NEW YORK (AP)
-- Forward Brian Ching and defender Jimmy Conrad were the biggest surprises among 11 players selected Tuesday for their first appearances on a U.S. World Cup roster. Forward Taylor Twellman, and defenders Gregg Berhalter and Chris Albright were not included in the 23-man group picked by U.S. coach Bruce Arena. Twelve holdovers were chosen from the 2002 team, which advanced to the quarterfinals in the best showing by the United States since 1930: forwards Brian McBride and Josh Wolff; midfielders Claudio Reyna, Landon Donovan, DaMarcus Beasley, John O'Brien and Pablo Mastroeni; defenders Steve Cherundolo, Frankie Hejduk, Eddie Lewis and Eddie Pope; and goalkeeper Kasey Keller. Among the newcomers were forward Eddie Johnson; midfielders Bobby Convey, Clint Dempsey of the New England Revolution and Ben Olsen; defenders Carlos Bocanegra, Cory Gibbs and Oguchi Onyewu; and goalkeepers Marcus Hahnemann and Tim Howard. "We are deeper from one through 23 and a better team," Donovan said, comparing this year's roster with the one four years ago. "The thing we don't have that we had four years ago was not as many clear leaders on the team." Ching learned he made the team when he viewed Arena's televised announcement with Houston Dynamo teammates at a sports bar in Denver International Airport. "I was kind of a nervous wreck," he said. "My name popped up on the screen, so I was pretty excited. There was a big cheer, a lot of excitement." Conrad found out he made the team from Donovan, a former MLS teammate, who told him a few minutes before Conrad received an e-mail with the official news. "I've never had the attitude that I was on the roster," Conrad said. "I always felt like I was on the outside looking in." Arena cited Conrad's improvement and big games Ching had in World Cup qualifiers. "Jimmy can help us on the field and off," Arena said. "Brian has had a good start in the MLS season." Dempsey's Internet hookup went down at his apartment in Mansfield, Mass., so he gave information on how to access his e-mail to his mother, Debbie, who was at home in Nacogdoches, Texas. "She called me screaming and crying," he said. Dempsey said his selection was bittersweet because Big Hawk, a rapper who recorded a commercial with him, was shot to death Monday night in Houston. "It's always tough to lose a friend under the conditions his life was taken," Dempsey said. The average age of the U.S. team was 28.6 years, down slightly from 2002's average of 28.8 and just above the 28.1 average in 1998, when the Americans finished last in the 32-nation field. At the World Cup in Germany, the United States opens against the Czech Republic on June 12, meets Italy five days later and closes the first round against Ghana on June 22. "With a good training camp, good preparation games and the right mental approach, our team will be a team that's going to challenge anybody on the field in this World Cup," Arena said. Since the 2002 tournament, the Americans have risen to fourth in the FIFA world rankings, trailing defending champion Brazil, the Czech Republic and the Netherlands. While the rankings aren't well regarded by many, American players are faced with increased expectations. A 701/2-foot high Nike billboard near New York's Madison Square Garden and a nearly identical 40-foot high ad in San Francisco have a picture of Johnson, Donovan and Beasley and proclaims in huge yellow letters: "THE WORLD NO LONGER WANTS TO PLAY US." Twelve of the players are with European clubs, and 11 are from Major League Soccer -- exactly the same as the 2002 roster. Three players come from the Kansas City Wizards. Keller is the oldest at 36, and the youngest is Johnson, who turned 22 on March 31. Reyna, the U.S. captain, and Keller set records by making a World Cup roster for the fourth time. McBride, Pope and Hejduk are headed to their third World Cups. O'Brien, who scored the first goal against Portugal in the 2002 U.S. opener, has been sidelined for most of the past four years. Just coming off a groin injury, he has a calf problem and Arena said if O'Brien doesn't get fully fit, he could be replaced. "Physically, I'll need to step it up," O'Brien said. "We have the time for that, and that's what I'm going to try to do." Olsen, who turns 29 Wednesday, was the only player selected who didn't appear in any qualifiers for the 2006 tournament, although he did play in a qualifier in 2001. "I bet a lot of people didn't think I would be back on the national team," said Olsen, who overcame four operations on his right ankle. Among those not picked were Steve Ralston, Pat Noonan and Jonathan Spector, whose bids were hurt by injuries. The U.S. team gathers May 10 in Cary, N.C., then plays exhibition games against Morocco (May 23 at Nashville, Tenn.), Venezuela (May 26 at Cleveland) and Latvia (May 28 at Ea

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Police are investigating sexual assault allegations against Los Angeles center Kwame Brown, who started in the Lakers' playoff game Tuesday night against Phoenix shortly after releasing a statement proclaiming his innocence.
