Figo, Raul Spark Real Madrid
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Defending champion Real Madrid moved to within striking distance of a place in the semifinals of this season’s European Champions League when it rolled over Manchester United, 3-1, Tuesday at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid in the first leg of a quarterfinal series.
In Tuesday’s other quarterfinal, Ajax Amsterdam was held to a 0-0 tie by AC Milan at Amsterdam Arena.
Real Madrid took the lead on a goal by Portugal’s Luis Figo in the 12th minute, and goals by Spanish striker Raul on either side of halftime gave Coach Vicente del Bosque’s team a seemingly comfortable three-goal advantage.
But Dutch forward Ruud van Nistelrooy scored in the 52nd minute for Manchester to give United a sporting chance to salvage the series in the return leg April 23.
It was Van Nistelrooy’s 11th goal of this tournament, a Champions League record.
In today’s quarterfinals, Valencia is at Inter Milan and Barcelona is at Juventus.
FIFA Finances
The financial situation facing world soccer’s governing body -- said to be perilous during last year’s FIFA presidential election campaign -- apparently is not so dire after all.
Joseph “Sepp” Blatter, FIFA’s president, said in a news conference at Zurich, Switzerland, that FIFA made a profit of $83 million during its 1999-2002 World Cup cycle, based on expenditures of $1.852 billion and revenue of $1.935 billion.
FIFA is “financially more stable than ever,” Blatter said, adding that the organization has $160 million in special reserves.
MLS Update
New York/New Jersey MetroStars and U.S. national team goalkeeper Tim Howard is being targeted by Manchester United, which wants to sign the 24-year-old as a backup to starter Fabien Barthez, Nick Sakiewicz, the MetroStar general manager, said on Tuesday.
The Colorado Rapids signed defender Alberto Rizo, 24, of Guadalajara, Mexico, to a multiyear contract, terms of which were not disclosed.
D.C. United lost defender Milton Reyes for the majority of the season after the Honduran international tore a knee ligament during a scrimmage Saturday.
