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The "cancer" of soccer match-fixing is a pandemic that is too big for one organization to tackle, AFC acting president Zhang Jilong warned as the regional body and Interpol kicked off a two-day seminar on the issue on Wednesday.

World soccer was rocked this month when European police said a Singapore-based syndicate had directed match-fixing for at least 380 soccer games in Europe alone, with documented profits of eight million euros ($11 million) believed to be just the tip of the iceberg.

While the news shocked many in Europe, the announcements were met with little surprise in Asia, which has long struggled to tackle the problem with high-profile cases in South Korea, China and Malaysia in recent years.

Zhang, who served as the chairman of the AFC's Finance Committee during the final years of Mohammed Bin Hammam's reign as AFC president before the Qatari was banned for life by FIFA for corruption and bribery, said cooperation was required to tackle the problem. "We are ready to work hand in hand to eradicate this cancer from the game," Zhang said in Kuala Lumpur in his opening speech.

"Match-fixing is too complicated and widespread for one organization to fight it alone.

"No continent is now left untouched by this disease. Match-fixing is now a pandemic in world football."

The lack of arrests in the global match-fixing case, which has been reported on in Singapore newspapers for years, has led to criticism, but FIFA director of security Ralf Mutshke said the issue was above its jurisdiction.

"This is a question basically for law enforcement on one side and a problem which politicians have to solve," he said.

"This is a criminal case. It has nothing to do with our (FIFA's) responsibility."

Zhang has been in temporary charge of the AFC since June 2011 and is expected to run for the full presidency post during the elections in May.

The experienced Chinese administrator said no stone was being left unturned in battling the crisis affecting the world's most popular sport.



AFC chief calls 'fixing' a soccer pandemic |Sports |chinadaily-com.cn

That's a sad story.

I see nothing wrong with that sponsorship!

The push for a new professional soccer stadium in downtown Orlando could pit the region's powerful tourism industry against boosters of the world's most popular sport.

The stadium proposal depends on public funds covering more than two-thirds of the price tag. And a portion of that money could be tourist taxes already earmarked for Visit Orlando, the group of hoteliers and others in the tourism industry who jealously guard their funding. "I do not think the tourist development tax is an appropriate funding source for the [soccer] stadium, at this point," said Allan Villaverde, president of The Peabody Orlando hotel. "I would be 100 percent opposed to the tourist tax being used for this."

The chairman of the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, who is still looking for the money to finish construction, isn't fond of the idea, either. That money could be used to complete the arts center more quickly, Jim Pugh said.

"I don't have anything against soccer stadiums, but I think we ought to prioritize and finish what we've started," he said.

The conflicting interests — soccer, tourism and the arts — demonstrate the challenges Orlando City Soccer Club faces as it tries to cobble together support for what would be the only Major League Soccer franchise in the Southeast.

The minor-league team currently plays in the Citrus Bowl stadium, which is about to undergo a $175 million renovation. But the Orlando City Lions are vying to be one of two new Major League Soccer expansion franchises, and MLS officials have ruled out playing in the 70,000-seat Citrus Bowl long term.

MLS instead wants a cozier 18,800-seat soccer stadium that would cost about $110 million. The team has pledged $30 million, and the rest would be a mix of state sales tax, cash and land from Orlando, and tourist taxes controlled by Orange County.

Tourist taxes wouldn't have to be increased. Rather, the money in question is already being collected; the soccer club hopes $2.8 million a year will be diverted to fund the stadium construction.

"It's money that's already in the system," Orlando City Soccer Club president Phil Rawlins said. "It's a redirection of existing dollars."

But those dollars are already pledged to Visit Orlando. The agency projects it will receive about $36.3 million in tourist taxes this year, but is expecting a $2.8 million bump in funding in 2018. That's the money that Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and Rawlins have asked county officials to steer toward the stadium.

Visit Orlando spends the tourist tax to market the area as a convention site, and promote Central Florida to domestic and international travelers. Hoteliers have a history of fending off other proposed uses for the tax on hotel rooms.

Dyer and Rawlins have opted for a more diplomatic approach in recent weeks, meeting with leaders from Visit Orlando and the Central Florida Hotel & Lodging Association to win support.

Their pitch: Major League Soccer would be broadcast around the world, bringing wide exposure to Orlando as a travel destination.

Orlando City Soccer Club announced last week that a wealthy Brazilian has become a major investor in the team, and there are plans to bring a "David Beckham-quality" Brazilian star player to Orlando. That would increase Orlando's already large number of visitors from Brazil, Rawlins said.

"We can gain international coverage for them in a way that no other sport could," Rawlins said.

Visit Orlando hasn't taken a position on the funding proposal yet, but Dyer and Rawlins called early discussions "positive."

Influential hotelier Harris Rosen, an outspoken opponent of spending tourist taxes on projects that don't promote tourism, so far is neutral. Lobbyist Angel de la Portilla represents Rosen on an Orlando City MLS advisory board that has been meeting behind the scenes since August.

