Soccer Sports News & Betting

Ibrahim Afellay and Danny Koevermans scored two goals apiece. And defending champion PSV Eindhoven beat FC Utrecht 5-1 in the Dutch league on Saturday.

Former Netherlands coach Marco van Basten began his reign at Ajax with a 2-1 loss at Willem II.

Afellay’s drive from 20 meters in the 42nd minute put PSV in front at Utrecht and Nordin Amrabat and Koevermans capitalized on defensive errors to score goals just before the break.

Afellay and Koevermans added goals after the intermission.

Rafael Uiterloo scored a consolation goal in his debut for Utrecht in the 90th.

Frank Demouge and Mehmet Akguen were on target in Willem II’s win against Ajax, which finished the match with 10 men after Evander Sno was dismissed in the 84th for elbowing.

Miralem Sulejmani scored Ajax’s goal in the 22nd.

In other first-round matches, it was: Roda JC 1, FC Twente 1; NEC Nijmegen 2, De Graafschap 0.

Feyenoord visits Heracles Almelo on Sunday.

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Marseille edges Sochaux 2-1.

Marseille beat Sochaux 2-1 Saturday with goals from Karim Ziani and Bakari Kone to consolidate its spot atop the French league.

Algeria playmaker Ziani scored with an angled shot that Sochaux goalkeeper Teddy Richert could only deflect in the 40th minute and Ivory Coast forward Kone shot past Richert in the 60th off a pass from Mamadou Niang.

Turkey forward Mevlut Erding pulled one goal back for Sochaux in the 73rd, outpacing the Marseille defense to slip the ball past France goalkeeper Steve Mandanda.

“We had the game under control,” Marseille coach Eric Gerets told Canal Plus television, “but at 2-1 we started to complicate things. Again, it was our goalkeeper who saved us.”

Mandanda blocked with his feet a close-range shot from Erding in the 84th before stopping a header from the Turkey striker in stoppage time.

Marseille has 10 points from four matches.

Defending champion Lyon can tie Marseille in first place if it wins in Saint-Etienne on Sunday. In other games, Bordeaux plays Lille and Rennes takes on Toulouse.

On Saturday, it was: Nantes 1, Le Mans 4; Caen 0, Paris Saint-Germain 1; Grenoble 1, Monaco 0; Lorient 0, Auxerre 2; Nancy 2, Le Havre 1; Nice 2, Valenciennes 0.

In Nantes, Norway forward Thorstein Helstad collected a through ball from Fredrik Stromstad to equalize for Le Mans in the 22nd minute after Senegal midfielder Guirane Ndaw had put Nantes ahead with a header in the 20th.

Mali international Modibo Maiga gave Le Mans the lead with a powerful shot from 20 meters in the 45th.

Le Mans sealed the win with two late goals.

Mathieu Coutadeur made it 3-1 in the 83rd, shooting past Nantes goalkeeper Tony Heurtebis after Ivory Coast forward Gervinho had broken through on the right flank. Gervinho added the fourth goal on a counterattack in stoppage time.

Le Mans is second in the league with nine points.

In Nice, Habib Bamogo opened the scoring for the home side with a diagonal shot in the 53rd, before forward Loic Remy cut inside to add the second with a low curling shot in the 86th.

Valenciennes midfielder Siaka Tiene was sent off in the 32nd for blocking a shot with his hand over the goal line. Remy sent the ensuing penalty kick over the crossbar.

Nice has nine points and is tied with Le Mans and Grenoble.

In Grenoble, Daniel Moreira volleyed home in the 18th with an assist from Nassim Akrour as Monaco suffered its first loss this season.

In Lorient, Poland forward Ireneusz Jelen beat goalkeeper Fabien Audard from close range in the 33rd, and Benoit Pedretti doubled the lead for Auxerre with a long-range strike in the 74th.

Brazilian defender Andre Luiz scored the winner for Nancy with a header in the 88th. Cedric Faure had put Le Havre ahead with a 25-meter drive into the top corner in the 23rd, before Jonathan Brison equalized with a half-volley in the 72nd.

In Caen, PSG forward Guillaume Hoarau diverted in a cross from winger Jerome Rothen in the fifth minute.

