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Michael Owen knows how tough it is trying to convince England coach Fabio Capello hes good enough for the World Cup, especially as it might well be in vain.

The former Liverpool, Real Madrid and Newcastle striker has fought back from persistent hamstring injuries, a knee operation and a foot fracture and emerged still trying to sound positive.

Now comes possibly the most difficult task of all.

Once the favorite of the Liverpool fans, Owen now has to face them at Anfield wearing a Manchester United shirt.

When it comes to soccer, the followers of the two most successful clubs in English league history hate each other.

Few players wind up playing for both clubs and, although Owen has taken a round trip via Madrid and Newcastle, the Liverpool fans are likely to forget all the great goals he scored for their team when they see him wearing Uniteds colors.

I would prefer people to sit down and recognize what you did for them and for the team in years gone past, Owen said. But I am pretty realistic as well and now that I am playing for their arch rivals… I am not holding my breath, put it that way.

Owen hopes the Liverpool fans will acknowledge he is a professional player earning a living.

After disappointing spells at Madrid and Newcastle, he badly needs a break to get back to the top of English soccer and recapture his England place. With Liverpool seemingly not interested in taking him back, he had to go to a club capable of winning titles.

Manchester United appeared to be the ideal choice although not in the eyes of the Liverpool fans.

People talk about loyalty in football. It is easy for a football supporter to preach about that, Owen said. As a father, brother and son, there is no one more loyal than me. But when you are a player, you are not a fan. I have got to earn a living, provide for my family. It is a job opportunity, just like anyone elses work.

Owen has faced Liverpool before. As a Newcastle player last season, he played in both Premier League games that his former club won, 5-1 and 3-0.

But this is different. And if Wayne Rooney fails to recover from injury, there is a good chance Owen will start or at least be on the bench at Anfield.

The thought doesnt appear to worry him. Neither, it seems, do his so far fruitless efforts to get Capello to select him for England.

The Italian coach has guided England impressively to the 2010 World Cup with nine wins in 10 qualifying matches without any help from Owen, a veteran of three such championships and with 40 goals in 89 games for his country.

Capello persistently says the door is still open when the subject is raised of Owens inclusion in the England squad although that doesnt sound like much encouragement for the 29-year-old striker.

The players argument is that he wont let Capello down and he has plenty of experience of World Cups, whereas younger players might freeze on the big occasion.

Everyone knows if I play then I am likely to score every other game, he said. Playing in a World Cup wouldnt bother me. In fact, I would raise my game, as happened before in big games. Naturally I would like to be in the squad, but the last thing I want to be is campaigning.

With Sundays game looming, Owen has plenty to think about as the Man United stars make the long journey to and from their Champions League group game against CSKA Moscow in Russia. Owen, who is in the horse business as a stable owner, can check the racing papers for the odds on his thoroughbreds. He might also note that that the bookmakers rate him a 9-4 shot to play at the World Cup but 1-3 that he wont.

If that doesnt worry him, theres always the thought of facing those Liverpool fans.

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

Premier League

Fulham 2, Hull 0

League One

Leeds 2, Norwich 1

Brazilian midfielder Nene scored both goals as Monaco beat Lens 2-0 on Sunday to close within two points of French league leader Lyon.

Meanwhile, Kevin Gameiro set up three goals and netted one to lift Lorient over Nice 4-1, and Toulouse edged Paris Saint-Germain 1-0.

Monaco is in fourth place with 18 points, Lorient remained sixth with 17 points, and PSG missed an opportunity to make up ground, dropping to ninth place with 13 points.

At this moment, we feel good in fourth place, Monaco goalkeeper Stephane Ruffier said. But we shouldnt get too excited. Lets keep on taking it one match at a time.

In Monaco, Nene slammed home a rebound in the ninth minute after a header from South Korea forward Park Chu-young crashed against the post. He followed up by scoring from the penalty spot in the 67th after Romain Sartre fouled Park.

The goals took the Brazilian midfielders tally to seven goals this season, making him the top scorer in the league.

Lens slipped into the relegation zone with just eight points.

In Lorient, the home side opened the scoring in the 39th. Kevin Gameiro pulled the ball back for Marama Vahirua, who fooled the Nice defense with a dummy and let the ball continue through to Arnold Mvuemba, who found the net with a powerful shot.

Vahirua then pounced on a loose ball to make it 2-0 in the 48th after Nice goalkeeper David Ramirez Ospina had failed to catch a cross from Gameiro.