De la Portilla said the group includes several prominent development and hotel leaders, including Rasesh Thakkar of the Tavistock Group, the company that is developing Lake Nona and is an investor in Tottenham Hotspur, one of the oldest soccer teams in the English Premier League. Mike Millay, a Disney sports executive, also sits on the panel, he said.

"What this all boils down to is what the return on that investment will be, and how many hotel-room nights would result," de la Portilla said.

Strategically, winning over hoteliers will be key for the soccer team, because tourist taxes are controlled by the county, and County Mayor Teresa Jacobs is not inclined to move quickly.

Jacobs said she supports bringing an MLS franchise here but is not comfortable with the sudden urgency. She said earlier discussions anticipated that the soccer team would play in the Citrus Bowl another seven to eight years.

"I don't accept that it's an all-or-nothing, take-it-or-leave-it moment," Jacobs said. "The sky is not falling."


Orlando soccer stadium: Plans for a new Orlando soccer stadium rely on funds earmarked for tourism industry - Orlando Sentinel

February does not go out quietly for soccer fans living in the United States. Arguably the biggest club showdown in the world will be featured, and a wide variety of cup competitions will also take place each day of the midweek. Stuck without a TV? Check ESPN3/Watch ESPN, which will show games every day up through Wednesday.

All times listed below are ET

Live soccer games on US TV for February 25

beIN Sport/beIN Sport en Español: These stations will have two live games on Monday. Udinese host Napoli at 12:55 pm. Lazio vs. US Pescara follows at 2:55 pm.

ESPN2/ESPN Deportes: Both channels will show West Ham vs. Tottenham Hotspur at 2:55 pm.

Live soccer games on US TV for February 26

FOX Soccer: Everton host Oldham in a FA Cup Replay at 2:30 pm. FOX Deportes will also show this match live. Later that night, Cuba will take on Costa Rica in a CONCACAF U-20 Championship match at 9:00 pm.

FOX Soccer Plus: Aberdeen will play against Ross County at 2:25 pm.

FOX Deportes: Three Copa Libertadores games will air on the station starting at 5:30 pm, when Velez Sarsfield take on Penarol. Atletico Mineiro vs. Arsenal follows at 7:30 pm. San Jose vs. Tijuana Xolos ends the evening at 10:00 pm.

beIN Sport/beIN Sport en Español: El Clasico, Copa del Rey style. Barcelona vs. Real Madrid begins at 2:55 pm.

ESPN Deportes: Two Copa Mexico matches will be featured on Tuesday evening. Pachuca vs. Atlante kicks things off at 7:55 pm. Correcaminos vs. Dorados follows at 9:55 pm.

Univision Deportes: A full day of live soccer begins at 12:55 pm when Freiburg play Mainz in a German Cup match. Lille take on Saint-Étienne in a French Cup game at 2:50 pm. A CONCACAF U-20 Championship match will air live starting at 6:00 pm. The teams playing in that match weren't listed on the schedule as of the posting of this piece. Two Copa Mexico games end the night. Altamira vs. Necaxa begins at 7:55 pm. Chiapas FC Jaguares vs. San Luis Potosi follows at 9:55 pm.

Live soccer games on US TV for February 27

FOX Soccer: Middlesbrough look to upset Chelsea in a FA Cup match that begins at 2:30 pm. FOX Deportes will also show this match live. CONCACAF U-20 Championship contests will air at 6:00 pm and 9:00 pm (teams TBD as of the posting of this piece).

FOX Soccer Plus: Motherwell vs. Celtic begins at 2:40 pm.

FOX Deportes: Two more Copa Libertadores games will air on Wednesday. Barcelona vs. Boca Juniors begins at 5:30 pm. Corinthians vs. Millonarios follows at 8:00 pm.

beIN Sport/beIN Sport en Español: Sevilla vs. Atletico Madrid, the second Copa del Rey semifinal of the week, will start at 3:55 pm.

ESPN Deportes: One Copa Mexico game, Irapuato vs. Lobos BUAP, will begin at 7:55 pm.

Galavision: Galavision joins in on the fun on Wednesday afternoon when America Aguilas vs. Neza begins at 3:55 pm. A second Copa Mexico match, Puebla Camoteros vs. UNAM, starts at 9:55 pm.

Univision Deportes: French football fans may want to take Wednesday off of work, as two cup matches begin the day. Brestois vs. Lorient begins at 10:55 am. Marseille take on PSG at 2:55 pm. Celaya battle Merida in a Copa Mexico game at 7:55 pm. Another CONCACAF U-20 Championship match will take place at 10:00 pm (teams TBD as of the posting of this piece).

Live soccer games on US TV for February 28

FOX Deportes: Another day, and more Copa Libertadores games on FOX Deportes. Sporting Cristal vs. Tigre begins at 3:00 pm. Libertad take on Palmeiras at 5:00 pm. Sao Paulo vs. The Strongest finishes the evening at 7:30 pm.

