Briefly

Costa Rica shuts out U.S. team, makes World Cup

Costa Rica charged into the World Cup before a noisy, thrilled and drenched crowd in San Jose, Costa Rica, beating the United States 3-0 Saturday night on goals by Carlos Hernandez and Paolo Wanchope.

The Americans’ shutout streak ended at 33 minutes of the first half when a rain-slicked pass from Alvaro Saborio on the right side slipped past U.S. defenders and off the hands of goalkeeper Tim Howard. Wanchope put it home.

Hernandez knocked in another goal at 60 minutes as a disorganized U.S. defense left a huge gap down the center of the field. He added a third at 88 minutes before an increasingly giddy crowd that danced and chanted in the stands.

Victory wasn’t strictly necessary, however. Mexico’s win over Guatemala moments earlier guaranteed Costa Rica a place in Germany next year.

Costa Rica repeatedly pushed attackers past the sloppy U.S. defense, though the visitors dominated at midfield through much of the game, often cutting off passing routes and stealing balls in mounting several dangerous but fruitless counterattacks.

The Americans had not been scored upon in the CONCACAF qualification round since losing 2-1 in Mexico City on March 27. But coach Bruce Arena used the Costa Rica game to test new players; his team was guaranteed a World Cup berth with a victory over Mexico on Sept. 3.

•Fourteen more men’s soccer teams qualified for next year’s World Cup, with England, Italy and the Netherlands leading the way in Europe.

Three other European teams also made it – Portugal, Croatia and Poland – while Ukraine and host Germany had already advanced.

All five African spots were also filled, with Togo, Ghana, Ivory Coast and Angola qualifying for the first time. Tunisia claimed the final spot from the region.

Also, Paraguay and Ecuador joined already-qualified Brazil and Argentina from South America, while Costa Rica earned the third berth out of CONCACAF. Mexico and the United States have already qualified.

Four Asian teams – Iran, Japan, Saudi Arabia and South Korea – have already qualified for the tournament.

Under European qualifying rules, the eight group winners and the two best second-place teams advance. The remaining six second-place teams play off next month for three more spots.

Figure skating

Cohen, Honda earn victories at Campbell’s Classic

Sasha Cohen put on a dazzling show for the fans at the Campbell’s International Figure Skating Classic in St. Paul, Minn.

Good thing, because the men sure didn’t.

Cohen began her Olympic season in impressive fashion, easily winning the Campbell’s Classic with a program that would stand up to the best in the world. She did seven triple jumps, four in combination, and finished with 122.73 points.

That was well in front of fellow American Kimmie Meissner, who didn’t try her triple axel, but did do two triple-triple combinations. Meissner finished with 109.08 points, her personal best, and former world champion Shizuka Arakawa was third.

Takeshi Honda of Japan beat the best the Americans have to offer in the men’s competition, but no one will be saving these performances for their highlight reels. None of the men skated anything close to a clean program, and Michael Weiss was the only one in the competition to land a triple axel.

Weiss finished second, with Timothy Goebel third.

Horse racing

First Samurai established as Breeder’s Juvenile favorite

First Samurai could be a champion in the making.

Taking the lead from Henny Hughes in the stretch, First Samurai pulled off a 2 3/4 -length victory in the $500,000 Champagne Stakes at rain-drenched Belmont Park in New York.

The 2-year-old colt covered the mile in 1:36.29 and improved his perfect mark to 4 for 4, firmly establishing First Samurai as the favorite for the $1.5 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Belmont on Oct. 29.

•Long shot Dawn of War led almost all the way and captured the Grade I Lane’s End Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky.

Dawn of War beat another long shot, Catcominatcha, by 3 1/2 lengths, running 1 1-16 miles in 1:48.77.

•Singletary won the Oak Tree Breeders’ Cup Mile by 1 1/2 lengths over Designed For Luck at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif.

Singletary, who was ridden by David Flores, covered the mile on the turf in 1:34.54.

Basketball

Curry works out with Knicks for first practice in 7 months

Practicing again for the first time in nearly seven months, new New York Knicks center Eddy Curry insists he will be ready for the season opener.

The Knicks acquired the 22-year-old Curry from the Chicago Bulls earlier this week, more than six months after he had an irregular heartbeat that caused him to miss the final 13 games of last season and the playoffs.

He was back on the basketball court, working out with the team for the second time since being cleared to play a day earlier.

“I’m ready,” Curry said. “It was a little bit of a scare and a rocky summer, but the time to take stuff for granted is over. There’s some relief but the journey’s not over. I’ve got to live up to the trade and the expectations.”

Tennis

Davenport, Mauresmo earn berths to Porsche GP final

Lindsay Davenport advanced to the final of the Porsche Grand Prix in Filderstadt, Germany, with 14 aces in a 6-4, 6-3 win over Daniela Hantuchova.

She will face fourth-ranked Amelie Mauresmo in a repeat of last year’s final, where the Frenchwoman dropped out with an adductor strain.

Mauresmo beat eighth-ranked Elena Dementieva 6-3, 6-4 at the event which accepted no one ranked lower than 33 into a 28-player main field.