Argentina must abandon Barcelona plan

Photo: AP

If the Titanic had reached New York it would have been just another ship ride. The fascination lies in the failure. The thought kept running through my mind last Wednesday night as I watched Argentina ride their luck to hold Colombia to a 0-0 draw in the Copa America. The game was like an iceberg - an appropriate image given the Arctic conditions - that left the big idea of Argentina coach Sergio Batista holed below the waterline. The project to mould the national side in the shape of Barcelona will surely have to be abandoned.

Corinthians yet to agree deal for Man City's Carlos Tevez

Brazilian club Corinthians say they have not yet struck a deal to sign Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez. On Sunday, City boss Roberto Mancini claimed a deal had been reached for the 27-year-old, with only personal terms still to be agreed. But a Corinthians statement said: "We would like to clarify to the public that City did not accept our offer. "City sent a counter-proposal in the early hours... and this will be analysed by Corinthians." Tevez's representative Kia Joorabchian also insisted that, contrary to Mancini's comments on City's pre-season tour, the clubs had not yet settled on a fee despite Corinthians returning with an improved bid understood to be about £40m.

Manchester United Tour Reflects English Soccer's Odd Priorities

PHILADELPHIA -- In between the first and second games of his club's preseason tour through North America, Manchester United  manager Alex Ferguson complained about the lack of a winter break during the English Premier League season.

"Most Decembers we play between eight and nine games at the worst time of the year. The pitches are heavier, the weather is worse and then in the second half of the season you'll find a lot of players at all clubs carrying strains, pulls, but because of the importance of the games, they keep on playing," he said.

"And then when they get to the end of the season and have a major tournament like a World Cup or European Championship they are not 100% fit. They can't be. They need that rest factor which brings the energy back into the system. Germany always takes that month-long break in January and they always seem to do better in World Cups than anyone ever expects." Sir Alex may be on to something.

Thierry Henry Makes Himself at Home in New York Debut

HARRISON, N.J. -- Thierry Henry clearly is thrilled to be a New Yorker. In fact, he's so eager to adopt the big city lifestyle that he rode the cramped, sweaty PATH train from Manhattan, where he's staying in a hotel, out to this industrial Jersey suburb on the Passaic River ahead of his Thursday night debut in a Major League Soccer uniform. The PATH is no place for a prima donna.

"It was the quickest way to come to the game," he said. "I was on the train with my friends, with all the fans. It was quite an experience. It was the quickest way to come, so that's how I came. It was cool."

French Coach Blanc Drops All 23 Players Due to World Cup Finish

PARIS (AP) -- France coach Laurent Blanc will drop all 23 World Cup players for his first match next month as collective punishment for the team's embarrassing fiasco in South Africa.

The French federation said Friday in a statement it had granted Blanc permission to suspend the players at the coach's request.
France was eliminated in the group stage at the World Cup, failing to win a game. The players also refused to train as a protest after Chelsea striker Nicolas Anelka was sent home following an expletive-laced tirade at then-coach Raymond Domenech.Blanc refused to speak to reporters when he left the federation's headquarters Friday.