Briefs | Beckham plays 100th international game

Soccer

Beckham plays 100th international game: David Beckham got a yellow card in his 100th international game for England and was taken off in the 62nd minute of his team's 1-0 loss at France.

Despite speculation the Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder would be on the bench, England coach Fabio Capello placed him in the starting lineup for Wednesday's exhibition match at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis.

"I was happy to start the game, but it was more about getting on the pitch, getting that 100th cap," Beckham said.

Beckham was overlooked for Capello's first game in charge, a 2-1 victory over Switzerland at Wembley last month, because the Major League Soccer season had finished and the former England captain was not playing any matches.

He was shown a yellow card in the 38th minute for pulling Frank Ribery's shirt and hauling him down as the Frenchman, who had given his side the lead from the penalty spot, tried to run past him.

U.S. beats Poland 3-0: Carlos Bocanegra and Oguchi Onyewu headed in first-half goals, substitute Eddie Lewis scored in the second half, and the United States beat host Poland 3-0 in an exhibition game in Krakow.

Cycling

Contador won't be eligible for Tour de France until 2009: Tour de France champion Alberto Contador won't be eligible to compete in cycling's showcase event until 2009.

Tour organizer Patrice Clerc said he won't rescind the decision to ban Contador's Astana team from this year's race. But he said Astana can return in 2009 if it stays free of doping scandals this year.

"There's no reason not to think about this team competing in 2009," Clerc said. "If all goes well then there is no reason why they cannot participate next year."

Skiing

Women's coach leaving US Ski Team: Women's coach Patrick Riml has resigned from the U.S. Ski Team after five years that included Lindsey Vonn's World Cup title this season.

Riml, a native of Austria who took over the American women's program in 2003, said he had no immediate plans other than spending time with his wife and young daughter.

"With the whole support crew we brought the women's team to the top level," Riml said. "I'm comfortable leaving with the girls on top."

Sailing

Alinghi heading back to court: America's Cup champion Alinghi of Switzerland is heading back to court to settle a dispute over the date of its showdown with BMW Oracle Racing for the oldest trophy in international sports.

Representatives from Alinghi and the American challenger met in Geneva, but came no closer to settling the date of the 33rd America's Cup.

Several hours later, a law firm representing Alinghi's sponsoring yacht club sent a letter to New York State Supreme Court Judge Herman J. Cahn requesting a hearing to settle the dispute.

Alinghi wants the best-of-three series to begin no earlier than May 1, 2009, while the Americans, backed by Silicon Valley tycoon Larry Ellison, wouldn't budge from their October date, Alinghi lawyer Lucien Masmejan said.

Alinghi says it doesn't have time to build a multihull boat in time for racing in October. BMW Oracle Racing has started building a boat in Anacortes.

Also Wednesday, Team New Zealand, which is suing Alinghi, said the Swiss should forfeit the America's Cup to get the competition back to normal.

Boxing

"Golden Boy" Art Aragon dies at 80: Art Aragon, boxing's original "Golden Boy" who never won a world title but whose brashness, good looks and celebrity lifestyle made him one of the sport's biggest drawing cards of the 1940s and 1950s, has died at age 80.

Aragon, who suffered a stroke March 15, died Tuesday at Northridge Hospital Medical Center in California after being removed from life support.

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