SOCCER

U.S. opens World Cup qualifying round with a 2-1 road loss to Honduras

Jerry Bengston took advantage of a defensive mix-up to score the go-ahead goal in the 79th minute, and Honduras rallied to beat the United States 2-1 on Wednesday at San Pedro Sula, Honduras, in the opener of the final qualifying round for next year’s World Cup.

Clint Dempsey put the U.S. ahead in the 36th minute but the Americans, using a new-look defense that featured Omar Gonzalez and Timmy Chandler, gave up the lead when Juan Carlos Garcia tied the score with a bicycle kick in the 40th.

The U.S., which had been 12-3-3 against Honduras, lost its final-round opener for the first time in five games since the “hexagonal” format was adopted in qualifying for the 1998 tournament. The Americans are seeking their seventh straight trip to soccer’s showcase.

SKIING

MEN’S SUPER-G: Ted Ligety of the United States produced a blistering finish to win the super-G at the world championships at Schladming, Austria, his first career victory in the discipline.

TENNIS

VTR OPEN: Rafael Nadal rebounded from a poor start to defeat Federico Delbonis of Argentina 6-3, 6-2 in the second round at Vina Del Mar, Chile.

It was his first singles match since losing in Wimbledon more than seven months ago.

Nadal won in doubles Tuesday with partner Juan Monaco, but the singles debut was a bigger test for his injured left knee, which kept him away from the competitive game since June 28.

HOCKEY

NHL: The New Jersey Devils acquired center Andrei Loktionov from the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for a draft pick — a fifth-round selection in the 2013 draft.

nBlue Jackets forward Brandon Dubinsky was fined $10,000, the maximum allowed under the new NHL collective bargaining agreement, for boarding Los Angeles defenseman Rob Scuderi on Tuesday. He will not be suspended.

BASEBALL

MAJORS: First baseman Todd Helton was arrested in the Denver suburb of Thornton, and charged with drunken driving and careless driving.

• Tigers shortstop Jhonny Peralta says he has never used performance-enhancing drugs after his name was reportedly found in the records of the man who ran a Florida clinic being investigated by Major League Baseball.

Also, the agents who represent Seattle Mariners catcher Jesus Montero and Toronto outfielder Melky Cabrera say no one at their agency has ever heard of or knows anyone at the Florida clinic.

The New York Daily News reported Montero,a former Yankee, is named in records from Biogenesis of America LLC.

—From news service reports

 

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