Loic Remy curled home a free kick for Nice in the 62nd, notching his fourth goal of the season.

But Gameiro beat Ospina to the ball in the 77th to feed Sigamary Diarra, who flicked into an empty net. Gameiro then put the result beyond doubt in the 88th with an angled shot.

Nice remained in the relegation zone, level on points with Lens.

In Toulouse, Albin Ebondo collected a pass from France international Moussa Sissoko to slip the ball past PSG goalkeeper Gregory Coupet in the 74th for the winner.

PSG had the only scoring chance in the first half with a bouncing shot from Peguy Luyindula that was turned around the post by Toulouse goalkeeper Yohann Pele in the 11th.

Pele jumped to palm away a long-range strike from Younousse Sankhare in the 85th and preserve the win.

We conceded a goal on a lapse of concentration, PSG defender Mamadou Sakho told Canal Plus television. We are disappointed. We are lacking a bit of finishing.

PSG missed Turkey forward Mevlut Erding, who is still recovering from a shoulder injury.

Both teams struggled to string together moves on a poor pitch that was covered with sand and which is also used for rugby matches.

Toulouse climbed to 12th place with 11 points.

Lyon lost to Sochaux 2-0 Saturday, its first defeat of the season, but stayed top of the league.

Promoted Montpellier beat 10-man Saint-Etienne 2-1 to join Lyon on 20 points, while defending champion Bordeaux lost 1-0 to Auxerre to drop to third on 19 points.

Also Saturday, it was: Nancy 0, Marseille 3; Valenciennes 2, Grenoble 0; Le Mans 1, Boulogne 1; and Lille 0, Rennes 0.

Villarreal and Atletico Madrids early season struggles continued as both sides crashed to defeat Sunday.

Antonio Ramirez scored a late winner as Xerez came from a goal down against Villarreal to win 2-1, while Atletico were thrashed 3-0 by Osasuna ahead of Wednesdays Champions League game against Chelsea.

Newly promoted Xerezs first win of the campaign moved it out of last place, now occupied by winless Villarreal, which is competing in the Europa League this season.

Its unbelievable that we were so nervous, said under-fire Villarreal coach Ernesto Valverde. Theres tension, but we have to set the pace and go for the game. The team has to react and right now were just thinking about carrying on working.

Robert Pires had put Villarreal in the lead after charging through midfield into the area and exchanging passes with Joseba Llorente, but the unmarked Mario Bermejo equalized in the 42nd minute by heading in a corner.

Nilmar hit the post with only the Xerez keeper to beat in the 75th and, four minutes later, Ramirez took advantage of a fumbled clearance by Lopez to lob the Villarreal goalkeeper, who could only waive his arms in frustration.

Atletico coach Abel Resino is under pressure after mid-table Osasuna raced to a three-goal lead inside half an hour.

Walter Pandiani scored twice, with a powerful header four minutes in and another in the 25th from a Francisco Punal freekick. Carlos Aranda swept the ball in from a rebound for the third.

We are poorly placed in the standings right now and the reality we are in means we have to keep working, said Resino. Football is being unfair to us at the moment, because we had lots of chances … Its clear we are not having the same luck we had last year.

Sergio Aguero struggled alone up front for Atletico without his usual partner Diego Forlan, who was rested after international duty with Uruguay.

I dont know what the problem is but we have to find the solution as fast as possible, midfielder Raul Garcia said.

In Sundays other games it was: Espanyol 2, Tenerife 1; Mallorca 3, Getafe 1; Zaragoza 2, Racing 2; Malaga 1, Almeria 2, Athletic Bilbao 1, Sporting Gijon 2.

Barcelona leads the standings with 19 points, one ahead of Real Madrid after seven rounds. Deportivo La Coruna beat Sevilla 1-0 on Saturday to join it on 15 points.

At the Cornella-El Prat Stadium, Ivan Alonso beat Tenerife goalkeeper Sergio Aragoneses to put Espanyol ahead in the 11th minute, only for Alejandro Alfaro to equalize almost immediately for the visitors with a long-range shot following a lapse by keeper Carlos Kameni.

But Alonso scored again on the hour mark from Fernando Marques pass as Espanyol shrugged off the absence of striker Raul Tamudo, who was dropped because of a contract dispute with the club.

At the Ono Estadi, Aritz Adurizs brace steered Mallorca to a victory that saw it move up to fifth with 13 points. Julio Alvarez opened the scoring in the 31st before the Basque forward struck twice in the second half.

