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Prior to its semifinal matchup against Honduras Wednesday in Houston, Mexico added depth to its roster following the suspension of five players earlier this month.

Coach Jose Manuel de la Torre has decided to bring in defenders Paul Aguilar, Hector Reynoso and Hiram Mier as replacements for the remainder of the Gold Cup.

Mexico U-22 goalkeeper Luis Mitchel and forward Marco Fabian left for Colombia Monday with the U-22 team but are on stand-by should the team need them.

Starting goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa and starting defender Francisco Rodriguez were among the five players suspended for testing positive for clenbuterol.  Bench players Edgar Duenas, Christian Bermudez and Antonio Naelson were also banned from the team.

The Mexican Futbol Federation was officially informed by CONCACAF late Sunday night that it would be allowed to fill its 23-man roster.

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Labels: additions, following, Goalcom, Makes, Mexico, players, Roster, suspension

NEW YORK, June 19 (Reuters) - Mexico have been given permission to replace the five players who were suspended from the CONCACAF Gold Cup for failing out-of-competition doping tests.

The Mexican Football Federation (Femexfut) has denied their players did anything wrong, saying they tested positive for a banned anabolic agent after eating contaminated meat, and asked that they be replaced for the rest of the tournament.

The CONCACAF Gold Cup Organising Committee announced on Sunday it had agreed, after consulting with the sport’s world governing body, that Mexico be allowed to replace the players while the case is continuing.

“Based on the specific facts of this case, and on FIFA’s advice on the matter, the situation at hand is a case of force majeure as contemplated in the competition regulations,” CONCACAF said in a statement.

“Therefore the Mexican national team shall be permitted to replace the five …. players with up to five other players for the remainder of the competition.’

Goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa, defenders Francisco Rodriguez and Edgar Duenas, and midfielders Sinha and Christian Bermudez all tested positive for clenbuterol and were suspended from the regional tournament.

Femexfut attributed the positive results to ingestion of clenbuterol in meat eaten by the players when on a training camp in Mexico to prepare for the Gold Cup and has conducted independent tests they hope will exonerate them.

Despite being five players down since the opening match of the tournament, Mexico remain undefeated and are safely through to the semi-finals, against Honduras, in Texas this week. (Reporting by Julian Linden; Editing by Peter Rutherford; To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

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Labels: cleared, CONCACAF, Mexico, players, replace, Reuters, suspended

NEW YORK (AP)—Gold Cup organizers say Mexico will be allowed to replace five players who were dropped from the squad after testing positive for the banned substance clenbuterol.

The organizing committee said Sunday that Mexico will be allowed to name five new players ahead of Wednesday’s semifinal against Honduras, and those players will also be available for the final if El Tri makes it that far.

The banned players are PSV Eindhoven defender Francisco Rodriguez and locally based Edgar Duenas, Guillermo Ochoa, Christian Bermudez and Antonio Naelson.

The players and the Mexican federation have blamed the positive tests on contaminated meat.

Labels: banned, Mexico, players, replace

Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp believes that Chelsea's £22 million bid to sign midfielder Luka Modric is ‘ridiculous’.

Modric has been the subject of much transfer speculation all summer with both the Stamford Bridge club and Manchester United touted as possible destinations for the Croatian international.

Tottenham’s failure to qualify for the Champions League had cast doubt on whether it would be able to keep hold of its key players such as Modric and Gareth Bale.

However these claims have rubbished by the former Portsmouth manager as he looks to keep his best players with Spurs aiming to challenge for Champions League football again next season.

Redknapp told the BBC: "Luka is not for sale. If there has been a bid of £22m that is ridiculous. There are people being sold for £20m who are not fit to lace Luka's boots."

Spurs sources had earlier told Goal.com that chairman Daniel Levy has "no intention" of caving in to Chelsea owner Roman Abramovic, and is "adamant" that Modric will not be sold at any price.

Modric played a pivotal role in helping Spurs reach the quarterfinal stage of the Champions League in their debut season in the competition.

The midfielder has made 119 appearances for Harry Redknapp’s side since joining in the summer of 2008 scoring 12 times.

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Labels: being, boots, Chelsea, Goalcom, Harry, Modric, players, Redknapp, reported, Slams, There, Tottenhams

LONDON (AP)—For The Daily Telegraph of London, the announcement from England cricketer Steven Davies that he is gay was worthy of its front page, alongside Libya’s struggle to be rid of Moammar Gadhafi and a story about how parents should treat fevers in children.

