It was Romero’s second of the evening, adding to his 20th-minute tally that put El Salvador ahead. Costa Rica equalized in the 64th, but were unable to contain a potent El Salvador that ended a four-game losing streak to its Central American neighbor.

The game began at a frantic pace, both teams bolstered by a thunderous capacity crowd at The Home Depot Center. El Salvador had the better of play, creating a few near-chances inside the Costa Rican penalty area and drawing two yellow cards on the “Ticos” in the first 10 minutes.

“La Selecta” was finally rewarded in the 20th minute when William Reyes headed a long Miguel Montes punt into the path of Osael Romero. Romero broke free down the left side of the box, beat Costa Rican defender Pablo Herrera with a quick stepover, and drilled a shot into the top left corner.

Seemingly not content with the potency of his attack in the first half an hour, Costa Rican manager Rodrigo Kenton brought in speedy midfielder Andy Herron to replace Harold Wallace in the 32nd minute to add speed in the offensive third. The move almost had an immediate effect, with Herron earning a handful of throw-ins and corner kicks, and providing Centeno with a good option on the right flank.

Costa Rica responded with its own push, threatening El Salvadorian net several times. The best chance came in the 40th minute when Celso Borges got onto the end of a Walter Centeno corner kick, heading a low ball against right post before being it was cleared.

El Salvador almost doubled its lead in the 50th minute when Julio Martinez sent a cross in from the right flank that Reyes almost put into the top corner. Only a diving swat from goalkeeper Keilor Navas held the lead to one.

Costa Rica found its equalizer when Esteban Sirias broke free along the left flank and sent a high cross into the penalty area. Substitute striker Warren Granados rushed into the area and volleyed the ball into the top of the net to even the score 1-1.

The Ticos continued to pound the El Salvadorian defense as the game went on, but were caught napping in the 86th minute. Reyes sent a low ball into the penalty area that was deflected into the path of Romero. The striker hammered home the game-winner to take Costa Rica to the top of Group A ahead of the second round of games in Columbus on Tuesday.

By Jeffrey King

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“Let’s say he does stay here for three more years,” Donovan said in passages from a upcoming book on Sports Illustrated’s website. “I’m not going to spend the next three years of my life doing it this way. This is (expletive) miserable. I don’t want to have soccer be this way.”

US national team captain Donovan blasted Beckham in the book, “The Beckham Experiment”, questioning the former England captain’s work ethic, leadership and teammate skills on the Major League Soccer squad.

“Maybe he’s not a leader. Maybe he’s not a captain,” author Grant Wahl quotes Donovan as saying in the book, scheduled to be released later this month.

“But at a minimum you should bust your ass every day. That hasn’t happened.”

Donovan feels he and Beckham can still mend their fractured relationship but not unless the team takes a tough stance against Beckham.

“I’ve got to confront it somehow,” Donovan said. “If that is the way he is going to be, fine, then hold him accountable. Bench him. Just say ‘We are not going to play you, we don’t think you are committed.”

Donovan, who led the Americans to a surprise runner-up finish on the weekend at the 2009 Confederation Cup, is one of the most decorated players in Galaxy history.

He leads all active Galaxy players in career goals (58), assists (44), shots (226) and game-winning goals (14). He holds club records for multi-goal games (14) and penalty-kick goals (17).

Donovan believes that Beckham, as the highest-paid player in the league, has a responsibility to his team and especially to his Galaxy teammates to set an example through hard work.

“If someone is paying you more than anybody in the league, more than double anybody in the league, the least we expect is that you show up to every game, whether you are suspended or not.

“Show up, train hard, show up and play hard.

“As time has gone on, that has not proven to be the case in many ways, on or of the field.”

Beckham is currently on loan from Los Angeles to AC Milan. The 34-year-old Beckham was originally supposed to return for the entire 2009 season but got his stay in Europe extended to halfway through the MLS season.

Beckham is scheduled to return to the Galaxy for a game in New York against the Red Bulls on July 16, two days after the release of the book.

“I can’t think of another guy where I would say he wasn’t a good teammate,” Donovan said. “He didn’t give everything through all of this. He didn’t still care. But with (Beckham) I would say no, he wasn’t committed.”

Donovan said Beckham’s attitude changed after the team got rid of former coach Ruud Gullit.

“He (Beckham) just flipped a switch and said, ‘Uh-huh, I am not doing it anymore.’

“It coincides with Ruud being let go.”

Donovan said Beckham was sincere about helping the sport grow in North America when he arrived but became discouraged easily.

“He cared. He wanted to do well. He wanted the team and the league to do well,” Donovan was quoted as saying in the book.

