LONDON -- World and European champion Spain romped to a 24th straight qualifying win on Friday, although no one in the country was able to see it. Pedro Rodriguez scored a hat trick as the worlds best team routed host Belarus 4-0 in one of a group of big wins for Europes leading nations in 2014 World Cup qualifying. Yet, celebrations were muted in the debt-ridden country after no broadcaster paid to televise the national teams match for the first time in 29 years. Spains wasnt the most convincing win of the third round of regional qualifiers, with Germany handing Ireland its worst loss since 1971, 6-1 at Dublin. Wayne Rooney celebrated being handed the temporary England captaincy by scoring twice in a routine 5-0 win over San Marino, taking his goal total in international matches to 31, fifth on the countrys all-time list. But Italy was again unconvincing in beating Armenia 3-1, and the Netherlands managed only a comfortable 3-0 win over Andorra, which is 201st in the rankings. However, Euro 2012 semifinalist Portugal, led by Cristiano Ronaldo, couldnt make the most of its dominance against Russia and lost 1-0 in a match between the top two teams in Group F. The Portuguese are three points behind Russia, which is unbeaten under new coach Fabio Capello and has three straight wins in qualifying. Also, Belgium enhanced its burgeoning reputation as a growing force in Europe with a 3-0 win in Serbia, which lost a home World Cup qualifier for the first time in more than 10 years. Sweden and the Czech Republic needed second-half rallies to avoid draws against weak competition, beating Faeroe Islands 2-1 and Malta 3-1, respectively. The victory for the Swedes left them second in Group C, three points behind Germany ahead of their meeting in Berlin on Tuesday. The third straight qualifying victory for Germany was launched by Marco Reus goals in the 32nd and 40th minutes before Mesut Oezils penalty kick and goals by Miroslav Klose and Toni Kroos (two) turned it into a rout. Spain warmed up for its Group I match against France, which surprisingly lost 1-0 at home to Japan in a friendly on Friday, by stretching its winning run in qualifying that dates back to September 2007. Pedro set up Barcelona teammate Jordi Alba for the opener before scoring the remaining three goals himself in Minsk, putting Spain ahead of France on goal difference. Both countries have six points and only one team qualifies automatically from each group. Spain, seeking an unprecedented fourth straight major international tournament trophy, is enjoying a golden era in its soccer history, but that still didnt persuade broadcasters to pay for coverage. The blackout came after the producer, Sport Five, failed to reach a deal with any Spanish television channel. This was the first time a Spain match was not broadcast at home since 1983, when the team visited Malta. Rooney was playing for England for the first time since Euro 2012 and was given the captains role with Steven Gerrard suspended and Frank Lampard sidelined with injury. Rooney marked the occasion by joining Manchester United teammate Danny Welbeck in scoring twice at Wembley Stadium. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain also scored for the hosts, who moved to the top of Group H. It wasnt such a good night for Oxlade-Chamberlains Arsenal teammate, Theo Walcott, who will spend the night in a hospital after colliding with goalkeeper Aldo Junior Simoncini early in the game. Russias winner against Portugal came with its only shot on goal in the first half, Alexander Kerzhakov scoring in the sixth minute. Ronaldo, who has scored six times in his last three Spanish league games for Real Madrid, barely had a sniff in Moscow. "Maybe we werent as calm as we usually are," said Portugal coach Paulo Bento, whose team is the only leading European nation not to be atop its group at this stage. Eddie Johnson scored two goals for the United States, including the winner in second-half injury time, in a 2-1 victory over Antigua and Barbuda. The road win put the Americans in position to advance to CONCACAFs final qualifying round if they draw with Guatemala on Tuesday night in Kansas City, Kan. Guatemala beat Jamaica 2-1 on Friday night. In Group B, Mexico was held scoreless for more than 75 minutes by Guyana, but wound up winning 5-0 to stay perfect. Costa Rica held onto second place in the group by winning 1-0 at El Salvador. Canada beat undermanned Cuba 3-0 in Group C. The Cubans had only 11 players for the game, and finished with 10 after striker Roberto Linares was ejected for a challenge that crumpled captain Kevin McKenna. Four players left the team in Toronto. In the other Group C game, Honduras and Panama tied 0-0. In South American qualifying, host Argentina took the overall lead with 17 points as Lionel Messi scored two second-half goals and Sergio Aguero added another. Messi scored in the 66th and added another with a free kick in the 80th while Aguero scored in the 75th. Alejandro Chumacero scored in the second half to lift host Bolivia into a 1-1 draw with Peru, while Colombia beat Paraguay 2-0. Radamel Falcao scored two second-half goals as Colombia improved to 16 points in eight matches -- among the leaders in qualifying -- and left Paraguay with only four points from five matches, the worst record among the nine teams. Felipe Caicedo scored twice as Ecuador defeated Chile 3-1 in Quito. Ecuador improved to 16 points, Chile has 12. cheap nfl jerseys . -- The home of Sporting Kansas City has a new name following a disagreement between the Major League Soccer team and the cancer charity founded by Lance Armstrong. 