FIFA ruled out the possibility of replaying the disputed France-Ireland World Cup qualifier on Friday, rejecting an Irish appeal to stage the playoff again after Thierry Henry handled the ball to set up the deciding goal in extra time.

SWIMMING At Stockholm
  Men
50 Freestyle - 1, Frederick Bousquet, France, 20.64. 2, Roland Schoeman, South Africa, 20.81. 3, Stefan Nystrand, Sweden, 21.03. 4 (tie), Sergey Fesikov, Russia, and Duje Draganja, Croatia, 21.12. 6, Eamon Sullivan, Australia, 21.20. 7 (tie), Matthew Abood, Australia, and Evgeny Lagunov, Russia, 21.23.

SAN PEDRO SULA, Honduras—The U.S. soccer team is headed to South Africa for a chance to redeem itself in the World Cup. Conor Casey scored his first two international goals in the second half, Landon Donovan added another and the United States clinched its sixth straight World Cup berth with a game to spare by rallying past Honduras 3-2 Saturday night.

NASHVILLE, Tenn.—Jozy Altidore became the youngest American with an international hat trick, and the United States beat Trinidad and Tobago 3-0 Wednesday night to maintain its lead in the final round of qualifying for next year’s World Cup. Making just his fourth international start, Altidore connected in the 13th, 71st and 89th minutes, all three times off passes from Landon Donovan.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Frankie Hejduk is still with the U.S. national team, playing perhaps his best soccer at age 34.  He made his international debut in 1996, and it was clear he could run fast. His other skills were harder to discern.  More than a decade later, he has proven to be among the grittiest players on the team. Saturday, his 88th-minute goal capped a comeback from a two-goal deficit as the Americans tied 2-2 at El Salvador in a World Cup qualifier.

SOCCER NORTH AND CENTRAL AMERICA
AND CARIBBEAN
FINALS
(Top three qualify;
fourth-place team
advances to playoff
vs. South America fifth-place team)
  Feb. 11
Costa Rica vs. Honduras El Salvador vs. Trinidad and Tobago United States vs. Mexico

SOCCER NORTH AND CENTRAL AMERICA
AND CARIBBEAN
FINALS
(Top three qualify;
fourth-place team advances to play off
vs. South America fifth-place team)
  Feb. 11
Costa Rica vs. Honduras El Salvador vs. Trinidad and Tobago United States vs. Mexico