Thomas Mueller scored twice, Mario Gomez and Arjen Robben had one goal each and Bayern Munich routed Barcelona, 4-0, Tuesday night in the first leg of their Champions League semifinal in Munich.
Bayern Munich sent Barcelona to its first four-goal defeat since a 4-0 loss at Getafe in the Copa del Rey semifinals on May 10, 2007. Barcelona, which has won three of the last seven titles, had lost by four goals only once before in the Champions League, 4-0 at Dynamo Kiev in the group stage on Nov. 6, 1997.
Four-time world player of the year Lionel Messi, slowed by a hamstring injury, made his first start since April 2 but wasn't a factor for Barcelona.
The second leg of the total-goals series is May 1 in Barcelona. Borussia Dortmund plays host to Real Madrid on Wednesday in the start of the other semifinal.
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FIFA executive committee member Nicolas Leoz of Paraguay resigned Tuesday, citing health reasons, just days before expected rulings in a World Cup kickbacks investigation.
FIFA said the 84-year-old confirmed his departure by letter and also will step down as president of CONMEBOL, South America's governing body. As CONMEBOL leader, he also held the largely ceremonial position chairing FIFA's 2014 World Cup organizing committee.
Leoz, who has undergone several rounds of heart surgery, has been CONMEBOL's president since 1986 and a member of FIFA's executive committee since 1998.
He was identified during a Swiss criminal trial in 2008 as having received payments from FIFA's former marketing partner ISL, which collapsed into bankruptcy in 2001 with debts of around $300 million. The resulting prosecution of agency executives revealed the widespread practice of buying influence from sports officials.
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Liverpool forward Luis Suarez accepted a violent conduct charge from the English Football Association after he bit an opponent.
The FA wants Suarez suspended for more than the standard three matches for sinking his teeth into an arm of Chelsea defender Bransilav Ivanovic during a Premier League match on Sunday.
Suarez's punishment will be decided Wednesday, the FA said.
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The Justice Department laid out its case in a lawsuit against Lance Armstrong, saying the cyclist violated his contract with the U.S. Postal Service and was "unjustly enriched" while cheating to win the Tour de France.
The government had previously announced it would join the whistle-blower lawsuit brought by former Armstrong teammate Floyd Landis. Tuesday was the deadline to file its formal complaint.
The Postal Service paid about $40 million to be the title sponsor of Armstrong's teams for six of his seven Tour de France victories. The filing says the USPS paid Armstrong $17 million form 1998-2004.
The lawsuit also names former team Armstrong team director Johan Bruyneel and team management company Tailwind Sports as defendants.
The financial costs for Armstrong and Bruyneel could be high. The government said it would seek triple damages assessed by the jury.
Armstrong, who in January admitted using performance-enhancing drugs after years of denials, has argued that the Postal Service's endorsement of his team earned the government agency far more than it paid him.
Armstrong attorney Elliot Peters called the government's complaint "opportunistic, and insincere."
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Adam Wright, coach of the UCLA men's water polo team, received a public reprimand from the NCAA, a one-game postseason championship suspension and other penalties for his actions when the Bruins lost to USC in last season's national championship game.Wright "acted aggressively towards and verbally assaulted the officials during and at the conclusion" of the game, the NCAA said in a statement. The suspension will apply to the next NCAA postseason opportunity Wright has as a coach, whether it's at UCLA or another university. His transportation expenses and championship per diem also were withheld.
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Alabama guard Trevor Lacey, who led the team in assists and three-pointers, is transferring before his junior season.::
New York Atty. Gen. Eric Schneiderman says he has reached agreement with the NFL to better protect gay players from harassment and discrimination. Schneiderman announced that the NFL will promote what the Democrat calls a "culture of inclusion" for gay players. The deal includes hanging posters in the locker room that underscore the NFL's anti-discrimination policies.After the NFL combine in February, three prospective draft picks said officials asked questions relating to their sexual orientation, which could have violated law. The NFL said it found no "specific violations."
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Pepperdine has hired Ryan Weisenberg as its women's basketball coach, replacing Julie Rousseau. Weisenberg was a Pepperdine assistant last season, and before that was a coach in the New Zealand men's pro league.Source: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNF1oWq0uQIgI3o3NvL8fPwLKPAWSw&url=http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-0424-newswire-20130424,0,4785072.story
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