NEW YORK (AP)—Fox Soccer Channel beat out ESPN for right to the European Champions League starting next season, adding the top club event to a lineup that already includes the English Premier League and Italy’s Serie A.

FSC didn’t make an immediate announcement, preferring to wait until documents were signed with the Union of European Football Associations. ESPN, which had held the rights since the 1994-95 season, confirmed the switch.

“We have been informed by UEFA that they are moving ahead with a new partner in the United States,” ESPN said in a statement Monday. “We made a strong bid that we believe would have helped continue the year-to-year growth of the UEFA Champions League in the United States.”

ESPN and ESPN2 are available in 98 million homes and have broadcast Champions League matches in high-definition this season, while FSC reaches 34 million households and has not yet started hi-def telecasts. Also, FSC allows many top Premier League games to be telecast by Setanta Sports, which is not available on many cable systems.

UEFA, European soccer’s governing body, announced March 11 that Fox will replace ESPN as the Champions League pay broadcaster in Central and South America next season under a three-season agreement.

ESPN averaged 255,000 households for 27 telecasts last season. Manchester United’s victory over Chelsea in last May’s final was ESPN’s most-watched Champions League telecast, with 798,000 homes and 1,097,000 viewers.

ESPN has rights to the 2010 and 2014 World Cups and U.S. national team games through 2014. It shares Major League Soccer rights with Fox and other networks.

ZURICH, Switzerland (AP)—Soccer’s governing body is investigating two World Cup qualifiers in which a linesman was struck by coin in Northern Ireland and flares were tossed on the field in Belgium.

FIFA said Monday it has received reports from the referees and game commissioners of both Saturday games and will study them before ruling.

The game between Northern Ireland and Poland in Belfast was held up for several minutes while the Swedish linesman was treated for a head injury.

The coin appeared to be thrown from a section of Northern Irish fans shortly after the Poles scored to make it 1-1 in the first half. Northern Ireland won 3-2 to lead Group 3 in European qualifying for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

The game between Belgium and Bosnia-Herzegovina in Genk was interrupted for 10 minutes in the second half. Flares were hurled from a section occupied by visiting Bosnian fans.

Belgium had evened the score at 1-1 but the home players then left the field after thick smoke enveloped the stadium. Bosnia coach Miroslav Blazevic addressed his team’s fans to try to restore calm.

When play resumed, Bosnia scored three goals in the final 16 minutes to complete a 4-2 upset that put it above Belgium into second place in Group 5. The teams play again Wednesday in Zenica, Bosnia.

LONDON (AP)—American businessman Stan Kroenke became the largest shareholder on Arsenal’s board Monday by increasing his stake in the Premier League club to 20.5 percent.

Kroenke paid $60.3 million for a third of fellow director Daniel Fiszman’s stake in the Gunners.

Arsenal’s biggest shareholder is Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov, a non-board member who owns more than 25 percent of the club through investment vehicle Red and White Holdings.

“I will continue to work closely with my board colleagues to maintain the stable environment in which the club operates and to preserve the self-sustaining business model,” Kroenke said in a statement.

The 61-year-old Kroenke owns the NBA’s Denver Nuggets, the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche and the Colorado Rapids of Major League Soccer.

“He is really a model owner,” said Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis, who knows Kroenke from his days as deputy commissioner of the MLS. “He takes a long-term view and he believes in the model that Arsenal is being run on, that of self-sustainability. He has developed a good relationship with the other members of the board.

“I think the fact that Danny has felt comfortable selling his shares to Stan speaks volumes. This is somebody that shares the same philosophy as the current board and will be influential as we go forward.”

Gazidis believes that Kroenke, who previously held a 12.4 percent stake in the club, remains committed to Arsenal.

“In the sports arena he has never sold a share in any team he has had an interest in,” Gazidis said. “I have spoken to Stan and he has a long-term interest in Arsenal.”

A further 15.9 percent stake in the club is owned by Nina Bracewell-Smith, who was forced off the board in December and could be willing to sell.

“If she were to say she was a seller of those shares, I’m sure there would be interest from among the current board,” Gazidis said.

Fiszman, whose stake in Arsenal was reduced to 16.1 percent, said he does not intend to sell any more shares.

“This sale to Stan was a one-off sale,” Fiszman said. “I will remain a long-term major shareholder in the club and I am retaining the majority of my investment.”

NEW YORK (AP)—Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger has joined the board of U.S. organizers bidding to host the World Cup in 2018 or 2022.

Kissinger was chairman of the advisory committee of the successful bid in 1988 for the 1994 World Cup and became vice chairman of the organizing committee. He previously was part of the failed bid for the 1986 tournament, when FIFA said it would be moved from Colombia. Mexico wound up hosting.

“I don’t think we have a huge chance in 2018. I think it will probably go to Europe,” Kissinger said Monday. “We’ll certainly contest for it. And just as ’86 guaranteed that we got it in 94, so I think bidding for 2018 will give us a great chance for 2022.”

