Report: Temarii to challenge FIFA suspension

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP): Reynald Temarii, a former Oceania Football Confederation president, is confident of overturning his 12-month suspension from FIFA's executive committee for ethics violations.

Temarii told Fairfax newspapers in New Zealand he has received a letter from FIFA's ethics committee explaining why it found he had breached regulations around loyalty and confidentiality during last year's bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

The FIFA vice president was filmed by Britain's News of the World newspaper allegedly soliciting donations for OFC projects from reporters posing as members of World Cup bid teams.

An ethics committee investigation cleared Temarii of corruption but found he had breached other articles of the code of ethics.

Temarii said after seeing more detail of charges against him he was confident of successfully appealing his suspension.

"I received a letter from FIFA on December 30, 2010 and I have been cleared from all corruption allegations," Temarii said. "The ethics committee have accused me of breaching FIFA confidentiality and loyalty, with which I totally disagree.

"Out of the passionate debates around the World Cup voting process, I hope a meeting, possibly next month, will see FIFA's appeal committee realize I have not breached any articles within the code of ethics, nor did have the intention to."

The Oceania Football Confederation will meet Saturday in Pago Pago, American Samoa, to elect a new president from three candidates: Papua New Guinea's David Chung and New Zealand pair Frank van Hattum and Fred de Jong.

Van Hattum told New Zealand media on Sunday that he and de Jong were standing for election to protest a lack of transparency within the OFC. The chairman of Football New Zealand, Van Hattum says it is rumored that Chung will be elected but then resign in November to allow Temarii to be reinstated.

Temarii denied such a plan.

"Frank Van Hattum has started his campaign with criticism and arrogance, without showing any interest to the member associations over the last two years," Temarii said. "In the past, New Zealand Football representatives were elected on the OFC executive committee because NZF officials always showed respect and consideration to our members. With Frank's attitude, it seems that it is no longer the case.

"As for my return, I will not be back in November, 2011. He's wrong once again. When he realizes such in November, I hope he will approach our members, or talk about them, with more humility, consideration and respect."

  

Messi hits 3 goals in Barcelona's 5-0 win

MADRID (AP): Lionel Messi celebrated his second straight Ballon d'Or award by scoring a hat trick Wednesday in Barcelona's 5-0 win over Real Betis in the Copa del Rey quarterfinals, the Spanish champions' 27th match unbeaten to equal a club record.

Messi, who took the prize ahead of teammates Andres Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez on Monday, was honored before the first-leg match at the Camp Nou stadium. The Argentina forward then showed why he was voted world player of the year.

Barcelona finally broke through against a composed Betis side in the 44th minute, Iniesta playing Messi through in a one-on-one with goalkeeper Casto Espinosa, who was caught off his line and beaten by a lifted shot.

Espinosa and Barcelona goalkeeper Jose Manuel Pinto stood out in the first half with a number of important stops, but the Betis 'keeper could do little in the 64th.

After making a reaction save to deny Messi, the rebound fell for the forward to slide the ball under him into the goal.

Messi completed his hat trick in the 73rd, beating the offside trap to reach Xavi's pass before shooting past Espinosa for his 31st goal of the season in all competitions.

Espinosa was helpless in the 76th despite making a save from Daniel Alves, who tapped the loose ball back for Pedro Rodriguez to send into the top of the net for his 15th goal of the season.

Second-division leader Betis' strong first-half performance was all but a memory when substitute Seydou Keita jumped high to head home in the 83rd.

"They were especially strong in the first half, when they pressured us so well," Alves said. "But the goals came in the second half. I think today any debate over who deserved the Ballon d'Or was settled. (Messi) deserves it."

Barcelona went 28 straight games without defeat during the 1973-74 season. This season's team will be aiming to surpass that mark and notch its 13th straight league victory against Malaga this weekend.

Earlier, Alexis Ruano scored in the 88th minute as defending champion Sevilla rallied for a 3-3 draw at Villarreal in the first leg.

