BERLIN (AP) ― Mario Gomez was left off Germany’s World Cup roster by coach Joachim Loew, who selected six players with no previous national team experience for his 30-man preliminary roster.The roster announced Thursday, which averages 24.8 years, includes among the newcomers Sampdoria defender Shkodran Mustafi (22), Borussia Dortmund defender Erik Durm (22 on Monday), Augsburg attacking midfielder Andre Hahn (23), Hoffenheim forward Kevin Volland (21), and Schalke midfielders Max Meyer (18) and

MANCHESTER, England (AP) ― After trailing for most of the season, Manchester City is set to be in first place when it matters most.City scored four goals in the final 26 minutes to rout Aston Villa 4-0 Wednesday night, moving into position to win its second Premier League title in three years with only a draw this weekend.Edin Dzeko scored from close range in the 64th and 72nd minutes, Stevan Jovetic added a goal in the 89th and Yaya Toure capped the victory by scoring on a solo run in the third

South Korea’s 23-man roster for this year’s FIFA World Cup, announced on Thursday, included only six players from the domestic K League Classic, with 17 others joining from leagues in Europe, China and Japan.At the previous World Cup four years ago, there were 13 players from the K League Classic, and 10 were based in foreign leagues. The reversal in trend this year is a testament to South Korean players’ development, with more and more players signing with top-flight clubs overseas.The half-doz

Manchester United gave a debut to a potential star of the future on the night it may have had one last glimpse of a recent great. Ryan Giggs played possibly his last game at Old Trafford, entering in the 70th minute of Tuesday’s 3-1 win over Hull.James Wilson, an 18-year-old forward, scored twice in his Manchester United senior team debut. Robin van Persie had the final goal, off an assist from Giggs, the 40-year midfielder who made his debut in 1991 was appointed interim manager on April 22 aft

VALENCIA, Spain (AP) ―Stephane Mbia scored in the fourth minute of stoppage time for Sevilla to make the Europa League final despite a 3-1 loss at Valencia on Thursday. Valencia looked set to play in the May 14 final in Turin until Mbia’s dramatic header to secure Sevilla’s place on away goals, after the two-leg semifinal ended 3-3. Sevilla, which plays for the trophy for the first time since winning a second straight title in 2007, faces Benfica after last year’s finalist drew 0-0 at Juventus t

South Korean men's football roster for this year's FIFA World Cup will be announced earlier than scheduled, the sport's national governing body said Friday.The Korea Football Association said the 23-man roster for the big tournament in Brazil will be revealed Thursday, a day earlier than initially scheduled. The KFA explained that the change is designed to give players more time to prepare themselves mentally before reporting to their training camp on May 12 at the National Football Center in Pa

South Korean footballer Ki Sung-yueng, hoping to represent the country at the World Cup this summer, has asked his English club to allow him to return home before the end of the current season to recover from a knee injury, his father said Thursday.Ki Young-ok, father of the Sunderland midfielder, said the 25-year-old is waiting for the English Premier League club’s final decision.“Ki Sung-yueng has asked the team to let him leave early,” said the senior Ki, who is president of the municipal foo

South Korean footballer Ki Sung-yueng, hoping to represent the country at the World Cup this summer, has asked his English club to allow him to return home before the end of the current season to recover from a knee injury, his father said Thursday.Ki Young-ok, father of the Sunderland midfielder, said the 25-year-old is waiting for the English Premier League club's final decision."Ki Sung-yueng has asked the team to let him leave early," said the senior Ki, who is president of the municipal foo

South Korean football icon Park Ji-sung is seeking to host a charity match in tribute to the victims of a recent ferry accident in his native land, the player’s father said Wednesday.Park Sung-jong, the veteran’s father, told Yonhap that his son wanted to pay his tribute to the fallen passengers aboard the Sewol through football. The April 16 disaster has left 302 people dead or missing.“He wants people affected by this tragedy to take solace from sports,” said the senior Park, who is a director