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U.S., Mexico tie in key World Cup qualifier
In a World Cup qualifier featuring heated regional rivals, the United States and Mexico tied 0-0 at Mexico City on Tuesday night.
The result was a huge disappointment for the Mexican team, which through the years has dominated the United States at the Azteca Stadium.
The hosts controlled the match, taking 10 shots to the 1 for the United States. Mexico also had 15 corner kicks as most of the game was played in the U.S. end.
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Beckham says 'bonjour' to Paris Saint-Germain
[Updated at 11:52 a.m. ET] David Beckham has signed with Paris Saint-Germain, saying his wife and children will stay in London for schooling. When asked to speak French by reporters, he said "Bonjour."
David Beckham will sign for French soccer giants Paris Saint-Germain today, officials for the club have confirmed to CNN.
The deal involving the 37-year-old former Manchester United and L.A. Galaxy star is expected to be formally announced at a news conference later this morning.
Read more: Beckham moves to 'City of Light'
Check out all the latest transfer deadline day action.
A dozen die protesting an even deadlier soccer riot in Egypt
Twelve people died over two days in clashes between Egyptian police and protesters amid reports of inadequate security at a soccer match that devolved into a riot, in which 79 fans were killed, officials said Saturday.
Seven people, including a police officer, were killed in Cairo, the Health Ministry reported. Five were killed in Suez, all by gunshot wounds, the ministry said.
The deaths tolls were revised because of a fluid situation and differing reports from ambulances and the morgue.
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Chelsea star faces violent conduct charge
Chelsea's soccer star Eden Hazard today was charged with by the English Football Association with violent conduct after being ejected from his team's League Cup match at Swansea earlier this week for kicking a ball boy.
Hazard, a Belgian, is facing a lengthy ban after a statement on the FA website said his actions "constituted violent conduct whereby the standard punishment that would otherwise apply was clearly insufficient."
Hazard has until January 29 to respond to the charge. The case will then go before an FA disciplinary panel who will decide on any punishment more than the standard three-game ban.
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Chelsea star apologizes for kicking ball boy
Eden Hazard, a star for England's Chelsea soccer team, has apologized for kicking a ball boy during a match in Wales on Wednesday, Chelsea says on its website.
The incident happened in Chelsea's Capitol One Cup semifinal game at Swansea City when the ball went out of bounds late in the game with Chelsea needing two goals to force overtime.
"The boy put his whole body onto the ball and I was just trying to kick the ball and I think I kicked the ball and not the boy. I apologize.
'The ball boy came in the changing room and we had a quick chat and I apologized and the boy apologized as well, and it is over. Sorry," the Chelsea website report quoted Hazard as saying.
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Star soccer coach agrees Bayern deal
German soccer giants Bayern Munich have pulled off a major coup by successfully courting arguably the most in-demand coach in the world - former Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola.
One day after Guardiola had talked openly of his desire to manage in the English Premier League, Bayern announced the 41-year-old Catalan had agreed to coach the German club for three seasons from the start of the 2013/2014 campaign.
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Beckham leaving L.A. Galaxy after six seasons
Los Angeles Galaxy star David Beckham will be leaving the team after the MLS Cup game December 1, team officials announced Monday.
The famed British midfielder joined the Galaxy in 2007, raising the profile of Major League Soccer in the United States and helped lead the team to the league title in 2011. Monday's announcement comes ten months after he signed a new two-year contract with the team, turning his back on a number of offers from leading European clubs.
Criminal investigation launched in deadly 1989 stadium crush
Britain's Independent Police Complaints Commission has initiated a criminal investigation into police misconduct in a 1989 tragedy at a soccer ground where 96 people died.
The investigation follows a private inquiry that found serious failings by police and emergency services.
The private report, released last month, reviewed thousands of documents and cast doubt on the original inquest's finding of accidental death.
The crush at Sheffield's Hillsborough Stadium on April 15, 1989, has cast a lasting shadow over Liverpool and the surrounding Merseyside area.
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FC Barcelona invites Palestinians to Madrid match after Gilad Shalit row
It's not often a sporting event can stoke the tensions of one of the world's longest-running conflicts, but news that an ex-prisoner and Israeli soldier would attend a Spanish soccer match next month did just that.
Gilad Shalit, who was freed in October 2011 after more than five years as a Palestinian prisoner, is expected to attend next month's "El Clásico," a match between Spanish powerhouses FC Barcelona and Real Madrid. This game, which will be played at Barcelona's Camp Nou on October 7, is one of the world's biggest rivalries.
