Soccer | Ex-Washington Huskies goalkeeper Hope Solo earns U.S. Soccer award

Soccer

Solo is first keeper to be voted U.S. Soccer's female athlete of the year: Hope Solo, a former Washington Huskies standout from Richland, became the first goalkeeper to be voted the U.S. Soccer Federation female athlete of the year.

Meanwhile, Landon Donovan won the male award for the third time, matching Kasey Keller — the keeper for Seattle Sounders FC in Major League Soccer. Midfielder-forward Donovan, 27, who last week was loaned from the MLS Los Angeles Galaxy to Everton in the English Premier League, also won the award in 2003 and 2004.

Solo, 28, was selected most valuable player of the Algarve Cup in Portugal and was voted WPS goalkeeper of the year for the St. Louis Athletica. Solo allowed one goal in six international matches this year.

Messi is selected FIFA's world player of the year: Lionel Messi of FC Barcelona of Spain was selected FIFA world player of the year.

Messi, 22, received the award at a ceremony in Zurich, Switzerland.

The women's award went to Marta, 23, of Brazil.

England captain Terry says he expects tough match from U.S. team: England captain John Terry is already raising a warning flag to those who think the United States will be a pushover in the teams' group opener at the World Cup on June 12 in Rustenberg, South Africa

"Over the last four or five years, the improvement has been massive," Terry said of the Americans. Defender Terry said, "I'm not going to stand here and say, 'We are going to win the World Cup,' We have the chance, as long as we keep people fit and strong, and we go over there with the right mentality."

Auto racing

Johnson has won the last four titles at NASCAR's top level: Jimmie Johnson, the first driver in NASCAR history to win four consecutive Sprint Cup Series titles, earned mainstream recognition when he was honored as Male Athlete of the Year by members of The Associated Press.

Johnson, a 34-year-old Californian, received 42 votes from editors at U.S. newspapers that are AP members.

Tennis superstar Roger Federer (30 votes) of Switzerland and sprinter Usain Bolt (29) of Jamaica were the only other athletes with totals in the double digits.

Although American Tiger Woods was named AP Athlete of the Decade, the golfer received nine votes for Athlete of the Year, tying for fourth with basketball player Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers and slugger Albert Pujols of the St. Louis Cardinals.

Johnson, the first driver to be named AP Athlete of the Year in its 78-year history, said,

"We'd been wondering the last few years, 'When is this going to hit?' " he said. "It seems like the answer is now."

NHL

Brodeur surpasses shutout record: New Jersey goaltender Martin Brodeur surpassed the league record with his 104th career shutout as the league-leading New Jersey Devils beat the Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins 4-0.

Brodeur made 35 saves to snap a tie with Terry Sawchuk, who played from 1949 to 1970.

"Tying it was amazing and surpassing him was a great honor for me to be in that position," Brodeur said.

Brodeur has 580 career victories, also a league record.

Skiing

Herbst wins World Cup slalom event: Reinfried Herbst of Austria has made it two victories in two World Cup slalom races this season with a victory in Alta Badia, Italy. Herbst won the season's first slalom last month in Levi, Finland.

Herbst won in a two-run combined time of 1 minute, 49.31 seconds. Silvan Zurbriggen of Switzerland had the fastest second leg and was the runner-up, 0.08 seconds behind.

Herbst has seven career World Cup victories.

Paul McDonald of Bellevue failed to finish the first run.

Gymnastics

Chinese gymnasts suspected of being underage have hearing: Two Chinese gymnasts suspected of being underage at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia, met over the weekend with the International Gymnastics Federation's disciplinary commission.

Dong Fangxiao and Yang Yun, along with two Chinese gymnastics officials, met with the International Gymnastics Federation's disciplinary commission. Dong and Yang are suspected of being as young as 14 in Sydney, where China won the bronze medal and Yang won a bronze on uneven bars.

Gymnasts younger than 16 at the end of an Olympic year are ineligible to compete in the Games.

Horse racing

NYRA president contends cash crunch could be a threat to Belmont Stakes: Charles Hayward, New York Racing Association president, said NYRA is facing a cash crunch that could threaten the June 5 Belmont Stakes because the state government hasn't approved video slot machines at Aqueduct in Jamaica, N.Y.

Hayward said unless state lawmakers agree to get video slots up and running soon at Aqueduct, NYRA might need another $30 million bailout from the state to save the 2010 spring-summer racing season at Belmont Park, which includes the storied final leg of the Triple Crown.

Hayward said NYRA is down to about $11 million in cash, $4 million short of projections, because of a debt owed by New York City Off-Track Betting.

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