Messi fit for Argentina friendlies

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Argentina coach Sergio Batista says his Barcelona star Lionel Messi has recovered from a knee injury picked up in the Spanish league last weekend and will be ready to play upcoming friendlies against the United States and Costa Rica.

Batista said Friday he had talked with Messi and had been assured the world's best player was ready to go.

Argentina will play the United States on March 26 in East Rutherford, New Jersey, and Costa Rica on March 29 in a new stadium in San Jose.

Batisita also said that starting goalkeeper Sergio Romero of AZ Alkmaar in the Netherlands would miss the matches. He said the club notified Argentine officials, although Batista did not explain why Romero would be absent.

He said Mariano Andjuar of Italian club Catania would start in goal and Agustin Marchesin of Argentine club Lanus would be the backup.

Messi hits 3 goals in Barcelona's 5-0 win

MADRID (AP): Lionel Messi celebrated his second straight Ballon d'Or award by scoring a hat trick Wednesday in Barcelona's 5-0 win over Real Betis in the Copa del Rey quarterfinals, the Spanish champions' 27th match unbeaten to equal a club record.

Messi, who took the prize ahead of teammates Andres Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez on Monday, was honored before the first-leg match at the Camp Nou stadium. The Argentina forward then showed why he was voted world player of the year.

Barcelona finally broke through against a composed Betis side in the 44th minute, Iniesta playing Messi through in a one-on-one with goalkeeper Casto Espinosa, who was caught off his line and beaten by a lifted shot.

Pedro scores twice as Barcelona beats Levante 2-1

FC Barcelona's Pedro Rodriguez (right),
duels for the ball against Levante's
Xavi Torres during a Spanish La Liga soccer
match at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona,
Spain, Sunday. - AP

BARCELONA, Spain (AP): Pedro Rodriguez scored twice in the second half to give Barcelona a 2-1 win over Levante on Sunday, its 11th consecutive victory in the Spanish league.

Both goals were set up by Dani Alves, who provided the second-half spark that energized a Barcelona attack missing Lionel Messi, who was watching from the stands.

Levante succeeded in stifling the home side throughout the first half but at the start of the second, Alves slipped the ball to Pedro, who calmly slotted a shot through a wall of Levante defenders to put Barcelona ahead in the 47th.

Twelve minutes later, the Brazil right back centered low for Pedro to volley into the Levante goal.

Christian Stuani, who had just come on to the pitch, halved the deficit with a sharp strike with ten minutes to play.