Soccer Sports

The U.S. women's soccer team will play exhibitions at Norway on July 2 and at Sweden three days later as it prepares to defend its Olympic gold medal at the Beijing Games.

The American presence in the English Premier League could be decimated this weekend: As many as nine of the 12 U.S. players in Europe's top league could find themselves on clubs relegated to a lower division.

Manchester United had a $113.4 million net loss in the fiscal year ending last June 30, despite winning the English Premier League title.

In Portugal's biggest soccer scandal, FC Porto was deducted six points Friday for trying to bribe referees in two games during the 2003-04 season. The team is headed to a third straight league championship this weekend, and the punishment will not affect its title bid.

England will get an extra club in next season's UEFA Cup after topping European soccer's Fair Play league.

The chaotic world of Iranian soccer is not often held aloft as an example for others to follow, but as far as FIFA is concerned, the English Premier League should be taking a page out of Tehran's book.

AS Roma advanced to its fourth straight Italian Cup final, tying Catania 1-1 Thursday night to advance on 2-1 aggregate in their home-and-home series.