U.S. soccer star Dempsey won't need surgery, likely to play in World Cup

Posted: January 20, 2010

The U.S. soccer team got good news yesterday when it was learned that midfielder/forward Clint Dempsey's injured right knee won't need surgery. The 26-year-old attacker from Nacogdoches, Texas, was injured during Sunday's English Premier League game between Dempsey's Fulham squad and Blackburn.

Fulham manager Roy Hodgson had feared Dempsey had torn his posterior cruciate ligament. But he is expected to return to play for Fulham before June's World Cup.

Dempsey, a midfielder and forward, has become one of the best attacking options for the U.S. team, which plays England, Slovenia and Algeria in the first round of the World Cup.

In other soccer news:

* At least 30 members of Haiti's soccer federation, including an undetermined number of players, died in the country's earthquake, regional soccer authorities said. The dead include referees, coaches, administrators and medical officials, the Caribbean Football Union said. Haiti's federation's headquarters collapsed during last week's quake.

College Football

* Lane Kiffin damaged the car loaned to him while he was Tennessee's coach when he ran it off the road in August. Lexus of Knoxville said in a statement that the vehicle was towed to the dealership and Kiffin's insurance paid the claim on the car. No incident report was filed by local authorities. Tennessee spokeswoman Tiffany Carpenter said no internal investigation was conducted by the university. Kiffin took the Southern California job last week.

* Bond was set at $40,000 for former University of Florida player Wondy Pierre-Louis after he was charged with choking a girlfriend, according to court records.

* Longtime University of Florida sports broadcaster Steve Babik, 50, is facing federal charges of having child pornography on his home computer. The U.S. Attorney's Office said Babik is charged with one count of receipt and distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.

Auto Racing

* Tony George, who was ousted as CEO of Indianapolis Motor Speedway last June, has resigned from the board of directors that oversees the speedway and the family business, Hulman & Co.

Philly File

* The starting time for the Saturday, Feb. 13 Wings-Buffalo National Lacrosse League game at the Wachovia Center has been changed to 8 p.m. It had been slated for 8:30.

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