Five things happening around the world:
1Galaxy Coach Ruud Gullit has made his first significant foreign signing by bringing former Nigerian international defender and 1996 Olympic gold medalist Celestine Babayaro to Los Angeles on a three-year contract.
Babayaro, 29, is a left back and probably will take the place of Canadian international Ante Jazic, who underwent right ankle surgery this month and will be sidelined from four to six months.
The move also will allow Gullit to move Mike Randolph, who had an impressive rookie season as Jazic’s understudy in 2007, into a more attacking position in left midfield.
A starter on the Nigeria team that won the gold medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, Babayaro signed the next year with Chelsea, staying with the club for seven seasons and becoming a fan favorite for his celebratory back-flips.
In 2005, he was transferred to Newcastle United and was a starter there until being released in December. A member of Nigeria’s squad at the 1998 and 2002 World Cups, Babayaro was captain of Nigeria’s team at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
In other Major League Soccer developments, former Galaxy forward Joseph Ngwenya, 26, has left the league-champion Houston Dynamo to sign with SK Austria Karnten, and Chivas USA has acquired veteran defender Jim Curtin, 28, from the Chicago Fire in exchange for a conditional draft pick in 2010.
Also, Argentine playmaker Marcelo Gallardo of the French club Paris St. Germain reportedly has spurned offers from San Lorenzo in Argentina and is said to be moving to MLS, with D.C. United his most likely destination. On Tuesday, D.C. United acquired Argentine forward Franco Niell, 24, on a one-year loan from Argentinos Junior.
2Pia Sundhage made a winning start as the U.S. women’s national team coach, sweeping past Canada, Finland and China in her first three games in charge to win the Four Nations Tournament in China. But the pressure is on the Swede to get the U.S. through the six-nation Olympic regional qualifying tournament in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, April 2-13, and then to retain the Olympic title won in Athens four years ago.
“It depends where we are on the podium,” Sunil Gulati, president of U.S. Soccer, said half-jokingly of Sundhage’s prospects for being offered a long-term contract after the Olympics.
3The U.S. will decide by June 1 whether to bid for the World Cup in 2018, Gulati said, adding that the final decision will be based on whether there is a realistic chance of the bid being successful. Other countries that already have expressed interest in playing host in 2018 are England, Australia, China, Mexico, Greece, Russia and a joint bid by Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg.
South Africa will stage the 2010 World Cup, and the 2014 event has been awarded to Brazil.
4Defending men’s Olympic champion Argentina has appointed Sergio Batista as its coach for this year’s Games, and the former World Cup and Copa Libertadores winner is under orders to bring the gold back from Beijing.
The distinctively bearded Batista, who starred alongside Diego Maradona on Argentina’s 1986 World Cup-winning squad, could be in for a battle getting his high-priced young players released by their European clubs. Among them are Barcelona’s Lionel Messi, Atletico Madrid’s Sergio Aguero, Valencia’s Ever Banega, Real Madrid’s Fernando Gago and Gonzalo Higuain, Getafe’s Oscar Ustari, Sevilla’s Federico Fazio and Birmingham City’s Mauro Zarate.
Batista’s Argentine Olympic team-in-the-making will play Guatemala on Feb. 6 at the Coliseum.
5In an agreement that probably will have worldwide impact, FIFA and UEFA, the governing bodies of world and European soccer, have agreed to pay $252 million over the next six years as compensation to clubs whose players take part in the World Cup and the European Championship.
The precedent probably will have clubs around the globe seeking the same treatment from FIFA and their regional confederations. The Galaxy, for instance, theoretically could seek compensation from FIFA and CONCACAF every time Landon Donovan plays in a World Cup or Gold Cup game.
--
(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)
MAKING THEIR PITCH
Claude Le Roy, coach of African Nations Cup host Ghana, on the appalling state of the playing surface at Sunday’s tournament opener in Accra:
‘In more than 20 years in Africa it’s the worst pitch I have ever seen in my career. It’s no better than a potato field.’
--
TOP U.S. SCORERS
Landon Donovan became the U.S. national team’s all-time scoring leader Saturday with a goal against Sweden in Carson. The all-time top 14 for the American squad after 92 years and 500 games:
*--* Player Club G Timeline Landon Donovan Galaxy 35 2000-08 Eric Wynalda Retired 34 1990-00 Brian McBride Fulham-a 30 1993-06 Joe-Max Moore Retired 24 1992-02 Bruce Murray Retired 21 1985-93 Earnie Stewart Retired 17 1990-04 Cobi Jones Retired 15 1992-04 DaMarcus Beasley Rangers-b 15 2001-07 Marcelo Balboa Retired 13 1988-00 Hugo Perez Retired 13 1984-94 Frank Klopas Retired 12 1987-96 Clint Mathis Ergotelis-c 12 1998-05 Peter Vermes Retired 11 1988-98 Eddie Johnson KC Wizards 11 2004-07 *--*
a-England; b-Scotland; c-Greece
--
STAT OF THE WEEK
Seven seconds was all it took Sunday for striker Joseba Llorente, above, of Valladolid to score in a home game against Espanyol. Llorente’s goal became the fastest ever scored in the 80-year history of the Spanish league.
