Beckham and his Los Angeles Galaxy team are due to play an exhibition match in Auckland on Saturday. He touched down in New Zealand at 5:30 a.m. local time looking travel weary, standing quietly among teammates as a group of indigenous Maori performed a traditional welcoming ceremony.

Last December, the English superstar drew a crowd of more than 32,000 to their match against the Wellington Phoenix A-League side in Wellington.

The hype surrounding that visit included more than 15,000 fans turning out to watch a training session and Beckham’s every move and utterance was reported in detail by local media, or by fans in internet chatrooms.

Beckham mania reached such a pitch that one fan offered the remnants of a meal consumed by the soccer superstar - including a single french fry - on an auction website and attracted enthusiastic bidders.

Anticipation of Beckham’s second visit has been more subdued and ticket sales for Saturday’s match have been sluggish. Local media reported around 15,000 tickets had recently been sold at a stadium which holds 32,000. Organizers said ticket sales were expected to gain pace in coming days.

The Oceania team to play the Galaxy will include former Manchester United goalkeeper Mark Bosnich and former French international Christian Karembeu.

While the France Football magazine poll emphatically handed the Ballon d’Or to Ronaldo, the 23-year-old winger is braced for further jeers and whistles from envious fans.

For as much as last season’s 42-goal haul en route to the Champions League and Premier League titles enthralled the Old Trafford faithful, each strike - from feints, stepovers and thunderous free kicks - just provided further ammunition to rival fans.

Europe’s football experts, though, remain in awe of the talent. The Portugal international added to a string of English awards and the FIFPro World Player of the Year trophy he won in October by topping the Golden Ball voting with 446 points. Barcelona striker Lionel Messi lagged behind on 281 and Liverpool forward Fernando Torres was third on 179.

It was nothing less than Ronaldo expected from his earliest days at Sporting Lisbon.

“When I started to be a professional footballer I always believed I would have the chance to win it one day because I think I have the possibility because of my personality and my character,” Ronaldo said Tuesday. “And when I joined Manchester United (in 2003) I started to think differently, more professionally.

“When you play around players at one of the big clubs in the world you have opportunity to win things and that’s why I was thinking about winning the Ballon D’Or one day.”

Manager Alex Ferguson never doubted Ronaldo would become the fourth United player to take the honor and the first since fellow winger George Best in 1968.

“For anyone to beat that performance level last year would have been extraordinary,” Ferguson said. “Forty-two goals for a winger is quite unbelievable.

“The thing about Ronaldo is that he wants to play with skill and he wants to use the skill all the time, which is great credit to him. Of course the goals really put the icing on the cake for him.”

Ferguson’s praise comes on the heels of the offseason’s drawn-out transfer saga when Ronaldo tried to force a move to Real Madrid - despite a disappointing showing for Portugal at the European Championship.

The 66-year-old manager was instrumental in persuading United’s American owners not to sell the world’s most sought-after player, and then jetted to Lisbon to convince him that no club could provide more than United.

Ankle surgery delayed Ronaldo’s entry this season until Sept. 17. He has scored eight league goals in 11 games after a sluggish return, while being fully aware that “every movement I make, on or off the pitch is analyzed to death.”

“If I don’t celebrate goals, it is because I am sad, if I don’t talk to the public it is because I have lost my humility,” Ronaldo said. “My slightest gesture always gets every type of criticism. People are always waiting for me to do something and they pick on absolutely normal and unimportant things to criticize.

“They analyze things that have nothing unusual about them through a magnifying glass. But I will always be the same regardless of what happens on or off the pitch.”

Though he is adored by United fans, Ronaldo’s choice of words can sometimes reinforce the views of critics who depict him as arrogant. As he put it: “People only criticize the best, so what else can I say?”

League Cup

Quarterfinals

Burnley 2, Arsenal 0

Stoke 0 , Derby 1

League Two

Luton 3, Bournemouth 3

Wycombe 4, Macclesfield 0

FA Cup

Second Round

Morecambe 2, Cheltenham 3

—-
Golden Ball Results

Results of the Golden Ball awarded Tuesday by France Football magazine:

1. Cristiano Ronaldo, Manchester United, 446 points.

2. Lionel Messi, Barcelona, 281.

3. Fernando Torres, Liverpool, 179.

4. Iker Casillas, Real Madrid, 133.

5. Xavi Hernandez, Barcelona, 97.

6. Andrei Arshavin, Zenit St. Petersburg, 64.

7. David Villa, Valencia, 55.

8. Kaka, AC Milan, 31.

9. Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Inter Milan, 30.

