■ Soccer
Mpenza let go by Schalke
Schalke has released Belgian international striker Emile Mpenza, who is returning to his previous club Standard Liege, the Bundesliga club said Friday. "Emile told us that he didn't want to play for Schalke anymore. We have no use for such people," Schalke manager Rudi Assauer said in a report posted on the club's Web site. Mpenza scored 28 goals in 79 games for Schalke, but had a troublesome relations with the German club and its managers. Club officials often questioned his professional attitude.
■ Rugby
Kempson to miss Cup
Springbok prop Robbie Kempson was ruled out of the Rugby World Cup because of an elbow injury Friday, a day before the South Africa squad was to be named. It is the second straight World Cup Kempson will miss because of surgery. He missed the 1999 Cup after a hernia operation. Kempson will undergo an operation on Tuesday to repair a nerve injury in his left elbow, which flared during a training camp. He will be out for at least three months. The World Cup starts in six weeks. Friday marked the end of Kempson's four-week suspension for a high, late tackle against Australia in the Tri-Nations.
■ Soccer
Manchester City gets Reyna
US soccer captain Claudio Reyna signed for Manchester City Friday in a ?2.5 million (US$3.92 million) three-year deal. Reyna, 30, leaves relegated Sunderland where he had been since December 2001. He only played a handful of games for the club last season before damaging knee ligaments last October which required surgery and a lengthy layoff. He's unlikely to feature in the Manchester City's match against Arsenal today.
While British star Jack Draper spent the past week trying to find rhythm and comfort in his first grass tournament of the season at the Queen’s Club Championships in London, Jiri Lehecka on Saturday bulldozed everything in his path. After more than two furious hours of battle, their form was reflected in the final scoreline as Lehecka toppled a frustrated Draper, the second seed, 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 to reach the biggest final of his career, against Carlos Alcaraz. Lehecka is also the first Czech to reach the men’s title match at Queen’s since Ivan Lendl lifted the trophy in 1990. Draper, who
Top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka staged a “crazy comeback,” saving four match points before beating Elena Rybakina 7-6 (6), 3-6, 7-6 (6) in the quarter-finals of the Berlin Open on Friday. Sabalenka was 6-2 down in the final-set tie-breaker, but won six straight points to reach her eighth semi-final of the season. “Elena is a great player and we’ve had a lot of tough battles,” Sabalenka said. “I have no idea how I was able to win those last points. I think I just got lucky.” “I remember a long time ago when I was just starting, I won a lot of matches being down
The Canterbury Crusaders edged the Waikato Chiefs 16-12 in an intense Super Rugby Pacific final battle in Christchurch yesterday to claim their 15th title in 30 years of the Southern Hemisphere competition. Hooker Codie Taylor scored a try and Rivez Reihana contributed 11 points from the kicking tee as the most dominant team in Super Rugby history extended their perfect home playoff record to 32 successive matches since 1998. The Chiefs, who were looking for a first title since 2013, scored first-half tries through George Dyer and Shaun Stevenson, but were unable to register a point after the break and fell to
REUNION: Former Barcelona players Luis Suarez, Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba and Miami coach Javier Mascherano are to face their former coach Luis Enrique Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi faces a tantalizing reunion with former club Paris Saint-Germain in the FIFA Club World Cup last 16 after both sides on Monday progressed to the knockout phase. Miami drew 2-2 with Palmeiras to go through second in Group A, after the Brazilian side fought back from two goals down to seal top spot. They now face an all-Brazil clash against Botafogo, who lost 1-0 to Atletico Madrid, but progressed from Group B in second at the expense of the Spaniards. Champions of Europe PSG won the group with a 2-0 victory over Seattle Sounders, paving the
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