“My sense is David is clearly frustrated that he is unhappy and honestly, that he thinks it is a joke. I don’t see dedication or commitment to this team and that is troubling.”

Beckham has left only a modest footprint on the North American soccer landscape in two ineffective seasons so far with the Galaxy.

The Galaxy have failed to make the playoffs since his arrival in 2007.

Even when he has suited up for Los Angeles, Beckham has had little impact. He played just five games of an injury-filled first season and had five goals and 10 assists last season.

American fan interest in Beckham has faded since his splashy introduction in 2007 when more than 66,000 showed up for his first game at Giants Stadium in San Francisco.

Television ratings in 2008 were 22 percent higher for Beckham games than they were for games he didn’t play. But that figure was down from 67 percent during his first year in the league.

Some criticized Beckham and his handlers for misleading the American sports fan. When he arrived, the Galaxy and Beckham’s handlers hyped up a 250 million dollar “agreement”.

But it was a pie-in-sky figure, which Beckham’s handlers slipped past many of Los Angeles’ tail-wagging media which many didn’t check to see if it was true before rushing it into print.

Beckham was also stripped this season of his captaincy as the armband has been handed back to Donovan.

“It is difficult to know how to approach him with things, to be critical of him,” Donovan said. “because he doesn’t take it well.”

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Canadian defender Mike Klukowski took a loose ball in the middle of the field and sent a long elooping cross to the Toronto FC striker, who one-timed a strike past Jamaica goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts.

The win in the first game of the doubleheader gave Canada three valuable points heading into its second match against El Salvador at Crew Stadium in Columbus on Tuesday. Costa Rica and El Salvador, both in the World Cup qualifying hexagonal, played in the second match of the evening.

The match was a reversal of the last meeting between Canada and Jamaica, when the Reggae Boyz won 3-0 in a World Cup qualifier that they had to win by a huge margin to advance to the final round.

Goaltending dominated as both Canada’s Greg Sutton and Ricketts produced several dramatic saves, especially in the second half.

Canada coach Stephen Hart’s decision to start the veteran Sutton ahead of Josh Wagenaar proved wise as the taller Sutton used his size to deny Jamaica repeatedly.

Sutton stopped Ricardo Fuller’s point-blank shot in the 65th minute and minutes made a leaping save to deny defender Damian Stewart.

Canada began with a possession game and used its one-touch passing in the middle to limit the athletic Jamaicans.

The keep-away strategy seemed to work, denying Jamaica the ability to exploit the flanks with its speed.

Jamaica was forced to counterattack, which resulted in two quality chances midway through the first half.

Canada’s more patient approach started to pay dividends late in the half.

Canada’s best and only real chance came when 2007 Gold Cup most valuable player Julian de Guzman sent a cross in off a free kick and Kevin McKenna one-timed it from 10 yards out that was tipped just over the bar by Ricketts.

Minutes later, De Guzman sent a cross to Patrice Bernier on the left. Bernier fired just wide of left post and just out of reach of Will Johnson, who was late onto the ball.

Play opened up consdiderably in the second half with both teams generating scoring chances before Gerba’s goal.

Referee Terry Vaughan issued six yellow cards, four to Jamaica (Claude Davis, Jermaine Johsnon, Luton Shelton, Demar Phillips, and O’Neil Thompson) and one to Canada (de Guzman).

Jamaica will try to regroup against Costa Rica in the other match on Tuesday.

By Vijay Setlur

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The British media is certain that Michael Owen, a free agent after leaving Newcastle United, is on the verge of joining Manchester United if he passes a stringent medical.

Has Alex Ferguson gone mad? Far from it. Having banked 80 million pounds from the sale of Ronaldo to Real Madrid, he is poised to bring in one of English football’s most renowned goalscorers for free. And Owen is still under 30.

Even if Owen only ends up playing half a season, he will still be able to contribute and his England partnership with Wayne Rooney always looked promising.

However, United fans will hope Owen and Wigan’s Antonio Valencia will not be the only new recruits.

What do you reckon? An inspired signing or a gamble doomed to failure?

PHOTO: Newcastle United’s Michael Owen reacts during their FA Cup third round replay against Hull City, Jan. 14, 2009. REUTERS/Nigel Roddis

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The Chivas de Guadalajara forward is reportedly being replaced by veteran Guillermo Franco, who is expected to meet the team here prior to El Tri’s Group C opening match against Nicaragua on Sunday.

Mexico team doctor Radamés Gaxiola told Mexican media in San Diego that Arellano was referred to a specialist who determined the forward’s ankle is fragile and not ready for action.

