provincial club San Luis went top of Group One as they pulled off a surprise 2-0 win over America, who dropped from first to third place in the same group.
Second-half goals from Emilio Mora and Ariel Gonzalez saw off the Eagles, who, like Guadalajara, are also on to their second coach of the campaign after Manuel Lapuente replaced Victor Manuel Aguado last month.
San Luis have 16 points, one more than UAG who broke a run of six straight defeats by winning 1-0 at UNAM with an early goal from Samuel Ochoa.
Pachuca and Chiapas both won to stay top of the other two groups with 24 points apiece.
Group 2 leaders Pachuca won 3-1 at Sinaloa while Chiapas beat defending champions Toluca 2-0 to go six points clear of Cruz Azul at the top of Group 3.
Uruguayan striker Richard Nunez fired Pachuca into a 17th minute lead and then provided the corner from which Fernando Salazar made it 2-0 in the 31st minute.
Uruguay's Sebastian Abreu pulled one back with three minutes to play before Juan Carlos Cacho added Pachuca's third on the break.
Paraguay striker Salvador Cabanas scored the first goal from a penalty and set up the second for Argentine Walter Jimenez as Chiapas beat Toluca.
In between, Israel Lopez missed a penalty for Toluca when his effort was turned away by Chiapas goalkeeper Omar Ortiz.

South America round-up
By Brian Homewood
RIO DE JANEIRO, (Reuters) - Olimpia fans throwing missiles forced their team's Paraguayan championship match at home to Sportivo Luqueno to be abandoned at the weekend.
Former Lazio and Juventus striker Marcelo Salas was sent off in Universidad de Chile's 1-0 win at Antofagasta while America won 3-2 at Medellin in the Colombian championship despite finishing with nine men.

PARAGUAY
Crowd trouble marred the championship for the second time in three weeks as Olimpia's game was abandoned in the 85th minute. Referee Carlos Torres sent the teams to the dressing-rooms after assorted missiles -- including bottles and lumps of ice -- rained on to the field, hitting two Luqueno players. Luqueno were leading 2-1 with goals from Diego Martinez and Javier Gonzalez. Edgardo Simovic replied for Olimpia. Two weeks ago, Olimpia's derby with arch-rivals Cerro Porteno was delayed by crowd trouble and fans clashed in the streets outside the Defenders of the Chaco stadium. Defending champions Cerro Porteno stayed top of the championship's first stage despite losing their unbeaten record with a 3-1 home defeat by Tacuary. Raul Roman, David Villalba and Celso Gonzalez scored for the visitors, who moved into second place and cut Cerro's lead to two points.

URUGUAY
The championship remained indefinitely suspended following the murder of a Cerro fan at a bus stop eight days ago. Hector da Cunha was beaten and stabbed by a group of around 15 Penarol fans outside the Centenario stadium. Penarol have had 12 points deducted for the incident and Cerro three.

CHILE
Marcelo Salas's unhappy spell with Universidad de Chile continued as he was sent off for a tackle from behind in the 56th minute of Sunday's match. "The sending off was fair," said Salas, who has been plagued by injuries. Salas's team went on to win 1-0 when Colombian striker Herly Alcazar scored from a rebound after Hugo Droguett's shot struck the post.
Unbeaten Universidad have 20 points from eight games and lead Group B in the Apertura championship by 11 points from Coquimbo Unido. Audax Italiano, Colo Colo and Huachipato top the other groups.

COLOMBIA
America won 3-2 at Medellin even though they had Carlos Saa and Edwin Valencia sent off midway through the second half. The Red Devils from Cali had gone 3-0 ahead when Edwin Valencia, Jose Moreno and Adrian Ramos scored in a 15-minute first-half spell.
Medellin replied after the break through Roberto Carlos Cortes and Cesar Valoyes.
Tolima went back to the top of the Apertura championship with a 2-1 win over Cartagena 2-1, overtaking Once Caldas who drew 1-1 at Millonarios to keep the competition's only unbeaten record. Pereira's 1-1 draw at home to Santa Fe took three-and-a-half hours to complete. Play was suspended for one-and-a-half hours in the first half by a torrential downpour and there was another delay at halftime caused by a floodlight failure.

PERU
Alianza Lima's 2-1 win at Coronel Bolognesi kept them top of the championship's first stage with 19 points from seven games. Second-half goals from Wilmer Aguirre and Rinaldo Cruzado put Alianza in control while goalkeeper George Forsyth saved Roberto Demus's penalty.
Forsyth was finally beaten when Japanese striker Masakatsu Sawa scored an injury-time consolation. Champions Sporting Cristal stayed four points behind in second place with a 3-0 win over Melgar. Universitario, the third of the big Lima clubs, were held at home 1-1 by Alianza Atletico in their first game under Paraguayan coach Jorge Amado Nunes, who replaced Argentina's Juan Amador Sanchez last week.

ECUADOR
Army club El Nacional thumped table-propping Deportivo Cuenca 4-1 to go back to the top of the Apertura championship. Ebelio Ordonez scored twice while Danny Very and Walter Ayovi shared the other goals. El Nacional went one point ahead of LDU, who suffered a shock 1-0 defeat away to Macara thanks to Luis Miguel Garces's 79th-minute goal.

BOLIVIA
Bolivar and Universitario drew their matches to stay level on points at the top of the Clausura championship. Bolivar were held 2-2 by Wilstermann after a dramatic finale in which defender Oscar Sanchez gave them an 88th-minute equaliser and Limberg Gutierrez missed an injury-time penalty. The Strongest gave coach Sergio Luna a winning start by beating Real Potosi 3-2.

VENEZUELA
Two goals from Daniel Arismendi gave Carabobo FC a 2-1 win at Estudiantes de Merida to keep them top of the 2005/6 championship's second stage. Carabobo extended their lead to four points after second-placed Caracas FC lost 2-1 at home to Deportivo Tachira.

MADRID (AFP) - Barcelona's stranglehold on Spain's Primera Liga title race tightened further Sunday after closest rivals Real Madrid and Valencia both dropped precious points.
Barcelona had taken a 12-point lead after registering a straightforward 2-0 win over Real Sociedad on Saturday, leaving both Real and Valencia needing victories to keep their faint championship hopes alive.
But Real's miserable run of form saw them held to a goalless draw against relegation-threatened Real Betis at the Bernabeu, after coach Juan Ramon Lopez Caro left galacticos Ronaldo and David Beckham on the bench.
Ronaldo, who has falled out of favour with Real's fans after criticising their treatment of him last month, replaced Raul at the start of the second half to a chorus of whistles from the home fans.
The Brazilian star had a glorious chance to silence his critics midway through the half but saw his header brilliantly saved by Betis keeper Contreras.
Contreras also came to Betis' rescue deep in injury time thwarting a powerful shot from Real's Brazilian fullback Cicinho, easily his team's most effective player on the night.
The draw left Real 11 points adrift of Barcelona in second place, while Valencia slipped back to third place after their 2-1 defeat at mid-table Racing Santander.
The defeat was Valencia's first in 16 matches and left coach Quique Flores baffled. "We have the reputation of being a difficult team to play, but that wasn't the case today," Flores said.
It will take a collapse of spectacular proportions if Barcelona are to be denied the title. Their victory over Sociedad on Saturday came at a cost though, with defensive linchpins Rafael Marquez and Edmilson both hobbling off with injuries during their game against the Basques.
Both players suffered thigh injuries, leaving Mexican international Marquez facing a 4-6 week layoff and Edmilson sidelined for three weeks.
"We controlled the came but we played too deep," Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard said.
Goals from Henrik Larsson and Samuel Eto'o handed Barca a routine win against their opponents from the Basque region, who are languishing in the bottom half of the table.
Barcelona's superior firepower was always going to pose problems for Sociedad, who had the worst defensive record in La Liga this season heading into the match.
Their back four had leaked no fewer than 51 goals before Saturday's game, and it was not long before that was increased to 52 as Barcelona took the lead, Larsson netting in the eighth minute.
Ronaldinho clipped an inch-perfect cross into the box and found the Swedish international, who teed up the ball with his first touch before rifling a low shot past Alberto.
With Barcelona's midfield controlling play, Sociedad's strikers were forced to live off scraps of possession.
Their best effort came when Mark Gonzales thumped a long-range shot against the post.
Barcelona were always in control however and doubled their lead early in the second half through Eto'o. Dutch midfielder Mark Van Bommel skipped into the penalty area and unleashed a fierce shot which cannoned off the woodwork and fell kindly for Eto'o, the African Player of the Year sidefooting home coolly.

LONDON (AFP) - ) - Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho accused Fulham's players of influencing the referee after watching his side crash to their third defeat of the season at Craven Cottage.
Mourinho gesticulated wildly from the touchline as tensions boiled over midway through the second half when a Didier Drogba equaliser was ruled out for handball following furious protests from Fulham's players.
Referee Mike Dean consulted with his linesman before awarding a free-kick in favour of the home side, a decision vindicated by television replays that showed Drogba clearly using his hand to control the ball.
But Mourinho was unhappy with the decision and appeared to suggest that Dean's opinion had been swayed by Fulham's players.
"They were clever the way they put pressure on the referee and linesmen and they got a result that gives them safety in the Premiership," Mourinho said. "I'm happy for Chris Coleman because of that."
The Chelsea boss also suggested that Fulham had used timewasting tactics to hang on to their 1-0 lead, which they secured after 17 minutes when Luis Boa Morte latched on to Steed Malbranque's deflected shot to score.
Mourinho said: "Fulham fought a lot and defended a lot and tried to reduce the time of the game. Instead of 45 minutes, they tried to play 20 or 25 minutes."
Mourinho now has to prepare his side for an FA Cup quarter-final against Newcastle on Wednesday in the aftermath of this defeat, Chelsea's first against Fulham for 27 years.
He insisted his side had not deserved to lose to Fulham after an improved second half performance.
"Of course I'm disappointed," said Mourinho. "A defeat is still a defeat even if you don't deserve the defeat. Fulham deserved to be in front but for the last hour and especially the last 45 minutes we dominated and created and we deserved a different result.
"If we had got to 1-1 we would have won the game, but we didn't."
Fulham manager Coleman, who had been under pressure before the game after four Premiership defeats had left his team only eight points above the relegation zone, could not hide his relief.
"I'm delighted with seeing that performance after I completely lost the dressing room," he said, mocking reports that he had lost the respect of his players. "I thought they were brilliant. The performance couldn't come at a better time.
"Three points today against anyone would have been sweet, but against the champions Chelsea, in the local derby, it was fantastic.
Coleman had deployed Steed Malbranque to man-mark the Chelsea holding player Claude Makelele and the strategy helped to stifle the Premiership leaders.
"Every time we play against Chelsea, everything goes through Makelele and when they pass from the back, it's in to Makelele and he starts the attacks," said Coleman.
"We wanted Chelsea to kick it rather than pass out and it worked quite well."
His tactics earned a victory which the home fans celebrated with a mass pitch invasion that turned sour as bunches of Chelsea fans struggled with stewards to reach their rivals.
A few slipped through and at least one fan was wrestled to the ground by police.
Fulham may face FA sanctions for failing to prevent the invasion, but Coleman focused on the positives for the club, saying that he had not seen the disturbances after the final whistle.
"This is a great result for us, a massive day for Fulham and the fans were excited," he said.
"There were one or two idiots on the pitch causing trouble and we slung them out. With the majority of our fans there's a good atmosphere and there's no place here for the idiots."

MUNICH, Germany (Ticker) - Bayern Munich restored its six-point cushion atop the Bundesliga with a comfortable win over Champions League hopefuls Schalke.
Second-half goals from Hasan Salihamidzic, Claudio Pizarro and Roy Makaay sealed victory for Bayern and all but ended any hopes Schalke may have had of joining the title race.
Bayern came into the game having only won one of its last three home games, allowing Hamburg to close within three points at the top following its 1-0 victory over Wolfsburg on Saturday.
Werder Bremen missed the chance to leapfrog Schalke into third as it endured a 3-1 loss to Nurnberg.
Robert Vittek scored twice and Markus Schroth tallied for Nurnberg, with Bundesliga top scorer Miroslav Klose replying for Bremen with his 18th goal of the season.
Benjamin Lauth was the savior in Hamburg's 1-0 triumph over VfL Wolfsburg as the striker scored his third goal in seven days with a 22nd-minute tally.
Cellar dwellers Cologne suffered a 1-0 loss to Hannover. Vahid Hashemian scored the winner six minutes before the break.
Cologne remained with 18 points, three behind MSV Duisburg, which was thrashed, 5-2, by Eintracht Frankfurt. Kaiserslautern stayed third from the bottom after its 2-1 loss at Borussia Dortmund. Mainz posted a 2-1 triumph over Bayer Leverkusen. Borussia Monchengladbach drew 1-1 with VfB Stuttgart, while Hertha Berlin edged Arminia Bielefeld, 1-0.

LIVORNO, Italy (Ticker) - Juventus continued its stroll toward a second consecutive Serie A crown with a 3-1 triumph at Livorno. Only a monumental collapse would cost Juve - which owns a 10-point lead over AC Milan with only eight games remaining - the championship.
David Trezeguet scored two goals, one after Marc Pfertzel's equalizer for Livorno, and Alessandro Del Piero supplied the killer blow in stoppage time.
Milan posted a 4-0 victory at Udinese, which kept it in control of second place and worsened the relegation plight of its opponent. Two goals from Andriy Shevchenko and one apiece from Alberto Gilardino and Clarence Seedorf were enough for Milan.
Had Messina won the evening match at Roma, then Udinese would have slipped into the bottom three. But the Udine club has former coach Luciano Spalletti - now in charge of Roma - to thank for avoiding that scenario after the Eternal City club beat the Sicilians, 2-1.
Inter Milan tightened its grip on a Champions League place and dented Lazio's own European ambitions with a 3-1 triumph. Alvaro Recoba was the star of the show, scoring two and laying on Luis Figo's opener to extend Inter's unbeaten run to seven matches in all competitions.
Second-half goals from substitutes Luca Toni and Giampaolo Pazzini lifted Fiorentina to a 3-1 victory against Ascoli.
Chievo Verona scored three second-half goals to secure a crucial 4-1 victory over a Siena side reduced to nine men in a bad-tempered affair. Igor Tudor was sent off early on for bringing down the last man, while in the second half Matteo Paro received his marching orders for a professional foul.
Parma seems to have put an end to its relegation fears after piling more misery on Lecce with a 2-1 triumph at the Via del Mare stadium.
Empoli picked up a vital three points in its battle against relegation with a 2-0 win at Reggina.
Sampdoria lost its fifth consecutive Serie A game and with it went realistic hopes of again playing in Europe next season. A 2-0 win for Palermo in Genoa, with the two goals coming from Massimo Mutarelli and David Di Michele in the second half, means the Sicilians still can dream of a place in the UEFA Cup next season. The weekend's other final saw Cagliari edge Treviso, 2-1.

AMSTERDAM, (Reuters) - Ivory Coast-born Salomon Kalou will not be fast-tracked for a Dutch passport and will miss the World Cup finals in Germany starting on June 9.
Dutch immigration minister Rita Verdonk ruled definitively on Monday that a special article of law covering top foreign sportsmen did not apply to the 20-year-old Feyenoord winger.
Kalou has been supported by Dutch coach Marco van Basten, who had guaranteed him a spot in his World Cup squad.
"It is very disappointing for Salomon," said Van Basten. "I know that he really wanted to play for the Netherlands during the World Cup."
Verdonk turned down Kalou's request last year but a Rotterdam court ordered her to reconsider as she had failed to substantiate her decision.
She told parliament earlier this month that Kalou did not fulfil the criteria for fast-track citizenship and in May would have to retake a Dutch language and culture test, which he has already failed once.
She also said he had lived in the country for only three years, short of the five-year term normally required to qualify for a Dutch passport.
Kalou rejected several invitations to join the Ivory Coast national squad last year, even though his brother Bonaventure is captain of the team.
Ivory Coast have also qualified for the World Cup and will face the Netherlands in a Group C game in Stuttgart on June 16. Argentina and Serbia & Montenegro are also in the group.

By Ulf Laessing.

FRANKFURT, (Reuters) - Adidas has lost the first match-up in the mounting World Cup marketing battle in the sporting goods industry.
The opening game between Germany and Costa Rica in Munich on June 9 is still weeks away, but the industry is already gearing up for its biggest ever set-to at world soccer's premier event.
Adidas, which has dominated previous World Cups, will sponsor fewer teams participating at this year's tournament than long-time arch rivals Nike and Puma.
Just six teams will be playing in Adidas's trademark three-stripes kits, while U.S. Nike has signed up eight teams to wear its "swoosh" logo, among them five-times champions Brazil.
"It's remarkable that market leader Adidas will have fewer teams than its toughest pursuer Nike," said analysts at German Landesbank Rheinland-Pfalz in a study.
Smaller German rival Puma will supply 12 teams with jerseys featuring its leaping red-cat trademark.
Adidas, which supplies hosts Germany and the 1998 world champions France, had bad luck as some of its partners such as European champions Greece, Nigeria and China failed to qualify.
But Adidas has vowed to fight back and play out its role as an official sponsor of world soccer body FIFA, which will give it advertising rights in the 12 stadiums.
With a total global audience of 32 billion expected to watch the 64 matches on television -- 10 percent more than in 2002, according to TV rights agency Infront -- the competition to raise brand awareness has never been tougher.
Marketing costs are treated as secrets but Adidas and Puma have said they will stage their biggest ever marketing campaigns, while Nike plans to spend more than at the 2002 Cup.

RISING COMPETITION
Nike and Puma have invested heavily to challenge Adidas, the global soccer shoes market leader for decades. Nike, the world's number one sports equipment maker, chose a symbolic venue to kick off its attack on Adidas and unveil its World Cup kits -- Berlin's Olympic stadium where the World Cup final will be played on July 9.
"We are realising on the pitch and on the street our goal to become the leading football brand," Charles Denson, president of the firm's key Nike brand told Reuters.
Nike hopes to repeat its success from the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea, where its partners Brazil beat Adidas's flagship Germany in the final, boosting sales of Brazilian team look-alike jerseys for months.
LRP analysts say Nike is still lagging Adidas in the market for soccer gear but has come closer with a market share of 30 percent. Adidas has some 35 percent and Puma around 9 percent.
Puma plans to open shops in towns where its teams are playing and has also enlisted Brazilian soccer great Pele, who once wore Puma shoes on the pitch.
"We want to turn the duel of the big two into a three-way fight," said Puma Chief Executive Jochen Zeitz recently.
But Adidas still sees itself in a prime position at the World Cup because it has been a FIFA partner since 1970. Adidas will supply the official match balls, provide gear for the referees, linesmen and ball boys. It has also certain merchandise rights to sell gear with the Cup logo.

LONG BATTLE
For decades, Adidas used to dominate the soccer gear market ever since it provided the German team with boots with studs for the 1954 World Cup. The studs helped West Germany beat Hungary in the final on a rain-soaked pitch in Bern.
While the studs became standard, Adidas's founder Adi Dassler kept his company ahead of the pack by striking deals to supply most national teams, for free or modest payment, regardless of political boundaries.
Team sponsorships evolved into a multi-million business with firms starting to pay huge sums in the 1970s when Nike and others entered the fray.
No firm reveals how much they pay top players on the pitch but analysts and media estimate that Nike's contract with Brazil as well as deals with large soccer associations such as Germany are worth a double-digit millions amount annually.
Adidas also has some 300 players under contract, allowing them to wear the three-stripe boots even if their national associations are partners of competitors. England's David Beckham will wear Adidas shoes and a jersey by Umbro.
But sometimes such deals create problems.
Dutchman Johann Cruyff, a Puma partner, refused to play in an Adidas kit in the 1974 final against West Germany -- he did so only after getting a two-striped version instead.