As always, remember to check your local listings for channel availability and also to learn about all of the games airing via tape-delay and replay on the stations mentioned above.

Y! SPORTS

The Sons of Ben are many things: Loud. Brash. Passionate. Always loyal, totally dedicated, and occasionally soused.

Now they're about to be something else: movie stars.

Seriously.

A New York filmmaker is deep into shooting a feature-length documentary about the rise of the rabid Philadelphia Union fan club, exploring its pivotal role in redefining the local soccer landscape.

Director Jeffrey C. Bell, though not a big soccer fan, became fascinated with the idea of how a supporters group could develop for a team that did not then exist - and that the group's months of rallying, lobbying, and cajoling actually paid off, when Major League Soccer named Philadelphia as its 16th club in 2008.

Where else, he wondered, have the fans preceded the team?

"It's a real Philadelphia story," said Bell, recently relocated from Los Angeles, where he directed music performances and short documentaries. "Their sole purpose was to get a team for the city that they loved. It's just amazing to me."

The Union open their 2013 season on Saturday at PPL Park on the Chester City waterfront. Fans might not recognize all of the players, because of a changing Union lineup, but they know the Sons of Ben - who pack the 2,000-seat River End stands, keeping up a drum-banging, flag-waving enthusiasm and leading the crowd in chants and songs.

The movie, simply titled Sons of Ben, is expected to premiere in early 2014.

"It's kind of crazy," said Bryan James, the cofounder and first president of the SOB. "You do something for a specific purpose, not envisioning its impact beyond its initial goal, which was to get a soccer team here in Philadelphia."

What's more, the SOB's success has provided a playbook for hopeful fans in other cities.

In Indianapolis, fans who united as the Brickyard Battalion landed a pro team in the second-division North American Soccer League. In New York, the Borough Boys helped revive the Cosmos in the NASL.

The story of the Sons of Ben, and the Union, is one of odds overcome. And if it's a little early for nostalgia - the Union are set to begin just their fourth season - it's still a great tale. Many predicted soccer would fail here, as it had with the Atoms and the Fury in the 1970s. The Union proved otherwise, making the playoffs in their second season, and hosting exhibitions against top foreign clubs like Celtic FC and Manchester United. Last year, despite a miserable 10-18-6 record, the team drew an average 18,053 fans per game to 18,500-seat PPL Park - 98 percent of capacity.

Many doubted that fans would venture to Chester, with its reputation for crime and violence. In a trailer for the film, Sons of Ben members recall their initial reactions: "You're going to put my passion, soccer, in the place where I really don't want to go?" says Corey Furlan, now the group's vice president.

But the region wasn't going to get a team if the stadium wasn't built in a place like Chester. Putting it in Philadelphia was too expensive. Building in Chester meant funding could become available for what government officials characterized as a jobs-and-development package.

One theme of the film is how the Sons of Ben came to embrace Chester, creating the Help Kick Hunger campaign, which collects money and canned goods for the Bernardine Center, a social-services agency.

"They didn't have to do that," former Chester Mayor Wendell Butler says on film. "They could have just been the Sons of Ben."

The SOB monetary donation alone has grown from $1,500 to $20,000.

"We're not just coming into Chester to go to a soccer game and leave," SOB philanthropy director Brad Youtz said in an interview.

The chance to see a game was a long time coming.

When MLS began play in 1996 with 10 teams, people expected Philadelphia would soon join the league. Instead, a decade passed while stadium plans and ownership groups came and went, and cities like Salt Lake City and Houston got teams.

In 2006, MLS was again thinking expansion, and a small number of fans here began talking. The Sons of Ben was founded the next year - on Jan. 17, Ben Franklin's birthday.

Membership jumped from a few dozen to several hundred as the SOB became an organized and effective force, lobbying MLS officials and state politicians, and gathering thousands of signatures on petitions.

"All of a sudden these guys in blue started appearing in the strangest places," league Commissioner Don Garber muses on film. By January 2008, expansion had become a two-city race between Philadelphia and St. Louis. The next month, Bell happened to be watching TV when he saw the official announcement that Philadelphia had won. He noticed Commissioner Garber posing with a soccer ball beside ... could that be Bryan James?

Bell knew James not as head of the Sons of Ben, but as a childhood friend from Wilmington. They grew up on the same street, Rothbury Road, spending winters tossing snowballs and summers hitting Wiffle Balls. At Brandywine High School, they tooled around in Bell's beat-up Volkswagen.

At their 20-year high school reunion in late 2011, Bell talked to James about making a movie. James didn't think his friend was serious.

He was: In March, Bell and a crew from Rothbury Road Productions flew here for the Union home opener. They returned in July to shoot during all-star week, and they plan a third visit this season.

"We knew the story was kind of cool, but we never thought anybody would make a movie about it," said Matt Ansbro, president of what is now a 2,700-member SOB.

Bell estimates the shooting is 85 percent complete. The goal is for a small theatrical release followed by entrance into film festivals and foreign markets.