“Chivas doctor Rafael Ortega asked that Omar Arellano see a specialist in this city,” Gaxiola told Mexican newspaper Esto. “I met with him and doctor Paul Murphy and we came to the conclusion that (Arellano) should rest.”

Arellano could miss four to six weeks.

“I was very excited and wanted to play in the Gold Cup,” Arellano told Esto. “I wanted to win the cup for my country. I am saddened, but that’s soccer.”

Arellano, who injured his ankle in Mexico’s match against Guatemala, is one of coach Javier Aguirre’s picks out of a pool of youthful players.
He was expected to be a potential starter in the Gold Cup amid forwards such as Carlos Vela, Alberto Medina, Giovani Dos Santos and Omar Bravo.

Arellano, 22, is slated to return with his club and begin rehabilitation.

Team doctors said he had previously complained of pain in the ankle but things worsened when he received a blow in the first half of the Guatemala match. He scored in the 72nd minute of El Tri’s 4-0 friendly win against Venezuela in Atlanta.

Arellano spent his first season with Chivas in 2008. He played in 21 matches while scoring five goals.

Franco will return for his second stint with El Tri under Aguirre. He played in two World Cup qualifiers last month.

Franco, who plays for Spanish club Villareal FC, would be the only naturalized player on the squad. He would also be one of a handful of veterans on a roster with plenty of newcomers to El Tri

By Ivan Orozco

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Kenny Dalglish is returning to Liverpool to take up a senior role in their academy and as a global ambassador for the club.

Dalglish became a revered figure at Anfield after joining from Celtic in 1977 and he is often cited as Liverpool’s greatest player.

The Scot subsequently became the Merseyside club’s manager.

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez wanted to get Dalglish back at the club, as new managing director Christian Purslow explained.

“In our very first meeting Rafa and I agreed that we wanted to try and bring Kenny back to the club.

“That would help Rafa really drive forward our academy, which is at the heart of our plans for the future.

“We are delighted he has agreed to join us and I am sure he will be very successful in his new role back at the club.”

Dalglish 54, was Liverpool’s manager the last time they won the English title in 1990.

He also achieved that feat in 1986 - when the club won the double - and 1988, all three triumphs coming when he was still registered as a player.

The FA Cup was secured in 1989 but he stunned Liverpool by resigning in February 1991.

Dalglish then went on to manage Blackburn, where he also won the title, Newcastle and Celtic.

He arrived from Parkhead in 1977 as a replacement for Kevin Keegan and went on to score 172 goals in 515 games for Liverpool during a golden era for the club when they won the European Cup in 1978, 1981 and 1984 after lifting the trophy for the first time shortly before Dalglish arrived at Anfield.

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LONDON (AFP) - Chelsea announced Friday they had signed teenage striker Daniel Sturridge from Premier League rivals Manchester City on a four-year deal after the player’s contract at Eastlands expired.

Although the two clubs could not agree on a fee, the 19-year-old Sturridge’s age means City are entitled to receive some money as part of his move and a fee will now be settled by a tribunal.

England Under-20 international Sturridge, the nephew of former Derby County forward Dean, scored four goals in 26 appearances for City last season.

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Workers at five 2010 World Cup stadiums still under construction in Cape Town, Durban, Polokwane, Nelspruit and Johannesburg have threatened to down tools on Wednesday over wage disputes.

“The parties were looking for common ground and committed to meet again,” said Joe Campanella, spokesman for the South African Federation of Civil Engineering Contractors.

“Basically, we are back on negotiating terms, we have resumed talking to each other,” Campanella told SAPA.

The talks between the unions and the contractors body will be facilitated by the country’s labour relations body, the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation, and Arbitration.

The union is demanding a wage increase of 13 percent wage increase, while the employers are offering 10 percent.

Ahead of next June’s kickoff, five World Cup stadiums have been completed so far and four were used during the Confederations Cup, which ended Sunday.

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“Michael is a world class forward with a proven goalscoring record at the highest level and that has never been in question,” said manager Alex Ferguson.

“Coming to Manchester United with the expectations that we have is something that Michael will relish,” he added on www.manutd.com.

The 29-year-old England striker was out of contract having left Newcastle United so no transfer fee is involved.

By: Abhimanyu Rajput

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ROME (AFP) - The first Milan derby of the season will take place in Boston in the United States where Inter Milan and AC Milan will play a friendly on July 26.

That will be new Milan coach Leonardo’s first chance to test his skills against Inter counterpart Jose Mourinho.

The two clubs will both play four matches in the US, each taking on Mexicans Club America and Chelsea.

Milan will also play a friendly against David Beckham’s Los Angeles Galaxy while Inter have a game against the University of California.

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