Bayern eliminates Arsenal

MUNICH (AP) ― Bayern Munich barely staved off an improbable comeback attempt by Arsenal and advanced in the Champions League despite a 2-0 loss Wednesday night, leaving England without a team in the quarterfinals for the first time in 17 years.While the Gunners’ win tied the home-and-home series 3-3, Bayern Munich advanced because of a 3-2 advantage in away goals.After losing the first leg 3-1 at home on Feb. 19, Arsenal went ahead on Olivier Giroud’s goal in the third minute. Laurent Koscielny

March 14, 2013

The great escape

BARCELONA (AP) ― Hailed as perhaps soccer’s greatest team ever, Barcelona faced a challenge no club had overcome: advancing in the Champions League after a 2-0 first-leg loss on the road.Lionel Messi & Co. came through in spectacular fashion with another record-setting night.Messi started the revival with a pair of first-half goals, and Barcelona overwhelmed AC Milan 4-0 Tuesday to reach its sixth straight Champions League quarterfinal with a 4-2 aggregate win.“It had been a long time since we h

March 13, 2013

Ronaldo tops soccer rankings

LONDON (AP) ― Cristiano Ronaldo surged to the top of the AP’s latest global soccer rankings on Tuesday, thanks to decisive goals for Real Madrid in La Liga and the Champions League.Ronaldo was awarded 153 points in the Associated Press survey of 16 global soccer journalists, comfortably beating Barcelona striker Lionel Messi, who earned 82 points, just six ahead of fellow Argentine Carlos Tevez of Manchester City.“Cristiano Ronaldo’s three goals in two games, one of them against Man United, earn

March 13, 2013

Chelsea rallies for 2-2 draw

LONDON (AP) ― Eden Hazard and Ramires scored second-half goals as defending Chelsea rallied for a 2-2 tie at Manchester United and forced a replay to determine which team will play Manchester City in the semifinals.Coming off Champions League elimination against Real Madrid on Tuesday, Manchester United built a 2-0 lead on goals by Javier Hernandez in the fifth minute and Wayne Rooney in the 11th. Hazard began the comeback when he scored in the 59th minute, and Ramires tied it nine minutes later

March 11, 2013

Chelsea fights back to draw at United in FA Cup

Chelsea staged a second-half fightback at Manchester United to earn 2-2 draw in the FA Cup on Sunday and force a replay to determine who plays Manchester City in the semifinals.Javier Hernandez and Wayne Rooney put United ahead 2-0 after just 11 minutes, but substitute Eden Hazard began Chelsea's comeback in the 59th and Ramires equalized seven minutes later. United manager Alex Ferguson blamed the collapse on fatigue in the wake of Tuesday's Champions League loss at home to Real Madrid. Chelsea

March 11, 2013

Tevez leads City into semis

LONDON (AP) ― Carlos Tevez put Manchester City on the road to Wembley with an FA Cup hat trick on Saturday, two days after being arrested for a driving offense.The Argentine forward also played a part in goals by Aleksandar Kolarov and David Silva as City routed Barnsley 5-0 to reach the semifinals.Tevez’s goals came while he is out on bail after being arrested on a charge of driving with a suspended license.“It is his problem ― not ours,” City manager Roberto Mancini said before quipping, “If i

March 10, 2013

Chung vows a better future

Chung Mong-gyu, a business executive and a former head of the country’s top pro football league, was inaugurated Thursday as the chief of the national football governing body, vowing to create a better and brighter future for new generations in the sport.Chung was elected as the head of the Korea Football Association in January. The chief executive of the construction firm Hyundai Development Co. had previously been the commissioner of the K League, which governs professional football in the cou

March 7, 2013

Real Madrid eliminates United in Champions League

Cristiano Ronaldo sent Real Madrid into the Champions League quarterfinals at the expense of his former club Manchester United by hitting his 40th goal of the season to clinch a 2-1 victory on Tuesday.The forward completed Madrid‘s comeback in the 69th minute to secure a 3-2 aggregate win after the Spanish champions took advantage of United being reduced to 10 men.“(United) were very aggressive, they were very well organized tactically and the match was very difficult for us,” Madrid manager Jos

March 6, 2013

Spurs beat Arsenal 2-1

LONDON (AP) ― Gareth Bale and Aaron Lennon scored in a three-minute span late in the first half, giving Tottenham a 2-1 win over visiting Arsenal on Sunday in a North London derby that could prove to be pivotal in the race for Champions League qualification.Bale put Tottenham ahead in the 37th minute when he beat an offside trap on a pass from Gylfi Sigurdsson and sent a left-footed shot past goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny for his 10th goal in eight games and 20th this season.Just 140 seconds late

March 4, 2013

Park left off national team for World Cup qualifier

Spain-based football striker Park Chu-young on Monday was left off of the national team roster for the upcoming FIFA World Cup qualifier, as South Korea tries to make its eighth consecutive appearance at the quadrennial tournament.Head coach Choi Kang-hee unveiled a team of 23 players, with 11 of them playing professionally overseas. Park, of Celta Vigo in Spain, wasn’t one of the 11.He hasn’t scored in Spain since November last year and remains stuck on three goals for the season. South Korea i

March 4, 2013

Beckham makes 1st start as PSG beats Marseille

PARIS (AP) ― David Beckham made his first start for Paris Saint-Germain, which advanced to the French Cup quarterfinals with a 2-0 win Wednesday night over rival Marseille.The 37-year-old midfielder made his PSG debut Sunday as a 76th-minute substitute in a 2-0 league win against Marseille. He played until the 86th minute in the cup match, leaving three minutes after receiving a yellow card for a confrontation and argument with Jordan Ayew.“I enjoyed it,” Beckham said. “I felt good. I have been

Feb. 28, 2013

Maradona appears to have a new girlfriend

Diego Maradona appears to have a new girlfriend. His ex-partner just gave birth to a baby he fathered. And the same ex-partner is also involved in a legal dispute with the Argentine football great‘s ex-wife.In the last few days local media have been awash with news and photos about a new woman in Maradona’s life, who has been identified as 22-year-old Rocio Geraldine Oliva.　Maradona, 52, has declined to confirm the relationship _ but he also hasn‘t denied it. A photo of Maradona holding a poster

Feb. 28, 2013