Spain Wins First Major in 44 Years

By BARRY WILNER AP Sports Writer

Spain, European champion.

It's been a long time.

It has taken 44 years, to be exact. With teams as talented as most opponents in the major championships they qualified for, the Spaniards always fell short. They were called underachieving, short on heart, even chokers.

With one magnificent month, Spain put all those shortcomings in the past, emphasizing its rise with a 1-0 victory over Germany on Sunday night in the European Championship.

Spain Wins First Major in 44 Years....

D.C. United take down Beckham, L.A. Galaxy

By Beau Dure, USA TODAY
WASHINGTON — Once again, D.C. United stole the spotlight from the Los Angeles Galaxy.
Last year in RFK Stadium, United held on for a 1-0 win when David Beckham made his long-awaited Major League Soccer debut. This year, as part of a national broadcast doubleheader with the Euro 2008 final, the Galaxy wilted in the heat as United's stars – Marcelo Gallardo, Luciano Emilio and Jaime Moreno – made the ABC showcase their own with a 4-1 win.

For United?s Clyde Simms, the TV time was a means to an end for a team that has few league games next month.

?It helps send a message to the other teams that we?re playing better soccer,? Simms said.

D.C. United take down Beckham, L.A. Galaxy....

Germany's Ballack doubtful for final

Vienna, Austria (Sports Network) - Germany captain Michael Ballack has emerged as an injury doubt for Sunday's Euro 2008 Final against Spain.

The Chelsea midfielder sat out training on Friday with a calf injury and could miss the showpiece at Vienna's Ernst Happel Stadium.

The absence of the 31-year-old skipper would be a major blow to coach Joachim Loew after his impressive form during Germany's drive to the final.

Germany's Ballack doubtful for final....

Cooper, Ching score as Houston and Dallas play out to 1-1 draw

HOUSTON — Kenny Cooper scored in the 62nd minute to help FC Dallas tie the Houston Dynamo 1-1 on Thursday night in Major League Soccer.

Brian Ching had a first-half goal for Houston (4-4-7, 19 points), which missed a chance to tie Los Angeles for first in the Western Conference. FC Dallas (4-6-5, 17 points) is tied for fourth with Chivas USA.

In the 21st minute, Ching took a pass from Craig Waibel in the right six-yard box and headed it into the goal. It was Ching's sixth goal in seven games, and Waibel's first assist since the MLS Cup championship game against New England last season.

Cooper tied it on a header off Juan Toja's pass.

It was the third time this season FC Dallas and Houston have played to a tie. They tied 3-3 in April in Houston and 2-2 in Dallas last month.

Pat Onstad made three saves for Houston, while Dario Sala made four saves for FC Dallas, 0-6-2 at Robertson Stadium.

Cooper, Ching score as Houston and Dallas play out to 1-1 draw....

Spain beats Russia 3-0 to reach final

By ROB MURRAY

VIENNA, Austria (AP) — Spain scored three second-half goals Thursday to beat Russia 3-0 and reach the European Championship final, giving the team a chance to shed its status as one of soccer's biggest underachievers.

Xavi Hernandez, Dani Guiza and David Silva each scored to give the Spaniards a shot at their second European title when they play Germany on Sunday at Ernst Happel Stadium. Spain, which won the 1964 European tournament, ended its run of five quarterfinal defeats by beating Italy in a penalty shootout Sunday. It confirmed its title aspirations with a penetrating passing attack on a slick surface in pouring rain against Russia.

The Spaniards and Germans have not played a competitive match since a 1-1 draw in the 1994 World Cup. Overall, Germany has won eight of 19 meetings, with Spain taking five and six draws. In competitive games, it is 4-1-2 for Germany.

Germany beat Turkey 3-2 on Thursday night and is seeking a record fourth Euro title.

Spain beats Russia 3-0 to reach final....

Russia Coach Hiddink Advocates Arshavin Move After Euro 2008

Russia coach Guus Hiddink is not letting rising speculation over the club future of star attacker Andrei Arshavin distract him from preparing his side for the semi-final clash with Spain on Thursday, June 24.

In fact, Hiddink has joined the chorus of voices advocating a move for the talented 27-year old who has taken the tournament by storm since coming back from suspension. The Dutchman believes his playmaker should play in a top European league after Euro 2008.

Arshavin helped Zenit St Petersburg to win the UEFA Cup last season and has excelled against Sweden and the Netherlands after missing the first two games of the tournament through suspension.

