SOCCER
Milik gets Bundesliga goal
Substitute Arkadiusz Milik scored his first Bundesliga goal in the 88th minute to earn Augsburg a 2-2 draw at home with Borussia Moenchengladbach, who took a 2-1 lead when another substitute, Branimir Hrgota, scored in the 71st, only four minutes after coming on. However, Milik connected on a deflected cross from Andre Hahn at the far post to level the scores. Both teams had early chances. Augsburg’s Halil Altintop shaved the post and Moenchengladbach’s Juan Arango shook the crossbar before Augsburg went ahead in the 27th when Hahn collected a through ball and shot inside the far post. Max Kruse equalized when he collected a pass on the edge of the area, faked a defender and slotted into the corner of the net in the 33rd.
SOCCER
Malaga still unbeaten
A spectacular equalizer by Bartlomiej Pawlowski extended Malaga’s unbeaten sequence in La Liga to five games as they hit back to draw 2-2 at Real Valladolid on Friday. The 20-year-old Pole took a cross on his chest in the 76th minute before swiveling in mid-air to smash the ball into the net with his left foot. Pawlowski’s goal helped Malaga move up to seventh in the table with nine points. Valladolid are 13th with six points. Malaga went ahead on Friday when Roque Santa Cruz converted a neat pass from Fernando Tissone in the 23rd minute. Javi Guerra leveled for Valladolid 11 minutes into the second half, nodding his third league goal of the season after good work by Patrick Ebert. The home team went 2-1 up with another header eight minutes later from Colombian striker Humberto Osorio.
RUGBY UNION
Stade Francais go top
Stade Francais took top spot in France on Friday with an 18-11 win over Montpellier as the Paris giants confirmed their status as a rejuvenated force this season. Stade scored two tries, one in each half, to claim a sixth win in eight games and open a four-point lead over European champions Toulon, in second place, and Montpellier, who are third. The capital city side, reborn under new coach Gonzalo Quesada, have endured a lean time in France in the last four seasons, finishing in eighth, 11th, seventh and 10th place. However, last weekend, Stade moved into second spot after ending promoted Oyonnax’s 22-month undefeated home run with a 16-15 win. Montpellier, meanwhile, had shocked European Cup runners-up Clermont 43-3, with scrumhalf Jonathan Pelissie contributing 31 points.
RUGBY UNION
Burger returns to action
Springbok Schalk Burger returned to action on Friday after a long lay-off as the Sharks and Western Province secured South African Currie Cup semi-finals places. The flanker and 2007 World Cup winner came off the Province bench on the hour in a thrilling 29-27 triumph at Cheetahs, while the Sharks won 31-25 at the Lions. It was Burger’s first appearance for the Cape Town outfit since injuring a knee 18 months ago in the opening round of last year’s Super Rugby competition. Capped 68 times by South Africa, Burger, 30, had his comeback delayed through a calf muscle injury, a cyst pressing on his spine and bacterial meningitis. The illness kept the 2004 World Player of the Year in hospital for six weeks and he spent a further eight weeks indoors after being released. Burger ran on to huge applause from the Free State Stadium crowd in central city Bloemfontein and helped Province transform an eight-point deficit into a last-gasp win.
BASKETBALL
WNBA players fouled for kiss
Diana Taurasi and Seimone Augustus became the first WNBA players to receive double technical fouls after kissing during a basketball playoff contest on Thursday. Phoenix Mercury’s Taurasi, who is one of the most-penalized players in the league, showed her softer side on Thursday, when she kissed Minnesota Lynx player Augustus after the pair got tangled up in the opening game of the WNBA Western Conference finals. The two league all-stars, who have been playing against each other for years and were teammates on the US women’s national team, appeared to be exchanging some heated words. However, before officials could separate Taurasi and Augustus, Taurasi planted a kiss on her opponent. “As far as me and Diana and the tango dance that we had, I always say she just wanted some of my deliciousness,” Augustus said after her team’s 85-62 win. “I was just trying to make sweet love,” Taurasi said.
