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MLS drops overtime to match world rules

NEW YORK - Major League Soccer is dropping overtime in the regular season. This season, which starts April 3, will be the first in the league's nine-year history in which ties will stand after 90 minutes of regulation.

"Given the recent developments on the international scene regarding the resolution of matches, now is the right time to abandon the extra OT sessions," MLS commissioner Don Garber said Wednesday.

Players, coaches, executives and the league's competition committee had input on the decision. Sudden-death goals recently were eliminated from international rules.

From 1996-99, the MLS used a shootout tiebreaker. And from 2000-03, the league used a 10-minute sudden-death overtime. Forty-three of 171 overtime games (25.1 percent) were decided by a sudden-death goal.

MORE SOCCER: Goalie Brad Friedel is back on the U.S. team after a two-year absence. He was chosen by coach Bruce Arena as part of the 19-man roster for next week's exhibition at Poland. He last played in the quarterfinals of the World Cup, a 1-0 loss to Germany. After Poland, the United States faces Mexico on April 28 then opens CONCACAF World Cup qualifying at home against Grenada on June 13. Neither Kasey Keller of Tottenham nor Tim Howard of Manchester United were picked. Instead, Jonny Walker of the MetroStars will back up.

Denmark has asked that its Davis Cup match in Algeria next month be moved to a neutral venue because of fears of terrorism. Niels Persson, manager of the Danish Tennis Federation, cited warnings by Denmark's Foreign Ministry advising against all unnecessary travel to the North African country. If no venue is found, Denmark likely will forfeit.

BRAZIL PROTEST: With former No. 1 Gustavo Kuerten leading a boycott, Brazil will use three second-stringers for its Davis Cup match against Paraguay. Kuerten, Andre Sa, Flavio Saretta and Ricardo Mello are protesting federation president Nelson Nastas for not promoting Brazilian tennis well enough and making changes to the team without consulting players. Maros Daniel, Alexandre Simoni and Julio Silva will play April 9-11.

ATP Despite blowing two leads in the second set, Goran Ivanisevic beat Nicolas Escude 6-4, 5-7, 7-6 (9-7) in the first round of the Nasdaq-100 Open in Key Biscayne. He led 3-0 and 5-3 in the second set and faced a match point in the tiebreaker but responded with a sharply angled ace then closed it out two points later.

U.S. swimmer Lyndsay Devaney accepted a two-year suspension for refusing to take a drug test in January. She will be barred from sanctioned events until March 2006 but submitted notice she is retiring. The 22-year-old from Riverside, Calif., competed for Kansas and won six NAIA titles at California Baptist. She swam in the Olympic trials in 2000 and NCAA championships the same year in 2000, placing 17th in the 1,500-meter freestyle.

Greece completed its main security exercise after simulating a chemical attack and hijackings in a test involving U.S. commandos. The exercise, dubbed "Shield of Hercules 2004," included top security officials from the United States, Britain and Israel. It was held March 10-23 without media access because of heightened international concerns about terrorism. A statement from the Public Order ministry said the exercise was "successful" but declined to comment on Greek media reports that parts of the exercise were disrupted by poor communication between the country's security and civilian agencies.

HORSES: Russell Reineman, who sold War Emblem less than a month before it won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, died Tuesday. He was 86. Mr. Reineman didn't believe War Emblem was good enough to run in the 2002 Derby. So he sold it to Thoroughbred Corp. for $900,000 in April 2002, keeping a 10 percent stake.

BASKETBALL: Tamika Catchings, Shannon Johnson and Tina Thompson scored 12 to lead the U.S. women's team to a 73-46 victory over the host Czech Republic in an exhibition game in Brno, improving to 7-0 on its spring tour.