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■SOCCER

Defensor knocks out Boca

Six-time champions Boca Juniors were knocked out of the Libertadores Cup on Thursday after losing 1-0 at home in the usually impregnable Bombonera to unfancied Uruguayans Defensor Sporting. Diego de Souza scored in the 27th minute to give Defensor a 3-2 aggregate win in the second round tie and hand Boca their first home defeat in the competition since 2003, a run of 30 matches. Defensor will face Estudiantes, Argentina’s sole survivors in the competition, in the quarter-finals. The Uruguayan championship leaders went ahead when De Souza was first to Pablo Pintos’ cross and scored with a shot on the turn which went in off the underside of the crossbar.



■SOCCER

Chelsea chooses Lampard

Frank Lampard has been named Chelsea’s Player of the Year for a record third time. The England midfielder is the first player to win the accolade three times, the English Premier League club said on Friday. Winner in 2004 and 2005, Lampard was again voted leading performer over the season by Chelsea fans. The award was some consolation for the midfielder who, despite what he describes as his best season to date, failed to win awards from the Professional Footballers’ Association or the Football Writers’ Association. Chelsea head to Wembley next Saturday to play Everton in the FA Cup final and Lampard is eager to send off popular outgoing manager Guus Hiddink with silverware. Defender Ashley Cole was awarded Chelsea Players’ Player of the Year while a Michael Essien volley at home against Barcelona was voted Goal of the Season. It was the second time in three years the Ghanaian has won the accolade.



■SOCCER

Ronaldo to go on trial

Ronaldo will go on trial at a Brazilian sports tribunal next week for pulling the hair and pinching an opponent in a Brazilian league match. The three-time world player of the year could miss up to three matches if found guilty, the sports tribunal said on Thursday. The 32-year-old Ronaldo was denounced after TV images showed him grabbing the hair and pinching defender Fahel in a ball dispute inside the area last Sunday in Corinthians’ scoreless draw against Botafogo at Engenhao Stadium. Ronaldo was retaliating for Fahel grabbing his jersey. Ronaldo complained he was fouled and deserved a penalty kick. “Without a doubt, Ronaldo is a phenomenon,” sports tribunal prosecutor Paulo Schmitt said. “But all players are equal to the tribunal and when they do something wrong they must be denounced.” Fahel told local media he could testify in favor of Ronaldo if requested. “I think he was just upset at the time,” Fahel said. “What happens on the field should stay there.”



■RUGBY UNION

Smith wins another award

Wallabies flanker George Smith has claimed the Australian Player of the Year in the Super 14 competition for a fourth consecutive season. The ACT Brumbies’ loose forward overhauled NSW Waratahs and Wallabies prop Benn Robinson to finish with 18 points to take the award, which was announced late on Thursday. Robinson was second on 16 points, followed in equal third position on 14 points by the Western Force’s James O’Connor and Queensland Reds Digby Ioane. Smith and former Test fullback Chris Latham have dominated the award with Latham also winning it four times. Reporters decided on the top three Australian players from each Super 14 match involving the NSW Waratahs, Queensland Reds, Western Force and Brumbies.



■GOLF

Nitties, Duke lead in Texas

Fun-loving US PGA Tour rookie James Nitties finished with four consecutive birdies for a 5-under 65 and a share of the first-round lead with Ken Duke in the HP Byron Nelson Championship in Irving, Texas, on Thursday. On his tour bio, Nitties lists his special interests as clubbing, girls and movies, but the 26-year-old Australian said he’s trying to stay focused on a string of tournaments that could culminate with a spot in the US Open. Duke, the other surprise at the top of the leaderboard, snapped a streak of 11 consecutive rounds in the 70s to share the first-round lead for only the second time in his 118 career starts. His putt at No. 18 stopped 3 inches from the hole, or he could have had another birdie and the lead alone.



■GOLF

Horsey shares lead

Tour rookie David Horsey, Anthony Wall and Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano shot five-under 67s to share the lead in the BMW PGA Championship in Virginia Water, England, on Thursday after some big names faltered early in the first round. Both Englishmen birdied four holes on the back nine, while Fernandez-Castano finished birdie-eagle. Fourth-ranked Henrik Stenson, winner of the prestigious Players Championship at Sawgrass early this month, shot a 6-over 78.



■GOLF

Park, Icher lead at Corning

Karine Icher of France birdied her final hole to tie Park Hee-young of South Korea at 8-under 64 for the first-round lead at the Corning Classic in Corning, New York, on Thursday. Park had eight one-putt birdies, only one from more than 10 feet, and matched her career low round on the forgiving Corning Country Club course with a six-footer at No. 18. Park was in uncharted territory and chose not to look at the leaderboard, maybe because all but two of the top 30 money leaders on tour were playing the 31st and final edition of the event. “This is my first time leading the first round,” said Park, who tied for sixth at last week’s Sybase Classic. “So tomorrow I will do the same, keep working with my caddie, just focus the mind, and just play. I have to stay aggressive.”



■CYCLING

Menchov takes Giro lead

Russia’s Denis Menchov blew away the field in Thursday’s individual time-trial to take the 12th stage of the Giro d’Italia and wrestle the leader’s pink jersey from Italian Danilo Di Luca. Rabobank rider Menchov, twice Tour of Spain winner, completed a grueling 60.6km up-and-down course in the Cinque Terre region on Italy’s northeast coast in 1 hour, 34 minutes and 29 seconds. LPR’s Di Luca, who had worn the pink jersey for seven stages, came in 1:54 behind in sixth place.



■CYCLING

Valverde leads in Catalunya

Spaniard Julian Sanchez snatched the first victory of his career in the toughest stage of the Tour of Catalunya on Thursday. The 29-year-old Contentpolis-Ampo pro reached stage four’s summit finish at Vallnord-Pal ski station in Andorra six seconds ahead of Irishman Dan Martin. Overall leader Spaniard Alejandro Valverde was eight seconds back in third. Part of a day-long break on the 166km stage over three Pyrenean mountain passes, Sanchez attacked 1km before the last climb for a lone win.

Overall leader Valverde suffered badly when his Irish rival Dan Martin attacked six kilometres from the finish, but managed to limit the gaps. The Tour of Catalunya finishes tomorrow in Montmelo.
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