Soccer Sports News & Betting

Brazil and Manchester City forward Robinho was arrested on Tuesday by police investigating an alleged rape at a nightclub in northern England.

“We can confirm that Robinho met the police today, as prearranged and as part of a criminal investigation,” spokesman Chris Nathaniel said on Robinho’s Web site on Wednesday. “He strenuously denies any allegation of wrongdoing or criminality and is happy to cooperate with the police if required further.”

The 25-year-old Robinho lives near Manchester with wife Vivian and one-year-old son Robson Junior.

West Yorkshire Police, which wasn’t identifying the player, told The Associated Press that a man had been questioned about a “serious sexual assault” on an 18-year-old woman in Leeds on Jan. 14 and was released on bail after being questioned on Tuesday.

Days after the alleged incident at the Space nightclub, Robinho left City’s training camp in Tenerife without permission to return to Brazil, publicly citing an “important family matter.”

“I will return to the club and hope to sort out this matter as soon as possible,” Robinho said last week. “I am committed to helping Manchester City become the force the owners assured me they will become.”

Robinho returned to Manchester on Sunday and was back in training the following day ahead of Wednesday’s English Premier League match against Newcastle.

Manager Mark Hughes said he plans to fine his star player over his sudden exit from the Canary Islands.

Since joining City from Real Madrid last summer for a British record transfer fee of ?42.5 million, Robinho has scored 12 league and cup goals.

Landon Donovan made his official debut for Bayern Munich, entering in the 67th minute of Tuesday night’s 5-1 victory at Stuttgart in a German Cup match.

On loan for the Los Angeles Galaxy until mid-March, Donovan replaced Luca Toni in the 67th minute and narrowly missed scoring off a pass from Franck Ribery only one minute later. Donovan, who scored four goals in five exhibition matches during the winter break, hopes for a permanent transfer to the German club, coached by Juergen Klinsmann,

Bastian Schweinsteiger scored twice for Bayern, the defending German Cup champion, which advanced to the quarterfinals. Ribery, Toni and Ze Roberto also had goals.

In other third-round games, Hamburg beat second-division 1860 Munich 3-1 as Ivica Olic scored three goals; Schalke beat third-division Carl Zeiss Jena 4-1; and Mainz won 3-1 at Freiburg in a match between two second-division teams. Four more games are on Wednesday.

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England

Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice as Manchester United won 5-0 at West Bromwich Albion, its record 11th consecutive Premier League shutout.

Goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar has not allowed a goal in 1,032 minutes, breaking the previous league mark of 925 set by Chelsea’s Petr Cech in the 2004-05 season.

“We are delighted with the record because we haven’t even had a settled defense, with players injured and others coming in and out,” Vander Sar said.

Ryan Giggs assisted on Ronaldo’s first goal after earlier setting up Dimitar Berbatov, Carlos Tevez and Nemanja Vidic for goals 1/4.

Manchester United (15-2-5) has 50 points, three ahead of second-place Liverpool (13-1-8), which plays at Wigan on Wednesday. Aston Villa (14-4-5) also has 47 points after a 1-0 victory at Portsmouth. Emile Heskey scored in his first match since Villa acquired him from Wigan on Friday.

Tottenham (6-11-6) won 3-1 over visiting Stoke (5-12-6) to move three points ahead of its relegation rival. Stoke, Blackburn, West Bromwich and Middlesbrough are at the bottom of the standings with 21 points each.

Kenwyne Jones scored in Sunderland’s 1-0 win over visiting Fulham.

Nacho Novo’s first-half double led defending champion Rangers into the Scottish League Cup final in a 3-0 victory over Falkirk on Tuesday.

Kris Boyd, who was recalled to the team along with Novo, iced the trip to Hampden Park with a goal two minutes from the end of the semifinal.

Rangers will discover on Wednesday whether Celtic or Dundee United awaits in the March 15 final.

“We enjoyed the three finals we got to last year and hopefully we can enjoy them this year if we get there,” Rangers manager Walter Smith said.

