Argentine community awaits Copa Libertadores in Madrid

MADRID >> Madrid-based fan groups of Boca Juniors and River Plate are preparing for the Copa Libertadores final in the city that is home to one of the largest Argentine populations outside of Argentina.

Meetings are underway to mobilize Argentines from across Spain and other European countries for the second leg of the twice-postponed final on Dec. 9 at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.

Madrid was given the second leg between the Argentine archrivals on Thursday after fan violence caused the match scheduled for last weekend to be put off twice.

River Plate fans attacked the Boca Juniors team bus with rocks, bottles, and wood en route to River’s stadium in Buenos Aires on Saturday and injured several Boca players.

River Plate was still trying to appeal against CONMEBOL’s decision to move the match to Spain for security reasons, but it was unlikely to succeed.

Cameroon dropped as host

With stadiums only half-built and a violent separatist rebellion playing out dangerously close to planned venues, Cameroon was stripped of the right to host next year’s African Cup of Nations soccer tournament on Friday little more than six months before kickoff.

It’s the fourth successive time Africa’s top soccer tournament has had to change the host country at the last minute.

The decision was made by tournament organizer the Confederation of African Football (CAF) after a special meeting of its executive committee in Ghana, where the women’s African Cup is being played.

CAF president Ahmad, who goes by one name, said it was “a crucial and decisive moment for the good of African football.”

A new, rushed bidding process will now take place, with CAF saying a new host country would be chosen by Dec. 31.

Florida State women knock off defending champion Stanford

CARY, N.C. >> Gabby Carle and Malia Berkely scored first-half goals and Florida State (19-4-3) snapped reigning champion (21-1-2) Stanford’s 45-game unbeaten streak with a 2-0 victory in the College Cup semifinal.

Stanford’s school-record unbeaten streak was the longest for Division I women’s soccer since North Carolina went 70 games without a loss (1996-98). NORTH CAROLINA 1, GEORGETOWN 0 >> Just over a minute from having to decide the match with penalty kicks, Julia Ashley scored in the second overtime to lift North Carolina (21-3-1) over previously unbeaten Georgetown (21-1-3).