NETHERLANDS (Champions League)* John O'Brien (Ajax, D1), at Roma (Italy), 1-1Started: 90 minutes. Ajax, winner of four European Cup titles, finishes second to advance to the quarterfinals for the first time since 1997. If O'Brien plays, he will become the first American to play in the quarterfinal stage of Europe's top club competition.ENGLAND (Division I* Marcus Hahnemann (Reading), at Ipswich, 1-3.Started: 90 minutes. The Royals dropped to fourth, one point behind Sheffield United. The top two teams in the First Division go up automatically. The next four teams play off to determine third team to move into the Premier League.* …

The MetroStars defeated a reserve team of Boca Juniors players, 1-0, Wednesday at legendary La Bombonera in Buenos Aires, Argentina.Defender Eddie Pope scored the lone goal of the game. in the 68th minute. Tim Howard preserved the victory by stopping Franco Cangele's penalty kick in the 83rd minute.Cangele was one of five members of Boca's first-team squad -- three with playing time in the 2003 Torneo Clausura -- to play against the Metros.Metros coach Bob Bradley looked at three potential signings: 30-year-old Argentine defender Juan Fontana of First Division Gimnasia y Esgrima, Irish U-21 midfielder Michael Doyle of Celtic and …

Aly Wagner's sensational volley in Tuesday's Group A finale was all the U.S. women's national team needed to reach the Algarve Cup title match.A 1-1 tie with Sweden in Vila Real San Antonio coupled with Norway's 1-0 victory over Canada, sends the Americans (1-0-2, 5 points) to Thursday's championship against China (2-0-1, 7 points), which claimed Group B with a 2-1 decision over Denmark.It will be the U.S. squad's fourth final in eight Algarve Cup appearances. It has won the championship just once, in 2000.Wagner, who scored two of the Americans' three first-round goals, fired the Americans ahead in the …

Goalkeeper Kasey Keller, who stayed on the bench during the 2002 World Cup, returns to the U.S. roster for the March 29 friendly against Japan at Seattle Seahawks Stadium (live on ESPN2, 4 pm ET).Keller is one of 10 players from the 2002 World Cup squad the 18-man roster. ôThis is our first opportunity since the World Cup to have mix of our foreign and domestic-based players,ö said U.S. coach Bruce Arena.Brad Friedel, who started in all five U.S. World Cup games last summer, is not a part of the squad. Keller, a native of Washington, is one of four …

Japan's Brazilian coach, Zico, has called up a full-strength team for his team's tour of the United States.Seven of Japan's eight European-based stars were recalled for the matches against Uruguay March 26 in San Diego and the United States March 29 in Seattle.Japan's European corps consists of goalkeeper Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi (Portsmouth, England), midfielders Hidetoshi Nakata (Parma, Italy), Shunsuke Nakamura (Reggina, Italy), Junichi Inamoto (Fulham, England) and Shinji Ono (Feyenoord, Netherlands) and strikers Takayuki Suzuki (Genk, Belgium) and Naohiro Takahara (Hamburg, Germany).Tottenham midfielder Kazuyuki Toda is the only European-based star who won't make the trip.The only uncapped player is 25-year-old …

(Subject to change)CHICAGO FIRE Training:March 16-20: San Jose, Calif. March 20-26: Portland, Ore.Matches:Feb. 12 vs. U.S. under-17 national team (1-2). Feb. 15 at Univ. of Central Florida (0-1). Feb. 19 vs. U.S. under-17 national team (2-0). Feb. 22 vs. MetroStars (2-0). March 2 vs. Dallas (0-1). March 5 vs. D.C. United (0-0). March 8 vs. San Jose (0-2) in Copa Carnaval. March 12 vs. Kansas City (0-1).Schedule:March 20 at San Jose.COLORADO RAPIDSTraining:March 16-27: Guadalajara, Mexico. March 31-: Westminster, Colo.Results:Feb. 20 vs. Univ. of Central Florida (6-1). Feb. 22 vs. U.S. Under-20 National Team (1-2). Feb. 23 at Florida Atlantic Univ. …

March 16 in ColonArabe Unido (Pan.) 2 Columbus Crew (USA) 1. Goals: Salinas pen. 7, Medina 65; Buddle 63.Arabe Unido -- Hoyos, Lewis, Zagal (Munoz, 72), Villarreal, Alvarez, M.Torres, Zapata, Medina, Salinas, Perez, Garces (Anderson, 55).Columbus -- Busch, Hejduk, Dunseth, Clark, Denton, McCarty (Maisonneuve, 74), West (Paule, 79) Martino, Garcia, Cunningham, Buddle.Red card: Columbus -- Cunningham 56.Referee: Neftali Recinos (El Salvador).Att.: n/a.March 16 in Guatemala CityMunicipal (Guat.) 4 San Jose Earthquakes (USA) 2. Goals: Romero 30, 37, Figueroa 40, Ponciano pen. 55; Lagos 61, 72.Municipal -- J.Ortiz, E.D. Ortiz, Ponciano, Ruano, Chen, Romero, Guevara, Giron, Albizuris (Rodas, 46), Gomez …