"Until this is on the screen, it's all we think about," Bell said. "It's more than a soccer movie."


Sons of Ben soccer fans inspire a movie

What price can you put on a man’s dream?

The city of Dallas tells Rhadames Solano, a 61-year-old immigrant from the Dominican Republic, that his 23-acre Trinity Park and Club is worth $252,671. The property, consisting of two lighted soccer fields, a concession stand, a picnic area and a pond, sits in the Trinity River flood plain on the western edge of Pleasant Grove.

It’s not much to look at, unless the looking eyes belong to Solano. “It’s beautiful,” he said. “I love it. It’s a poor man’s club where you can afford to come. It’s not like Frisco.”

The city already owns hundreds of acres surrounding the Trinity Park and Club. It calls its holdings the Trinity River Corridor Project. The project includes an equestrian center and a whitewater rafting course. There are also plans for a luxury golf course nearby.

Now, the city is trying to take Solano’s land through its power of eminent domain. Its lawsuit, filed last month in Dallas County Court at Law No. 3, claims the property is needed “for the purpose of construction, use and maintenance of a park and for any other municipal purpose for the Great Trinity Forest Park — Trinity River Corridor Project.”

The condemnation suit sets up the latest chapter of a familiar, recurring story surrounding the city’s decades-long attempt to stimulate development along the Trinity — the small businessman who finds himself in the path of a seemingly unstoppable economic freight train.

“In 1997, we published the Trinity Forest Master Plan to control this flood plain and protect the area,” said Jill Jordan, the assistant city manager in charge of Trinity River watershed management. “Mr. Solano bought his land in 1998. I don’t know why he didn’t know what was going on.”

City government has been patient with Solano, Jordan said. Building inspectors treated him with leniency when he erected an enclosed concession stand next to the soccer fields without the correct permits, she said.

Essentially, Solano’s operation is an affront to the pastoral, bucolic environment that the city is trying to create in the Trinity Forest. “We filed suit when we realized we were not going to reach an amicable solution,” Jordan said. “We want to control that land to preserve it and protect it from illegal activity and to provide public open space.”

Eight miles separate Dallas City Hall from the Trinity Park and Club, but the two places might well be on different planets.

Top City Hall administrators are known for putting together public-private partnerships like the Omni Dallas Hotel connected to the Dallas Convention Center. Solano and his blue-collar club serve lower-income Hispanic and black families in the Pleasant Grove area.

“We can give you our facilities for a quinceañera or birthday party for $400 to $450,” Solano said. “And that includes a bounce house and some bicycles to ride if you want them. You can get a soft drink for a dollar or a mini-candy bar for 25 cents.”

A better life

Rhadames Solano, a good baseball player, left Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic when he was 14. He and his brother landed in New York City to start a new life with their mother. He attended public schools and graduated from high school in 1970.

The Vietnam War was raging, and Solano’s local draft board selected him to participate. The U.S. Army welcomed him into basic training at Fort Polk, La., and then shipped him and his M16 carbine to Southeast Asia.

Two years later, the Army spit him back into civilian life, and he migrated to Arizona to play baseball at Mesa Community College. By his own assessment, he was a versatile infielder, comfortable at second base, shortstop or third.

“I slid into second base one day during spring training and tore ligaments in my knee, and that was it for my scholarship,” Solano recalled.

A baseball coach for a now-defunct college in Texas heard about him, so he came to the Dallas area. But the injury never healed properly, and the chance to play college baseball evaporated. Solano wound up graduating from Dallas Baptist University with a degree in education. He decided to become a teacher.

First, however, he wanted to become a U.S. citizen. He took the classes and was naturalized in 1977. Then he settled into North Dallas High School to teach Spanish and English as a second language. He also coached soccer and cross country. Solano possessed an entrepreneurial spirit. He began looking for a plot of land for a simple athletic club, one that would serve young people and adults who still liked to play soccer. He found his 23-acre tract in 1998 and bought it for $60,000.

“I knew about their Trinity Corridor Project, but I had no way of knowing that they would come to take my land 15 years later,” he said.

‘My girls love it’

Solano retired from teaching in 2005 and began devoting his full energy to the Trinity Club. He spent $48,000 on lights for the soccer fields, built the concession stand and put in bleachers for spectators.

City Hall maintains a stable of attorneys to fight its legal battles. Even though the condemnation lawsuit is now in court, Solano has not hired a lawyer. He’s trying to reason with City Hall.

Against all odds, he wants the city to let him keep his property for just seven more years.

“My girls love it, and I will be happy to sell it when they get out of high school,” he said.

Don’t count on it, City Hall says.

“We need to get it done,” said Jordan, the assistant city manager.

Solano may not have a lawyer, but, he adds, “I have Carlos Quintanilla.”

Quintanilla is president of Accìon America, a nonprofit advocacy group. He is a well-known Hispanic rights activist who knows how to raise hell and draw attention to an issue.

He says Solano may have a chance in court, because city officials have not specified the “public purpose” behind their lawsuit.