“It’s nice to be in the upper half of the table,” Rothen told Canal Plus television. “There’s a change in the team’s mind-set (compared to last season). It’s 11 players who want to win and fight for the ball on every play. We have to keep it going. It’s just the fourth round and the season is quite long.”

Spanish Soccer Results.

MADRID, Spain -Results from the first round of Spain’s first-division soccer league (home teams listed first):

Saturday’s Games

Espanyol 1, Valladolid 0

Valencia 3, Mallorca 0

Sunday’s Games

Athletic Bilbao vs. Almeria

Atletico Madrid vs. Malaga

Real Betis vs. Recreativo Huelva

Sporting Gijon vs. Getafe

Racing Santander vs. Sevilla

Numancia vs. Barcelona

Osasuna vs. Villarreal

Deportivo La Coruna vs. Real Madrid

Sunday, Sept. 7

Almeria vs. Valencia

Malaga vs. Athletic Bilbao

Valladolid vs. Atletico Madrid

Recreativo Huelva vs. Espanyol

Getafe vs. Real Betis

Sevilla vs. Sporting Gijon

Barcelona vs. Racing Santander

Real Madrid vs. Numancia

Villarreal vs. Deportivo La Coruna

Mallorca vs. Osasuna.

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Dutch Football Results.

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands -Results from the first round of the Eredivisie, the Dutch first-division football league (home teams listed first):

Friday’s Games

Vitesse Arnhem 0, FC Groningen 4

Saturday’s Games

Willem II 2, Ajax 1

FC Utrecht 1, PSV Eindhoven 5

Roda JC 1, FC Twente 1

NEC Nijmegen 2, De Graafschap 0

Sunday’s Games

Heracles Almelo vs. Feyenoord

FC Volendam vs. SC Heerenveen

Sparta Rotterdam vs. ADO The Hague

AZ Alkmaar vs. NAC Breda.

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French Football Results.

PARIS -Results from the fourth round of the French football league (home teams listed first):

Saturday’s Games

Nancy 2, Le Havre 1

Grenoble 1, Monaco 0

Caen 0, Paris Saint-Germain 1

Nantes 1, Le Mans 4

Nice 2, Valenciennes 0

Lorient 0, Auxerre 2

Marseille 2, Sochaux 1

Sunday’s Games

Toulouse vs. Rennes

Saint-Etienne vs. Lyon

Lille vs. Bordeaux

Saturday, Sept. 13

Auxerre vs. Nancy

Monaco vs. Lorient

Le Mans vs. Toulouse

Rennes vs. Le Havre

Lyon vs. Nice

Valenciennes vs. Grenoble

Bordeaux vs. Marseille

Sunday, Sept. 14

Sochaux vs. Lille

Caen vs. Saint-Etienne

Paris Saint-Germain vs. Nantes.

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Italian Football Results.

ROME -Results in the Serie A, the Italian first-division football league (home teams listed first):

Saturday’s Games

Udinese 3, Palermo 1

Sampdoria 1, Inter Milan 1

Sunday’s Games

Atalanta vs. Siena

Cagliari vs. Lazio

Catania vs. Genoa

Chievo vs. Reggina

AC Milan vs. Bologna

AS Roma vs. Napoli

Torino vs. Lecce

Fiorentina vs. Juventus

Sunday, Sept. 14

Lazio vs. Sampdoria

Napoli vs. Fiorentina

Reggina vs. Torino

Juventus vs. Udinese

Inter Milan vs. Catania

Genoa vs. AC Milan

Bologna vs. Atalanta

Siena vs. Cagliari

Palermo vs. AS Roma

Lecce vs. Chievo.

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Saturday English Football Results.

LONDON -Results Saturday in English football:

