■ Soccer
US to face England
The US national team will face England in an exhibition match at Wembley Stadium in London on May 28. The Americans will be making their first visit to England in 13 years before heading to Spain for another match in early June. The England contest will be the ninth career game between the two countries and will be played at the new 90,000 seat Wembley Stadium. It will serve as preparation for both teams as they gear up for the start of qualifying for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
■ Formula One
F1 returning to Beeb
The BBC has regained the British television rights to Formula One from rivals ITV in a deal starting next year, Formula One commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone announced on Thursday. The agreement will be seen as a coup for the public broadcaster, coming at a time when 23-year-old British driver Lewis Hamilton is leading the championship for McLaren after finishing last year as runner-up. ITV have broadcast the sport in Britain since the start of the 1997 season, when Britain's Damon Hill was Formula One champion. "I am delighted to conclude this new deal with the BBC," Ecclestone said in a statement issued by Formula One Management that gave no financial details.
■ Soccer
Van Nistelrooy has surgery
Real Madrid striker Ruud van Nistelrooy is expected to miss six weeks after having surgery on his injured right ankle on Wednesday. Van Nistelrooy traveled to a clinic in the Netherlands to have arthroscopic surgery in a bid to stop inflammation in the ankle joint, Real Madrid said in a statement on their Web site. The Netherlands striker could still return for the club's final four Spanish league matches, which include a home date against FC Barcelona. Van Nistelrooy is expected to be available for the European Championship in June.
■ Soccer
Amateurs beat Marseille
Amateur side Carquefou pulled off one of the biggest upsets in French Cup history late on Wednesday by defeating mighty Marseille 1-0 to reach the quarter-finals. Playing in Nantes' Beaujoire stadium as their own ground was too small, the winning goal came from veteran Senegalese international Papa N'Doye after just seven minutes. Marseille besieged the minnows' goal for the rest of the game but were unable to get the equalizer that would have saved them from humiliation. The fifth division side reached the quarter-finals for the first time in their history.
■ Soccer
Becks may not make team
David Beckham could struggle to force himself into the England team even if coach Fabio Capello recalls him for next week's friendly against France. Capello's assistant watched Beckham in preseason action for the Los Angeles Galaxy on Saturday to assess his fitness, suggesting that the former captain may be about to make his 100th appearance for his country. But Theo Walcott, Gabriel Agbonlahor and Aaron Lennon have all been left out of next week's under-21 friendly against Poland, suggesting that they could also figure when Capello announced his squad yesterday. Under-21 coach Stuart Pearce has already hinted that Capello may be about to draft in some young players. "You never know, there might be one or two names in Fabio's squad that make you sit up and listen," Pearce said.
■ SUMO
Raging Asashoryu stumbles
Mongolian grand champion Asashoryu was upset by Kotoshogiku at the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament yesterday, while fellow top ranker and compatriot Hakuho also lost. In the day's final bout at Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium, sekiwake Kotoshogiku handed Asashoryu his first loss after getting both hands on the belt of the Mongolian and forcing the grand champion out. Asashoryu dropped to 11-1, but still holds a one-win lead over Hakuho and lower-ranked wrestlers Baruto and Tochiozan with three days left in the tournament. Kotoshogiku improved to 6-6. Hakuho was handed his second loss of the 15-day tourney when he was slapped down by ozeki Chiyotaikai seconds after the faceoff. Chiyotaikai improved to 8-4 and wrapped up the winning record he needs to maintain his ozeki status for the next tournament.
■ TENNIS
Seles writing her memoirs
Tennis great Monica Seles is working on her memoirs. The book, currently untitled, will be published next year by Avery, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA). "I hope to share how I found balance, strength and happiness in my life after a rollercoaster ride of exhilarating accomplishment and sometimes overwhelming tragedy," she said in a statement on Wednesday. Seles, 34, won nine Grand Slams and as a teenager was the top-ranked women's player for three years. But she was also known for one of sport's most bizarre and terrifying incidents: In April 1993, at a tournament in Hamburg, Germany, she was stabbed in the back by a man who climbed out of the stands. Seles, who has struggled with weight problems, is currently a contestant on US TV's Dancing With the Stars.