While Villarreal coach Juan Carlos Garrido was suspended for the match, Cani was available after having a red card revoked and the midfielder opened the scoring in the 24th minute of a high-tempo game.

Cani passed to an unmarked Giuseppe Rossi in the middle but Javi Varas saved. The loose ball eventually found Cani, who volleyed into the goal with Varas scrambling to get back into position.

Rossi made it 2-0 fove minutres later after the Italy striker hammered a shot from outside the area from a corner, the ball taking a deflection off Alexis to leave Varas with no chance. It was Rossi's 17th goal in all competitions this season.

Sevilla pulled one back when Alvaro Negredo controlled Ndri Romaric's long ball, held off Jose Manuel Catala and slid a low shot past goalkeeper Juan Carlos Sanchez.

Lopez replaced Sanchez just before the restart, and Marco Ruben capped a wonderful buildup started by Lopez, leaping high to head Joan Capdevila's cross past Varas in the 56th.

Lopez then stopped Negredo from point-blank soon after but was helpless when Romaric and Negredo combined again, Negredo heading his Ivory Coast teammate's cross home at the far post.

Both teams had legitimate-looking goals disallowed after that - Negredo for a foul and Ruben for offside - and both picked up a number of yellow cards as the game became more physical before Alexis buried Romaric's pass beyond the reach of Lopez off the post.

"The truth is we've made things complicated for ourselves," Villarreal forward Santi Cazorla said.

Real Madrid plays Atletico Madrid and Almeria faces Deportivo La Coruna in the quarterfinals on Thursday.

The second legs are next week.

  

Arsenal upset in cup, Liverpool beaten in league

LONDON (AP): Arsenal conceded a late goal to lose 1-0 at second-tier club Ipswich in the League Cup semifinals on Wednesday, and Liverpool went down 2-1 at Blackpool in the Premier League.

Tamas Priskin's goal gave Ipswich the first-leg advantage, holding off a defender before sliding the ball past goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny in the 78th minute.

Kenny Dalglish's first Premier League match back as Liverpool manager ended in the club's second loss this season to Blackpool, which returned to the top flight after a 39-year absence.

Fernando Torres scored after three minutes, but Blackpool's Gary Taylor-Fletcher leveled nine minutes later and teammate D.J. Campbell's second-half goal inflicted Liverpool's 10th loss of the season.

Ipswich has had a turbulent week with Roy Keane leaving as manager and Paul Jewell appointed as his successor. The team is only three points above the League Championship relegation zone, and had been thrashed 7-0 at Chelsea in the FA Cup on Saturday.

"Pretty much everyone in the country wrote us off today, so we've surprised a lot of people," Ipswich captain David Norris said. "We let a lot of people down against Chelsea. We didn't do ourselves justice, so we went out tonight with that bit of extra determination and did what we had to.

"But there's still work to be done and we still have to go to the Emirates in the second leg."

Looking for his first trophy since the 2005 FA Cup, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger fielded strong side that included Spain World Cup winner Cesc Fabregas and England internationals Theo Walcott and Jack Wilshere.

But the Premier League's third-place team failed to hit top gear and was fortunate not to lose by a bigger margin ahead of the second leg on Jan. 25 at Emirates Stadium.

"We didn't create many chances," Wenger said. "Ipswich defended very well and we were caught out. We had no spark. Ipswich were sharper than us and we made a defensive mistake, which they took advantage of. But we're at home in the second leg and that could make all the difference."

Blackpool showed that the 2-1 result at Anfield in October was no fluke and exposed the size of the task facing Dalglish, who returned Saturday to the job he relinquished 20 years ago following Roy Hodgson's dismissal.

Dalglish's challenge is not to deliver Liverpool's first English league title since 1990, but to keep the 18-time champions in the top flight. They are four points above the drop zone with 17 matches to go.

It began well for Liverpool. Dirk Kuyt passed the ball to Martin Kelly, who advanced over the halfway line before rolling a pass into the inside-right channel. Torres raced into the penalty area and sent a fierce shot past goalkeeper Richard Kingson into the roof of the net from a tight angle.