Juan Angel Albin notched a consolation goal for Getafe in the 79th.

Almeria scored two goals in as many minutes to take control at Malaga, with Domingo Cisma scoring from a free kick in the 39th and Fernando Soriano pouncing a minute later after Malaga lost possession in its own area.

Edinho pulled one back for the hosts in the 68th but Mallorca stayed winless since opening day.

Zaragoza defender Paco Pavon and striker Angel Arizmendis first half goals put the hosts 2-0 up inside 32 minutes before Mohamed Tchite and Oscar Serrano leveled in the last 10 minutes.

Miguel Angel de las Cuevas scored twice in the second half to give Sporting a 2-0 lead against Athletic. Gaizka Toquero struck 10 minutes from the end but Athletic failed to equalize despite late pressure.

On Saturday Real Madrid beat Valladolid 4-2 and Barcelona drew 0-0 against Valencia.

Costas Katsouranis scored one goal and set up a stoppage time equalizer to help Panathinaikos rally from two goals down in a 2-2 draw at Kavala in the Greek league on Sunday.

Panathinaikos French striker Djibril Cisse also scored for the Athenians in the second half, after Benjamin Onwuachi had given newcomer Kavala a 2-0 lead at the break.

The draw left Panathinaikos top of the table, level on 19 points with leader and defending champion Olympiakos, which beat Tripolis 3-0 on Saturday. The two clubs are seven points ahead of Aris, Ergotelis and PAOK.

Kavala, which is in the top-flight after 28 years in lower divisions, nearly opened the scoring in the 12th minute when Onwuachi dribbled past a defender and sent his shot over Alexandros Tzorvas crossbar.

But the 25-year-old Nigerian forward broke the deadlock in the 21st minute with a powerful shot from the edge of the area and added a second goal two minutes before halftime, firing home following a cross by Ilias Ioannou.

However, Panathinaikos pushed forward immediately after the restart and Katsouranis pulled a goal back in the 55th minute. He followed up in the fourth minute of injury time by providing the cross for Cisse to head the equalizer.

Also Sunday, it was Atromitos 3, Levadiakos 0; Larissa 2, Xanthi 0; Iraklis 0, Panionios 2 and AEK 3, Panthrakikos 2.

Slovakian football federation chairman Frantisek Laurinec says national team coach Vladimir Weiss will be offered a new contract.

Laurinec said Friday: It impossible to imagine that we wouldnt offer coach Weiss a contract extension.

Weiss current contract will expire at the end of the year.

The announcement came two days after Slovakia qualified for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa - the countrys first major tournament.

The 45-year-old Weiss took over in June 2008 after Slovakia failed to qualify for last years European Championship.

Liverpool faces the familiar problem of how to play without Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres after the pair pulled out of Saturdays Premier League match at Sunderland.

The Reds key players were both injured while on international duty and were withdrawn Friday.

England midfielder Gerrard has a groin injury while Spain striker Torres has an adductor muscle problem.

Torres started just 20 of Liverpools 38 league matches last season, when the Reds finished second to fierce rival Manchester United, while Gerrard sat out eight.

Manager Rafa Benitez is hopeful the pair could be fit to play the defending champions next weekend.

Both Steven and Fernando still have some problems, Benitez said. They will need more time and wont be available this weekend. I think they could be available for next week.

Greece defender Sotirios Kyrgiakos is also out after limping out of his countrys World Cup qualifier against Luxembourg on Wednesday, but Benitez is just happy his knee injury is not as serious as first feared.

With Kyrgiakos, we were really worried because people were talking about maybe six months (out), Benitez said. But after the scan we think one week to 10 days. Thats very positive.

Goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi saved three penalties in a row to help Hungary beat Costa Rica in a shootout Friday and claim third place in the Under-20 World Cup.

The Hungary keeper saved successive spot kicks from Cristian Gamboa, Esteban Luna and Carlos Hernandez for the win after the match ended 1-1.

Krisztian Nemeth and Roland Varga scored for Hungarys 2-0 penalty win. Diego Estrada hit the crossbar for Costa Rica on the first penalty, while Vladimir Koman missed for Hungary.

Marcos Urena had given Costa Rica the lead in the 81st minute before Koman equalized in injury time.

Gulacsi had also saved three penalties in a shootout against the Czech Republic to reach the quarterfinals.

