In brief: U.S. soccer victory over Panama saves Mexico’s World Cup hopes
World Cup: Graham Zusi and Aron Johannsson scored in second-half stoppage time, and the United States rallied for a 3-2 win at Panama on Tuesday night that left Mexico’s World Cup hopes alive and knocked out the Panamanians.
The U.S., which clinched a World Cup berth last month, didn’t use most of its starters, and Gabriel Torres put Panama ahead in the 18th minute in a downpour at Panama City. Michael Orozco tied it the 64th minute, just as Costa Rica took a 2-1 lead at home against Mexico.
Luis Tejada scored in the 83rd, putting Panama within minutes of a fourth-place finish and a berth in next month’s playoff against Oceania champion New Zealand. Mexico, which last missed the World Cup in 1990, would have been eliminated.
But Zusi scored 1:24 into three minutes of stoppage time, and Johannsson added his first international goal at the 2:40 mark, giving the U.S. a record-tying 22 points in the hexagonal, the final round of the North and Central American and Caribbean region.
Goals by Brian Ruiz in the first half and Alvaro Saborio in the second gave Costa Rica the win. The Ticos already had qualified for Brazil 2014 and wound up second to the United States in the round.
• England, Spain advance: England and defending champion Spain qualified for the World Cup along with Russia and Bosnia-Herzegovina, which earned its first berth as an independent nation.
Wayne Rooney scored in the 41st minute and Steven Gerrard in the 88th to give England (6-0-4) a 2-0 win over Poland at London’s Wembley Stadium and first place in Group H by one point over Ukraine (6-1-3).
Spain (6-0-2) won Group I with a 2-0 victory over visiting Georgia. Bosnia (8-1-1) won 1-0 at Lithuania on Vedad Ibisevic’s 68th-minute goal to win Group G on goal difference over Greece.
Pujols’ attorney says no to lie-detector test
Baseball: An attorney for Albert Pujols has discounted another lawyer’s suggestion that Pujols and former Cardinals slugger Jack Clark take lie-detector tests to settle Pujols’ defamation lawsuit over Clark’s claim that Pujols used steroids.
Pujols is suing Clark, who played for the Cardinals from 1985 to 1987, for his comments on a local radio show accusing Pujols of using steroids. Clark’s lawyer suggested Monday both men take polygraph tests.
• Bourn has surgery: Indians center fielder Michael Bourn has had surgery on his left hamstring after getting hurt in Cleveland’s final regular-season game.
• Weiss receives extension: Manager Walt Weiss has agreed to a three-year contract extension with the Colorado Rockies.
He went 74-88 in his first season as manager, a 10-game improvement over the previous season.
Messi appears ready to return
Soccer: Lionel Messi looks set to return to Barcelona’s lineup after taking part in a full training session.
The 26-year-old strained a thigh during Barcelona’s 2-0 victory over Almaria on Sept. 28 and has been sidelined since.
• Italy gets second foreign owner: Indonesian businessman Erick Thohir has signed a deal to take over a majority stake of Inter Milan, becoming the second foreign owner in the Italian soccer league.
The deal for a 70 percent stake in the club is reportedly worth $475 million. Thohir is part owner of the Philadelphia 76ers and D.C. United.
• Former Senegal coach dies: Bruno Metsu, a Frenchman who led Senegal to the 2002 World Cup quarterfinals and coached several other teams, has died. He was 59.
Metsu’s most memorable coaching achievement came at the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan when his Senegal team beat defending champion France 1-0 in one of the biggest upsets in the tournament’s history.
Sharks beat Blues in battle of unbeatens
NHL: Joe Thornton had a goal and three assists and Patrick Marleau had a goal and two assists and the visiting San Jose Sharks downed the St. Louis Blues 6-2.
The Sharks (6-0-0) won the matchup of unbeaten teams,
Veteran Sharks defenseman Dan Boyle left the game with a head injury.
• Kesler connects for Canucks: Ryan Kesler scored the second of his two goals with 2:25 left in the third period to lead the visiting Vancouver Canucks to a 3-2 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers.
• Avalanche stay hot: Matt Duchene scored twice to help the Colorado Avalanche hold off the Dallas Stars 3-2 to improve to 6-0 in Patrick Roy’s first season on the bench.
U.S. champ Rose leads Grand Slam
Miscellany: U.S. Open champion Justin Rose birdied the first hole with a blind shot he hit to a foot of the pin, and he stayed in front until he completed a 4-under 67 for a two-shot lead over Jason Dufner in PGA Grand Slam of Golf at Southampton, Bermuda.
The 36-hole exhibition, which concludes today, is for the four major champions of the year. British Open champion Phil Mickelson chose not to play and was replaced at Port Royal Golf Course by three-time major champion Padraig Harrington.
Dufner opened with a 69. Masters champion Adam Scott struggled late in the wind for a 70. Harrington, who won the PGA Grand Slam last year as an alternate, shot 74.
• Wozniacki, Stephens win: Top-seeded Caroline Wozniacki struggled to a 6-3, 7-6 (2) win over local Mandy Minella to reach the second round of the Luxembourg Open.
Second-seeded Sloane Stephens of the U.S. defeated Timea Bacsinszky 6-3, 6-3.