10. Steven Gerrard, Liverpool, 28.

11. Marcos Senna, Villarreal, 16.

12. Emmanuel Adebayor, Arsenal, 12.

13. Wayne Rooney, Manchester United, 11.

14. Sergio Aguero, Atletico Madrid, 10.

15. Frank Lampard, Chelsea, 8.

16. Franck Ribery, Bayern Munich, 7.

17. Samuel Eto’o, Barcelona, 6.

18. Gianluigi Buffon, Juventus, 5.

19. Michael Ballack, Chelsea, 4.

(tie) Cesc Fabregas, Arsenal, 4.

21. Didier Drogba, Chelsea, 3.

(tie) Sergio Ramos, Real Madrid, 3.

(tie) Nemanja Vidic, Manchester United, 3.

24. Edwin van der Sar, Manchester United, 2.

(tie) Ruud van Nistelrooy, Real Madrid, 2.

Galatasaray lost to Metalist Kharkiv 1-0 at home last week and now has six points from three games in Group B. It needs another one to be sure of qualifying - although six may be enough to go through as well.

Only once has a total of six points not been enough to progress beyond the UEFA Cup group stage.

Hertha, which has two points after drawing twice, has had its preparations hit by a flu outbreak. Several Hertha players have fallen ill, with midfielder Maximilian Nicu definitely missing the match. Striker Andriy Voronin and midfielder Cicero are both doubtful.

Coach Lucien Favre has stayed optimistic, though, saying: “We know we can beat Galatasaray.”

The last time the two teams played in Berlin, Galatasaray won 4-1 in the Champions League nine years ago.

The Berlin team has jumped to third in the Bundesliga after beating Cologne 2-1 with a late goal by Marko Pantelic, who may again come off the bench.

Czech Republic striker Milan Baros scored a hat-trick as Galatasaray beat Hacettepe 3-1 at the weekend.

The Turkish side will feel at home in Berlin’s Olympic stadium, with tens of thousands of tickets going to Turks living in Germany.

Seven Galatasaray players will be returning to their country of birth and so will their coach Michael Skibbe, who was in charge of Bayer Leverkusen last season when it knocked out Galatasaray in the round of 32.

Two of Galatasaray’s players, Baris Oezbek and Serkan Calik, play for Germany at Under-21 level, while midfielder Lincoln and defender Fernando Meira have long Bundesliga experience.

Galatasaray midfielder Ayhan Akman is suspended for the match.

Trofense 2, Rio Ave 0

Pacos Ferreira 1, Amadora 0

Braga 1, Nacional 0

Sporting 2, Guimaraes 0

Monday’s Games

FC Porto vs. Academica

Benfica vs. Setubal.

—-
French Football Results.

Sunday, Nov. 30

Toulouse 0, Marseille 0

Nancy 1, Saint-Etienne 2

Rennes 1, Paris Saint-Germain 0

Saturday, Dec. 6

Bordeaux vs. Valenciennes

Caen vs. Rennes

Lille vs. Toulouse

Marseille vs. Nice

Saint-Etienne vs. Le Havre

Paris Saint-Germain vs. Le Mans

Sunday, Dec. 7

Grenoble vs. Auxerre

Lorient vs. Nancy

Monaco vs. Sochaux

Nantes vs. Lyon.

—-
Spanish Football Results.

Sunday’s Games

Recreativo Huelva 1, Villarreal 2

Valladolid 3, Mallorca 0

Malaga 4, Osasuna 2

Almeria 0, Deportivo La Coruna 1

Athletic Bilbao 2, Numancia 0

Espanyol 0, Sporting Gijon 1

Valencia 3, Real Betis 2

Atletico Madrid 4, Racing Santander 1

Saturday, Dec. 6

Sporting Gijon vs. Atletico Madrid

Villarreal vs. Getafe

Barcelona vs. Valencia

Sunday, Dec. 7

Mallorca vs. Recreativo Hueva

Osasuna vs. Valladolid

Deportivo La Coruna vs. Malaga

Numancia vs. Almeria

Racing Santander vs. Athletic Bilbao

Real Betis vs. Espanyol

Real Madrid vs. Sevilla.

