Briefly

Arsenal won the FA Cup on Saturday in Cardiff, Wales, by beating Manchester United 5-4 on penalty kicks, with captain Patrick Vieira making the decisive shot.

Vieira scored shortly after Paul Scholes had missed a chance to put defending champion Man United ahead 2-1. The two teams played 120 minutes of scoreless soccer before the first penalty shootout in the final of the world’s oldest cup competition.

Arsenal, which also got shootout goals from Lauren, Fredrik Ljungberg, Robin Van Persie and Ashley Cole, won its 10th FA Cup. Ruud van Nistelrooy, Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Roy Keane scored for United.

“We didn’t create many chances so credit to them, but we showed great character,” Vieira said.

The two teams that have dominated the FA Cup the past decade were both in their 17th final, a record. Arsenal was in the final for the fourth time in five seasons.

Football

Bruschi’s status up in air

New England Patriots linebacker Tedy Bruschi, who suffered a mild stroke three days after the Pro Bowl, doesn’t know if he will play football this season.

Bruschi told WBZ-TV in Boston that he will take his time before making the “big decision” of whether he should get back on the field in 2005 with the Super Bowl champion Patriots.

“During the season we take it one game at a time, and right now in my life I’m taking it one day at a time,” said the 31-year-old Bruschi, who said he’s “feeling great” three months after the stroke. “When it comes time for a decision to be made, we’ve been talking about it, my family and I, but that’s a decision you don’t rush into so I’m taking my time with it.”

•Former NFL running back David Lang was killed in a shooting near his suburban Atlanta home, police said.

The 37-year-old Lang, who played for the Los Angeles Rams and Dallas Cowboys, was shot following an apparent argument with an acquaintance Thursday near his Stone Mountain home.

Lang, a 12th-round draft pick by the Rams out of Northern Arizona University in 1990, played four years in Los Angeles before spending the 1995 season with the Cowboys.

Tennis

Venus wins first title of year

Venus Williams won her first title in a year, defeating Nicole Vaidisova 6-3, 6-2 in strong wind and drizzle to win the Istanbul Cup in Istanbul, Turkey, and boost her confidence for the French Open that starts Monday.

It was the 32nd championship – and seventh on clay – for Williams, and her first since May 2004 at Warsaw, Poland.

“It’s great to win my first tournament of the year, especially on the eve of a Grand Slam,” said Williams. “I’m going to go into Roland Garros with lots of confidence, and after four good matches on clay.”

•Anabel Medina Garrigues of Spain beat Poland’s Marta Domachowska 6-4, 6-3 to win the Strasbourg International tournament in Strasbourg, France.

•Top-seeded Nikolay Davydenko beat fourth-seeded Jurgen Melzer 6-3, 2-6, 6-4 to win the BTM Power Grand Prix in St. Poelten, Austria.

•Germany lost its opening match but rallied to beat Argentina 2-1 to win the World Team Cup in Duesseldorf, Germany.

Argentina took the lead when Guillermo Coria easily beat Florian Mayer 6-1, 6-1. But Tommy Haas got a point back in the second singles, beating Gaston Gaudio 6-4, 6-3. In doubles, Haas and Alexander Waske topped Guillermo Canas and Coria 6-1, 6-2.

Cycling

Savoldelli leads Giro d’Italia

Ivan Parra of Colombia won the 13th stage of the Giro d’Italia in Ortisei, Italy, while Paolo Savoldelli took the overall lead from fellow Italian Ivan Basso.

Parra covered the 135.1-mile distance from Mezzocorona to Ortisei in 6 hours, 31 minutes, 35 seconds. Spain’s Juan Manuel Garate placed second, 23 seconds behind Parra. Venezuela’s Jose Rujano Guillen was third, while Savoldelli was nearly four minutes back.

Savoldelli moved 50 seconds ahead of Basso in the overall standings. Danilo Di Luca was third overall, 53 seconds back.

Miscellany

Boston College boots Williams

Boston College forward Sean Williams was suspended from the team and university after he was charged with marijuana possession. The 6-foot-10 Williams, projected to be a starter next season, was arrested by campus police Friday. He pleaded innocent in Brighton District Court and is scheduled to appear at a pretrial hearing July 8.

•The host London Knights defeated Rimouski Oceanic, 4-3, in overtime in the opener of the Memorial Cup hockey tourney in London, Ontario.