■ Soccer
Dracena to Fenerbahce
Cruzeiro defender Edu Dracena reached a four-year agreement on Saturday to play for Turkey's Fenerbahce. The 16-time Turkish league champ paid 5.7 million euros (US$7.2 million) for the 25-year-old Brazilian, whose full name is Eduardo Luis Abonisio de Souza, Cruzeiro said on its Web site. The deal was completed on Saturday afternoon in Cruzeiro's hometown of Belo Horizonte after a meeting between representatives from both clubs. Dracena played 161 matches for Cruzeiro since being acquired in 2003, scoring 13 times. He helped the club win the Brazilian Cup and the Brazilian league in 2003. Dracena, a member of Brazil's national squad in the 2003 Confederations Cup, previously played for Brazilian club Guarani and Greece's Olympiakos.
■ Soccer
Official's daughter released
Kidnappers released the 14-year-old daughter of a top official of the Honduran soccer federation, which had postponed five top-division soccer matches this weekend to express solidarity with the family, authorities said on Saturday. Veronica Isabel Sabillon, daughter of Argelio Sabillon, the head of the federation's disciplinary and referees commission, was released unharmed late on Friday in a village about 200km northwest of the capital of Tegucigalpa, the elder Sabillon said.
■ Golf
Kelly, Ramsay in final
Scotland's Richie Ramsay withstood his second penalty in two days to hold off Webb Simpson on Saturday in the semi-finals of the US Amateur Championship at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota. Ramsay was to play University of Missouri senior John Kelly yesterday with the chance to become the first player from Scotland to win the US Amateur since Findlay Douglas in 1898. By advancing to yesterday's finals, Kelly and Ramsay earned an invitation to the US Open and the Masters. "That will be awesome," Kelly said.
■ Horse racing
Bernardini takes Travers
Bernardini dominated Bluegrass Cat in the stretch and easily won the US$1 million Travers Stakes in Saratoga Springs, New York, by seven-and-a-half lengths on Saturday, added to series of impressive perforances. Following wins in the Jim Dandy by nine lengths and the Preakness by five-and-a-half lengths, Bernardini seized the lead just after the start and controlled all the way around the track under cloudy skies at a packed Saratoga Race Course. When Haskell winner Bluegrass Cat moved within a half-length of Bernardini around the turn, the three-year-old colt responded to jockey Javier Castellano by pulling away.
■ Golf
Davies leads at SAS Masters
Laura Davies shot a 4-under 68 on Saturday to take the lead after the second round of the SAS Masters. The four-time major winner was 7-under 137 after 36 holes. Sarah Kemp (67) was two strokes behind in second place, followed by Sherry Byrnes (72) and overnight leader Virginie Lagoutte (74) at 3 under. The 54-hole tournament is played at Bogstad, a parklands course that is Norway's oldest.
■ Soccer
Ferdinand doubt for England
England and Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand picked up a toe injury that could keep him out of England's upcoming European Championship qualifying games. Ferdinand sustained the injury on Saturday in Man United's 2-1 victory at Watford in the Premier League. "We think Rio might have a broken toe, so I don't think he will be joining up with England," United manager Alex Ferguson said.
■ Soccer
AC Milan move for Oliveira
Brazilian striker Ricardo Oliveira passed a medical exam with AC Milan on Saturday and is close to signing with the team. Milan moved to sign Oliveira from Real Betis after talks to acquire Ronaldo from Real Madrid failed. Milan is seeking a striker to replace Andriy Shevchenko, who left for Chelsea. The 26-year-old Oliveira joined Betis from Valencia in 2004 and was the team's leading scorer in his first season with 22 goals. He moved to Sao Paulo on loan in April to aid his recovery from a serious knee ligament injury and recently returned to Spain.
■ Athletics
US triumphs in DecaNation
The US won the DecaNation on Saturday, an athletics meet that pits teams against each other in the decathlon's 10 events. The US won six events and finished with 104.5 points, while Germany -- which won three events -- was second with 100. Poland took third place with 90.5 points, finishing ahead of France, Ukraine, Russia and Spain. France also won six events. Defending long jump world champion Tianna Madison recorded her best performance of the year, leaping 6.60m, while team captain Reese Hoffa won a shot put with a throw of 21.29m. Other US winners included Ryan Wilson in the men's 100 hurdles (13.40 seconds), Jesse Williams in the men's high jump (2.25m), Brianna Glenn in the women's 100 (11.27 seconds) and Dee Trotter in the women's 400m (50.85 seconds).
■ Cricket
Windies eye series in India
The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) is finalizing plans for a four-match limited-overs series against India in late January, an official said on Saturday. The board was negotiating with the Board for Cricket Control of India for the series to be played in India, said Zorol Barthley, the WICB's cricket operations manager. The series was originally planned as a triangular with Sri Lanka. However, Indian authorities have decided to play four matches against both teams. "We are still finalizing discussions, but it is looking like four one-dayers against India in India. If we had played the tri-series we would have had four matches play a final, so you could say we are one match short," Barthley said. The Indian board decided to split the series so they could get eight matches in preparation for next year's World Cup -- which will be held in the Caribbean for the first time. "It will be good preparation for us as well. Once all is put in place we will be quite happy with the arrangements," Barthley said.
The Kansas City Chiefs wrapped up a brief visit to Brazil on Friday with a season-opening loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, but despite the defeat, the team outshone their divisional rivals in the fight for the hearts and minds of Brazilian fans. In Sao Paulo for just the second-ever NFL game in the city, Chiefs players — especially quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce — were treated as major celebrities throughout their stay, turning Corinthians Arena into a scene reminiscent of the Chiefs’ Arrowhead Stadium. Before kickoff, crowds of fans gathered around the Chiefs’ tunnel, eager to catch a
New Zealand stayed firm at their Eden Park fortress to claim an attritional 24-17 win over South Africa in a heavyweight clash between the world’s top two rugby sides yesterday. Under pressure after conceding a first-ever defeat on Argentine soil against the Pumas two weeks ago, the All Blacks responded with a performance of grit and discipline to stretch their unbeaten run at their Auckland stronghold to 51 matches. Two well-taken tries by Emoni Narawa and Will Jordan set up a 14-3 lead at halftime before Quinn Tupaea grabbed a third five-pointer for the hosts 13 minutes from time. Well-held for most of
The Wallabies trusted their instincts to keep pushing for a late try instead of a potential equalizing penalty goal late in their Rugby Championship Test match yesterday against Argentina, with prop Angus Bell scoring the clinching try in the sixth minute of added time to give Australia a comeback 28-24 win. The Wallabies were awarded three kickable penalties after the 80th minute, but kept pushing in search of the match-winning try, which was finally delivered by an unlikely hero in reserve prop Bell. “It’s just relieving,” Bell said. “It’s just awesome we could get the win in the end; not go for
RETURN TO FORM: Osaka extended her deepest run in a Grand Slam since returning to tennis after giving birth, putting her in a position to lift the trophy for a third time Reigning champion Jannik Sinner on Wednesday marched into the US Open quarter-finals as Amanda Anisimova avenged her Wimbledon thrashing by Iga Swiatek to set up a last-four clash with Naomi Osaka. World No. 1 Sinner swept aside 10th seed Lorenzo Musetti 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 in the first all-Italian men’s quarter-final in Grand Slam history. “It was a great performance, very solid. I started the match very well,” said Sinner, who faces Canadian 25th seed Felix Auger-Aliassime in the semi-finals today. Auger-Aliassime has won two of three previous meetings, but Sinner thrashed him for the loss of just two games in Cincinnati last month. “Every
RSS