Premier League

Bolton 0, West Brom 0

Everton 0, Portsmouth 3

Hull 0, Wigan 5

Middlesbrough 2, Stoke 1

West Ham 4, Blackburn 1

Arsenal 3, Newcastle 0

League Championship

Barnsley 2, Derby 0

Bristol City 1, QPR 1

Burnley 0, Plymouth 0

Doncaster 1, Coventry 0

Norwich 1, Birmingham 1

Preston 2, Charlton 1

Reading 4, Crystal Palace 2

Sheffield United 0, Cardiff 0

Southampton 0, Blackpool 1

Swansea 1, Sheffield Wednesday 1

Wolverhampton 5 Nottingham Forest 1

Watford 2, Ipswich 1

League One

Brighton 0, Leyton Orient 0

Carlisle 4, Yeovil 1

Cheltenham 0, Leicester 4

Colchester 2, Oldham 2

Hereford 2, Crewe 0

Leeds 2, Bristol Rovers 2

Millwall 2, Huddersfield 1

Milton Keynes Dons 1, Swindon 2

Peterborough 1, Hartlepool 2

Stockport 0, Scunthorpe 3

Tranmere 4, Northampton 1

Walsall 5, Southend 2

Division Three

Aldershot 3, Bradford 2

Brentford 0, Rotherham 0

Chesterfield 0, Wycombe 1

Chester 5, Barnet 1

Exeter 0, Luton 1

Gillingham 1, Accrington Stanley 0

Lincoln City 1, Grimsby 1

Macclesfield 0, Darlington 6

Morecambe 1, Dag & Red 2

Notts County 2, Shrewsbury 2

Port Vale 3, Bournemouth 1

Rochdale 1, Bury 1.

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Greek Football Results.

ATHENS, Greece -Results from the first round of the Greek league:

Saturday’s Games

Olympiakos 3, Asteras 1

OFI 0, PAOK 2

Panthrakikos 1, Ergotelis 2

Sunday’s games

Aris vs.Levadiakos

Iraklis vs. Panserraikos

Panionios vs. Xanthi

AEK vs. Panathinaikos

Larissa vs. Thrasivoulos.

Marco Del Vecchio scored a second-half equalizer Saturday to help Sampdoria draw 1-1. With Inter Milan and spoil Jose Mourinho’s Serie A coaching debut.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic had given Inter the lead in the 33rd minute on a shot from a tight angle that bounced off the post. But Del Vecchio knocked in a rebound just a few feet from the goal line in the 68th to salvage a point against the three-time defending champion.

Mourinho, who won two Premier League titles with Chelsea, signed with Inter in June after the team fired Roberto Mancini despite leading the club to its third straight Serie A championship. In his first official match last week, Inter defeated AS Roma in the Italian Super Cup.

“I expected a tough match,” Mourinho said. “We lost control of the game in the second half. The Serie A season is a marathon so it’s all right that we drew this match. I’m unhappy not because of the draw, but because we didn’t play well.”

Inter pressured Sampdoria on every ball from the opening whistle, but the hosts also created several scoring chances before Del Vecchio finally broke through in the second half. Sampdoria playmaker Antonio Cassano could have scored a winner but failed to control a long pass that would have left him one-on-one with Inter goalkeeper Julio Cesar.

“This is not a false start,” midfielder Amantino Mancini said. “This was a hard game to come here with the stadium full and Sampdoria pumped up.”

Midfielder Esteban Cambiasso played in defense because of the team’s injury problems. Marco Materazzi returned after a long period out, while several defenders are still recovering from injuries.

Also Saturday, Antonio Di Natale scored twice to help Udinese defeat Palermo 3-1.

Di Natale put Udinese ahead in the ninth by dribbling around a defender in the box before beating Palermo keeper Marco Amelia. The Italy forward made it 2-0 in the 34th after taking down a long pass and lobbing the ball over the head of Amelia.

Palermo midfielder Mark Bresciano pulled one back in the 69th, but Gokhan Inler headed in a corner a minute later to seal the win.

On Sunday it is: Atalanta vs. Siena; Cagliari vs. Lazio; Catania vs. Genoa; Chievo vs. Reggina; AC Milan vs. Bologna; Roma vs. Napoli; Torino vs. Lecce; and Fiorentina vs. Juventus.

David Villa, Juanma Mata and Vicente Rodriguez scored in Valencia 3-0 victory over Mallorca on Saturday. The opening day of the Spanish league season.

Striker Villa, who signed a new six-year contract on Wednesday despite reported interest from Real Madrid, headed the first goal of Valencia’s new campaign from Pablo Hernandez’s bouncing cross in the 34th.

Four minutes later, midfielder Mata nodded home after Mallorca goalkeeper Miguel Angel Moya had parried Villa’s fierce shot.

Substitute Vicente sealed the win in the 83rd - nine minutes after replacing midfielder David Silva - when he scored on a low cross by Hernandez’s replacement, Miguel Angel Angulo.