The Glasgow side was ahead after eight minutes when Pedro Mendes’ corner was flicked on by Madjid Bougherra and Novo was at the back post to bundle the ball over the line.

Novo’s second came in the 40th when the Spaniard raced onto Steven Davis’ ball and sent an angled drive into the back of the net from eight meters (yards).

“Nacho has not had a great opportunity to start in the games so I gave him the opportunity to start tonight’s game,” Smith said. “He’s great, he does a great job for us.

“Sometimes he gets a little frustrated when I don’t give him the opportunity to start as often but that’s understandable, especially when someone has the enthusiasm that he has and just wants to play.”

The victory was completed when goalkeeper Dani Mallo, on his Dundee debut, raced off his line, allowing Boyd to skip past him and roll the ball into an empty net.

Fans reacted angrily toward chairman David Murray after an offer was accepted from English League Championship side Birmingham for Boyd, although the move collapsed over personal terms.

“It hasn’t really affected anything on the footballing side of things,” Smith said.

AC Milan midfielder Ronaldinho is back on Brazil’s national team after missing three consecutive matches.

Ronaldinho was among 22 players picked by coach Dunga for the Feb. 10 friendly against Italy at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium in London.

Milan teammates Kaka and Alexandre Pato also were included in the roster for Brazil’s first match of the year, as were Inter Milan’s Adriano and Manchester City’s Robinho.

Ronaldinho was not summoned by Dunga for Brazil’s last three matches - a friendly against Portugal and World Cup qualifiers against Colombia and Venezuela. Dunga had said the player still needed to improve his form.

“We knew we would be able to count with him after he got to play more matches with Milan,” Dunga said.

Dunga only called players from European teams because the Brazilian regional tournaments will be under way in February.

Left off the list were Inter Milan midfielder Mancini, Werder Bremen playmaker Diego and Juventus striker Amaury, who also has Italian citizenship and recently has been linked to Italy’s national team.

“Amaury is a great player, but everyone has to wait for the right moment,” Dunga said. “He did not perform well in his last two matches and we think that the match against Italy would add too much pressure on him.”

The biggest surprise on Dunga’s squad was Fiorentina midfielder Felipe Melo, who is earning his first call for the national team.

“It’s a player we have been observing for quite some time,” Dunga said. “It’s an opportunity to look at him from up close.”

Brazil and Italy have faced each other 12 times, with each nation winning five matches and drawing twice.

“Italy is an opponent which deserves respect because of its tradition and the quality of its players,” Dunga said. “Any match against them is like a final.”

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Squad:

Goalkeepers: Julio Cesar (Inter Milan), Doni (AS Roma)

Defenders: Maicon (Inter Milan), Daniel Alves (FC Barcelona), Adriano Correa (Sevilla), Marcelo (Real Madrid), Lucio (Bayern Munich), Luisao (Benfica), Juan (AS Roma), Thiago Silva (AC Milan)

Midfielders: Elano (Manchester City), Gilberto Silva (Panathinaikos), Josue (Wolfsburg), Anderson (Manchester United), Felipe Melo (Fiorentina), Julio Baptista (AS Roma), Kaka (AC Milan), Ronaldinho (AC Milan)

Forwards: Luis Fabiano (Sevilla), Alexandre Pato (AC Milan), Robinho (Manchester City), Adriano (Inter Milan)

Tottenham signed backup Chelsea goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini on a free transfer Monday, and Pascal Chimbonda returned to Spurs from Sunderland.

Spurs manager Harry Redknapp has been looking for a goalkeeper because first-choice Heurelho Gomes has a thigh strain and is in erratic form.

Signed by Gianluca Vialli in 2000, the 35-year-old Cudicini has played under five different managers at Chelsea and was the Blues’ player of the year in 2002. Although the Italian made 210 starts, he lost his place when Chelsea signed Petr Cech in 2004. But he has been a reliable replacement since, usually in cup games.

Cudicini’s father, Fabio, played for AC Milan and won the European Cup title in 1969.