Despite several reports that Barcelona had extended the invitation to Shalit, the club announced in a Thursday statement that wasn't the case.
Gilad Shalit is expected to attend next month's soccer match between Barcelona and Real Madrid.
"The Club did not invite Mr. Shalit to the game, but accepted a request to watch a match during his visit to Barcelona," the statement said.
Barcelona said it also accepted a Palestinian Embassy request that three of its delegates - Palestinian Authority Ambassador Musa Amer Odeh, Palestinian Football Union President Jibril Rajoub and soccer player and activist Mahmoud Sarsak - be invited to the game.
Though the club statement said the three would attend, the Palestinian-run blog, The Electronic Intifada, cited two reports saying that Sarsak would reject the invitation.
Sarsak was freed from an Israeli prison in June following a three-month hunger strike. The player's refusal to eat prompted Amnesty International to issue a statement saying Sarsak should be released or provided with medical treatment.
CNN Prime Time: Paul Ryan's first interview; police show how man shot himself
VP Pick Paul Ryan gives first TV interview
Republican vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan gives his first one-on-one interview since becoming the nominee.
Police reenact mysterious death
Police say Chavis Carter shot himself in the head when he was handcuffed in the back of a police car. They demonstrate how it may have happened.
Hope Solo: I have a bad rep
Olympian and U.S. soccer champ Hope Solo talks to Piers Morgan about her reputation in the media.
Soccer stars Ribery, Benzema accused of soliciting underage prostitute
Soccer players Franck Ribery and Karim Benzema will face a trial for allegedly soliciting an underage prostitute, according to the Paris prosecutor's office.
Andre Dando, the investigating magistrate, told CNN that "some of the defendants will be prosecuted for 'aggravated pimping', although I cannot disclose which ones at this time."
Dando said that the trial is months away and would likely carry over into 2013.
Ribery plays for Bayern Munich and Benzema plays for Real Madrid. Both are members of the French national team.
The case emerged earlier this year after police raided a night club near the Champs Elysees in Paris and detained 18 girls on suspicion of prostitution.
One of the girls, Zahia Dehar, appeared on the cover of Paris Match in April and told the magazine she had sexual relations with several players on the national team, including Ribery, whom she had met at the club. She said in the interview she hadn't told them she was younger than 18 at the time.
In an initial court hearing on the case, Ribery admitted he had sex with Dehar but insisted he did not know she was a minor. Benzema has made no public comment.
Goalkeeper Solo gets drug warning ahead of Olympics
An anti-doping agency has issued a public warning to U.S. women’s soccer goalkeeper Hope Solo after she tested positive for a banned diuretic, a substance that she says she didn’t know was in premenstrual medication prescribed by her physician.
The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency says it accepts Solo’s explanation, and U.S. Soccer says the warning will not prevent its first-choice goalkeeper from competing in the 2012 Olympics or any other competition.
Solo, 30, tested positive for canrenone in a urine sample taken last month, the USADA said this week.
Canrenone is a diuretic, a type of substance that could help athletes pass drug tests by diluting their urine, according to the Mayo Clinic. Because of this, diuretics sometimes are referred to as masking agents.
An investigation determined that the diuretic was part of a prescribed medication she was taking under a doctor’s care, the USADA said.
“I took a medication prescribed by my personal doctor for pre-menstrual purposes that I did not know contained a diuretic,” Solo said in a statement released by U.S. Soccer. “Once informed of this fact, I immediately cooperated with USADA and shared with them everything they needed to properly conclude that I made an honest mistake, and that the medication did not enhance my performance in any way.
Scottish soccer giant Rangers expelled from top tier
Glasgow Rangers, one of Scotland’s most storied and followed soccer clubs, was kicked out of Scotland’s top league Wednesday because of its major financial troubles.
The exile of Rangers, a huge source of TV and sponsorship revenue, may put the country’s other clubs in peril. But some Scottish Premier League clubs claimed that they had little choice but to drop Rangers, saying they faced revolts by supporters if they let the Glasgow club stay after incurring large tax debts.
The lower Scottish Football League will now decide whether to accept Rangers for the 2012-13 season, and, if so, whether to start it in the First Division - one step below the SPL - or an even lower tier.
Rangers have been Scottish champions 54 times and are half of the famous "Old Firm" rivalry with city neighbors Celtic. No club other than Rangers or Celtic has won Scotland's first tier since 1985.
