Two Americans, Steve Cherundolo and Conor Casey, celebrated promotion to the German First Division when their Hannover 96 beat Schweinfurt, 6-0. The result makes it virtually impossible for Hannover not to finish in the top three of the Second Division. ItGs been 13 years since Hannover played at the top tier. Casey scored the third goal -- his 5th of the season -- before the home crowd of 41,519. Cherundolo played 90 minutes at right back. In France, Greg Vanney helped Bastia reach the French Cup final. ... In the German First Division, Tony SannehGs chances of staying in the …

U.S. defender Greg Vanney will be going to the French Cup final thanks to his teamGs 1-0 win at home over Sedan in the semifinal March 30. Vanney played the whole game at left back on BastiaGs four-man defensive line. Bastia won on a Tony Vairelles goal in the 93rd minute in front of 11,460 fans. Bastia has won the French Cup once, in 1981 on a 2-1 win over St. Etienne, which featured Michel Platini. Vanney joined Bastia on loan, becoming the first American-born player to play for a French First Division squad, in January from the Los Angeles …

Marco Etcheverry scored his first MLS goal since June 17, 2000, curving a wicked free kick into the Chicago goal to spark a 2-0 win over Chicago on Saturday. ... Etcheverry, who scored 25 goals in his first five years, went without a strike during his subpar 2001 season. He gave an inspired performance in UnitedGs home opener. ... UnitedGs Honduran defender Milton ReyesG assisted Abdul Thompson Conteh, who turned on a Fire defender to blast home UnitedGs second goal from 7 yards out. The Colorado Rapids beat 2001 champion San Jose, 1-0, during a particulary tame effort from the …

Jorge Campos has been recalled for Mexico's match with the United States April 3 in Denver. Campos, who started on Mexico's 1994 and 1998 World Cup team, has yet to play for Javier Aguirre since he took over as Mexican national team coach last summer. MEXICO ROSTER: Goalkeepers: Oscar Perez (Cruz Azul), Jorge Campos (UNAM). Defenders: Manuel Vidrio (Pachuca), Claudio Suarez (Tigres), Heriberto Morales (Morelia), Melvin Brown (Cruz Azul), Alberto Rodriguez (Pachuca). Midfielders: Javier Saavedra (Tigres), Ramon Morales (Guadalajara), Gabriel Caballero (Pachuca), Sigifredo Mercado (Atlas), German Villa (Club America), Alberto Garcia Aspe (Puebla), Johan Rodriguez (Santos). Forwards: Daniel Osorno (Atlas), …

Saturday, March 30 (4:00 p.m. ET) CHICAGO FIRE (1-0-0, 3pts) at D.C. UNITED (0-1-0, 0 pts) (ESPN2) Key players out: Chicago: D Jim Curtin (ankle sprain-L), F Hristo Stoitchkov (hernia-R), F Aleksey Korol (bursitis-left knee); D.C.: GK Mike Amman (elbow surgery), M Ben Olsen (ankle surgery), F Jaime Moreno (knee surgery), D Craig Ziadie (eye contusion-L). Referee: Gerry Corrie. Saturday, March 30 (7:30 p.m. MT) SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES (1-0-0, 3 pts) at COLORADO RAPIDS (0-1-0, 1 pt) (KICU-San Jose Channel 36, 6:30 pm PT) Referee: Terry Vaughn.

Coach Bruce Arena named an 18-man roster, which includes 16 MLS and two foreign-based players, for the USAGs April 3 friendly with Mexico in Denver (live on Telemundo at 10 pm ET). Greg Vanney has been called in for the first time since living the teamGs pre-Gold Cup training camp in January to join French First Division club Bastia. Frankie Hejduk, a reserve with GermanyGs Bayer Leverkusen, is the other foreign-based player on the roster. USA Roster Name Pos Age Caps/Goals Club Beasley, DaMarcus M 19 8/1 Chicago Bocanegra, Carlos D 21 6/0 Chicago Donovan, Landon M …

The United States wasn't the only World Cup Group D team to get hammered on Wednesday. Portugal and Poland both lost. To make matters worse, both were playing at home. Portugal lost to Finland, 4-1, in Oporto. The Portuguese, who were playing without stars Luis Figo and Rui Costa, were beaten badly in midfield. Japan surprised Poland, 2-0, in Lodz. Unlike Portugal, Poland fielded a largely full team. The goals were the result of blunders by Polish defenders Tomasz Waldoch and Tomasz Klos. PORTUGAL: Warmup summaries and schedule https://www.socceramerica.com/article.asp?Art_ID=55836 POLAND: Warmup summaries and schedule https://www.socceramerica.com/article.asp?Art_ID=55835

PORTUGAL WARMUP RESULTS Feb. 13 in Barcelona Spain 1 Portugal 1. Goals: Morientes 41; Jorge Costa 28. Portugal -- Ricardo (Quim, 46), Frechault, Jorge Costa (Bento, 90), Fernando Couto, Rui Jorge (Dimas, 46), Vidigal, Viana (Andrade, 62), Figo (Capucho, 80), Conceicao (Simao, 46), Joao Pinto (Barbosa, 46), Pauleta (Nuno Gomes, 46). March 27 in Oporto Portugal 1 Finland 4. Goals: Sergio Conceicao 40; Kolkka 9, Forssell 27, Litmanen 42, 54. Portugal -- Ricardo (Nelson Pereira, 46), Mario Silva (Marco Caneira, 46), Jorge Costa (Jorge Andrade, 46), Fernando Couto, Frechau, Petit (Bino, 46), Sergio Conceicao, Vidigal (Hugo Viana, 46), Sabrosa (Nuno …

