Brazil Routs Argentina, 4-1
Brazil won the FIFA Confederations Cup for the second time, beating Argentina, 4-1, Wednesday night behind two goals by Adriano at Frankfurt, Germany.
Kaka and Ronaldinho also scored for the defending World Cup champions, who played the tournament without top forward Ronaldo, who was taking a break after his Spanish league season with Real Madrid, and other stars such as Roberto Carlos and Cafu.
“It’s wonderful for Brazil to have so many talented forwards,” Brazil Coach Carlos Alberto Parreira said. “We have many good players, and I don’t think other teams have so many, so I think that it’s a good problem. We have good replacements. It’s wonderful.”
Adriano, who led the tournament with five goals, scored in the 11th minute when he collected a ball from Cicinho, turned inside between two defenders, jumped over a third and beat goalkeeper German Lux with a powerful left-footed shot from the edge of the penalty. Adriano got another goal in the 63rd when he outjumped Gabriel Heinze and headed in Cicinho’s cross from six yards.
Pablo Aimar got Argentina’s goal in the 65th minute.
In the third-place game at Leipzig, Michael Ballack scored on a free kick seven minutes into overtime to lead Germany over Mexico, 4-3. Jared Borgetti scored two goals on headers for Mexico.
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FIFA decided to let Australia switch from Oceania to the Asian soccer confederation. Australia had called for the switch to improve its chances of reaching the World Cup. There were no objections to the change from either confederation.
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Sao Paulo of Brazil advanced to the finals of the Copa Libertadores championship with a 3-2 victory over River Plate at Buenos Aires. Sao Paulo will face the winner of the Chivas-Atletico Paranaense series, which ends today in Mexico.
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The Galaxy traded seldom-used defender Paul Broome to Real Salt Lake for a second-round choice in the 2007 Major League Soccer draft.... The MetroStars acquired defender Ryan Suarez, who was released by Chivas USA on Monday because of a dispute with Coach Hans Westerhof.
Pro Basketball
The Washington Wizards extended a qualifying contract offer to Kwame Brown, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2001 draft, who was suspended at the end of last season. The offer makes Brown a restricted free agent, so the Wizards have the right to match any offer another NBA team makes him this off-season.
The Phoenix Suns have traded second-round draft pick Marcin Gortat to the Orlando Magic for future considerations. Gortat, a 6-foot-11 forward-center from Poland, was the 57th selection overall.
The Phoenix Mercury has signed center Maria Stepanova to a contract for the rest of the 2005 WNBA season. The Mercury waived guard Andrea Stinson after acquiring her from Detroit in exchange for forward Plenette Pierson.
Pro Hockey
Mighty Duck Coach Mike Babcock has been offered a contract to remain with the team, sources familiar with the situation said. An announcement on whether he will accept the offer could come today.
The Ottawa Senators gave General Manager John Muckler a three-year contract extension.
Jack Diller, 67, the only president in Nashville Predator history, is leaving the team.
Jurisprudence
Heavyweight boxer Joe Mesi has filed a suit to force the Nevada State Athletic Commission to lift his medical suspension.
Mesi, 31, turned to the courts to revive his career after the commission decided this month not to allow the fighter back in the ring because a doctor discovered bleeding on his brain.
Baltimore Raven linebacker Terrell Suggs was acquitted of an assault charge from a playground altercation.
Miscellany
USC offensive lineman Jeff Byers will have hip surgery in a few weeks and will sit out next season, Coach Pete Carroll said.
Byers, a sophomore, started four games at left guard last season and had arthroscopic hip surgery afterward. He was held out of most of spring practice, but Byers and redshirt sophomore Drew Radovich were listed at the top of the depth chart at left guard at the end of workouts.
Carroll said that tight end Dominique Byrd had arthroscopic knee surgery this week and that fullback Brandon Hancock would have a similar procedure in the next few days.
Greg Oden, a 7-foot center from Lawrence North High in Indiana who was the national high school player of the year as a junior last season, announced that he would play for Ohio State in 2006-07.
Kim Un-yong, former vice president of the International Olympic Committee, was released from prison in Seoul after being granted parole. He was serving a two-year sentence for embezzlement.
Marquette will keep its Golden Eagles nickname. After months of controversy, the school said that 54% of voters picked the Golden Eagles and 46% chose the Hilltoppers, a former Marquette nickname.
American crews got off to a strong start in the opening round of the Henley Royal Regatta in England.
The college crew from the University of California defeated England’s University of Warwick in the opening round of the Temple Cup for student eights, and Colby College (Maine) held off repeated challenges from Isis of Oxford University. Cornell defeated University College of Dublin, Ireland, by 1 3/4 lengths and Yale defeated its English opposition from the University of Bristol, cruising to a 2 3/4 -length win to advance to the second round.
