Soccer

VANCOUVER — Defender Ranko Veselinovic says the Vancouver Whitecaps must stay composed and not be intimidated by a loud hometown crowd, or any antics on the field, when they face Mexican powerhouse Pumas UNAM in Wednesday’s quarterfinals of the CONCA

PARIS (AP) — Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique shrugged off talk of his team being the favorite against Aston Villa ahead of their Champions League quarterfinal match Wednesday.

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Haílton Corrêa de Arruda, the Brazilian goalkeeper better known as Manga who won four league titles with Botafogo and played at the 1966 World Cup, has died, the club said Tuesday. He was 87.

The Northern Super League, which kicks off next week, has drawn player talent from 21 countries. According to the NSL, 132 players are signed to the six teams in the new Canadian women's soccer league.

LISBON, Portugal (AP) — Aurélio Pereira, the Sporting Lisbon scout credited with discovering Cristiano Ronaldo and Luis Figo, died on Tuesday, the club said. He was 77.

MONTPELLIER, France (AP) — Rock-bottom Ligue 1 side Montpellier has hired inexperienced coach Zoumana Camara in a last-ditch bid to avoid relegation. Camara, aged 46, has never been in charge of a men's professional squad.

ROME (AP) — A Serie A championship. Three European finals including one continental trophy. A run of four Italian Cup titles in nine years. There was a time — 1980s early 1990s — when Sampdoria was at or near the pinnacle of Italian soccer.

NYON, Switzerland (AP) — Pre-game concerts are coming to the biggest stages in European women’s soccer from next season as part of a Pepsi sponsorship announced on Tuesday.

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Manchester United's players will travel to Asia after their final Premier League match for the club’s first ever postseason tour, with officials citing the need for “significant additional revenue" as one reason.

It seems like it’s never been harder for promoted teams to stay in the Premier League. It looks fairly certain that the three promoted teams will be relegated to the Championship after just one season for the second straight year.