Two goals by Lionel Messi helped Barcelona move closer to retaining its Spanish league title with a 4-1 home win against Tenerife Tuesday. Barcelona leads the standings on 93 points ahead of second-place Real Madrid on 89, which still has to play its 36th round match away to Mallorca Wednesday. Valencia is third on 68 points, with Mallorca fourth on 59. Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola fielded an attacking lineup with Zlatan Ibrahimovic as striker, Bojan Krkic on the left wing and Messi on the right. Messi opened the scoring with a right-footed shot after racing onto a ball headed on by Ibrahimovic in the 17th minute. Three minutes later, Messi just missed doubling his tally when his shot shaved the outside of the left post, beyond goalkeeper Sergio Aragoneses' reach. Against the run of play, Roman Martinez scored his fifth goal of the season for Tenerife in the 39th minute with a shot that wrong-footed goalkeeper Victor Valdes after an uncharacteristic, sloppy clearance by Barcelona's skipper, Carles Pujol. Guardiola played Pedro Rodriguez in the second half as a substitute for Gerard Pique and Bojan restored Barcelona's lead from a Dani Alves pass in the 63rd minute. Four minutes later, Pedro raced forward having beaten Tenerife's defense with a turn of speed to chip a shot over Aragoneses but just wide of the left post. Pedro continued his attacking runs and scored his 10th goal of the season when he side-footed the ball home after being set up by Messi in the 77th minute. Messi skillfully controlled the ball and scored his 31st league goal of the season in injury time. Elsewhere it was Valencia 3, Xerez 1; Getafe 1, Sporting Gijon 1 and Almeria 4, Villarreal 2 in a match which both sides finished with 10 men. Japan only bidding for 2022 Japan has pulled out of bidding for the 2018 World Cup, electing instead to focus on competing for the 2022 event. Japan initially put itself forward as a candidate to stage either of the World Cups but has opted to only bid for the 2022 World Cup following meetings with FIFA. Japan Football Association President Motoaki Inukai told Tuesday's Sports Hochi newspaper it appeared FIFA is intent on staging the 2018 World Cup in Europe. Japan co-hosted the 2002 World Cup with South Korea. FIFA is voting Dec. 2 on who will host the 2018 and 2022 Cups. The current bidders for either of 2018 or 2022 are: England, Russia, the United States, Australia plus joint bids from Spain-Portugal and Netherlands-Belgium. Qatar, South Korea and now Japan are only in the 2022 race.