The alleged assault occurred early Saturday, hours after the Lakers beat the Suns in Game 3 of their NBA playoff series, Los Angeles Police Department spokesman Jason Lee said Tuesday.
Police did not say when the report was filed or by whom. No charges have been filed, and Brown denied any wrongdoing in a statement issued through the team office Tuesday night.
"I want to assure everyone that I am completely innocent of any wrongdoing and look forward to the truth coming out when this matter is fully investigated," he said. "However, on the advice of my attorney, I cannot comment further at this time."
The 24-year-old Brown started the game in Phoenix, where the Lakers lost but still hold a 3-2 advantage over the Suns. Brown scored 14 points on 6-for-6 shooting, but was plagued by foul trouble.
"We are aware of the release issued earlier today by the LAPD," the Lakers said in a statement. "However, due to the fact that this is an ongoing legal matter, we cannot comment at this time."
Lee, the police spokesman, said the Los Angeles County district attorney's office had been made aware of the investigation, but declined to provide further details.
Los Angeles coach Phil Jackson said before the game that he had spoken with Brown about the matter.
"I did say something to Kwame: 'You know we have three priorities -- basketball, basketball and family. That's it."'
Jackson said Brown would play his usual minutes "if he can focus and play through this. I'm sure it's a distraction."
"We're not even going to discuss it," Jackson said. "It's a basketball team and we've got to focus on what we need to do."
Desperately needing an inside presence, the Lakers acquired the 6-foot-11, 270-pound Brown from Washington in a four-player deal last summer, sending highly regarded perimeter player Caron Butler to the Wizards.
Brown was a disappointment in four seasons with the Wizards after they made him the first pick in the 2001 NBA draft following his graduation from Glynn Academy in Brunswick, Ga.
Brown has picked up his game considerably since replacing Chris Mihm as the Lakers' starting center after Mihm sustained a severely sprained right ankle March 12. Brown had been coming off the bench before Mihm got hurt.

PHOENIX (AP) -- Boris Diaw got his most-improved trophy, then showed he deserved it. Kobe Bryant got tossed to the floor by Raja Bell, then got thrown out of the game.
The small Phoenix Suns turned physical, of all things, and rolled past the Los Angeles Lakers 114-97 Tuesday night to stay alive in their first-round playoff series.
"I think the playoffs bring the best out in everybody," the Suns' Steve Nash said. "All of us choirboys are living up to our reputations."
Diaw -- presented with the NBA's most-improved player award before the game -- had 25 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists.
The Lakers still lead the series 3-2, with Game 6 Thursday night in Los Angeles.
Bryant, who scored 29 points, was thrown out after drawing his second technical foul with 3:11 to play. His nemesis in the series, Raja Bell, was tossed after throwing Bryant to the floor for his second technical with 7:33 left.
The two had been called for a double-technical in the second quarter.
"It's been a pretty physical series, and at that point in time I had caught another elbow in the jaw and I lost my head and overreacted to it," Bell said. "It could have cost my team and for that I'm sorry."
As for that rough style, Bryant said bring it on.
"That's how I grew up playing basketball in Philadelphia," he said. "I love playing that style. It excites me more than anything."
Kwame Brown scored 14 points on 6-for-6 shooting for the Lakers, but was plagued by foul trouble. He started hours after Los Angeles police said he was being investigated for a possible sexual assault. Before the game, Brown issued a statement through the team office saying he was "completely innocent of any wrongdoing."
Lakers coach Phil Jackson said Brown's woes had his team off balance before the tip.
"I think the only thing it did was take our mind off the game," Jackson said.
Nash scored 22 points and Shawn Marion 21 for the Suns in their highest-scoring game of the series. Tim Thomas added 13 and Leandro Barbosa 11.
Lamar Odom added 18 for the Lakers.
After Bell threw Bryant down, he pointed to the Lakers' bench and yelled, "That's your foul."
"It's a physical game," Bryant said. "I'm not trying to go out there and elbow somebody, that's not the way I play. If you get elbowed, you still have to keep your cool. I get elbowed all the time."
