Soccer Digest

A round-up of today's other soccer news in brief

Bruce still wants to sign Crouch

SUNDERLAND boss Steve Bruce is refusing to give up in his pursuit of England striker Peter Crouch

Bruce had hoped to get a positive response from the 28-year-old Portsmouth frontman over the weekend after the pair met last Thursday to discuss a possible €14 million move to Wearside.

However, Fulham have made their interest known and Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp has gone public on his desire to sign the player.

The feeling on the south coast is that Crouch would prefer a move to London.

Blatter says joint bid is still valid

FIFA president Sepp Blatter reassured Belgium and the Netherlands yesterday their joint World Cup bid was valid despite his preference for single-nation bids.

Japan and South Korea jointly hosted the 2002 World Cup but Blatter said Fifa did not want to repeat what he said had effectively resulted – two World Cups, with two organising committees, two languages, two currencies and double the cost.

“This is totally different,” Blatter said of the Belgian-Dutch bid during a visit to meet the organising committee in Brussels. “A candidature of the Netherlands and Belgium should be accepted as we have evidence that there is one organising committee . . . If they talk of Luxembourg too, it is Benelux which is a political entity,” he continued.

Heary out of Salzburg game

BOHEMIANS skipper Owen Heary is out of tomorrow’s Champions League qualifier against Red Bull Salzburg at Dalymount Park after picking up a hamstring injury in Sunday’s 1-0 defeat of Derry City, writes Emmet Malone

The seriousness of the right back’s injury hadn’t yet been fully ascertained yesterday and Bohemians manager Pat Fenlon said that it would be a week or so before it becomes clear how long Heary will be sidelined.

“Obviously you’d like to have Owen available because he’s an important member of the squad,” said Fenlon, whose side takes a slight advantage into the second leg after securing a 1-1 draw in Austria, “but he’s missed a good few games this year and we’ve done okay without him.

“Mark (Rossiter) has been out a bit too but he’s played a reserve and three first-team games in quick succession now and I thought that in the away leg he was close to being back to where he was last year.

“He’s certainly a good replacement, it’s not like throwing a young lad in and hoping for the best.”

Anto Murphy also comes into the reckoning for a place in the starting line-up, Fenlon confirmed, after coming through Sunday’s game without any problems while Killian Brennan should also be available for selection despite picking up a slight muscle strain against City.

Almost all of the covered seats for the game have been sold according to the club, meanwhile, although tickets for the Connaught Street side of the ground are still on sale priced at €15, €10 and €5 for adults, students and pensioners/children respectively and it is expected that cash will be taken at the turnstiles there tomorrow night.

Everton close in on Elm

EVERTON were yesterday closing in on a deal to sign Sweden international Rasmus Elm. Midfielder Elm, who has also attracted the interest of Fulham, was given a guided tour of Everton’s Finch Farm training ground last week and has since returned home as the Toffees prepare to tie-up a deal for the 21-year-old Kalmar player.

McCarthy joins Wigan Athletic

Hamilton midfielder James McCarthy has agreed to join Wigan Athletic for a fee of about £1.2 million rising to £3 million depending on appearances.

Wigan’s English top-flight rivals Wolves also had an offer accepted by the Scottish Premier League club.

“James is a superb prospect and I know Roberto Martinez and Wigan will look after him,” said Hamilton chairman Ronnie MacDonald.

Wigan expect the deal for the 18-year-old Republic of Ireland under-21 international to be concluded within 24 hours.

Promoted Wolves were the first club to agree a fee, but once Celtic, Tottengham and Wigan joined the race it meant it would be down to the player to choose a preferred destination.

Oil firms come to club’s rescue

RUSSIAN Premier League side Tom Tomsk, faced with mounting debts, will not be forced to go out of business following some welcome, but unexpected, help from the government.

Seven of the countrys largest oil and energy companies would come to Tom’s rescue after a meeting with Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, Russian soccer chief Vitaly Mutko said yesterday.

Tom, who owed almost €4.5 million in back pay to their players and staff, had written to Putin and President Dmitry Medvedev asking them to intervene and save the Siberian club from bankruptcy.

Guardiola says Eto’o should go

BARCELONA coach Pep Guardiola feels it would be best for the club if Samuel Eto’o leaves the Nou Camp.

Eto’o is set for talks with Inter Milan after the two clubs agreed a fee of €45 million plus the Cameroon striker for Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Alexander Hleb will also join Inter on loan.

And Guardiola believes it is the right move for the Catalan giants.

“I am convinced that the best thing for Barca is for Eto’o to leave,” he said. “Could I be mistaken? Maybe so. But I am here to make these decisions.”