Sports Desk

By Associated Press | June 23, 2008

Soccer

U.S. moves to regional semis of World Cup qualifying

After routing Barbados at home, the United States managed only a slim victory on the road.

Already ahead by eight goals in the home-and-home, total-goals series, the Americans advanced to the regional semifinals of qualifying for the 2010 World Cup with a listless 1-0 win victory yesterday. Eddie Lewis scored in the 21st minute off a through ball from 19-year-old Freddy Adu, who started his first World Cup qualifier.

Reports: Pele robbed in Brazil by armed youths

Brazilian press say soccer legend Pele was held up at gunpoint, and robbed by a band of youths armed with knives and guns. They took a gold necklace, cell phone, and watch. The press reports say it happened June 13 in a slum near the city of Santos, but wasn't made public until yesterday. Pele was riding in the passenger seat of a car when it was stopped by at least 10 young men. The soccer legend is a legally declared national treasure, according to the Brazilian government. In 1999 he was voted Athlete of the Century by the world's national Olympic committees.

Olympics

Study: China Will Top America in Medals at Beijing

China should win one more medal than America at the Beijing Olympics — 88 to 87 — and top the overall table for the first time, according to a survey released today by accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers.

"As the host nation in Beijing and (with) an economy which has grown very strongly since 2004, the medal 'target' of 88 for China according to our model is much higher than its actual medal totals in Athens (63) or Sydney (59)," said John Hawksworth, the report's author.