Chimbonda left Spurs after two seasons to join the Black Cats, who were then managed by Roy Keane. He failed to make an impact, however, and Redknapp decided to bring him back to Tottenham.

“I’ve signed him and he’s coming here,” Redknapp said on Monday. “The deal should have been done in the morning but it’s over-run the deadline for him to play against Stoke. It was done 15 minutes too late which was disappointing. Otherwise he would have been available.”

Manchester United is trying to decide whether 35 million pounds ($48,3 million; ?37,1 million) is too much to spend for Carlos Tevez, Liverpool is wondering whether almost half that sum for Robbie Keane was a waste of money.

With English football’s two most successful clubs neck-and-neck in the Premier League title race, United has a talent it doesn’t want to lose. The Reds are considering how much they might get for a striker who loves the team but has been a major flop.

Tevez is three quarters through a two-year loan deal with Manchester United which is pondering an asking price it considers excessive, bearing in mind the club still doesn’t really know where the money would go anyway.

Although Tevez joined the Red Devils from West Ham, his contract is owned by a third party and United doesn’t want to run the risk of the sort of disciplinary action that hit the Hammers.

The United fans want the club to take that risk and pay the money.

Watching the Argentina striker hit the Tottenham crossbar with a thunderbolt left foot shot, charge at defenders with his fast, determined runs and harrying Spurs players to try and win the ball, they pleaded with Ferguson to turn the loan deal into a full-time one, despite the cost.

If his phenomenal workrate is a judge, Tevez wants to stay. But reports of his apparent frustration have emerged in his homeland and that might alert other clubs who want to sign him if United continues to dither.

Ferguson has handed the matter over to chief executive David Gill.

“It doesn’t frustrate me,” the United manager said the last time he was asked about the Tevez situation. “I have been used to it over the years. You just have to be patient. It is not as if we have been short of negotiations, but I think we all know they can take a long time, and this one is just going along.

“David has been talking to his agent, so it is best left to him.”

United is in painstaking negotiations with the people who handle Tevez’ contract and financial issues.

The Argentina striker arrived in English football along with countryman Javier Mascherano from Brazilian club Corinthians in a deal brokered by a third party. West Ham signed them and wound up in big trouble with the Premier League for breaking its transfer rules.

That trouble won’t go away because the Hammers, who avoided relegation because Tevez scored a last minute winner in the last game of the season, face a 35 million pound damages suit from one of the teams that did go down, Sheffield United.

Clearly United wants to get all the legalities sorted out even it if it is prepared to write a big check to sign the striker. But the Scot clearly likes what Tevez brings to the team.

“He’s got great enthusiasm,” Ferguson said. “He’s a tiger. He fights for every ball and it’s great to have someone with that attitude in your team.”

Even defeated Spurs manager Harry Redknapp praised Tevez for a performance that helped knock his team out of the FA Cup on Saturday.

“If you looked for endeavor and fantastic effort we’d all like to have Tevez in our team,” the veteran Spurs manager said. “He was an example to everyone the way he ran and chased, how the crowd responded to him. But there are very few of those people around and that’s why he’s 35 million pound or whatever it is.”

How Keane would love to hear such praise right now.

A Liverpool fan as a teenager, Keane finally arrived at the club this summer in a 19 million pound ($26.2 million; ?20 million) move from Tottenham, having already had spells with Wolves, Coventry, Inter Milan and Leeds.

A little like Tevez, who didn’t score for West Ham for 20 games after his arrival in English football, Keane didn’t hit the target until his 11th game for the Reds this season. By contrast, the Argentina star has netted nine times in 31 games, many of them coming off the bench.

A day after the United fans cheered Tevez’ name at Old Trafford and rival managers praised his performances, Keane was nowhere to be seen at Anfield on Sunday. The only time his name got mentioned was when manager Rafa Benitez was asked why he wasn’t playing.

“I decided not to select him (in the 1-1 FA Cup draw with Everton),” said Benitez, who also didn’t use him in the 0-0 draw with Stoke and took him off in the 1-1 Premier League draw against Everton last Monday.