Valencia’s emphatic first win provided encouragement after its 10th-place finish last season - the team’s worst showing in a decade. It also boosted 36-year-old coach Unai Emery, who took charge in May to become the youngest coach in the club’s history.

In the game which kicked off the season, Luis Garcia’s 48th-minute goal brought Espanyol a 1-0 win over Valladolid.

On Sunday, Real Madrid begins its bid for a third straight title at Deportivo La Coruna, where it hasn’t won since 1991.

FC Barcelona will be under new coach Pep Guardiola for its visit to promoted Numancia, while Villarreal, last season’s runner-up, plays at Osasuna.

Also Sunday, it’s: Athletic Bilbao vs. Almeria; Atletico Madrid vs. Malaga; Real Betis vs. Recreativo Huelva; Sporting Gijon vs. Getafe; and Racing Santander vs. Sevilla.

Villa, whose four goals helped Spain win the European Championships two months earlier, received a warm reception at Mestalla Stadium and proved a constant worry for Mallorca’s defense.

However, the striker wasted a clear chance to double his tally when he blazed the ball over the bar in the 59th minute.

Emery surprisingly left right winger Joaquin Sanchez in the stand, with media suggesting Madrid has turned its attention to the right winger as a possible replacement for the unsettled Robinho.

Mallorca, which is close to being sold to British investor Paul Davidson, has only won its opening match of the season once in the past 11 years.

Espanyol striker Garcia received Ivan De La Pena’s pass before unleashing a shot past Valladolid goalkeeper Sergio Asenjo.

Espanyol’s victory at its Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium made for a promising start for coach Bartolome “Tintin” Marquez, who replaced Ernesto Valverde at the end of last season. Valverde is now in charge of Greek club Olympiakos.

It also boosted the morale of the Barcelona-based team, which appears close to losing Spain midfielder Albert Riera to Liverpool and Argentina defender Pablo Zabaleta to Manchester City.

Luis Garcia 48th-minute goal gave Espanyol a 1-0 win over Valladolid. In the opening match of the Spanish league season on Saturday.

The first goal of the new campaign came after striker Garcia received Ivan De La Pena’s pass before unleashing a shot past Valladolid goalkeeper Sergio Asenjo.

Espanyol’s victory at its Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium made for an encouraging start for coach Bartolome “Tintin” Marquez, who replaced Ernesto Valverde at the end of last season. Valverde is now in charge of Greek club Olympiakos.

It also boosted the morale of the Barcelona-based team, which appears close to losing Spain midfielder Albert Riera to Liverpool and Argentina defender Pablo Zabaleta to Manchester City.

Later Saturday, Valencia hosted Mallorca, aiming for a first victory to help banish the memory of a disappointing last season.

On Sunday, defending champion Real Madrid begins its bid for a third straight title at Deportivo La Coruna, where it hasn’t won since 1991.

FC Barcelona will be under new coach Pep Guardiola for its visit to promoted Numancia, while last season’s runner-up Villarreal plays at Osasuna.

Also Sunday, it’s: Athletic Bilbao vs. Almeria; Atletico Madrid vs. Malaga; Real Betis vs. Recreativo Huelva; Sporting Gijon vs. Getafe; and Racing Santander vs. Sevilla.

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Le Mans rallies past Nantes 4-1.

Le Mans rallied from a goal down to beat Nantes 4-1 on Saturday and put pressure on the leaders in the French league.

Thorstein Helstad collected a through ball from Fredrik Stromstad to equalize for Le Mans in the 22nd minute after Senegal midfielder Guirane Ndaw had put Nantes ahead with a header in the 20th. Mali international Modibo Maiga made it 2-1 with a powerful shot from 20 meters in the 45th, and Le Mans used two late goals to seal the win.

Mathieu Coutadeur made it 3-1 in the 83rd, shooting past Nantes goalkeeper Tony Heurtebis after Ivory Coast forward Gervinho had broken through on the right flank. Gervinho added the fourth goal on a counterattack in stoppage time.

Le Mans now has nine points from four matches and can top the standings if Marseille does not to beat Sochaux later Saturday and if defending champion Lyon fails to win in Saint-Etienne on Sunday.

