Ferguson: Rooney likely sidelined 2-3 weeks

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Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson says Wayne Rooney is likely to be sidelined for two to three weeks because of an ankle injury.

The England striker was substituted in the 61st minute of Uniteds 2-2 draw at Bolton on Sunday. Rooney did not fly with the Premier League club to Spain on Tuesday for a Champions League match against Valencia.

Ferguson said at a news conference in Valencia that Rooneys injury would likely sideline the player for up to three weeks. That could rule him out of Englands European Championship qualifier against Montenegro on Oct. 12.

Messi to undergo fitness test on injured ankle

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Lionel Messi will have to pass a fitness test on his ankle to play for Barcelona in the Champions League on Wednesday at Rubin Kazan, which stunned the Spanish champions at the Camp Nou in last seasons tournament.

Barcelona assistant coach Tito Vilanova said the Argentina forward has not yet received the all-clear to play against an opponent the Spanish club has spent a lot of time studying and believes is less likely to cause a similar shock result.

Messi sprained the internal and external ligaments of his right ankle in the Sept. 20 match against Atletico Madrid after being fouled by defender Tomas Ujfalusi. He hasnt played since and wasnt originally expected to be fit to play Rubin.

Before flying to Russia, Messi trained with the squad for first time since his MRI scan. But he has been advised to be cautious as any aggravation could lead to serious consequences, Vilanova said.

“Leo always wants to play and this injury is progressing well each day,” Vilanova said. “It is important for him to recover well. With injuries like this, sometimes if you dont recover properly there can be long-term problems.”

Last season, Rubin midfielder Alexander Ryazantsevs long-range goal gave the Russian club a 1-0 win in Barcelona. Vilanova said his team had been thrown by Rubins tactics.

“They played in a way that didnt make it at all easy for us,” Vilanova said. “We have looked back at the games they played against us.”

Rubin coach Kurban Berdyev is likely to have a full-strength squad with Spanish defender Cesar Navas returning from suspension.

Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola has been instructing his midfield to provide increased support in attack. All three goals in the teams 3-1 win at Athletic Bilbao on Saturday came from midfielders Seydou Keita, Xavi Hernandez and Sergio Busquets.

But whatever the result, Vilanova says Barcelona wont be overly concerned.

“It is important but not that much - its only the second game in the group,” he said.

England to focus on ‘18 WCup bid if US withdraws

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England will withdraw from the race to host the 2022 World Cup and concentrate on its 2018 bid if the United States ends its interest in the earlier tournament.

David Dein, the international president of Englands bid, said Tuesday he expects that announcement soon.

FIFA hasnt officially declared that 2018 should go to Europe and leave the rest of the field to contest 2022. England and Russia, Spain-Portugal and Belgium-Netherlands are still vying for both events as a formality.

The United States is the sole non-European country still bidding for both events. Australia, Japan, Qatar and South Korea are focused on 2022. The Americans have said they will withdraw from 2018 bidding only if asked by FIFA or UEFA president Michel Platini.

“We believe, Michel Platini believes, that 2018 should be coming to Europe and we believe that is our strongest case,” Dein said during a briefing Tuesday. “We are sure it wont be long before America will withdraw from 2018, leaving themselves a run on 2022.

“Consequently, we will almost certainly - it hasnt come about yet - withdraw from 2022, leaving us with a European battle.”

Dein, the former vice chairman of Arsenal, has been spearheading Englands global courting of the 24 FIFA executive committee voters. He was joined by England midfielder David Beckham in Trinidad over the weekend to visit CONCACAF president Jack Warner and FIFA President Sepp Blatter.

“We have been in six countries in the last 13 days, and we desperately want to win the right to stage the World Cup,” Dein said.

He will embark on another round of trips to visit the voters again before the FIFA vote in December. England is vying to host the World Cup for the first time since 1966.

Furyk’s clinches tour finale, FedEx Cup

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CBSSpo One clutch shot gave Jim Furyk two big trophies Sunday.

He sat between them Sunday afternoon after his dramatic victory in the rain at East Lake, the crystal trophy for the Tour Championship on his left and the sterling silver FedEx Cup trophy on his right.

Which one meant more?

Furyk reached out his right hand and gently tapped the silver cup, which might be more valuable than the $10 million that comes with it.

Tour Championship Steve Elling Jim Furyks up-and-down on the final hole brings clarity to a process only a math major could love. More >> Final scores and earnings Notes: Kuchar consolation prize $3 million

Clinging to a one-shot lead, in a bunker so deep he could only see the top of the lip, Furyk hit a clean shot and watched it head for the flag. It landed inches from the cup and spun to a stop 2½ feet away for an easy par and a one-shot victory over Luke Donald.

He put his name on a trophy with Tiger Woods and Vijay Singh. He finally won the Tour Championship, giving him three victories in a season for the as PGA Tour player of the year.

Maybe that explains why his stoic demeanor gave way to a celebration never before seen out of Furyk.

“It just hit me,” said Furyk, who closed with an even-par 70. “I was excited and dropped the putter and … I dont know. I guess at that moment, youre not really responsible for what happens next.”

