■ARGENTINA
Banfield win first title
Banfield won their first league title despite a 2-0 defeat at Boca Juniors on the final day of the season on Sunday. Argentina striker Martin Palermo ended a run of eight matches without a goal by netting twice for Boca. Newell’s Old Boys, Banfield’s only remaining challengers who began the day two points behind, also lost 2-0 at home to San Lorenzo, for whom Fabian Bordagaray struck twice. At Boca’s Bombonera ground, Palermo converted a sixth-minute penalty to the joy of Newell’s fans in the Rosario 350km north of the capital. Newell’s goalkeeper Sebastian Peratta then saved an early penalty from former Argentina winger Kily Gonzalez, only for Bordagaray to put San Lorenzo in front in the 10th minute with a shot into the top corner that raised a cheer from Banfield fans down in Buenos Aires. Palermo grabbed his second for Boca on the hour from defender Gabriel Paletta’s downward header following leftback Claudio Morel’s cross.
■NETHERLANDS
Utrecht held by Arnhem
FC Utrecht lost ground on the pacesetters in the league when they were held to a 2-2 draw by Vitesse Arnhem on Sunday, as the top four teams all won earlier in the weekend. Fifth-placed Utrecht next meet league leaders FC Twente in their final match before the winter break. Twente scored three times in the second half on Saturday to beat NAC Breda 3-1 and seal their 12th straight win to lead the league with 47 points, two ahead of PSV Eindhoven. PSV beat defending champions AZ Alkmaar 1-0 in Eindhoven on Saturday, with Ola Toivonen heading in the only goal four minutes before the end of the game. Third placed Ajax beat NEC Nijmegen 3-0 on Friday. Also on Saturday it was VVV-Venlo 3, RKC Waalwijk 0 and SC Heerenveen 0, Feyenoord 2. On Sunday it was Willem II 1, Roda JC 3; ADO The Hague 1, Heracles Almelo 4; and Sparta Rotterdam 2, FC Groningen 4.
■GREECE
Olympiakos stay on top
Olympiakos kept their one-point lead over Panathinaikos at the top of the Greek Super League on Sunday courtesy of a 3-0 home win over bottom club Panthrakikos. Luciano Galletti set Zico’s team on their way with a 37th-minute opener. Brazilian midfielder Dudu scored either side of halftime to complete a resounding victory that moved the Reds on to 36 points after 14 matches. Panthrakikos have just two points following 12 defeats and two draws. New Panathinaikos coach Nikos Nioplias got his reign off to a winning start at Iraklis on Saturday, with Sotiris Ninis scoring the only goal of the game in the 73rd minute. In Thessaloniki, Hector Cuper, the former Valencia coach, was left labeling Aris’ 1-0 home defeat by Asteras Tripolis “a disgrace.” Nigerian Shaloze Udoji Chigozie scored the only goal in the 12th minute and the defeat left Aris down in eighth spot.
■PORTUGAL
Porto close on leaders
FC Porto beat last-placed Setubal 2-0 on Sunday to close in on the Portuguese league leaders, as Braga blew a chance to move clear at the top with a 0-0 draw against mid-table Naval. League leaders Benfica, who drew 2-2 at Olhanense on Saturday, and Braga both have 30 points. Four-time defending champions Porto have 29 points after Ernesto Farias and Silvestre Varela scored within two minutes of each other in the first half. Also on Sunday, Rio Ave beat Maritimo 1-0 and Academica were 2-0 winners over Leixoes. Sporting fell to a 1-0 loss to Leiria on Saturday.
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
Roger Federer on Wednesday said that staying involved with tennis in retirement helped him avoid feeling “like an alien” ahead of this week’s Laver Cup in Berlin. Federer, who helped create the tournament, retired at the Laver Cup in London two years ago and has since stayed involved with the competition as an ambassador. “I’m happy I went back right away to some tournaments,” the 43-year-old told reporters. “I feel I ripped the Band-Aid off quite quickly and when I walk around the tennis sites I still feel I belong there,” he said. “I don’t feel like an alien, which is 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