In brief: Brazil batters U.S. team at Confed Cup

Soccer: If this was a dress rehearsal for next year’s World Cup, the United States showed it’s far from ready.

The U.S. was beaten soundly for the second time in a four-day span at the Confederations Cup, getting outplayed throughout a 3-0 loss to Brazil on Thursday in Pretoria, South Africa.

Felipe Melo scored off Maicon’s free kick in the seventh minute and Robinho made it 2-0 in the 20th, completing a counterattack that began when DaMarcus Beasley and Landon Donovan failed to combine on a short corner kick. Maicon added the third goal in the 62nd.

Combined with an opening 3-1 loss to Italy on Monday and Egypt’s 1-0 upset of the Azzurri on Thursday, the defeat left the United States (0-2) with an outside chance, at best, to reach the semifinals.

Ovechkin, Datsyuk each win two awards

Hockey: Washington Capitals star forward Alex Ovechkin pulled off the kind of repeat the Detroit Red Wings dreamed about by snagging the Hart Trophy as NHL Most Valuable Player for the second straight year.

Ovechkin also walked off with the NHL Players’ Association’s Lester B. Pearson Award, given to the most outstanding player in voting by fellow players.

It made no difference that the awards ceremony was moved to Las Vegas from Toronto to make it a more glitzy spectacle. Ovechkin, the leading goal scorer each of the past two seasons, stood out above the rest.

Pavel Datsyuk, the Red Wings’ outstanding two-way center, claimed the Selke Trophy as the league’s top defensive forward and the Lady Byng for gentlemanly play and skill.

•Coyotes request extension: In a renewed effort to sell to Canadian billionaire Jim Balsillie, the Phoenix Coyotes have asked a bankruptcy judge to set a Sept. 15 deadline for the sale of the financially troubled hockey team.

The Coyotes said in court filings in Phoenix that Balsillie’s company, PSE Sports & Entertainment, would be willing to extend its bid, which had been set to expire June 29. Balsillie wants to buy the franchise and move it to Hamilton, Ontario.

Free-agent Odom would like to stay

Basketball: Lamar Odom wants to return to the Los Angeles Lakers, and he hopes the team will also keep starter Trevor Ariza.

Odom and Ariza become unrestricted free agents on July 1.

“You want to keep the team together,” Odom said in El Segundo, Calif. “We just won a championship, you don’t want to see one piece not there. Hopefully, we can keep everybody here.”

•Krzyzewski remains undecided: Mike Krzyzewski still hasn’t decided if he will return as U.S. basketball coach.

Krzyzewski led the Americans to the gold medal in the 2008 Olympics, and said the coaching job has been offered to him again.

He said he didn’t want to make any decisions until after the NBA season ended, so he could talk to some players and assistants.

•Pondexter makes team: Quincy Pondexter of Washington is among 12 players selected for the U.S. team in the World University Games.

The tournament is next month in Serbia. The American team will be coached by Wisconsin’s Bo Ryan.

•Gordon won’t need surgery: Drew Gordon of UCLA won’t require surgery on the partially torn patellar tendon in his right knee that he injured during tryouts for the U.S. team in the under-19 world basketball championships.

•Regents approve Miller’s contract: The state Board of Regents approved a five-year contract for new Arizona men’s basketball coach Sean Miller that will pay him $1.6 million annually.

Holdout Marshall finds another camp

Football: Holdout wide receiver Brandon Marshall reported to camp – his own.

The Denver Broncos Pro Bowl receiver who skipped the team’s mandatory minicamp last weekend in a contract dispute is holding a two-day youth football camp for 500 kids ages 7-18 at an Aurora, Colo., high school.

•Senate approves Saints deal: The Louisiana Senate in Baton Rouge has approved an essential part of Gov. Bobby Jindal’s deal to keep the New Orleans Saints in the state.

The measure, which allows the state to lease office space from Saints owner Tom Benson, was already approved by the House.

Committee expects to uphold sanctions

Miscellany: The NCAA infractions committee intends to uphold sanctions against Florida State that would take away wins in 10 sports, including as many as 14 by football coach Bobby Bowden.

After a public records lawsuit and intervention by Florida’s attorney general, the NCAA allowed Florida State to release the committee’s June 2 response to FSU’s appeal of the NCAA punishment that would strip the school of the victories.

“This committee is just wrong,” FSU president T.K. Wetherell said. “The rationale for doing that isn’t accurate.”

•F-1 teams plan breakaway: Eight Formula One teams began preparations for a rival series after failing to resolve their dispute with motor sport’s governing body over financial constraints today in Silverstone, England.

Ferrari, which has participated since the first season in 1950, and current leader Brawn GP headed the list of Formula One Teams’ Association members to announce the split ahead of Sunday’s British Grand Prix.