■ Soccer
Liverpool, Ajax end in draw
Liverpool battled Ajax Amsterdam to a 0-0 stalemate at the Amsterdam Tournament on Friday, in a match where Ajax controled the ball more and looked to have the upper hand. Ajax missed two chances at the end of the first half when striker Rafael van der Vaart spun free in front of the Liverpool goal at 42 minutes but keeper Jerzy Dudek was able to stop the shot with his feet. The ball remained in play and Dudek blocked a follow up blast from Czech Tomas Galasek with his forearm moments later. Liverpool's best chance came at 52 minutes, when Senagalese star el-Hadji Diouf went one-on-one with Ajax goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg from just outside the right post. Diouf's shot deflected off Stekelenburg's leg.
■ Volleyball
US team in semifinals
Defending champions Kerri Walsh and Misty May of the US finished undefeated in pool play Friday to move into the semifinals of the Beach Volleyball Grand Slam in Klagenfurt, Austria. Walsh and May, who won the World Tour event last year, beat the Greek duo of Efi Sfyri and Vasso Karadassiou, 21-17, 21-23, 15-9. They will now play the current world number one team of Ana Paula Conelly and Sandra Pires Tavares of Brazil. "We need to repeat our title. The energy on the center court is amazing. It's really loud but it fires us up," Kerri Walsh said of the packed 10,000-seat stadium. Fellow Americans Holly McPeak and Elaine Youngs, who took third place in 2002, also reached the semifinals.
■ Football
Dallas running back dies
Dallas Cowboys running back Ennis Haywood died accidentally from a mixture of drugs and alcohol complicated by his asthma, the Tarrant County medical examiner's office said Friday. Haywood's blood alcohol level was measured at .07 percent, medical examiner's spokeswoman Linda F. Anderson said, and could have been more than double that amount at the time he entered the hospital. "More than likely his blood alcohol level was much higher when he was admitted, but they did not take a blood alcohol level until 12 hours after he was admitted," Anderson said. Haywood, 23, died during May minicamp at Medical Center of Arlington, where he was taken after he began vomiting in his sleep. The medical examiner's office said that it had determined he died from "mixed ethanol and drug ingestion." The death was formally ruled accidental.
■ Soccer
Guy Thys dies at 80
Belgians on Saturday mourned the death of Guy Thys, the national team coach who led the Red Devils to its biggest international successes during the 1980s. He was 80. Thys died on Friday following a long illness, the Belgian soccer federation announced. Thys took over the Belgian national team in 1976 and led it to the final of the 1980 European Championships, where it lost to West Germany 2-1. Two years later, Belgium reached the second round of the World Cup for the first time in its history and beat defending champion Argentina 1-0 in the tournament opener in Barcelona, Spain. Belgium's greatest soccer moment came in 1986, when Thys took the team to the semifinal of the World Cup in Mexico, losing 2-0 in the semifinals to eventual champion Argentina. Four years later, Thys was still at the helm when the Red Devils reached the second round of the World Cup in Italy.
US track and field athletes have about four dozen pieces to choose from when assembling their uniforms at the Olympics. The one grabbing the most attention is a high-cut leotard that barely covers the bikini line and has triggered debate between those who think it is sexist and others who say they do not need the Internet to make sure they have good uniforms. Among those critical or laughing at the uniforms included Paralympian Femita Ayanbeku, sprinter Britton Wilson and even athletes from other countries such as Britain’s Abigail Irozuru, who wrote on social media: “Was ANY female athlete consulted in
Four-time NBA all-star DeMarcus Cousins arrived in Taiwan with his family early yesterday to finish his renewed contract with the Taiwan Beer Leopards in the T1 League. Cousins initially played a four-game contract with the Leopards in January. On March 18, the Taoyuan-based team announced that Cousins had renewed his contract. “Hi what’s up Leopard fans, I’m back. I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to join the team,” Cousins said in a video posted on the Leopard’s Facebook page. “Most of all, can’t wait to see you guys, the fans, next weekend. So make sure you come out and support the Beer
Former US Masters champion Zach Johnson was left embarrassed after a foul-mouthed response to ironic cheers from spectators after a triple bogey at Augusta National on Friday. Johnson, the 2007 Masters winner, missed the cut after his three-over-par round of 75 left him on seven-over 151 for 36 holes, his six on the par-three 12th playing a big role in his downfall. Television footage showed Johnson reacting to sarcastic cheers and applause when he tapped in for the triple bogey by yelling: “Oh fuck off.” Such a response would be considered bad form in any golf tournament, but is particularly out of keeping
The sacred flame for the Paris Olympics was lit yesterday in Olympia, Greece, the birthplace of the ancient Games, in a ceremony inspired by antiquity and marked by messages of hope amid multiple global crises. “In ancient times, the Olympic Games brought together the Greek city states, even — and in particular — during times of war and conflict,” International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach said. “Today, the Olympic Games are the only event that brings the entire world together in peaceful competition. Then as now, the Olympic athletes are sending this powerful message — yes, it is possible to compete fiercely