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MLS briefs

By Compiled from Times wires

© St. Petersburg Times, published September 9, 2000

Mutiny gets home field as Colorado stops L.A.

DENVER -- The Colorado Rapids upset the Los Angeles Galaxy 1-0 in overtime Friday, clinching a trip to the playoffs.

The outcome also clinched home-field advantage for the Mutiny in the first round of the playoffs. Los Angeles visits Tampa Bay for Game 1 of the best-of-three series at 8 p.m. Thursday at Raymond James Stadium.

Midfielder Paul Bravo scored the winner in the 97th minute, capping an injury-plagued Rapids season with a shot at the league championship.

Defensive midfielder Jason Bent started an offensive rush in the seventh minute of overtime. Bent passed the ball forward to Jorge Dely Valdes at the top of the penalty area. He quickly passed to a streaking Bravo on the right. Firing the ball across his body and against the grain of play, Bravo struck the upper left-hand corner of the net, beating goalkeeper Kevin Hartman.

The Rapids outshot the Galaxy 18-5, but put only three shots on target.

Colorado must wait for the conclusion of today's games to determine which team it faces in the opening round. New York/New Jersey, Kansas City and Chicago have a shot at capturing the No. 1 seed.

Miami and Columbus were eliminated from playoff consideration by Colorado's win. They will miss the playoffs for the first time in the respective clubs' histories.

With eye on championships, Zidane signs with Juventus

ROME -- Playmaker Zinedine Zidane signed a new five-year contract with Italy's Juventus, ending speculation that he would join European champion Real Madrid.

Juventus, saying the signing ended "the summer's longest soap opera," didn't give details of the 28-year-old's new contract. Italian news agency ANSA reported that Real held talks with the team from Turin over a transfer for the 1998 World Player of the Year.

"I have signed a contract until 2005," Zidane told Juventus' official Web site. "I don't see any reason why I should leave."

Zidane said he wanted to stay at the two-time European champion because he thought it capable of regaining the European Champions League title, which he has not won since joining the club in September 1996.

"The Champions League, the trophy I miss, is what we want to win, and the time has come," he said. "We're in great shape and will prove it starting next Wednesday."

Juventus' campaign for a third European championship begins Wednesday when it visits Germany's Hamburg.

Zizou, as he is nicknamed by fans, helped France win the 2000 European Championships and the 1998 World Cup. He's won two Serie A titles and played in two Champions League finals since moving to Juventus.

MANCHESTER UNITED SALARY IDEA: Manchester United Plc, the world's richest club, might offer players share options to compete with salaries offered by its European rivals, coach Alex Ferguson said in an interview with Shareholders United magazine.

"It's another string in the bow to attract players to the club for a longer period," said analyst William Davies.

- Information from the Major League Soccer Web site was used in this report.

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