“That was all. He is not injured. I have not seen Robbie but I know that all the players want to be involved with the squad and they may not be happy at being left out.”

Now there is strong speculation that Keane’s spell at Liverpool may not last until the end of the transfer window, which has a week to go.

The Irishman, who failed to score in six games for Inter Milan, has not provided the goals Benitez expected when he paid all that money.

While Tevez is the popular star United wants to keep, Keane is the lonely striker Liverpool may no longer want.

Bundesliga leader Hoffenheim is bringing back a fourth-division striker, but says he is not a replacement for the injured Vedad Ibisevic, the league’s leading scorer.

Kai Herdling, from the neighboring team SV Waldhof Mannheim, is slated to sign a contract Tuesday.

Herdling played for Hoffenheim when it was still in the lower leagues and left the club after last season, when Hoffenheim was promoted to the top division. He usually played for Hoffenheim’s reserves.

Hoffenheim said the striker was coming back to add depth to Hoffenheim’s bench and was not considered as a replacement for Ibisevic, who scored 18 goals in the first half of the season. Ibisevic is out for the rest of the season after tearing ligaments in his right knee during a training game.

The Bundesliga season resumes this weekend. Hoffenheim, which leads defending champion Bayern Munich on goal difference, plays Energie Cottbus.

Purdue head football coach Danny Hope tonight announced the hiring of Cornell Jackson as the Boilermakers running backs coach.

He replaces Joel Thomas, who left to become running backs coach at Washington.

Jackson, who has 11 years of experience coaching running backs, comes to Purdue from Kansas State, where he was the linebackers coach in 2008.

Cornell is a great addition to our staff, Hope said. He comes highly recommended and has coached in some big-time conferences. Hes an aggressive coach and an excellent recruiter. He preaches ball security, physical running and finishing each play. We really hit the jackpot with him.

Previously, Jackson had stints as running backs coach at Baylor (2007), New Mexico (2005-06), Washington (2004) and Arizona State (1996-99). In 2006, Jackson coached first team All-Mountain West Conference selection Rodney Ferguson, who rushed for 1,132 yards in leading the Lobos to the New Mexico Bowl. The year before, DonTrell Moore earned Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year honors after becoming just the sixth player in NCAA history to rush for 1,000 yards four times in a career.

At Arizona State, Jackson tutored five running backs who went on to be selected in the NFL Draft and two Terry Battle and J.R. Redmond who earned All-Pac-10 recognition. During Jacksons five seasons, the Sun Devils played in three bowl games: 1996 Rose, 1997 Sun and 1999 Aloha.

Jackson coached at Washington for three seasons, beginning with the linebackers in 2002 and followed by the safeties in 2003. In addition to coaching the running backs in 2004, he had additional duties as recruiting coordinator. Jackson was with the Huskies when they lost to Purdue in the 2002 Sun Bowl.

I am excited about the opportunity that coach Hope has given me and my wife, Jackson said. I know that Purdue University is an outstanding school with a highly regarded football program and coaches. I am looking forward to being a part of the staff and working in the Big Ten.

In 2000 and 2001, Jackson coached the linebackers at Houston. He also worked with that position at New Mexico (1995), Pacific (1992-94) and Utah State (1990-91).

Jackson began his career as running backs coach at Butler County (Kan.) Community College in 1987, then moved to Central Missouri State as a graduate assistant working with the running backs in 1988 and 1989.

Jackson has taken part in four NFL internships with the San Diego Chargers (linebackers) in 2004, Denver Broncos (running backs) in 2001, St. Louis Rams (running backs) in 1999 and Seattle Seahawks (linebackers) in 1993.

A native of Jackson, Miss., Jackson (born Sept. 28, 1960) was a two-time all-conference defensive back at Hinds Junior College in 1982 and 1983 before moving on to Sterling (Kan.) College to continue his playing career and earn a bachelors degree in health and physical education in 1986. His wifes name is Lorri.