Bordeaux plays Lille and Rennes takes on Toulouse on Sunday.

Also Saturday, it was: Caen 0, Paris Saint-Germain 1; Grenoble 1, Monaco 0; Lorient 0, Auxerre 2; Nancy 2, Le Havre 1; Nice 2, Valenciennes 0.

Habib Bamogo opened the scoring for Nice with a diagonal shot in the 53rd, before forward Loic Remy cut inside to add the second with a low curling shot in the 86th.

Valenciennes midfielder Siaka Tiene was sent off in the 32nd for blocking a shot with his hand over the goal line. Remy sent the ensuing penalty kick over the crossbar.

Nice has nine points and is tied with Le Mans and Grenoble.

In Grenoble, Daniel Moreira volleyed home in the 18th with an assist from Nassim Akrour.

In Lorient, Poland forward Ireneusz Jelen beat goalkeeper Fabien Audard from close range in the 33rd, and Benoit Pedretti doubled the lead for Auxerre with a long-range strike in the 74th.

Brazilian defender Andre Luiz scored the winner for Nancy with a header in the 88th. Cedric Faure had put Le Havre ahead with a 25-meter drive into the top corner in the 23rd, before Jonathan Brison equalized with a half-volley in the 72nd.

In Caen, PSG forward Guillaume Hoarau diverted in a cross from winger Jerome Rothen in the fifth minute.

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Olympiakos beats Asteras 3-1 in Greek league.

Luciano Galetti scored two goals in three minutes to lead Olympiakos to a 3-1 win over visiting Asteras on Saturday in the first round of the Greek league.

Darko Kovasevic netted Olympiakos’ third goal while Daniel Cezarek scored for the visitors.

The hosts charged forward from the start, squandering a major scoring opportunity when Asteras defender Marcelao cleared the ball off the line after a shot by Costas Mitroglou in the 22nd minute. Brazilian striker Diogo introduced himself five minutes later, when the new signing had a powerful shot from the edge of the area that sailed over Giorgos Abaris’ crossbar.

But it was Cezarek who gave the visitors the lead with a penalty in first half injury time, after Christos Patsatzoglou had fouled Paulo Milano.

Galetti leveled in the 60th with a blistering shot and made it 2-1 in the 63rd by converting a penalty after Diogo had been fouled.

Kovasevic sealed the win in the 80th by deflecting Domi’s shot, as the defending champion bounced back from losing to Anorthosis Famagusta in Champions League qualifying on Wednesday.

Also Saturday, PAOK won 2-0 at OFI and Ergotelis won 2-1 at newcomer Panthrakikos.

On Sunday, it’s: Aris vs. Levadiakos; Iraklis vs. Panserraikos; Panionios vs. Xanthi; AEK vs. Panathinaikos; and Larissa vs. Thrasivoulos.

Arsenal defeated Newcastle 3-0 behind two first-half goals from Robin Van Persie on Saturday. Emphatically bouncing back from last weekend’s surprise loss to Fulham.

Denilson added the third goal as Arsenal produced an attacking clinic at Emirates Stadium.

Arsenal, which also routed FC Twente 4-0 in a Champions League qualifier on Wednesday, seemed rejuvenated by the return of Spain midfielder Cesc Fabregas and played with all its trademark flair and finesse that was missing during last Saturday’s 1-0 loss at London rival Fulham.

With the win, Arsenal has six points after three rounds, while Newcastle has four.

Also, newcomer Hull suffered its first Premier League loss when it was beaten by Wigan 5-0. Everton also lost at home as Portsmouth recovered from two straight defeats with a 3-0 win, while Middlesbrough needed a late goal from Tuncay Sanli to beat 10-man Stoke 2-1.

League leader Chelsea played Tottenham on Sunday, while defending champion Manchester United had the weekend off after losing 2-1 against Russian club Zenit St. Petersburg in the European Super Cup on Friday.

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GENOA, Italy - Defending champion Inter Milan managed a 1-1 draw against Sampdoria on the opening day of the Italian league, spoiling new coach Jose Mourinho’s Serie A debut.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic had given Inter the lead in the 33rd minute on a shot from a tight angle that bounced off the post, but Marco Del Vecchio equalized by knocking in a rebound just a few feet from the goal line in the 68th.