How sad.

Two decades into the 21st century, the day when a top athlete’s sexuality is not news at all still seems so distant. It cannot come fast enough.

It reflects poorly on professional sports that the number of openly gay athletes can generally be counted on the fingers of one hand.

Gareth Thomas in rugby. The Welshman’s coming out in 2009 made him such a trailblazer that actor Mickey Rourke is talking about making a movie of his life.

In cricket, Davies is England’s first professional player to publicly announce he is gay. The wicketkeeper says he was inspired him by Thomas’ example, who “showed me it can be done.”

Davies says “there was no one to look up to” before Thomas.

And at the top of soccer?

No one. Just silence that grows more deafening with each athlete from another sport who speaks up.

Statistically, logically, naturally, there must be gay players at Manchester United, Barcelona or other big clubs. But they, their friends and families are keeping that secret for whatever reason. Like Davies before he found the courage to tell his England teammates, perhaps they dread the moment when dressing room talk turns to the subject of girlfriends.

Maybe they don’t want to be subjected to the intolerant chants that fans directed last March against Thomas. Or, like Thomas, perhaps they don’t want to be known as a gay soccer player and fear that if they come out, people will see no further than their sexuality and not see a soccer player who just happens to be gay.

Perhaps, like international rugby referee Nigel Owens or two-time Grand Slam tournament winner Amelie Mauresmo, they would prove that being openly gay is not a career-killer. Owens has said that talking about being gay was liberating, “my refereeing improved because I was happy and my career took off.”

Whatever the reason, soccer leaders should feel ashamed that gay players haven’t been made to feel comfortable enough to speak freely.

The boss of world soccer, FIFA President Sepp Blatter, in December saw fit to make light of the lack of gay rights in Qatar. With a smile, Blatter said gay fans “should refrain from any sexual activities” while in the Gulf kingdom that will host the 2022 World Cup.

Blatter later apologized. But it is no laughing matter that gay soccer players find it even harder to come out than gay politicians. It is not funny that a respected figure like Marcello Lippi, Italy’s World Cup-winning coach, felt it was acceptable to say in 2009 that gay soccer players should stay in the closet, that a gay soccer couple would create scandal in Italy and that he has never come across a gay player in four decades in the sport.

By speaking out, Davies makes such intolerance seem still more unacceptable.

“It is putting a lot more pressure on other sports, with football being the main one,” says Gary Nunn, a spokesman for British gay rights campaign group Stonewall.

“We definitely need more role models in football,” he adds. “We’re OK with our gay cricketers and gay rugby players, but with football, it’s quite concerning.”

Davies says deciding to speak about his sexuality was even more nerve-racking than facing Brett Lee, which is saying something given that the Australian bowler has fired down balls at nearly 100 mph (160 kph). The more gay athletes follow the path laid by Thomas and Davies, the closer sports get to a day when this no longer has to be on front pages.

“We want to get to the stage where this doesn’t become news,” says Nunn, “where it becomes totally matter of fact.”

John Leicester is an international sports columnist for The Associated Press. Write to him at jleicester(at)ap.org

Labels: players, please, soccer, stand

PARIS (AP)—Former France coach Raymond Domenech has broken his silence over the World Cup debacle, labeling the players “stupid brats” for going on strike at a training session to make “a laughing stock” of their country.

Domenech’s bitter six-year tenure as France coach ended after last year’s World Cup in South Africa and he had previously declined to comment on the incident.

He now says in an interview to be published Wednesday in L’Express magazine that the players were to blame for ridiculing a once-proud national team that won the 1998 World Cup and European Championship in 2000.

“They knew perfectly well what they were doing. They even closed the bus curtains to hide from the cameras,” Domenech said in extracts on the magazine’s website. “Looking back, I see them above all as a bunch of irresponsible, stupid brats.”

The squad shocked the nation and provoked the ire of politicians and fans by refusing to train after Nicolas Anelka had been sent home for insulting Domenech during halftime of France’s second group game against Mexico.

Anelka was subsequently suspended for 18 matches by the French football federation. Former captain Patrice Evra (five games), Franck Ribery (three games) and Jeremy Toulalan (one game) were also banned for their part in the boycott.

