United wins Community Shield

MANCHESTER United beat Chelsea 3-0 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in the Community Shield at the new Wembley Stadium yesterday.

United veteran and captain Ryan Giggs opened the scoring for his side early in the first half, before Florent Malauda replied to level matters just before the break. United goalkeeper Edwin van der Saar made three fantastic saves to deny Chelsea of a single goal, with Wayne Rooney scoring the winner, after goals from Rio Ferdinand and Michael Carrick.The match is a season opener and is decided between the league champions of the previous season and the second-place finishers.Manchester United won the league last season, taking over the championship title from Chelsea who were dominant for the two previous seasons.Real close to signing Ballack, Robben * MADRID – Real Madrid is close to signing Germany midfielder Michael Ballack and Netherlands winger Arjen Robben from Chelsea, Spanish media reported Saturday.The leading Cadena SER radio and sports dailies AS and Marca said the two internationals could move to Madrid for a total of some US$40 million.”It would be great news,” Madrid coach Bernd Schuster told Spanish National Radio from Moscow where the team beat Lokomotiv 5-2 Friday.”Hopefully, we’ll be able to announce the signing of one or two big players soon.”Madrid president Ramon Calderon is known to favor Robben while Schuster is said to have demanded Ballack.Robben, 23, has been at Chelsea since joining from PSV Eindhoven in 2004.Ballack joined the London club last season from Bayern Munich.Owen could miss start of season * LONDON – Newcastle striker Michael Owen could miss the start of the Premier League season with a thigh injury.Newcastle manager Sam Allardyce said Owen was unlikely to be ready for his side’s season opener against Bolton on August 11.”It doesn’t look as encouraging as we first thought,” Allardyce was quoted as saying by The Daily Mail on Saturday.”The tear in the muscle hasn’t healed as quickly as we would like, so there’s no point in making any rash decisions just to get him fit for the start of the season.”Because of various injuries, Owen has only played 14 times for Newcastle since joining in August 2005 after one season at Real Madrid.He only played three games last season after missing 10 months because of a knee injury sustained at the World Cup.Beattie joins Sheffield United from Everton * SHEFFIELD – James Beattie moved from Premier League club Everton to League Championship side Sheffield United on Saturday.The 29-year-old Beattie only scored two goals in 15 games for Everton last season as he struggled with injury.Beattie had been at Everton since January 2005, after playing with Southampton since 1998.British media reports said the transfer was worth 4 million pounds (US$8.1 million; €5.9 million).Sheffield United, which was relegated from the Premier League last season, also signed midfielder David Carney from Sydney FC in Australia.Carney, an Australia international, reportedly signed for 50,000 pounds (US$102,000; €74,000).The club did not reveal the length of either contract.Cole released by Portsmouth * PORTSMOUTH – Former England striker Andy Cole has been released from Portsmouth after a mutual agreement to scrap the final year of his contract.The 35-year-old Cole had spent the final two months of last season on loan to League Championship side Birmingham, playing five games and scoring once.He joined Portsmouth in August 2006.”It is a shame things haven’t worked out at Portsmouth,” Cole told Britain’s Press Association on Saturday.”But I’m relieved that it has been sorted out and I can now look forward again.”Cole wants to continue playing in England’s top tier.He is the second-highest career scorer in the Premier League with 188 goals.Retired Newcastle striker Alan Shearer is the all-time scorer with 260.He made 15 appearances for England during his time at United, scoring one goal.Leeds to appeal 15 points deduction * LEEDS – Leeds United will appeal a 15-point deduction by the Football League as the club faces its first season in the third tier of English soccer.The Football League on Friday granted Leeds permission to play in League One but with the punishment of a 15-point loss, following a drawn-out dispute caused by Leeds’ failure to comply with its rules on insolvency.The team now has a week to persuade other league clubs that the deduction was unfair.Nampa-APUnited goalkeeper Edwin van der Saar made three fantastic saves to deny Chelsea of a single goal, with Wayne Rooney scoring the winner, after goals from Rio Ferdinand and Michael Carrick.The match is a season opener and is decided between the league champions of the previous season and the second-place finishers.Manchester United won the league last season, taking over the championship title from Chelsea who were dominant for the two previous seasons.Real close to signing Ballack, Robben * MADRID – Real Madrid is close to signing Germany midfielder Michael Ballack and Netherlands winger Arjen Robben from Chelsea, Spanish media reported Saturday.The leading Cadena SER radio and sports dailies AS and Marca said the two internationals could move to Madrid for a total of some US$40 million.”It would be great news,” Madrid coach Bernd Schuster told Spanish National Radio from Moscow where the team beat Lokomotiv 5-2 Friday.”Hopefully, we’ll be able to announce the signing of one or two big players soon.”Madrid president Ramon Calderon is known to favor Robben while Schuster is said to have demanded Ballack.Robben, 23, has been at Chelsea since joining from PSV Eindhoven in 2004.Ballack joined the London club last season from Bayern Munich.Owen could miss start of season * LONDON – Newcastle striker Michael Owen could miss the start of the Premier League season with a thigh injury.Newcastle manager Sam Allardyce said Owen was unlikely to be ready for his side’s season opener against Bolton on August 11.”It doesn’t look as encouraging as we first thought,” Allardyce was quoted as saying by The Daily Mail on Saturday.”The tear in the muscle hasn’t healed as quickly as we would like, so there’s no point in making any rash decisions just to get him fit for the start of the season.”Because of various injuries, Owen has only played 14 times for Newcastle since joining in August 2005 after one season at Real Madrid.He only played three games last season after missing 10 months because of a knee injury sustained at the World Cup.Beattie joins Sheffield United from Everton * SHEFFIELD – James Beattie moved from Premier League club Everton to League Championship side Sheffield United on Saturday.The 29-year-old Beattie only scored two goals in 15 games for Everton last season as he struggled with injury.Beattie had been at Everton since January 2005, after playing with Southampton since 1998.British media reports said the transfer was worth 4 million pounds (US$8.1 million; €5.9 million).Sheffield United, which was relegated from the Premier League last season, also signed midfielder David Carney from Sydney FC in Australia.Carney, an Australia international, reportedly signed for 50,000 pounds (US$102,000; €74,000).The club did not reveal the length of either contract.Cole released by Portsmouth * PORTSMOUTH – Former England striker Andy Cole has been released from Portsmouth after a mutual agreement to scrap the final year of his contract.The 35-year-old Cole had spent the final two months of last season on loan to League Championship side Birmingham, playing five games and scoring once.He joined Portsmouth in August 2006.”It is a shame things haven’t worked out at Portsmouth,” Cole told Britain’s Press Association on Saturday.”But I’m relieved that it has been sorted out and I can now look forward again.”Cole wants to continue playing in England’s top tier.He is the second-highest career scorer in the Premier League with 188 goals.Retired Newcastle striker Alan Shearer is the all-time scorer with 260.He made 15 appearances for England during his time at United, scoring one goal.Leeds to appeal 15 points deduction * LEEDS – Leeds United will appeal a 15-point deduction by the Football League as the club faces its first season in the third tier of English soccer.The Football League on Friday granted Leeds permission to play in League One but with the punishment of a 15-point loss, following a drawn-out dispute caused by Leeds’ failure to comply with its rules on insolvency.The team now has a week to persuade other league clubs that the deduction was unfair.Nampa-AP