Relegated to the bench at Tottenham Hotspur, Kasey Keller is still pushing hard to start for the USA at the 2002 World Cup. Once again he's at odds with his coaches, which might cause most players much consternation. It's business as usual for Kasey Keller. Despite a celebrated, decade-long career in the pros, the 31-year-old keeper has, on several occasions for club and country, had to fight for a spot on the field. "I don't know what else can be done," he says. "I just look at the next game, and hopefully have a good game, and …

Reactions from Germany following its 4-2 win over the USA on Wednesday in Rostock: pRudiGs ersatz-ersatz 11 -- they went behind 0-1 yet won 4-2. ThatGs pretty OK! They did it against their fright-opponent USA, which had won the last two matchups (0:3 and 0:2).S -- Bild pThe second-string shows characterS -- Headline, Hannoverische Allgemeine Zeitung. pIn the first half, we let the USA play, but we were able to take control in the second half by upping the tempo.S -- German forward Oliver Bierhoff (Die Welt) pThe Americans were savvy enough pull apart our three-man chain on the backline.S …

International Friendly March 27 in Rostock, Germany Germany 4 USA 2 Goals: Ziege 44, Neuville 61, Bierhoff (Schneider) 65, Frings (Bierhoff) 68; Mathis (Kirovski) 17, Mathis (Joe-Max Moore) 71. Germany -- Rost (Butt, 46), Baumann, Linke, Ramelow, Jeremies (Heinrich, 69), Frings, Hamman, Schneider (Asamoah, 75), Ziege (Boehme, 61), Bierhoff, Neuville (Brdaric, 80). USA -- Keller, Cherundolo (Sanneh, 72), Agoos (Berhalter, 72), Pope, Regis, Armas, Lewis (Jones, 69), Stewart, Donovan, Mathis, Kirovski (Moore, 59). Stats: GER-USA Shots: 18-9 Saves: 0-7 Corner Kicks: 8-4 Fouls: 12-10 Offside: 3-2 Yellows: 0-0 Reds: 0-0 Att.: 29,000 Referee: Berhard Brutger (Austria) Weather: 40 degrees; clear, …

BY RIDGE MAHONEY, senior editor The errors were many and the blame can be spread liberally for the Rout in Rostock that transpired Wednesday night. But the bigger, stronger, meaner Germans -- as they were portrayed in several news accounts of the match -- were also faster, quicker and smarter as they pummeled the Americans, 4-2. They should all pitch in and buy a weekend getaway for Kasey Keller and his family and a night on the town for Clint Mathis. Keller's fearless dives into feet and reaction saves kept the score down. Mathis hit the net twice, once after …

POLAND WARMUP RESULTS Feb. 10 in Limassol Poland 2 Faeroe Islands 1. Goals: Zurawski 12, pen. 43; R. Jakobsen 26. Poland -- Wierzchowski (Kowalewski, 77), Ciesielski (Bosacki, 46), Glowacki, Zielinski, Stolarczyk (Kielbowicz, 65), Kaczorowski (Sibik, 46), Lewandowski (Murawski, 46), Piekarski (Drumlak, 46), Kosowski, Moskala (Rasiak, 46), Zurawski. Feb. 13 in Limassol Poland 4 Northern Ireland 1. Goals: Kryszalowicz 6, 67, Kaluzny 12; Michal Zewlakow 69; Lomas 18. Poland -- Majdan (Bledzewski, 90), Kozminski, J.Bak, Waldoch, Michal Zewlakow (Rzasa, 60), Iwan (Smolarek, 46), Radoslaw Kaluzny (A.Bak, 46), Swierczewski (Zdebel, 46), Krzynowek, Kryszalowicz (Jacek Zielinski, 82), Olisadebe (Marcin Zewlakow, 46). March 27 …

March 27 in East Rutherford, N.J. MetroStars 0 Columbus 1. Goal: Cunningham (West) 6. MetroStars -- Howard, Jolley, Forko, Petke, Kamler (Davis, 82), Hernandez, Villegas, Paule (Griffiths, 78), Ramos, Serna, Faria. Columbus -- Presthus, Clark, McCarty, Torres, Denton, Warzycha, Maisonneuve, Perez (Oughton, 75), Cunningham, Washington (Dunseth, 75), West (Harkes, 81). Yellow cards: MetroStars -- Hernandez 23, Forko 61; Columbus -- McCarty 27, Denton 60, Oughton 80. Red card: Columbus -- McCarty 71. Referee: Gus St. Silva. Att.: 45,511.

The U.S. under-17 national team moved into the semifinals of the Montaigu "Mondial Minimes" with a 2-1 win over Tunisia. Guillermo Gonzalez and John DiRaimondo scored goals one minute apart late in the game to give the Americans, who hit the post four times, the win in Mouilleron, France. They meet host France, winner of the 2001 Under-17 World Cup, in the semifinals March 30 in Montaigu. Gonzalez and DiRaimondo have each scored five goals in the last four internationals. USA-TUNISIA SUMMARY March 27 in Mouilleron, France USA 2 Tunisia 1. Goals: Gonzalez pen. 72, DiRaimondo 73; Hammami 50. USA …