LONDON, (Reuters) - West Ham United's record buy Dean Ashton scored twice to send the London side into the FA Cup semi-finals after a 2-1 win at Manchester City on Monday.
The striker, a seven million pounds signing from Norwich City in January, scored with a fierce drive just before halftime and tapped in a second on 69 minutes to book West Ham their first Cup semi-final appearance since 1991.
City's Chinese defender Sun Jihai was shown a straight red card after 56 minutes for swinging an arm at Matthew Etherington as they tussled near the touchline.
Congolese midfielder Kiki Musampa blasted in a left-foot volley from just outside the box five minutes from time but City's late pressure failed to bring an equaliser.
The home side, without injured striker Andy Cole and Georgios Samaras, lacked a punch up front and rarely troubled Shaka Hislop.
Ashton's first goal on 41 minutes embarrassed England keeper David James, who was beaten by a well-struck low shot at his near post after the striker had latched on to Nigel Reo Coker's flick.
United defender Paul Konchesky headed off the line from Sun moments before the break but City's hopes of a comeback were dented when Sun was red-carded for needlessly flaying his arm at winger Etherington. West Ham scored again when Musampa was robbed by Reo Coker and with City short of numbers at the back, Ashton had the simplest of chances to tap in Yossi Benayoun's cross.
The three remaining quarter-final ties take place on consecutive nights this week. Birmingham City host Liverpool on Tuesday, Newcastle United visit Chelsea on Wednesday and Charlton Athletic welcome Middlesbrough on Thursday.
The controversial timetable, which has angered managers, was designed to avoid a fixture pile-up and allow Sven-Goran Eriksson time to prepare for the World Cup.

Eriksson forced to accept World Cup squad deadline.
Soccernet.Com - Sven-Goran Eriksson has just over eight weeks to fine-tune his World Cup squad after FIFA rejected an appeal to delay the deadline for submission. The England manager was disappointed to hear FIFA's decision to ignore the pleas of several major countries to give them more time.
Eriksson also admits he is concerned about the condition of England's training pitch near Baden-Baden and may call for it to be relaid.
FIFA confirmed yesterday that all teams must submit their final 23-man squads by May 15.
Eriksson plans to name a provisional 23-man squad on May 8 with two or three stand-by players after the final day of the Barclays Premiership season.
He wanted to see FIFA delay their official deadline until June 5 and this was a view championed by high-profile coaches, including Marco van Basten of Holland, Carlos Alberto Parreira of Brazil and Raymond Domenech of France.
Speaking earlier this month, Eriksson said: 'If the date remains May 15 we could have a situation where a player is really tired or completely out of form and we would not have the ability to change it.
'It would be good if we could pick our squads a week before the World Cup and I don't see any reason why we cannot do this.'
But FIFA's World Cup organising committee, chaired by vice-president Lennart Johansson, rejected the call for change at a meeting in Switzerland yesterday.
A FIFA statement said 'The 32 participating associations at the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany will be obliged to submit their list of 23 players by 15 May at the very latest.'
This means Eriksson must name his final 23 before the Champions League final and before England's final two warm-up games against Hungary and Jamaica.
FIFA claim the May 15 deadline will allow those players selected for the World Cup finals to rest from club football and be fresh for the tournament.
This is less important in England and western Europe, where most football seasons are about to end.
But it is more important in the rest of the world, where clubs may use the delayed deadline to keep players involved in domestic games until the eve of the World Cup finals, which start on June 9.
Injured players can be replaced after May 15 as long as they satisfy FIFA-approved doctors that they have a genuine problem.
Another potential problem for Eriksson is the training pitch at England's World Cup headquarters near Baden-Baden, which has suffered from snow and freezing temperatures recently.
The England boss inspected the surface on his trip to Germany this week and he will ask his number two Tord Grip and his goalkeeping coach Ray Clemence to keep a check on it.
Eriksson said: 'Ray has been to look at the training pitch and will go back to look along with Tord. 'It is important the pitch is perfect and we will do everything we can to make that possible. If it needs to be relaid, it will be.'

Owen would prefer Englishman to replace Sven.
Newcastle striker Michael Owen would prefer an Englishman take over from Sven-Goran Eriksson as national boss - as long as the best man is appointed.
Football Association officials are considering their options for when Eriksson stands down after the World Cup this summer, with Alan Curbishley and Sam Allardyce linked with taking over from the Swede.
Guus Hiddink and Luiz Felipe Scolari are among the foreign managers suggested as possibilities, although there have been called for a home-grown boss to take charge.
'I think everyone would say they want an English manager. I'm no different. As long as he is the best man for the job,' said Owen, 26, in Icon magazine.
'But the main criteria is obviously 'is he good enough?' If that's the case then I definitely would side with an English manager.'

Neville backing Brown for World Cup berth
Gary Neville is tipping Manchester United team-mate Wes Brown to join him in England's World Cup squad this summer. Brown took advantage of Neville's broken metatarsal four years ago to force his way into Sven-Goran Eriksson's party which headed to the Far East but never got on the field as England crashed out to Brazil in the quarter-finals.
At Christmas, Brown's chances of making it to Germany appeared slim as he had only just returned from the latest of a succession of injuries and all Eriksson's central defensive berths appeared to be cemented.
But, a stunning return to form, coupled with Sol Campbell's disastrous performance against West Ham and subsequent ankle injury, forced Brown back into Eriksson's squad for the recent friendly with Uruguay.
And, while Brown did not get the opportunity to add to his nine caps, Neville is convinced the 26-year-old can gatecrash England's World Cup party.
'Wes is certainly in the frame,' Neville told MUTV.
'The way he has been playing since Christmas has been outstanding. Alan Shearer hardly got a kick against him on Sunday.
'He was in the squad for the Uruguay game and he has done everything he can possibly do to stay in it.
'Now, he has 10 more games to remain in form and, like everyone else, stay fit.
'If he does that, I am sure Wes will be on the plane to Germany.'
Neville is expected to make his 499th United appearance at West Brom tomorrow, one away from becoming only the eight player in Red Devils history to join the exclusive 500 club.
Whether Ruud van Nistelrooy is given the opportunity to play his 212th game for United is a more debatable point.
The Dutchman has been frozen out of Sir Alex Ferguson' starting line-up ever since he was axed from the side which beat Wigan in the Carling Cup final last month.
Already, Tottenham and Newcastle have been linked with a summer move for Van Nistelrooy, who himself is just two goals away from notching a landmark 150 for the Old Trafford outfit.
Given the spectacular first-half performance against the Magpies last week, it would have been a surprise if Van Nistelrooy did oust Louis Saha.
The former PSV Eindhoven man was absent from United's Carrington training ground yesterday attending a funeral in his native Holland, which explained his absence from George Best's memorial service. However, his chances of a recall to face West Brom appear to hinge on whether Ferguson deems now would be a good time to give Wayne Rooney a rest.

LIVERPOOL (AFP) - Rafael Benitez effectively confirmed that he would be signing a new contract at Liverpool, crushing Real Madrid and Inter Milan's hopes of luring the manager away from Merseyside.
Benitez, who is expected to sign a new four-year deal that would keep him at Liverpool until 2010, a year longer than his current contract, told reporters he expected to be in his present job for "a lot of years."
"I am proud when big clubs talk about me, I must be doing something right. But I want be here and win trophies here with my club," Benitez said, playing down speculation that he had sought assurances over his summer transfer budget before agreeing to a new deal.
"I have not talked to the club about any demands, we will work and try to do our best to sign the best players," he said.
After his success with Valencia, Benitez's achievement last May in winning the Champions League in his first season at Liverpool has made him one of the most in-demand coaches in European football.
But he appears genuinely enamoured of the unique atmosphere that Liverpool's creaky old Anfield stadium can generate and the special bond between the club and its supporters.
"When you are at a big club and win the Champions League it is normal that big clubs not only talk about players but also the manager," he said.
"But my relationship with people in the club is fantastic and we will try to do our best to help the club grow.
"I am clear, I will stay here. Next year, maybe more, a lot of years. I am really focused on winning games and improving my team."
Benitez also appeared confident that Liverpool's long search for new financial backers would soon pay dividends -- an outcome he has made more likely by his decision to stay.
"We all have the same idea," he said of his relationship with the Liverpool board. "They know we need to improve and to find investors. They are working and I have confidence in them.
"If we have some more investors, okay, but we cannot talk too much about this because I know the club are working on this.
"We are also working now on the players that we need. I have had support and I want to respond to that, we will continue to grow because I am very happy here and can see the level of support from the fans.
"I will be here a lot more years, we are talking about the future, but at this moment just talking. We are close to agreements and I want to finish this speculation by saying I want to stay and I am happy here."
Benitez reportedly earns around 2.5 million pounds a year on his current contract with the new deal offered by Liverpool said to be worth 3.75 million annually, significant sums for a club facing a 180 million pound bill for a planned new stadium.

By: Gabriele Marcotti, SI.com

It's funny how, in an era of globalization, the game remains steadfastly traditional on certain issues. West Ham manager Alan Pardew recently criticized Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger because his team did not feature a single Englishman. Similar fingers have been pointed at clubs such as Inter and Villarreal, teams largely made up of overseas players.
Wenger rebuffed Pardew's accusation, suggesting it bordered on racism, and while that may be going a bit far, he had every right to be annoyed. And that's not just because, when everybody is fit, the Frenchman's team features two full-fledged England internationals -- two more than Pardew's West Ham.
Pardew obviously struck a chord, but it's a puerile one. Stocking your team with players from your own country is somehow seen as "noble" and "good for the game," but, in fact, it isn't. Indeed, beyond the fact that domestic players usually have an easier time settling in (for obvious reasons) and are sometimes more appealing to sponsors, there really is no added benefit to having them on board, beyond protecting yourself from the xenophobes.
Traditionalists hark back to the magic of legendary teams like Celtic, the 1966-67 European champion, whose entire starting XI was born within 25 miles of Glasgow. That's great and wonderful. They were all from Glasgow, which made it relevant to Celtic, a Glaswegian team. Had they all been, say, Scottish, but not necessarily from the Glasgow area, would it still have been relevant? What if they had all been British? Or all European?
Where does it end? When does our need to differentiate based on passports and birth certificates finally give way to common sense?
This nonsense has gone on long enough. It's nothing but thinly veiled xenophobia. But it's an especially pernicious xenophobia, because it's not a fear of the outsider, it's a fear of the outsider with the wrong kind of passport. Thus, a Sicilian playing for Inter would be OK, but not a Swiss. Equally, it would be acceptable for a Geordie to turn out for West Ham, but not someone from Calais. Never mind that Switzerland and Calais are closer to the San Siro and Upton Park, respectively, than Sicily and Newcastle.
The Bosman ruling brought a lot of honesty to the game when it abolished limits on foreign players. It wiped away hypocrisy and arbitrary distinctions.
Please don't misunderstand me. Nobody is suggesting that clubs should not reflect the local character or that they should not invest in their youth systems. Indeed, it's absolutely crucial that they do so. And it often makes economic sense, too -- a bit of investment in kids goes a very long way.
But the point is that if you can't have homegrown players, it makes no difference whether the ones you have are from another part of the same country or another part of the world. You're still buying an outsider from somewhere else, something any moron with a checkbook can do.

Extra time
Last May, following Liverpool's dramatic conquest of the Champions' League, Gerard Houllier, who had been dispatched from Anfield 12 months earlier, showed up in the Reds' dressing room unannounced. His critics said he was trying to bask in someone else's glory; even his former assistant and Liverpool loyalist Phil Thompson criticized him for crashing the party. True, he had signed many of these players, but his time had come and gone.
Fine. This year, Houllier's club, Lyon, has lost just twice in all competitions and is a serious contender for Champions League. Logically, Houllier might think he should get the credit for Lyon's success, just as Rafa Benitez got the credit for Liverpool's success last year, despite the fact that each had been in charge for less than a year. No, credit for Lyon's success is still going to Paul Le Guen, his predecessor.
Why? Well, for one thing, Le Guen left Lyon in better shape than Houllier left Liverpool. But also, simply put, Houllier just isn't very well liked. (Shortly before his appointment, Lyon forward Sylvain Wiltord said, "Anyone but Houllier.") And that's why he remains the Rodney Dangerfield of management: no respect.

Mailbag
What do you think about AC Milan's interest in Dane Christian Poulsen? I know many Italians have disliked him for a long time. If AC Milan is sincere in its interest, this just shows a lot of Italian double standard. Everybody wept and cried when Poulsen took over the pitch in the two matches between Schalke 04 and Milan, but suddenly he is good enough to play for AC Milan. How does that work? If Poulsen were to arrive in Milan for the next season, he and Gennaro Gattuso would be direct competitors. In a showdown, the Dane would win. They have many of the same qualities, but Poulsen is just so much smarter and wiser and, I believe, overall, the better player of the two. Try to put aside any negative feelings toward Poulsen in your evaluation of the Dane and AC Milan. -- Martin Jacobsen, Aarhus, Denmark
I'll try to put my negative feelings aside, but it sure isn't easy. In the Schalke vs. Milan games, Poulsen's behavior was pretty nasty. It's not just the persistent tactical fouling, it was the diving, the cheating, the antithesis of what the game is supposed to be. I think Poulsen is one of those guys who believes in pushing the envelope as far as he can with the referees. After all, it's up to them to control the game. If they don't punish him, then what he does, in his eyes, is OK. Gattuso also pushes the limit of the law, much like Poulsen, and I'm not a huge fan of the way he plays, either. But at least he's not theatrical and, in my opinion, does not try to get opponents sent off.
I don't think Milan's interest indicates any kind of double standard. Their objection was to his behavior in those two games, not to Poulsen as a human being. Presumably they see potential there and they realize he can be a useful player. As for a Gattuso vs. Poulsen showdown, I suspect you're kidding yourself if you think Poulsen would be favored. Milan likes Poulsen because he's going to be a free agent, just as they liked Johan Vogel (also free) and Vikash Dhorasoo (yep, also costs nothing). They like to pick a serviceable, no-frills midfielder for nothing year after year. Poulsen would fit that bill. Make no mistake about it, that's all it is.

TOKYO (AFP) - The 2006 football World Cup is bringing the Japanese economy a windfall of four billion dollars in television sales, tourism and other spin-off economic activities.
Japan's top advertising agency Dentsu said that if Japan reach the semi-finals or final the total will swell to 4.6 billion dollars as "the excitement induced across the entire country would further magnify the economic impact."
Dentsu's survey showed the World Cup is directly boosting consumer spending in Japan by 224 billion yen (1.9 billion dollars), including 22.6 billion yen already spent on attending qualifying matches at home and abroad.
Of the sum, 93 billion yen will be spent on digital consumer appliances and services such as thin-screen televisions, DVD recorders, personal computers and broadcasting services.
The World Cup is generating sales of food and beverage -- including deliveries of pizza and other foods -- worth 41.4 billion yen and of World Cup commemorative items and other related goods worth 42.7 billion yen, the survey said.
"Furthermore, the direct economic impact through a wide range of component and other purchases shown above are expected to trigger total production increases of 475.9 billion yen (four billion dollars)," it said.
Dentsu said that the 2002 World Cup finals co-hosted by Japan and South Korea boosted domestic consumption by an estimated 848 billion yen. The total economic impact in Japan was estimated at 1.86 trillion yen in 2002.

Compliments: Teamtalk News.

Barca claim £10m Henry deal.
Barcelona claim they have a "verbal agreement" to sign Arsenal striker Thierry Henry for a cut-price £10million. Senior sources at the Nou Camp claim the Frenchman has agreed to sign for the Spanish champions in the summer in a deal reportedly worth £140,000 a week.
Barca are refusing to make an official comment on the situation, but Spanish newspaper reports suggest the Catalan giants hope to pay out only £10million for Henry because of FIFA rules over players with only one year left on their contracts.
Because there is not a release clause in Henry's Arsenal contract and he has been at the club for more than three years, he may be able to go to a new club for a compensation payment in the region of £10million.
And that has prompted Nou Camp insiders to boast privately that Henry will be lining up alongside Ronaldinho for Frank Rijkaard's team next season.A source said: "Signing Henry has always been the club's highest priority because it will have a knock-on effect on the remaining money available to Frank Rijkaard this summer."Rijkaard and his coaching staff are already working on a system for next season that will integrate Henry quickly and allow him to adapt as soon as possible to playing alongside Ronaldinho and Samuel Eto'o. "Henry announced in January he was planning to stay with the Gunners, but is still stalling on signing a new deal, adding to the speculation about a move to Spain.

Spurs eye new Robben raid
Tottenham manager Martin Jol is monitoring Chelsea winger Arjen Robben with a view to a summer swoop, according to The Daily Express. Robben's future at Chelsea could be in doubt as Blues boss Jose Mourinho lines up the signing of Bayern Munich midfielder Michael Ballack.Ballack's agent has revealed the German star is "exclusively talking to Chelsea" and he could be unveiled at Stamford Bridge before the start of this summer's World Cup.
If Ballack signs, then Mourinho is likely to restructure his formation and Robben could be left out in the cold after a disappointing season for the Blues. Spurs boss Jol is a long-time admirer of his fellow countryman and will ask the Tottenham board to break the bank to sign Robben if he decides to move on to secure first-team football.

Toffees plan double swoop.
Everton are set to launch summer raids for Crystal Palace striker Andy Johnson and Norwich goalkeeper Robert Green. Toffees manager David Moyes is keen to boost his squad when the transfer window re-opens and is willing to offer £6million to land England striker Johnson.Moyes sees Johnson as the man to solve his side's problems in front of goal as Everton have only scored 24 times in the Premiership this season - the worst record outside the bottom three.
Moyes is also keen to secure a long-term replacement for 39-year-old stopper Nigel Martyn and has identified Canaries goalkeeper Green as his top target.Green will be keen to return to the Premiership to boost his chances of playing for England after a frustrating season in the Championship with Norwich. The move could also spell the end of Richard Wright's time at Goodison Park after an unhappy run of injuries and poor form has kept him out of the first team.

Magpies bid for me - Torres.
Newcastle have made a bid for highly-rated Atletico Madrid star Fernando Torres, according to the Spain striker. The 21-year-old, set to lead the line for his country in this summer's World Cup finals in Germany, is expected to leave the Primera Liga club at the end of the season and he claims Atletico chiefs have informed him of a bid from Newcastle.
"There's always been talk about lots of clubs but I only know about one firm offer and that's from Newcastle because the club confirmed it to me," Torres told The Sun. "I've never thought about listening to offers from anyone. I consider Atletico my home and I'm happy but you can't always be certain about what may happen."Torres has scored 11 goals in 26 games this season in La Liga and has also been linked with moves to Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham.

Spann gets a second chance after injury.
Sheffield Wednesday are to take another look at a World Cup midfielder - after he too fell victim to the Hillsborough injury jinx. Silvio Spann, a Trinidad and Tobago international, arrived at Middlewood for a trial but was injured on his first day.
Manager Paul Sturrock plans to re-assess the 24-year-old when he has recovered from his knock. "He is due to come back in a couple of week's time," said Sturrock, who will be looking at Spann with next season in mind.Spann is likely to be in the Trinidad and Tobago squad that faces England in this summer's World Cup finals in Germany. He recently parted company with Japanese club Yokohama, and has had spells with Perugia of Italy, Dinamo Zagreb of Croatia and Kenwyne Jones's old club, W Connection of Trinidad.Two years ago he had trials with German club Borussia Moenchengladbach, Crystal Palace and Derby.