Rangers were liquidated and essentially became a new club this year after administrators seized the old version because of an unpaid tax bill of $14 million. The UK government also was seeking tens of millions of dollars more allegedly owed in back taxes.
Germany fined after soccer fans display neo-Nazi symbols
European football's governing body fined Germany's national soccer body €25,000 ($31,000) Tuesday over what witnesses say was the display of neo-Nazi symbols by German fans at a Euro 2012 match.
The "improper conduct of supporters" occurred when Germany played Denmark in the Ukrainian city of Lviv on June 17, UEFA said.
The anti-discrimination organization FARE stated on its official Twitter page: "FARE can confirm that one of our observers reported a neo-Nazi banner in the German section at the match v. Denmark in Lviv on Sunday."
German newspaper Taz also highlighted the wearing of neo-Nazi symbols by fans.
After the game, UEFA said it was investigating "the setting-off of fireworks and the improper conduct of supporters (display of inappropriate banners and symbols, and inappropriate chanting)."
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Racism, rather than Ronaldo and Ribery, dominates Euro 2012 storylines
The UEFA European Football Championship is second only to the World Cup in size and prestige, and it's equally rich in storylines. But right now, one storyline seems to overwhelm all others.
The story today is not whether Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo can shake his reputation as Europe's Lebron James, a man who wows fans all season only to choke in big games. Nor is the story about whether defending champion Spain can defend the title without two of its biggest stars. It's also not about how Franck Ribery and the French squad can rebound from an embarrassing, soap opera-esque campaign in the 2010 World Cup.
Heck, the media aren't even paying that much attention to German coach Joachim Low's promise to break world soccer protocol by allowing his team to smoke, drink booze and have sex during the tournament. That would normally be prime tabloid fodder.
Nope, the story today is about racism, especially within the stadiums of Poland and Ukraine, which are jointly hosting the Euro 2012 tournament beginning Friday. The day before the competition began, the Dutch national team opted to train on the opposite side of its training ground at Stadion Miejski in Warsaw because of racist chants, Dutch captain Mark van Bommel said Thursday.
And while a recent BBC investigation showed several instances of bigotry and racism at club games there - some of them violent - Polish and Ukrainian officials are insisting their countries have been misrepresented.
"There is a problem with racism and anti-Semitism in Poland, but it is blown out of every possible proportion in this material," Marcin Bosacki, Polish Foreign Ministry spokesman, said of the BBC documentary. "We are hospitable and treat all people who come here as friends."
Ukrainian Ambassador to the UK Volodymyr Khandogiy also defended his country, saying, "Ukraine is very well known for its tolerance and it has a long history of living together with other nationalities. In our national football championship, roughly half of all the players are from Asian, African and Brazilian countries."
Regardless, many players and former players are speaking out, and English police issued a warning to fans after the Ukrainian neo-Nazi group Donetsk Company threatened to attack black and Asian English supporters during the tournament, Sky Sports News reported.
The families of Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, black English internationals who play for London's Arsenal, have said they will not attend the tournament because they fear becoming victims. Former English captain Sol Campbell, in the BBC documentary, warned his countrymen to stay out of the host countries.
"Stay at home. Watch it on TV. Don't even risk it because you could end up coming back in a coffin," he told a reporter.
A look at the Euro 2012 tournament: By the numbers
Poland and Ukraine will host the European Championships for the first time, welcoming 14 other teams and football fans from across the continent.
Before the prestigious tournament begins Friday, and amid some concerns about racism in the sport, we wanted to help break down the second biggest soccer tournament for you.
Here's a look at Euro 2012 by the numbers:
16 - The number of teams participating in the monthlong event. Each squad is made up of 20 players. Check out an in-depth look at the squads here.
Two - The number of countries hosting games - Ukraine and Poland. It's the first time the tournament has been held in Eastern Europe.
Eight - The number of stadiums hosting the games.
Three - The number of times Germany has won the tournament. That’s more than any other nation. Spain and France are tied for second, with two wins apiece.
70,050 - The capacity of the Olympic National Sports Complex in Kiev, Ukraine, where the final will be held. It’s one of the world’s largest stadiums.
58,145 - The capacity of the Warsaw National Stadium, where the opening game will be held.
29 - The number of players of color on the squads. That’s less than 10% of the total 320 players representing their countries.
0 - The number of players of color on the host countries’ squads.