“They want to take a community asset that provides recreational activities for people and use it for wha

Champions Corinthians beat Colombian side Millonarios 2-0 in a Copa Libertadores match on Wednesday that was overshadowed by a ban on the home team's fans that left the 38,000-seat Pacaembu stadium empty and eerily quiet.

South American soccer's governing body Conmebol had banned the Brazilian club's fans after they let off a flare that killed a 14-year Bolivian supporter during last week's game against San Jose in Bolivia.

Conmebol ordered Corinthians to play their Libertadores games behind closed doors for the next 60 days or until a full appeal can be heard. Their fans are also banned from away matches.

The eerie atmosphere did not seem to bother the holders, who scored in the 10th minute and never looked like relinquishing control of the match.

Peruvian striker Pablo Guerrero opened the scoring when he pounced on a loose ball from a corner and smashed it into the roof of the net.

Alexandre Pato should have extended the lead seven minutes later when he was through with just the goalkeeper to beat but he bundled the ball wide, though the former AC Milan striker made amends at the start of the second half when he side-footed home a cross from Ralf.

Pato and substitutes Emerson and Romarinho all had chances to extend Corinthians' lead but the match petered out and the Brazilian side seemed content with a 2-0 win.

"It was a strange experience," full back Fabio Santos said. "We knew we'd need to concentrate and we managed that and not to lose a goal. But I hope that the fans are back for the next game because this was terrible."

The day's real action took place off the field in courts and outside the stadium where Corinthians unsuccessfully tried to overturn the ban, though four fans who won a court appeal were allowed in to watch the game.

A hundred or so fans also gathered outside the ground in the hope their cheers would carry over the elegant art-deco walls of the stadium.

"We mourn for the boy but what can we do," said fan Alexandre Pedro. "We will still be cheering for our team. This club will never be without its fans."

The victory lifted Corinthians, who won the Libertadores last July and the World Club Cup in December, to second place in Group 5 behind Mexican side Tijuana.

The two teams meet in Mexico next week.




Soccer-Corinthians win 2-0 in empty stadium - Yahoo! Sports

Tino Scicluna is on his way to the doctor's office as he makes his way through traffic in Oakland County.

He's worried his recent abdominal pain might be something serious and prevent him from playing soccer.

"I'd really be bummed if I could not play," he said.

This isn't just any soccer match.

Scicluna is part owner and a midfielder for Waza Flo, Detroit's forgotten pro soccer team, which has worked its way into the final stages of two of the biggest indoor tournaments in the nation — the U.S. Open Cup and the Ron Newman Cup.

First up is the U.S. Open Cup final this weekend.

And the opponent is only the best team — the San Diego Sockers, who have won 13 national titles and are the favorites to win again. The match starts at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Melvindale Ice Arena.

"We can play with all the best teams in the country," said Scicluna, 36. "Last year, the national tournament was about us seeing what San Diego brings to the table. We not only had to get familiar with their team, but with their crowd, stadium and environment.

"We are totally mentally prepared (this year)."

After this weekend's match, the Waza Flo heads to San Diego for the Newman Cup semifinals March 10 against the winner of the Dallas Sidekicks/Rio Grande Valley Flash match. San Diego plays the Las Vegas Legends in the other semifinal. The final is March 11

Labor of love

The Waza Flo is made up of regular guys who work 9-to-5 jobs and hustle each week.

But mostly, the players are area coaches. They coach high school, college and at three of the top local club teams — Waza, Plymouth and the Rush.

Players are typically paid $100 a game, and sometimes a little more, depending on skill.

But nobody is getting rich here. It's about soccer.

One of the goals is to grow the sport in Detroit.

Sure, soccer is not a big deal in Detroit, but this game is different.

You see, the Waza Flo play in the Professional Arena Soccer League. Games are played on an ice rink covered with turf.

You see checking and bumping — and tempers flare. Think Red Wings-Avalanche, and you've got PASL soccer.

This sport is a labor of love.

And all the pain? Well, it's worth it.

Just ask Scicluna, who isn't optimistic about playing this weekend.

"I am not feeling good about it," he said. "This is the price of getting old, I guess."

From The Detroit News: Local arena soccer team Waza Flo goes for the Cup | The Detroit News | detroitnews-com

FIFA has praised Lebanon for taking action against matchfixing and has requested more details about the sanctions it recently imposed on players and officials, world soccer's governing body has said.

The Lebanese Football Association handed out various penalties to 24 players, including life bans for defender Ramez Dayoub and forward Mahmoud El-Ali, following allegations that international and regional games were rigged.

The two-month investigation involving over 60 witnesses was led by the general secretary of the West Asian Football Federation (WAFF), Fadi Zreiqat, who said international and club games were targeted by fixers.

FIFA told Reuters via email it had asked for details of the matter from the country's federation.

