■ENGLAND
Magpies extend their lead
Championship leaders Newcastle United extended their lead at the top of the table on Saturday after a 3-0 victory over Preston North End at St James’ Park. The Magpies are now five points clear of second-placed Nottingham Forest. Denmark forward Peter Lovenkrands — who has shown great form and courage since his father died earlier this year — set the tone with a fortunate third-minute strike, before former Bolton Wanderers midfielder Kevin Nolan extended Newcastle’s advantage 10 minutes after halftime. The win was rounded off in stoppage-time when substitute Ryan Taylor converted Fabrice Pancrate’s cross. Forest kept themselves in touch and leapfrogged into the second automatic promotion place after a hard fought 1-0 win against Middlesbrough at the City Ground. Gordon Strachan’s Boro offered stiff resistance, before finally being undone by Chris Cohen’s sweet strike in the 75th minute. The victory was Forest’s ninth straight home league win, a club record. Swansea City consolidated their play-off position by beating Derby County 1-0 in a stormy encounter at Pride Park, which featured police coming onto the pitch to separate brawling players from both teams. Cardiff City did themselves no favors in their chase of the top two after losing 2-0 at home to Barnsley. The final play-off spot is occupied by Leicester City, although their cushion has been reduced after they could only muster a 1-1 draw away at relegation-threatened Plymouth Argyle.
■SOUTH AFRICA
Cup ticket prices slashed
FIFA said on Saturday it has increased the number of cheap World Cup tickets to get more South Africans into stadiums at Africa’s first World Cup during June and July. The Johannesburg Saturday Star reported that FIFA slashed the price of at least 30 percent of category 2 and 3 tickets, which cost up to 840 rand (US$110), to 140 rand. “We made clear right from the start of ticketing that we aim to increase the number of cat [category] 4 tickets to up to 20 percent,” FIFA said in a statement on Saturday. “This does not affect the already sold tickets.” FIFA secretary-general Jerome Valcke said this week that the governing body was targeting 20 percent ticket sales to South Africans. “We will increase the number of category four tickets because we cannot have a situation where the FIFA World Cup is in South Africa and people cannot see matches,” Valcke said.
■AUSTRALIA
Socceroos to face All Whites
Australia will play fellow World Cup qualifiers New Zealand in their farewell home match in May before heading off to the World Cup in South Africa, Football Federation Australia (FFA) said yesterday. The Socceroos, who are grouped with Germany, Ghana and Serbia, take on the All Whites at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on May 24. The FFA said a full-strength Socceroos squad was expected to be chosen, including European-based stars, captain Lucas Neill, Tim Cahill, Harry Kewell and Mark Schwarzer.
■JAPAN
Nakamura returning home
The Yokohama F Marinos have reached an agreement to sign Espanyol’s Shunsuke Nakamura on a full transfer. Yokohama president Akira Kaetsu spoke with Nakamura’s agent via the telephone on Saturday and the two agreed terms on a multi-year deal that would see the midfielder return to his former team, the Nikkansports newspaper reported yesterday. Nakamura could sign in the next week, in time for Yokohama’s J-League opener on March 6, the report said.
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