Juve linked with Gallas move.
France star William Gallas' Chelsea future remains uncertain after Juventus stepped up their interest in the versatile defender. Italian giants Juve, linked with a move for the player during the January transfer window, are reported to have increased their interest in the Frenchman by watching him closely during both legs of Chelsea's Champions League exit to Barcelona.
Gallas, who scored the winner against Tottenham on Saturday with a last-minute shot, insists he is happy to remain at the club despite not being able to play in his more accustomed centre-half position.Gallas has filled both the right and left-back berths this season while coach Jose Mourinho has utilised his squad to maximum effect. Reports emanating from Italy now suggest that Juventus made contact with Gallas after Chelsea's defeat in Spain.
Fabio Capello's side are looking for defensive reinforcements and the coach has identified Gallas as his main target. Gallas will be a free agent in 2007, although talks over a new Stamford Bridge deal are set to be rekindled in the summer. A fee of £6.9 million has been mooted if a deal is to be done before Gallas becomes available for nothing. Juventus are almost certain to offload French right-back Jonathan Zebina in the summer, with Tottenham favourites to land the 27-year-old.

Agent doubting Thomas talk.
Thomas Gravesen's agent insists there is "nothing concrete" in reports linking Manchester City with a move for the tenacious midfielder. Gravesen has been linked with a move back to the Premiership after failing to make much of an impact at the Bernabeu following his move to the Spanish giants from Everton in January 2005.
But agent John Sivebaek told Danish paper Ekstra Bladet: "I know nothing about Real Madrid having agreed a transfer fee with another club. I'm sure that if that happens we will be the first to know and then we will see."I can assure you that I know nothing concrete regarding Manchester City and that Thomas is happy in Madrid."Gravesen is under contract with Real Madrid until June 2008.

Bayern: Blues money talks.
German giants Bayern Munich have conceded they would not be able to match any massive offer from Chelsea for captain Michael Ballack. The German international is out of contract this summer and Mourinho is a firm admirer of the 29-year-old.
Bayern have not given up all hope of persuading Ballack to stay but commercial manager Uli Hoeness admitted that if Chelsea agreed to Ballack's wage demands of £120,000 a week, the Germans would be out of the running."If he [Ballack] gets an offer from Chelsea, there's no way we can come up with a better one," Hoeness told German newspaper Sport Bild."There is one club in the world we can't fight with and that's Chelsea because financially, we are not strong enough."If Mr (Roman) Abramovich wants a player, he will always find a solution and you won't get a chance," added Hoeness. "I don't have any problems with that. It's his money."

Wayne excited by World Cup.
Wayne Rooney cannot wait to play in this summer's World Cup finals in Germany after the England striker grew up watching the competition on television.The Manchester United star, 20, is seen as key to England's hopes of success in the tournament, but the player himself is just glad to be involved.
Rooney told GMTV: "I'm very excited. As a young lad I used to love watching the World Cups and seeing the best players in the world, and I'm lucky enough hopefully to be playing in one."The programme were running a competition for children to be England flag-bearers, with the winners getting to meet Rooney in Manchester, but the player admitted he was just as nervous around the children as they were to meet him.
Rooney added: "It's great for me to see the kids, but it's just the same for me when I see kids - I go shy. Sometimes it's difficult to get words out because I am shy myself."The player is hopeful his five-part life story will give people a true insight into his life, and said: "People paint me to be something I'm not. I'm just a normal lad who does normal things, and I'd like to get that point across to people."

Eriksson has back-up plan.
England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson will put two or three players on World Cup stand-by at the end of the season. Eriksson plans to name his provisional 23-man squad for Germany on May 8 plus his stand-by players.The exact number will depend on the fitness of injury victims like Michael Owen, Ashley Cole and Sol Campbell.
Eriksson said: "We will name 25 or 26 players. Everyone will know who are the 23 and who are the extra two or three."It's not going to be a competition. They will know they are going to be reserves, shadowing people with possible injuries."The England boss still hopes FIFA will delay their deadline for final squads to be submitted for the tournament.
At the moment, managers must have the names in by May 15 - but that date is before the Champions League final and England's last two warm-up friendlies against Hungary and Jamaica.
England and other European countries are currently lobbying FIFA to move the deadline back to June 5, four days before the finals kick-off.
Eriksson said: "I will be picking the squad on May 8 but there is a FIFA debate and I don't want to name the final squad on May 15."I want them to wait until June 5. I was in a workshop recently but FIFA haven't answered that yet."He wants to wait as long as possible to assess the fitness of players coming back from injury like Owen, Cole, Campbell, Wayne Bridge, Kieron Dyer and Owen Hargreaves.
Owen has not played this year after breaking a bone in his foot on New Year's Eve but he has told Eriksson he is close to a comeback.If any doubts linger about Owen's fitness, Eriksson will probably bolster his squad with an extra striker and take a chance on his top scorer.
The England boss said: "I might take four or five strikers. I have to see the situation with who is injured and who is fit and who is in the best shape."In the last week before I pick the squad, everything will be clear."I'd like Owen to play as many games as possible because he will have been out for a long time."Ashley Cole has only played 56 minutes of first-team football in six months and is another big headache for England, along with Arsenal team-mate Campbell, who has been out for five weeks.
Eriksson added: "I think Owen and Ashley Cole have the kind of physiques where it doesn't take them long to get back to fitness. They are quick healers."Sol is different. With the body he has it takes more time but I have spoken to Sol and he wants to play in the World Cup and it's good that he has played this week.

Referees enter final FIFA World Cup™ preparation phase.

The 44 referees in the running for an appearance at the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany™ are set to attend a workshop in Frankfurt on 21–25 March. At this workshop the officials from the six FIFA confederations will be put through an extensive medical check-up and fitness test. In addition, the candidates will be tested on their knowledge of the rules and their interpretation and their aptitude in English. They will also be required to undergo a psychological test before being invited to a meeting with the members of the FIFA Referees Committee.
At its meeting in Zurich on 31 March the FIFA Referees Committee will decide which 30 or so referees and their assistants will ultimately be deployed at the World Cup finals.
The 44 candidates taking part in the Frankfurt workshop also attended an initial workshop at the same venue on 12–16 February 2005. Afterwards they were required to demonstrate their ability in various international competitions, including several FIFA tournaments.
Of the 44, six are CONCACAF Referees: Benito Archundia (MEX), Carlos Batres (GUA), Peter Prendergast (JAM), Marco Rodriguez (MEX), Rodolfo Sibrian (SLV) and Kevin Stott (USA).
COMPLETE LIST

“The referees will be a key factor for the success of the 2006 FIFA World Cup™, which is why we are placing very high demands on the officials who take part in the World Cup in Germany,” says FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter. “The referees attending the Frankfurt workshop are currently the best in the world.”
This year’s World Cup finals in Germany will be the first to feature teams of match officials from the same country or at least the same confederation. The Referees Committee hopes that teams who are used to working with each other will react faster and better, which should also serve to raise the quality of refereeing at the tournament.
At its most recent meeting the International Football Association Board (IFAB), the guardians of the Laws of the Game, agreed various adjustments to the rules. The IFAB called upon the referees and their assistants to act in accordance with these instructions and take rigorous action against time-wasting, reckless play and simulation. The primary objective is to protect players and thus the game itself.

CONCACAF (6): Benito Armando Archundia Téllez (Mexico), Carlos Alberto Batres Gonzalez (Guatemala), Peter Prendergast (Jamaica), Marco Antonio Rodriguez Moreno (Mexico), Rodolfo A. Sibrian (El Salvador), Kevin R. Stott (USA).

source: fifa.com

ROME, (Reuters) - Middlesbrough reached the UEFA Cup quarter-finals on away goals despite losing 2-1 at AS Roma on Wednesday after Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink had put them ahead.
The Dutchman's 33rd-minute goal against the run of play gave the English Premier League club a priceless away goal at Rome's Olympic Stadium as the tie finished 2-2 on aggregate after Roma winger Mancini hit back twice, including a penalty.
Roma dominated a bad-tempered contest, which was being played less than 24 hours after several Middlesbrough fans were stabbed in clashes with rival fans in the city centre.
Cesare Bovo went closest to capitalising on a string of early chances for the home side with a long-range effort that hit the bar midway through the first half.
But former Chelsea striker Hasselbaink underlined his class when he edged in front of defender Philippe Mexes to brilliantly head a cross from the left into the net.
Roma equalised two minutes before halftime when Rodrigo Taddei broke down the left before cutting the ball back to Mancini to fire into the roof of the net.
The Serie A side kept up the pressure after the break, and went ahead in the 65th minute after a foul by substitute Ray Parlour on 16-year-old striker Stefano Okaka gave Roma a penalty, which Mancini fired home. However, despite more late pressure the home side failed to grab the goal they needed to win the tie.

By Mark Trevelyan.

NUREMBERG, Germany, (Reuters) - Nuremberg police director Walter Ernstberger says his first thought on hearing the results of the World Cup soccer draw was that his city could look forward to hosting some exciting games.
Then came a more sobering realisation.
"Our next thought, as policemen, was security. Yes, you could say there are certain increased challenges," he said with careful understatement.
Terrorism and hooliganism are the overriding concerns of police throughout Germany ahead of the World Cup, which starts on June 9 and runs for a month in 12 cities.
But Nuremberg faces some of the biggest potential security headaches of the 64-match event.
The English team, with its huge army of travelling fans and their reputation for troublemaking, comes to town on June 15 to play against Trinidad and Tobago. The United States will face Ghana in Nuremberg a week later.
Of the 32 teams competing, England and the United States are seen as among the top potential terrorist targets -- Britain and the United States are high on al Qaeda's list of enemies.
Before those two matches, Mexico will face Iran, also seen as politically sensitive, in the medieval city. Nuremberg will host one more group match, Japan versus Croatia, and one of the last-16 matches.

COMPLEX TASK
With less than three months until kick-off, preparations are gathering pace across Germany to guarantee security at one of the biggest events in sport -- a task made more complex by the German federal system in which each of the 16 states has its own intelligence service and police force.
Two of the host cities, Hamburg and Berlin, staged drills this month in which hundreds of police and emergency workers rehearsed for a variety of disasters, from riots to explosions.
At the Berlin Interior Ministry, a special World Cup security unit has been gathering information for months from dozens of countries, much of it relating to the estimated 1.5 million foreign fans expected to travel to Germany.
Some 280 security experts from 40 countries will attend a last big planning session in Berlin at the end of this month.
In Nuremberg, Mayor Ulrich Maly insists he has no major worries about security. "We welcome every fan, wherever he comes from. We're not afraid of British, Mexican or Croatian passion."
Police director Ernstberger says diplomatically that he hopes the England fans will "pleasantly surprise us", but makes clear his men will not put up with any violence.
"If there are small disturbances like noisy celebrations, we think something like that should be tolerated at a World Cup," he told Reuters in an interview.
"But if it comes to physical confrontation, to violence against other people or destruction of private or public property, we will set the intervention threshold very low and take rigorous measures from the outset."
Almost 1,000 English hooligans were arrested during violent scenes at the Euro 2000 in Belgium and the 1998 World Cup in France was also marred by rioting by English fans.

DANGERS OUTSIDE THE STADIUM
The security challenges go beyond policing the matches, because there will be many more fans outside the stadiums.
Officials expect, for example, up to 40,000 England fans to come to Nuremberg, only a quarter of them with tickets.
Those without will be able to watch the games on a giant screen in a public square near the stadium, right next to the unfinished horseshoe-shaped Nuremberg Congress Hall, one of the biggest surviving Nazi architectural relics.
Activities from beach volleyball to sumo wrestling will be on offer to keep fans out of mischief between matches.
Some German officials are concerned that security in these "public viewing areas" could be one of the biggest problems, particularly given the ready availability of beer and wine.
"If (alcohol) serves to create a good happy atmosphere we have nothing against it, but of course if people drink so much they become aggressive, then that's a serious problem," Ernstberger said.
As well as the English fans, some 20,000 Croats and up to 15,000 Mexicans are expected to come to Nuremberg.
The number of U.S. fans is expected to be much smaller, but security for the American players will be a major preoccupation. Ernstberger said all cities hosting U.S. games would work together on a "common security standard".
But if anything, it is the prospect of hosting the Iranian team that seems to make local officials most nervous.
International tensions over Iran's nuclear programme and statements from President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, denying the Holocaust and saying Israel should be wiped from the map, have made the team's visit a potentially delicate one.
"What worries us politically a bit is not that the Iranian team is playing here, but that it may be accompanied by politicians, which causes us some concern at the moment because of the political situation," said Peter Murrmann, World Cup planning coordinator for Nuremberg.
"We don't know for example if the Iranian president will come with the team to Germany," he said, acknowledging this could trigger protests.
For his part, Ernstberger is hoping for a trouble-free tournament which will give the police a chance to present a welcoming face -- in keeping with the official World Cup slogan, "a time to make friends". At this point, he says, "I have no reason to paint horror scenarios on the wall."

By Chris Cowles.

HARTFORD, Connecticut, (Reuters) - The U.S. will be without several of its European-based players for next Wednesday's friendly against Germany in Dortmund.
The match is not being held on an international fixture date so U.S. coach Bruce Arena will have to make do without defenders Eddie Lewis and Oguchi Onyewu, midfielders DaMarcus Beasley and Claudio Reyna and forward Brian McBride.
Arena has also omitted Clint Dempsey from the 19-man squad after the midfielder was involved in a training session bust-up with New England Revolution team mate Joey Franchino on Monday. The Revolution suspended Dempsey for two weeks.
Goalkeeper Kasey Keller and defenders Gregg Berhalter and Steve Cherundolo, who all play their club football in Germany, are available for the match.
"Although we'll be playing with a less than full roster, this game will provide an outstanding opportunity for some of our players to show they deserve strong consideration for the World Cup roster," Arena said.
"As a coach, you can't ask for more."
The U.S. who have moved into the top five FIFA's world rankings for the first time, will play Jamaica on April 11 in Cary, North Carolina. They meet Morocco on May 23 in Nashville, Tennessee, followed by Venezuela on May 26 in Cleveland, Ohio, and Latvia on May 28 in East Hartford, Connecticut.
Arena is expected to announce his final 23-man squad for the World Cup finals at the end of April. The U.S. is drawn in Group E with Italy, Ghana and the Czech Republic. The month-long tournament starts on June 9.

Goalkeepers: Marcus Hahnemann (Reading), Kasey Keller (Borussia Moenchengladbach)

Defenders: Gregg Berhalter (Energie Cottbus), Steve Cherundolo (Hanover 96), Jimmy Conrad (Kansas City Wizards), Cory Gibbs (ADO Den Haag), Frankie Hejduk (Columbus Crew), Heath Pearce (FC Nordsjælland), Eddie Pope (Real Salt Lake)

Midfielders: Bobby Convey (Reading FC), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy), Chris Klein (Real Salt Lake), Pablo Mastroeni (Colorado Rapids), Ben Olsen (D.C. United), Kerry Zavagnin (Kansas City Wizards)

Forwards: Brian Ching (Houston Dynamo), Eddie Johnson (Kansas City Wizards), Taylor Twellman (New England Revolution), Josh Wolff (Kansas City Wizards)

U.S. moves to fifth in FIFA rankings; Germany.

ZURICH, Switzerland (AP) -- The U.S. national team improved to fifth in FIFA's monthly rankings -- the highest it's ever been placed by world soccer's governing body.
The Americans, who broke out of a three-way tie for sixth with Spain and Mexico despite dropping a point to 764 in Wednesday's latest poll, also moved ahead of France, which dropped to eighth.
The United States reached the quarterfinals at the 2002 World Cup finals and won the 2005 Gold Cup.
At the other end of the top 20, World Cup host Germany and European champion Greece dropped out.
Greece, which failed to qualify for this year's World Cup, dropped from 19th place to 21st with 704 points. Germany, which reached the final at the last World Cup and will host the next edition, had been tied with the Greeks but dropped to 22nd with 700 points.
Brazil remained at the top of the list with 835 points, two less than it had in February's rankings. The Czech Republic, the Netherlands and Argentina continue to occupy the next three spots.
The Czechs remain a distant second with 789 points, but that's only one more than the Netherlands. The Argentines also lead the United States by only one point.
Spain remained in sixth place, while Mexico dropped to seventh and France to eighth. England stayed ninth and Portugal remained in 10th.
Iran and Croatia were the teams that benefited from the drop at the bottom of the top 20, sharing 19th in place of Greece and Germany. Also, Palestine moved up 17 places to 121st, its best-ever ranking.

Solano says he wants to make Peru return.

LIMA, (Reuters) - Midfielder Nolberto Solano said he would be happy to return to the Peruvian national side under new coach Franco Navarro. The 31-year-old Newcastle United player quit the team last year after a fallout with former coach Freddy Ternero, who Solano claimed had made him a scapegoat after the failure to qualify for the World Cup finals.
"I'm dying to wear the red and white shirt again, of course I'd like to," he told Peruvian radio.
Navarro became their third coach in less than a year when he was officially presented on Monday and said the door was open for both Solano and another stalwart, midfield playmaker Roberto Palacios, to make their returns.
"I wish Franco all the best," Solano added. "I know him well, but I don't agree with short-term projects. If the FPF (Peruvian federation) want to be coherent, they need to give him a long time.
"We can't go on the same way, I'm tired of the same old story."
Peru's last World Cup appearance was in Spain in 1982. Peru will play Trinidad and Tobago in Port of Spain on May 10, a friendly showdown.

LONDON, (Reuters) - Robbie Fowler netted his first goal since returning to his hometown club in January as Liverpool finally found their scoring boots in a 5-1 demolition of Fulham in the Premier League on Wednesday.
Fowler had been out of luck since moving from Manchester City on a six-month contract but his 16th-minute goal set Liverpool on their way to a comprehensive win that closed the gap on second-placed Manchester United to two points.
Liverpool, in third, have 58 points from 30 games, with United, who have played 28, on 60 and leaders Chelsea on 75.
Fowler's close-range finish after Luis Garcia had flicked on a corner was only the second goal by Liverpool's four strikers this year. His team mates took their cue to inflict more misery on a Fulham side yet to win on their travels this season.
"It has been a long time but thankfully I'm off the mark," said Fowler, who scored 171 goals in 330 games during eight years at Anfield to earn the nickname 'God' from fans.
"It has put us on the road to a good win. I'm very pleased.
Fulham's Collins John has briefly restored parity after Fowler's goal when the Dutch striker scored following a swift break, but Liverpool were ahead again 11 minutes before halftime through Michael Brown's own goal.
Spaniard Fernando Morientes made it 3-1 20 minutes from time and late goals from Peter Crouch and Stephen Warnock completed the rout.
"There has been a lot of talk about our strikers misfiring and I think we've answered that tonight," added Fowler.
"It wasn't for want of trying -- we were all getting into scoring positions but it wasn't going in for us. Tonight it has clicked."

LONDON (AFP) - Marlon Harewood fired West Ham into the last eight of the FA Cup with an extra-time strike that earned his team a 2-1 win over Bolton in a tense fifth-round replay at Upton Park.
The striker's deft finish finally killed off Bolton after Kevin Davies, with a 25-yard thunderbolt, had cancelled out a comical own goal scored after a mix-up between Wanderers' keeper Jussi Jaaskelainen and defender Nicky Hunt.
West Ham's reward was a quarter-final trip to Manchester City on Monday.
Bolton had gone into the match in confident mood having not lost to West Ham in four previous meetings this season and having comprehensively outplayed their opponents in a 4-1 Premiership victory on Saturday.
West Ham however were bolstered by the recovery of captain Nigel Reo-Coker from a sickness bug and the return of Yossi Benayoun, Dean Ashton and Harewood, all of whom were rested on Saturday.
And it was the home side who took the lead, albeit in farcical circumstances.
When Harewood got clear on the right of the Bolton box and hammered a low cross into the goalmouth, there appeared to be no danger with no West Ham player threatening.
But Bolton fullback Hunt clearly felt he had someone breathing down his neck as he attempted to side-foot the ball to safety.
He succeeded only in knocking the ball straight into the body of Jaaskelainen, who was powerless to prevent it rebounding into the net.
Bolton got back on level terms through Davies just after the half-hour mark. Collecting a pass from Kevin Nolan, the burly striker unleashed a fierce drive which, despite a vicious swerve, should probably have been saved by Shaka Hislop.
West Ham looked uneasy against Bolton's direct approach but it nevertheless took a superb save from Jaaskelainen to deny Benayoun after the Israeli playmaker had combined neatly with Harewood on the edge of the box.
It was to be Benayoun's trickery which created West Ham's winner. After going round substitute Henrik Pedersen on the right of the box, he delivered a low cross to the near post and Harewood got in front of his markers to beat Jaaskelainen with a nicely-judged flick.