Inter pressured Sampdoria on every ball from the opening whistle, but the hosts also created several scoring chances before Del Vecchio finally broke through in the second half. Sampdoria playmaker Antonio Cassano could have scored a winner but failed to control a long pass that would have left him one-on-one with Inter goalkeeper Julio Cesar.

Also Saturday, Antonio Di Natale scored twice to help Udinese defeat Palermo 3-1. The rest of the opening round is Sunday.

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FRANKFURT, Germany - Schalke shook off its Champions League disappointment to beat VfL Bochum 1-0 and take the lead in the Bundesliga on goal difference.

Hamburger SV and Borussia Dortmund both won on the road to join Schalke on seven points. Hamburg rallied from a two-goal deficit to win 4-2 at Arminia Bielefeld and Dortmund edged Energie Cottbus 1-0.

Hoffenheim, the only team to win its first two matches, lost at Bayer Leverkusen 5-2. Both now have six points.

Werder Bremen, which finished runner-up last season to Bayern Munich, lost 3-2 at promoted Borussia Moenchengladbach and is still without a win after three games.

“We played without passion, it was a real setback,” Bremen coach Thomas Schaaf said.

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MADRID, Spain - Luis Garcia’s 48th-minute goal gave Espanyol a 1-0 win over Valladolid in the opening match of the Spanish league season.

The first goal of the new campaign came after striker Garcia received Ivan De La Pena’s pass before unleashing a shot past Valladolid goalkeeper Sergio Asenjo.

Espanyol’s victory at its Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium made for an encouraging start for coach Bartolome “Tintin” Marquez, who replaced Ernesto Valverde at the end of last season. Valverde is now in charge of Greek club Olympiakos.

Former starting fullback Reagan Mauia was among 17 players released by the Miami Dolphins on Saturday night. As the team trimmed its roster to 53 by the NFL’s mandatory deadline.

Mauia was a sixth-round pick out of Hawaii last season and started nine games in 2007. He finished with 10 yards from scrimmage on six touches. The Dolphins decided to keep just one fullback in Boomer Grigsby, who signed as a free agent in March and has shown better receiving skills out of the backfield.

Veteran tight end Justin Peelle’s contract was terminated by the team, giving an opportunity for Sean Ryan to play behind Anthony Fasano and David Martin at the position.

The Dolphins kept six receivers, including undrafted rookies Davone Bess and Anthony Armstrong. Receiver Greg Camarillo, the hero of last season who scored on a 64-yard reception in overtime in the 14th game of the year to help the Dolphins avoid the NFL’s first 0-16 season, also was kept on the roster.

Running back Lex Hilliard, a sixth-round choice from Montana, was the only one of nine picks by the new regime who was waived.

But vice president of football operations Bill Parcells, general manager Jeff Ireland and coach Tony Sparano are likely far from finalizing the roster for the regular-season opener against the New York Jets on Sept. 7.

The Trifecta, as they have become known in South Florida, pledged to comb the waiver wire through Sunday’s noon deadline to claim players from other teams. And some players cut Saturday by Miami will be kept on the team’s practice squad.

The other players waived by Miami were receiver Jayson Foster; linebackers Kelly Poppinga, Edmond Miles, Maurice Fountain, Junior Glymph and Titus Brown; tight end Matt Mulligan; defensive tackle Anthony Toribio; cornerback Will Billingsley, safety Courtney Bryan; centers Mike Byrne and Matt Spanos; and offensive tackles Daren Heerspink and Pedro Sosa.

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Saints head for Indy with Gustav bearing down.

A hurricane has driven the Saints out of New Orleans again. They don’t plan on being gone nearly as long this time.

With Hurricane Gustav bearing down on the Gulf Coast three years after Katrina swamped New Orleans, the Saints left Saturday for Indianapolis, where they will spend the week preparing for the Sept. 7 opener against Tampa Bay.

The Saints will practice at the Colts’ new Lucas Oil Stadium. Their schedule wasn’t immediately known, although meetings were set for Sunday at their hotel.

The Tampa Bay game is scheduled for the Louisiana Superdome, and the Saints plan to be there for it unless damage from Gustav dictates otherwise. The storm could hit the mainland as early as Monday, and Saturday it was on the verge of the strongest classification of Category 5, with winds above 155 mph.

