Brazil, Spain Will Play in Under-17 Title Game
Brazil and Spain scored contrasting semifinal victories Wednesday to advance to Saturday’s title game of the FIFA Under-17 World Championship in Finland.
Brazil, unbeaten in five tournament games, shut out Colombia in an all-South American semifinal, with forward Abuda scoring both goals in Ratina Stadium at Tampere, Finland.
“Colombia is always a ferocious opponent,” Coach Paqueta said. “They always attack. Tonight we will celebrate our victory and tomorrow we will worry about which team we meet in the final.”
That would be Spain, which defeated Argentina, 3-2, in overtime in the other semifinal. The winning goal -- his second of the match -- was scored by Cesc in the 117th minute after the Spanish team fought back from a 2-0 deficit.
Goals by Lucas Biglia and Ezequiel Garay had given Argentina a two-goal lead by halftime, but Cesc, a 16-year-old Barcelona youth player, cut the deficit in half, Jurado tied it and Cesc scored the extra-time winner.
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Beckham Replies
English midfielder David Beckham, savagely criticized by the Spanish media after some lackluster performances for Real Madrid, scored in his home debut at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium as Real Madrid shut out Mallorca, 3-0, to win the Spanish Super Cup, 4-2, on aggregate.
Beckham’s goal, on a header in the 73rd minute, was greeted with cheers by the crowd of 50,000 and the player, who cost Real Madrid $40 million this summer when he made the move from Manchester United, was more than a little relieved.
“To get a headed goal is special for me,” he said. “I can’t remember the last time it happened.”
Raul and Ronaldo scored Real Madrid’s first and second goals.
Carlos Queiroz, Real Madrid’s Portuguese coach, advised critics to give Beckham time to settle in with his new team.
“You have to remember that players are human beings, not machines,” he said. “It’s difficult for a player to leave his country. It’s not easy to change, but little by little things get better.”
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Americans Make News
Three members of the U.S. national team were in the news for various reasons in England.
The Daily Mail reported that Tottenham Hotspur wants to sign Leeds United and aspiring England national team goalkeeper Paul Robinson to provide some competition for starter Kasey Keller, despite the American goalkeeper’s shutout of Liverpool over the weekend.
At Liverpool, Everton Coach David Moyes, who made good use of U.S. striker Brian McBride on loan last season, joined the chase for U.S. captain Claudio Reyna, the Sunderland midfielder who also is being pursued by Fulham and Blackburn Rovers.
In English Premier League games Wednesday, Manchester United got another shutout from American Tim Howard as it defeated Wolves, 1-0, to regain the joint top spot in the league with Arsenal, which beat Aston Villa, 2-0.
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A Double Scotch
Scottish soccer enjoyed a rare night of twin successes as its two Glasgow giants, Celtic and Rangers, advanced to the lucrative group stage of the European Champions League.
Celtic shut out Hungary’s MKT, 1-0, on a Chris Sutton goal to go through, 5-0, on aggregate, and Rangers traveled to Denmark to defeat FC Copenhagen, 2-1, and advance, 3-2, on aggregate. Mikel Arteta and Shota Arveladze scored for Rangers.
Teams that reach the final 32 of Europe’s top club competition are guaranteed at least $16 million.
Also advancing to the group stage, for which the draw will be held today at Monaco, were AEK Athens, Ajax Amsterdam, Lazio, FC Brugge, Galatasaray, Dinamo Zagreb, Lokomotiv Moscow, Partizan Belgrade, Olympique Marseille and Celta de Vigo.
Four other teams -- Chelsea, Deportivo La Coruna, Sparta Prague and Anderlecht -- advanced Tuesday, and Europe’s 16 top teams from the 2002-03 season went directly into the group stage without having to qualify.
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Diego to Stay
Diego, the teenage midfielder who helped Santos win the Brazilian championship last season and who is regarded as one of Brazil’s hottest international prospects, has agreed to remain with the club until 2005.
The announcement regarding the future of the 18-year-old was made by Marcelo Teixeira, the club’s president.
“We have to fight for our idols to stay and Diego is, without a shadow of doubt, one of the idols of this club,” Teixeira said on the team’s Web site.
“All Brazilian clubs have financial problems and Santos is no different. However, we realize that it’s time for the Santos support to grow again to ensure our financial future. That’s why it’s important he stays.”
Diego, who joined Santos at 11, had been rumored on his way to Tottenham Hotspur in England.
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Spanish Moves
Albacete, newly promoted to the Spanish first division, signed Uruguayan international striker Antonio Pacheco from Inter Milan on loan for the season, which begins Saturday.... Valencia Coach Rafael Benitez dropped striker John Carew, leaving the Norwegian international free to find another team.... Former Spanish international striker Pedro Muntis will join Deportivo La Coruna on loan from Real Madrid.... Another former Real Madrid player, veteran defender Fernando Hierro, 35, has joined Al Rayyan of Qatar on a reported one-year, $3.3-million contract, and former Barcelona standout Pep Guardiola, 32, has joined another Qatari team, Al Ahli, on a reported one-year, $2.2-million deal.
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Times wire services contributed to this report.