TTFF pulls Cultural Team from Germany campaign.
By: Shaun Fuentes.

The Local Organizing Committee (LOC) of the Soca Warriors campaign in Germany has officially withdrawn involvement with planning the cultural initiative, designed to heighten awareness of our team and country before and during the playoffs.
At Monday's Executive meeting, members unanimously voted to withdraw from the exercise after reviewing Government's apparent lack of enthusiasm for embracing the LOC-initiated project, proposing a joint approach or, for that matter, sharing its own strategy for providing this aspect of support to the Warriors.
Consequently, the LOC found itself unable to concretize commitments to suppliers of goods and services in Germany, make down-payments on hotel accommodation, secure airline tickets, or follow-up on arrangements for complicated surface travel, or confirm bookings at rehearsal and performance spaces; all of which became increasingly expensive with each passing day.
Since our country qualified for the playoffs, the LOC has been relentlessly working on a supporting cultural package, tailored to each city where the Warriors will play first round games. In addition, the LOC envisaged participation in other major events, the first of which – Trinidad and Tobago Day – is scheduled for May 20 in Kaiserslautern.
After meeting local German Embassy representatives, the LOC funded a 16-day mission to Germany last December, during which contact was established with the Mayors of Dortmund, Nuremberg and Kaiserslautern. On-site meetings with the latter two mayors resulted in pledges of cooperation and identified performance spaces.
The cultural initiative has received several offers of assistance from entities based in Europe and has held discussions with Pan European, the Friends of Trinidad and Tobago Association in Germany and event management companies willing to contribute their efforts toward making our presence there a success. A number of locals, including Patrick Hamel-Smith and Pixie du Coudray-Marshall, also volunteered help at no fee.
From hundreds of local entertainers expressing interest, a 130-member cultural contingent was assembled. Among those with whom fruitful discussions were held since early January are calypsonians Black Stalin and David Rudder, world-champion steel orchestra Sagicor Exodus, Tobago's Signal Hill Alumni Choir, The Laventille Rhythm Section, soca singers Maximus Dan, Destra and Bunji Garlin and Roy Cape & the Kaiso All Stars. The LOC also pledged to take the winner of the International Soca Monarch competition on the tour.
Talks with a number of other entertainment providers, including The Police Band, tassa groups, chutney star Rikki Jai, dance companies and seven-time King of Carnival Peter Samuel Jnr and supportive groups like the Trini Posse were put on hold, pending the outcome of discussions with Government.
Indeed, none of the above ever contemplated exclusion of or disrespect for the Government. After repeated attempts (beginning early in January) to detail progress to the Culture Minister, a 90-minute meeting eventually took place on February 15, at the end of which the Minister promised to contact the LOC within 48 hours. Today marks one month since that promise, with no further communication coming from that source.
The Ministries of Sport and Tourism have clearly indicated they will not be funding travel, accommodation or performance fees for the cultural initiative, although the latter vowed to assist with promotion of events to be held in Germany.
On February 17, the Tourism Minister invited the chairman of the LOC's Cultural Committee to visit Germany with a team from the Tourism Development Company (TDC), a trip scheduled to begin on March 5. Although the chairman was advised (a mere 48 hours before flight time) that the trip was postponed until April, we later discovered that the TDC team went to Germany at the original time anyway. On Monday last, a meeting scheduled by the Tourism Minister was "postponed indefinitely."
Against that backdrop, the LOC regretfully decided to withdraw its efforts, noting that it is already quite late to complete arrangements for the contingent, given the increasing complexities of securing accommodation and surface travel across Germany for so large a group at a time of unprecedented tourist influx.
The LOC wishes to thank all local artistes with whom it held talks, grateful for their patience, hoping they will understand our best-intentioned efforts have been irretrievably frustrated.

Sincerely,
Richard Groden
CEO, TT/Germany 2006

By FIFAworldcup.com.

There will be more new names stepping on to the world stage in Germany in June than at any FIFA World Cup™ since the 1930s. Eight countries are preparing to make their bow - the four African newcomers (Angola, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Togo) three European teams appearing for the first time under their modern flags (Czech Republic, Serbia and Montenegro, Ukraine), and Trinidad and Tobago.
Those hoping to see the new boys shine can take heart from recent history, which points to at least one of the eight sides making significant progress in the competition: over the last five FIFA World Cups seven sides have extended their debut campaign beyond the first round.

From 1982, when the tournament was expanded from 16 to 24 teams, to 2002 FIFAworldcup.com reviews the success stories written by some of the 22 countries to have made their FIFA World Cup debuts in that time.
Spain 1982Algeria and Cameroon both made their mark, despite early exits. The Algerians stunned eventual finalists West Germany by beating them 2-1 in their opening match in Gijon, African Footballer of the Year Lakhdar Belloumi netting the winner. Despite a second victory against Chile, an inferior goal difference to West Germany and Austria meant they failed to advance. A similar fate befell Cameroon who went home undefeated after three draws, losing out on goal difference to an Italy side that went on to lift the Cup. They also appeared: Honduras, Kuwait, New Zealand
Read all about the 1982 finals

Mexico 1986Denmark thrilled spectators in the first round in Mexico as they defeated Scotland, Uruguay and West Germany to top their group. Nicknamed 'Danish dynamite', Sepp Piontek's men were at their most explosive in destroying Uruguay 6-1 in their second game in Neza. Preben Elkjaer-Larsen struck a hat-trick as a team including Michael Laudrup, Soren Lerby and Morten Olsen gave a wonderful display of flowing attacking football. However, they lost equally spectacularly in the second round, going down 5-1 to Spain.They also appeared: Canada, Iraq
Read all about the 1986 finals

Italy 1990Irish and Costa Rican fans alike will never forget their countries' first FIFA World Cup. The Republic of Ireland, under the guidance of one of England’s 1966 heroes Jack Charlton, enjoyed a spirited journey to the quarter-finals where they succumbed to a Toto Schillaci goal for Italy in Rome. After first-round draws against England, Egypt and Netherlands, they beat Romania on penalties before then falling to the hosts. For their part, Juan Arnoldo Cayasso's lone goal gave Costa Rica a winning start against Scotland and despite losing to Brazil the Ticos reached the second round after fighting back to overcome Sweden 2-1. Not even a subsequent 4-1 defeat by Czechoslovakia stopped the party going on back in San Jose. They also appeared: United Arab Emirates
Read all about the 1990 finals

USA 1994African champions Nigeria did not disappoint in the United States, where, spearheaded by powerful striker Rasheed Yekini, they beat Bulgaria and Greece to make the second round as group winners ahead of Argentina. They then led Italy 1-0 until the 88th minute in Boston, through an Emmanuel Amunike goal, before going down 2-1 after extra time. Saudi Arabia had a debut to remember too, topping a section including the Netherlands thanks to wins over Morocco and Belgium. They owed that latter success to one of the goals of the tournament, Saeed Owairan's slalom through the Belgian back line that secured a place in the second round, where the adventure ended with a 3-1 defeat by Sweden. They also appeared: Greece
Read all about the 1994 finals

France 1998Croatia produced the best performance by any new team since Portugal in 1966 by going all the way to the semi-finals on the back of Golden Shoe winner Davor Suker's six goals, the midfield flair of Zvonimir Boban and Robert Prosinecki, and a strong sense of national pride. Victories against fellow newcomers Jamaica and Japan carried them into the knockout stages where, after beating Romania, they then stunned Germany 3-0 in the quarter-finals. They led France in the semi-final before losing 2-1 but picked themselves up to pip the Dutch to third place. They also appeared: Jamaica, Japan, South Africa
Read all about the 1998 finals

Korea/Japan 2002Senegal provided one of the stories of the 2002 finals in the Far East with their 1-0 defeat of France in the opening game in Ulsan.That triumph, earned by a Papa Bouba Diop strike, was followed by draws with Denmark and Uruguay, and Senegal were into the second round. There they ousted Sweden 2-1 through Henri Camara's extra-time golden goal before suffering the same fate against Turkey in the last eight.They also appeared: China PR, Ecuador, Slovenia
Read all about the 2002 finals

By FIFAworldcup.com.

Some footballers are blessed with great technique and natural talent, while others must rely more on instinct and determination to succeed at the highest level. Filippo Inzaghi not only belongs in the latter category, he is one of its finest exponents.
The player’s almost childlike passion for the beautiful game is much in evidence whenever he plays or talks about football. It also goes a long way towards explaining why the 32-year-old has won countless club and personal honours and is regarded as one of Europe’s leading strikers of the past decade.

Inzaghi came very close to retiring following a career-threatening ankle injury in 2004, which forced him to miss most of last season. Where lesser men might have given up, Inzaghi’s iron will was once again the decisive factor. Now fully recovered and enjoying something of a renaissance with his club, AC Milan, Inzaghi must now convince Italy coach Marcello Lippi that he deserves a place on the plane to Germany 2006.
The two men know each other well having worked together at Juventus from July 1997 to February 1999, and it remains to be seen how much this will affect Inzaghi’s chances of selection. Perhaps Superpippo identifies with the character played by Michael J Fox in the science fiction film Back To The Future.

Given the opportunity, he too might be inclined to change certain events from the past - in his case to improve his chances of playing at this summer’s FIFA World Cup™. Certainly his relationships with both Lippi and Alessandro Del Piero at Juventus were not without their difficulties.
Undoubtedly Inzaghi is a more complete player than the one who left Juventus in 2001 to make way for David Trezeguet just as Lippi began his second spell in charge of the Turin giants. And though his exit surprised some, it was not the first time that Lippi had preferred another player to Inzaghi.
For a match between AC Milan and Juventus in November 1997 at the San Siro, Inzaghi was left out of the Juventus attack in favour of Nicola Amoruso, a centre-forward now plying his trade at Reggina. It was an occasion that proved a turning point in Pippo’s career.

Amoruso was injured after only a few minutes and replaced by Inzaghi, who was immediately gifted the easiest of chances to score the equaliser following a dreadful error by Milan goalkeeper Massimo Taibi. He gladly seized his opportunity and over the next few weeks confirmed his status as first-choice striker with the Bianconeri.
Inzaghi is very much a player in the mould of Paolo Rossi - a lightning-quick goal-poacher able to strike the killer blow without necessarily playing much of an active role in the build-up. It would also be fair to say that Inzaghi would find a place in most of the teams taking part at Germany 2006.

The veteran has played 48 times for his country and scored 21 goals. His last appearance came against Azerbaijan on 21 October 2003 in Reggio Calabria, a match the Azzurri won 4-0 with Inzaghi netting twice.
Inzaghi has plenty of experience of major tournaments, having already played at two FIFA World Cup finals. At France 98 he made two appearances and set up Roberto Baggio’s goal against Austria, and at Korea/Japan 2002 he also got two starts. He also made four appearances and scored two goals at UEFA EURO 2000.
Inzaghi is a proven goalscorer at European club level. His strikes for AC Milan against Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League last week took his tally to 50 in European club competitions, overtaking Alfredo Di Stefano in the process. Unfortunately for Inzaghi this particular goalscoring chart is headed by Gerd Muller with 69 goals, an unrealistic target for a player with perhaps only two years left at the top.

In Italy the clamour for Inzaghi’s inclusion in the Azzurri squad for Germany is mounting. With Alberto Gilardino, Luca Toni and Del Piero certain to be selected, if Francesco Totti recovers from his broken ankle in time, Inzaghi will face stiff competition from Christian Vieri, Antonio Cassano and Vincenzo Iaquinta for the two remaining attacking positions.
Judging by past experience, Lippi admires players with a penchant for hard work and is particularly critical of those who express their opinions in public. Fair to say then that Pippo must continue to let his feet do the talking.

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) -- Midfielder Sebastian Kehl was put on Germany's roster for next week's exhibition game against the United States, his first time with the national team since the 2004 European Championship.
Defender Manuel Friedrich, who hasn't played for the national team, also was among 23 players picked Tuesday by Germany coach Juergen Klinsmann, who has been criticized following his team's 4-1 loss to Italy on March 1.
"Our goals haven't changed. Now we want to make it up to our fans," Klinsmann said. "The Americans are a strong team -- it's not an accident that they are ranked sixth, three places ahead of England, six in front of Italy."
The United States is expected to announce its roster Wednesday for the game against the World Cup hosts on March 22 at Dortmund. The Americans have four other exhibition games before the World Cup: Jamaica on April 11 at Cary, N.C.; Morocco on May 23 at Nashville, Tenn.; Venezuela on May 26 at Cleveland; and Latvia on May 28 at East Hartford, Conn.
At the World Cup, the United States plays the Czech Republic (June 12), Italy (June 17) and Ghana (June 22) in the first round.

The German roster:

Goalkeepers: Timo Hildebrand (VfB Stuttgart), Oliver Kahn (Bayern Munich), Jens Lehmann (Arsenal, England)

Defenders: Arne Friedrich (Hertha Berlin), Manuel Friedrich (Mainz), Robert Huth (Chelsea, England), Marcell Jansen (Borussia Moenchengladbach), Philipp Lahm (Bayern Munich), Per Mertesacker (Hannover), Christoph Metzelder (Borussia Dortmund), Patrick Owomoyela (Werder Bremen)

Midfielders: Michael Ballack (Bayern Munich), Tim Borowski (Werder Bremen), Sebastian Deisler (Bayern Munich), Fabian Ernst (Schalke), Torsten Frings (Werder Bremen), Sebastian Kehl (Borussia Dortmund), Bernd Schneider (Bayer Leverkusen), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Bayern Munich)

Forwards: Gerald Asamoah (Schalke), Mike Hanke (Wolfsburg), Miroslav Klose (Werder Bremen), Lukas Podolski (Cologne)

I'm a Klinsmann fan, says Mourinho.
BERLIN, (Reuters) - Germany coach Juergen Klinsmann, under fire for poor results and his decision to keep living in the United States, has received support from Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho.
"I am a Klinsmann fan," Mourinho was quoted as telling Tuesday's issue of mass-selling German daily Bild.
"I admire him for his courage. He's got a strong personality. He believes in young talent and promotes players like (Robert) Huth, (Bastian) Schweinsteiger, (Lukas) Podolski and (Philipp) Lahm. And he doesn't change his ideas just because he loses a game. That's great."
The Portuguese coach said he regularly spoke to Klinsmann over the phone, notably to talk about Chelsea's German international defender Huth.
Klinsmann, under scrutiny since a 4-1 friendly defeat by Italy on March 1, has also faced criticism for his decision to remain based in the U.S. instead of moving back to Germany.
In the interview, Mourinho also talked about his own future, saying: "I will definitely coach Portugal one day."
The 43-year-old did not rule out a job in the Bundesliga.
"I could imagine coaching Bayern Munich but they should give me a year's notice so I can learn German," he said.
In the first part of the interview published on Monday, the Chelsea manager, who was in Germany at the weekend, had said he would love Germany captain Michael Ballack to join the English champions.
Ballack's contract with Bayern Munich expires at the end of the season. The 29-year-old midfielder's agent has said he was very interested in a move to Chelsea.

STRASBOURG, France, (Reuters) - Manchester United's England defender Rio Ferdinand has accused UEFA of not doing enough to combat racism in the European game.
Ferdinand criticised the fines issued after England players suffered racist taunts in a friendly in Spain in November 2004, though both the match and sanctions were a matter for world ruling body FIFA, rather than its European arm.
"For too long now, European football authorities have not taken the problem of racism in the game seriously and refuse to acknowledge how widespread the problem is," Ferdinand said in a statement on Tuesday.
The England defender's comments came as the European Parliament in Strasbourg passed a resolution on Tuesday which will provide extra sanctions for tackling racist behaviour by giving referees the power to abandon matches.
Clubs or countries whose supporters, players or officials persistently commit racist offences also risk being thrown out of competitions under the plan which will be discussed by UEFA as part of an independent review of the game in the European Union.
Launched in December, the review will investigate how the game is run across the 25-member bloc and is expected to deliver its report in June.
Ferdinand said: "It is time for UEFA to stop paying lip-service to the problem. The fines handed out after the England-Spain game (100,000 Swiss francs) were a joke.
"UEFA should look at imposing huge fines or deducting points within tournaments or competitions."

ZERO TOLERANCE
Former Chelsea and Celtic defender Paul Elliot told the Parliament that racism is the biggest challenge facing the game across the globe.
"We need a zero tolerance approach and today's resolution gives us an historic opportunity to do this," Elliot said.
This view was echoed by UEFA spokesman William Gaillard who said political sanctions were needed to enforce his organisation's decisions.
Gaillard pointed out UEFA's lack of jurisdiction over the England-Spain match or in the recent abuse faced by Barcelona's Cameroon striker Samuel Eto'o in a Spanish league match.
"UEFA imposed sanctions in tens of hundreds of thousands last year," Gaillard said.
"We have banned stadiums for up to four games, have closed sections of stadiums in a number of countries.
"I think UEFA have been relentless in their fight against racism bu we need sanctions from politicians in some countries to protect us from the wrath of clubs who are hit with these sanctions."
British member of the European Parliament and former referee Chris Heaton-Harris said the perpetrators always get off lightly.
"They've basically been getting away with nothing more than a slap on the wrist but today shows that there is political will to support UEFA in showing racism the red card," the politician said.

(Writing by Trevor Huggins in London and Darren Ennis in Brussels with additional reporting by Ingrid Melander in Strasbourg).

MANCHESTER, England (AP) -- Darius Vassell helped eliminate Aston Villa from The Football Association Cup, scoring against his former club Tuesday night to lead Manchester City to a 2-1 victory and a berth in the quarterfinals.
Georgios Samaras put City ahead in the 17th minute and Vassell, who left Villa at the start of the season, made it 2-0 four minutes into the second half. Steven Davis scored for Villa with five minutes remaining.
Aston Villa forward Milan Baros left in the 40th minute after injuring his right knee. U.S. captain Claudio Reyna did not play for Manchester City, which will face the winner of Wednesday's fifth-round replay between West Ham and Bolton.
In the other quarterfinals, to be played during the week of March 20, Chelsea hosts Newcastle, Birmingham welcomes Liverpool and Charlton hosts Middlesbrough.

By Mark Gleeson.

JOHANNESBURG, (Reuters) - Holders Al Ahli begin the defence of their African Champions League title this weekend, joining the competition at the second round stage just two weeks after winning the African Super Cup.
The Egyptian club, who have an unbeaten record on the continent that now stretches back 21 months, are at full strength for the first time this year for their first leg match against Kenya's Tusker FC in Nairobi on Saturday.
Winger Mohamed Barakat, who was among the key players in last year's triumph, has returned from injury to lead the side in their quest for a second successive title.
He is joined by defender Wael Gomaa, injured early on in the African Nations Cup final on Feb. 10 where Egypt beat the Ivory Coast on penalties.
Both players missed Al Ahli's triumph over Morocco's Royal Armed Forces in the Super Cup match on Feb. 24, where a shootout also decided the destiny of the trophy.
On Saturday, Al Ahli are up against a modest outfit who are handicapped by the suspension of goalkeeper Victor Onyango, who was sent of in the previous round.
Al Ahli lead a field of nine former champions this year, three of whom also had byes into the second round.
Royal Armed Forces and Raja Casablanca, also from Morocco, play for the first time as do Ghana's Hearts of Oak, who face a tricky tie away in Ethiopia on Sunday against St George, surprise first round aggregate winners over Egypt's other representatives ENPPI.
Royal Armed Forces play their first continental match under new coach Saad Dahane, who replaced Mohamed Fakir, now in charge of the Morocco national team.
They are away against APR FC of Rwanda in Kigali on Saturday, facing a side who also created a first round upset by beating Angola's AS Aviacao both home and away.
Raja Casablanca's opponents are CAPS United of Zimbabwe, who they host on Saturday.