On the day of the strike, hundreds of locals from the town of Knysna gave the French players a rousing reception when they stepped off the team bus. After quickly shaking hands and signing autographs, they all returned to their bus.

“At that point, I’m telling myself that they’ve gone mad and they don’t realize (what they are doing),” Domenech said. “Now I know I was wrong.”

Evra also clashed with fitness coach Robert Duverne, forcing Domenech to intervene before the situation escalated.

While Knysna locals looked on in confusion, French fans back home watched the scenes unfold live on television.

Further adding further to the drama, Domenech then unfolded a sheet of paper and slowly mumbled a speech written collectively by the players explaining their reasons for striking.

“We’d been there for more than an hour. Somebody had to take responsibility and stop this masquerade,” Domenech said. “We were the laughing stock of the world. I said, ‘Stop this, I can’t take any more of it!”’

Domenech, however, accepts he made mistakes at the World Cup.

“I messed up. I didn’t chose the right players or find the right words,” he said. “I don’t accept criticism from politicians, nor from former players who have turned to journalism, but that doesn’t stop me making my own assessment.”

Domenech, who was replaced by Laurent Blanc after the tournament, had often been derided throughout his time in charge.

Having led France to the World Cup final in 2006, he struggled when playmaker Zinedine Zidane retired and midfielder Patrick Vieira was out injured. France went out of both the 2008 European Championship and 2010 World Cup without winning a game.

Fans were angered when the French federation voted to keep him on in a secret ballot after Euro 2008.

“I’m not the moron that’s been described,” Domenech said.

Domenech has been coaching a children’s football team in western Paris, but has not decided where his future lies.

“I still need to sweep away certain memories … It’s like love: you need to forget a woman so that you can love another one,” he said. “I’ve been offered things for the theater, for the cinema. Nothing on television, no.

“Honestly, can you imagine me in a reality TV show?”

Labels: brats, CALLS, Domenech, players, striking, stupid

Carling Nations Cup
Venue: Aviva Stadium Date: Wednesday 9 February 2011 Kick-off: 1945
Coverage: Full commentary on BBC Radio Ulster medium wave and the BBC Sport website; highlights on BBC1 NI 2315

Captain Aaron Hughes has a hamstring problem, Chris Brunt has an ankle injury and striker Kyle Lafferty is being tested for glandular fever.

Maik Taylor, Craig Cathcart and Sammy Clingan and Jonny Gorman are also out.

Watford pair Adam Thompson and Lee Hodson, Aberdeen's Rory McArdle and Manchester United's Oliver Norwood have been brought in as replacements.

Goalkeeper Taylor is ruled out with a knee injury, Craig Cathcart has a hamstring problem, Sammy Clingan a knee complaint and Jonny Gorman a groin injury.

Motherwell defender Stephen Craigan will captain the NI team.

It is the first time Harlow-born Thompson has featured in Nigel Worthington's squad.

A product of the academy at Watford, he signed his first professional contract in November.

Northern Ireland's record scorer David Healy is back in the squad after being left out for the game against Morocco in November.

Healy recently agreed a move to Rangers until the end of the season.

Former Cliftonville striker Liam Boyce earned a call-up after his move to German club Werder Bremen in September.

Boyce has been scoring regularly for the Bremen outfit's under-23 side which effectively is the club's reserve team.

Manager Nigel Worthington said that Healy's move to Rangers was a chance to get his career back on track but would not be drawn on whether he would start against the Scots.

Northern Ireland squad

Goalkeepers -Tuffey (Inverness Caledonian Thistle), Blayney (Linfield)

Defenders - J Evans (Manchester United), Craigan (Motherwell), McArdle (Aberdeen), McAuley (Ipswich), Baird (Fulham), McCartney (Sunderland - on loan at Leeds), Hodson (Watford), Thompson (Watford)

Midfielders - McCann (Peterborough United), C Evans (Manchester United - on loan at Hull), Davis (Rangers), McGinn (Celtic), McCourt (Celtic), Norwood (Manchester United)

Forwards - Healy (Rangers), Feeney (Oldham), R Patterson (Plymouth), Boyce (Werder Bremen)

Labels: Ireland, Northern, players, squad, Three

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Labels: ICCaposs, Pakistan, players, punished, Shift, Sport, stance