Time on Their Side After Elimination
Argentina’s Juan Sebastian Veron, England’s David Beckham and Ireland’s Roy Keane will have more time to recover from their assorted injuries and be ready for the World Cup now that Manchester United has been eliminated from the European Champions League.
Bayer Leverkusen of Germany held United to a 1-1 tie Tuesday and advanced to the May 15 final in Glasgow, Scotland, on the strength of the away goals it scored in Manchester in a 2-2 tie last week in the first match of the two-game semifinal series.
A goal by Keane in the 28th minute gave United the lead, but Germany national team striker Oliver Neuville tied it before halftime and Leverkusen, which includes American defender Frankie Hejduk in its ranks, was able to hold for the tie.
Bayer Leverkusen will meet either Real Madrid or Barcelona in the final. The Spanish clubs play their second semifinal game today in Madrid. Real won the first, 2-0, in Barcelona last week.
*
Bayer Leverkusen’s success came at a high cost. Defender Jens Nowotny suffered suspected ligament damage in his knee in a clash with United’s Dutch striker Ruud van Nistelrooy and could be lost to Germany’s World Cup team.
*
Spain lost midfielder Pep Guardiola for the World Cup after tests Tuesday revealed the extent of an injury he suffered while playing for Brescia against Juventus in the Italian league Sunday.
“He has suffered damage to his collateral ligament and will be out until the end of July,” a Brescia spokesman said.
*
The U.S. team gathers today in Cary, N.C., for a 10-day camp and Coach Bruce Arena was asked Tuesday whether Kasey Keller or Brad Friedel will be his starting goalkeeper. “To tell you the truth, I’m not spending a second thinking about it,” Arena said.
Latin America
Oscar Ruggeri resigned as coach of Guadalajara in the Mexican league after an indifferent season. Ruggeri, the captain of Argentina’s 1986 World Cup-winning team, compiled a 15-12-18 record while in charge of Chivas.
Former Guadalajara players Fernando Quirarte and Jose Manuel de la Torre are among the favorites to take charge of the club.
*
Paraguay midfielder Guido Alvarenga, who plays for Leon in the Mexican league, has fully recovered after an appendicitis operation and is ready to rejoin the national team. Paraguay will train for a week in Montecatini, Italy, starting next week, and will play Sweden in Stockholm on May 17 before leaving for the World Cup.
Asia
South Korea Coach Guus Hiddink named a squad of 23 players--his probable World Cup team--for a May 16 game against Scotland in Pusan.
Included on the roster is Cha Doo-ri, the 21-year-old son of Cha Bum-keun, who played for South Korea in the 1986 World Cup in Mexico.
