Strike cancels Peru's national tournament

LIMA, Peru (AP) -- For the first time since organized professional play began here 53 years ago, the Peruvian Soccer Federation has canceled this year's national championships because of a strike by players seeking $800,000 in unpaid wages.

Peruvian soccer's governing body decided to call off the two-game annual championship late Wednesday and announced it on Thursday.

The annual championship is played between the two winners of national tournaments played during the first and second halves of the year.

The players strike, launched on Nov. 6, left team owners to field two weekend rounds of tournament play with juvenile players. The federation decision ends scab matches, although it allows the points earned during the two rounds to stand. Five rounds remained in this year's second tournament.

The federation said that as a result of the cancelation, Sporting Cristal, which won the first tournament, and Alianza Lima, which leads in overall points this year, will go to next year's Copa Libertadores. The federation said it would pick a third club to go to the tournament by Feb. 9.

Players' union president Francesco Manassero said he was disappointed that the federation declaration did not address the pay issue at the heart of the strike, which he said would continue.

Manassero has said that all but four teams have failed to pay full wages -- with partial pay dating back to 2001 in some cases.

Peru's two most popular teams, Alianza Lima and Universitario, are among clubs accused of not keeping up with salaries, he said.

Strike negotiations broke down earlier this week when the owners of club Alianza Atletico refused to rehire several players they sacked for helping organize the strike.