U.S. Gets Victory in Youth Play
The United States and Canada scored 2-0 victories over Haiti and El Salvador, respectively, as regional qualifying play began Wednesday in Charleston, S.C., for the 2003 FIFA World Youth Championship in the United Arab Emirates.
The top two finishers in the four-nation group will advance to the March world championship. Mexico and Panama qualified earlier from another four-team group.
The U.S. took the lead in the 26th minute when Dallas Burn striker Eddie Johnson controlled a Justin Mapp pass from the left wing with his chest, then fired the ball past Haitian goalkeeper Ronel St. Louis from 14 yards.
It was Johnson’s defense-splitting pass that paved the way for the second U.S. goal, scored in the 43rd minute by D.C. United forward Santino Quaranta. Later in the match, Quaranta broke the small finger on his left hand, leaving his status in doubt for Friday’s game with El Salvador.
Champions League
Newcastle United of England, Deportivo La Coruna of Spain and Lokomotiv Moscow of Russia secured the final three places in the second round of the European Champions League.
Newcastle did so in history-making fashion, becoming the first club to lose its first three [of eight first-round] games and still reach the final 16. A goal by Welsh striker Craig Bellamy in injury time earned Coach Bobby Robson’s team a 3-2 victory over Feyenoord in Rotterdam and knocked the Dutch team out of the competition.
Lokomotiv advanced by defeating Bruges of Belgium, 2-0, while Deportivo clinched its place with a 2-1 victory over AC Milan in Italy.
The draw dividing the final 16 teams into four groups of four for second-round play will be held Friday in Geneva, Switzerland.
Schiaffino Dies
Striker Juan A. Schiaffino, whose second-half goal in the 1950 World Cup final helped Uruguay to a 2-1 upset victory over host Brazil in front of an estimated 199,000 fans at Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, has died at age 78.
His death was confirmed by officials at Penarol, his former club in Uruguay, but no other details were released. Regarded as one of his country’s top forwards in the 1940s and 1950s, Schiaffino later played for AC Milan in Italy.
Coelho to China?
China is considering hiring former Portugal national team coach Humberto Coelho as a replacement for Bora Milutinovic, who coached China into the World Cup for the first time but resigned after Korea/Japan ’02.
Coelho, who led Portugal to the semifinals of the European Championship in 2000 and later coached Morocco, met with Chinese soccer federation officials in Paris on Wednesday, according to the Portuguese daily newspaper A Bola.
Lazio for Sale
One of Italy’s most prestigious clubs, Lazio of Rome, was put up for sale by the company that owns a 51% stake in the team.
Cirio, a canned foods company with operations in Brazil, Greece, Portugal and South Africa, as well as Italy, has defaulted on more than $150 million in bonds and trading in the company’s shares has been suspended.
It is restructuring in order to get out of debt, and selling the Serie A team is one of the moves recommended by bankers.
Hong Farewell
Newly acquired Galaxy defender Hong Myung-Bo was one of 20 players selected by acting coach Kim Ho-Kon to play for South Korea in a Nov. 20 game against Brazil at Seoul World Cup Stadium.
The game will mark the final national team appearance for striker Hwang Sun-Hong and for Hong, who plays for the Pohang Steelers in the K-League and will join the Galaxy at the end of the Korean season.
