WEMBLEY, England (AP) ― Manchester United beat Manchester City 3-2 in the Community Shield on Sunday, rallying behind Nani’s two goals in the traditional opener to the English soccer season. Nani completed the Premier League champion’s great comeback by scoring the winner in the fourth minute of injury time. The Portuguese winger stripped City captain Vincent Kompany of the ball near midfield, r...

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) ― Argentina has won this championship a record six times, which means absolutely nothing to coach Walter Perazzo as his team prepares to face Egypt in the knockout round of 16 at the U20 World Cup. Egypt played out a 1-1 draw with Brazil in the group stage, which caught Perazzo’s attention. For many, Brazil and Spain are the favorites to claim the trophy when the event ends...

With Lee Chung-yong sidelined, Cho looks for young guns to step up Sometimes South Korea and Japan go for a couple of years without meeting on the soccer field but for spells, the two neighbors are rarely apart. The current crop of players are becoming more familiar with each other all the time as Wednesday’s match in Sapporo will be the third in the past 10 months and the fifth in the past 18 ―...

Surprising Saudi Arabia also advances after routing Guatemala 6-0 BARRANQUILLA, Colombia (AP) ― Real Madrid playmaker Sergio Canales sparked Spain to a 2-0 win over Ecuador on Wednesday, booking a second-round spot at the U20 World Cup. Surprising Saudi Arabia also advanced after routing Guatemala 6-0. Nigeria did the same by beating Croatia 5-2, while Costa Rica kept alive its hopes of reachin...

Match may give peek into changing balance of power in EPL LONDON (AP) ― Manchester United takes on Manchester City in Sunday’s Community Shield, giving fans another chance to see if the balance of power in English football really is shifting between the clubs. United has played in the traditional season-opener 18 times since City’s last appearance in 1973, but City’s wealthy owners have continu...

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) ― France defeated South Korea 3-1 on Tuesday after late goals from Gueida Fofana and Alexandre Lacazette, leaving both teams precariously poised in the group stage at the U20 World Cup. Fofana scored in the 81st to break a 1-1 deadlock and Lacazette closed out the scoring in stoppage time. Gilles Sunu gave France the lead in the 27th before Kim Young-uk equalized in the 59...

Hanwha Group has signed a two-year sponsorship deal with German football club Hamburg SV, the company announced on Wednesday. The sponsorship deal includes making the Hanwha Solar Energy brand visible at the Bundesliga club’s home stadium and on its tickets and homepage, in addition to promotional events. Hanwha Group, one of Korea’s biggest conglomerates, has been focusing on its solar power b...

Korea captain Park Chu-young in search of a new team Park Chu-young of AS Monaco is one of the most sought-after footballers in Korea but where he will play this season is still in doubt. The 26-year-old striker is under contract with Monaco, but he publicly revealed his desire to leave the French club after their relegation from Ligue 1 last season. Since then, the Korean international, who t...

MEDELLIN, Colombia (AP) ― Mexico defeated North Korea 3-0 on Monday in the U20 World Cup, taking a big step toward reaching the knockout stage. Mexico went ahead via a North Korea own-goal in first-half stoppage time, and made it 2-0 from Taufic Guarch’s 30-meter strike in the 54th minute. Diego De Buen scored the final goal from a free kick in second-half stoppage time. Mexico has three points...

Manchester United midfielder Park Ji-sung is ready to sign a two-year contract extension that will keep him at Old Trafford until 2014. The 30-year-old is entering the final 12 months of his contract and the South Korean has moved to quash reports that he may look to leave the club. “I have never been thinking about leaving the club. My mind was always on staying,“ Park told reporters. “The fir...

Bolton Wanderers set to start EPL action without young Korean star There are injuries and then there are injuries. Park Ji-sung often picked up a knock here and a strain there and missed two months of the season just finished with a knee problem. The Manchester United star has experienced almost everything there is to experience in English football but fortunately for him, he has never been on t...

South Korea got off to a nice start in the U20 World Cup in Colombia with a 2-0 win over Mali in their opening match. In the match in Bogota on Saturday, Kim Kyung-jung opened the scoring in the 50th minute, and Jang Hyun-soo added one with a spot kick in 80th minute to earn important three points for the Korean side. The match was delayed almost an hour as heavy rain battered the Colombian cap...

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) ― World champion Spain was drawn on Saturday with 1998 winner France, Georgia, Belarus and Finland in a qualifying group for the 2014 tournament ― the first World Cup in Brazil in 64 years. The United States, featuring new coach Juergen Klinsmann, was drawn with Jamaica in a qualifying group from North and Central America and the Caribbean. England was placed with 2012 Europ...

LONDON (AFP) - South Korea midfielder Lee Chung-Yong will be out of action for nine months after breaking his leg in a pre-season friendly playing for English Premier League side Bolton. The 23-year-old international had to be stretchered off during the first half of the game against Newport County. It was later confirmed that he had undergone a successful operation to repair a double fracture ...