New Orleans officials aren’t using the Superdome as an evacuation shelter with Gustav. Three years ago, it became a symbol of pain and suffering when thousands of residents were stranded by Katrina floodwaters that poured through broken levees.

The Saints spent the entire 2005 season on the road, practicing in San Antonio and playing three games there, going to the Meadowlands to play the New York Giants in their “home opener” and using LSU’s home stadium in Baton Rouge for their other four home games.

The Superdome, trashed inside and out, needed a $185 million makeover that was barely finished in time for the 2006 season. Every Saints home game the past two seasons has been a sellout, making the team a key part of the city’s ongoing recovery.

The Chicago Bears released a pair of 2007 first-day draft picks Saturday. When they made the final roster cut to 53 players.

Second-round draft pick Dan Bazuin, a defensive end from Central Michigan, and third-round pick Michael Okwo, a linebacker from Stanford, were cut.

Bazuin was the 30th pick last year but missed the season after injuring a knee during offseason workouts. Okwo went on injured reserve with a shoulder injury before the start of last season.

Wide receivers Mike Hass and Brandon Rideau, who spent most of last year on the practice squad and had impressed coaches in preseason games, were also released.

Fullback Lousaka Polite, a five-year veteran, and guard Anthony Oakley were the only players released after playing in more than one game last year.

Also cut were tight end Fontel Mines, punter Zacrey Atterberry, defensive end Ervin Baldwin, tackle Cody Balogh, defensive back Trey Brown, defensive end Joe Clermond, long snapper Thomas Gafford, linebacker Joey LaRoque, defensive end Nick Osborn, safety Leonard Peters, guards Ryan Poles and Chester Adams, running back P.J. Pope, guard Tyler Reed and tight end Marcus Stone.

Baldwin, a seventh-round pick, was the only 2008 draft choice released Saturday.

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Simms among cuts as Bucs trim to 53.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers released former starting quarterback Chris Simms on Saturday as they trimmed to the roster list of 53 players.

Other notable cuts were linebacker Ryan Nece and receiver Michael Spurlock, who last season became the first player to return a kickoff for a touchdown in the Bucs’ 31-year history.

The 28-year-old Simms has not played in a regular-season game in nearly two years and entered training camp fourth on the depth chart behind Jeff Garcia, Brian Griese and Luke McCown. Saturday’s move left rookie Josh Johnson as the fourth quarterback.

Simms missed the final 13 games of 2005 after taking several hard hits and having his spleen removed hours after a loss to the Carolina Panthers. He spent much of last season on injured reserve when he was slow to regain his pre-injury form.

The sixth-year pro, who took over for an injured Griese and helped the Bucs win the NFC South in 2005, asked to be released during the offeason, saying a soured relationship with coach Jon Gruden was beyond repair.

He appeared in three preseason games, completing 19 of 30 passes for 155 yards, no touchdowns and one interception.

The Bucs also released receivers Brian Clark and Chad Lucas; running backs Kenneth Darby and Clifton Smith; fullback Carl Stewart; guards Phil bogle, Chris Denman and Brian Johnson; tackles Dennis Roland and Chris Clark; cornerbacks Marcus Hamilton and Darrell Hunter; defensive tackles Dre Moore and Chris Bradwell; defensive ends Charles Bennett and Patrick Chukwurah, and tight end Daniel Fells.

Receiver Cortez Hankton was placed on injured reserve. Cornerback Sammy Davis was released from the IR list.

The Chargers released linebacker Carlos Polk and placed tight end Scott Chandler on injured reserve Saturday.

The Chargers also removed center Nick Hardwick from the physically unable to perform list, making him part of the final 53-man roster even though he probably won’t play right away as he recovers from offseason foot surgery.

Hardwick, a Pro Bowl selection following the 2006 season, spent training camp on the physically unable to perform list. He would have had to miss the first six games of the season if he wasn’t removed from the PUP list by Saturday.

Coach Norv Turner declined to give a timetable for Hardwick’s return.

Polk spent the past seven seasons with the Chargers with his primary role being on special teams. Only defensive tackle Jamal Williams and long snapper David Binn have been in the organization longer than the 31-year-old Polk.

Turner said it hard to release Polk, one of 20 players who were cut.

