Soccer Teams

Brazilian soccer fans let their men's national team know that a 1-0 victory over South Africa in an exhibition match just won't do. The fans, accustomed to watching a dynamic, attacking style that few nations have been able to match decade after decade, booed their team Friday night and in particular their young star, Neymar, who was roundly jeered when he went to the sideline late in the game for a substitute. For their part, the players were upset with their fans' harsh critique during a win. "We all know that we did not put in a great performance, but we still managed to win the game," Neymar said.

No Landon Donovan? No Michael Bradley? No problem, U.S. national team Coach Juergen Klinsmann said heading into Friday night's World Cup qualifying game against Jamaica in Kingston. "It's something that is normal. There will never be a game where you have everybody at 100%," said Klinsmann, who, in addition to being without his two best midfielders, may also be limited in how much he can use forward Clint Dempsey, who hasn't played a competitive soccer game in three months. "You always have to deal with injuries, maybe some players being not on form.

When: 6 p.m. Where: Buck Shaw Stadium, Santa Clara On the air: TV: NBC Sports. Records: Chivas USA 7-10-7, San Jose 15-6-5. Record vs. San Jose: 0-0-1. Update: After scrambling back from a three-goal deficit to tie one of the league's worst teams, New England, Chivas USA goes back on the road Sunday to meet the best team in Major League Soccer. The Earthquakes lead MLS with 52 goals and a goal differential of 19. San Jose's Chris Wondolowski leads the league with 18 goals, two fewer than Chivas has scored as a team.

Three weeks after guiding the U.S. women's soccer team to an Olympic title, Pia Sundhage is stepping down as coach to return to her native Sweden. "It was an honor to be able to coach these players for five years and I learned a tremendous amount from all of them," Sundhage said in a statement released by U.S. Soccer on Saturday. "Before I took this job I always admired the spirit and character of the U.S. team. But to experience that first-hand on the training field and from the bench as their coach was truly special and something I will treasure for the rest of my life.

LONDON -- Japan has upgraded its women's soccer team for its flight home despite the fact the reigning World Cup champions failed to win the gold in the London Olympics. Japan's soccer association was chided for making the world champions fly coach to London while the country's less-accomplished men's team flew first class. But association President Kuniya Daini confirmed the women will have better seats on the trip home. "They won a medal, so they will go back business class," he said.

LONDON -- The U.S. women's soccer team made no secret of the fact that Thursday's gold-medal showdown with Japan was a grudge match since Japan beat the Americans in penalty kicks in last summer's World Cup final. And, after their 2-1 win before a crowd of more than 80,000 at Wembley Stadium, the women learned that payback can make you rich. That's because each U.S. athlete who wins a gold medal in the London Games gets a cash reward of $25,000 from the United States Olympic Committee.

LONDON - The U.S. women's soccer team sang and danced and partied deep into the morning after winning its third consecutive Olympic gold medal Thursday. But when the players awoke Friday, a hangover may have been the least of their problems. After its 2-1 victory over Japan, the national team now finds itself confronted with a number of issues that could stall its development. The contract between U.S. Soccer and the players association expires at the end of the year, for example, as does the contract of U.S. Coach Pia Sundhage.

LONDON -- The U.S. women's soccer team will face the most dangerous opponent it has seen in these Olympics when it squares off against Canada in a semifinal game Monday night at Old Trafford in Manchester, England. And we're not talking about Canada. Because the team that has the best chance of tripping the Americans one game short of a fifth consecutive Olympic final could be the Americans themselves. They've been spoiling for a rematch with Japan, which plays France in the other semifinal, since losing last summer's World Cup final on penalty kicks.

LONDON - The U.S. women's soccer team has unveiled a number of pre-planned goal-scoring celebrations in these London Games. After scoring against Colombia, for example, midfielder Megan Rapinoe sent a shout-out to former teammate Ali Krieger, pulling a piece of paper with birthday greetings out of her shoe and holding it up for the TV cameras. In the final match of group play against North Korea, the whole team did "the worm" after a goal. And when Abby Wambach scored in the first half of Friday's quarterfinal win over New Zealand, the players did somersaults in what Wambach said was a tribute to America's medal-winning gymnasts.

NEWCASTLE, England — Perhaps one reason Hope Solo has had so much time to spend on Twitter during these Olympic Games is because she hasn't had much to keep her busy on the field. "I haven't really been tested," the U.S. goalkeeper complained Friday after posting her third consecutive shutout, this one in a 2-0 victory over New Zealand that sends the Americans on to next week's semifinals. "I'm still waiting. That's what happens when you get to be No. 1 in the world. " It doesn't really matter whether Solo's reference was to the U.S. women's soccer team or just its defense because the adjective works either way. And, frighteningly for opponents, both seem to be getting better.