Cagliari Fan Delivers Game Another Blow
Italian soccer received another black eye -- not to mention a knockout blow -- Sunday when a couple of fans invaded the field during Cagliari’s home match against Messina and attacked Messina goalkeeper Emanuele Manitta.
One fan punched Manitta, knocking him senseless. The goalkeeper was carried off the field and was reported in stable condition at a local hospital.
The Serie B game was abandoned with less than 10 minutes remaining and Messina leading, 1-0. Police were questioning 10 Cagliari fans and were examining video footage to identify the main culprit after he fled back into the crowd.
Cagliari club officials condemned the act but will probably be fined by the league or federation.
France Qualifies
France became the eighth team to claim a place in the 16-nation FIFA Women’s World Cup in China next year when it defeated England, 1-0, in Saint-Etienne on a 54th-minute goal by its captain, Corinne Diacre, in front of 24,000 at the Stade Geoffrey Guichard.
The French had shut out England, 1-0, in the first game of the two-match playoff in England, on a goal by Marinette Pichon, and Saturday’s victory assured “Les Bleus” of joining Canada, host China, Germany, Norway, Russia, Sweden and the defending champion United States in the Sept. 24-Oct. 11 world championship.
Pumas Advance
A hat trick by Uruguayan striker Rodrigo Lemos earned UNAM a 4-1 victory over Atlante in the Mexican league Sunday and qualified Pumas for the eight-team playoffs.
Coach Hugo Sanchez’s team is the fourth team to secure its playoff place, joining Toluca, Club America and Morelia.
Meanwhile, Paraguayan striker Jose Cardozo of Toluca scored his seventh goal in the last three games as Toluca beat San Luis, 3-1.
Canada Qualifies
Canada’s under-20 national team scored three second-half goals to defeat the United States, 3-2, at Charleston, S.C. on Sunday to qualify for the FIFA World Youth Championship in the United Arab Emirates in March.
The U.S., which already had qualified, fell behind as Iain Hume scored twice and Chris Lemire once during a 16-minute Canadian blitz. The U.S. responded with goals from Frank Simek and Ed Johnson, but Canada prevailed.
Libyan Lazio?
With Italian Serie A team Lazio of Rome on the brink of insolvency because of its parent company’s failure, the son of Libyan leader Moammar Kadafi is considering a rescue bid.
“The Libyan authority is evaluating a bid to buy the majority share in Lazio,” a spokesman for Al Saadi Kadafi said Sunday.