He thrust his fist toward the grandstand with such force that it looked like he heaved his golf ball into the crowd. And he shared a hug with his wife, Tabitha, asking her, “Did I win the bonus?”

Furyk had a pretty good idea when he walked off the 18th tee, and the cheer of the crowd when he tapped in only confirmed it.

It was the kind of finish the PGA Tour had in mind when it created the FedEx Cup four years ago. Six players had a chance to claim the $10 million prize over the final hour at East Lake, from Matt Kuchar as the top seed to Nick Watney all the way down at No. 28.

Then came the final hole.

Donald chipped in for birdie from 100 feet on the 17th hole to keep his hopes alive. Furyk, who had a three-shot lead with three holes to play, made bogey on the 16th and 17th holes and hit his hybrid into a bunker on the 18th. If he made bogey, Furyk and Donald would go back to the 230-yard 18th hole for a sudden-death playoff with $11.35 million riding on the outcome.

Then came a bunker shot that defined a career worth of grit. He was in a bunker nine times at East Lake, and saved par every time.

Donald didnt bother going to the range. He waited in the scoring trailer.

“I didnt feel like going out in the rain and drowning myself even more,” Donald said. “So I was just watching the action, seeing if there was a chance I was going to get in a playoff. But Jim made a great up-and-down at the last and deserved the victory.”

Furyk finished at 8-under 272 and earned $1.35 million, along with the $10 million bonus, the biggest payoff in golf. He moved to No. 5 in the world ranking.

Furyk was the No. 3 seed when the playoffs began, but was disqualified from the opener when he missed his pro-am time at The Barclays because the battery died in his cell phone, which he used for an alarm. He was No. 11 in the standings going into the Tour Championship, and became the first player out of the top 10 to win the cup.

Turns out he joins Woods as the only FedEx Cup champions to miss the first playoff event - Woods in 2007 because he didnt want to play, Furyk this year because he couldnt.

He still ranks the U.S. Open as his biggest win, although this was a close second.

“Its only 4 years old,” he said of the FedEx Cup. “But 40 years from now, there should be a lot of history in this trophy. And to have Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh, Tiger Woods, Jim Furyk … Im ve two of the most dominant players of my era, for sure.”

This Sunday was so bizarre that Kuchar, who shot 71 and tied for 25th in a 30-man field, still had a chance to win the FedEx Cup. He wound up second for a $3 million bonus. Donald moved up to third in the standings and picked up an extra $2 million.

Retief Goosen also had a chance at both trophies until a bogey on the 17th. He shot a 71 and finished alone in third at the Tour Championship. Watney (67) and Casey (69) tied for fourth.

The celebration was dampened by a two-hour rain delay that sent most of the fans home from East Lake. For those who stayed, it was tough to applaud with one hand on the umbrella as the rain pounded the players over the final hour of competition.

Even so, a FedEx Cup finale has never had so many possibilities, so much movement.

Watney wasnt even a remote candidate when he went into the weekend tied for 25th in the 30-man field, 13 shots out of the lead. Then came a 63 in the third round, and he kept right on going. Watney shot a 28 on the back nine Saturday, then had a 30 on the front nine Sunday to pull within one shot of the lead.

Watney could have won the FedEx Cup with a victory at East Lake, provided Kuchar did not finish alone in 25th. Kuchar missed a 7-foot par putt on the final hole.

That became irrelevant when Watney failed to birdie the par-5 15th and made his first bogey of the round on the 16th.

Even when Furyk had a three-shot lead after his birdie on the 15th, the FedEx Cup remained in doubt.

Casey, who has not won a tournament all year, could have claimed the $10 million bonus by fini when he hit his approach toward the corporate tents on the 17th. After a free drop, he hit a wedge to just outside 5 feet and badly missed the putt.

Furyk has no time to celebrate. He was to join his teammates on a charter flight to Wal this one worth no money at all.

Date Krumm deals Sharapova first-round exit in Tokyo

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CBSS Japanese veteran Kimiko Date Krumm rallied to beat defending champion Maria Sharapova 7-5, 3-6, 6-3 on Monday in the first round of the Pan Pacific Open.

Date Krumm, who is one day short of her 40th birthday, broke the 23-year-old Russian to go up 5-3 in the third set and won the final game when Sharapovas backhand went wide.

“To play against a former world No. 1 and defending champion, I knew I had to play to the best of my ability,” said Date Krumm, who returned to competitive tennis in 2008 after a 12-year layoff.

Sharapova, who is the tournaments 12th-seeded player, had 11 double faults in the match that lasted 2 hours and 9 minutes at Ariake Colosseum.

Sharapova broke Date to go up 3-2 in the final set and was leading 40-love in the sixth game when she double-faulted twice before being broken by Date Krumm.

“Momentum is so big in tennis,” Sharapova said. “If you give your opponent a chance, they can get confident and take the momentum away.”

It was the first meeting between the two players. Sharapova said she was impressed with Date Krumms ability and fitness after such a long layoff.

“Its incredible,” Sharapova said. “It just shows you how she has stayed in such great shape while away from the game. She is incredibly fit.”