New San Diego State football coach Brady Hoke is the schools seventh head coach hired since Claude Gilbert, Don Coryells hand-picked successor, was fired in 1980.

Johnny Moore, one of Gilberts former players that was a senior safety on the 1980 team that finished 4-8, wrote me a letter to express his gratitude for the influence Gilbert had on his life on and off the field. Moore said he didnt appreciate much of what Gilbert taught him until later in life, but he finally got the message.

The same could be said of San Diego States administration not appreciating what it had in Gilbert when he was dismissed with a career record of 61-26-2 in eight seasons. Gilbert went on to enjoy success as San Jose States head coach and is now retired in Grass Valley.

Moores letter:

Tom:

Recently, I read an article that you wrote (A Decision that still haunts SDSU football) September 30, 2006). As I was reading your article, my memories were flooded with several emotions. I felt angry that president Thomas Day and the SDSU booster club decided to release (fire) one of the greatest SDSU football coach. I felt sad that coach Gilbert doesnt truly know how grateful I am for his strict discipline and understanding of a spoiled kid (Johnny Moore).

The 1980 season was a difficult year for the football at SDSU. I would like to read an article about the 1980 players and why we had a 4-8 season. Maybe one day sports writers will sit down with some of the football players set the record straight.

If you can forward this e-mail to coach Gilbert, I would like my coach to know that I have received a M.Ed. in school counseling. This is important because when I left SDSU in 1980 my GPA was 1.52. After several years had passed, I decided to return to school: Los Angeles Valley College (A.S.), San Diego City College (A.A.), SDSU (B.S.), and finally the University of North Texas (M.Ed.) so I can continue to be a positive role model for my students.

Coach Gilbert always stated that a good man thinks about his mistakes, but a great man works though his mistakes. I decided to work though my mistake of not taking academics serious.

Ive been coaching high school football collectively for 13 years and I can honestly say coach Gilbert was a major influence in my life. And please make no mistake, coach Gilbert surrounded himself with awesome assistant coaches.

Results from the 20th round of Spain’s first-division football league (home teams listed first).

Saturday’s Games

Villarreal 1, Osasuna 1

Barcelona 4, Numancia 1

Sunday’s Games

Malaga vs. Atletico Madrid

Recreativo Huelva vs. Real Betis

Valladolid vs. Espanyol

Almeria vs. Athletic Bilbao

Getafe vs. Sporting Gijon

Mallorca vs. Valencia

Sevilla vs. Racing Santander

Real Madrid vs. Deportivo La Coruna

Sunday, Feb. 1

Valencia vs. Almeria

Athletic Bilbao vs. Malaga

Atletico Madrid vs. Valladolid

Espanyol vs. Recreativo Huelva

Real Betis vs. Getafe

Sporting Gijon vs. Sevilla

Racing Santander vs. Barcelona

Numancia vs. Real Madrid

Deportivo La Coruna vs. Villarreal

Osasuna vs. Mallorca

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Portuguese Football Results

Results from the 15th round of the Portuguese first-division football league (home teams listed first).

Friday’s Games

Maritimo, 0 Leixoes 0

Belenenses 0, Benfica 0

Saturday’s Games

Setubal 0, Naval 1

Amadora 2, Rio Ave 0

Trofense 1, Pacos Ferreira 3

Nacional 1, Sporting 1

Sporting Braga 0, FC Porto 2

Sunday’s Game

Academica vs. Guimaraes

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Dutch Football Results

Results Saturday from the 19th round of the Eredivisie, the Dutch first division football league (home teams listed first).

Saturday’s Games

SC Heerenveen 2, Roda JC 0

AZ Alkmaar 2, De Graafschap 0

PSV Eindhoven 2, NAC Breda 2

Feyenoord 1, Willem II 1

Sunday’s Games

Vitesse Arnhem vs. NEC Nijmegen

FC Groningen vs. Ajax

FC Utrecht vs. Sparta Arnhem

FC Volendam vs. ADO The Hague

Heracles Almelo vs. FC Twente

Friday, Jan. 30

Roda JC vs. Heracles Almelo

Saturday, Jan. 31

Willem II vs. Vitesse

NAC Breda vs. FC Volendam

Ajax vs. SC Heerenveen

ADO The Hague vs. FC Groningen

Sunday, Feb. 1

FC Twente vs. FC Utrecht

Sparta Rotterdam vs. AZ Alkmaar

De Graafschap vs. PSV Eindhoven

NEC Nijmegen vs. Feyenoord

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Italian Football Results

Results from Italy’s Serie A following Saturday’s matches (home teams first).

