Briefs | Soccer: Diego Maradona is offered job as Argentina's manage

Soccer

Maradona has battled health problems: Diego Maradona was offered a chance to manage Argentina's team, but declined to say Tuesday whether he accepted.

Maradona and Carlos Bilardo were asked to guide the national team by Julio Grondona, head of Argentina's soccer association. Maradona would be the manager and Bilardo would serve as general director.

"I don't want to open the champagne before it happens," Maradona said.

Maradona managed Deportivo Mandiyu in 1994 and Racing Club in 1995, and in each case left before his contract was up.

Maradona, 47, captained Argentina to the 1986 World Cup title and the 1990 final. The next year, his drug-plagued fall from grace began with a positive test for cocaine — leading to a 15-month ban. At the 1994 World Cup he tested positive for a stimulant and received another 15-month ban. He retired as a player in 1997 after failing another doping test.

Maradona reportedly has been close to death at times while battling heart problems, high blood pressure and obesity. Last year, he was hospitalized twice for acute hepatitis blamed on alcohol abuse.

Adams to manage Portsmouth: Former England captain Tony Adams, 42, was named manager of Portsmouth after two years as assistant to Harry Redknapp with the English Premier League team.

Redknapp, 61, left to manage Tottenham.

Twellman is out because of concussion-related problems: New England forward Taylor Twellman is out indefinitely because of problems related to a concussion. He was injured in an Aug. 30 Major League Soccer match when he was struck on the head by Los Angeles goalkeeper Steve Cronin. Twellman missed one match and played in the Revolution's final eight regular-season matches.

The announcement came two days before Thursday's playoff opener against Chicago in Foxborough, Mass.

Tennis

Federer to play for Switzerland: Roger Federer ended speculation over his Davis Cup plans and announced he will play for Switzerland against the United States in a first-round series in March. It will be the first time in five years Federer, who has won 13 major singles titles, has broken up his early season schedule for the Davis Cup.

Gymnastics

Former Illinois coach resigns: A former Illinois coach resigned because of personal issues, including a pending drunk-driving charge in Wisconsin, and is cooperating with an investigation into a video camera found in a locker room, his attorney said.

Jon Valdez, 39, resigned as an assistant coach from the Illinois men's team Oct. 17.

Sailing

Team New Zealand to drop suit: America's Cup runner-up Team New Zealand agreed to drop a lawsuit against champion Alinghi of Switzerland over a delay to the next Cup competition.

The losing team in the 2007 final will drop the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in New York in return for Alinghi agreeing to compete in the Jan. 31-to-Feb. 15 Louis Vuitton Pacific series off Auckland.

Olympics

WADA officials have received test results: World Anti-Doping Agency officials said they have received the results of the 300 drug tests from the Beijing Olympics they had previously reported as missing.

The International Olympic Committee said the mix-up was the result of a "communication problem" between the Beijing lab and the observers. All those tests were negative.

Gold medalist Takahashi retires: Marathon gold medalist Naoko Takahashi, 36, of Japan is retiring. She earned gold at the 2000 Sydney Games but has been hampered by injuries in recent years.

Jones to appear on "The Oprah Winfrey Show": Marion Jones, 33, will give her first post-prison interview to Oprah Winfrey.

Jones' appearance on today's episode of "The Oprah Winfrey Show" is to be the former track-and-field standout's first interview since she was released Sept. 5 from a Texas federal prison after completing most of her six-month sentence for lying about steroid use. Jones won five medals in 2000.

Triathlon

Coroner issues report: An amateur athlete who died during the New York City Triathlon on July 20 was killed by a condition linked to high blood pressure, the medical examiner's office said.

Esteban Neira, 32, died in the Hudson River during the swimming portion of the event.

Cycling

Contador to focus on Tour: Astana rider Alberto Contador of Spain said he won't race in the 2009 Giro d'Italia in order to focus on the Tour de France, which he won in 2007.

NHL

Canucks blanked: Boston's Tim Thomas made 30 saves and Michael Ryder scored as the Bruins beat host Vancouver 1-0.

Seattle Times news services