UNITED STATES
Tim Cahill joining Red Bulls
Australia international Tim Cahill is poised to join the New York Red Bulls after Everton and the Major League Soccer team agreed a fee for the midfielder. “Everton have agreed with Major League Soccer that Tim Cahill can be transferred to the New York Red Bulls,” a statement on the club’s official Web site said on Monday. “Tim, 32, will move to the Red Bulls for a nominal fee, subject to agreeing personal terms and passing a medical. He will travel to the US in the next few days.” Cahill, who had two years left on his contract, joined the Toffees from Millwall in 2004, scoring 68 goals in 278 appearances.
ENGLAND
Barton trains with new boys
Controversial Queens Park Rangers midfielder Joey Barton is to train with Football League newcomers Fleetwood Town after being handed a 12-match suspension. Barton elbowed Carlos Tevez and kicked Sergio Aguero, before attempting to headbutt Vincent Kompany in the club’s 3-2 defeat to Manchester City on the final day of the Premier League season, but as his QPR teammates continue their pre-season preparations ahead of the new campaign, Barton will work on his fitness with the Lancashire club. The 29-year-old said, via Twitter, on Monday: “Looking forward to training with Fleetwood Town for the week. Will get a much needed sweat on ... Still have 3 years left at QPR. Exciting times for the club, which I intended to be a part of. Need to get some fitness in the meantime.”
ITALY
Milan to offer fans refunds
AC Milan said it would give refunds to disgruntled fans with season tickets following the departure of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva. The club made the offer in a statement on Monday after fans were left fuming at the star duo being sold, some even staging a mock funeral outside the club’s headquarters. A lawsuit has been filed arguing that some fans bought season tickets on the presumption the two players would be at the club. The club said the offer was made because of “the need for style, and love of the club toward its supporters and independent of any legal analysis.” Milan icons Alessandro Nesta, Clarence Seedorf, Gennaro Gattuso and Filippo Inzaghi also left the club after last season.
ITALY
Cuadrado loaned to ‘Viola’
Colombia international midfielder Juan Guillermo Cuadrado has been loaned by Udinese to Serie A rivals Fiorentina with an option to buy, the ANSA news agency reported on Monday. The 24-year-old, capped eight times for Colombia, passed a medical and was set to join his new team yesterday. He arrived in Udinese in 2009 from Independiente Medellin. Udinese loaned him last season to Lecce and he played 33 Serie A games, scoring three goals.
BELGIUM
Fulham sell Gecov to Gent
Fulham have sold Czech midfielder Marcel Gecov to Belgian club KAA Gent for an undisclosed fee, the Premier League side confirmed on Monday. “FFC would like to thank Marcel for his efforts during his time in SW6 and wishes him all the best for the future,” Fulham said in a statement.The 24-year-old joined the Cottagers from Czech side Slovan Liberec on a two-year deal last summer, but failed to make an impact in the first team.
OLYMPICS
Selsouli tests positive
Moroccan runner Mariem Alaoui Selsouli is reported to have tested positive for doping on the day she clocked a world season-leading time in the 1,500m, jeopardizing her place at the London Olympics. French sports daily L’Equipe said on Monday that the World Anti-Doping Agency-accredited laboratory in Paris found a banned diuretic in her urine sample taken on July 6. That day, Selsouli timed 3 minutes, 56.15 seconds at the Paris Diamond League meeting and became a medal favorite for the Olympic event. Athletics’ governing body, the IAAF, said on Monday that it “cannot confirm anything at this time” about the doping allegation. Selsouli finished serving a two-year ban in August last year for using EPO before the 2009 world championships. The 28-year-old runner could be banned for life if a second doping offense is proven. Selsouli’s sample contained traces of furosemide, L’Equipe reported. The substance is included on the WADA prohibited list, and can be used as a masking agent to disguise the presence of other performance-enhancing drugs.
RUGBY UNION
Kurtley Beale granted bail
Wallabies fullback Kurtley Beale was granted bail to attend mediation after appearing in court yesterday charged with common assault. The Melbourne Rebels star was allegedly involved in an altercation with a security guard after he and Wallabies teammate Quade Cooper were refused entry to a pub ahead of Australia’s first Test with Wales last month. During a brief mention of the matter in the Brisbane Magistrates Court, Beale’s lawyer Angelo Venardos told the judge his client and the alleged victim were attempting to resolve the matter out of court.