—-
Italian Football Results.

Sunday’s Games

Atalanta 2, Lazio 0

Cagliari 1, Sampdoria 0

Genoa 1, Bologna 1

Inter Milan 2, Napoli 1

AS Roma 1, Fiorentina 0

Siena 1, Torino 0

Udinese 0 Chievo Verona 1

Palermo 3, AC Milan 1

Saturday, Dec. 6

Chievo Verona vs. AS Roma

Lazio vs. Inter Milan

Sunday, Dec. 7

Atalanta vs. Udinese

Cagliari vs. Palermo

Lecce vs. Juventus

AC Milan vs. Catania

Napoli vs. Siena

Reggina vs. Bologna

Sampdoria vs. Genoa

Torino vs. Fiorentina.

—-
Brazilian Football Results.

Sunday’s Games

Botafogo 1, Figueirense 3

Internacional 1, Cruzeiro 0

Vitoria 0, Palmeiras 0

Portuguesa 2, Sport 2

Coritiba 0, Vasco 2

Nautico 2, Atletico Paranaense 1

Flamengo 3, Goias 3

Ipatinga 1, Gremio 4

Atletico Mineiro 0, Santos 0

Sao Paulo 1, Fluminense 1

Sunday, Dec. 7

Fluminense vs. Ipatinga

Gremio vs. Atletico Mineiro

Goias vs. Sao Paulo

Santos vs. Nautico

Atletico Paranaense vs. Flamengo

Sport vs. Coritiba

Vasco vs. Vitoria

Figueirense vs. Internacional

Cruzeiro vs. Portuguesa

Palmeiras vs. Botafogo.

Sunday’s Games

Aris 2, Panserraikos 0

Ergotelis 0, Xanthi 0

Levadiakos 0, AEK 0

Olympiakos 4, Panionios 1

Panthrakikos 2, OFI 0.

—-
Danish Football Results.

Sunday’s Games

Midtjylland 3, Nordsjalland 0

Horsens 0, SonderyskE 0-3

Esbjerg 2, Randers 2

AaB 3, FC Copenhagen 1

Monday’s Game

AGF vs OB Odense.

—-
English Football Results.

Results Sunday in English football (home teams listed first):

Premier League

Chelsea 1, Arsenal 2

Manchester City 0, Manchester United 1

Portsmouth 3, Blackburn 2

Tottenham 0, Everton 1

League Championship

Swansea 2, Cardiff 2

FA Cup

Second Round

Histon 1, Leeds 0

Notts County 1, Kettering 1.

—-
German Football Results.

Sunday’s Games

Stuttgart 2, Schalke 0

Bochum 1, Hamburger SV 1

Borussia Dortmund 0, Wolfsburg 0

Friday, Dec. 5

Bayern Munich vs. Hoffenheim

Saturday, Dec. 6

Schalke vs. Hertha Berlin

Eintracht Frankfurt vs. Bochum

Karlsruher vs. Werder Bremen

Energie Cottbus vs. Stuttgart

Arminia Bielefeld vs. Borussia Dortmund

Borussia Moenchengladbach vs. Bayer Leverkusen

Sunday, Dec. 7

Wolfsburg vs. Hannover

FC Cologne vs. Hamburger SV.

Saturday’s Games

Getafe 3, Real Madrid 1

Sevilla 0, Barcelona 3

Sunday’s Games

Recreativo Huelva vs. Villarreal

Valladolid vs. Mallorca

Malaga vs. Osasuna

Almeria vs. Deportivo La Coruna

Athletic Bilbao vs. Numancia

Espanyol vs. Sporting Gijon

Valencia vs. Real Betis

Atletico Madrid vs. Racing Santander

Saturday, Dec. 6

Sporting Gijon vs. Atletico Madrid

Villarreal vs. Getafe

Barcelona vs. Valencia

Sunday, Dec. 7

Mallorca vs. Recreativo Hueva

Osasuna vs. Valladolid

Deportivo La Coruna vs. Malaga

Numancia vs. Almeria

Racing Santander vs. Athletic Bilbao

Real Betis vs. Espanyol

Real Madrid vs. Sevilla.

—-
Italian Football Results.