England captain John Terry has warned his international colleagues not to underestimate former Chelsea team-mate Andriy Shevchenko in Wednesday night’s World Cup qualifier as the Ukraine striker will be hungry to prove people wrong.

Shevchenko endured a miserable two years at Stamford Bridge before returning to AC Milan, where he had scored 127 goals in 208 matches, but Terry is wary of the 32-year-old undermining England’s perfect start in qualifiers on the road to South Africa next year.

“Things didn’t go too well for him at Chelsea but he is a quality player, a great finisher and, when you forget about him, he pops up with a goal,” Terry said. “He has a first-class touch and a great finish. We need to be very aware of him. He is a big player over there so, when he plays there, he says the pressure is on him and he always want to do well.

“He’ll be coming here for two reasons: to prove Chelsea (wrong) and to prove himself.”

Shevchenko is still Ukraine’s most famous footballer, with an international strike rate of roughly a goal every two games, and coach Olexiy Mykhaylychenko is hoping the striker can shake off his poor form to lead his side to victory.

“Shevchenko has played very little this year - he had lots of injuries, some poor matches, but his experience and desire are priceless for us,” Mykhaylychenko said. “Young players will progress faster with him nearby.”

The striker himself is grateful to Mykhaylychenko for showing faith in his abilities and said: “The national team gives me an opportunity to do what I love doing, which is to play football. But for the national team coach it is not easy to put a player on the pitch who isn’t playing.”

Schevchenko added: “I dream of scoring at Wembley because it would be my 40th goal with the national team. I dream especially of scoring a goal that allows us to qualify.”

England warmed up for the Ukraine clash with a 4-0 friendly win against Slovakia on Saturday, but Wednesday’s visitors to Wembley are unbeaten in qualifying, five points behind leaders England with a game in hand and lie in third place in Group Six.

And Mykhaylychenko is undaunted by Wednesday’s clash. “I perfectly realise how strong our opponents are but now there are no invincible teams in the world,” he said. “We have chances of acquiring the first place in our group.”

England boss Fabio Capello goes into the match expecting a tough game and is wary of the threat of a Ukraine side that appear to be re-emerging after a post-2006 World Cup slump.

“Ukraine are a good team,” the Italian said. “When they drew against Croatia they defended very well. It will not be any easier for us.”

ESPN Soccetnet

SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador (AP)—Two goals down and 20 minutes from what would have been one of the worst defeats to a regional rival in years, the United States rallied for a dramatic draw.

Jozy Altidore started the comeback in the 77th minute and Frankie Hejduk scored the tying goal in the 88th, giving the Americans a 2-2 tie at El Salvador in a World Cup qualifier on Saturday night.

Brian Ching had a chance to win it for the United States seven minutes into injury time but was stopped on an open bicycle kick by defender Mardoqueo Henriquez.

“El Salvador played with a tremendous about of energy. It was our challenge to match it,” U.S. coach Bob Bradley said. “When we found ourselves behind, it took a great effort from our players to fight back and come away with a point. We prepared for this game knowing that El Salvador would be difficult. We found ourselves behind, and that was not part of the plan.”

Seeking its sixth straight World Cup berth, the United States (1-0-1) leads the final round of the North and Central American and Caribbean region with four points heading into Wednesday’s qualifier at Nashville, Tenn., against Trinidad and Tobago (0-0-2), which rallied at home for a 1-1 tie against Honduras (0-1-1).

Mexico and Costa Rica (1-1) are one point back following El Tri’s 2-0 victory over Costa Rica in Mexico City. El Salvador (0-0-2) has two points.

Altidore entered in the 61st minute and beat backup goalkeeper Juan Jose Gomez, who entered two minutes earlier after cramps felled Miguel Montes for the second time. Altidore scored on a header from 3 yards off a cross from Hejduk, who made an overlapping run and took a feed from Ching, who had taken a headed pass from Clint Dempsey.

“The ball came to the back post, and I was just at the right place at the right time,” said Altidore, who scored his three goal in eight international appearances. “I was just trying to put in on frame. When you are that close, you don’t have to place it that well.”

Hejduk scored his seventh international goal on an open 3-yard header—his first goal in qualifying since a 1996 match against Guatemala in El Salvador— after Landon Donovan’s corner kick bounded off defender Marvin Gonzalez.

“Typically at that point I don’t go up on corner kicks, but it was the dying moments,” Hejduk said. “I made a near post run and then ducked to the far post and no one was with me. I don’t know what happened, but the ball came to the back post and next thing you know it was on my head.”

The United States had been 13-1-4 vs. El Salvador, outscoring the Cuscatlecos 41-10. But Quintanilla, who had five goals in 27 games for Major League Soccer’s D.C. United in 2002-3, scored on a play that began with a giveaway by DaMarcus Beasley. Quintanilla got past the defense, took a pass from Osrael Romero and beat goalkeeper Brad Guzan, sliding the ball inside the far post.

Rodolfo Zelaya got past Beasley on the flank to create the second goal and crossed to the top of the penalty area, where Castillo got free of Hejduk and bounced a header past Guzan.