"A letter has been sent to the Lebanese FA, commending them for the action taken against matchfixing and asking them to provide FIFA with the decisions taken against the players and officials, as well as with the information required by ... the FIFA Disciplinary Code in order to submit the decisions to the chairman of the disciplinary committee for a potential extension of the sanctions," FIFA said.

The Asian Football Confederation said it was not aware of any suspicion linking Lebanon's World Cup qualifiers to the scandal but had also requested a full report.

Asian soccer has been hit with numerous matchfixing incidents, with South Korea, Malaysia and China all experiencing recent rigging problems.






Y! SPORTS

China's Zhang Jilong, the acting head of Asian soccer, will not run for the AFC presidency in its upcoming election, local media reported on Sunday.

The Asian Football Confederation, which has 47 member associations, has been without a permanent president since Qatari Mohamed Bin Hammam was banned for life by FIFA for corruption and bribery.

"I made this decision totally out of my own will and with careful thinking," Zhang, who has held the acting role since May 2011, told Chinese government news agency Xinhua.

The AFC could not be reached for comment.

Zhang's decision is likely to leave four candidates in the running for the top Asian soccer post, with United Arab Emirates soccer chief Yousuf Al Serkal, his Bahrain counterpart Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa and Saudi Arabia official Hafez El Medlej all throwing their hats in the ring from West Asia.

Thailand's Worawi Makudi has also confirmed his candidacy and has the backing of the 12 votes from the Southeast Asian region.

Sunday marks the deadline for nominations for the May 2 election.



Y! SPORTS

China has named former England captain David Beckham as its first global soccer ambassador to revive the game's image which has been hit by a match-fixing scandal and an exodus of international stalwarts from the country's premier league.

In his new role, Beckham, who joined French club Paris Saint-Germain in January, is expected to help bring Chinese Super League (CSL) to the world stage and promote the game in the world's most populous country.

"I am honoured to have been asked to play such an important role at this special time in Chinese football history," Beckham said in a statement released by IMG.

"I'm excited by the prospect of promoting the world's greatest game to Chinese sports fans as I've seen firsthand the growing interest in football there.

"This is a wonderful sport that inspires people across the world and brings families together, so I'm relishing the opportunity of introducing more fans to the game."

China grabbed eyeballs when players such as Nicolas Anelka and Didier Drogba and high-profile coaches including Italian Marcello Lippi chose the big-spending CSL as their preferred destination to continue their careers.

However, just after a season, both Drogba and Anelka ended their Chinese sojourn, accepting that the desire to play at a higher level was more important for them.

A bigger blow came earlier this month when the Chinese Football Association (CFA) sanctioned 58 people in total, including two soccer chiefs, concluding a three-year long push to clean up rampant corruption in the sport.

One of the most recognisable footballers across the globe, 37-year-old Beckham served as a special ambassador for last year's London Olympics. Chinese officials expect his popularity and influence to restore the game's credibility in the country.

"2013 marks the 20th anniversary of professional football in China and the special ambassadorship of David Beckham will attract global attention to Chinese football and the CSL," an unidentified CFA official was quoted in the statement.

"While in China, he will attend the CSL and visit Clubs to get a deeper insight into football in China. He will also help us to inspire and motivate many children to participate in this beautiful game."

This year's CSL kicks off on Friday.



China ropes in Beckham to revive soccer image - Soccer- NBC Sports

UA students are getting a kick out of a soccer playing canine.

Sit, stay and roll over are major accomplishments for dogs in the eyes of most pet owners, but Ryder, a three-year-old American bulldog / boxer mix, made these tricks look mundane when he mastered the art of soccer.

With a slobbery 10 inch tire gripped tightly between his teeth, this energetic pup can dribble, score and steal a soccer ball from experienced players. Ryder even earned second place for “best trick” at the annual Pitbullooza last October, an event that celebrates and promotes responsible dog ownership, sponsored by the organization Pit n’ Proud.

Now, he brushes up on his skills on the UA Mall and serves as the mascot for the Tucson Mountain SFC league, a youth soccer program.

Ryder had been playing “catch the tire” for more than a year when, during a typical game of catch, four guys showed up kicking a soccer ball around and Ryder seemed mesmerized, said Dave “Dogbreath” Dennis, Ryder’s owner and a small business owner.

“The whole soccer thing was an accident,” Dennis said, “When the ball came near him, he went over and bumped the ball with the tire in his mouth.” Dennis, never having been a soccer player himself, helped his dog to acquire the basic skills of soccer.

“He likes to learn more every day. I could teach him more if I had more stuff to teach him,” Dennis said. “He is really smart. He just wants to play and learn.”

Sean Gundu, a freshman majoring in pre-computer science, and soccer player, witnessed Ryder’s skills during a 30-minute impromptu game on the Mall.

“It was beautiful. He got me really tired. If he was a human being, he would be a good defensive player because he was really good,” Gundu said. “I tried a couple tricks and couldn’t go past him sometimes.”

Trevor Fernandez, a pre-business freshman, also joined Ryder and Gundu as they passed around the soccer ball.