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

Saturday’s Games

Catania 1, Lecce 1

Juventus 4, Reggina 0

Sunday’s Games

Atalanta vs. Lazio

Cagliari vs. Sampdoria

Genoa vs. Bologna

Inter Milan vs. Napoli

AS Roma vs. Fiorentina

Siena vs. Torino

Udinese vs. Chievo Verona

Palermo vs. AC Milan

Saturday, Dec. 6

Chievo Verona vs. AS Roma

Lazio vs. Inter Milan

Sunday, Dec. 7

Atalanta vs. Udinese

Cagliari vs. Palermo

Lecce vs. Juventus

AC Milan vs. Catania

Napoli vs. Siena

Reggina vs. Bologna

Sampdoria vs. Genoa

Torino vs. Fiorentina.

—-
French Football Results.

Results from the 16th round of the French first-division football league (home teams listed first):

Saturday’s Games

Lille 1, Lorient 1

Le Havre 0, Nantes 2

Auxerre 0, Monaco 1

Le Mans 2, Caen 0

Nice Grenoble (postponed due to torrential rain)

Lyon 0, Valenciennes 0

Sochaux 0, Bordeaux 0

Sunday, Nov. 30

Toulouse vs. Marseille

Nancy vs. Saint-Etienne

Rennes vs. Paris Saint-Germain

Saturday, Dec. 6

Bordeaux vs. Valenciennes

Caen vs. Rennes

Lille vs. Toulouse

Marseille vs. Nice

Saint-Etienne vs. Le Havre

Paris Saint-Germain vs. Le Mans

Sunday, Dec. 7

Grenoble vs. Auxerre

Lorient vs. Nancy

Monaco vs. Sochaux

Nantes vs. Lyon.

—-
Portuguese Football Results.

Results from the 10th round of the Portuguese first-division football league (home teams listed first):

Friday’s Game

Leixoes 1, Naval 1

Saturday’s Games

Belenenses 0, Maritimo 2

Sunday’s Games

Trofense vs. Rio Ave

Pacos Ferreira vs. Amadora

Braga vs. Nacional

Sporting vs. Guimaraes

Monday’s Games

FC Porto vs. Academica

Benfica vs. Setubal.

Djibril Cisse put Sunderland into an 11th-minute lead, but the team capitulated and defensive mistakes gave Bolton a route back into the game.

After slumping to a fifth loss in their last six matches, Keane’s side fell to 18th in the 20-team standings.

“I ask myself every single day if I am the right man for Sunderland,” Keane said. “I asked myself this morning and I said that I was. Tomorrow morning if the answer’s no we will have to look at it.

“I have to be honest in my assessment. It’s not about what’s best for Roy Keane. It’s Sunderland Football Club. I might wake up on Monday morning and think I’m the right man. On Tuesday it might be different.”

Cisse’s opener was quickly canceled out by Matthew Taylor and by the 21st Gary Cahill had put Bolton ahead.

Johan Elmander compiled Keane’s misery either side of the break after exploiting slack defending.

“I’m the manager of this football club and ultimately I’m responsible and I’ve never shied away from that,” Keane said. “That’s part of being a manager and that’s why I take full responsibility for today and the run we’re on and everything else.”

Premier League

Aston Villa 0, Fulham 0

Middlesbrough 0, Newcastle 0

Stoke 1, Hull 1

Sunderland 1, Bolton 4

Wigan 2, West Bromwich Albion 1

League Championship

Burnley 3, Derby 0

Charlton 0, Southampton 0

Crystal Palace 0, Queens Park Rangers 0

Ipswich 1, Sheffield United 1

Nottingham Forest 1, Barnsley 0

Plymouth 1, Blackpool 2

Preston 2, Bristol City 0

Sheffield Wednesday 3, Norwich 2

Watford 1, Doncaster 1

Wolverhampton Wanderers 1, Birmingham 1

League One

Northampton 1, Colchester 2

Walsall 2, Swindon 1

League Two

Accrington Stanley 1, Bury 2

FA Cup

First Round Replay

Grays Athletic 0, Carlisle 2

FA Cup

Second Round

Bournemouth 0, Blyth Spartans 0

Bradford 1, Leyton Orient 2

Chesterfield 0, Droylsden 1 (abandoned at halftime due to fog)

Eastwood Town 2, Wycombe 0

Fleetwood Town 2, Hartlepool 3

Forest Green 2, Rochdale 0

Gillingham 0, Stockport 0

Kidderminster 2, Curzon Ashton 0

Leicester 3, Dagenham & Redbridge 2

Millwall 3, Aldershot 0

Morecambe 1, Cheltenham 1 (abandoned due to fog in 65th)

Peterborough 0, Tranmere 0

Scunthorpe 4, Alfreton Town 0

Southend 3, Luton 1

Torquay 2, Oxford United 0.

