Tunisia Withdraws Bid
Tunisia withdrew its bid for the 2010 World Cup after FIFA rejected its proposal to co-host soccer’s premier tournament with Libya.
The decision leaves South Africa as the favorite, trailed by Morocco and Egypt. It was unclear if Libya remained as an individual contender.
The host, selected from a slate of all-African candidates, will be determined Saturday in a vote by the 24-member executive committee of soccer’s governing body.
FIFA President Joseph “Sepp” Blatter told Associated Press on Saturday he spoke by phone a day earlier with Tunisian Football Assn. President Hamouda Ben Ammar, who said his nation was out.
“They will only be a candidate if there is a possibility of co-hosting,” Blatter said.
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U.S. Plays Mexico
Mia Hamm and members of the U.S. women’s soccer team were greeted by fans at the Albuquerque airport in anticipation of today’s exhibition game against Mexico.
The game is the second in a six-game exhibition sweep across the country for the U.S. women as they tune up for this summer’s Athens Olympics.
Mexico, winless in 12 games against the U.S., is headed to its first Olympics.
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European Roundup
Werder Bremen defeated Bayern Munich, 3-1, to dethrone the defending champion and clinch its first German Bundesliga title since 1993.
Ivan Klasnic, Johan Micoud and Ailton scored in the first half at Munich to secure Bremen’s title with two games to play.
In England, Chelsea clinched second place in the Premier League with a 1-1 tie at Manchester United to gain a spot in the regular phase of the Champions League.
Jesper Gronkjaer scored for Chelsea in the 19th minute and Ruud van Nistelrooy tied the score in the 77th. Chelsea has 76 points and United 72 with one game left, meaning Chelsea can join unbeaten Arsenal as the automatic qualifier. United will finish third.
In Spain, Cameroon striker Samuel Eto’o scored twice to lift Mallorca to a 3-2 victory at Real Madrid, which has lost four of its last five games.
Valencia can clinch the title with a victory today at Seville.
In Athens, Cyprus striker Michalis Constantinou scored two second-half goals to help Panathinaikos Athens beat Olympiakos Piraeus, 3-1, in the Greek Cup final. It was the 16th Cup title for Panathinaikos.
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Quick Passes
Brazilian 18-year-old standout Marta scored two goals and assisted on another as Sweden’s Umea beat Germany’s Frankfurt, 3-0, at Stockholm in the first game of the UEFA Women’s Cup final.
AC Milan extended through 2006 the contract of captain Paolo Maldini, meaning his career with the club could stretch to at least 22 years.
The club announced the extension Friday night, a few days after Maldini helped the team clinch its 17th Italian league title.
Charlton and South Africa defender Mark Fish said he was allowed to use the banned endurance-boosting substance EPO to help him recover from a chest wound suffered when he fell on a glass vase at home in March, losing eight pints of blood.
Fish, 30, said the English Football Assn. gave him permission to use EPO to boost his red-blood cell count.
EPO, or erythropoietin, is a hormone naturally produced by the body but also available as a genetically engineered product. EPO artificially increases the number of oxygen-carrying red blood cells, enhancing aerobic and endurance capacity.