SURPRISE PACKAGE
Renaciemento of Equatorial Guinea were the surprise package of the first round with their elimination of Africa Sports of the Ivory Coast, scoring a last-minute equaliser to win the tie on the away goals rule.
They continue their giant killing quest with a second round, first leg tie against Stade Malien in Bamako on Saturday.
Namibia's Civics, another surprise qualifier for the second round, face a daunting task away at ASEC Abidjan of the Ivory Coast, who were continental champions in 1998.
Both Port Autonome and Diaraf Dakar of Senegal host their respective first leg matches in Dakar on Friday because of a weekend of religious festivities in the west African country.
Port Autonome meet USM Alger while Diaraf Dakar host Nigeria's Enyimba, winners of the Champions League in 2003 and 2004. The return legs will be played on the weekend of March 31, April 1-2 with the winners advancing to the third knockout round next month.

By James Eve.

MILAN, (Reuters) - Inter Milan set up a Champions League quarter-final with Villarreal when a superb goal by Dejan Stankovic gave them a 1-0 win over Ajax Amsterdam on Tuesday to complete a 3-2 victory on aggregate.
The midfielder's 57th-minute strike sealed a deserved victory for the home side after they created a string of chances, although they missed a first-half penalty when Brazilian forward Adriano out his spot-kick wide.
The result, which means three Italian teams are through to the last eight, completed the quarter-final lineup. The other matches see Benfica facing Barcelona, Arsenal versus Juventus and Olympique Lyon against AC Milan.
Inter play the first leg of their quarter-final at the San Siro on March 29, with the return at the Madrigal on April 4.
Coach Roberto Mancini told his players not to get over confident for the clash with the Spaniards.
"There are many dangers in facing Villarreal, starting from the fact we will be favourites," Mancini told reporters.
"When the draw for the last 16 was made, there were certain matches that looked like they were mis-matches. Instead some of the favourites from those ties have already gone out."
Inter spent most of the opening 30 minutes camped in the Ajax half, having created their first chance in the second minute when an Adriano shot rebounded off a defender to Luis Figo, who curled the ball over the bar.
Adriano's strike partner, Obafemi Martins, went even closer in the 12th minute when the ball broke loose to him just outside the area and his fierce dipping shot hit the bar.

PENALTY MISS
The Dutch side appeared to succumb to the pressure in the 26th minute when their captain, Olaf Lindenbergh, handled a Stankovic cross to give Inter a penalty but Adriano scuffed the ball wide with his favoured left foot.
Having survived that scare, Ajax began to make the occasional foray forward, though long-range shots by Lindenbergh and Mauro Rosales failed to test Inter keeper Francesco Toldo.
A minute before halftime Inter left-back Patrick Wome curled in a cross for Adriano on the edge of the box but the Brazilian's first touch let him down and the ball was cleared to cap a frustrating first half for the home side.
Inter began the second half as they had the first, with Adriano catching defender Thomas Vermaelen in possession before running into the area and sending over a cross which was too high for Martins.
Inter's Walter Samuel began the move that finally broke the deadlock. The Argentina defender intercepted an Ajax pass and pumped the ball forward to Stankovic who ran down the left, cut round Maduro and curled the ball home at the far post.
Ajax never looked like scoring the two goals they needed to win the match. The closest they came to hitting the target was seven minutes from time when Steven Pienaar unleashed a 25-metre drive which was directed straight at Toldo.
Visiting coach Danny Blind said Inter deserved to go through.
"Overall, over two legs, I can't say I'm too disappointed," he said.
"We played very well in the first half in Amsterdam. We could have scored three or four times.
"Today we barely had one chance but that was more to do with the quality of (Inter defenders) Samuel and (Marco) Materazzi."
It was the first time spectators were allowed in to the San Siro for a Champions League game since Inter played four matches behind closed doors following crowd trouble in last season's quarter-final against AC Milan.

Three Boro fans stabbed in attack by Roma fans.
Soccernet.Com - Cleveland Police have confirmed three Middlesbrough fans were stabbed and 10 others injured during violent clashes with Roma supporters last night.
The two teams meet in the Eternal City tonight as Middlesbrough look to secure a UEFA Cup quarter-final place.
Boro hold a 1-0 lead from the first leg but preparations for tonight's return match in Italy have been marred by trouble in Rome.
Middlesbrough chief executive Keith Lamb has confirmed several fans were hospitalised after being attacked by Roma fans.
Lamb told BBC Radio Five Live there had been a violent incident last night.
'There was an incident in one of the bars in a square in Rome. Some Boro fans were drinking in a bar and the bar was attacked by some Roma fans,' he said.
'A number of Boro fans have been injured - a small number - and taken to hospital and received medical treatment.
'As far as I'm aware everybody is okay now, although one was retained in hospital but is in a stable condition.'
Police said a group of up to 200 Middlesbrough fans were drinking in two bars when masked Roma fans threw flares into one pub, and into a packed market place, late last night.
A police spokesman said the Italian fans appeared to be 'an organised gang' and were wearing scarves and bandanas around their faces.
Thirteen fans were injured in the trouble, and one 39-year-old Middlesbrough fan later underwent an operation for stab wounds to his back and chest.
Two other fans, aged 18 and 31, were also stabbed and needed hospital treatment.
A spokesman for Cleveland Police said today: 'Tables, chairs and bottles were being thrown, and police called to the scene broke up the fight with their batons.'
Late last year a Middlesbrough fan died after being stabbed outside a bar in Amsterdam, after travelling to watch his team in the UEFA Cup.
Brendan O'Connor, 36, of London, had joined friends to travel to Holland where his team were playing Dutch side AZ Alkmaar last November.
A spokesman for the British Embassy in Rome told PA Sport: 'A total of 15 fans were taken to hospital last night after a confrontation at Campo di Fiori with Roma fans.
'Thirteen were released last night while two of them had to spend the night in hospital but will leave later this morning. 'Five Italians have been held by the Italian police.'

By Julien Pretot.

PARIS, (Reuters) - Favourites Barcelona, having overcome one Portuguese obstacle in Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho, meet another in the Champions League quarter-finals after being drawn to play Benfica.
France midfielder Patrick Vieira will return to his former club Arsenal when Juventus play at Highbury in the first leg after Friday's draw for the quarter- and semi-finals.
Six-times European champions AC Milan, who lost last year's final to Liverpool on penalties following a scintillating 3-3 draw after extra time, face Olympique Lyon who like Arsenal have never progressed beyond the last eight.
Newcomers Villarreal face the winners of the first knockout round tie between Inter Milan and Ajax, who play their second leg next Tuesday with the score 2-2.
Should both Barcelona, who lost the 1961 European Cup final to Benfica, and Milan progress to the semi-finals they will meet for the eighth time.
The head-to-head series stands at three wins each and includes the memorable 1994 final won 4-0 by the Italian side.
The quarter-finals are scheduled for March 28 and 29 and April 4 and 5, the semi-finals for April 18/19 and 25/26 and the final at the Stade de France on May 17.

KOEMAN LINK
Frank Rijkaard's fine Barcelona side, who eliminated Chelsea 3-2 on aggregate in the glamour tie of the previous round, come up against a team also coached by a Dutchman and a former Barca player, Ronald Koeman.
Koeman made his mark in Barcelona history by scoring the only goal in their sole European Cup success when they beat Sampdoria in the 1992 final at Wembley.
"Benfica are a strong and well-balanced team who played a very serious tie against Liverpool and didn't concede a goal against a very strong team," said Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes.
Benfica's director of football Jose Veiga said: "Barcelona really is one of the best teams, probably the best.
"At this stage of the competition there should be no preferences. We are talking about the eight best teams in Europe and all of them are extremely strong.
"But I think that often what is difficult becomes easier, because the levels of concentration are higher."
Benfica eliminated holders Liverpool this week leaving only Arsenal in contention out of the three English teams in the first knockout round. Benfica also helped put Manchester United out at the group stage.

VIEIRA RETURN
"Juventus may be the hottest favourites after Barcelona," said Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger who fancies the chances of another upset after his young team's defeat of Real Madrid.
"It will be nice to see Patrick Vieira back at Highbury. He had nine great years at the club, he was a wonderful captain," said Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein.
"But one thing to be remembered is that Thierry Henry came from Juventus."
Henry, Vieira's successor as captain, was Arsenal's match-winner in the 1-0 aggregate win over Real in the previous round. Vieira transferred to Juventus in the close season.
Milan spokesman Umberto Gandini said Lyon would be a tough obstacle even without Brazilian free-kick specialist Juninho, who is suspended for the first leg at Gerland.
"Lyon are a very good side with talented players. I don't think the absence of Juninho in the first leg will change anything.
"Juninho is a great player but they have...many others guys with lethal skills," he said.
Gandini underlined Milan's determination to lift their seventh trophy after their defeat in last season's final.
"After the final lost in Istanbul, we told ourselves we were going to to everything we could to play the next final in Paris."

LONDON (AFP) - England and former Liverpool striker Michael Owen should be brought back to the club at all costs his good friend and Liverpool playmaker Steven Gerrard said.
Liverpool lost out to Newcastle last summer when Owen left Real Madrid for 17million pounds and they have paid a heavy price for that as all their frontline strikers have failed to score on a regular basis and up to Sunday they had failed to find the net collectively for 45 matches.
Gerrard was forthright in an interview with the Sunday Times in calling for manager Rafael Benitez to make a bid for Owen.
"I have a good enough relationship with Michael to know that he wanted to come here," said Gerrard.
"I'm not going to disguise the fact we need a poacher, the problem we have got is obvious."
Liverpool have scored only eight goals in their last 13 matches and their failure to take chances cost them their Champions League title as they were eliminated by Portuguese side Benfica last week.
Gerrard, though, lays the blame for not signing Owen - scorer of 158 goals in his seven year spell at the club - squarely at the feet of his club.
"That he didn't come back here was down to Liverpool not making it happen rather than Michael not wanting to come.
"Someone asked me after Wednesday's game against Benfica if I would like him back and it's a silly question. Of course I would love to have him back."
Gerrard also believes that Owen would be the perfect foil for lanky England team-mate Peter Crouch, who has rarely lived up to his 7million pounds fee it cost Liverpool to sign him from Southampton.
"Peter has never been prolific and I don't think he is ever going to be," said Gerrard.
"Peter's a target man, you'll only get the maximum out of him if you play him alongside a prolific striker and we haven't got one at the moment."
Gerrard also revealed that Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez is planning to stay at Anfield for the long haul and not decamp to clubs like Real Madrid with whom he has been linked.
Benitez told Gerrard his long-term plans when the England midfielder was linked with a move to Chelsea.
"When all the speculation was about me, Rafa told me he wanted to stay at Liverpool for 10 years," said Gerrard. "So if that's the case, he should not be going anywhere."

LONDON (AP) -- William Gallas' last-minute goal Saturday for a 2-1 win helped league-leading Chelsea forget its midweek ouster from the Champions League by Barcelona.
The France defender beat Tottenham goalkeeper Paul Robinson with a rising shot from 25 yards, breaking a 1-1 tie. Michael Essien gave Chelsea an early lead, with Jermaine Jenas tying the game just before halftime.
"At Barcelona we were very sad," Gallas said. "And now we think only about the Premiership."
Chelsea's late victory should have been expected. The Blues are unbeaten in their last 32 league games against Tottenham. Sprus' last league win over Chelsea was in 1990.
Chelsea has an 18-point lead over Man United, with the Red Devils playing Sunday. United has played two fewer games than Chelsea. Next is Liverpool with 55 followed by Tottenham with 49, Blackburn with 46, Bolton with 45 and Arsenal with 44.
Several of the league's top teams play Sunday with Liverpool at Arsenal and Newcastle at Man United.

BERLIN (AP) -- Bayern Munich and Werder Bremen failed to win in the Bundesliga after both were eliminated from the Champions League.
League-leader Bayern drew 0-0 with Wolfsburg, and second-place Bremen was beaten 3-0 by Hertha Berlin, which was winless in its last 13 matches.
Bayern was knocked out of the Champions League by AC Milan and Bremen lost to Juventus.
Despite the draw, Bayern Munich improved to 59 points, followed by Werder Bremen and Hamburger -- with 50 -- and Schalke with 48. Kevin Boateng, Brazilian midfielder Marcelinho and Yildiray Basturk scored for Hertha Berlin.

GLASGOW, March 11 (Reuters) - Rangers bounced back from their Champions League exit with a comfortable 4-0 home win over Kilmarnock on Saturday in the Scottish Premier League.
They closed the gap on second placed Hearts, who drew 0-0 at Inverness Caledonian Thistle, to six points. Celtic, who play at Hibernian on Sunday, have 70 points, 12 clear of Hearts.
Rangers manager Alex McLeish told BBC Radio Scotland: "It was as good a first half performance as I have seen at Ibrox this season, despite the slender 1-0 lead.
He added of Hearts' slip-up: "That's a bonus for us, we play them next week. We have now got to turn the screw and apply pressure on teams around about us and above."
Former Kilmarnock striker Kris Boyd, who missed a late chance against Villarreal in the Champions League on Tuesday, made some amends by slotting home an opener in 13 minutes.
French defender Julien Rodriguez headed the second from close range before Croatian striker Dado Prso made it 3-0 from the penalty spot and Dane Peter Lovenkrands lashed home the fourth with a free-kick on 87 minutes.
Hearts boss Graham Rix blamed the high winds at Inverness for a poor game and added on BBC Radio: "No team could play in conditions like that. I am pleased with the point.
"There is a six-point gap on Rangers and it is still quite a big gap."
Elsewhere, Dundee United beat Livingston 3-1 for new manager Craig Brewster's first win, second bottom Dunfermline defeated Aberdeen 1-0 with a Mark Burchill goal and Motherwell beat Falkirk 3-1 with Australian striker Scott McDonald netting a double. The former Lyon coach, who left that club after last season, was given a three-year contract.

MADRID, (Reuters) - Real Madrid had to settle for a 0-0 draw at Valencia in the Primera Liga on Saturday after substitute Ronaldo spurned a golden opportunity to give his side victory when he missed a last-minute penalty.
The Brazilian, who was dropped to the bench by Real coach Juan Ramon Lopez Caro, earned the spot-kick after he was fouled by Santiago Canizares but the Valencia goalkeeper atoned for his error when he saved Ronaldo's low shot.
"Things aren't going well at the moment but I can only get out of this situation with enthusiasm and hard work," the striker told reporters after the game.
The draw played into the hands of leaders Barcelona, who have an opportunity to extend their nine-point lead at the top when they travel to fourth-placed Osasuna on Sunday.
Barca top the table on 61 points, Valencia and Real have 52 and Osasuna are six further back with 46.
Earlier, Celta Vigo missed their chance to move into the Champions League places when they lost 2-0 at 10-man Espanyol.
The defeat meant the Galicians, who had won four of their last five games, remain fifth a point behind Osasuna.
Real Sociedad eased their relegation worries by taking their first points in five games with a 1-0 win at Deportivo Coruna, whose last victory at the Riazor was three months ago.
Sociedad are now five points clear of the relegation zone, although their immediate rivals have yet to play this weekend.

RONALDO ON BENCH
Real coach Lopez Caro made the surprise decision to leave Ronaldo on the bench after his failure to find the net as Real slipped out of the Champions League in the first knockout round on Wednesday following a goalless draw at Arsenal.
He also left out forwards Antonio Cassano and Robinho, choosing instead to play Raul and Julio Baptista up front.
But the changes failed to add more spark to the Real attack and scoring chances were scarce in the first half as the sides battled hard in midfield and got plenty of men behind the ball.
The first clear opportunity did not come until just before the break when Valencia striker David Villa had a goal-bound free kick tipped over the bar by Iker Casillas.
Valencia continued their pressing game in midfield in the second half and although Real had more possession they had problems getting near the opposition area.
Lopez Caro sent Ronaldo on in place of Raul just after the hour, although it was his strike partner Baptista who almost opened the scoring a few minutes later.
The Brazilian looked certain to find the net when he got his head to a Zinedine Zidane cross but Canizares produced a great reflex save to scoop the ball off the line.
Cassano and Robinho added new life to the Real front line when they too were thrown into the mix in the final 15 minutes.
The Italian had a hand in winning the penalty when he exchanged a neat one-two with Ronaldo a minute from time. The Brazilian was felled by Canizares as he burst towards goal but was then denied his 11th goal of the season when the Valencia keeper went the right way to save his spot kick.

ROME, (AFP) - Brazilian striker Adriano ended his 10-match goal drought by scoring the winner for Inter Milan in their narrow 1-0 home victory over Sampdoria.
Inter remain in third place in Serie A on 62 points, one behind city rivals AC Milan and 11 adrift of leaders Juventus.
Reigning champions Juventus entertain AC Milan in a potential Scudetto decider at the Delle Alpi stadium on Sunday night.
Returning from a two-match suspension for slapping Livorno defender Alessandro Grandoni last month, Adriano hit the post before ending his barren spell in the 40th minute.
His powerful header from Luis Figo's cross was tipped on to the underside of the bar by Francesco Antonioli, but the ball came back out to the 24-year-old Brazil international who nodded the loose ball over the line.
It was his first goal since he scored twice in a 3-2 win over Cagliari on January 15.
Adriano, who spurned several chances to add to his tally, spoiled an otherwise satisfying evening by picking up a yellow card for diving in the second half.
Defeat for Sampdoria, their 12th of the season, left them in ninth position.
Inter next face Dutch giants Ajax in the Champions League on Tuesday at the San Siro, where a victory will clinch a quarter-final place. The first leg of the last 16 tie ended 2-2 after Inter had trailed 2-0 at half-time.
In Saturday's early match, Erjon Bogdani's late headed goal sealed a 1-0 home win for Siena against Treviso.
The Albanian striker struck four minutes from time to lift Siena two places up to 10th and heap further misery on the bottom club.
Enrico Chiesa missed a first-half penalty for the home side while his strike partner Tomas Locatelli hit a post.
Treviso remain anchored to the foot of the table on 15 points, nine adrift of fourth-from-bottom Messina. Three teams will be relegated to Serie B.

PARIS, (AFP) - Four-time champions Lyon dealt out a footballing lesson to relegation-haunted Metz in a crushing 4-0 demolition at Stade Gerland to maintain their nine-point lead at the top of the table.
Fresh from a morale-boosting destruction of PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League in midweek, where Lyon won 4-0 at home to claim a 5-0 aggregate score-line, Gerard Houllier's men showed they will not let their European dreams distract them from the more humdrum task of maintaining domestic domination.
Florent Malouda scored a first-half brace sandwiching a John Carew goal to all but put the game to bed before the break. Centre-back Patrick Muller's last minute fourth was barely relevant.
"It was a very good collective demonstration," said Houllier. "I am happy we scored in the second half after the fanatastic first period."
With nine games to play and a nine-point gap, Lyon could be forgiven for losing concentration but under Houllier, the former Liverpool and France boss, the champions look focused and motivated.
He paid tribute to his vanquished opponents and then set his team a definite target.
"Metz had more points than us from their last five games during which time they played Auxerre, Marseille, Bordeaux and Monaco most notably (and Nancy). To be champions we need to win five more matches."
A clash with AC Milan awaits in the Champions League in a little over two weeks time, before which, only Sochaux must be negotiated in the League.
Sochaux were themselves on the end of a hiding to a rejuvenated Monaco who arrested their seemingly unstoppable slide south. It was their first league win in seven league matches, a run that saw them lose four times.
Uruguay striker Ernest Chevanton opened the scoring on nine minutes before Italy forward Marco Di Vaio doubled the score on 18 minutes.
A minute after the break, Olivier Kapo put the game beyond Sochaux and Di Vaio added a second before Araujo Ilan scored a consolation from the spot.
Monaco rose to 11th and with just five points to fifth placed Lens, they can at least harbour hopes of snatching a European place with a strong run to the end of the season.
Second-placed Bordeaux eased to a 2-0 victory at home to Toulouse to keep their title hopes alive through goals from Carlos Henrique and a late Lilian Laslandes penalty.
Auxerre stayed fourth but moved level on points with third-placed Lille, resting ahead of Sunday's trip to Nantes following their midweek UEFA Cup victory over Sevilla, after a 2-0 win at home to Nice.
Ivory Coast striker Kanga Akale scored the opener after 54 minutes before Czech Republic defender Rene Bolf wrapped up the points 13 minutes form time.
In other games, Lens overtook Marseille to move into fifth with a 1-0 win at home to relegation-threatened Troyes while capital giants Paris St Germain made it eight games without a win after a 1-1 draw at Nancy, but somehow, the team which failed to beat a Marseille second XI at home last week are still in sight of a UEFA Cup place.
Rennes moved into seventh, a place ahead of PSG with a comfortable 3-0 victory over rock-bottom Ajaccio with two goals in the last eight minutes.
Marseille host St Etienne in the big Sunday match with Strasbourg hosting Le Mans and Lille travelling to Nantes.

