Women's soccer pushes All Blacks out of New Zealand rugby HQ

The All Blacks will play Australia and South Africa at home before this year's Rugby World Cup but have had to make way for women's soccer to confirm dates and venues. The FIFA Women's World Cup will be played in Australia and New Zealand in July and August and so soccer has taken priority in booking New Zealand stadiums during the months in which the Rugby Championship will be played. Even Auckland's Eden Park, regarded as the headquarters of New Zealand Rugby, will be unavailable to the All Blacks.

García scores 19 seconds after going on, Rayo beats Almeria

Substitute Álvaro García has scored 19 seconds after entering the match to help Rayo Vallecano defeat Almeria 2-0 and move closer to the Champions League places in the Spanish league. García came off the bench in the 63rd minute and scored with his first touch of the ball. Vallecano opened the scoring with an own-goal by Almeria defender Rodrigo Ely in the 54th. It was the third win in four league matches for Rayo. It moved to fifth place. Almería dropped to 14th, three points above the relegation zone.

Madrid's Benzema and Courtois not going to Club World Cup

Real Madrid will go to the Club World Cup without six injured players. Among them are striker Karim Benzema and goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. Also not going to Morocco are defenders Éder Militão, Ferland Mendy, Lucas Vázquez and forward Eden Hazard. Benzema, Courtois and Militão have not been ruled out of joining their teammates for an eventual final if Madrid qualifies but none of the others are expected to make it. Madrid will debut on Wednesday in a semifinal against Egyptian club Al Ahly. Madrid has won the world club title a record seven times, including three times when the competition was called the Intercontinental Cup.

Spanish prosecutors oppose attempt to free Alves on bail

Spanish prosecutors oppose the appeal made by Dani Alves' defense team asking for him to be free on bail while the investigation continues into sexual assault accusations against the footballer. Alves' lawyers filed the appeal last week saying the Brazilian agreed to turn in his passport and wear a tracking device if he was freed. Alves would also report to the court and to authorities as often as required. He would also not communicate with the accuser. But prosecutors say Alves is a flight risk if he is set free.

Lazio held at Serie A struggler Verona to 1-1

Lazio has been held at relegation-threatened Hellas Verona to 1-1 in Serie A. That hampers its hopes of consolidating its place in the top four in a tight race for the Champions League spots. Cyril Ngonge scored his first goal for Verona on his first start to cancel out Pedro's opener. Lazio is a point behind Roma and four behind second-placed Inter Milan. Verona moved to within four points of safety. Sampdoria is four points further back after a stoppage-time penalty saw Monza snatch a 2-2 draw.

How Manchester City came to face Premier League charges

The English Premier League vs Manchester City is a legal fixture for the ages. Soccer's richest and most watched league challenged its defending champion on Monday in a case that could be unprecedented. The league alleged more than 100 breaches by City of financial rules and failures to cooperate with an investigation that took four years. Charges date from 2009 in the first full season City was owned by the Abu Dhabi ruling family. The league gave no timetable for a case that gives its disciplinary panel sweeping powers. City says it welcomes the chance to close the matter.

Jesse Marsch fired by Leeds after nearly a year in charge

American coach Jesse Marsch has been fired by Leeds after nearly a year in charge of the English Premier League team. Leeds hasn't won any of its last seven games in the league and has dropped into 17th place in the 20-team division. The team is only out of the relegation zone on goal difference. Marsch's last game was a 1-0 loss at Nottingham Forest on Sunday. He said after that there was a belief inside the club that results would improve. The 49-year-old Marsch was hired in February last year as a replacement for Marcelo Bielsa. Bielsa was the manager for 3 1/2 years and got Leeds promoted to the Premier League.

Former South Africa midfielder John Moeti dies aged 55

Former South Africa midfielder John Moeti has died. He was 55. Moeti was part of the squad that won the 1996 African Cup of Nations on home soil. The South African Football Association announced his death but didn't give a cause. Family spokesman Victor Rakhale said Moeti had fallen ill eight months ago and was receiving specialist medical care. He died at his home. Moeti played 29 times for South Africa between 1995 and 1999.

German women's soccer shows more investment as crowds grow

German women's soccer clubs have posted record revenue and losses. A new report on the 2021-22 season reflects heavier investment in the game even before the national team's run to the final of the European Championship brought a dramatic increase in spectator numbers. The 12 clubs in the top-division Frauen-Bundesliga averaged around 1.4 million euros in revenue but made overall losses of around 1.5 million euros. More games were televised in 2021-22 and spectator numbers in stadiums have soared this season since the European Championship.

Vinícius Júnior again targeted by racist insults in Spain

The hate attacks against Vinícius Júnior continued in Spain over the weekend. The Brazil forward was again targeted by racist insults in a league match. The Spanish league says it will investigate the latest attacks after television images showed someone calling him a monkey during Real Madrid's 1-0 loss at Mallorca on Sunday. Vinícius was also insulted after the match when he stopped to pose for photos and sign autographs for fans. Vinícius has been subjected to insults since he came to play in Spain five years ago.

Struggling Hoffenheim fires André Breitenreiter as coach

Struggling Hoffenheim has fired André Breitenreiter as coach after seven months in charge and a run of nine Bundesliga games without a win. Hoffenheim hasn't won since beating last-place Schalke in the league and then the cup in mid-October. Breitenreiter's last game in charge was Saturday's 5-2 loss at relegation rival Bochum. It left the team 14th in the 18-team division, three points above the relegation zone. The 49-year-old Breitenreiter is the sixth Bundesliga coach to lose his job this season.

Man City accused of misleading Premier League over finances

Manchester City has been accused of numerous breaches of the Premier League's financial rules between 2009-18. The period covers the first nine full seasons under the club's Abu Dhabi ownership. City won the league on three occasions during that time in 2012, 2014 and 2018. The league released a long statement detailing a list of alleged breaches of regulations by City after a four-year investigation. The league says it has referred the breaches to an independent commission. City hasn't yet commented on the allegations from the Premier League.

Bayern unhappy with injured Manuel Neuer for club criticism

Bayern Munich CEO Oliver Kahn, sporting director Hasan Salihamidžić and team coach Julian Nagelsmann have all criticized injured captain Manuel Neuer for publicly expressing his disappointment with the club. The dispute centers on Bayern's decision to fire goalkeeping coach Toni Tapalović on Jan. 23. The firing was described by Neuer as "the worst thing I've experienced in my career" during an interview that appeared in the Süddeutsche Zeitung newspaper and The Athletic website Friday. Kahn says Neuer's comments do "neither justice to him as captain nor the values of Bayern". Salihamidžić accuses Neuer of "putting his personal interests above those of the club" while Nagelsmann has added his own criticism of the skipper.