The nail-biting, prognosticating and just plain waiting are over. The United States World Cup roster is set, and for the Dynamo's Brian Ching, the news couldn't be better. Tuesday afternoon, Ching found out he would be included on the 23-man squad heading to Germany next month just before boarding a plane back to Houston from Denver, where his goal gave the Dynamo a 1-0 victory over the Colorado Rapids in Major League Soccer action on Saturday

NATASHA Podmore equalled Joanne Morley's 16-year-old record of three Cheshire Women's Championship titles in a row then pledged to follow the Sale star on to the US tour. "I've always admired her," said the Warrington schoolgirl after beating Delamere Forest clubmate Olivia Briggs four and three in the final at Ringway. "I'm going to San Francisco University in August to study sports science and plan to turn professional at the end of the four-year course

Jose Mourinho is a stranger to defeat, as he reminded the public on Saturday by repeatedly referring to his four successive league titles while Chelsea celebrated their second championship at Stamford Bridge, but what he would give to lose his club's reputation as masters of the theatrical. Some reputations, of course, are harder to shed than others

Rangers kept their slim Champions' League hopes alive at Easter Road as Kris Boy's double secured the points last night. Hibs, though, put on a spirited display, which saw Derek Riordan find the net. Boyd scored 17 goals for Kilmarnock before making a transfer window move to Rangers where he now has 18

Arsenal Ladies cruised to a comfortable victory over Leeds in the women's FA Cup final at the New Den. The Gunners were 3-0 up at half-time after a rampant first 45 minutes aided by some calamitous play by their Yorkshire opponents. Leeds' Lucy Ward gave Arsenal the perfect start when she headed into her own net, past goalkeeper Gemma Fay, after three minutes

Arsenal administered an effortless execution of Sunderland but Arsène Wenger's team were the ones left feeling like victims. Sunderland's physicality built up as the game progressed and culminated in a studs-up lunge from Dan Smith on Abou Diaby which left the Arsenal midfielder with an ankle injury that is set to rule him out of the European Cup final

Dean Ashton limped out of West Ham United's victory over relegated West Bromwich Albion ­ and possibly out of the FA Cup final against Liverpool in 12 days' time ­ after suffering a hamstring injury during the first half at The Hawthorns last night. Ashton pulled up sharply and sat down in discomfort before departing. Alan Pardew, the West Ham manager, explained that his £7m club-record buy had felt a "twinge in the hamstring"

MasterCard International is seeking an injunction to prevent FIFA from moving ahead with an agreement that would make Visa International the sponsor for the 2010 and 2014 World Cups. In a complaint filed Thursday in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, Mastercard said it had a contract with FIFA that gave the company the right of first refusal to be the category-exclusive sponsor of the World Cups

It may have lacked the drama, goals and glory of the comeback against Basle in the second leg of the previous round but Middlesbrough departed an atmospheric night in Bucharest with the sort of defeat that can feel satisfying. If victory can be achieved at the Riverside next Thursday, this dogged performance will look even better. Boro lost their last two away ties in Europe and progressed and that should act as an omen for Steve McClaren's team

PHIL Bailey is making a surprise comeback for Cheshire after a 12-year absence and at the age of 53. "I would not put myself up for selection if I didn't think I could make a contribution and benefit the team," he said. "My ego has nothing to do with it. I'm still fit and healthy and playing well, and I've not lost my competitive instinct