U.S. women advance despite losing to Sweden

The defending champion United States lost to Sweden 3-1 yesterday but will play Norway in the final of the women's Algarve Cup soccer tournament in Portugal.

France beat winless Denmark 1-0 in the other Group A match. That left the United States, France and Sweden with 2-1 records and six points, but the Americans were the only team with a positive goal difference.

Unbeaten Norway tied China 0-0 to easily top Group B and advance to tomorrow's final. Norway finished with seven points, Italy had six, China four and Finland zero.

Sweden, the 2003 World Cup runner-up, led 3-0 on goals by Malin Andersson, Anna Sjostrom and Josephine Oqvist.

The United States scored when Mia Hamm's cross was converted by Cat Reddick with three minutes left.

• Manchester United star Rio Ferdinand lost his appeal of an eight-month ban for missing a drug test, a ruling that will force him to miss the European Championship in June.

• The FIFA Confederations Cup will be played in six German cities from June 15-29, 2005. The eight-nation event will be played in Cologne, Frankfurt, Gelsenkirchen, Hanover, Leipzig and Nuremberg.

Tennis

Andre Agassi outlasted Guillermo Coria 6-4, 7-5 to move into the Pacific Life Open semifinals in Indian Wells, Calif.

Agassi, ranked fifth, will play No. 1 Roger Federer tomorrow after Federer defeated Juan Ignacio Chela 6-2, 6-1 to run his 2004 record to 20-1.

Top-ranked Justine Henin-Hardenne avenged her only loss of the year against Russian teenager Svetlana Kuznetsova, winning 6-4, 7-5.

Auto racing

The former CART series lost another of its big names when car owner Bobby Rahal decided to concentrate on the IRL.

He left behind Mexican driver Michel Jourdain Jr. and his primary sponsor in the new Open Wheel Racing Series, a Mexican department-store chain.

Rahal, a former Indianapolis 500 winner and CART series champion, fielded teams in both open-wheel series last year.

• Formula One champion Michael Schumacher broke the track record by more than a second in his first practice for Sunday's Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang International Circuit.

Horse racing

Breeders' Cup Classic winner Pleasantly Perfect is the 5-2 favorite at the $6 million Dubai World Cup, the world's richest race, in the United Arab Emirates.

• Birdstone drew the inside post and was made the even-money favorite for the $500,000 Lane's End Stakes at Turfway Park in Florence, Ky., tomorrow.

College wrestling

Defending champion Oklahoma State took the first step toward a possible repeat in the NCAA tournament in St. Louis, grabbing the first-day lead and advancing seven wrestlers to the quarterfinals.

College football

A Northwestern State player who died during a workout earlier this month in Natchitoches, La., had a heart attack related to a pre-existing condition, a coroner ruled. Chris Waddell, 18, was a walk-on offensive lineman. He had a heart disease known as Kawasaki's syndrome.

College swimming

Georgia began the NCAA women's championships with a world record in the 200-meter freestyle relay in College Station, Texas. The Bulldogs' time was 1 minute, 37.27 seconds.

Colleges

Baylor was sued by seven women in a university rowing club who contend the school discriminates against female students. The students say Baylor's failure to recognize their club as a varsity sport violates Title IX, which bans gender discrimination in academics and athletics at schools receiving federal money.

Arena football

Aaron Bailey caught four touchdown passes and Dan Curran ran for the winning TD with 18 seconds left, lifting the New Orleans VooDoo past the Arizona Rattlers 49-45. Also, the Austin Wranglers beat the Detroit Fury 70-58.

Olympics

Figure skater Michelle Kwan was voted the 2003 USOC Sportswoman of the Year after winning her fifth world championship and seventh national crown last year. Lance Armstrong won the men's award.

Speedskating

Olympic gold medalist Apolo Anton Ohno of Seattle headlines the U.S. team at the world short-track championships beginning today in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Cross country

Two-time champion Paula Radcliffe pulled out of the world championships in Brussels, Belgium, this weekend because of a hamstring injury.

— Times news services