■ BASEBALL
Bonds `not going to retire'
Controversial US career home run king Barry Bonds vows he will not retire at age 43 even though Major League Baseball clubs have shown no interest in him and a court hearing looms today. Bonds, whose feats were dogged by doping accusations, told the baseball league's Web site that he remains fit and ready should any team come calling even as baseball union leaders say they may look into why no clubs want Bonds. "I'm not going to retire. I don't think that's going to happen," Bonds said. "I'm working out. I'm training. If my phone rings, it rings. If it don't, it don't. I'll come back in July if I have to. It depends on the circumstances."
■ RUGBY UNION
O'Sullivan quits Ireland job
Eddie O'Sullivan resigned from the Ireland job on Wednesday, bringing an end to the reign of the country's most successful international coach. After six years in the job and winning three Triple Crowns, the 49-year-old Corkman stepped down following a disappointing Six Nations Championship that culminated in a 33-10 defeat to England on Saturday. After last year's disaster at the World Cup, commentators who had long criticized his conservative approach to team selection, tactics and coaching staff, believed a good Six Nations may be his only chance of staying in the job. O'Sullivan issued a brief statement, but made no mention of the terms of his severance. "At the conclusion of the Six Nations Championship and having given my role as national team head coach much consideration, I have come to the decision to step down," the statement said.
Freddie Freeman homered and drove in four runs, Shohei Ohtani also went deep and Roki Sasaki earned his first major league win as the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Atlanta Braves 10-3 on Saturday night for their seventh straight victory. The Dodgers have won the first two games of the series to improve to 5-0 against Atlanta this year. Los Angeles’ three-game sweep at home early in the season left the Braves 0-7. Sasaki allowed three runs and six hits over five innings. The 23-year-old right-hander gave up a home run to Ozzie Albies, but received plenty of offensive support in his
INTER AWAIT: Superb saves by PSG ’keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma inspired the victory, as Arsenal were punished for misses, including one by Bukayo Saka Arsenal on Wednesday fell short on the big stage again as their painful UEFA Champions League semi-final exit against Paris Saint-Germain left Mikel Arteta to rue his club’s failure to provide him with enough attacking options. Arteta’s side were unable to reach the Champions League final for the first time in 19 years as PSG clinched a tense 2-1 win at Parc des Princes. Trailing 1-0 from last week’s first leg in London, the Gunners made a blistering start to the second leg, but could not convert their chances as Gianluigi Donnarumma’s superb saves inspired PSG’s 3-1 aggregate victory. Arsenal were punished for
Bayern Munich on Sunday were crowned German champions for the 34th time, giving striker Harry Kane his first major trophy, after second-placed Bayer 04 Leverkusen drew 2-2 at SC Freiburg. Bayern’s 3-3 draw at RB Leipzig on Saturday, when the Bavarians came from two goals down to take the lead before conceding a stoppage-time equalizer, meant defending Bundesliga champions Leverkusen needed to win at Freiburg to delay the title party. Leverkusen were two goals down before scoring twice in the final 10 minutes, but Xabi Alonso’s side could not find a third, as Bayern reclaimed the title at the first attempt after
THRILLER: Raphinha gave Barca a 3-2 lead with two minutes remaining of regular time, but Francesco Acerbi equalized the game in the second minute of added time Davide Frattesi on Tuesday fired Inter into the UEFA Champions League final with an extra-time winner that gave the Italians a stunning 4-3 triumph over Barcelona, 7-6 on aggregate. Italy midfielder Frattesi won a tie for the ages under a downpour in Milan when he lashed home in the 99th minute, sending a packed and rocking San Siro wild with joy. Simone Inzaghi’s team will face either Arsenal or Paris Saint-Germain at the end of this month in Munich, Germany, where they would feel they have a great chance to be crowned kings of Europe for a fourth time after
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