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DETROIT -- As no-hit bids go, this one was proceeding almost predictably. Justin Verlander was commanding his pitches brilliantly on the mound. An overmatched Pittsburgh lineup looked powerless against him. Then, with only two outs separating the Detroit ace from yet another rare achievement, Verlander threw a breaking ball just off the outside corner, and Josh Harrison hit a soft line drive to centre field for a single. "Would I rather it be hard-hit? Of course," Verlander said. "But a hits a hits a hit." Harrisons ninth-inning single broke up Verlanders latest no-hit bid, but the powerful right-hander was brilliant again for the Tigers, striking out 12 in a 6-0 victory over the Pirates on Friday night. Verlander allowed two walks and settled for his first career one-hitter. He nearly became the sixth major leaguer to throw at least three no-hitters. The Pirates havent been no-hit since 1971, when Bob Gibson did it against them for St. Louis. In fact, Pittsburgh has been no-hit only four times in franchise history. Verlander fell just short of the third no-hitter in the majors already this season. Philip Humber pitched a perfect game for the Chicago White Sox at Seattle on April 21, and Jered Weaver tossed a no-hitter for the Los Angeles Angels against Minnesota on May 2. Verlander no-hit Toronto on May 7, 2011. His other no-hitter came June 12, 2007, against Milwaukee. "I felt pretty good. I dont know if it was the best. Its hard to compare some of the others to this one just because theyre different," Verlander said. "Im a different pitcher now than I was last year even, or especially four or five years ago with the first one I had. But I felt like I pitched really well." Four of the five pitchers with at least three no-hitters are in the Hall of Fame: Nolan Ryan (seven), Sandy Koufax (four), Bob Feller (three) and Cy Young (three). Larry Corcoran, an ambidextrous pitcher who won 177 games from 1880-85, is the other one. The 29-year-old Verlander, last years AL MVP and Cy Young Award winner, really brought the crowd to life in the eighth with three straight strikeouts. Casey McGehee went down looking at a 98 mph fastball, then Nate McLouth struck out swinging on a pitch that hit 99. Verlander reached 100 mph with his first pitch to Clintt Barmes, and after getting him to chase an outside pitch for strike three, he walked slowly to the Detroit dugout and down the steps closest to home plate on the third-base side -- while teammates used another entrance at the opposite end.dddddddddddd In the ninth, Michael McKenry grounded to shortstop Jhonny Peralta on a 3-2 offering, and Verlander got ahead of Harrison before he reached for a 1-2 slider and sent a clean single up the middle that Peralta couldnt get to. "I was so amped to hit his 100 mph fastball that I didnt even know where the ball was going," Harrison said. "He never threw me a fastball in that at-bat, but I finally got a pitch I could put my bat on." Verlander (5-1) saw the ball drop in shallow centre and bent backward on the mound, knowing how close he came. He settled for his sixth career shutout and 16th complete game. He threw 109 pitches. The sellout crowd at Comerica Park gave Verlander a big ovation and he quickly finished off the Pirates with a pair of groundouts. After the Tigers lined up for high-fives, Verlander saluted fans with a wave. This was his first one-hitter, although he allowed one hit in eight innings against the Los Angeles Angels last season, one of several close calls to go with the no-hitter against the Blue Jays. After rolling to the AL Central title in 2011 and adding Prince Fielder in the off-season, Detroit was just 18-20 entering Friday nights game. Against the Pirates, the Tigers provided a glimpse of what Motown was hoping to see this season. Miguel Cabrera and Fielder hit back-to-back RBI doubles in the first off Charlie Morton (2-4). Delmon Young added a solo homer in the fourth, and Don Kellys run-scoring single later that inning made it 4-0. Then there was Verlander. "With him, anytime like the fifth, sixth inning, with his stuff, you think it could happen," Detroit catcher Alex Avila said. "His stuff was better today than it was last year during his no-hitter." NOTES: Plate umpire CB Bucknor was shaken up in the first when he was hit around the collarbone by a wild pitch. ... Detroits Brennan Boesch extended his hitting streak to 11 games. ... Detroits Drew Smyly (1-0) takes the mound against Pittsburghs A.J. Burnett (1-2) on Saturday. ' ' '