American players wanted to win for Charlie. They didn't, but it sure felt like a victory when the United States scored with just seconds remaining in its final World Cup qualifier at Washington.

After Jonathan Bornstein's goal in the fifth minute of stoppage time gave the United States a 2-2 tie against Costa Rica last night, players took a victory lap. They carried a banner with the No. 9, the jersey number of Charlie Davies, their teammate who is hospitalized with serious injuries from an automobile accident.

"We used Charlie's situation to motivate us," goalkeeper Tim Howard said. "We're happy he was alive, and that in itself gave us a lift."

With the Americans trailing 2-0, Michael Bradley put in a rebound in the 72nd minute. With Costa Rica just 20 seconds or so from getting the win it needed to qualify — and with the United States playing a man short after losing defender Oguchi Onyewu to a knee injury — Bornstein headed in a corner kick from second-half substitute Robbie Rogers from about 7 yards.

Onyewu fell down on the slick turf and was diagnosed with a torn patellar tendon in his left knee. Because the U.S. had used its three substitutes, he couldn't be replaced.

Onyewu's injury came a day after Davies' accident, which left the 23-year-old forward with several broken bones.

AUTO RACING

NASCAR FAMERS

NASCAR founder Bill France Sr. has been selected as the first inductee of the sport's Hall of Fame.

France formed the National Association for Stock Car Racing in 1947 and Headline 1d the inaugural class of five for the Hall in Charlotte, N.C.

Also joining the Hall in next year's induction ceremony is Bill France Jr., who took over for his father as head of NASCAR in 1972. He spent nearly 30 years running the family business.

Also selected were Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt, NASCAR's two seven-time Cup champions, and Junior Johnson.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

WOODEN TURNS 99

Former UCLA basketball coach and Hall of Famer John Wooden celebrated his 99th birthday yesterday in Los Angeles.

Wooden, whose wife, Nell, died in 1985, is confined to a wheelchair after a series of minor health setbacks in recent years and is looked after by his daughter, son, several grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.

Wooden won a record 10 national championships at UCLA, including seven in a row before retiring in 1975. The Indiana native was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a player in 1960 and as a coach in 1973.

SAILING

CUP FAR FROM SETTLED

The most radical, contentious America's Cup ever is revving up on both coasts.

In San Diego, American challenger BMW Oracle Racing rolled its monster trimaran out of the boatshed, freshly modified to take on an auto engine to be used to trim its giant sails.

The U.S. team had to scramble after defending champion Alinghi of Switzerland changed the rules by building an equally enormous catamaran with a snowmobile engine to trim sails.

In the New York State Supreme Court, Alinghi's backing yacht club filed papers defending its choice of the Persian Gulf port of Ras al-Khaimah, United Arab Emirates, to host its rare one-on-one match against BMW Oracle Racing beginning Feb. 8.

BMW Oracle Racing has asked Justice Shirley Kornreich to reject RAK because of its proximity to Iran, and have the best-of-three series sailed in Valencia, Spain.

A hearing has been scheduled for Oct. 27.

TAEKWONDO

FIFTH TITLE FOR LOPEZ

American Steven Lopez won the welterweight gold medal in the WTF World Taekwondo Championships yesterday in Copenhagen, Denmark, to become the first five-time world champion, beating Spain's Nicolas Garcia Hemme in the final on the judges' decision.

The 30-year-old Lopez, from Sugar Land, Texas, won his first gold medal in 2001 and has been undefeated at the biennial event ever since, adding titles in 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2009. He also won Olympic gold medals in 2000 and 2004.

TENNIS

HURT DEL POTRO LOSES

U.S. Open champion Juan Martin del Potro retired because of right wrist tendinitis while trailing Jurgen Melzer of Austria, 7-5, 2-1, yesterday at the Shanghai Masters in Shangghai.

The third-seeded Argentine, who was shaking his right hand before packing up his rackets, said that he had similar wrist tendinitis this year.

"I'm a little sorry," Del Potro said. "It's a big tournament here in Shanghai, very important for me."

Top-seeded Rafael Nadal and second-seeded Novak Djokovic also advanced.

Nadal defeated James Blake, 6-2, 6-7 (4), 6-4.

Djokovic reached the third round by beating Fabio Fognini of Italy, 6-3, 6-1.