In brief: Late goal helps U.S. tie Costa Rica
Men’s soccer: Jonathan Bornstein headed in a corner kick in the fifth minute of stoppage time, giving the United States a 2-2 tie against Costa Rica on Wednesday night in Washington – putting Honduras in next year’s World Cup.
Bryan Ruiz scored twice in a 4-minute span midway through the first half, but Michael Bradley cut the U.S. deficit in the 72nd minute. With the United States playing a man short following an injury to Oguchi Onyewu and Costa Rica just 20 seconds or so from qualifying, Bornstein headed in Robbie Rogers’ corner kick from about 7 yards out.
At the end, U.S. players held up a banner with the number “9” of teammate Charlie Davies, who was seriously injured in a car crash Tuesday and is unlikely to play in next year’s World Cup.
While the United States topped North and Central America and the Caribbean for the second straight qualifying cycle and Honduras qualified for the World Cup for the first time since 1982, Costa Rica faces a two-game playoff next month against Uruguay.
It was later learned Onyewu tore a tendon in his left knee – an injury that usually requires a recovery time of three-to-four months.
“We’ve had two days of tough news,” U.S. coach Bob Bradley said. “Gooch has been such an important part of our team.”
Bradley expressed confidence Ouyewu would recover in time for the World Cup.
“He’s young, he’s healthy, our doctors are good,” Bradley said. “He’s someone that we’re sure is going to get back and be ready to go.”
•More World Cup qualifying: Portugal won its third straight World Cup qualifier and advanced to the European playoffs, beating Malta 4-0 in Guimaraes, Portugal, as Nani scored one goal and assisted on another. Portugal (5-1-4) finished second in Group One with 19 points, two behind Denmark (6-1-3). The Danes clinched the automatic berth last weekend. The eight playoff teams will be drawn into four pairs on Monday, and the four winners of home-and-home, total-goals matches on Nov. 14 and 18 will qualify for next year’s tournament in South Africa.
Slovakia qualified for its first World Cup, beating Poland 1-0 in Chorzow, Poland, on a third-minute own goal.
Switzerland qualified for its second straight World Cup, clinching with a 0-0 tie against Israel in Basel, Switzerland. Switzerland won Group Two with 21 points. Greece, which won 2-1 against visiting Luxembourg, was one point back in second and earned a berth in next month’s European playoffs.
•Jamaican soccer player killed: Jamaica defender Orane Simpson was fatally stabbed in the violence-wracked Kingston slum where he was raised. A brief police statement said the 26-year-old player, a Jamaica international since 2005, was killed in Tivoli Gardens, a sprawling neighborhood that was the country’s first government housing project.
Simpson was attacked late Tuesday. There have been no arrests, and police did not disclose specifics of the stabbing.
Jones-Drew rants about play-calling
NFL: Still reeling from a 41-0 loss at Seattle, Jacksonville Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew lashed out at the team’s play-calling, its lack of offensive identity and its constant shuffling of offensive linemen.
Frustrated? Try furious.
In a 15-minute session with reporters, Jones-Drew ripped several aspects of his team. He even called himself the second-highest paid “decoy” in the league, behind New Orleans running back Reggie Bush.
Jones-Drew acknowledged that his bitterness stemmed from the offense’s struggles and the humbling shutout in Seattle.
“I don’t like to be embarrassed, so I do get upset about it,” Jones-Drew said.
Jones-Drew questioned the play-calling, especially when it was still a close game in the second quarter. The Jags ran Jones-Drew three straight times on first downs, then threw on every other down. Then, after Seattle went ahead 13-0 with 4:43 to play in the first half, Garrard dropped back to pass on three consecutive plays.
“It just seems like now if we don’t get 30 yards (rushing), we just go away from it,” said Jones-Drew, whose 75 carries are far less than Garrard’s 169 passes. “I’ve never been a part of a team like that.”
•Vinatieri sidelined: Indianapolis Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri is out four to eight weeks after having arthroscopic surgery on his right knee to remove a piece of cartilage.
The team said they have signed veteran kicker Matt Stover to replace Vinatieri.
•Two Bills on IR: Bills linebackers Kawika Mitchell and Marcus Buggs have been placed on injured reserve allowing Buffalo to add two players to its banged-up defense.
The Bills confirmed that they signed linebacker Chris Draft, a 10-year veteran, and fifth-year safety Todd Johnson. The two were signed after working out with the team Tuesday.
Massa says he won’t race in Brazil
Auto racing: Formula One driver Felipe Massa says he’s fit to race again but won’t compete in Sunday’s Brazilian Grand Prix out of fear of another accident.
The Ferrari driver said he has fully recovered from his near-fatal crash in qualifying for the Hungarian GP in July, but won’t risk another accident in the final two races of the season.
“I could easily race at Interlagos and in the last race (in Abu Dhabi),” Massa told Globo TV. “It’s not the right time to return because I need to be 100 percent in case I get into another accident. I need to be 100 percent to be able to recover. That’s the biggest reason I’m not returning now.”
•Father-son headline first Hall of Fame class: NASCAR founder Bill France Sr. has been selected as the first inductee of the sport’s Hall of Fame.
France formed the National Association for Stock Car Racing in 1947 and headlines the inaugural class of five for the Hall.
Also joining the Hall is Bill France Jr., who took over for his father as head of NASCAR in 1972.
Also selected were drivers Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt and Junior Johnson.
Seminoles release NCAA documents
Miscellany: Florida State has released documents that the NCAA tried to keep secret about an academic cheating case.
The school made public the 695-page transcript of an NCAA hearing to comply with a final decision Tuesday by the 1st District Court of Appeal. The court ruled such documents are public records.
The transcript was released although the NCAA earlier appealed to the Florida Supreme Court.
It concerns Florida State’s appeal of a proposal to strip athletes and coaches of wins. That includes football coach Bobby Bowden who would lose 14 victories.
It would dim Bowden’s chances of catching Penn State’s Joe Paterno – the winningest coach in major college football.
•Bross tops in qualifying: American Rebecca Bross had the best score in qualifying at her first world gymnastics championships in London. Bross finished with 57.4 points, just one-tenth ahead of another newcomer, Romania’s Ana Porgras.
Australia’s Lauren Mitchell was third, China’s Deng Linlin was fourth and U.S. champion Bridget Sloan was fifth.