Times wires
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Soccer
Man U, Barcelona advance
Manchester United moved into the European Champions League semifinals by beating English rival Chelsea 2-1 on Tuesday, and Lionel Messi scored his team-record 48th goal of the season to advance Barcelona with a 1-0 victory at Shakhtar Donetsk.
Javier Hernandez scored in the 43rd minute for host United off Ryan Giggs' cross. After Didier Drogba tied the score in the 77th, Park Ji-sung scored off the restart, with Giggs again getting the assist, giving United a 3-1 aggregate win.
"It was a tough game," said Giggs, 37. "We scored a couple of great goals. … It's easier as you get older because you pick your moments."
Meanwhile, Messi scored in the 43rd minute, and Barcelona won the series 6-1.
Beckham MLS return?: David Beckham, 35, said it's possible he could be back in MLS next season after his five-year contract expires with the Los Angeles Galaxy.
Et cetera
Autos: Daytona 500 winner Trevor Bayne, 20, landed a sponsorship from Good Sam Club, a sister company of Camping World, for the Sprint Cup race Sunday at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway and the All-Star Race on May 21 at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway. Bayne drives for Wood Brothers Racing. … Race organizers are progressing with plans to bring Formula One back to the United States in 2012 with a proposed 3.4-mile track on the outskirts of Austin, Texas. The last U.S. Grand Prix was held in 2007 in Indianapolis.
Golf: Cherry Hills Golf Club in suburban Denver will host the 2014 BMW Championship, Broncos Hall of Fame QB John Elway said. The event, to be held Sept. 1-7, 2014, serves as the third in a series of four FedEx Cup playoff competitions. … South Africa's Sunshine Tour will host a $10 million World Golf Championships event — the Tournament of Hope — though the date and venue have not been finalized.
Horses: Kentucky Derby contender Uncle Mo, who lost last week, had a thorough physical exam, and trainer Todd Pletcher said the 3-year-old colt is fine.
Jurisprudence: Former Giants star LB Lawrence Taylor, who pleaded guilty in January to sexual misconduct and patronizing an underage prostitute, was declared a low-risk sex offender by Rockland County (N.Y.) Court Judge William Kelly. Taylor's photo will not be posted on the online sex-offender registry. The girl was 16 when she met Taylor; he said she claimed she was 19.
Tennis: Serena Williams, 29, returned to the court for practice, her "first day back" after a series of health problems, including blood clots in her lung. The 13-time Grand Slam singles champion and former No. 1-ranked player has not played an official match since she won the Wimbledon title in July. … Second-seeded Roger Federer started his claycourt season by dispatching Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-2, 6-1 in the second round at the Monte Carlo Masters in Monaco.
Times wires