—-
Greek Football Results.

Results from the 12th round of the Greek football league:

Saturday’s Games

Thrasivoulos 1, PAOK 2

Larissa 2, Iraklis 0

Panathinaikos 1, Asteras 1

Sunday’s games

Aris vs. Panserraikos

Ergotelis vs.Xanthi

Levadiakos vs. AEK

Olympiakos vs.Panionios

Panthrakikos vs. OFI.

—-
Scottish Football Results.

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

Premier League

Hearts 2, Rangers 1

Aberdeen 2, Motherwell 0

Celtic 1, Inverness 0

Falkirk 1, Hibernian 1

Hamilton 1, Kilmarnock 0

St. Mirren 0, Dundee United 2

First Division

Dundee 1, St. Johnstone 1

Scottish FA Cup

Third Round

Airdrie United 3, Cove Rangers 0

Albion 1, Queens Park 2

Clachnacuddin 0, Stenhousemuir 5

Clyde 2, Montrose 0

East Fife 2, Arbroath 0

East Stirling 2, Livingston 1

Elgin vs. Spartans (ppd., frozen field)

Forfar vs. Stranraer (ppd., frozen field)

Forres vs. Dalbeattie (ppd., frozen field)

Inverurie vs. Vale of Leithen

Lochee United vs. Ayr (ppd., frozen field)

Peterhead 2, Morton 1

Raith 0, Alloa 0

Ross County 2, Dumbarton 2

Stirling 2, Partick Thistle 3.

—-
German Football Results.

Results from the 15th round of the Bundesliga, the German first-division football league (home teams listed first):

Friday’s Games

Hertha Berlin 2, FC Cologne 1

Saturday’s Games

Werder Bremen 5, Eintracht Frankfurt 0

Bayer Leverkusen 0, Bayern Munich 2

Hannover 3, Karlsruher 2

Borussia Moenchengladbach 1, Energie Cottbus 3

Hoffenheim 3, Arminia Bielefeld 0

Sunday’s Games

Stuttgart vs. Schalke

Bochum vs. Hamburger SV

Borussia Dortmund vs. Wolfsburg

Friday, Dec. 5

Bayern Munich vs. Hoffenheim

Saturday, Dec. 6

Schalke vs. Hertha Berlin

Eintracht Frankfurt vs. Bochum

Karlsruher vs. Werder Bremen

Energie Cottbus vs. Stuttgart

Arminia Bielefeld vs. Borussia Dortmund

Borussia Moenchengladbach vs. Bayer Leverkusen

Sunday, Dec. 7

Wolfsburg vs. Hannover

FC Cologne vs. Hamburger SV.

The 37-year-old, who started the streak in August 2004 with Blackburn, overtook the previous record set by Portsmouth’s David James in April. He earned a third straight shutout in the 0-0 draw.

“Is it nice that I have been able to get a run of games? Yes, absolutely, but I hope to have many more games ahead of me,” Friedel said. “I have never appeared in a game hoping to attain an appearance record. I appear because I am under contract to play football and I love football.

“It really hadn’t entered my mind until recently when the statisticians said I have a chance to break the record.”

Work permit issues forced Friedel to bounce around Europe and the United States - playing for Galatasary, Brondby and the Columbus Crew - before finally joining Liverpool in December 1997.

He struggled to start for the Anfield team and in 2000 joined Blackburn, where he spent eight years before seeking a new challenge at Villa.

“It is remarkable in this day and age, whether you are a ‘keeper or not, to play that number of games consecutively. It is fantastic,” Villa manager Martin O’Neill said. “Well done to him. During the last eight or nine years, from leaving Liverpool to the career he has had at Blackburn, Brad Friedel has been so consistent.

“Last year was maybe his best ever season and he wants to try and emulate that this year for us.”

Friedel also played 82 games for the United States from 1992-2004.

“I have been fortunate with injuries, touch wood, and when I have got the odd knock it has always seemed to coincide with international breaks,” Friedel said. “Since I retired from international football, I have managed to rest up between domestic games, too.”