“It’s like the movie ‘Air Bud.’ He was the cutest dog I’ve ever seen in my life,” Fernandez said. “I’ve never seen a dog play soccer.”

Brazil is famous for tiny bikinis and a national passion for all things sports and fitness. Perhaps that’s why it’s so shocking the country is faced with an obesity problem — one grown so large that the 2014 World Cup stadiums being built for this summer’s Confederations Cup will include seating for fans with extra wide bottoms.

A statement posted on the Brazilian government’s World Cup website reads in part, “From the total of 63,903 seats, 1,675 are reserved for obese people, or people with disabilities.

“This number corresponds to 2.4 percent of the stadium’s capacity, which is more than the minimum requirement of 1 percent anticipated by the World Cup General Bill and administrative rule No 205 of the Ministry of Sport that regulates the issue. At the Castelão, 335 seats are reserved for wheel chair users, 1,220 for people with reduced mobility and 120 for obese people,” the statement said. According to the U.K. newspaper The Sun, the stadium seats will be double-wide and accommodate up to 560 pounds. In case the extra large dimensions aren’t enough of a giveaway, the seats will also be identified by their bright blue color.

The price tag for all that extra room will bloated to twice the cost of regular-sized seating.

Despite its reputation as a country filled with svelte, toned and tanned citizens, the average Brazilian silhouette has ballooned in size. Forty-eight percent of Brazilian adult women and 50 percent of men are now considered overweight, according to a survey done by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE.)

One in seven Brazilian adults is classified as obese. That’s a spike of nearly 10 percent since 2004 and more the double the obesity rate recorded just four decades ago.

As one of the largest producers of sugar in the world, part of the Brazil’s weight problem stems from an insatiable appetite for sweets, especially in liquid form, said Barry Popkin, a W. R. Kenan Jr. distinguished professor in the school of public health at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill.

“More than 18 percent of their calories come from beverages, which is only slightly lower than the U.S.,” he said. “Sugar in food is just an empty calorie, but when added to coffee, soda and other drinks, it adds calories but doesn’t reduce consumption.”

Popkin has written several papers based on Brazil’s first-ever national diet survey, completed two years ago. Besides a thirst for sweetened beverages, he also noted that Brazilians snack more and eat more processed foods than ever before, and they watch more TV and exercise less than at any point in their history despite a government campaign to get them up and moving.

Health experts from the World Health Organization (WHO) and other international health agencies have warned if the trend continued, Brazilian obesity rates could match those of the U.S. as soon as 2022.

Rising “Globesity” Rates

Even now, Americans haven’t cornered the market on obesity. The U.S. only ranks eighth among the world’s fattest nations.

The distinction for fattest country belongs to the tiny Caribbean island of Nauru where, according to WHO statistics, a whopping 95 percent of inhabitants have a “pre-obese” Body Mass Index of 25 or higher.

The average Nauruan’s BMI is 34 — a label that puts Nauruans in WHO’s “Class I” category of obesity. Class III, or super-obese, is the highest level of obesity and reserved for those with a BMI of 40 or higher. A BMI between 18.5 and 24.99 is considered healthy.

The U.S. does win the crown for the greatest rise in BMI of all developed nations between 1980 and the present.

With more than 70 percent of residents classified as overweight or obese, Mexico is the heaviest Latin American nation, Popkin’s studies show. And despite diet books extolling the virtues of a French diet, Popkin found that Scandinavian countries have the lowest number of overweight people of all the high-income countries; just under ten percent of Scandinavians are classified as overweight. The title of thinnest nation in the low-income category belongs to Chad, where fewer than five percent of people are overweight.


Obese World Cup Soccer Fans Get Extra Wide Seating in Brazil - ABC News

The United States and Mexico, who meet in a crucial World Cup qualifier later this month, are also going head-to-head in the election for a place on FIFA's powerful executive committee.

CONCACAF, the confederation for North and Central America and the Caribbean, said U.S. Soccer Federation president Sunil Gulati and Mexican Football Federation president Justino Compean will face off in an election on April 19 in Panama City.

The pair are standing for the position of North American representative to FIFA's executive but a vote will be taken of all CONCACAF's member associations at the April congress.

The position was held for 16 years by American Chuck Blazer, who has not put himself forward for a fifth term.

The vote will provide a barometer of the balance of power within CONCACAF after the scandal involving former president Jack Warner, who resigned after allegations of 'cash for votes' in the FIFA presidential election.

Trinidadian Warner dominated CONCACAF from the late 1980's and his departure in June 2011 has led to major changes in the body.

Gulati also faces a challenger for a place on CONCACAF's own executive -- Canadian Victor Montagliani is standing against the American.

CONCACAF president Jeffrey Webb was nominated unopposed to be the representative of the Caribbean associations - Webb is a member of the Cayman Islands Football Association and is a FIFA vice-president.

The position of Central American representative to FIFA, currently held by Guatemalan Rafael Salguero, is not up for election in this cycle.