All but one of the 23-man Russia squad play their club football in Russia, but Hiddink said Monday: "I think some players can survive and make a contribution to the big leagues in Europe."

Russia Coach Hiddink Advocates Arshavin Move After Euro 2008....

U.S. Announces Women’s Olympic Roster

By Jack Bell

When the United States hired Pia Sundhage as coach of the women’s national team seven months ago, her brief included taking the American team back to the top of the soccer world, preparing the team to defend its Olympic gold medal, and altering the chemistry and composition of the roster.

Sundhage, speaking via a conference call from her home in Sweden, announced her 18-player roster for the Beijing Games on Monday, a list that includes seven players who were not part of the team during last year’s disappointing performance at the Women’s World Cup and three women who made their first roster for a senior national team. Of the 18 players, five are from California and four are from New Jersey.

“I would say that the team’s strength is that they are brave and can play in different systems,” said Sundhage, who has led the team to a 17-0-1 record in 2008. “We have different players now and we have talked about change since I started and I think they have embraced the word. But I think there has not been too much change and not too little. To adapt to a new coach in seven months, I’m impressed.”

U.S. Announces Women’s Olympic Roster....

D.C. beats Quakes with late surge

By Charles Boehm / MLSnet.com Staff

WASHINGTON -- They certainly made heavy work of the task, but D.C. United was nonetheless able to dispose of the last-place San Jose Earthquakes at warm RFK Stadium on Sunday afternoon, running their unbeaten streak to five with a 3-1 victory.

D.C. beats Quakes with late surge....

Spain stops Italy on penalties

Vienna, Austria (Sports Network) - Iker Casillas stopped two penalty kicks and Spain converted four of its five attempts to knock Italy out of Euro 2008 in the quarterfinals, winning 4-2 on penalty kicks following a 0-0 match.

David Villa and Santiago Cazorla converted Spain's first two penalties, while Italy's Fabio Grosso was also successful from the spot. Casillas then came up with his first save on Italy's second attempt, stopping Daniele De Rossi's shot from finding the lower right corner.

The teams then traded successful kicks before Spain's Daniel Guiza was stopped by Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon. However, Casillas seized the edge right back for Spain, stopping Antonio Di Natale, which allowed Cesc Fabregas to send Buffon the wrong way on the next kick, clinching victory for Spain.

The Spanish are now unbeaten in their last 20 games, and will play Russia on Thursday in one semifinal, while Germany will play Turkey on Wednesday in the competition's other semifinal.

Spain stops Italy on penalties....

Crew forges tie with L.A.

Mercury News Wire Services

Second-half substitute Stephen Lenhart scored the tying goal in the 88th minute for the Columbus Crew, which scored three times in the final 23 minutes to earn a 3-3 draw with the Los Angeles Galaxy on Saturday. Landon Donovan converted a penalty kick in the 83rd minute, but Lenhart erased the second one-goal deficit of the half for the Crew.

The match marked the first time since May 24 that Donovan and David Beckham played together for the Galaxy, and the pairing quickly paid off. Beckham crossed a ball into the front of the net, but Columbus goalkeeper William Hesmer couldn't control it. Donovan got the ball and scored into an empty net in the fourth minute.

Crew forges tie with L.A....

Germans overpower Portugal once again

Different year, same result.

Germany, who have now won ten of their 12 knockout round games played in the European Championship, rolled over Portugal 3-2 in an enthralling and at times devastating performance today in Basel.
This was an assured performance from the Germans, who last met — and beat — Portugal by almost the same scoreline in the 2006 World Cup third place match.

Led by Bastian Schweinsteiger, who scored a goal and assisted the other two, Germany was relentless, controlling the tempo and flow of the game with ease and silencing Portugal's biggest guns. In fact, Schweinsteiger's work killed the game off after only an hour, and while sub Helder Postiga's late goal gave the Portuguese a final burst, there was little suspense about who the winner would prove to be.

For Portugal, tonight's result in the driving rain that has been the hallmark of this tournament, will mean yet another year without a prize. Ultimately, it also must mean some serious heart-searching. This was arguably the strongest team they had fielded since the heady days of Eusebio and a much smaller international game.

But despite the glitz of Cristiano Ronaldo and the smoothness of Deco and Simao, once more Portugal fell short because they allowed their stars to be isolated and their weaknesses to be exposed.

Germans overpower Portugal once again....

Spain sends Greece home winless

Salzburg, Austria (Sports Network) - Ruben de la Red and Daniel Guiza scored in the second half as Spain rallied for a 2-1 win Wednesday over Greece, which was already eliminated but finished last in Euro 2008 after winning four years ago.

