ENGLAND
Reds begin life without Luis
Liverpool started life without Luis Suarez on Wednesday with a 2-1 defeat against Danish side Brondby IF in the club’s opening pre-season friendly. Christian Norgaard gave the hosts the lead from a free-kick midway through the first half, before Liverpool’s Sweden international Kristoffer Peterson leveled early in the second half. Ferhan Hasani hit Brondby’s winner in stoppage-time. Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers shrugged off the loss in the team’s first game since Suarez’s move to Barcelona, preferring to concentrate on the challenges of the new Premier League season which starts on Aug. 16. “This year, we know it’s going to be extremely competitive. Every team will strengthen and we’ll be exactly the same, but the beauty for us is that we’re a young group and we’re bringing in young players that are hungry,” Rodgers said. Also on Wednesday, Chelsea defeated fourth-tier Wycombe Wanderers 5-0, with Patrick Bamford, Izzy Brown (2), John Terry and Branislav Ivanovic on the score sheet. In Austria, Crystal Palace enjoyed a 13-1 romp at Grazer AK, with Stephen Dobbie grabbing four goals, and Glenn Murray, Joe Ledley and Jonathan Williams all netting twice. Yannick Bolasie, Jerome Thomas and Marouane Chamakh finished off the rout.
ENGLAND
Magpies sign striker Riviere
French forward Emmanuel Riviere has joined Newcastle United from AS Monaco for an undisclosed fee, the Premier League club said. “This is an important signing because the striking area is one we really had to improve,” British media quoted Newcastle manager Alan Pardew as saying. “We have looked at Emmanuel for a while and we know he will score goals for us.” Newcastle did not disclose the length of the deal the Martinique-born 24-year-old signed. “When the club spoke to me I said yes immediately. It was an easy decision,” Riviere said. “My dream was always to play in the Premier League and Newcastle have given me the opportunity.”
ARGENTINA
Pope Francis sent shirt
The FIFA World Cup runners-up have sent their compatriot, Pope Francis, a die-hard soccer fan, a jersey signed by the team, midfielder Maximiliano Rodriguez said on Wednesday on Twitter. The player posted a picture of himself holding up the sky blue and white jersey alongside national hero Lionel Messi, winner of the Golden Ball for the best player at the tournament. “This is the present the team sent to our Pope Francis,” Rodriguez wrote. Francis is known as a card-carrying member of Argentine club San Lorenzo, but the Vatican’s chief of ceremonies, Guillermo Karcher, said the pope had refrained from watching Sunday’s final in Rio de Janeiro as “a matter of neutrality.”
UNITED STATES
All-Star lineup announced
Eight players who took part in the World Cup have been named in Major League Soccer’s All-Star team for an exhibition clash with German club Bayern Munich, the league said on Wednesday. The All-Star team is dominated by members of the US national team who reached the round-of-16 in Brazil before losing 2-1 to Belgium. US captain Clint Dempsey is joined by World Cup teammates Michael Bradley, Graham Zusi, Kyle Beckerman, Matt Besler, DeAndre Yedlin, Omar Gonzalez and Nick Rimando, while former US striker Landon Donovan, 1998 World Cup winner Thierry Henry and Nigeria’s Obafemi Martins complete the team. The game is scheduled for Aug. 6 in Portland, Oregon.
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
One of Malaysia’s top soccer clubs has pulled out of today’s season-opening Charity Shield after a spate of assaults, including an acid attack, on players in the country. It leaves the kickoff of Malaysia’s season this weekend under a cloud following the unprecedented acts of violence against players, which have left the country shocked and angry. Authorities said they have imposed tighter security, but Selangor said that they would not play in the showpiece curtain-raiser against Malaysian Super League champions Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) citing “a series of criminal incidents and recent threats.” Selangor and Malaysia winger Faisal Halim is in intensive care