MLS clubs endured a miserable Sunday afternoon in the first leg of their CONCACAF Champions Cup first-round series in Central America.The defending MLS champion Los Angeles Galaxy managed to tie Motagua of Honduras, 2-2, but the San Jose Earthquakes lost to Municipal of Guatemala, 4-2, and the Columbus Crew fell to Arabe Unido of Panama, 2-1.All three MLS clubs conceded penalty kicks and had at least one player sent off.The Galaxy lost 2002 MLS MVP Carlos Ruiz for the second leg when he received his second yellow card in the 80th minute for dissent. Ruiz had given the Galaxy the …

U.S. national team coach Bruce Arena used the first three games of 2003 to take a look at MLS players. They included holdovers from the 2002 World Cup and others who are getting their first shot at nailing down a starting job. Arena may recall other World Cup veterans and look at other newcomers between now and the start of 2006 World Cup qualifying. Here are the results from your evaluation of players in the national team future. Results are generated from 486 votes. DISAPPOINTMENT: Of the World Cup 2002 veterans used in the first three games in 2003, who …

Blackburn completed its two-game sweep of Premier League leader Arsenal in front of a solid effort from Brad Friedel. Elsewhere, Eddie Lewis scored a stunning goal in a losing effort and Jonny Walker shone once again in Chile.ENGLAND* Brad Friedel (Blackburn, PL) vs. Arsenal, 2-0.Started: 90 minutes. Friedel's club completed its sweep of the defending champs and matched its point total of last season with eight games remaining. Friedel's best stops came off free kicks by Thierry Henry and Giovanni van Bronckhorst. The win allowed Manchester United to close within two points of Arsenal for the Premier League lead. The …

Shannon MacMillan's fourth-minute goal Sunday carried the U.S. women's national team past Norway and into the Group A driver's seat at the Algarve Cup in Portugal.The victory in Ferreiras was the Americans' third in succession over their longtime rivals, and it afforded them a two-point lead in the tournament's toughest group with one match, Tuesday against Sweden in Vila Real San Antonio, to play.The U.S. women have four points, and Sweden and Canada each have two. Norway has one point. The group's top team will face the Group B winner in Thursday's final. The United States, making its eighth Algarve …

MLS teams begin play in the 2003 CONCACAF Champions Cup on Sunday.The 2002 MLS champion Los Angeles Galaxy, 2001 MLS champion San Jose Earthquakes and 2002 U.S. Open Cup champion Columbus Crew travel to Central America for the first leg of their first-round series.Here's a look at the matchups:MOTAGUA-LOS ANGELESThe Galaxy, who won the 2000 Champions Cup title and finished second in 1997, meets Motagua of Honduras at Tegucigalpa's National Stadium at 7 pm ET.This is the second foreign trip for the Galaxy this winter. It finished third at the La Manga preseason tournament in Spain.Motagua is third in the …

SCHEDULE:March 16Arabe Unido (Pan.) vs. Columbus Crew (USA).Motagua (Hond.) vs. Los Angeles Galaxy (USA)Municipal (Guat.) vs. San Jose Earthquakes (USA)March 23Alajuela (C.R.) vs. New England Revolution (USA)RESULTS:March 4FAS (El Sal.) 3 (De la Cruz 3, Rodriguez 6, Murgas 82) Club America (Mex.) 1 (Quinonez 67).March 5Arnett Gardens (Jam.) 0 Necaxa (Mex.) 0.March 12Toluca (Mex.) 3 (Sanchez 65, 83, Garcia 77) W. Connection (Trin. & Tob.) 2 (Viana 18, Davis 38).Comunicaciones (Guat.) 1 (Cubero 59) Morelia (Mex.) 0.

Mexican clubs didn't have an easy time in the first leg of the CONCACAF Champions Cup first-round series.Toluca, the 2002 Torneo Apertura champion, was the only Mexican team to win and it was down two goals at home to W. Connection of Trinidad & Tobago Wednesday before rallying for a 3-2 win in Toluca.Johnny Cubero's goal in the 59th minute gave Comunicaciones of Guatemala a 1-0 win Wednesday over 2002 Champions Cup runner-up Morelia in Guatemala City.FAS of El Salvador scored twice in the first six minutes and cruised to a 3-1 win at home against Club America March 4.Necaxa …

March 29 vs. Japan in Seattle (TV: ESPN2, live 4 pm ET)May 8 vs. Mexico in Houston (kickoff: 7 pm CT; TV, ESPN2, delay, 10 pm ET)June 19 vs. Turkey (Confederations Cup) in St. Etienne, France (kickoff: 1 pm ET)June 21 vs. Brazil (Confederations Cup) in Lyons, France (kickoff: 3 pm ET)June 23 vs. Cameroon (Confederations Cup) in Lyons, France (kickoff: 3 pm ET)July 6 vs. Paraguay in Columbus, Ohio (TV, live, ESPN2, 3 pm ET)July 12 vs. El Salvador (Gold Cup) in Foxboro, Mass. (kickoff: 6:30 pm ET)July 14 vs. Honduras, Caribbean A2 or Caribbean B2 (Gold Cup) …