Spain joined Croatia and the Netherlands as unbeaten, untied group winners, and plays Italy in the quarterfinals Sunday in a meeting of the two highest-ranked teams in the Euro finals.

Spain (3-0-0) is ranked fourth by FIFA and Italy, which defeated France 2-0 on Tuesday to advance as the second-place team from Group C, is ranked third.

Angelos Charisteas scored in the 42nd minute for Greece (0-3-0), which avoided ending the tournament without a goal. Spain joined Turkey as the only teams to overcome a deficit in the tournament - Turkey has done it twice.

Spain sends Greece home winless

Ballack's blast sends Germany to quarterfinals

Vienna, Austria (Sports Network) - Michael Ballack's thunderous free kick in the 49th minute lifted Germany to a 1-0 win over a gutty Austria side on Monday, allowing Germany to advance to the quarterfinals.

The Germans will meet Portugal on Thursday in the knockout round, while co- hosts Austria are eliminated from the competition after earning only one point.

Austria was always a long shot to beat the Germans, but they gave their neighbors all they could handle and overall put together a much better effort than expected.

MORE....

U.S. blasts Barbados in World Cup qualifying

Carson, CA (Sports Network) - Brian Ching and Clint Dempsey each had two goals and the United States men's national team opened 2010 World Cup qualifying with an 8-0 win over Barbados on Sunday.

Michael Bradley, Landon Donovan and Eddie Johnson also scored, and an own goal accounted for the other U.S. goal at The Home Depot Center.

The U.S. took a commanding lead in the second round series, which consists of a home-and-away series. The next leg is June 22 at 3 p.m. (ET) in Barbados.

MORE....

First World Cup qualifier will test U.S. team's focus

By Lisa Dillman, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

Sharks one week, minnows another.

That's one of the many beguiling features of soccer, the democratic notion of sharing the pitch, and attempting to thwart David Beckham, and doing the same a few weeks later against folks coming off back-to-back losses to Bermuda.

Yes, Bermuda.

That's the key difference in looking at the first step along the road to the 2010 World Cup, starting with today's qualifier between the U.S. men's national team and Barbados at the Home Depot Center in Carson. It is the first of a home-and-home series between the teams.

The U.S. may have gone without a goal in its last three games, but those contests (all in friendlies) were against the likes of powerhouses Argentina, Spain and England. The 121st-ranked Barbados squad tuned up for qualifying with consecutive defeats to Bermuda, getting outscored, 5-1, and has given up 11 goals in two meetings against the Americans.

CONTINUE....

Euro 2008: Spain scores late for 2-1 win over Sweden

INNSBRUCK, Austria (AP) -- One goal in the closing moments meant more to David Villa than his hat trick earlier in the European Championship.

With a stunning burst in injury time, Villa put Spain into the European Cup quarterfinals Saturday. He outraced two Sweden defenders to a long pass and sent it into the net for a 2-1 victory. It was his fourth goal in two games and put Spain at six points in Group D, three more than Sweden.

Spain won the group when Russia beat Greece 1-0 in a night game.

MORE....

Dutch blast French to win 'Group of Death'

Berne, Switzerland (Sports Network) - The Netherlands got goals from Dirk Kuyt, Robin van Persie, Arjen Robben and Wesley Sneijder to blast France, 4-1, in the in the Euro 2008 finals Friday to win the "Group of Death" after two games.

The Dutch rolled to a 3-0 win over 2006 World Cup champion Italy in their Euro opener and just as easily disposed of France, which was the '06 Cup runner-up.

The Netherlands (2-0-0) have six points from two games to seal the group, with Romania, Italy and France still alive for the second berth from Group C. The Dutch will play the runner-up from Group D in the quarterfinals.

France (0-1-1) battles Italy in a rematch of the World Cup final Tuesday, with both needing a win to have a realistic shot of advancing. The Netherlands plays its final game against Romania on Tuesday.

STORY....

Donovan is youngest American to join century club

CARSON, Calif. (AP) - For Landon Donovan, playing 100 games for the United States is part of an ongoing process.

"I don't set goals like that," he said. "I'm proud of it but I enjoy winning as much as possible. My main goal is to try to win MLS Cup every year and try to get us to the World Cup."

The 26-year-old Donovan enters Sunday's World Cup qualifier against Barbados as the youngest American player to appear 100 times for the United States. He achieved that milestone by starting the June 8 exhibition against Argentina.

MORE....