National sports briefs

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) -- The New Jersey Devils fired coach Kevin Constantine, a summer resident on Gull Lake, and hired Pat Burns to replace him, just over a month after the team was eliminated in the first round of the NHL playoffs. Burns was fired as Boston Bruins coach eight games into the 2000-01 season.

Despite loss, U.S. advances

DAEJEON, South Korea (AP) --. The United States advanced to the second round of the World Cup not because of anything it did Friday night, but what the co-hosts did for the Americans.

Needing just a tie to advance, the United States gave up a pair of goals in the first five minutes and flopped to Poland 3-1 Friday night. Park Ji-sung scored for South Korea at Incheon against Portugal and the South Koreans held on for a 1-0 win that put the Americans in the second round for the first time since 1994. The United States will play regional rival Mexico on Monday.