FC Barcelona defeated a combined Israeli-Palestinian team 2-1 on Tuesday in a "Match for Peace" aimed at supporting efforts at halting violence in the Middle East.
Midfielder Deco opened the scoring at Camp Nou stadium with a 60th-minute lob, while striker Maxi Lopez doubled the Spanish champion's lead five minutes later.
Abas Suan, who plays for Hapoel Bnei Sachnin, pulled the Israeli-Palestinian side within a goal in the 67th minute.
PHOTO: AP
Coached by Israeli Dror Kashtan and Palestinian Jamal Hadadi, the visitors comprised a squad of 11 Palestinian and 17 Israeli players and played under the name of the Peace Team.
"It's not to do with the professional level of the different players, or what happens at the match, but the coexistence and the tolerance between all of us," Kashtan was quoted as saying at a pre-match news conference by news agency Efe.
Proceeds from the match were to provide support for children in the zone, organizers said.
The game took place a day after the end of the summit in Barcelona between EU heads of state or government and leaders of countries on the Mediterranean's southern rim.
It was attended by former Israeli prime minister Shimon Peres, who was reported Tuesday to be considering leaving the Labor Party to join forces with Ariel Sharon.
After a ceremonial kickoff by Scottish actor Sean Connery, the game was dominated by Barcelona although it was repeatedly thwarted by goalkeepers Nir Davidovich and Shavit Elimelech, who played a half each.
Barcelona's Brazilian forward Ronaldinho, who was voted European player of the year on Monday, played until halftime.
Barcelona captain Carles Puyol said he was proud that his team was involved.
"The result is the least important, because today we all win," Puyol said.
Aston Villa was eliminated from the League Cup on Tuesday, losing 3-0 to lower-ranked Doncaster, while Arsenal advanced to the quarterfinals with a 3-0 win over Reading.
Doncaster, a League One club sitting 38 places below the Premier League side, reached the quarterfinals of the League Cup for the first time in 30 years.
"We have been playing very well and to do that against a Premiership side was a great performance," Doncaster manager Dave Penney said.
"Three-nil was a great scoreline for us. We just work hard. We play a high tempo and the form we are in we are looking sharp. It is just all clicking together at the moment."
In the other fourth-round match on Tuesday, Birmingham beat Millwall 4-3 on penalties. The match finished 1-1 after 90 minutes and 2-2 after extra time.
Michael McInode's 19th-minute penalty, Paul Heffernan's 52nd-minute goal and Sean Thornton's 79th-minute strike gave Doncaster its win.
"Good luck to Doncaster, they're a good footballing side and try to play football," Aston Villa coach David O'Leary said. "They've beaten Manchester City and ourselves [in the League Cup].
"In the second half they were better than us. We came here not with a patched up side but to win and do well. We've got to move on and start climbing the league."
Arsenal jumped ahead on goals by Jose Antonio Reyes in the 11th minute, Robin van Persie in the 41st and Arturo Lupoli in the 65th. Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger used a second-string side for English soccer's second tier club knockout competition, with 10 of the team's field players 23 years old or younger.
The Gunners also ended Reading's 23-match unbeaten streak in all competitions. Reading currently leads the Football League Championship division.
Birmingham took the lead through Julian Gray's ninth minute strike, while Alan Dunne equalized for Millwall in the 56th. Twelve minutes into extra time, Emile Heskey gave Birmingham the lead, but Marvin Elliott equalized for Millwall to send the match to penalties.
Stan Lazaridis converted the winning penalty for Birmingham.
England's national soccer team is losing one its five sponsors after next year's World Cup.
Nationwide, a British financial institution, said Tuesday it will end its six-year sponsorship deal with the English Football Association after the championship in Germany.
The FA has been receiving a reported ?7.5 million (11 million euros) per year from the company.
"We believe that this partnership has run its course," Nationwide spokesman Chris Hull said. "As a mutual organization, Nationwide needs to ensure its activities are always in the best interests of its members and all opportunities must represent value for money."
The FA said in a statement that its ongoing discussions with the other four sponsors -- Umbro, McDonald's, Carlsberg and Pepsi -- were "positive."
The deal with the FA also has Nationwide backing the FA Cup, women's soccer, youth soccer and the FA's work in the community.
anti-Semitic slurs
Representatives of Hungary's Jewish community asked officials on Tuesday to take action after anti-Semitic slurs were chanted during a league footbal game.
Ujpest FC fans made the offensive remarks on Saturday during their team's 2-0 victory over MTK Budapest, a club founded by and still identified with Hungarian Jews.
"Hungary, which aspires to host the European championships, cannot allow even one such instance to remain without consequences, because this could cause them to be repeated and grow worse," said a letter sent to the Hungarian Football Federation by the Federation of Hungarian Jewish Communities.
Ujpest officials condemned the racist slurs, saying they were made by "one or two unrestrained people ... whose actions shock and infuriate every honorable person."
Ujpest, which also criticized MTK fans for responding by calling Ujpest supporters Nazis, said it would ban anyone proven to have made the anti-Semitic remarks.
MTK blamed the referee for failing to act when Ujpest supporters called opposing fans "filthy Jews."
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