England’s Seaman Moves On

Goalkeeper David Seaman, who has played 75 international matches for England, has left his club team, Arsenal, to join Manchester City of the English Premier League.

The move had been expected after Arsenal said Seaman probably would be a backup if he returned. The club had even offered Seaman, 39, a coaching position.

“I have given this move an enormous amount of thought and I honestly believe that the time is right for me to move on to a new challenge,” Seaman said on Arsenal’s Web site.

Seaman spent 13 seasons with the club and had recently been replaced on England’s national team by David James. Last summer, Seaman suffered a low point when he gave up a soft goal to Ronaldinho on a looping free kick in a 2-1 World Cup quarterfinal loss to Brazil.

At Manchester City, Seaman, who agreed to a one-year deal, will replace retired Danish goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel, who is two months his junior.

Latest on Beckham

David Beckham transfer rumors gained a bit of steam Wednesday when Manchester United chief executive Peter Kenyon hinted the club has been in talks with Barcelona.

“I don’t want to confirm anything,” Kenyon told British reporters. “But given that it [the story] has come out in Spain, I don’t think you would look stupid writing it.”

Beckham, the England captain, has also been linked in moves to AC Milan and Real Madrid. Reports in Spain said a $49-million deal has been discussed with Barcelona.

Abreu Suspended

Sebastian Abreu, the striker who has led Nacional to the top of the standings in the Uruguayan league, was suspended for the last three games of the season because of transfer irregularities, the Uruguayan Football Assn. said.

Abreu, who played for Uruguay in the 2002 World Cup and had been suspended once before, came to Nacional after leaving Cruz Azul of the Mexican league. Several clubs protested his arrival because the league’s transfer period had ended.

The league also ruled Nacional will not have to give up any of the points it earned with Abreu in the lineup.

World Cup 2010

Six African countries have met FIFA’s deadline for applications to play host to the 2010 World Cup.

Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa and Tunisia confirmed their intentions and have until Sept. 30 to present official bids to FIFA, soccer’s world governing body.

A final decision will be announced in May, although South Africa is the favorite after it lost out to Germany for the 2006 tournament in a controversial vote.

Copa Libertadores

Second-half substitute Nene scored in the 67th minute to lift Santos of Brazil to a 1-0 victory over Independiente Medellin of Colombia in a first-leg semifinal of the Copa Libertadores at Santos, Brazil.

Santos, the Brazilian champion, dominated the match and created numerous scoring chances, including twice having balls cleared off the goal line, several point-blank saves by goalie David Gonzalez and a shot that glanced off the right post.

The teams play their second-leg game in Colombia on June 18.

Boca Juniors of Argentina and America Cali of Colombia play their first-leg semifinal June 11.

Quick Passes

Freddy Adu and Jamie Watson each scored two goals to lead the U.S. under-17 team to a 5-0 victory over Poland in its final game of the Busan International Youth Tournament in South Korea. The U.S. finished second behind Argentina in the four-team event.... Guatemala will play Peru and El Salvador will play Paraguay in an exhibition doubleheader at San Francisco’s Candlestick Park on July 2.... Strikers Alessandro Del Piero and Francesco Totti and goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon have been called onto Italy’s team for a key Euro 2004 qualifier in Finland next week. All three sat out Italy’s 2-0 friendly victory over Northern Ireland on Tuesday to rest.... Defender Teddy Lucic, a starter for Sweden in last summer’s World Cup, will play for Bayer Leverkusen in the German Bundesliga next season. Lucic was on loan last season to Leeds United from Sweden’s AIK Solna.... European Champions Cup winner AC Milan may be adding Brazilian defender Cafu to its roster. The Italian sports daily, La Gazzeta dello Sport, reported the AS Roma player had been cleared by Milan doctors after tests.

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Times wire services contributed to this report.