Nash said Bell's foul was no worse than some the Lakers committed earlier in the series, so he didn't believe a suspension was warranted.
"They're going to single one out because it's on Kobe? To me that's a shame," Nash said.
"There were a couple of elbows thrown," Diaw said. "I saw Raja on the floor twice before he got ejected. Raja got hit many times. It probably was frustration."
After Bell left, Bryant made one of two free throws, then sank a 3-pointer to cut the Suns' lead to 93-83 with 7:17 left. The teams traded baskets, then Barbosa and Marion sank 3-pointers to trigger a 12-0 run that sealed the victory. Diaw scored the last four to make it 107-85.
Bryant was tossed by referee Leon Wood after complaining that a hard foul against Brown should have been called flagrant.
"He didn't like my toneage, if that's a word." Bryant said. "He's the decider. Is that a word, decider?"
Whether Brown's problems were a distraction for Los Angeles or not, the Suns finally got their fast-paced game in gear to blow open a 22-point third-quarter lead.
Diaw scored the Suns' final 11 points of the first half -- going 9-of-9 at the foul line -- to lead Phoenix to a 56-47 at the break.
Ronny Turiaf, playing for the first time in the series, completed a three-point play to put Los Angeles up 39-37 with 5:09 left in the second quarter, then the Suns outscored the Lakers 19-8 the rest of the half.
In the third quarter, the Suns' trademark high-flying style made its first appearance since the opening quarter of the series.
Marion and Bell sank 3-pointers in a 21-7 run that put Phoenix ahead 79-58 on Diaw's emphatic fast-break dunk with 3:15 left in the quarter. Nash's layup, followed by his free throw following a delay-of-game technical, put Phoenix ahead 84-62 with 1:22 to go in the third.
But Brian Cook and Bryant sank 3-pointers to cut it to 84-68 entering the fourth. Bryant's inside basket to start the fourth sliced the lead to 84-70.
Notes: The Suns' 29 points marked the first time in the series that they had topped 20 in the second quarter. ... Of the seven teams to come back from a 3-1 series deficit, five won the NBA title. ... Phoenix has not lost four straight playoff games since it was swept by the Lakers in the 1989 Western Conference finals.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP)
-- Expected favorite Brother Derek and three horses trained by Bob Baffert were among a full field of 20-year-olds entered Wednesday for the Kentucky Derby. Brother Derek, trained by Dan Hendricks, will attempt to become the first horse bred in California to win Saturday's Derby since Decidedly in 1962. The colt is 3-for-3 this year and coming off a victory in the Santa Anita Derby. Baffert, seeking his fourth Derby win, will send out Wood Memorial winner Bob and John, Blue Grass Stakes winner Sinister Minister and Santa Anita Derby runner-up Point Determined. Among others entered are Showing Up, the Lexington Stakes winner trained by Barclay Tagg, who sent out Funny Cide to win the Derby in 2003. Tagg's decision to enter Wednesday -- after being satisfied a minor injury to the colt had healed -- denied Sunriver of being included in the field limited to 20 starters based on graded stakes earnings. The field, in order of post-position selection, is: A.P. Warrior, Bob and John, Sharp Humor, Barbaro, Showing Up, Point Determined, Deputy Glitters, Private Vow, Bluegrass Cat, Steppenwolfer, Sinister Minister, Seaside Retreat, Sweetnorthernsaint, Cause to Believe, Lawyer Ron, Brother Derek, Storm Treasure, Flashy Bull, Keyed Entry and Jazil. While Baffert has three entries, three other trainers have two horses in the field -- Todd Pletcher trains Bluegrass Cat and Keyed Entry (he also trains left-out Sunriver); Steve Asmussen has Private Vow and Storm Treasure and Kiaran McLaughlin has Jazil and Flashy Bull. Since the 20-horse rule began in 1984, the race went off with the maximum field only once -- last year in Giacomo's victory at 50-1 odds. There have been 19 starters five times under the rule, most recently in 2000. Sunriver was ranked 21st on the graded stakes earnings list, while others who failed to make the field were Lewis Michael and Hemingway's Key. Absent from this year's Derby will be Hall of Fame trainers D. Wayne Lukas, a four-time winner, and Nick Zito, a two-time winner who sent out five horses in last year's race.