RUGBY UNION
Read out of semi-final
All Blacks backrower Keiran Read will miss the Canterbury Crusaders’ Super 15 rugby semi-final against the Waikato Chiefs in Wellington on Saturday because of a cracked rib. Read was hurt during the Crusaders’ match against the Chiefs in the second-to-last round of the regular season. An initial scan showed no sign of a fracture, but subsequent tests revealed the injury, which forced Read to miss last weekend’s playoffs match against the Bulls. Read says he hopes to recover to be available if the Crusaders make the final.
In his absence, All Blacks captain Richie McCaw will remain at No. 8.
ICE HOCKEY
Oilers sign Nail Yakupov
The Edmonton Oilers signed the top pick in this year’s NHL draft, Russian forward Nail Yakupov, on a three-year entry-level contract, the team said on Monday. The 18-year-old Yakupov had 31 goals and 38 assists in 42 games last season for the Ontario Hockey League’s Sarnia Sting and won a silver medal at this year’s world junior championship. Yakupov joins an Oilers that has not made the playoffs since losing in the Stanley Cup final in 2006 and finished last season with the second-worst record in the NHL.
TENNIS
Krunic upsets Hlavackova
Aleksandra Krunic of Serbia upset fourth-seeded Andrea Hlavackova of the Czech Republic 6-1, 6-7 (11), 6-4 in the first round of the Baku Cup on Monday. Third-seeded Mandy Minella advanced by beating Wang Qiang of China 6-2, 5-7, 6-3 in the hard-court event at Baku Tennis Academy. Tamarine Tanasurgarn of Thailand rallied to beat Varvara Flink of Russia 3-6, 6-3, 6-2.
OUT AGAINST INDONESIA: Taiwan reached the semi-finals at the tournament for the first time by defeating Denmark, with Chou Tien-chen beating Viktor Axelsen Taiwan yesterday crashed out of the Thomas Cup team competition in Chengdu, China, but achieved their best result at the top-tier badminton event by reaching the semi-finals. Indonesia were too good in the semis, winning 3-0 to advance to today’s final against China, who eliminated Malaysia 3-1. In the opening singles of the men’s team clash at the Hi-Tech Zone Sports Center Gymnasium 2, Anthony Ginting defeated Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen 21-18, 21-19 in 51 minutes, which put a huge hole in Taiwan’s aspirations to perhaps even make the final. In the men’s doubles, Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Ardianto downed Lee Yang and Wang
NO DOUBT: Spurs star Wembanyama was unanimously selected as NBA Rookie of the Year, winning all 99 votes to become the first Frenchman to capture the honor The Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night produced a dominant defensive display to seize a commanding 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven playoff series against the Denver Nuggets with a 106-80 road victory. The third-seeded Timberwolves harassed Denver relentlessly to claim a second straight win over the NBA champions as the series heads back to Minneapolis for Game 3 on Friday. Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards scored 27 points apiece, but the star of the show was Minnesota’s suffocating defensive effort, which knocked Denver out of their stride almost from the tip-off. The Timberwolves finished with 11 steals and 12 blocks, in sharp contrast to
Top-ranked Iga Swiatek on Saturday came through “the most intense and crazy final” she has ever contested to avenge her loss to Aryna Sabalenka in last year’s Madrid Open final with a grueling three hour, 11 minute victory in the Spanish capital. Coming back from 1-3 down in the decider and saving three match points in total, Swiatek claimed a 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (9/7) victory to secure the Madrid Open trophy for the first time. “Well, who is going to say now that women’s tennis is boring, right?” Swiatek said. Swiatek, who picked up the 20th title of her career, and ninth at
Playing soccer and competing for trophies is the best way that many transplanted Hong Kongers and Macanese have found to stay in touch, and to interact with Taiwanese society, said officials at the Taiwan-Hong Kong-Macau Football Friendship Cup, which was held on April 13. Twelve clubs, mostly of players and coaches originally from Hong Kong and Macau, took part in the tournament in New Taipei City. The event is sponsored by the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) and the Taiwan-Hong Kong Economic and Cultural Co-operation Council. Participating teams were from the wider Taipei area, Hsinchu, Taichung, Kaohsiung and other areas. They divided into two