But the Liverpool reserve keeper refused to take credit for the win.

This is something we have all achieved together, he said. The entire team made this possible.

Coach Sandor Egervari, who steered the Hungarians to their best ever under-20 performance, also praised the strong team performance.

We created more chances in the second half but conceded a goal, he said. Our players stayed cool and the night ended with a fantastic performance from our goalkeeper. … Among the Europeans, Spain and Germany were considered the favorites here to make the last four. So we were a surprise, but our games steadily improved during the tournament.

Costa Rica survived a barrage of attacks from the Hungarians in the second half and were poised for the upset when Urena dodged his markers and gave his team the lead.

But Hungary captain Koman leveled with a penalty after Japanese referee Yuichi Nishimura sent off Costa Rica captain Jose Mena for a second yellow card after a foul on Nemeth.

Costa Rica and Hungary both used defensive lineups, but the central Americans had the early chances while Hungary dominated after the break.

Costa Rica goalkeeper Esteban Alvarado made a string of impressive saves, and Hungarys Andras Simon hit the post with his shot in the 80th.

Penalty shootouts are like a lottery. … Having said that, after the game, I went to congratulate (Gulacsi) for his outstanding performance, Costa Rica coach Ronald Gonzalez said. After the match all the players were crying. They are really sad.

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Lineups:

Hungary: Peter Gulacsi, Janos Szabo, Adam Simon (Roland Varga, 46), Andras Debreceni Adam Balajti, 83), Zsolt Korcsmar, Vladimir Koman, Andras Simon, Adrian Szerkeres, Bence Zambo, Andras Gosztonyi, Marko Futacs (Krisztian Nemeth, 19).

Costa Rica: Esteban Alvarado, Jose Mena, Roy Smith, Marcos Urena, David Guzman (Esteban Luna, 77), Diego Estrada, Diego Madrigal (Allen Guevara, 58), Cristian Gamboa, Bryan Oviedo, Josue Martinez, Daniel Varela (Carlos Hernandez, 63).

New Birmingham owner Carson Yeung pledged Thursday to invest up to 40 million pounds ($65 million) on strengthening the squad in the January transfer window.

With promoted Birmingham 14th in the standings and struggling with injuries, Yeung recognizes that staying in the top flight is the priority and will provide manager Alex McLeish with the funds to try and achieve that.

However, the Hong Kong businessman told The Associated Press that he expects his investment to produce a trophy by 2012.

This season we want to stay in the Premier League, and next season be stronger with new players and get better results on the pitch, said Yeung, who was presented at the central England club. I will support Alex and let him buy the best players to make the team stronger.

I hope to win a trophy in two more years. I will invest step by step to ensure the team lifts a cup, and make the stadium excellent.

Yeung said Alex McLeish will have 20 million to 40 million pounds to spend on new players and their salaries. He also guaranteed the manager the same amount and maybe more in the summer to rebuild a team that hasnt won a major title since the 1963 League Cup.

McLeish, who is focusing on Saturdays Premier League match at Arsenal, cautioned against expecting Birmingham to now sign top-level international players.

We still have to realize we are not a Manchester United, Manchester City or Liverpool, the former Scotland coach said. We will still target a certain type of player.

We are not going to target an Emmanuel Adebayor (a Man City striker), but there are players out there I know will enhance my first 11 that we will try to attract.

Yeung completed his 81.5 million pound takeover last week to make Birmingham the 10th Premier League club under foreign ownership, having increased his stake to 29.9 percent in 2007 through investment company Grandtop International Holdings.

The 49-year-old Yeung hopes China will help to provide the money that transforms Birmingham.

We believe there is a major opportunity to build Birminghams fan base in China and to generate new sources of revenue for the club, said Yeung, who was chairman of Hong Kong Rangers Football Club in 2005-06. We can also play a match against Chinas national team.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter told Vladimir Putin that Russia has a good chance of winning the hosting rights to the 2018 or 2022 World Cup.

Blatter praised Russias bid in a meeting with the prime minister in Moscow on Thursday.

The documents I have seen command respect, and if you continue with such intent you have good chances, Blatter said.

Russia last week unveiled its bid to land soccers most prestigious event. It pledged to restrict it to European territory and plow billions of dollars into rundown regions.

Other bidders for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups include England, the United States and Japan, along with joint bids from Spain and Portugal and Netherlands and Belgium. South Korea and Qatar are bidding for 2022 only.

The hosts will be announced in December 2010.