It was the Spain striker's second goal in his last nine matches, and seventh of the season.

But the visitors' joy lasted only until the 12th minute. Liverpool midfielder Raul Meireles carelessly gave the ball away in midfield to David Vaughan, whose pass allowed Taylor-Fletcher to run through the defense before rolling a shot under goalkeeper Pepe Reina.

Blackpool's winner came in the 69th, Ian Evatt beating Liverpool defender Martin Skrtel to Neal Eardley's deep cross for Campbell to head home.

  

Sevilla rallies to draw 3-3 at Villarreal in cup

MADRID (AP): Alexis Ruano scored in the 88th minute as defending champion Sevilla rallied for a 3-3 draw at Villarreal in the first leg of the Copa del Rey quarterfinals.

Cani and Giuseppe Rossi put the hosts ahead 2-0 inside 29 minutes at El Madrigal stadium, before Sevilla forward Alvaro Negredo scored the first of his two goals in the 39th.

Marco Ruben headed home in the 56th to re-establish the two-goal lead. But Negredo scored his fifth goal of the competition on the hour mark.

Alexis slotted beyond the reach of goalkeeper Diego Lopez to score in off the post with only two minutes of regulation time left.

Later Wednesday, Spanish league pace-setter Barcelona plays second-division leader Real Betis in another quarterfinal match.

  

Eto'o scores twice as Inter Milan beats Genoa 3-2

MILAN (AP): Samuel Eto'o scored twice Wednesday as Inter Milan defeated Genoa 3-2 to advance to the quarterfinals of the Italian Cup, taking his tally to 21 goals in all competitions so far this season.

Eto'o gave Inter a 2-0 halftime lead. After the break, Houssine Kharja scored for Genoa with a penalty, but McDonald Mariga hit Inter's third soon after. Giuseppe Sculli scored Genoa's second goal in injury time.

The result means new Inter coach Leonardo has now won his first three matches since taking over from Rafael Benitez during the winter break.

"Genoa closed down space well and made life difficult for us," Inter midfielder Esteban Cambiasso said. "We had to work hard and deserved the win."

Inter, the defending champions, took the lead in the 15th minute. Sulley Muntari crossed from the left, Eto'o controlled the ball before slipping between Domenico Criscito and Emiliano Moretti and poking it under goalkeeper Alessio Scarpi.

Two minutes before halftime, Eto'o doubled his tally. Maicon hit a low cross to the near post and Eto'o got ahead of Moretti to score.

Genoa came back into the match with a 53rd-minute spot kick after Gergely Rudolf had been brought down by Andrea Ranocchia.

Mariga headed in Maicon's corner in the 59th, restoring Inter's two-goal lead.

Sculli's shot low from the edge of area gave Genoa some hope, but Inter managed to hold on.

"This team has been together for a long time and we know what we have to do," Cambiasso said. "It is a step forward for us in the Cup, now we have to concentrate on the league."

In the other round-of-16 match, Fabio Miccoli scored a penalty in the 80th minute to give Palermo a 1-0 win at home to Chievo Verona.

Chievo defender Carlos Rincon brought down Miccoli, and the Palermo striker got back up to break the deadlock.

  

Host Qatar beats China 2-0 at Asian Cup

DOHA, Qatar (AP): Yousef Ahmed scored twice to give Qatar a 2-0 win over China on Wednesday and boost the host nation's chances of advancing to the knockout round of the Asian Cup.

Ahmed gave Qatar the lead in the 27th minute and added the second in first-half injury time.

Qatar needed a win after losing its first match and went on the attack from the start, repeatedly breaking down China's defense in the opening 30 minutes.

China, which beat Kuwait in its opening Group A match, could not regroup in the second half against Qatar.

"We showed the real face of the Qatar team in this match," Qatar coach Burno Metsu said. "I am very proud of their strong performance and we will try to do the same against Kuwait and advance to the quarterfinals."