LISBON, (Reuters) - Sporting cut Porto's lead at the top to two points with a 1-0 home win over suspension-hit Boavista in the Portuguese Premier League on Saturday.
Porto, who won 2-0 at Vitoria Setubal on Friday to preserve a 23-year unbeaten record at Setubal's ground, top the standings with 57 points from 26 matches followed by Sporting on 55.
Benfica, who on Friday were drawn to play Spanish champions Barcelona in the Champions League quarter-finals, are third on 49. The Portuguese champions host struggling Naval on Sunday.
Defender Tonel secured Sporting's seventh successive league victory with a clever back-heel finish in a crowded penalty area after 19 minutes at home to Boavista.
The visitors' Cameroon goalkeeper William Andem saved a penalty from Sporting captain Sa Pinto following a handball by defender Areias after 78 minutes.
Boavista had to play without four regulars, including playmaker Joao Pinto, due to suspension.

ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- Dimitris Papadopoulos' header in the 65th minute gave Panathinaikos a 1-0 victory over PAOK Thessaloniki, moving the club into second in the Greek first division. Panathinaikos is nine points behind league-leader Olympiakos, which hosts Apollon on Sunday.

MEXICO CITY, (Reuters) - Guadalajara, Mexico's most popular club, and America, the country's richest, both crashed to shock defeats in the Clausura championship on Saturday.
Guadalajara were beaten 3-1 at home by San Luis, who had won only one of their previous nine outings, and America lost 1-0 at Necaxa in a battle of the two clubs owned by the Televisa television network.
San Luis stunned the Jalisco stadium by taking a 2-0 halftime lead through Brazilian Sebastiao Pereira and Angel Reyna.
Mexican international striker Omar Bravo pulled one back for the Chivas early in the second half but Israel Martinez made sure of the points with a third goal in the 89th minute.
The defeat left Guadalajara fourth in Group Three with 12 points from nine games and struggling to make the quarter-finals.
A late goal by Brazilian Fabiano Pereira sank America, who were playing their second game under former Mexico coach Manuel Lapuente.
Pereira's compatriot Kleber Boas missed good chances in the first and last minutes as America failed to find a way through.
Necaxa went top of Group One with 14 points while America are third with 11.
Defending champions Toluca beat UAG 3-1 with goals from Edgar Duenas, Israel Lopez and Uruguayan Vicente Sanchez to stay second in Group Two with 15 points.
The Red Devils are five points behind Pachuca, who came from behind to beat Atlante 2-1 away at the Azteca stadium.
Diego Garay gave Atlante the lead early in the second half before Juan Carlos Cacho and Uruguayan Richard Nunez replied to give the Beavers their sixth win in nine games.

BUENOS AIRES, (Reuters) - Racing Club picked up their first point and scored their first goal under new coach Diego Simeone in a 1-1 draw with Rosario Central on Saturday.
Racing, who are bottom of the Argentine Clausura championship, had lost their first three games under the former Argentina captain. Simeone brought forward his retirement as a Racing player to take over as team coach.
Central, playing their first game under new coach Leonardo Astrada after he replaced 77-year-old Angel Zof, went ahead on the half hour when Marco Ruben pounced on a poor clearance by Diego Menghi to fire home.
But Racing, who had lost their last six games, looked a different team in the second half and levelled in the 62nd minute when Lucas Valdermarin beat Ronald Raldes to the ball to head the equaliser.
Despite the draw, Racing, who had Jose Schaffer sent off in the 87th minute, stayed bottom of the table with two points from nine games.
Central are 17th in the 20-team table with seven points.

T&T Guardian Reports.

Soca Warriors World Cup captain Dwight Yorke will leave Australia tomorrow to join his former club Manchester United for training ahead of this country’s 2006 World Cup campaign.
The Tobago-born striker has also accepted responsibility for the lack of understanding with Sydney FC surrounding his move from the club.
Initially Yorke was interested in joining a new club on loan as the Australian season closed last week but with reports circulating about his switch, Sydney FC then issued a statement saying they were okay with releasing him which led to reports indicating that Yorke felt he was being unfairly rejected by the club .
But now the former Aston Villa star has cleared the air on the matter which had raised eyebrows this week.
“I’ve spoken with the chairman and he has reassured me that there was a breakdown in communications and the intention was never to get rid of me,” Yorke said.
“I accept that and, as I’ve said before, I’m more than happy to stay in Sydney. I’m happy here and I want to help the team build on its success. I have never entertained the idea of moving on at any time.”
Sydney director Peter Turnbull told the Daily Telegraph “Dwight’s staying. It was never our intention to force him to move anywhere. “The situation has been sorted out and now we can move on. We feel we’ve been fair with Dwight. All that was said was that Dwight could go if he wanted to because we knew that he was going back to England anyway to prepare for the World Cup and might receive a better offer.
“It was out of respect for him just giving him a option if somebody came in with the sort of money we couldn’t match. We’ve been very accommodating to Dwight and will be paying his wages for the next four months ($400,000) while he trains with another club. You can’t do more than that.”

Dundee 3-2 Hamilton Accies.

BBC News - Dundee threw away a two-goal lead only to win the Scottish Cup quarter-final replay in extra-time thanks to a fine strike by Steven Craig.
After a goalless first half, Bobby Mann headed Dundee in front before Simon Lynch glanced in a second.
But Accies pulled one back when a Juanjo free kick sailed straight into the net and Pat Keogh forced an equaliser over the line.
Craig smashed the winner a minute into extra-time to earn a tie with Gretna.
Accies won a corner inside the first minute and from that, Mark McLaughlin got above Lee Wilkie to head goalwards, but the ball flew just wide.
At the other end, Kelvin Jack had to be alert to block a Mark Gilhaney drive at his front post after 28 minutes.
Dundee finally made the breakthrough 11 minutes into the second half.
A long throw by Paul Dixon was met by the head of Mann 10 yards out and he managed to loop the ball past the outstretched right glove of McEwan.
That lead was almost doubled 10 minutes later when Wilkie flicked the ball towards goal, but this time McEwan got a hand to the ball to push it clear.
But Dundee's second goal was not long in coming. Tam McManus played a short corner and when he got the ball back, he swung in a vicious cross that was glanced into the net by Lynch.
Accies gave themselves a lifeline, though, from another free kick wide on the left.
Juanjo whipped the ball into the area and it was missed by everyone as it flew into the net.
Dixon saw a goal-bound free kick pushed away by McEwan and moments later Hamilton were level.
Another Juanjo free kick was knocked back across goal and as a crowd of players went for the ball, it came off the shoulder of Keogh on its way into the net.
If there was a suspicion of offside about the equaliser, there was certainly a decent shout for handball in the lead-up to Dundee's third goal, which came in the second minute of extra-time.
As Craig chested the ball down, it bounced off his wrist before he sidestepped McLaughlin to fire an unstoppable shot high past McEwan. Accies had a couple of half-chances to force the tie into a penalty shoot-out, but Dundee held firm to secure a semi-final place.

Dundee:
Jack, McCluskey, Mann, Wilkie, Dixon, Robertson, McManus (Ferguson 98), Kevin McDonald, Brady, Deasley (Craig 76), Lynch (Calum McDonald 116).

LONDON, (Reuters) - West Ham United manager Alan Pardew has criticised London rivals Arsenal for their reliance on foreign players and believes the Football Association should force clubs to field British players in their sides.
Arsenal have played nearly 700 minutes of football since an English player last appeared for them and on that occasion defender Sol Campbell was replaced at halftime by Swede Sebastian Larsson following a poor first-half display.
Pardew, who regularly starts with a majority of British players in his Premier League line-up, believes domestic clubs are in danger of losing their soul by signing too many imports.
Speaking at his press conference before eighth-placed West Ham's clash with Bolton Wanderers on Saturday, Pardew pointed to Arsenal's ousting of Real Madrid in the Champions League.
The only British player involved in the 0-0 draw on Wednesday was Real's England captain David Beckham while Arsenal started with eight different nationalities.
"I saw a headline saying Arsenal are flying the flag for Britain in the Champions League, but I had to wonder where that British involvement was when I saw the team," said Pardew.
"There was a big commotion when that first happened and it shouldn't be washed under the mat again.
"Every English club should carry at least three British players in the first team. The foreign players have added massively to our game, but the soul of the club is the homegrown players and they should be integrated into that team.
"It is important we don't lose sight that this is the English Premier League and English players should be involved. I know it is difficult to buy British players because the market is expensive.
"Chelsea are in a position where they can pay over the odds to bring in those players whereas we have had to search through the lower divisions to do that and Dean Ashton was the only player we had to pay top money for."
West Ham have surprised many on their return to the top flight this season and still have a realistic chance of a top-six finish and qualification for European football.
"It is a massive game for both clubs in terms of our league position," Pardew said of the match at Bolton, who are one place above them with a game in hand.

BARCELONA, (Reuters) - World and European player of the year Ronaldinho says no amount of money would tempt him away from Barcelona and he believes he will spend the rest of his career at the Catalan club.
"I'm extremely happy at Barcelona and I can't imagine being as happy anywhere else," the Brazilian told a news conference the day after his side completed a 3-2 aggregate victory over Chelsea to earn a place in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
"Money can't buy my happiness. I imagine myself staying here for the rest of my life and I hope to continue providing pleasure and happiness to the Barca fans."
The media in both Spain and England have speculated about a possible bid from Chelsea for the 25-year-old, who is under contract to Barca until 2010 and who scored to put his side ahead against the Londoners at the Nou Camp on Tuesday.
Chelsea gained a last minute consolation with a Frank Lampard penalty to make it 1-1 on the night but the goal came too late to deny the Catalans a deserved victory in the tie.
"It was a very quick move," said Ronaldinho when asked about his goal. "I hadn't had that many chances to get close to the area and I saw the chance of heading towards the goal without them fouling me. I was delighted to score."
He added that although Barca were unable to play some of their more eye-catching football against the Premiership side, on this occasion it was the result that counted.
"There are some games in which it is not possible to play the way you usually play. The way we played was the best way to beat Chelsea and that way we got through to the next round."
But he stressed that beating the English champions was only the start of the hard work if they wanted to reach the Paris final.
"I don't mind who we get in the next round," he said. "We've beaten one great team, but we will come across some very strong teams in the next round too. Paris is just as far away as it ever was."

PARIS (AFP) - Middlesbrough dashed Roma's 16-game unbeaten run, an Aiyegbeni Yakubu penalty sealing the English Premiership side's 1-0 win in the UEFA Cup at a rain-soaked Riverside.
In pouring rain and heavy conditions underfoot, the home team dominated the first leg tie in its bid to reach the quarter-finals of the European competition.
Defenders Gareth Southgate and Chris Riggott came to the fore at "fortress Riverside", where Boro added the scalp of Europe's form team to those of Manchester United, Arsenal and runaway Premiership leaders Chelsea.
Roma never really forced Australian Mark Schwarzer into any game-saving action and were left ruing the absence of injured strikers Francesco Totti and Vincenzo Montella.
Instead it was Roma's 20-year-old keeper Gianluca Curci who stole the limelight, but for all the wrong reasons.
In the 12th minute, he brought down Boro's flying Dutchman Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink in the area and fellow striker Yakubu converted calmly from the spot.
"It was an excellent performance, a great European performance," said Boro coach Steve McClaren, adding that he would have liked a second goal.
"I'm a little disappointed we didn't get it," he said. "It's half a job done. It'll be difficult going to Rome.
"The game is evenly balanced. We kept a clean sheet and we are capable of winning away from home."
It was Boro's eighth win in their last 10 games in all competitions after flirting with relegation following last month's 4-0 Premiership defeat at home to Aston Villa.
Hasselbaink, 33, found himself with a clear shot on goal in the 24th minute but could only scuff his effort after a fine Yakubu nod-down.
Fellow Dutchman George Boateng then spurned a chance in the 34th minute, blasting an effort high over the bar when the Roma defence failed to close him down on the edge of the box.
With a three-on-three situation shortly after the interval, teenager Lee Cattermole blasted high and wide as Boro looked to press the Italian side that saw their record run of 11 successive league victories brought to an end by a home draw with Inter Milan on Sunday.
After a tense period when Roma threatened, Yakubu and Boateng started to split the right side defence of the visitors, Boateng shooting wide on one occasion.
Riggott was back just minutes later to deflect a cross behind, and Alessandro Mancini's ambitious curling shot flew just inches wide of Schwarzer's net in the 65th minute.
Curci was forced into a desperate save at the other end when Hasselbaink fired a bobbling shot from 18 yards.
As the game turned into a counter-attacking frenzy, Scwarzer came up with a fine save of his own as Roma looked for an all-important away goal, pouncing to palm away a dangerous cross.
Former Lazio player Gaizka Mendieta was guilty of spurning a late second Boro goal after hesitating badly on an excellent Mark Viduka through-ball.
Lille, lying third in the French domestic league, beat Sevilla 1-0 at home thanks to an amazing goal from Geoffrey Dernis after 25 minutes and the visitors' inability to make their pressure count in front of goal.
Dernis scored direct from a corner after Sevilla goalkeeper Antonio Notario misjudged the flight of the ball.
Lille coach Claude Puel expressed his delight with the result.
"It was a very difficult match, as expected, against a very fast team, with a very good Frederic Kanoute. In the end it was a very good result.
"But it's still 50-50. We know that this Sevilla team have quality and that they are capable of creating chances.
Sevilla coach Juande Ramos was not all down at heart, although he lamented his goal-shy team.
"The result was not good for us," he said. "But we were the better team on the attack. If we keep up this same level, there's no reason why we can't score during the return leg."
The two other French clubs in the competition had no such luck, however, Strasbourg going down 2-0 to Basel of Switzerland, and Marseille losing 1-0 at home to Russians Zenit St Petersburg.
Elsewhere in Europe, Rapid Bucuresti secured a surprisingly comfortable 2-0 home victory against Hamburg.
Daniel Niculae opened the scoring for the hosts just before the interval and Mugurel Buga doubled the lead two minutes from time to leave Rapid with one foot in the quarter-finals.
Fellow Romanians Steaua Bucharest fought out a scoreless draw with Real Betis of Spain, while Udinese and Bulgaria's Levski Sofia recorded a similar scoreline in Italy.
An early goal from stand-in striker Franco Brienza proved enough to give Palermo a slender 1-0 home win over Schalke 04, for whom goalkeeper Frank Rost was outstanding.
In other games, Rapid Bucharest beat visiting Hamburg 2-0 and host Palermo defeated Schalke 1-0 Thursday in first leg of the fourth round of the UEFA Cup.
Lille beat Sevilla 1-0, Steaua Bucharest held Real Betis to a 0-0 tie and Basel beat Strasbourg 2-0 in Europe's No. 2 club tournament behind the Champions League. Olympique Marseille lost 1-0 to Zenit St. Petersburg and Udinese tied 0-0 with Levski Sofia. The second legs are scheduled for March 15 and 16.

By FIFAworldcup.com.

France coach Raymond Domenech might have seen fit to qualify Les Bleus' friendly defeat by Slovakia as "neither serious nor concerning" but the fact remains that the fifth best team in the world, according to the FIFA/Coca-Cola rankings, suffered a 2-1 loss at home to the side ranked 44th.

Toothless in attack
If nothing else the Slovakia defeat illuminated a recurrent problem dogging the France team, namely their struggle to score. Why the French strikers are having such difficulty finding the back of the net is a mystery to football fans the world over. Nobody can doubt the abilities of David Trezeguet, so prolific for Juventus, and Thierry Henry, Arsenal's alll-time record goalscorer. Yet even though they were hardly starved of service against Slovakia – with France having some 20 shots on goal – it was obviously not enough.

During the qualifiers for Germany 2006, the problem was just as prevalent. Les Bleus racked up three goalless draws against Israel, Republic of Ireland and Switzerland, then repeated the feat against Poland in a friendly. Tallying 14 goals in their ten group matches, France had the dubious honour of finishing with the worst strike figures of any of the European teams who qualified. Interestingly, their top scorer with four goals, Djibril Cisse, was not picked for the Slovakia match due to his current lack of playing time with Liverpool.
This same impotence in front of goal was what led to their disappointing first-round elimination at Korea/Japan 2002. France failed to register a single goal in three games, despite being able to call on the services of the previous season's top scorers from three different countries in Henry, Trezeguet and Cisse.

Four years on and the problem remains. Domenech can still count on the same three up front and has other strikers pressing for a place in the squad. Louis Saha is enjoying a renaissance with Manchester United, Nicolas Anelka is doing likewise at Fenerbahce and Sylvain Wiltord has rediscovered his scoring touch and shown his adaptability at Lyon.
"We're definitely not short of attacking options, but the fact that we can't find the back of the net is a worry", admitted Domenech, who himself seems at a loss to explain his team's lack of goals. However, the coach can take solace in the knowledge that France are not alone – both Brazil and Spain experienced goal droughts in qualifying. Perhaps the root of the problem is psychological rather than related to the talent France have on board.

Midfield options
In midfield, Domenech must address the situation concerning Zidane, who will be playing out his last FIFA World Cup. The coach appeared to be trying out two options against Slovakia. In the first half, France lined up in a 4-3-1-2 formation tailor-made for 'Zizou', who has always preferred playing 'in the hole' behind the two strikers, particularly since he has been excused all defensive duties since making his international comeback.

After the break, when Zidane, Anelka and Trezeguet were substituted, France adopted a 4-3-3 formation, with Florent Malouda and Sylvain Wiltord as wide men and Henry on his own as an out-and-out striker. Vikash Dhorasoo played as a more attacking midfielder, while Patrick Vieira and Alou Diarra handled the ball-winning duties.
This last option left France without any clear defensive midfielders. In the first half, Dhorasoo tracked back as much as he went forward, but in the second half, the Paris Saint-Germain midfielder left the spadework to Diarra and Vieira. Both systems have their merits but still only one goal was scored - and a penalty at that.

Meanwhile, the French failed to control the centre of the park, which partly explains how Slovakia were gifted so many clear-cut chances and how they won the decisive free-kick that led to their second goal. In one way, the match raised more questions than answers and Domenech still seems undecided as to which formation should be employed.

Case for the defence
With William Gallas missing the Slovakia game through injury, Domenech had the opportunity to run the rule over some different options in defence also. While Lilian Thuram, Willy Sagnol, Jean-Alain Boumsong and even Eric Abidal look to be certain to make the squad for Germany, other candidates are queuing up.

