■ Brazil
Carlos to rejoin Santos
Veteran Brazil defender Antonio Carlos reached a deal to rejoin two-time Brazilian champion Santos next year. Antonio Carlos, who helped Brazil win the 1999 Copa America, was playing for first-division club Juventude. Details on the transfer were not disclosed. He will be reunited with former Real Madrid coach Vanderlei Luxemburgo. The 37-year-old defender and Luxemburgo won Brazilian league titles with Palmeiras in 1993 and 1994. "I'll stop playing soon and I hope to continue in the sport as a coach, so it will be very important to spend the next year observing coach Vanderlei closely," Antonio Carlos told the Gazeta Esportiva Web site on Sunday.
■ Spain
Real keen to offload Cassano
Real Madrid are keen to unload unwanted Italian striker Antonio Cassano. This was the news put out on Sunday on the digital version of sports daily Marca. According to Marca, Real sporting director Pedja Mijatovic has already told Cassano that he has "the green light to move on." Cassano, 24, has had frequent rows with compatriot coach Fabio Capello, who has largely left him on the subs' bench. Last month Cassano was suspended from the squad for criticizing Capello in the dressing-room, for not bringing him off the bench. Cassano will find it even harder to get on the field now that Ronaldo is finally fit again, and now that Real have signed teenage Argentine striker Gonzalo Higuain.
■ World Cup
FIFA has time to appeal
FIFA won't have to immediately obey a US court ruling in a dispute over World Cup sponsorship rights. FIFA has appealed a Dec. 7 ruling that said MasterCard was entitled to sponsor the 2010 and 2014 World Cups despite Visa signing a deal with effect from Jan. 1. FIFA said that the New York Southern District Court ruled last Friday that it didn't have to immediately grant an eight-year deal to MasterCard pending the appeal. "Neither MasterCard nor Visa may demand fulfillment of the sponsorship contract during the appeal procedure," FIFA said in a statement on Sunday. MasterCard, a New York-based company and the US' second-largest credit card brand behind Visa, said it extended a sponsorship deal with FIFA that had made it the exclusive payments sponsor for the 2006 World Cup in Germany.
■ England
Pardew to coach Charlton
Alan Pardew became Charlton's third coach this season after Les Reed left the Premier League club on Sunday. Pardew, who was fired on Dec. 11 as West Ham coach, signed a three-and-a-half year contract with Charlton. "Les Reed has left his position as Charlton's head coach by mutual consent," the club said in a statement on its Web site. "The club is making no further comment at this time, but will be holding a press conference on Boxing Day." Reed took over on Nov. 13 when Iain Dowie was fired after only 15 games in charge with the Addicks last in the standings. But Charlton won just once in Reed's eight games in charge and was knocked out in the quarterfinals of the League Cup by League Two club Wycombe last week. Dowie had been appointed before the season to replace Alan Curbishly, who is now coach of West Ham. Charlton is currently 19th in the standings, seven points behind 17th-place Blackburn.
■ Soccer
Zdenek Zeman fired
Zdenek Zeman was fired as Lecce coach and replaced by Giuseppe Papadopulo on Sunday. Papadopulo will take over the 14th-place Serie B club on Thursday, Lecce said on its Web site. Zeman made doping allegations against Juventus players when he coached AS Roma in 1998. They led to a judicial inquiry, but Juventus' team doctor and chief executive were acquitted of all charges last year.
■ Soccer
Police bust gambling ring
Police in southern Vietnam have detained 18 people and seized hundreds of thousands of dollars after busting one of the country's largest soccer betting rings, police said yesterday. Raids were conducted on 13 houses in Ho Chi Minh City on Sunday morning and around 7 billion dong (US$437,000) in betting money was found, said a city police officer on condition on anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media. The ring, which had been operating since last year and had connections with betting companies in Hong Kong and Macau, offered bets on European soccer matches, he said. Vietnam only allows betting on horse and dog racing in Ho Chi Minh City and the southern resort city of Vung Tau. Betting on soccer is illegal and carries a jail term of up to seven years. However, Vietnam is mulling a plan that would allow legal betting.
■ Sailing
Depression moves offshore
Tough but not dangerous conditions are expected to greet sailors in the annual Sydney to Hobart yacht race after the start this afternoon from Sydney Harbour. The "southerly buster" -- an intense depression forecast earlier in the week -- is now set to be further offshore from Sydney. As a result, the start will not be in a 30 knot (55.5kph) breeze as previously forecast, but in a more sedate 10 knots to 12 knots. Australian sailor Lou Abrahams will equal the late John Bennetto's milestone of 44 races.
■ Athletics
Sandie Richards retires
Jamaican 400m runner Sandie Richards announced her retirement on Sunday. Richards, who won gold at the 2001 world championships and bronze at the 2004 Athens Olympics in the 4x400m relay, wants to concentrate on coaching. "I've been toying with [retirement] for two years now," she said. "It's a hard thing to do, [but] my body couldn't handle the training anymore and I don't want to do anything else on the track internationally." The 38-year-old Richards competed at four Olympics. She also won the 400m at the 1993 and 2000 World Indoor Championships and at the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Malaysia.
■ Baseball
Brewers buy Suppan
The Milwaukee Brewers were among the last minute Christmas shoppers on Sunday, signing righthanded pitcher Jeff Suppan to a four-year deal worth US$42 million. The contract is the richest in the history of the Brewers franchise, reported MLB.com. Suppan, who helped the St Louis Cardinals to the World Series in October, winning the National League Championship Series MVP honors, is scheduled to undergo a physical next week. "We're jumping the gun a little bit, but we wanted to make an announcement before things leaked out," Brewers general manager Doug Melvin told MLB.com.
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Thanks to Italy beating Mexico on Wednesday, the US get another chance in the World Baseball Classic (WBC). What looked like a potentially disastrous early exit for US manager Mark DeRosa and his team turned out to be nothing more than substantial worry and significant embarrassment for about 24 hours. It remains to be seen whether the US really want to win badly enough for the reprieve to matter, as if it is just a switch they can flick, but there is little reason for their fans to be optimistic. The team’s attitude and behavior have been all over the place when
Ollie Watkins’ second-half header on Thursday gave Aston Villa a 1-0 win over Lille OSC in the first leg of their UEFA Europa League round-of-16 tie. Just past the hour mark, Ezri Konsa sent a deep pass that Emi Buendia headed to Watkins in the home team’s box. The England forward noticed goalkeeper Berke Ozer was off his line before sending a looping header over him and into the net. Minutes later, Watkins wasted a chance to double the advantage when he failed to score in a one-on-one with the ’keeper. Nottingham Forest were stunned 1-0 by Danish club Midtjylland, with substitute Cho
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