Qatar has billed the continental tournament as a test run for the 2022 World Cup, awarded to the tiny, oil-rich Gulf nation last month. Matsu's squad has come under fire after losing the tournament's opening match to face an early exit.

There was no other choice but to win against China, the French coach said.

"We gave our best and scored two goals and, although we missed many chances after that, I was happy," Matsu said.

China coach Gao Hongbao is satisfied with the overall performance of a squad that has some of the youngest and least experienced players in the tournament. Gao blamed China's malfunctioning attack for the defeat.

"We did not apply enough pressure in the game, so Qatar was able to organize attacks easily," said Gao, adding that, with no player over 30, the match was still "a good experience for our young team.

"Our players can learn from this match. We lost the game, but losing is part of playing and we can do better in the next game, which is more important to us." China will next play Uzbekistan and Qatar will play Kuwait.

Uzbekistan leads Group A with six points, three more than China and Qatar. Kuwait has zero points.

At the last Asian Cup, China failed to advance from the group stage. The country's footballing fortunes have dipped since 2002, with corruption and management problems compounded by the team failing to qualify for the World Cup in 2006 and 2010.

Lineups: China: Zeng Cheng; Du Wei, Zhao Peng, Zhang Linpeng, Rong Hao; Deng Zhuoxiang, Qu Bo, Yu Tao (Zhou Haibin, 59) Yang Hao, Yu Hai (Hao Junmin, 46); Gao Lin (Yang Xu, 42).

Qatar: Qasem Burhan; Hamid Ismail, Mohammed Kasola, Bilal Mohammed, Ibrahim Majid, Ibrahim al-Ghanim; Lawrence, Wesam Rizik: Yousef Ahmed (Jaralla al-Marri, 64) Mohamed al-Sayed, Sebastian Suria.

  

Djeparov fires Uzbeks towards last eight spot

DOHA: A thunderbolt from captain Server Djeparov gave Uzbekistan a 2-1 win over Kuwait that took them to the brink of the Asian Cup last eight here yesterday and left Kuwait on the verge of elimination.

Djeparov cracked home a first-time shot from 20 yards in the 65th minute to continue Uzbekistan’s 100% record in Group A after the 2-0 defeat of Qatar in their group opener.

Uzbekistan had taken the lead shortly before half-time when Azizbek Haydarov inadvertently diverted a Maksim Shatskikh free-kick past the Kuwait goalkeeper, with Bader Al Mutwa levelling from the penalty spot.

Victory means Uzbekistan need just a point from their final group game against China on Sunday to reach the quarter-finals, while they will go through if Qatar fail to beat China in yesterday’s late game.

In front of over 18,000 empty seats at the Al Gharafa Stadium, Kuwait started with purpose and twice threatened to take an early lead.

Gradually, however, Uzbekistan began to assume control of midfield, and Odil Akhmedov headed over from point-blank range in the eighth minute following a sweeping one-touch move.

Uzbekistan opened the scoring in the 41st minute and the breakthrough stemmed from the right foot of veteran Shatskikh, whose goal-bound effort clipped Haydarov’s back to wrong-foot Nawaf Al Khaldi in the Kuwaiti goal.

Kuwait coach Goran Tufegdzic sent on Hamad Nayef at half-time and the striker had an immediate impact.

Having headed inches over the bar from Fahad Awad’s left-wing centre moments after coming on, Nayef then won a penalty when he tripped over under pressure from Anzur Ismailov on the perimeter of the Uzbek box.

Al Mutwa held his nerve to place the ball into the bottom-right corner, sparking the Kuwaiti fans into song after Haydarov’s goal had silenced them.

Parity reigned for just over 15 minutes, however, and if Uzbekistan’s opener had been slightly fortunate, their second goal owed everything to the ball-striking ability of Djeparov.

Uzbekistan had been on the back foot since conceding the equaliser, but when substitute Jasur Khasanov picked out Djeparov just outside the box, the captain let fly with a fine first-time shot that flashed into the net.