“When you have a veteran player like Carlos Polk who has been here and been a big part for us, those are tough,” Turner said. “We knew we were going to have some tough cuts at the end. We have young talented players that are the future of this team and can contribute right now and can do things for us in the kicking game and do things for us in special situations on offense and defense.”

Chandler injured a toe in the final minute of the Chargers’ exhibition finale against San Francisco on Friday night. Turner said the second-year player will see a specialist in the middle of next week.

One undrafted free agent overcame long odds to make the roster - fullback Mike Tolbert of Coastal Carolina.

“It was difficult,” Tolbert said. “This is one of the three elite teams in the NFL so I knew it was going to be hard at first but once I got out here and realized I could play with these guys, I had it set in my mind that I could actually play this game and play for this team.”

Also, starting inside linebacker Stephen Cooper began serving a four-game suspension Saturday for violating the NFL’s steroids and related substances policy. Cooper is eligible to return to the Chargers on Sept. 29, the day following the fourth game of the regular season.

The Seahawks were absorbed in keeping two kickers plus summer running star Justin Forsett. At the bottom of their regular season roster.

The NFL was focused on suspending two of Seattle’s players at the top of it.

Starting defensive tackle Rocky Bernard and nickel back Jordan Babineaux were suspended Saturday by the league for next week’s season opener at Buffalo. Bernard violated the league’s personal conduct policy. He was arrested in April for allegedly hitting his girlfriend in the head at a nightclub and received a two-year continuance of a charge of domestic violence.

Under an order from Seattle Municipal Court, the 300-pound lineman must have no contact with the woman for two years and must attend domestic violence treatment. He also must have no other violations and own no firearms during that period, and must undergo a drug and alcohol evaluation.

The former first-round pick is earning $4 million in the final year of a $13 million, three-year contract extension he signed in 2006. So he is out $235,294 for being suspended without pay.

Babineaux was fined a second game check for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. At a base salary of $610,000 this season, he will lose $35,882.

Both players will be eligible to rejoin the team Sept. 8, the day after the opener.

Ben Obomanu was placed on injured reserve one day after breaking his clavicle in the preseason finale against Oakland, the latest major injury to the wide receivers.

Seattle already is without Bobby Engram, who set a team record with 94 catches last season but broke his shoulder this month and may be out into October.

Deion Branch, the former Super Bowl MVP, is seven months into rehabilitation from reconstructive knee surgery. He is scheduled to test the knee for the first time at practice this week, but no one would be surprised if he misses the first few games.

As for who will fill the void, Seattle cut camp surprise Michael Bumpus from Washington State. He lost out to Logan Payne, a practice squad player in 2007, and Jordan Kent. Holmgren loves Kent, a former Oregon basketball player, for his sprinter’s speed and size (6-foot-4).

Seattle made the rare decision to keep two kickers, at least until Bernard and Babineaux return to the active roster.

Veteran Olindo Mare, a bust with New Orleans last season, apparently will handle kickoffs after booming them out of the end zone throughout the preseason - something that rarely happened with the now-departed Josh Brown. Rookie draft choice Brandon Coutu was 7-for-7 on field goals and seemingly will continue in that role to begin the season.

“I feel like I did what they brought me in to do,” Coutu said Friday night after kicking two field goals against the Raiders.

Then the confident rookie from Georgia laughed and said: “Nobody got by me in the preseason - I had three tackles. So I did all I could.”

Incumbent Ryan Plackemeier won back his punting job after missing much of camp with a torn pectoral muscle and then getting a stern challenge from Reggie Hodges, who was released.

The team also placed veteran defensive lineman Chris Cooper on injured reserve.

It terminated the contracts of veteran defensive tackle Larry Tripplett, the former University of Washington Husky, and wide receiver Bryan Gilmore.

The following long shots to make the team were waived: safety Jamar Adams, quarterback Dalton Bell, defensive tackle Kevin Brown, centers Nick Jones and Ben Claxton, defensive backs Marquis Floyd and Kelin Johnson, fullback David Kirtman, guard Pat Murray, tight end Joe Newton, linebacker Dallas Sartz, wide receiver Trent Shelton, defensive end Nu’u Tafisi and offensive tackle Kyle Williams.

Some of Saturday’s cuts, such as Bumpus, will likely resurface on the practice squad that gets finalized by Monday.