FOOTBALL
London calling for NFL
Two winless NFL teams, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Minnesota Vikings, will meet today at Wembley Stadium in the first of two regular-season football games in London. The Steelers only departed on Thursday for the contest, leaving little time to adjust to the time change before facing the Vikings and star running back Adrian Peterson. “I think it’s good to get away,” Steelers safety Ryan Clark said. “I don’t think it will be a distraction in a bad way. I think it will be a distraction in a good way because it gets us away from every day hearing what’s going on with us.” Games in London have been so successful in the past six years that the NFL began a plan this year to play twice a year in England and is considering a possible third game in Britain starting next season. The Steelers have not started 0-4 since 1968 and only once in the current format has a team started with four losses and rallied to reach the playoffs. Pittsburgh have an expert on the London game experience in Zoltan Mesko, who was with New England when the Patriots routed St Louis 45-7 in last year’s game at Wembley.
CYCLING
Mahoric wins U-23 title
Slovenian Matej Mohoric continued his steady climb up the cycling hierarchy when he claimed the men’s under-23 crown at the world road race cycling championships in Italy on Friday. Mohoric, who won the junior title last year, is still only 18 years old, but held off the field to finish solo after 173.2km of racing. South African Louis Meintjes came in a few seconds behind, with Norwegian Sondre Enger finishing ahead of Caleb Ewan. Earlier, Denmark’s Amalie Dideriksen won the junior women’s title, capping a long breakaway with victory ahead of Russian Anastasiia Iakovenko and Ukranian Olena Demydova.
GOLF
McIlroy starts company
Rory McIlroy has set up his own company to run his business interests after terminating his contract with Dublin-based Horizon Sports Management, the golfer said on Friday. Both McIlroy and Horizon have called in lawyers to try to settle details of an acrimonious split that comes only two years after they began working together. The dispute follows a frustrating season in which the 24-year-old from Northern Ireland has struggled for form after switching to clubs supplied by Nike in one of the biggest sponsorship deals in sport. His new management company, Rory McIlroy Incorporated, will be headed by Donal Casey, an actuary who was already an adviser to the golfer.
US track and field athletes have about four dozen pieces to choose from when assembling their uniforms at the Olympics. The one grabbing the most attention is a high-cut leotard that barely covers the bikini line and has triggered debate between those who think it is sexist and others who say they do not need the Internet to make sure they have good uniforms. Among those critical or laughing at the uniforms included Paralympian Femita Ayanbeku, sprinter Britton Wilson and even athletes from other countries such as Britain’s Abigail Irozuru, who wrote on social media: “Was ANY female athlete consulted in
Four-time NBA all-star DeMarcus Cousins arrived in Taiwan with his family early yesterday to finish his renewed contract with the Taiwan Beer Leopards in the T1 League. Cousins initially played a four-game contract with the Leopards in January. On March 18, the Taoyuan-based team announced that Cousins had renewed his contract. “Hi what’s up Leopard fans, I’m back. I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to join the team,” Cousins said in a video posted on the Leopard’s Facebook page. “Most of all, can’t wait to see you guys, the fans, next weekend. So make sure you come out and support the Beer
Former US Masters champion Zach Johnson was left embarrassed after a foul-mouthed response to ironic cheers from spectators after a triple bogey at Augusta National on Friday. Johnson, the 2007 Masters winner, missed the cut after his three-over-par round of 75 left him on seven-over 151 for 36 holes, his six on the par-three 12th playing a big role in his downfall. Television footage showed Johnson reacting to sarcastic cheers and applause when he tapped in for the triple bogey by yelling: “Oh fuck off.” Such a response would be considered bad form in any golf tournament, but is particularly out of keeping
The sacred flame for the Paris Olympics was lit yesterday in Olympia, Greece, the birthplace of the ancient Games, in a ceremony inspired by antiquity and marked by messages of hope amid multiple global crises. “In ancient times, the Olympic Games brought together the Greek city states, even — and in particular — during times of war and conflict,” International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach said. “Today, the Olympic Games are the only event that brings the entire world together in peaceful competition. Then as now, the Olympic athletes are sending this powerful message — yes, it is possible to compete fiercely