Three - The number of teams with six or more players of color on their teams. The Netherlands has six, France seven and England the most with eight.
18 - The number of countries sending police or representatives of public order agencies, according to the Polish Interior Ministry. The countries are Greece, Russia, Czech Republic, Spain, Italy, Ireland, Croatia, England, the Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, Portugal, Sweden, Slovenia, Hungary, Austria, Slovakia and Ukraine.
6,900 - The number of Polish police officers monitoring host cities during the tournament, according to the Polish Interior Ministry.
22,000 - The number of law-enforcement officers monitoring host cities in Ukraine, according to the country's information center.
More on Euro 2012:
Read our complete coverage on the Euro 2012
Barcelona defender Puyol set to miss Euro 2012 after knee surgery
Female fan-power on rise in Germany and Italy as Euro 2012 approaches
Euro 2012 hosts Ukraine and Poland hit back at racism accusations
Prison, persecution and football: How Ukraine's Euro 2012 dream turned sour
Italy PM: Maybe pro soccer should be suspended
Italy might be better off without soccer for a few years in the wake of new arrests in a match-fixing probe in the top-flight Serie A, Prime Minister Mario Monti said Tuesday.
"Maybe soccer should be suspended for two or three years," Monti said, according to a report from Italy's ANSA news service. "It's not a government proposal, but it's a question we should ask ourselves."
Nineteen people were arrested Monday in the ongoing investigation by magistrates in Cremona. Eleven of those arrested are players in Italy's top division.
"It's particularly sad when a world-like sport, which should express noble values, shows itself to be a concentrate of the most reproachful ones, like unfairness, illegality and fraud," Monti said Tuesday in the ANSA report.
Bolton's Fabrice Muamba to get defibrillator, return to training, according to reports
The Bolton Wanderers' Fabrice Muamba is not only on the mend, according to media reports, but - incredibly - he may soon be able to return to training.
The Zaire-born Englishman, who turned 24 last week, collapsed last month during an English FA Cup match against Tottenham. Doctors said he suffered a cardiac arrest and was, in effect, dead for 78 minutes as medics tried to restart his heart.
He gave the sporting world a fright as he lay motionless on the field for several minutes before being put into an ambulance where efforts to revive him continued. The Tottenham match was postponed until later in the month.
Less than a week after Muamba's collapse, doctors said he was improving - joking about and speaking in English and French - despite remaining in serious condition. Today comes news from the Daily Mirror that Muamba will have a minor operation to install a miniature defibrillator in his armpit.
The procedure will take place at the London Chest Hospital, where Muamba has been treated since his March 17 collapse. The purpose of the procedure, according to the tabloid, is to help him in the event he suffers a similar event in the future, as Muamba intends to return to training with his squad.
Stricken soccer star Muamba showing signs of improvement
Soccer star Fabrice Muamba, who suffered a cardiac arrest on the field playing for his club Bolton Wanderers on Saturday, is showing small signs of improvement, according to the hospital treating him.
The 23-year-old collapsed at Tottenham Hotspur's White Hart Lane stadium in London during an English FA Cup quarterfinal game and was treated by paramedics on the pitch.
He was subsequently taken to the London Chest Hospital where he has been in a critical condition since Saturday evening.
But a joint statement released by the hospital and Bolton on Monday afternoon said Muamba's condition had marginally improved.
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Anger flares in Egypt after 79 die in soccer riot
[Updated at 11:59 a.m. ET] Egyptians began three days of mourning Thursday for the 79 people who perished the previous day at a violent soccer riot, as the nation's fledgling parliament erupted in anger over the national tragedy.
The speaker of the parliament ordered an end to a live broadcast of Thursday's parliament session, so heated was the debate. But the order was retracted after angry lawmakers made their objections known.
A deputy of the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party demanded the resignation of the interior minister, holding him responsible for the loss of lives. Another deputy accused security guards of allowing fans to bring weapons into the stadium in Port Said.
A committee will investigate the circumstances that caused the deadly riot Wednesday at the match pitting Cairo's Al-Ahly team against Al-Masry of Port Said.
When the referee blew the final whistle of Wednesday's match in Port Said, the score was Al-Masry 3, Al-Ahly 1. Thousands of Al-Masry fans stormed the pitch despite their home team's hard-fought victory.
Rival fans attacked one another with rocks and chairs. Many of those who died fell from bleachers inside the stadium, said Ahmed Saeed, an official from the Port Said governor's office. Others suffocated.
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