Mexico host the United States at the Azteca stadium on March 26 in the fight for one of three automatic places available from qualifying in the CONCACAF region for the 2014 World Cup finals in Brazil.


Y! SPORTS

The Wellington Phoenix will have a new coach by the end of next month.

Phoenix general manager David Dome confirmed today that the head coaching role with the A-League strugglers would be officially advertised next week, and a worldwide search would be undertaken to find the best applicant. An appointment wold be made in April.

"We certainly want to get it done ASAP, but at the same time we want to make sure that we aren't making a rash decision," Dome said.

"We want to make sure that we take all the appropriate steps to get the best possible candidate for the role because it's absolutely hugely important and crucial to the future of the club to appoint the right person."

Foundation coach Ricki Herbert resigned last week. His choice to step down came at an inconvenient time for the club, which had recently opened negotiations with a handful of players who are off contract at the end of this season.

All Whites Tony Lochhead, Leo Bertos and Mark Paston are all off contract at season's end and it remains up in the air if they will be retained.

Dome said they wanted to appoint a new coach shortly so the successful applicant could have a say in who would be on the roster for next year, as opposed to if they came on board in June or July when most of the squad would be inked. CVs have already made their way over Dome's desk at Phoenix HQ, and he said they had received expressions of interest in the coaching role from all over the world.

A sub-committee of six people, including Dome, will chose the next Phoenix coach, while they will also take on the thoughts of two or three independent consultants, he said.

The Phoenix have three games left in the A-League season, and a few of those off-contract players are competing for their futures at the club.

Aside from the three front-line All Whites, Ian Hogg, Dani Sachez, Alex Smith, Jimmy Downey, Lucas Pantelis and Benjamin Totori are the other players who are off contract at the end of the season.

Downey and Pantelis won't be back in Wellington next season, while Solomon Islands' international Totori will have an option activated on his deal that will see him pull on a Phoenix jersey again next summer.

It's understood that the seldom-used Smith has been told by the club they will negotiate with him next month, although he recently spent a week in China looking at the possibility of joining a team in Beijing.

Lochhead, who is club's all-time appearance leader with 129 games, said he wanted to return to the Phoenix but was yet to receive an offer.

"If the opportunity's there I'd be open to coming back, for sure," Lochhead said.

"I've been here for a while so we've got the new owners come in and it's an exciting time, so hopefully things are improving for the better. But it's not really up to me. It's up to them; if they're going to offer me something or not.

"So I'll just work hard for the rest of these games and see what happens."

Sanchez holds one of the precious import spots, and the Spaniard said he wanted to return next year.

"It's a funny time. Everyone wants to know their future but now the thing is it's the time to wait because the club have had a lot of change in the last week," Sanchez said. "So everyone was wondering what's happening next year, but I hope to be back. Now I'm thinking about the next game and I'll do my best and see what happens."

The Phoenix meet Western Sydney at Parramatta Stadium on Sunday evening.



Soccer: Phoenix coach to be named next month - Sport - NZ Herald News

An Egyptian court on Saturday confirmed death sentences against 21 people for their role in a deadly 2012 soccer riot that killed more than 70 people in the city of Port Said.

The court also sentenced the city's former security chief, Maj. Gen. Essam Samak, to 15 years in prison.

Judge Sobhi Abdel-Maguid sentenced five more defendants to life in prison and nine beside Samak received 15-year jail terms.

Six received 10-year jail terms and two were sent to jail for five years. A single defendant got a 12-month jail term, while a total of 28 were acquitted.

Most of those condemned to death are fans of Port Said's Al-Masry club.

The 21 death sentences were passed on Jan. 28. The announcement led to violent protests in the city, which is located at the tip of the Suez Canal, that left some 40 people dead, most of them shot by police.

The Feb. 2012 riot followed a league match between Al-Masry and Cairo's Al-Ahly club, with Port Said supporters setting upon the visiting fans after the final whistle. The deadly melee is Egypt's worst soccer disaster.


Egypt court confirms 21 death sentences over deadly soccer riot - World News

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Sectarian rioting broke out at a cross-border Irish soccer clash at Windsor Park stadium in Belfast on Monday night.

Riot police had to be called into the ground after supporters of Dublin team Shamrock Rovers broke through barriers in the top deck of the North Stand and tried to confront Linfield supporters in another stand behind the goal.

At least one flare was thrown during the disturbances which temporarily halted the Setanta Cup game. A number of seats were also torn from their fixings and hurled onto the pitch from the North Stand.

Police eventually brought the situation inside Northern Ireland's national soccer stadium under control, although both sets of supporters continued to exchange abuse throughout the remainder of the match.

Linfield lost 3-1 on the night and 7-2 on aggregate in a competition which was established to promote soccer throughout the island.

The latest trouble followed disturbances at Shamrock Rovers' home tie in Dublin against Linfield last week when fans of the Belfast side managed to run a union flag up a flagpole inside the Tallaght Stadium.


Riots at Belfast soccer match | UK news | guardian.co.uk