World Soccer

Tom Hevezi (AP) Juande Ramos has needed less than three months to turn Tottenham from a candidate for relegation into a cup finalist. The Spanish coach replaced the popular Martin Jol in October with Spurs near the bottom of the Premier League, and on Tuesday led the team to a 5-1 rout of north London rival Arsenal [...]

Paul Ellis (AFP/Getty Images) Peter Crouch scored with two minutes left and salvaged a 2-2 draw for Liverpool against Aston Villa in the English Premier League on Monday. The England striker came off the bench in the 80th minute against his former club and spared the Reds from a home defeat. Yossi Benayoun put Liverpool ahead in the [...]

Antonio Calanni (AP) Inter Milan maintained their seven-point lead at the top but only after Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s late double helped the champions come from behind to beat Parma 3-2. His first from the penalty spot was highly controversial with Parma defender Fernando Couto sent off after being adjudged to have handled on the line. Replays were inconclusive but [...]

Daniel Ochoa de Olza (AP) Real Madrid maintained their seven-point lead over Barcelona at the top of the Primera Liga with a 2-0 win over city rivals Atletico Madrid at the Calderon. First-half strikes from Raul and Ruud van Nistelrooy and another brilliant display from keeper Iker Casillas earned Madrid win away to Atletico. Madrid captain Raul lived [...]

Inter Milan set up a Coppa Italia quarter-final tie with Juventus after beating Reggina 3-0 at home on Thursday. Inter coach Roberto Mancini was able to field a second-string side, with his 17-year-old son Filippo coming off the bench, having won December’s first leg 4-1 at Reggina. Hernan Crespo scored in the 34th minute, Reggina midfielder Emmanuele [...]

Scott Heppell (AP) Newcastle hired Kevin Keegan as manager Wednesday, then beat Stoke 4-1 in the English FA Cup. While Nonleague Havant & Waterlooville defeated Swansea 4-2 to set up a fourth-round meeting with Liverpool. Newcastle drew 0-0 against Stoke two weeks ago but won the replay against the visiting League Championship team on goals by Michael Owen, [...]

Paul White (AP) Spanish league champion Real Madrid could find no way past Real Mallorca goalkeeper Miguel Moya and conceded a late goal to lose 1-0 and be eliminated from the Copa del Rey on Wednesday. Real Madrid, already facing a 2-1 deficit from the first leg, lost 3-1 on aggregate. It hasn’t won the Copa del [...]

Felice Calabro’ (AP) European champions AC Milan went out of the Coppa Italia on Wednesday after being held 1-1 at Catania, while holders AS Roma crushed Torino 4-0 to reach the quarter-finals. Peruvian full back Juan Manuel Vargas drilled home from 30 metres out to put Catania ahead in the 11th minute. Teenage striker Alberto Paloschi levelled the [...]

Rafa Benitez finally got some good news. Steven Gerrard’s hat-trick helped Liverpool cruise into the FA Cup fourth round with a 5-0 win against League One outfit Luton on Tuesday. Benitez’s position looks increasingly untenable after Liverpool’s American owners admitted they held talks with Jurgen Klinsmann over the manager’s job late last year.

Bernat Armangue (AP) Barcelona knocked holders Sevilla out of the Copa del Rey on the away goals rule on Tuesday after a battling 0-0 draw at the Nou Camp. Frank Rijkaard’s side, who drew 1-1 in last week’s first leg, were put under heavy pressure by Sevilla but held their nerve to book their place in the [...]