Ahmad Ajab spurned Kuwait’s best chance to equalise, volleying well over the bar from six yards after Al Mutwa picked him out with a raking ball from the right flank. 

  

Saudis aim to avoid more humiliation

SAUDI Arabia face Jordan today at the Asian Cup under a new coach following Jose Peseiro’s dismissal after just one game at the tournament, but the new man warned he doesn’t have a magic wand.

The Saudis’ quest for a fourth Asian Cup title lay in tatters after their embarrassing 2-1 Group B defeat to unfancied Syria in their opening game, with Portuguese Peseiro sacked immediately afterwards.

Experienced veteran Nasser Al Johar has taken over a deflated Saudi Arabian team that desperately needs a victory to get their campaign going.

But Al Johar, who was similarly drafted in at the 2000 Asian Cup when the Saudis fired Milan Macala also after the opening game, was making no bold statements.

“I don’t pretend to have a magic wand to change things immediately,” he said yesterday.

“But we will do our best and I have big hopes for the team.”

Al Johar will do well to repeat the feat of 2000, when he steered the team to the final, where they lost to Japan.

He was also at the helm during the 2002 World Cup and took over again in 2008 when Helios Dos Anjos was let go, only to resign in February 2009 when the Saudis lost to North Korea in World Cup qualifying.

Al Johar, the man the Saudis seem to call in an emergency, said he felt no pressure, nor were his players shaken by Peseiro’s abrupt early tournament dismissal.

“I’m here to serve my homeland and I’m very happy to be serving my country,” he said. 

  

Giant-killers Syria ready to do battle with Blue Samurai

SYRIA, boosted by a shock 2-1 defeat of Saudi Arabia in their Asian Cup opener, are hoping to show their true worth against other three-time champions Japan today.

“We want to prove to the world that our good result against Saudi Arabia did not come by chance,” Syria coach Tita Valeriu said on the eve of their second Group B match against a Japanese team that salvaged a 1-1 draw with Jordan.

“Of course, it will be a great surprise if we win because Japan are a very strong team,” added the 44-year-old Romanian, who became the third man in three months to assume the job in mid-December.

“Japan are definitely much more difficult than Saudi Arabia. We must move cautiously in our field and put pressure on the other team.”

Japan coach Alberto Zaccheroni, whose side saved his blushes with an injury-time equaliser against a doggedly defensive Jordan on Sunday, admitted another tough battle awaited them.

“Syria proved to be highly organised and highly motivated against Saudi Arabia,” said the former AC Milan boss, who took over from homegrown Takeshi Okada after the Blue Samurai reached the World Cup last-16 in South Africa.

“They are in an extremely good frame of mind as they are the only team with three points in our group.

“It is important to improve our speed against such a team who refuse to give us space,” the 57-year-old Italian added.

“We made 17 shots but drew with Jordan. We must finish on chances without fail.”

Zaccheroni is tasked with bringing the title back to Japan after Saudi Arabia beat them in the 2007 semi-finals before bowing to surprise packages Iraq.

Zaccheroni said there would no major change to his first team which featured a striker in front of CSKA Moscow’s Keisuke Honda and Borussia Dortmund rookie Shinji Kagawa.

  

Du-ri’s bitter memories prompt shirt swap

SOUTH Korea and Celtic player Cha Du-ri says bitter memories of the time England forward Teddy Sheringham refused to swap shirts prompted him to make peace with a Bahrain player at the Asian Cup.

Abdulla Marzooqi confronted defender Du-ri in an angry exchange after a corner during South Korea’s 2-1 victory on Monday.

“After the match, I was looking for him to talk to him,” the Asian Football Confederation website quoted Du-ri as saying.

“But when I found him, his attitude had changed and he was apologetic and friendly and wanted to exchange shirts.”

The 30-year-old was about to refuse, but then remembered the time former Manchester United and Spurs striker Sheringham had turned down Du-ri’s request to swap shirts after a 1-1 draw between South Korea and England in 2002.

