■BRAZIL
Palmeiras win derby match
A hat-trick by Obina gave Palmeiras a 3-0 win in their Sao Paulo derby on Sunday against Corinthians, who lost Ronaldo with a suspected broken hand. Palmeiras joined Atletico Mineiro, shock 1-0 losers at home to Goias, at the top of the Brazilian championship standings with 28 points from 14 matches. Atletico lead by a difference of one goal. The two teams are four points ahead of Vitoria, who beat Coritiba 1-0 at home, and Internacional, who went down 3-2 away to Botafogo on Saturday. Palmeiras, unable to fly because of poor visibility on Saturday, had to make a 570km bus trip to the city of Presidente Prudente where the derby was played to avoid crowd trouble in Sao Paulo, but still turned in the better performance. Ronaldo, who fell badly on his left arm, had to leave the field after 20 minutes and Corinthians doctor Paulo de Faria said he had “a suspected fracture of the hand, he hurts a lot and cannot play.”
■BRAZIL
Romario facing jail term
Former Brazil striker Romario is appealing a tax evasion conviction that could keep him in prison for up to three-and-a-half years, Brazilian media reported on Sunday. Romario was convicted and sentenced on June 9 after accusations he evaded about US$500,000 in taxes when he played for Brazilian club Flamengo in 1996 and 1997, Globo’s G1 Web site reported. He allegedly did not declare his earnings in full at the time. The striker, who helped Brazil win the 1994 World Cup in the US, is likely to escape prison time, however, and the sentence could be transformed into community service after an appeal, G1 said, citing prosecutors. Less than two weeks ago, Romario was arrested in a child support case involving his first wife and spent a night in jail until reportedly paying what he owed.
■ENGLAND
Shearer still in the dark
Alan Shearer still has no idea whether he will be appointed permanent Newcastle United manager, only two weeks before the club begins life in the Championship (second division), the former England striker said on Sunday. Shearer took over as manager of the club for the last eight games of the Premier League season, but could not prevent their relegation. With owner Mike Ashley trying to sell the club, assistant manager Chris Hughton has taken charge of their pre-season friendlies, including a 6-1 defeat by League One (third division) Leyton Orient on Saturday. “I am the same as everyone else, I am in limbo — I don’t know what is going on,” Shearer told the BBC at a St James’ Park match to raise funds for former Newcastle and England manager Bobby Robson’s cancer charity. “I know as much as you. I would dearly love it to be sorted out one way or the other, then the club can move forward. Everyone is telling me there are people in to buy the club. If that is the case, then great. I’m a fan like everyone else and I don’t like to see the situation the club is in.”
■HONDURAS
Two fans shot dead
Two people were shot dead and more than 15 injured in Honduras on Sunday when fans of rival soccer teams clashed outside a stadium following a match, police said. Police arrested dozens when they moved in to quell the violence, which erupted after the two teams, Olimpia and Motagua, tied 0-0 in the Honduran capital, police spokesman Orlin Cerrato said. “There are two dead,” Cerrato told reporters, saying they had been shot. Honduras has been on edge since president Manuel Zelaya was ousted in a coup last month.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen go into today’s match at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim stung from their first league defeat in 16 months. Leverkusen were beaten 3-2 at home by RB Leipzig before the international break, the first loss since May last year for the reigning league and cup champions. While any defeat, particularly against a likely title rival, would have disappointed coach Xabi Alonso, the way in which it happened would be most concerning. Just as they did in the Supercup against VfB Stuttgart and in the league opener to Borussia Moenchengladbach, Leverkusen scored first, but were pegged back. However, while Leverkusen rallied late to
The lights dimmed and the crowd hushed as Karoline Kristensen entered for her performance. However, this was no ordinary Dutch theater: The temperature was 80°C and the audience naked apart from a towel. Dressed in a swimsuit and to the tune of emotional music, the 21-year-old Kristensen started her routine, performed inside a large sauna, with a bed of hot rocks in the middle. For a week this month, a group of wellness practitioners, called “sauna masters,” are gathering at a picturesque health resort in the Netherlands to compete in this year’s Aufguss world sauna championships. The practice takes its name from a
Japanese players are moving to English soccer in record numbers and more look set to follow with clubs attracted by their quality, strong work ethic and value for money. Kaoru Mitoma is the standout talent of five Japanese players in the English Premier League, with eight more in the Championship and two in League One. Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo, the captain of Japan, believes his compatriots are “being held in higher esteem” by English clubs compared with the past. “The staff at Liverpool ask me about lots of Japanese players, not necessarily with a view to a transfer, but just saying this or
Taiwan yesterday survived Bosnia and Herzegovina to win their Davis Cup World Group I tie at the Taipei Tennis Center. The tight series started on Saturday with world No. 123 Jason Tseng losing 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 to Mirza Basic in the opening singles matchup. However, teammate Tony Wu kept the tie even, dominating world No. 86 Damir Dzumhur 6-2, 6-1. Yesterday, 24-year-old Ray Ho and partner 25-year-old Hsu Yu-hsiou kept up the momentum, making short work of Basic and Nerman Fatic, winning 6-3, 6-4. Tseng then suffered another defeat, losing 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 to Dzumhur in a brutal match that lasted more than two