■ Soccer
Reggae Boyz must improve
Bora Milutinovic, the new coach of Jamaica's Reggae Boyz, said the squad would need to study its sport more thoroughly if they expected to qualify for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. "They have the speed and the talent but we've got to work on the mental part of their game," the Serbian-born Milutinovic said on Thursday. Milutinovic said he would be evaluating overseas players and hoped to schedule more friendlies. The Jamaica Football Federation last month contracted the 62-year-old Milutinovic, the only man to coach five different teams at the World Cup, to a four-year deal which will pay him US$1 million a year.
■ Cricket
Sangakkara spurs recovery
An unbeaten century by batting machine Kumar Sangakkara helped Sri Lanka overcome an atrocious start to take first-day honors in the second cricket Test against New Zealand in Wellington yesterday. A determined Sangakkara was at his majestic best as he produced a near flawless 156 not out while wickets tumbled around him, with Sri Lanka all out for 268 and New Zealand 66 for four in reply at stumps. In a frenetic day fourteen wickets fell including six ducks. In a repeat of the opening stanza in the first Test, Mahela Jayawardene again won the toss, chose to bat, and was let down by his openers.
■ Rugby Union
Four Wallabies cut
Prop Al Baxter and hooker Tai McIssac were among four rugby players who toured Europe with the Wallabies last month and were cut yesterday from a 45-man Australian Rugby World Cup train-on squad. Center Gene Fairbanks and loose forward Scott Fava also missed the list to attend a three-day camp early next month at the Australian Institute of Sport. Queensland Reds flyhalf Berrick Barnes, Reds prop Ben Coutts and ACT Brumbies flanker Julian Salvi were the only players named in the squad who have yet to wear the Wallabies jersey. Several players who missed the European tour -- including Greg Holmes, Jeremy Paul, Adam Freier, Al Kanaar, Daniel Heenan, David Croft, Sam Cordingley and Digby Ioane -- have won back squad places.
■ Soccer
Zidane cheered in Algeria
Zinedine Zidane performed a ceremonial kickoff at an Algerian league match on Thursday, and pledged to help advise Algerian soccer teams. In chilling rain, thousands of fans cheered as the three-time FIFA player of the year took the field with the Algerian sports minister and the president of the Algerian Soccer Federation before a match between USM Algiers and JSM Bejaia. Zidane is in Algeria, the birthplace of his parents, for the first time in 20 years on an invitation from Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika. His visit has been a major event.
■ Soccer
Nedved's ban appealed
Juventus will appeal midfielder Pavel Nedved's five-match ban after a soccer disciplinary board upheld a ruling by the Italian league. "We were hoping for a reduction of the ban, which we continue to regard as excessive. For this reason we have further decided to appeal to the Federal Appeals Court," Juventus director of sport Alessio Secco said on Thursday. The disciplinary board upheld last week's ruling that Nedved had deliberately stepped on an opponent in the closing minutes of Juventus' 1-1 draw with Genoa two weeks ago.
■ Baskeball
Home beckons for Hornets
Hornets owner George Shinn is now leaning toward playing a full home schedule in New Orleans, backing away from the idea of asking the NBA's permission to play some home games in Oklahoma City next season. "Probably the best thing to do is give it a 100 percent chance here and if it doesn't work it doesn't work. And if it works, God bless us," Shinn said on Thursday. "We're going to need a lot of help. I know it's not going to be easy, but we're going to give it our best shot."
■ Soccer
RFK to host MLS Cup
Aging RFK Stadium was chosen to host next year's MLS Cup, becoming the first arena to stage Major League Soccer's title game three times. The championship will be played on Nov. 18. RFK Stadium, which opened in 1961, also hosted the MLS Cup in 1997 -- won by DC United, still the only team to capture the title on home turf -- and in 2000. "Once you're in the seats in RFK Stadium and the stands start bouncing and the noise starts, you can't hear yourself think," DC United president and CEO Kevin Payne said.
■ Baseball
Iwamura nears Rays deal
The Devil Rays were closing in on an agreement with Japanese star infielder Akinori Iwamura and were likely to finalize a deal yesterday in what would be Tampa Bay's first major move of the offseason. The team submitted a winning bid of US$4.55 million for rights to negotiate with the six-time Gold Glove third baseman. Iwamura's agent, Alan Nero, said the two sides were "very close" and was optimistic a deal will be struck. Iwamura has already taken a physical.
■ Alpine Skiing
Miller pans hotel rule
Bode Miller is frustrated with the US Ski Team's new rules that prevent him from sleeping in his personal trailer as he prepares for World Cup races in Val Gardena, where he's never won. The team is requiring skiers to sleep in the team hotel rather than personal trailers. The rule appears designed to rein in Miller, who left the Turin Olympics last winter with no medals but plenty of criticism for his late-night partying. "It's a pain. It's obviously a lot less convenient," Miller said on Thursday while walked back to his RV after finishing eighth in a downhill training run.
■ NFL
Bears tackle arrested
Chicago Bears tackle Terry Johnson was arrested on Thursday on six firearms charges after a six-week police investigation led to a search of his home. A news release from the Chicago police department said Johnson was arrested and charged with six counts of unlawful possession of a firearm. Johnson, 25, was released after posting a US$100 bond and is scheduled to appear in court Jan. 9, the statement said. A search warrant for Johnson's residence was executed after a six-week investigation by Gurnee Police, the release said.
American rugby sevens star Ilona Maher is to join 15-a-side club Bristol next month in a bid to play in next year’s Women’s Rugby World Cup, the English club announced on Monday. Maher, 28, helped the US to a bronze medal at this summer’s Olympic Games in Paris and is the seven-a-side sport’s most popular player on social media. “This is a huge coup to be able to bring Ilona Maher to Bristol Bears on a short-term deal,” Bristol head coach Dave Ward said. “She is one of the biggest names in women’s sport, let alone rugby, and we believe she will
Major League Baseball (MLB) star Shohei Ohtani wants his former interpreter to hand over hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of baseball cards he says were fraudulently bought using his money. The Los Angeles Dodgers star is also requesting Ippei Mizuhara, who previously pleaded guilty to bank and tax fraud for stealing nearly US$17 million from the unsuspecting athlete, return signed collectible baseball cards depicting Ohtani that were in Mizuhara’s “unauthorized and wrongful possession,” court documents filed on Tuesday said. The legal filing alleges Mizuhara accessed Ohtani’s bank account beginning in about November 2021, changing his security protocols so that he
US skier Mikaela Shiffrin said she sustained an abrasion on her left hip and that something “stabbed” her when she crashed during her second run of an Audi FIS Ski World Cup giant slalom race on Saturday, doing a flip and sliding into the protective fencing. Shiffrin stayed down on the edge of the course for quite some time as the ski patrol attended to her. She was taken off the hill on a sled and waved to the cheering crowd before going to a clinic for evaluation. “Not really too much cause for concern at this point, I just
CLASH OF MANAGERS: Brighton’s Fabian Hurzeler and Russell Martin of Southampton accused each other of disrespect, while both were booked Southampton on Friday were denied a priceless victory by a controversial decision as they drew with hosts Brighton & Hove Albion 1-1 in the Premier League. Kaoru Mitoma spectacularly headed Brighton into a first-half lead and Flynn Downes hammered home an equalizer an hour in. Minutes later teammate Cameron Archer converted a cross from Saints substitute Ryan Fraser. A video assistant referee check of more than four minutes eventually decided that Archer was onside, but then penalized Adam Armstrong, who was offside, but did not touch the ball, for interfering with goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen. “I find it hard to accept,” Southampton manager Russell Martin
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