Mikael Silvestre looked impressive against Slovakia, while Philippe Mexes, who was in the squad but did not play, is enjoying an excellent season with Roma. Meanwhile Sebastien Squillaci, Gael Givet, Anthony Reveillere and Jonathan Zebina have all shown that they are worthy of consideration, thus increasing further the competition for places. In general, the back four of Sagnol, Thuram, Boumsong and Abidal looked solid against Slovakia but still there were a few nervous moments. Like the attack, the defence is another area giving Domenech the proverbial managerial headache.

Barthez or Coupet?
Finally to the goalkeeper debate which is currently one of France's hottest topics. Domenech has regularly rotated his keepers, and against Slovakia, it was Fabien Barthez's turn. The Marseille custodian could not be blamed for either of the two goals conceded and indeed pulled off a string of decent saves, yet the unforgiving crowd were constantly on his back. It was a sign that they would rather see Gregory Coupet in goal, whose form with both Lyon and Les Bleus has been impeccable.

With 15 May set as the date for all squad lists to be submitted, Domenech has limited time to whittle all of his options down to a 23-man list. "Over the next few weeks, the potential players will all be under the microscope. I've got a pretty good idea of the squad, but nothing's cast in stone yet," he explained. Whoever enters the list, there will doubtless be some murmurs of dissent from the general public.

Since he took up the post, Domenech has called on a total of 45 players for his 18 matches in charge, 26 alone since the beginning of this season. He claims to have "a list in mind – but nothing definite as of the moment". In a couple of months' time, when the deadline for naming his squad arrives, you sense a significant weight will finally be taken off his mind.

Overtime loss in second leg eliminates Los Angeles.
By Eduardo Solano / MLSnet.com Staff.

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica - After a terrific first half, the defending MLS champion Los Angeles Galaxy couldn't hang on and dethrone the defending CONCACAF champion, falling 3-2 in extra time to Deportivo Saprissa in the second leg of their CONCACAF Champions' Cup quarterfinal on Wednesday night.
After the first leg ended scoreless two weeks ago in California, the Galaxy had a two-goal lead by halftime through the hard work of Josh Gardner, who scored one and set up another. But the home side scored twice shortly after the break before a header from Reynaldo Parks in extra time again provided late heroics for Saprissa against an MLS team.
The home side was surprised from the outset as they ceded the initiative to a quicker Galaxy side that combined very well. That was much different than Saprissa, which relied mainly on long balls from Randall Azofeifa, looking for the dangerous Alvaro Saborío.
The first chance of the game came after just two minutes from a set piece that worried Saprissa goalkeeper Jose Francisco Porras, but didn't find the mark.
Seven minutes later Saprissa came forward in a timid advance led by Walter Centeno, then in the 10th minute the spearhead Saborío put forth an effort, but the Galaxy goal remained immaculate.
The Galaxy appeared to be the team in the midst of their season, and not Saprissa, who were consistently troubled by the ability and movement of Galaxy midfielder Landon Donovan, who began to enter the Purples' territory with more frequency.
In the 18th minute, the Galaxy attacked down the right, where they did their most damage on the night. Herculez Gomez beat defender Gabriel Badilla and centered for Donovan, who intelligently allowed the ball to run on to Gardner, who came charging up on the left and drove the ball out of the reach of Porras inside the far post.
After the opening goal, Hernan Medford's side began to lose even more control, and the Galaxy took advantage in the 40th minute. Gardner stole the ball from the veteran Parks on the left and drove a centering pass to Donovan, who with the touch of a surgeon poked the ball past Porras for a 2-0 Galaxy lead entering the break.
The Central Americans had to take risks to get back into the match, and understanding that Medford brought on the skillful Alonso Solis. In the opening rush of the first 40 seconds of the half he sent a ball into the area that Centeno was able to head home and bring Saprissa halfway back.
The MLS champions were put under pressure and unable to resist, and just 10 minutes later Saprissa pulled level thanks to playmaker Solis.
The remainder of the regular session was occupied mainly by a constant Saprissa attack on the Galaxy goal, but while they had many opportunities they couldn't find their way past Galaxy goalkeeper Kevin Hartman. After 90 minutes the series remained where it started on the night, level on aggregate and with extra time to come.
Just as the year before, Saprissa had to take 120 minutes to resolve a quarterfinal match against an MLS side, where late heroics gave the Purples a victory against the Kansas City Wizards.
On that occasion it was Gerald Drummond, whose two goals sealed the fate of the visitors. Wednesday it was Parks, who went forward to reach a Solis free kick knocked in from the right corner in the 94th minute. His acrobatic header in front of Ugo Ihemelu sailed over Hartman for the eventual match-winner.
Without a doubt the entrance of Solis changed the match, and the remainder of the final 30 minutes was clearly controlled by Saprissa. While the Galaxy did their best to get an equalizer, they didn't have the physical ability so early in the year and the Costa Rican side finally sealed their berth in the semifinals, where they will face Toluca of Mexico.
For Saprissa, it was confirmation of a champion still in office, and for the Galaxy, a very difficult lesson learned.

Los Angeles Galaxy manager dies in Costa Rica.
SAN JOSE, Costa Rica (Reuters) - The president and general manager of U.S. Major League Soccer club Los Angeles Galaxy has died while on a flight back from a match in Costa Rica, local emergency services said.
Doug Hamilton, in his mid-forties, suffered what appeared to be a heart attack shortly after take-off from San Jose with Taca airlines late on Thursday, and died before the airplane could land again, local Red Cross spokesman Omar Piedra said.
"The airplane took off and the gentleman suffered a heart problem. They went back to the airport but he was already dead, there was nothing they could do," Piedra said.
Hamilton was on his way home after Galaxy played Costa Rican team Saprissa in the second leg of the CONCACAF Champions Cup quarter-final on Wednesday. Saprissa won the game 3-2.

By Kenneth Hernández Cerdas / Special to MLSnet.com

ALAJUELA, Costa Rica - Just when it seemed the New England Revolution had survived their fatigue and played through another 90 scoreless minutes with LD Alajuelense, Carlos Hernández arrived on the scene.
The striker focused on the Revolution goal, lit out with his right boot and finished off the game. His powerful drive flashed past the outstretched arms of New England goalkeeper Matt Reis to give LD Alajuelense a goal just seconds before the final whistle for a 1-0 victory in the second leg of their CONCACAF Champions' Cup quarterfinal.
The goal was enough to send the Costa Rican through to the semifinals 1-0 on aggregate and raise the morale of a club that, as had happened on few occasions before, played before a nearly empty stadium because of their poor performance thus far in the domestic campaign.
The Revolution surprised the home side from the start with their pressure, closing down space quickly and applying force in battling for the ball. But La Liga began to find the pulse of the game and see their individual skills take control of the game.
In the space of three minutes, Alajuelense had three clear chances at goal - the best coming when Rolando Fonseca went in alone on Reis. Fonseca broke the offside trap, angled his run toward goal and decided on a powerful drive that sailed well over the crossbar.
The Costa Rican drive didn't stop the Revolution, who continued to apply their plan of attacking down the flanks, crossing the ball into the area and attacking through the air. They were also strong on the ball and organized in each third of the field.
Steve Ralston asked a question of LDA goalkeeper Wardy Alfaro with his blast from outside the area in the 16th minute, and shortly thereafter Carlos Castro nearly scored an own goal with a difficult back pass.
Revolution marksman Taylor Twellman wasted a golden opportunity in the 27th minute when Alfaro was caught outside the goal, but his shot was turned off target by defender Harold Wallace in the goalmouth.
The game picked up in intensity as the half wore on, with both goals seeing action. Hernández continually challenged the Revolution goal, gunning blasts from long distance.
After a first half where the home side had perhaps more of the play, but were imprecise in their attacking, the anxiety to take the lead in the series began to take hold after the restart. But their attempts to control caused them to commit many fouls that slowed the contest.
The Revolution stayed very organized as the game fell into a midfield duel. Alajuelense were allowed little space to trouble the visitors, and they were regularly caught offside. The wall constructed by the MLS side was a difficult one to overcome, and LDA had to try and play on the ground because in the air they had no chance to win.
In the 71th minute Hernández brought a cry of goal from the home fans, but it wasn't to be as his cross shot kissed the Reis's right-hand post.
As regular time wound down for its final minutes, the home side grew more desperate while the Revolution were cool in withstanding the pressure with the counter attack well established in their toolbox for survival.
Just when the agony reached the breaking point, Hernández stepped up and controlled the ball on the turf, took aim and buried the ball into the back of the net. It was a goal that revived the season for the home team, while ending the gallant fight of their North American visitors.

LIVERPOOL (AFP) - Liverpool's defence of their Champions League title ended on an Anfield night that will go down as one of the most bitterly frustrating in the club's European history.
A 2-0 win for Benfica sent the Portuguese champions into the last eight 3-0 on aggregate.
Simao Sabrosa, a forward Liverpool came within hours of signing on transfer deadline day last August, delivered the truly fatal blow, ten minutes before half-time, and substitute Fabrizio Miccoli rubbed salt into the wounds two minutes from the end.
Ronald Koeman's side has now accounted for both Manchester United, whom they eliminated at the group stage, and Liverpool and Rafael Benitez's men can have little complaint about the manner of their exit.
After an opening half hour in which they played some scintillating football, Liverpool were left to count the cost of squandering enough chances to have comfortably buried their opponents before a defensive blunder gifted Benfica their opening goal and left them with no way back.
"To eliminate the champions of Europe with a final result of 3-0, it's a good feeling," Benfica boss Ronald Koeman said.
"For the first 20-25 minutes we were under the cosh and maybe we were a bit lucky, but we recovered enough calmness to control the match.
"Nobody expected us to get this far but who is to say that we cannot go further. I think every team has a chance of winning the tournament."
Benitez admitted his side had only themselves to blame.
"If you analyse the game it was clear and easy. We created chances to score and couldn't, then we made a mistake and conceded a goal and everything changed. We needed to go forward and they could counter attack.
"We felt really confident that we could do it. I saw it in the players faces before the match but it was not to be."
On a night when, in light of Liverpool's recent problems in managing more than a goal a game, defensive disicipline was at a premium, Benitez had seen his preparations disrupted by the loss of half of his first-choice back four to injury, left-back John Arne Riise unexpectedly missing out altogether while Sami Hyypia was left on the bench to nurse a strained thigh.
The significance of Hyypia's absence was underlined by the fact that he had played every minute of Liverpool's 13 previous matches in a campaign that started in mid-July with the first of three qualifying rounds.
Some high-tempo pressing seriously unsettled the Portuguese champions and there was a real finesse about some of Liverpool's approach work.
Peter Crouch was desperately unlucky with an 11th-minute shot that, with the help of a deflection off the centreback Anderson, beat Benfica goalkeeper Moretto but bounced back off the post.
The same could not be said of the chances that followed.
When a block by Moretto landed at Jamie Carragher's feet, the England defender stabbed his close-range shot into the side netting, Fernando Morientes completely failed to make contact with Xabi Alonso's free-kick and Luis Garcia blasted over from inside the area.
The worst culprit though was Crouch. Left with only Moretto to beat by the charging Steven Gerrard's deft flick, the lanky England forward struck his shot at the goalkeeper's legs.
Such profligacy rarely goes unpunished and Liverpool were given a warning of what was to follow just before the half hour mark, when Geovanni's hooked volley beat Jose Reina and came back off the bar.
Liverpool were not so fortunate six minutes later following an uncharacteristic slip by Carragher on the edge of his area.
Stephen Warnock failed to clear the danger and Benfica worked the ball out to Simao in the inside left channel. The highly-rated forward cut inside Steve Finnan and Djimi Traore before beating Reina with a dipping shot beyond the goalkeeper's left hand.
Liverpool were almost handed an equaliser when Beto volleyed over his own bar and, from the resulting corner, Carragher nodded Gerrard's delivery against the outside of the post.
That near miss left Liverpool requiring three second-half goals to survive, an objective they had achieved twice last season, against Olympiakos and then AC Milan in the final.
This time there was to be no fairytale ending.
There were some near things: a left-foot drive from Alonso that Moretto struggled to hold, a close range header that Carragher lifted over and a Gerrard free-kick that dipped into the roof of the net.
But Benfica's defence, superbly marshalled by the impressive Brazilian Luisao, never looked like allowing Liverpool a re-run of their first-half openings and Miccoli applied the final touch with a neat, overhead finish.

By Pierre Serisier.

LYON, France, (Reuters) - Midfielder Tiago struck twice before the break as Olympique Lyon demolished PSV Eindhoven 4-0 to reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League on Wednesday.
The French champions completed a 5-0 aggregate rout to enter the last eight for the third time in a row and take revenge over the Dutch club who knocked them out on penalties last year.
"Tonight we are delighted. We clinched a good result and we played great football," Lyon coach Gerard Houllier said. "This was a wonderful performance from the team.
"It was important to win again tonight," said midfielder Florent Malouda. "We tamed a team who did us some great harm last year. We can say that we took our revenge."
PSV played the entire second half with 10 men after captain Phillip Cocu was sent off for a second bookable offence two minutes from the interval.
Lyon, who are still to lose in this year's competition, have now scored 18 goals and conceded only four and have emerged as serious contenders for the title.
Trailing 1-0 from the first leg in Eindhoven, the Dutch champions started strongly as the opening exchanges were marked by some bruising tackles.

NO EXCUSE
Lyon captain Juninho was shown a yellow card for a dangerous tackle on Ibrahim Affelay after 12 minutes, a sanction that means he will miss the next match. Affelay was then booked seven minutes later for a revenge tackle on Florent Malouda.
The opening goal came after 26 minutes when the lively Malouda tricked two defenders and crossed for Tiago to net from close range.
PSV's task turned mountainous in the 43rd minute when the experienced Cocu was shown a second yellow card for a foul on young defender Francois Clerc, having been booked for another poor tackle earlier in the half.
"Things were completely different after Phillip was sent off," said PSV coach Guus Hiddink. "The second yellow card was deserved but not the first one.
"But I don't want to make excuses. We lost to a great team who were much stronger than us. They deserve their success."
The visitors had their best chance shortly after Cocu's red card when Arouna Kone's shot from inside the box was cleared by defender Eric Abidal with goalkeeper Gregory Coupet beaten.
However the tie was effectively over when Tiago slammed in from the edge of the area after a free kick was on the stroke of halftime. There was no way back for PSV.
Tiago was involved again for the third goal, running through unchallenged to force a save from keeper Gomes who could only parry the ball to Sylvain Wiltord who stabbed in the third.
Brazilian substitute Fred completed the rout in stoppage time, showing some wonderful footwork before thumping a shot into the net.

SINGAPORE (AFP) - Chinese giants Dalian Shide got their Asian Champions League campaign off to a winning start but coach Vladimir Petrovic was furious after seeing his side edge Vietnamese minnows Danang 2-0.
"I'm satisfied with the result but I feel disappointed about my players' performance during the first 40 minutes," Petrovic said after goals from Zou Jie and Ji Mingyi ensured the eight-time Chinese champions grabbed the three points in Group E.
"I also feel depressed with my player's seriousness during the game. I think today just two of my players, Zhang Yaokun and Ji Mingyi, played well."
Fellow Chinese hopefuls Shanghai Shenhua also grabbed a victory with a 3-1 win over Dong Tam in Group G but Japan's two teams in Asia's top club competition flopped.
J-League champions Gamba Osaka looked headed for victory against Chonbuk Motors before supersub Kim Hyeung-bum pounced with two late strikes to give the Korean Cup winners a 3-2 victory.
Kim came off the bench in the 62nd minute with the home side trailing 2-1 and it turned out to be a masterstroke from head coach Choi Kang-hee.
The 22-year-old added to a 30th minute Milton Rodriguez penalty after a goal either side of half-time from former Motor Magno Alves and Yasuhito Endo at the Jeonju World Cup Stadium.
Tokyo Verdy went down 2-0 to K-League champions Ulsan at the Tokyo National Stadium with second half goals from Choi Sung-kuk and Machado.
"Losing the game, Im disappointed with the result but Im satisfied with the way our players performed," said coach Ruy Ramos.
"After the first half, I was hoping we could score a goal out of a couple of chances that we knew we would get in the second half. Instead, our opponents scored a goal with their first chance. That was a pity."
The top team from each group goes into the knock out stage and Ulsan are halfway there as their group only has two teams. Tobacco Monopoly of Thailand and Indonesia's Arema Malang were thrown out for failing to submit their paperwork on time.
It is the same scenario in Group G, where Shanghai Shenhua and Dong Tam are battling for honours after Provincial Electricity Authority of Thailand and Indonesia Persipura Jayapura were disqualified.
Shenhua are hot favourites after their 3-1 triumph over the Vietnamese club in Shanghai Wednesday, thanks to a Xie Hui hattrick, although the win was tempered by the sending off of Chinese international Li Weifeng.
Elsewhere, Uzbek giants Pakhtakor, the six-time league champions who have twice reached the Champions League semi-finals, were too good in Group A for Syrian minnows Al Ittihad, winning 2-0.
Iranian champions Foolad, who are having a dismal season and were given a 7-1 pasting at the weekend, regained credibility by thumping Kuwaits Al Qadisiya 6-0.
Al Ain, runners-up last year, kicked off their fourth successive campaign with a 2-0 win over Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia 2-0 in Group B.
The winners of the inaugural title in 2003 scored a goal in each half through Faisal Ali and Brazilian Kelly.
In Group C, evergreen striker Ali Daei, the world's leading national team goal scorer, scored twice on his Champions League debut as Saba Battery beat Bruno Metsu's Al Gharafa 2-0 in Doha.
Daei struck in the 47th and 51st minutes while the home side, coached by former Senegal coach Bruno Metsu, finished the game with nine men.
Defending champions Al Ittihad of Saudi Arabia join the competition at the quarter-final stage.
The stakes are high with the tournament winner being crowned Asia's number 1 club, scoring 600,000 US dollars and a place in the FIFA Club World Cup in Tokyo in December, formally known as the Club World Championships. The two-leg final is played in November.

By Simon Evans.

MILAN, (Reuters) - Filippo Inzaghi struck twice as AC Milan crushed Bayern Munich 4-1 on Wednesday to go through to the Champions League quarter-finals.
Inzaghi put the Italians on their way to a 5-2 aggregate win with an eighth minute header. Andriy Shevchenko missed a penalty soon after but the Ukrainian made amends in the 25th minute with a fine header to put Milan 2-0 ahead on the night.
Bayern got back into the game in the 36th through Valerien Ismael but after the break Milan put the game beyond the Germans with Inzaghi's second goal, his 50th in European club competition, before Kaka made it 4-1 with a confident finish.
It was an impressive display from Carlo Ancelotti's side, beaten on penalties by Liverpool in last season's final, and they are benefiting from a return to form by the prolific Inzaghi and from a renewed steel in their defence.
"Alessandro Nesta and Kakha Kaladze were great at the back," said Ancelotti "The full backs did so much attacking, the midfield was aggressive and strikers produced four goals --- its hard to find a way to say more than that.
"We won with great application and quality, with everyone involved, it was really nice to see," added the Milan coach.

CURIOUS RECORD
The six-times European champions will now hope to continue a curious record -- three previous times they have knocked Bayern out of a European tie they have gone on to win the trophy.
Milan, missing suspended midfielder Gennaro Gattuso and injured full backs Paolo Maldini and Cafu, went ahead with a goal of absolute simplicity.
Brazilian Serginho whipped in a cross from the left that found Inzaghi at the back post and he headed home to continue his hot streak that was brought seven goals in the last five Serie A games.
With Kaka confident in midfield and Serginho finding plenty of space on the left, Milan had a firm grip on the game.
They could have doubled their lead in the 24th minute when Bayern's French defender Ismael was ruled to have pulled down Inzaghi and Russian referee Valentin Ivanov pointed to the spot.

