LONDON (AP) ― Chelsea kept its three-point lead at the midpoint of the Premier League season Sunday despite a 1-1 draw at fourth-place Southampton.Chelsea benefited from a collapse by defending champion Manchester City, which squandered a 2-0 lead at home to draw 2-2 with 19th-place Burnley.Chelsea yielded a goal in the 17th minute as Sadio Mane raced onto a pass from Dusan Tadic and lifted the ball over goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. Eden Hazard struck for Chelsea just before halftime, running on

Dec. 29, 2014

LONDON (AP) ― Crystal Palace fired Neil Warnock after only four months in charge on Saturday, becoming the first English Premier League manager to lose his job this season.The 66-year-old Warnock’s second spell in charge of Palace ended with the London club in the relegation zone after just one win in 12 Premier League matches.Palace said that Warnock’s assistant, Keith Millen, will be in charge for Sunday’s game against Queens Park Rangers as caretaker manager.One of the most outspoken, colorfu

Dec. 28, 2014

GUANGZHOU, China (AFP) ― China on Saturday said it does not have the “best chance” to win the 2015 Asian Cup, held in Australia in January, after its 23-man squad was unveiled.“We are not the favorite, we do not have the best chance,” China’s head coach Alain Perrin said in response to a question from AFP.“What I know is that the players are ready to give the best they can,” Perrin said, adding that “anything was possible.” China survived a scare before scraping into the Asian Cup on goal differ

Dec. 28, 2014

MANCHESTER, England (AP) ― There is a very different feel to Christmas Day at Liverpool this season. Twelve months ago, Liverpool was top of the Premier League ― always a significant milestone in the English game ― and playing the most exciting brand of football in the country. With striker Luis Suarez pouring in goals and Brendan Rodgers being hailed for his managerial qualities, the club was gearing up for its first genuine title challenge for years. There is little to celebrate this Christmas

Dec. 26, 2014

The South Korean men's national football team will begin its quest for the elusive AFC Asian Cup title on Saturday, with an eclectic mix of veterans and neophytes hoping to end the country's long drought at the top continental competition.   The 2015 Asian Cup will kick off Jan. 9 in Australia. According to the Korea Football Association (KFA), South Korea, coached by former German international Uli Stielike, will leave for Sydney on Saturday and set up its base camp there.   Stielike unveiled S

Dec. 26, 2014

LONDON (AP) ― John Terry got away from American Geoff Cameron to score his first league goal since December 2013, helping Chelsea win 2-0 at Stoke on Monday night to restore a three-point lead atop the Premier League.Terry outjumped Cameron 95 seconds in to score with a header off Cesc Fabregas’ corner kick, giving Terry goals in 15 consecutive Premier League seasons. Fabregas doubled the lead in the 78th when he scored from 8 meters off a pass from Eden Hazard.Chelsea could have had another goa

Dec. 23, 2014

Lee Jae-myung, owner of the South Korean football club Seongnam FC recently disciplined for his public criticism of officiating, said Tuesday he has withdrawn his appeal against an earlier penalty, a surprise announcement that came only hours before the national pro football body was to hold a meeting to review his punishment.Earlier this month, Lee received a “warning,” the most lenient penalty meted out by the K League, after he complained about the quality of officiating in the first division

Dec. 23, 2014

Bayer Leverkusen winger Son Heung-min on Tuesday was named the top South Korean male football player of 2014.Son earned the annual Korea Football Association (KFA) honors for the second straight year. The 22-year-old dynamo has netted 11 goals in 26 matches so far this season in the Bundesliga, the DFB-Pokal Cup and the UEFA Champions League. With the Bundesliga in its midseason break, Son is well on his way to shattering his career-best mark of 12 goals set last season.Thanks in no small part t

Dec. 23, 2014

Lee Jae-myung, owner of the South Korean football club Seongnam FC recently disciplined for his public criticism of officiating, said Tuesday he has withdrawn his appeal against an earlier penalty, a surprise announcement that came only hours before the national pro football body was to hold a meeting to review his punishment.Earlier this month, Lee received a "warning," the most lenient penalty meted out by the K League, after he complained about the quality of officiating in the first division

Dec. 23, 2014

When the South Korean men's football team for the AFC Asian Cup tournament was unveiled on Monday, Lee Jeong-hyeop, a virtually unknown forward, was easily the biggest surprise.Hours after the announcement, the 23-year-old player for the domestic military club Sangju Sangmu said he was taken aback by the news himself."I am going to do my best to fulfill my responsibility," Lee said.Head coach Uli Stielike chose the unproven Lee, who has yet to play in an international match, in favor of veteran

Dec. 22, 2014

Injuries and inconsistent performances have proven costly for veterans of the South Korean World Cup squad, as they were left off the 23-man roster for the AFC Asian Cup announced on Monday.Head coach Uli Stielike unveiled the squad for the Jan. 9-31 continental tournament at a press conference. Of the 23, 12 players had also represented the country at the FIFA World Cup in Brazil in June, when the country stumbled to a draw and two losses for a quick exit.Stielike made a surprise selection on o

Dec. 22, 2014

There were few surprises as South Korea on Monday announced its 23-man roster for the AFC Asian Cup, the continent's largest football tournament scheduled to kick off next month in Australia.Head coach Uli Stielike, who once said he could make some picks that could catch people off guard, instead took the safer route, assigning some familiar faces the task of ending South Korea's 55-year drought at the Asian Cup.There will be 16 nations at the Asian Cup, divided into four groups of four. South K

Dec. 22, 2014