The U.S. has played two warmups this year using mostly MLS players: a 3-1 loss to Honduras and a 2-1 victory Wednesday night over El Salvador. In addition to the three MLS players, the only holdover from Wednesday’s match is IK Start defender Clarence Goodson.

Players have sought free agent rights and more guaranteed contracts from the league, which launched in 1996 and negotiates all player contracts on behalf of its teams.

Skicross was added to the Olympic program following the overwhelming popularity of snowboardcross, which made a splash at the 2006 Turin Games. The men race on Sunday, with the women hitting Cypress Mountain on Tuesday.

INDIAN WELLS, Calif.  _ Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal will team with retired stars Pete Sampas and Andre Agassi in a charity tennis exhibition to raise money for Haiti.
The “Hit For Haiti” match will be played March 12 during the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells.
Tournament director Steve Simon says he expects a minimum of [...]

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) _ England successfully chased Pakistan’s modest total of 129-8 to win the first of two Twenty20 Internationals between the teams by seven wickets at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium Friday.
England appeared to be in trouble when they lost three wickets in quick succession, but Kevin Pietersen and Eoin Morgan came [...]

NEW DELHI (AP) _ India has pledged tight security for upcoming sporting events following terrorist threats against the Commonwealth Games, Indian Premier League cricket and the field hockey World Cup.
Home Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram said India would not be deterred from hosting events.
“We are committed to provide security to everybody, including coaches, players, officials and whosoever [...]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) _ The U.S. will play the Czech Republic in a World Cup warmup match May 25 before meeting Turkey four days later at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field.
The site of the U.S.-Czech match was not announced Wednesday, but the U.S. Soccer Federation has discussed East Hartford, Conn., as a possible location for the opener [...]

All Times Eastern
(Won 0, Lost 1)
Saturday, Jan. 23 _ Honduras 3, United States 1
Wednesday, Feb. 24 _ vs. El Salvador at Tampa, Fla., 7 p.m.
Wednesday, March 3 _ vs. Netherlands at Amsterdam, 2:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 29 _ vs. Turkey at Philadelphia
Saturday, June 12 _ vs. England at Rustenburg, South Africa, 2:30 p.m.
Friday, June 18 _ [...]

PHILADELPHIA _ The U.S. will meet Turkey at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field on May 29 in the Americans’ last warmup match before leaving for the World Cup.
The NFL’s Eagles, the stadium’s primary tenant, has called a Wednesday news conference to announce the game. The stadium is among the sites included in the U.S. bid for [...]

VANCOUVER, British Columbia _ Final agreement is expected within weeks on a cost-saving change in venue for two sports at the 2012 London Games.
London organizers proposed last year that badminton and rhythmic gymnastics be moved to Wembley Arena in northwest London rather than be held at a planned temporary venue near the Olympic Park in [...]

VANCOUVER, British Columbia _ Curling, an ancient ice sport that originated in Scotland, is making its quadrennial slide back into the public consciousness at the Vancouver Olympics.
Here is some information on the sport that made its Olympic debut in Chamonix, France, in 1924 but then disappeared again until Nagano, Japan, in 1998, where it was [...]

ZURICH _ Spain kept the top spot in FIFA’s world rankings released Wednesday, and Africa Cup of Nations winner Egypt surged into the top 10.
The United States was unchanged at No. 14, leading the CONCACAF nations. Mexico followed at 17.
European champion Spain is followed by Brazil and Netherlands. World champion Italy is fourth and Portugal [...]

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) _ Like athletes everywhere, Afghan and U.S. cricketers want their match to be about which team is better _ not the relationship between their countries.
Afghanistan has been grouped with the United States in the qualifying tournament for the Twenty20 World Cup and the two sides will meet at Dubai Sports [...]

MIAMI _ Some records set or tied in the 2010 Super Bowl:
INDIVIDUAL
Career Records Set
High completion percentage career (minimum 30 attempts): 82.1 (32-of-39), Drew Brees, New Orleans vs. Indianapolis. Game Records Tied  Most completions: 32, Drew Brees, New Orleans vs. Indianapolis. Set by Tom Brady, New England vs. Carolina, 2004.
TEAM
Game Records Set
Most completions, both [...]

The people of New Orleans will embrace him now tighter than some of their kinfolk. It didn’t hurt, of course, that when Brees arrived in 2006, both he and the city were at a crossroad.