A Dutch pro-football club has hired a 1-year-old prodigy whose kicking skill is fascinating more than one million viewers on YouTube. A video clip showing the boy, Baerke van der Meij, shooting three balls into a toy box has attracted over 1.24 million viewers since it was posted on April 18. He has signed a 10-year contract with VVV-Venlo club where his grandfather was once a player. “The tod...

Manager Ralf Rangnick expects a close match GELSENKIRCHEN, Germany (AP) ― Two weeks after knocking out title holder Inter Milan, an unheralded Schalke side is looking to cause another major upset in the Champions League when it plays Manchester United in the first leg of the semifinals on Tuesday. Schalke considers itself a total underdog against the three-time champion. But the Bundesliga team...

Celtic, Rangers battle to scoreless draw LONDON (AP) ― Arsenal’s slim hopes of winning the Premier League were virtually extinguished Sunday on a last-minute goal by Bolton substitute Tamir Cohen in a 2-1 loss. The Israel midfielder, who came on in the 85th minute, glanced in a near-post header from a corner kick to leave third-place Arsenal nine points adrift of league leader Manchester United...

Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors were the only team among four South Korean K-League representatives to earn a victory this week at an ongoing continental club competition, while two Korean teams suffered defeats and another was held to a draw. At home in Jeonju, 243 kilometers south of Seoul, on Wednesday, Jeonbuk beat Cerezo Osaka 1-0 to move into first place in Group G of the Asian Football Confederati...

VALENCIA, Spain (AP) ― Cristiano Ronaldo headed home the winner in extra time as Real Madrid ended an 18-year Copa del Rey trophy drought with a 1-0 victory over biggest rival Barcelona on Wednesday. Ronaldo guided Angel Di Maria’s 103rd-minute pass back across goal and past the outstretched hand of goalkeeper Jose Manuel Pinto into the top corner as Madrid won silverware for the first time sinc...

The 2011 K-League season is proving to be nothing if not unpredictable. Usual minnows such as Daejeon Citizen, Daegu FC and Sangju Sangmu are enjoying the rarified air near the top of the standings while there are some prestigious names floundering in the depths of the 16-team league. Just take a look at FC Seoul and Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma. Seoul lifted the domestic title in December just a month...

Stoke City bag 5-0 win at Wembley Stadium It was a match he had dreamed of playing. Lee Chung-yong of Bolton Wanderers tried to reach the English FA Cup final, but his dream ended bitterly on Sunday as the team lost to Stoke City 5-0 in the semifinals at Wembley Stadium. The Korean midfielder revealed he was hugely disappointed to be knocked out of the FA Cup, admitting that his team had played...

LONDON (AP) ― Manchester City ended Manchester United’s chances of winning three trophies in the same season, beating its local rival 1-0 at Wembley on Saturday to reach its first FA Cup final in 30 years. Chelsea kept alive its faint hopes of retaining the Premier League title with a 3-1 win at West Bromwich Albion. Yaya Toure scored in the 52nd minute for City, leaving United in contention fo...

LONDON (AP) ― Real Madrid and Schalke easily avoided any miraculous comebacks in the Champions League quarterfinals Wednesday, following up their massive first-leg victories with more modest wins to advance to the last four. Schalke beat defending champion Inter Milan 2-1 at home, advancing 7-3 on aggregate following its stunning victory last week in Italy. Madrid never looked likely to give up...

Park Ji-sung secures Red Devils’ 2-1 victory over 10-man Chelsea LONDON (AP) ― Barcelona and Manchester United moved a step closer to a rematch of the 2009 Champions League final Tuesday as both clubs earned victories to extend their first-leg advantage and reach the semis. Lionel Messi scored his club-record 48th goal of the season in the 43rd minute to give Barcelona a 1-0 win over Shakhtar D...

MANCHESTER, England (AP) _ Manchester United reached the Champions League semifinals for the fourth time in five years and effectively ended a miserable season for Chelsea by ousting its English rival on Tuesday. Ryan Giggs proved his enduring value to United at age 37 by setting up Javier Hernandez and Park Ji-Sung for the goals that clinched the 2-1 victory, having teed up Wayne Rooney for the...