HARSH DECISION
It looked a harsh decision given that Inzaghi was backing into his marker and the Germans will feel justice was done when Shevchenko side-footed the penalty wide of Oliver Kahn's right-hand post.
Within a minute Shevchenko made amends as he met a Jaap Stam cross from the byline with a perfectly angled header.
Bayern got back into the game 10 minutes later with a helping hand from Milan's Brazilian keeper Dida.
From more than 30 metres out Bayern midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger fired a free kick goalwards that Dida failed to hold and Ismael reacted quickly to drive home the loose ball.
Bayern were now one goal from reaching the quarter-finals on the away goals rule in the case of a 3-3 aggregate draw and they finished the half strongly with Dida producing an excellent reflex save to keep out a Michael Ballack header.
Two minutes after halftime, though, Milan restored their two-goal lead as Ismael tried to clear a Serginho cross but instead screwed the ball to Inzaghi who headed home from close range.
Brazilian midfielder Kaka put the game beyond Bayern on the hour by racing goalwards, after a superb through pass from Shevchenko, and blasting confidently past Kahn.
A Dida save from a close range effort by Claudio Pizarro was the last flicker of Bayern's doomed challenge while Milan could have added to their tally but Clarence Seedorf's shot after a fine solo run was well saved by Kahn.
Bayern coach Felix Magath took issue with some of the refereeing decisions.
"The first (Milan) goal was offside and there were several other decisions against us that could be discussed," he said.
"When that happens against such a strong team as Milan, it's always going to be very difficult.
"We had our chances to level the match at 2-2 but then they caught us off guard with that goal early in the second half," he added.

America 5 v Portmore United 2.

MEXICO CITY (AP) -- Aaron Padilla scored three times, leading America of Mexico past Portmore United of Jamaica 5-2 Wednesday night to advance to the semifinals of the CONCACAF Champions Cup. Padilla scored in the third, 56th and 90th minutes of a game watched by 100,000 spectators in Azteca Stadium.
America advanced with an aggregate score of 7-3. Santiago Fernandez and Diego Cervantes scored the other two goals, in the 57th and 80 minutes. Anthony Bennet and Jason Morrisson got the two goals for Portmore, in the 25th and 82nd minutes.

By Trevor Huggins.

LONDON, (Reuters) - Arsenal booked their place in the Champions League quarter-finals after holding nine-times winners Real Madrid to a pulsating 0-0 draw at Highbury on Wednesday for a 1-0 aggregate victory.
Despite the lack of goals, the game crackled with excitement and attacking football as Real tried to cancel out Thierry Henry's strike at the Bernabeu and Arsenal pushed for a goal that would kill the tie.
Arsenal's Spanish winger Jose Antonio Reyes could have had a first-half hat-trick, with one of his squandered chances hitting the bar. Raul struck the post for Real after the break before forcing an outstanding one-handed save from keeper Jens Lehmann from the rebound.
The draw was the high-water mark for Arsenal's erratic season in which they have lost all chance of domestic silverware and trail neighbours Tottenham Hotspur by five points for a place in next season's Champions League qualifiers.
Defeat for Real probably means another season without a trophy as they are out of the Spanish Cup and trail league leaders Barcelona by 10 points
"It had everything, a bit of suspense at the end, both teams tried to play, it was not a boring 0-0," Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger told Sky Sports TV.
"We didn't concede a goal home and away against Real Madrid. It's amazing, we are going to go through...it shows that with desire and commitment you can achieve a lot."
Arsenal, starting with the same XI who inflicted Real's first home defeat by an English club at the Bernabeu, were slow out of the blocks in north London.
Real were playing their first European game since Fernando Martin took over as president, warning every player that the Galacticos era was over, and they looked the more settled of the two sides.
Ronaldo threatened after 20 minutes when he prepared to shoot from deep inside the Arsenal area, only to be stopped by a last-ditch tackle by fellow Brazilian Gilberto.
Arsenal were gradually finding their feet despite a lack of support for Henry, operating as a lone striker in front of a five-man midfield that underlined their desire to keep it tight.
Spanish midfielder Francesc Fabregas had a shot blocked at the end of a four-man move while the tit-for-tat efforts continued when David Beckham returned to Highbury to test Lehmann with a dipping free-kick.

REYES MISSES
Yet despite the presence of Beckham and Zinedine Zidane in midfield, Real's pressure was the more sporadic and Reyes should have done a lot better after being teed up by Henry's cut-back.
The Spaniard brought up a hat-trick of misses just before the break when Henry pounced a defensive blunder, surged into the area and lined him up from point-blank range - only for Reyes to hit the bar.
The end-to-end action continued straight after the break, albeit without a clearcut chance until the hour-mark.
Real caught the Arsenal defence at sixes and sevens and Raul clipped a half-volley onto a post and then followed up the rebound with an effort that forced a brilliant save from Lehmann, somehow tipping the ball away as he scrambled back towards goal.
At the other end, busy midfielder Alexander Hleb and defender Emmanuel Eboue both had shots charged down before Henry rifled in a low inswinging drive which keeper Iker Casillas turned round for a corner.
Real turned on the pressure in the closing stages and there was nearly a dramatic finale when Casillas, caught at the other end for Real's final corner left his goal empty. Arsenal substitute Robert Pires pulled the trigger from just inside his own half but his shot was retrieved on the goalline by Roberto Carlos.
Arsenal had done enough, though, to become the only English team in Friday's quarter-final draw.
"I thought we had two good games, and it was another demonstration you can have a great 0-0. It was a great football game, both teams tried to attack at every opportunity," Wenger told Sky Sports.
"Something is happening in the team, they are growing and gelling together, they are very young but have shown great character."
Henry added: "We hit the bar, they hit the post, Jens made a magnificent save - that changed the game - but at the end of the day 0-0, we went through, maybe not in an Arsenal way but we are through.
"We know that we can do some great stuff but we also have to defend well as a team and we've done that.
Real coach Juan Ramon Lopez Caro told Spanish TV: "It's a big disappointment, but I'm proud of the players. They did all they could to turn the tie around.
"We had our chances but we just couldn't finish off. It was a combination of bad luck, good goalkeeping and poor finishing.
"Arsenal had their chances too and they did some excellent work as a unit."

By Mike Collett.

LONDON, (Reuters) - Liverpool's reign as European champions ended on Wednesday when they lost 2-0 at home to Benfica and went out of the Champions League 3-0 on aggregate.
AC Milan, the club they beat to win the European Cup in Istanbul last May, advanced to the quarter-finals with a 4-1 win over Bayern Munich for a 5-2 aggregate success.
Arsenal also reached the last eight after a goalless draw with Real Madrid at Highbury for a 1-0 aggregate victory.
Olympique Lyon avenged last season's quarter-final defeat to PSV Eindhoven by crushing the Dutch side 4-0 at home for a 5-0 aggregate win to enhance their claims as the dark horses.
Benfica, Milan, Arsenal and Lyon join Barcelona, Villarreal and Juventus, who all came through on Tuesday, in the last eight, while the final first knockout round tie between Inter Milan and Ajax Amsterdam will be decided in Milan next Tuesday.
Benfica, who had lost seven of their previous eight matches in England over the years, took the lead through Simao Sabrosa who was on the verge of joining Liverpool last summer before the move stalled as they refused to match Benfica's asking price.
He curled an unstoppable shot past Liverpool keeper Pepe Reina from 20 metres after 36 minutes. Fabrizio Miccoli added a second a minute from time.
Although Liverpool battled bravely to defend their crown and hit the post twice, they could find no way back into the tie after losing 1-0 in Lisbon two weeks ago.

NEW YORK (AFP) - Austrian energy drink manufacturer Red Bull, which purchased the Minardi Racing team last year, has reportedly agreed to purchase the MetroStars of Major League Soccer for 30 million dollars.
The New York Daily News reported Tuesday that the Anschutz Entertainment Group, which owns several clubs in the US football league, has agreed to sell the team for what would be a record price.
The deal might reach 50 million dollars, the News said, if naming rights to the new soccer-only stadium planned to open in New Jersey in 2008 are included. The MetroStars would leave Giants Stadium and empty seats for a smaller venue. German legend Franz Beckenbauer, boss of this year's World Cup Organizing Committee, played a key role in the talks, the newspaper said.

Rongen hired as U.S. Under-20 team coach.
CHICAGO (AP) -- Thomas Rongen has hired Tuesday as coach of the United States Under-20 men's soccer team, his second stint in the job. Rongen previously held the position from 2002-04, coaching the team to fifth place during the 2003 World Youth Championship in the United Arab Emirates. He has selected 23 players born after Jan. 1, 1987, for the team's first training camp this week in Sunrise, Fla. The U-20 World Cup wil be staged next year.
"I'm excited to return to U.S. Soccer as the Under-20 men's head coach," Rongen said. "My previous experience was very rewarding as we put together a fantastic run during the 2003 FIFA World Youth Championship. I am looking forward to building on that experience and to having the chance to continue the growth of U.S. Soccer."
Rongen, 49, has coached for seven years in Major League Soccer with the Tampa Bay Mutiny (1996), New England Revolution (1997-98), D.C. United (1999-2001) and Chivas USA (2005). He was MLS Coach of the Year in 1996, and won an MLS Cup with the United in 1999.

VILLARREAL, Spain, (Reuters) - Villarreal's maiden Champions League journey continued on Tuesday when a 1-1 draw with Rangers put them into the quarter-finals on away goals.
The Spanish club, who drew 2-2 in Glasgow in the first leg of the first knockout round two weeks ago, suffered a fright when Peter Lovenkrands put Rangers ahead after 12 minutes.
They struggled to create many clear chances against a fully-committed Rangers side, but grabbed the precious equaliser after 49 minutes when Rodolfo Arruabarrena fired home after Diego Forlan had cut the ball back.
Scottish champions Rangers, backed by a huge visiting army of fans in the Madrigal stadium, caused some anxious moments for the hosts in the closing stages but Villarreal held firm.
"This is a very important achievement for both the club and for the town of Villarreal," said Villarreal coach Manuel Pellegrini, whose impressive side are yet to lose a match in the competition.
"There are no limits to what this club can achieve. So far no one has shown themselves to be better than us on the pitch.
"Rangers made life difficult for us in the first half, but we responded well in the second and the most important thing was to get through."
A poor domestic season for Rangers has been partially redeemed by their European performances and manager Alex McLeish said he was proud of his players.
"It is difficult to speak just now, the players are shattered in there, they gave everything," McLeish, who will step down at Ibrox at the end of the season, told ITV.

REALLY PROUD
"We went for broke at the end and I'm really proud of the players. We took it right down to the wire and we had the opportunity to get an historic result in Rangers history."
Villarreal, who are appearing in the Champions League for the first time, were put on the back foot in the opening exchanges as Rangers began with real aggression.
After seven minutes striker Thomas Buffel rifled in a 12 metre shot after Lovenkrands knocked on a Chris Burke pass but Sebastian Viera made a fine save.
Five minutes later they did go ahead. Viera came out to deal with a through pass under pressure from Rangers skipper Barry Ferguson and the ball broke to Lovenkrands who calmly picked his spot to score.
Rangers defended solidly and looked capable of further goals, but they almost came unstuck just before the break when Forlan raced through on goal but Rangers' Dutch keeper Ronald Waterreus rescued his side with a block.
Villarreal, with Argentine playmaker Juan Roman Riquelme pulling the strings, started the second half brightly and the equaliser was not long in coming.
Riquelme sent Forlan away down the right and the Uruguayan's pull back was completely missed by Guillermo Franco but it ran on to Arruabarrena who made no mistake.
Franco then headed straight at Waterreus after 68 minutes before Rangers passed up their best chance to win the tie. Substitute Kris Boyd moved in towards the near post for a low ball from Burke only to touch it across the face of goal from a few metres out.

Rangers fans arrested amid violence in Spain.
MADRID, (Reuters) - Spanish police arrested eight Britons in the seaside resort of Benidorm after violence flared ahead of Tuesday's Champions League second-leg match between Villareal and Rangers, local media reported.
Police were not immediately available to comment.
Reports said groups of Scottish fans hurled stones, bottles and glass at police.
In a separate incident, one of the windows in the Villarreal team bus was broken as supporters threw bottles and shouted insults as the Spanish team approached the Madrigal stadium.
"The stoning of the bus by the Rangers fans didn't affect our players," said Villarreal coach Manuel Pellegrini. "It's a real shame that it occurred but in the end it didn't affect us."
Villarreal later went through to the quarter-finals on the away goals rule after a 1-1 draw with the Scottish club. The teams played out a 2-2 first-leg draw in Glasgow two weeks ago.

LONDON (Ticker) - Chelsea moved another step closer to retaining its English Premiership title with a gritty 2-1 win at West Bromwich Albion. Didier Drogba put Jose Mourinho's side in front at The Hawthorns, and Joe Cole doubled the lead before Kanu's late consolation made for a tense final few minutes.
However, Mourinho's afternoon was spoiled by Arjen Robben's red card for a careless lunge on an ill-tempered afternoon in the Black Country.
Arsenal produced a thrilling performance at Craven Cottage to beat Fulham, 4-0, and move up to fifth thanks to goals by captain Thierry Henry, Emmanuel Adebayor and substitute Cesc Fabregas.
In the 31st minute, Abou Diaby fed Henry, who beat Tony Warner coolly to open the scoring. Minutes later it was 2-0 thanks to Adebayor, whose clever run was found by Freddie Ljungberg's pass and the Togo international converted.
The Gunners were always in control and Henry added a deserved third in the 77th minute before Fabregas' simple 86th-minute strike.
Wigan Athletic suffered late heartbreak as an own goal from Pascal Chimbonda gifted Manchester United an undeserved 2-1 come-from-behind victory.
Paul Jewell's side appeared set to gain sweet revenge for their 4-0 Carling Cup final hammering at the hands of United eight days ago.
James Beattie was Everton's hero in the 79th minute as the Toffees came from behind twice to draw 2-2 at West Ham United.
Mark Viduka gave Middlesbrough a 1-0 victory over relegation battlers Birmingham after a dour first half at the Riverside. Viduka dribbled into the penalty area in the 45th minute before slotting past the sprawling Maik Taylor.
Newcastle earned its fourth Premiership win in five matches with a 3-1 victory at home to Bolton.
Struggling Portsmouth was its own worst enemy in a 1-0 loss to Aston Villa. Pompey's poor form was in evidence as Milan Baros gave home side Villa a deserved lead in the first half. As James Milner fired in a free-kick from the left, Baros was left completely uncovered as he converted comfortably. Sunday's finals saw Manchester City top Sunderland, 2-1, and Tottenham Hotspur edge Blackburn, 3-2.

By Erik Kirschbaum.

DUESSELDORF, Germany, (Reuters) - FIFA's chief medical officer said on Monday that all World Cup players will undergo extensive new pre-tournament cardiovascular tests but any decision to sideline anyone rests solely with the teams.
Jiri Dvorak told a news conference after meetings with the medical directors of all 32 teams coming to Germany for the June 9-July 9 tournament that FIFA wants to increase awareness and prevention of ailments that can lead to severe injury or death.
"It is not up to us as the organisers of the tournament to intervene in the diagnosis and treatment," Dvorak said.
"We cannot take over the responsibility of the doctors. What we will demand of the federations is that they examine their players and confirm the player is in good physical condition. It's up to the federations to decide whether a player is fit."
He said FIFA, which hopes the test will help prevent cardiac arrest or even death as happened in the 2003 Confederations Cup, will not publish any of the health warnings or medical details on any player because of doctor-patient confidentiality rules.
"We as an institution cannot interfere with a contract between a physician and a player," said Dvorak.
"FIFA can advise and educate but will not interfere. Our aim is to raise awareness for physicians so that they take their decisions."
There have been several deaths related to heart ailments recently. Cameroon's Marc-Vivien Foe collapsed and died in Confederations Cup match in 2003. Miklos Feher of Benfica died in 2004 and Hugo Cunha of Uniao Leiria in 2005.

RAISE AWARENESS
"We want to raise the awareness of that rare situation but one that does exist," Dvorak said, referring to undiagnosed heart problems that can strike down young and even the most physically fit soccer players at the height of their careers.
FIFA have announced that 125 defibrillators will be available at the 12 World Cup venues -- for heart emergencies involving players, staff and spectators.
"The national associations said they will sign declarations that all their players are in a physical condition that they can perform at the World Cup," Dvorak said.
He said that FIFA's battle against doping and drugs has been successful. With 22,000 doping tests per year worldwide, more soccer players were tested than in any other sport. Athletics followed with 19,000 and cycling was third with 13,000, he said.
There were only 0.05 percent positive tests -- and most of those for marijuana or cocaine. That is well below the positive test number for all sports of 0.5 percent, he said. The number of positive steroid tests worldwide the last two years was 24.
"We hope that we have informed players around the world that doping has no place in football," Dvorak said, noting the last two World Cups in 1998 and 2002 had no doping incidents.
The last positive test was in 1994 -- Argentina's Diego Maradona.
"We've explained it is difficult to enhance football performance (with doping). You need speed, endurance, coordination and balance. It's difficult to find substances that would account for all that. Team sports are less prone to doping abuses."
Dvorak said FIFA would conduct unannounced doping tests before the World Cup and two players per team chosen at random would be tested after each World Cup match.

GENOA, Italy (Ticker) - Juventus continued its march toward a 29th Serie A title by posting a hard-fought 1-0 road victory over Sampdoria at the Marassi.
A goal from Pavel Nedved in the 68th minute was the difference between the sides. However, Juve always appeared more likely to score against a Sampdoria side which saw its hopes of European competition next season take a hit.
Juve has 73 points and remains 10 points clear of second-place AC Milan, which got two late goals from Filippo Inzaghi in a 3-0 triumph over Empoli.
Roma's record-breaking run of 11 straight wins came to an end when Inter Milan salvaged a late 1-1 draw at Stadio Olimpico. Marco Materazzi grabbed a last-gasp equalizer for the Nerazzurri, which trailed for most of the game.
The giant defender headed home Luis Figo's cross to make amends for a mistake that led to Rodrigo Taddei's early opener. Just nine minutes were on the clock when Materazzi allowed himself to be easily muscled off the ball by Mancini, who set up Taddei for a straightforward finish.
Fiorentina took advantage to leapfrog the Giallorossi into fourth place - and the final UEFA Champions League spot - with a 2-1 victory over Siena. Substitute Giampaolo Pazzini tallied the injury-time winner for the Viola, which also moved within three points of third-place Inter.
Parma eased its relegation fears with a 1-0 triumph at Messina thanks to a goal seven minutes from time from Marco Bresciano.
Cagliari also earned a crucial 1-0 victory at Livorno to haul itself further clear of the drop zone. David Suazo scored the lone goal 15 minutes from time as Cagliari moved four points clear of 18th-place Empoli.
Lazio's disappointing campaign continued as it was held to a 2-2 draw at Chievo Verona.
Lecce climbed out of last place with a 2-0 victory over Palermo but still finds itself six points behind Messina for the last safe place in the standings.
Treviso fell to the bottom after Nicola Amoruso's injury-time goal condemned the hosts to a 1-0 loss to Reggina. Udinese and Ascoli played to a 1-1 draw.

LUCERNE, Switzerland (AP) -- Referees at the World Cup will eject players who elbow or tackle recklessly. A meeting of the governing body's International Football Association Board also approved yellow cards for shirt-pulling or holding an opponent, as well as for playing the ball after the referee's whistle.
"The stars of the tournament will serve as role models for hundreds of millions of other players around the world," FIFA president Sepp Blatter said. "So it is all the more important that Germany 2006 sets a positive example."
The tournament will be held June 9-July 9.
The IFAB meeting also agreed on further tests for goal-line technology to determine whether a goal has been scored, provided an immediate decision can be made. It approved the continuation of an experiment using computer chips inside balls, as well as a proposal by the Italian soccer association to use digital cameras.
The board also confirmed that players' uniforms must be composed of separate items -- shirt, shorts, socks, shin guards and shoes. Cameroon wore an all-in-one uniform at the 2004 African Cup of N