WEMBLEY, England -- Nwankwo Kanu pounced on a goalkeeper's blunder to tap in the match-winner and Portsmouth beat Cardiff 1-0 on Saturday to win the FA Cup final for the first time since 1939.
The Nigerian striker was quick to react on a fumble by Cardiff goalkeeper Peter Enckelman in the 37th minute of the 127th FA Cup final, giving manager Harry Redknapp his first major trophy in 25 years of coaching and Portsmouth its first taste of European soccer next season.
"Fantastic. For everybody, especially my family," said Redknapp, whose sister-in-law Pat Lampard -- mother of Chelsea's Frank Lampard -- died of cancer last month. "The fans, the players. It's been a difficult year off the field so this is a dream come true. We're a very close family -- it's for all my grandchildren and everybody. The players are all great, I love them all."
The former Bournemouth, West Ham and Southampton manager, now in his second spell with Pompey, has taken the south-coast club from relegation candidates in the division below to a top-eight Premier League finish and now a Wembley cup final triumph. Next season, it will enjoy UEFA Cup soccer for the first time in its 110-year history.
"It's a great day," Redknapp said when asked if it was his biggest achievement. "There's the glory of winning the FA Cup, obviously. In terms of football it was keeping Portsmouth up when I went back there a couple of years ago. That was a much bigger achievement in football terms. Today was a glory day to come here to Wembley and win the cup."
Bidding to become the first lower-league team to win the famous trophy since West Ham beat Arsenal in 1980, League Championship club Cardiff threatened occasionally.
But Kanu had one of the worst misses in the world's oldest domestic cup competition when he missed an open net in the 22nd and hit the post instead.
-- The Associated Press
Vancouver possible: MLS
NEW YORK -- MLS commissioner Don Garber says Vancouver is a potential market for expansion but wants more information on renovations to B.C. Place Stadium. And he reiterated the league's long-standing desire for teams to have soccer-specific stadiums.Garber issued his statement in wake of news Friday that B.C. Place is getting a facelift including a retractable roof.
Once the renovations are completed, the Vancouver Whitecaps -- who want to join Toronto FC as a second Canadian MLS entry -- will begin playing in the stadium pending plans for a 20,000-seat venue on the Vancouver waterfront.
"We believe Vancouver is a potential market for a future Major League Soccer expansion team," Garber said. "There is no doubt the market for professional soccer exists in Vancouver, as we saw last November when nearly 50,000 fans attended the exhibition match between the Los Angeles Galaxy and the Whitecaps."
-- The Canadian Press
Even the gold thong can't help Giambi
NEW YORK -- These are trying times for Jason Giambi -- apparently not even lucky underwear can help his undersized batting average.
The New York Yankees' first baseman caused a bit of a stir Saturday when the Daily News reported -- on the front page, no less -- that he often wears a gold thong under his uniform pants when trying to snap out of a slump.
"I was blown away," Yankees broadcaster and former big-league pitcher David Cone said with a smile. "You've got to be pretty confident in yourself to let that one out."
Giambi, who began the day batting .181, has kept the shiny thong in his locker since he played for the Oakland Athletics. Several teammates acknowledged they've tried wearing it, too, including Yankees captain Derek Jeter and outfielder Johnny Damon.
-- The Associated Press
Weigh Oly boycott: Stojko
TORONTO -- Two-time Olympic medallist Elvis Stojko says Canadian athletes should "make a stand" for human rights and think twice about heading to the Beijing Summer Games.
Stojko, who won silver medals at the 1994 and 1998 Winter Olympics, says he would consider boycotting the Games if he were still a competing athlete.
Stojko made the comments during a rally protesting China's human rights record outside the Ontario legislature Saturday afternoon.
About 200 people showed up for the rally, which included lighting up a mock Olympic torch.
The three-time world figure skating champion also says it's unacceptable for countries to muzzle athletes' opinions, since the athletes are the ones representing their countries.
China's government has faced mounting criticism over it's human rights record, and drew fire for a recent crackdown against anti-government protests in Tibet.
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