In brief: Manchester United routs Sounders in exhibition
Soccer: Michael Owen beat former Premier League foe Kasey Keller on a header early in the first half, then Wayne Rooney overwhelmed Seattle’s reserves in the second half with three goals in 21 minutes as Manchester United routed the host Sounders 7-0 in an exhibition on Wednesday night.
Owen slid a header past Keller in the 15th minute after Seattle controlled the opening moments of the match. It remained 1-0 at halftime largely to a brilliant save by Keller on Owen late in the half, but United’s superior talent took over in the final 45 minutes.
Rooney scored in the 51st, 69th and 72nd minutes.
The match in Seattle was the second stop on United’s preseason tour of the United States.
• Keller will attend All-Star game: Sounders FC goalkeeper Kasey Keller will attend the MLS All-Star game in Harrison, N.J. on Wednesday after a deal was worked out between the team, the league and All-Star coach Hans Backe.
MLS spokesman Will Kuhns said a deal was finalized that will allow Keller to attend the game and serve as the third goalkeeper for the MLS team against Manchester United.
Players focus on unresolved issues
NFL: The latest twist in the touch-and-go efforts to end the NFL lockout: Players didn’t vote on a full proposal to settle the labor dispute.
The league, however, said the sides would work through the night to try to have a final agreement ready for ratification today.
A person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press there was agreement among player representatives from all 32 clubs on what items needed to be resolved before any offer would be accepted. A second person, also speaking on condition of anonymity because the talks are supposed to be secret, said those players gave what was termed “conditional approval” of the proposal – as it stood.
• Former players file negligence lawsuit: Mark Duper, Ottis Anderson and 73 other former players sued the National Football League, claiming it concealed information about the danger of concussions for decades.
The negligence, fraud and liability suit was filed Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court. Many players’ wives also are plaintiffs.
The suit alleges the NFL knew as early as the 1920s of the harmful effects of concussions but concealed them from coaches, trainers, players and the public until June 2010. It also names helmet-maker Riddell, the NFL’s official helmet supplier.
Lawsuit targets ex-Heat Mourning
NBA: Former Miami Heat star Alonzo Mourning was sued over a weekend traffic crash in Florida that raised questions about whether he improperly left the scene.
The lawsuit seeking unspecified damages was filed on behalf of 21-year-old William Candelario, who suffered head injuries in the rollover crash early Sunday near Miami Beach. Candelario said he has little memory of what happened and his attorney said the lawsuit is aimed at finding answers.
In a brief interview, Mourning said he came upon the crash scene but declined to say whether he struck one of the vehicles.
Sgt. Thomas Pikul, a Florida Highway Patrol spokesman, said investigators determined that Mourning’s blue Porsche Panamera struck Candelario’s Audi A4 a short time after the Audi had collided with a third vehicle.
Ivy League trims full-contact practices
College sports: In an effort to reduce the number of concussions and subconcussive hits, Ivy League football teams will be allowed to have just two full-contact practices a week, three less than the NCAA allows.
The league announced that the presidents of its eight schools have accepted a series of recommendations that puts the Ivy League in a leadership role in trying to limit concussive hits in football.
• NIT Season Tip-Off hosts named: Syracuse, Oklahoma State, Virginia Tech and Stanford will be the hosts for the opening doubleheaders of the 2011 NIT Season Tip-Off.
• Pole vaulters will don helmets: College pole vaulters will have to wear specially- designed helmets starting next season as part of an announced NCAA rule change.