Guzan started in place of No. 1 goalkeeper Tim Howard, who picked up his second yellow card of qualifying for time-wasting during last month’s 2-0 victory over Mexico at Columbus, Ohio. The U.S. also was without central defender Oguchi Onyewu, who sprained a knee during training Wednesday and was replaced by Danny Califf.

Hejduk started his second straight qualifier at right back in place of Steve Cherundolo, still recovering from a hip injury.

Ching put the ball in the net for the United States in the 43rd minute, but as many as five Americans might have been caught by an offsides trap.

The United States had won its previous seven matches against El Salvador and had shut out the Cuscatlecos six straight times since 1997. The Americans had not even fallen behind El Salvador during a match in 16 years.

“We knew we had to fight back, and credit to the guys that we did it,” U.S. captain Carlos Bocanegra said. “With this team, we never feel like we are out of the game.”

Ranked just 106th in the world, El Salvador built a 2-0 lead against the No. 17 Americans before a boisterous crowd of 30,500 at Estadio Cuscatlan on goals by Eliseo Quintanilla in the 15th minute and Cristian Castillo in the 72nd.

TEHRAN, Iran (AP)—Iran’s state television says that Ali Daei has been fired as the national soccer coach after his team lost to Saudi Arabia in a World Cup qualifier.

The report on Sunday said that Daei was dismissed after “weak results in the World Cup qualifiers.” He was appointed in March 2008.

On Saturday, Iran lost 2-1 to Saudi Arabia in front of 100,000 people in Tehran, resulting in fans chanting for Daei’s resignation.

Iran is fourth in the five-team Group B of Asian World Cup qualifiers with six points from five games. North Korea leads the group with 10 points, followed by South Korea with eight and Saudi Arabia with 7.

QUITO, Ecuador (AP)—Ecuador’s Cristian Noboa scored a goal in the 89th minute to force a 1-1 tie with Brazil in a World Cup qualifier Sunday.

Chile beat Peru 3-1 in a later qualifying match to jump past Brazil and into third place in the South America tournament.

Brazil scored first on a goal by Julio Baptista on the only clear opportunity the Brazilians had in the second half. Baptista, who entered as a replacement for Ronaldinho, surprised Ecuador’s Jose Francisco Cevallos with a low shot that got past the goalie in the 72nd minute.

Unable to take advantage of its dominant play throughout the game and the taxing altitude of the Andean capital, Ecuador salvaged the draw with Noboa’s 89th minute goal. It came on the rebound of a blocked shot by teammate Cristian Benitez.

Five-time world champion Brazil was also overtaken in the South American tournament by Argentina, which beat Venezuela 4-0 on Saturday.

Brazil looked lackluster after arriving in the Andean capital of Quito just hours before the game, an attempt to counteract the affects of altitude at 9,000 feet above sea level.

The Brazilians played without star player Kaka, who injured his foot playing for AC Milan this month. His spot was filled by Ronaldinho, his AC Milan teammate who has lost playing time at his club to David Beckham in recent months.

ZURICH, Switzerland (AP)—FIFA on Monday asked for a full report into what caused a soccer stadium tragedy that killed at least 19 people in the Ivory Coast.

In addition to the deaths, 132 people were wounded on Sunday when the crowd stampeded before a World Cup qualifying match against Malawi in the capital Abidjan.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter sent a message of sympathy to the victims, and asked for a report from the Ivorian soccer association and city authorities.

“I wish to express extreme sorrow and extend our condolences to the Ivorian football community and, most importantly, to family, friends and loved ones following the tragic deaths in Abidjan yesterday,” Blatter said in a statement.

FIFA, soccer’s global governing body which organizes the World Cup, said it had asked for the reports “to establish the sequence of events that happened outside the stadium before the match.”

Ivory Coast state television reported that prime minister Guillaume Soro has convened an emergency cabinet meeting later Monday to discuss the incident.

The stadium was packed with spectators, many drawn to see star striker Didier Drogba return from England to play for his home country.

The crush set off a panic 40 minutes before kickoff. Witnesses said fans at the Felix Houphouet-Boigny stadium rushed toward the field, causing a wall to come down and setting off a stampede.

The match went ahead as scheduled. Ivory Coast won 5-0 with Chelsea striker Drogba scoring twice.

It was the first match in the final stage of African qualifying for the 2010 World Cup being played in South Africa. It also counted toward qualifying for the 2010 African Cup of Nations hosted by Angola next January.

Danny Jordaan, who heads the 2010 World Cup organizing committee, pledged on Monday that the problems which too often lead to stadium stampedes on the continent would not be an issue during the tournament. Jordaan said fans without tickets would be “stopped kilometers away.”

In June last year, 10 people died in an overcrowded stadium before a World Cup qualifying match between Liberia and Gambia.

The victims at the Samuel K. Doe Stadium in Monrovia suffocated when dozens of people fell from upper-level seats onto spectators below after a metal barrier gave way.

That match also went ahead after the tragedy.

Manchester United have sent a shirt sponsorship proposal to the Indian conglomerate Tata Group.