“Sheringham did not want to change shirts with me because we drew,” said Du-ri. “I did not want to be like Sheringham, so I exchanged shirts with the Bahrain player.

“This is what true football is about. During the match we are competitive and fight hard, but after the final whistle we are equals.”

  

Aussie skipper hails Kewell-Cahill partnership

AUSTRALIA captain Lucas Neill has hailed the partnership of Tim Cahill and Harry Kewell, saying opponents will be intimidated just by looking at the Socceroos’ team-sheet.

Cahill has been in red-hot form for Everton this season, with nine goals so far, and he carried his sharpshooting skills into the Asian Cup with a brace in their opening 4-0 victory over India.

Former Liverpool star Kewell, now with Galatasaray, also got himself on the scoresheet with a fine 25-yard strike.

Neill, a team-mate of Kewell’s at the Turkish club, said their reputations would have other teams quaking in their boots.

“With two reputations like that up front, it always keeps defenders thinking, always keeps them a little bit concerned that they’re going to have to keep an eye on both,” said Neill.

“It allows both of them to cause a distraction for the other and then it allows other players, who people probably don’t keep their eye on as much, to possibly ghost in, the likes of Brett Holman, Brett Emerton, even the young guys.

“Their experience is great and their knowledge of when to keep the ball and when to go forward is also key and obviously their hunger is still there and their desire to push the team.”

Neill has been busy forging a new partnership himself, alongside Asian player of the year Sasa Ognenovski at the heart of Australia’s defence.

The Socceroos, who crashed out on penalties in the quarter-finals to Japan at the last tournament four years ago, next play the Park Ji-sung-led South Korea tomorrow in a game that could decide who tops Group C. 

  

Atletico aim for first win over Real in over 10 years

MADRID: Atletico Madrid are hoping a Spanish Cup derby against Real Madrid today will lead to their first win over their city rival in over a decade.

Atletico last beat their crosstown neighbour in 1999, but all those matches have come in the league. The last time Atletico beat Madrid in the domestic cup competition was also at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium – in the 1992 final.

But Atletico are coming off Monday’s humiliating 4-1 league loss at Hercules, while Madrid stayed on the heels of Spanish leader Barcelona with a 4-2 win over Villarreal.

While Quique Sanchez Flores did not lose a two-legged series as coach of Atletico last season – guiding them to the Europa League title and last season’s Spanish Cup final – the team’s lack of consistency this season do not bode well ahead of a trip to the Bernabeu, where Madrid have won all 14 of their games.

Atletico, however, have signed winger Juanfran Torres from Osasuna on a four-year deal that ties him to the club until 2015.

Spanish media reports say Atletico paid just over €4mil for Juanfran, who is expected to take Simao Sabrosa’s spot after the Portuguese winger left for Besiktas.

Sanchez selected Juanfran in his squad for tomorrow’s match against Real after he passed his medical yesterday.

“In the next two days we must reorganise the team and go back to what we were,” Sanchez Flores said. “This is the same team that won two titles, so it wouldn’t be surprising if we got back on the winning track.”

Madrid have won 12 of the 18 matches since Atletico last triumphed in the Spanish capital derby, with that 3-1 win coming in a season where they would ultimately be relegated to Division Two.

Madrid, 17-time Cup champions, are playing in the final eight for the first time since 2006, which was also the last time they reached the semi-finals.

Their last domestic cup win came in 1993. Madrid will be led by Cristiano Ronaldo, whose hat-trick against Villarreal took his overall season tally to 30 goals in 26 games.

Meanwhile, Division Two leader Real Betis is the last lower-tier team left in the competition. But they get the unenviable task of facing Barcelona, who are unbeaten in 26 games overall and are likely to field Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi.

New signing Ibrahim Afellay could get some minutes after making his Barcelona debut in Saturday’s 4-0 victory at Deportivo La Coruna after his transfer from PSV Eindhoven.

Villarreal have never won a major trophy so they are eager to reach this season’s final, but they must get through a tough match with defending champions Sevilla first.