Saturday’s games

Reggina 0, Chievo Verona 1

Juventus 1, Fiorentina 0

Sunday’s games

Bologna vs AC Milan

Genoa vs Catania

Lazio vs Cagliari

Lecce vs Torino

Napoli vs AS Roma

Palermo vs Udinese

Siena vs Atalanta

Inter Milan vs Sampdoria

Wednesday January 28

Atalanta vs Bologna

Cagliari vs Siena

Catania vs Inter Milan

Chievo vs Lecce

Fiorentina vs Napoli

AC Milan vs Genoa

AS Roma vs Palermo

Sampdoria vs Lazio

Torino vs Reggina

Udinese vs Juventus

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English Football Results

Results Saturday in English football (home teams listed first).

FA Cup

Fourth Round

Hartlepool 0, West Ham 2

Chelsea 3, Ipswich 1

Doncaster 0, Aston Villa 0

Hull 2, Millwall 0

Kettering 2, Fulham 4

Portsmouth 0, Swansea 2

Sheffield United 2, Charlton 1

Sunderland 0, Blackburn 0

Torquay 0, Coventry 1

Watford 4, Crystal Palace 3

West Bromwich Albion 2, Burnley 2

Wolverhampton 1, Middlesbrough 2

Manchester United 2, Tottenham 1

League Championship

Blackpool 2, Birmingham 0

League One

Bristol Rovers 0, Colchester 0

Cheltenham 2, Brighton 2

Leeds United 3, Peterborough 1

Leicester 4, Huddersfield 2

Northampton 5, Crewe 1

Oldham 3, Stockport 1

Scunthorpe 2, Leyton Orient 1

Southend 0, Yeovil 1

Tranmere 4, Carlisle 1

Walsall 1, Hereford 1

League Two

Accrington Stanley 1, Barnet 1

Bournemouth 3, Wycombe 1

Bury 2, Aldershot 1

Chesterfield 1, Morecambe 2

Dagenham & Redbridge 3, Rochdale 2

Gillingham 1, Exeter 0

Grimsby 3, Rotherham 0

Lincoln City 1, Chester 1

Macclesfield 2, Brentford 0

Notts County 4, Port Vale 2

Shrewsbury 1, Darlington 0

Luton 3, Bradford 3

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Greek Football Results

Results after Saturday’s games in the 19th round of the Greek league (home teams listed first).

Saturday’s Games

Ergotelis 1, Panathinaikos 0

Olympiakos 2,OFI 1

Sunday’s Games

Panthrakikos vs. Iraklis

Thrasivoulos vs.Xanthi

Larissa vs. Panserraikos

AEK vs.Panionios

Aris vs.PAOK

Asteras vs.Levadiakos

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Scottish Football Results

Results Saturday in Scottish football (home teams listed first).

Premier League

Aberdeen 0, Rangers 0

Celtic 3, Hibernian 1

Dundee United 3, St Mirren 2

Hearts 3, Inverness 2

Motherwell 1, Falkirk 1

First Division

Airdrie United 1, Dundee 0

Clyde 2, Ross County 0

Morton 2, Livingston 2

Queen of South 2, Partick Thistle 2

Second Division

Alloa 0, Raith 0

Brechin 1, Peterhead 1

East Fife 4, Queens Park 2

Stranraer 2, Stirling 8

Third Division

Annan Athletic 4, East Stirling 0

Berwick 1, Dumbarton 2

Cowdenbeath 2, Albion 1

Stenhousemuir 1, Montrose 3