Mon, Oct 23, 2006 page19

• Sports Briefs

  • AGENCIES
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  ■ Cricket
  Dress rehearsal planned

  Barbados will turn over a renovated Kensington Oval to cricket World Cup organizers on Feb. 17. That day will also be a dress rehearsal, Vancourt Rouse, chief operations officer of the Barbados organizing committee, said on Saturday. "We will be looking to fill the stadium to test our security and crowd control plans as well," he said. The cricket ground -- the oldest in the Caribbean -- will host the World Cup final on April 28. Kensington Oval, located in the heart of Bridgetown, is being renovated at a cost of US$67.5 million. The seating capacity will be almost doubled to accommodate 28,000 spectators. About 100,000 fans are expected in the region for the six-week tournament -- the first cricket World Cup ever held in the Caribbean.

  ■ Soccer

  Beckham on the bench

  David Beckham was included on Saturday in Real Madrid's squad for the weekend's league game against FC Barcelona after recovering from a left knee tendon injury. Beckham, who has failed to make Madrid's starting lineup in five of the past six games, was reportedly set for the bench again. Madrid coach Fabio Capello said on Saturday that Beckham remains in his plans. The former England captain has yet to agree a two-year contract extension even though his current deal expires in June. "If he extends his contract, I have no problem with it," Capello was quoted as saying by the Web site of sports daily Marca. "I have 20 squad members. I look at training and Beckham is training very well, but at the moment I have a different idea of the first team."

  ■ Soccer

  Contentious tie canceled

  Fears that the rivalry between Racing and Boca Juniors could lead to another outbreak of violence prompted the cancelation of yesterday's match in Buenos Aires. For the first time in Argentine history, Racing tried to make use of its legal right to forbid Boca Juniors' fan club, Doce, entry to its stadium. After a judge reversed the decision and said Doce must be admitted, officials refused to dispatch the 1,000 police offices that normally try to keep order during a match. The absence of police triggered an automatic cancellation of the game. Three people have died and numbers of people were injured in the rivalry between the two teams over the past 20 years. Racing's decision to bar entry to the Doce group was applauded around the country in the media and by other teams. The decision by the judge, who is a Boca Juniors fan, was widely criticized. Fan clubs in Argentina -- called Barrabrava -- reportedly have close ties to gangsters. The club presidents control the sale of drinks, food and souvenirs in the stadiums, and organize parking. The income is thrown into one pot after the game and divided with the police. In return, the police allegedly look the other way as rowdy fans enter the stadium.

  ■ Soccer
  DC United blanks Red Bulls

  Christian Gomez scored on a great give-and-go in the 77th minute to lead DC United over the New York Red Bulls 1-0 in the Major League Soccer playoffs on Saturday in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Also, FC Dallas defeated the Colorado Rapids 2-1. DC United, which has never lost a playoff game at home against the Red Bulls' franchise, can wrap up the two-leg series with a draw at RFK Stadium. Gomez dribbled down the middle of the field, passed to Jaime Moreno, who chipped the ball back, and Gomez's one-touch flick gently soared over the head of Red Bulls goalkeeper Jon Conway.

  ■ Basketball

  Kings' coach busted for DUI

  Eric Musselman, in his first season as coach of the Sacramento Kings, was arrested on a drunken driving charge early on Saturday, hours after his NBA team's exhibition victory over the Utah Jazz. He was released without bail from Sacramento County Main Jail at dawn, the Sacremento Sheriff's Department said. He was cited for misdemeanor driving under the influence. Musselman was pulled over at 2:15am, according to the arrest report. The 41-year-old coach failed three sobriety tests performed by the California Highway Patrol and had a blood-alcohol level of 0.11, the arrest report said. The legal limit is 0.08.

  ■ Golf

  Matteson leads Funai

  Troy Matteson birdied the last two holes and finished with a 7-under 65 and a one-shot lead at 19-under 197 after the third round of the Funai Classic at Disney in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, on Saturday. Joe Durant (64) was second at 18 under, one stroke ahead of second-round leader Justin Rose (72). Twenty others -- including Davis Love III, Mark Calcavecchia and Mike Weir -- were within six shots of the leader. Matteson, meanwhile, is starting to get accustomed to being on the leader board. The US PGA Tour rookie tied for eighth four weeks ago at the Southern Farm Bureau Classic, then had a sixth-place finish the following week in Greensboro.

  ■ Baseball

  Matsuzaka to sit out US tour

  Japanese star pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka has decided to sit out next month's US Major League Baseball exhibition tour of Japan. Matsuzaka, who is expected to sign with a major league team in the offseason, has said he will not be able to play for the Japanese select team because he wanted to focus on his conditioning, tour organizers said on Friday. Matsuzaka, who has drawn interest from several major league teams including the New York Yankees, finished the regular season this year with a career-high 17 wins against five losses. The 26-year-old right-hander posted a 2.13 earned run average and 200 strikeouts for the Seibu Lions this season.

  ■ Rowing

  Argentine wins Charles race

  Argentine rower Santiago Fernandez won the men's singles race in the 42nd annual Head of the Charles race on Saturday in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Fernandez finished the 4.8km course in 18 minutes and 40 seconds to beat two-time defending champion Mahe Drysdale of New Zealand by 16 seconds. Canadian Kevin Light finished third, 24 seconds behind Fernandez. "I was surprised," Fernandez said. "It's very strange to cross the finish line, and you don't know how you [finished]. Then you go down and they say, `You win,' and I couldn't believe it." France's Sophie Balmary won the women's singles.
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