Soccer News

ROME (AFP) - Inter Milan defender Nelson Rivas faces surgery this week on the right knee injury he picked up in Saturday's Serie A game against Bologna.

BRUSSELS (AFP) - Sepp Blatter has expressed his concern over the influx of foreign investors snapping up English Premier League clubs.

LONDON - Defending champion Tottenham will have to get past seven-time winner Liverpool to reach the League Cup quarterfinals.

LONDON (AFP) - Luiz Felipe Scolari expects John Terry to play through the pain barrier in England's World Cup qualifiers as the Chelsea defender struggles to shake off a back injury.

LONDON - Texas businessman Ellis Short bought a significant stake in Sunderland, the English Premier League told The Associated Press on Friday.

NEWCASTLE, England (AFP) - The Nigerian consortium bidding to buy Newcastle has warned the Premier League crisis-club that they are ready to look elsewhere if a deal isn't completed soon.

BORDEAUX, France - Ukraine and Poland will remain co-hosts of the 2012 European Championship, but European soccer's governing body warned they could lose the tournament if preparations fall behind schedule.

LONDON (AFP) - Michael Owen can still reignite his England career despite being snubbed by Fabio Capello, according to one of the Italian's assistants.

GLASGOW, Scotland - Dominic Cervi will become the fourth American in the Scottish Premier League after agreeing to join Celtic.

MANCHESTER (AFP) - Dirk Kuyt scored an injury-time winner as Liverpool fought from 2-0 down to claim a dramatic 3-2 victory against ten-man Manchester City at Eastlands on Sunday.

BORDEAUX, France - UEFA has agreed to expand the European Championship to 24 teams starting in 2016.

ROME (AFP) - AS Roma plunged further into crisis after suffering a 1-0 defeat at Siena on Sunday and having both their centre-backs dismissed.

ZURICH, Switzerland - Georgia was cleared to host World Cup qualifiers again, with soccer's governing body saying Tuesday the country is safe to resume play

LIVERPOOL (AFP) - Damien Duff stopped the rot for Newcastle as his second half equaliser earned a 2-2 draw at Everton on Sunday.

BAGHDAD - Iraq's national soccer team has resumed training in Baghdad for the first time since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003. The decision reflects improved security in the country.

BARCELONA (AFP) - Veteran striker Raul Gonzalez scored twice but Real Madrid still lost ground in the Spanish title race after they were held at home 2-2 by Espanyol on Sunday.

LONDON (AFP) - Hull inflicted more misery on beleaguered Tottenham boss Juande Ramos as Geovanni's stunning strike clinched a 1-0 win at White Hart Lane on Sunday.

NEW YORK - Kristine Lilly will play for Boston, Abby Wambach will be in Washington and Hope Solo will suit up for St. Louis in the new Women's Professional Soccer league.

PORTSMOUTH (AFP) - England's little and large strike combination Peter Crouch and Jermain Defoe scored the goals that saw Portsmouth beat visitors Stoke City 2-1 at Fratton Park on Sunday.

BERLIN (AFP) - Hamburg's Croatia international Mladen Petric scored a last-minute winner in a 2-1 victory at Energie Cottbus on Sunday to move the club three points clear at the top of the German league table.

LONDON (AFP) - Michael Owen was overlooked once again by England manager Fabio Capello when the squad for the forthcoming World Cup qualifiers against Kazakhstan and Belarus was announced on Sunday.

PARIS (AFP) - Seven-times reigning French league champions Lyon were thrashed 3-0 by Rennes on Sunday for their first defeat of the season following a Mickael Pagis hat-trick.

DOHA (AFP) - Newly-installed Qatar coach Bruno Metsu has assured his Gulf underdogs they can shock mighty Australia in their World Cup showdown in Brisbane as long as they stay cool.

GLASGOW (AFP) - Rangers lost to lowly St Mirren for the first time in 17 years as Stephen McGinn's late goal clinched a 1-0 win at Love Street on Sunday.

LONDON (AFP) - West Ham goalkeeper Robert Green dropped two clangers to gift Bolton a 3-1 win at Upton Park on Sunday.

LONDON (AFP) - Newcastle boss Joe Kinnear has blamed his extraordinary, expletive-laden attack on sections of the press on "sickening" reports that have proved "soul-destroying" to him and his family.

LIVERPOOL, England (AFP) - Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry admitted on Sunday that the Premier League club's new stadium will not be built until the global credit crunch eases.

STUTTGART, Germany (AFP) - Bayern Munich's 3-3 draw with lowly VfL Bochum is a catastrophe for the struggling defending Bundesliga champions, said former Germany star Matthias Sammer on Sunday.

LONDON (AFP) - David Beckham's role with England appears to be shifting towards mentor rather than chief tormentor after manager Fabio Capello heralded the arrival of new national hero Theo Walcott and suggested he is the future.

SUNDERLAND, England (AFP) - Frustrated Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger called for the use of tennis-style challenges to combat dodgy decisions by blundering referees.