Date Krumm had just returned from Seoul, where she lost in the quarterfinals of the Korea Open on Friday. She said the quick turnaround was not easy.

“I just came back from Korea yesterday and was really tired,” she said. “My body felt a little better today but this surface was a lot faster that the one in Korea.”

Elsewhere, Yaroslava Shvedova of Kazakstan defeated Japans Kurumi Nara 4-6, 6-1, 6-1.

Rooney out of United-Valencia match

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Manchester United says Wayne Rooney will miss Wednesdays Champions League match against Valencia because of an ankle injury.

The England striker was substituted in the 61st minute of Uniteds 2-2 draw at Bolton on Sunday and the Premier League club says he will not be part of the squad that flies to Spain on Tuesday.

A statement on Uniteds website on Monday said Rooneys ankle injury “is not thought to be serious,” but added that Ferguson has chosen not to play him against the Spanish leaders.

United, which drew 0-0 with Rangers in its opening Group C match, is already without injured wingers Ryan Giggs and Antonio Valencia.

Gascoigne could return to management with Garforth

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Former England midfielder Paul Gascoigne is in talks with Garforth Town about becoming manager of the semiprofessional non-league club.

Garforth, which plays in the eighth tier of English football, is hoping to hire the 43-year-old Gascoigne in time for a match on Tuesday.

Gascoignes only previous foray into management lasted 39 days before he was fired by Kettering in 2005.

The 1990 World Cup stars career was cut short by injuries and off-field troubles, and he has recently struggled with alcoholism and mental health problems.

Garforth is famous for signing former Brazil internationals Socrates and Careca, who each played one match for the club, in 2004 and 2005 respectively. The club is based in northern England.

Gascoigne set for return to management

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Former England midfielder Paul Gascoigne is in talks with Garforth Town about becoming manager of the non-league club.

Garforth, which plays in the eighth tier of English football, is hoping to hire the 43-year-old Gascoigne in time for a match on Tuesday.

Gascoignes only previous foray into management lasted only 39 days before he was fired by Kettering in 2005.

The 1990 World Cup stars career was cut short by injuries and off-field troubles, and he has struggled with alcoholism and mental-health problems in recent years.

Garforth is famous for signing former Brazil internationals Socrates and Careca, who each played one match for the Leeds-based club, in 2004 and 2005 respectively.

Parry shoots 70 for first European Tour victory

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CBSSports.com wir John Parry of England captured his first European Tour title Sunday, winning the Vivendi Cup by two strokes over Johan Edfors of Sweden after shooting a 2-under 70.

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The 23-year-old Parry, a former Walker Cup player who turned professional in 2007, finished at 17-under 271 at Golf de Joyenval Club.

Edfors had a 71 to finish a stroke ahead of five players: Francois Delamontagne of France (71), Robert-Jan Derksen of the Netherlands (71), Jarmo Sandelin of Sweden (71) and Soren Kjeldsen (70) and Mark Haastrup (72), both of Denmark.

Padraig Harrington showed signs of rounding into form ahead of the Ryder Cup, which begins Friday at Celtic Manor. The Irishman shot a 64 to finish tied for eighth at 13 under, ending the weekend with 15 birdies and an eagle.

“I am getting to Wales early, I am enthusiastic and I am ready to go,” said Harrington, who just made the cut at 2 under. “Its been nice to play well here in France, its nice to post a score, though I did leave a few shots out there, which meant I could not put any pressure on the leaders.

“But I hit a lot of good shots. I had my head in the right place most of the time and I was happy with what I saw.”

Peter Hanson, another European Ryder Cup player, will join his teammates in Wales on schedule Monday despite pulling out of the Vivendi Cup because of illness.

His agent, Marcus Day, said that after two days resting at home in Sweden the 32-year-old Hanson had resumed practicing and would be ready to make his Ryder Cup debut.

Parry led last weekends Austrian Open after 36 holes before buckling under pressure to finish 20th. He appeared to learn from the experience, making four birdies Sunday to protect the one-shot lead he took into the final round.

“I didnt feel comfortable in the lead in Austria,” Parry said. “But I came here, practiced hard and played really well, and I feel really comfortable in the lead this time.

“The win means to much to me because I was 116th in the money list and fighting to keep my playing card for next year. Now I know I have got one and can go ahead and plan the whole of 2011.”

Parry faltered only once down the stretch. Holding a two-shot lead, he drove into a bunker at No. 17 and took a bogey. But Edfors found the same sand and also bogeyed the hole.

Simon beats Zverev becomes Open de Moselle champ

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CBSSports.c Eighth-seeded Gilles Simon of France easily beat qualifier Mischa Zverev of Germany 6-3, 6-2 on Sunday to win the Open De Moselle and clinch his seventh career title.

Simon, who won his last title on hard courts at Bangkok in October last year, made quick work of beating Zverev in 1 hour, 7 minutes.

The 155th-ranked Zverev struggled to impose himself in his first career final and was always under pressure, saving seven of 10 break points.

Simon had nine aces and won on his first match point when Zverevs service return went out.