Mexico weekend soccer games will be without fans

MEXICO CITY (AP) — All nine Mexican first-division soccer games this weekend will be played behind closed doors to stem the spread of swine flu.

Three games around the capital last weekend were played without fans. The Mexican Football Federation said Tuesday it's closing off all games with the outbreak continuing to spread.

CONCACAF, football's governing body in North and Central America and the Caribbean, also says it's postponing its Beach Soccer Championship, which was scheduled to begin Wednesday in Puerto Vallarta.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Another soccer tournament in Mexico has been disrupted by concerns over swine flu, and events from volleyball to basketball are also threatened.

CONCACAF, soccer's governing body in North and Central America and the Caribbean, said Tuesday it was postponing its Beach Soccer Championship, which was scheduled to begin Wednesday in Puerto Vallarta.

The announcement comes a day after the organization canceled the remainder of its under-17 tournament "to safeguard the health of players, officials and fans." The semifinals, featuring Costa Rica, Honduras, Mexico and the United States, had been scheduled for Wednesday in the border city of Tijuana.

CONCACAF said it was evaluating different options with local authorities and has not set a new date for its beach championship.

The effort to contain the swine flu outbreak is hitting Mexico's 18 first-division clubs the hardest. Matches draw 200,000-300,000 fans each weekend. Three first-division matches were played behind closed doors last weekend, and Mexican soccer officials will announce Wednesday how many will be shuttered this weekend.

Three matches are almost certain to be played without fans, and six more could also be played under the same condition.

Mexico sports newspaper Record estimated clubs could lose about $2 million in ticket sales if all matches are closed. Clubs rely on ticket sales for the majority of their revenue.

Decio de Maria, secretary general of the Mexican federation, said all nine first-division games were likely to be played this weekend — with fans or without.

"The idea is to look for the fewest number of games that have to be played behind closed doors," he said. "If it's necessary, we'll play all the matches behind closed doors. We don't foresee canceling any games."

Mexicans playing soccer abroad are also under scrutiny. Striker Carlos Vela was allowed to return to practice Tuesday for English club Arsenal. He was kept out of Monday's practice over concerns about a visit of friends from Mexico.

Volleyball's world governing body said it is considering moving, postponing or canceling its July 16-25 Women's Junior World Championship set for Tijuana. FIVB official Theofanis Tsiokris said the group is "carefully considering the situation in Mexico and is analyzing all relevant issues."

Swine flu is suspected of killing more than 150 people in Mexico.

A regional basketball tournament to qualify teams for the world championships next year in Turkey may also be at risk. The 10-team tournament is set for Aug. 26-Sept. 6 in Mexico City and Mexicali.

"It's very early to say that the tournament's in doubt, but if the epidemic grows — obviously we're not going to put anyone at risk," said Horacio Murature, president of FIBA Americas.

CONCACAF also postponed the second leg of its Champions League final, which was scheduled for Wednesday in Cancun between Mexican clubs Cruz Azul and Atlante. The game will be played May 12. Atlante won the first matchup 2-0.

A top Mexico City baseball team is also moving its games this week to northern Mexico, a weekend diving tournament was held without any fans, and NASCAR Mexico has called off this weekend's race in the central city of San Luis Potosi.

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