Mexican Team Making Move to Invest in MLS
A vice president of Mexico’s wealthiest and most popular team, Club America, was quoted Thursday as saying he expected the club to complete an agreement to invest in Major League Soccer within the next two weeks.
Alejandro de Haro told the Record, a Mexican newspaper, that the Mexico City club could become a partner of the Anschutz Entertainment Group as joint operators of the MLS champion San Jose Earthquakes.
There are, however, significant hurdles to be overcome first, judging by comments on either side of the border.
“We have had conversations with Club America,” Tim Leiweke, AEG’s president and chief executive, told the Record. “It involves joining us in this partnership. It does not involve changing the name of the team, moving the team or getting AEG out of the team in any way. It is not our intention or their intention to make it an all-Mexican team [or] to make it a developmental team.... Whether or not Club America comes in, the San Jose Earthquakes will be called the San Jose Earthquakes.”
Not necessarily, said De Haro.
“The team will be called America USA,” he told the Record, “and obviously wear the uniform we would like.
“We have still not signed a contract, but these details have been discussed and if we reach the agreement we’re expecting, of course we will manage the team as we see fit.
“Regarding the closing of the deal, it depends on legal issues, but if we are talking timelines, in the next 15 days we have to wrap up the matter.”
Copa Libertadores
Club America clinched Mexico’s second berth in the Copa Libertadores, South America’s most prestigious club tournament, Wednesday night with a 2-1 victory over Atlas in front of 65,000 fans at Estadio Jalisco in Guadalajara.
Coach Leo Beenhakker’s team had won the first leg of the two-game series by the same score in Mexico City last week, and will play Sao Caetano of Brazil, The Strongest of Bolivia and Penarol of Uruguay in the first round of the Copa Libertadores.
Carlos Maria Morales gave Atlas the lead in the first half Wednesday, but Reinaldo Navia first tied the game for Club America in the second half and then scored the winner.
Santos Laguna also will represent Mexico in the Copa, playing Cruzeiro of Brazil, Universidad de Concepcion of Chile and Caracas FC of Venezuela in the first round.
Van Nistelrooy Signs
Dutch striker Ruud Van Nistelrooy, who has scored 98 goals in 127 games for Manchester United since joining the English Premier League champion in 2001, signed a new contract that will keep him at United until June 30, 2008.
Van Nistelrooy, 27, will earn a reported $162,000 a week under the new deal.
He was acquired from PSV Eindhoven for $34.46 million in April of 2001 and was the Premier League’s top scorer last season with 25 goals as he led United to its second title since he joined the team.
He has also been the top scorer in the European Champions League in each of the last two seasons.
Stamp of Approval
Two of Sweden’s most illustrious former players, Nils Liedholm and Thomas Ravelli, will be among six players honored on postage stamps as part of the celebration of the Swedish Football Assn.’s centenary.
Liedholm played on Sweden’s silver-medal-winning team in the 1958 World Cup. Ravelli was the starting goalkeeper on the Swedish team that finished third at the 1994 World Cup.
The identities of the four other players will be revealed in March.
Quick Passes
The Columbus Crew signed defender Eric Denton through the 2005 MLS season and named John Murphy as assistant coach under Coach Greg Andrulis.
The Dallas Burn announced that it would hold ground-breaking ceremonies for its planned 20,000-seat stadium in the Dallas suburb of Frisco, Texas, on Feb. 18.
Honduras Coach Bora Milutinovic said he would call D.C. United player Milton Reyes into camp for a game against Lithuania in Tegucigalpa Feb. 18.
Defending African and Olympic champion Cameroon got a hat trick from Patrick Mboma and came from behind to beat Zimbabwe, 5-3, as the African Nations Cup continued in Mali. Algeria upset Egypt, 2-1, on goals by Mamar Mamouni and Hocine Achiou.
Peruvian international winger Nolberto Solano, 29, has joined Aston Villa from Newcastle United for a reported $2.73 million.
Chelsea, which will be without midfielder Juan Sebastian Veron for at least three months after the Argentine international underwent back surgery, is in talks to sign Charlton Athletic midfielder Scott Parker.
Former Barcelona and Real Madrid coach Radomir Antic has taken over as coach of relegation-threatened Celta Vigo in Spain.
Times wire services contributed to this report.
