■EGYPT
Brazil get off to a flyer
Brazil got off to a dream start at the under-20 World Cup on Sunday, with Alan Kardec scoring twice in a 5-0 win over Costa Rica. Also in Group E, the Czech Republic prevailed 2-1 over Australia in a game that saw two late penalties and the 89th-minute sending off of Australian defender Ryan McGowan. There was more late drama in Group F, where the United Arab Emirates scored twice in injury-time for a surprise 2-2 draw with South Africa, and Mario Martinez struck two brilliant goals as Honduras beat Hungary 3-0 in Alexandria. With Argentina absent from the youth tournament, four-time winners Brazil are the hot favorites and they quickly established dominance over the energetic Costa Ricans. Kardec headed home from a corner in the 24th minute and Giuliano followed up with an expert lob over Costa Rica goalkeeper Esteban Alvarado to make it 2-0. Kardec got his second in the 44th, pouncing on a loose ball in the goalmouth following a Giuliano free-kick. Alex Teixeira tapped home Brazil’s fourth in the 75th minute after Douglas slipped through the Costa Rica defense and struck the post with his shot. Substitute Boquita completed the rout in the 89th minute.
■NETHERLANDS
Ajax keep in touch with PSV
Ajax beat ADO The Hague 3-0 on Sunday to stay within a point of Dutch league leaders PSV Eindhoven and FC Twente. Demy de Zeeuw gave Ajax the lead by blasting a 20m shot in the 25th minute, before newcomer Marko Pantelic doubled the lead in the 71st minute, converting Luis Suarez’s pinpoint pass from 10m. After Suarez had missed a dozen chances for Ajax, substitute Siem de Jong netted the third from Dennis Rommedahl’s cross in the 89th minute. Andwele Slory scored on his 27th birthday and Leroy Fer added another in Feyenoord’s 2-0 win over NAC Breda, while Paulo Henrique and Viktor Elm scored to help SC Heerenveen beat Sparta Rotterdam by the same score. Danny Holla’s 26th-minute goal was all FC Groningen needed to see off Vitesse Arnhem 1-0 and secure their first home win of the season. Bas Dost and Everton scored first-half goals to give Heracles Almelo a 2-0 win at NEC Nijmegen.
■BRAZIL
Palmeiras go clear at top
On-loan defender Danilo justified the US$55,000 Palmeiras had to pay to field him against Atletico Paranaense, who hold his registration, by scoring the winner in their 2-1 victory in the Brazilian championship. Chilean full back Luis Figueroa had put Palmeiras ahead and Chico equalized, before Danilo scored the winner from a corner 20 minutes from time on Saturday to send Palmeiras five points clear in the standings. Palmeiras now have 50 points, while second placed Goias have 45 after their 2-1 win over Gremio and are ahead of Sao Paulo having scored more goals, with Internacional fourth on 44 points after a 0-0 draw at home to Flamengo. Corinthians striker Ronaldo scored one goal and could have had another in their 1-1 draw with local rivals Sao Paulo on Sunday. Substitute Washington equalized for the champions.
■ENGLAND
Whole squad put up for sale
Micky Adams, the manager of English fourth-tier side Port Vale, said on Sunday he was putting his entire squad up for sale following a 3-1 defeat to Notts County. Adams told the BBC: “I’ve told them that the whole squad will be transfer listed on Monday morning. It’s not a personal thing. I could make excuses for them and their performance on Saturday, but that would just be papering over the cracks. The fans deserve better and I want to give them better.”
Jobe Bellingham on Tuesday admitted to having “anxieties” on following in brother Jude’s footsteps after joining Borussia Dortmund in the summer. Jobe Bellingham, 19, is two years younger than Jude Bellingham, who joined Real Madrid in 2023 after three years at Dortmund. A centerpiece of the England national team, Jude Bellingham has emerged as one of the best players in the world in recent seasons. The younger Jobe Bellingham joined Dortmund in June from Sunderland after their promotion to the English Premier League. He admitted he understood what the perception would be ahead of the move to Germany. “It’s something you do think about.
Before Tuesday’s 7-2 win at the Atlanta Braves, Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy suggested “most people couldn’t tell you five players on our team.” A look at the standings would indicate more Brewers players soon will be recognized by more fans. After all, it is difficult to overlook a team that not only continues to extend their lead in the National League Central, but also boasts the best record in the majors. “What we’re doing in here right now is special,” right-handed pitcher Freddy Peralta said after allowing only four hits and one run in five innings, while setting a career high with
Carlos Alcaraz on Sunday fought through a second-set slump to post a roller-coaster 6-1, 2-6, 6-3 victory over Damir Dzumhur in his opening match at the Cincinnati Open. The Spaniard, playing his first tournament since losing to Jannik Sinner in the Wimbledon final, raced through the first set, but completely lost his way in the second, dropping his serve twice against the 33-year-old Bosnian. Alcaraz regained his intensity and cut down his errors in the third set as a seventh ace took him to a match point that was converted when Dzumhur fired wide. “It was just a roller coaster,” said the second
A baseball team from New Taipei City won the US Pony Palomino Division World Series yesterday in Laredo, Texas, defeating the US West representative team from Azusa, California, 2-1. Ku-Pao Home Economics and Commercial High School earned the right to represent Taiwan in the Pony Palomino (17 to 18 age group) World Series after winning this year's Wang Chen-chih Cup, a competition named after Taiwanese-Japanese baseball legend Wang Chen-chih (王貞治), also known as Sadaharu Oh. In the championship game against Azusa, Ku-Pao's starting pitcher Luo Yu-yan (羅于晏) was erratic early, giving up two hits in the bottom of the first inning, followed
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