■MEXICO
Players looking for Cup win
Mexico’s players are united in their belief that the team must win next month’s Gold Cup in the US to win back the respect of fans after coach Javier Aguirre named his 23-man squad for the tournament on Sunday. Aguirre’s squad for friendlies in the US against Venezuela on June 24 and Guatemala four days later, as well as the July 3 to July 26 Gold Cup has a strong local feel, with only England-based Carlos Vela and Giovani dos Santos not playing for Mexican clubs. “It’s our obligation, without doubt, to think of winning it [the Gold Cup] to recover the respect and confidence of the people, so they believe again in the national team,” defender Ismael Rodriguez told a news conference.
■SOUTH AFRICA
Brazilians robbed at Cup
Brazil became the second nation at the Confederations Cup to say it has been robbed. Brazil coach Dunga said on Sunday members of the team’s delegation were robbed at the hotel they are staying in. Dunga did not elaborate, but team spokesman Rodrigo Paiva said “a jacket and some money” disappeared from some of the rooms at the Centurion Lake hotel, just outside Pretoria. They think it happened when the team went to a safari on Friday and Paiva said Brazil contacted authorities about the incident. Paiva said two rooms were apparently robbed, including that of fullback Kleber and a team physiotherapist. They don’t think anything was taken from other players and team members. The alleged robbery comes just days after five Egyptian players said their Johannesburg hotel rooms were burgled while they were beating Italy on Thursday at Ellis Park.
■SPAIN
Laporta wants Eto’o to stay
Barcelona president Joan Laporta said on Sunday he hoped Samuel Eto’o would see out the rest of his career at the club despite interest in the Cameroon striker from major European clubs. Eto’o “is the best striker in the world, highly valued in the market. It would be nice if he could finish his career at Barca,” Laporta said. “Eto’o’s contract ends next season and that requires us to sit and talk. The club wants him to continue for many more years, always in line with our wage structure,” he was quoted as saying on the club’s Web site. Eto’o was Barcelona’s top scorer in the league last season with 30 goals and helped them win a unique treble of league, Spanish cup and European Champions League trophies.
■ITALY
Milan open to offers for Pirlo
AC Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi has said the Serie A club is open to offers for Italy midfielder Andrea Pirlo. “If there’s an offer, it should be considered,” Berlusconi was quoted as saying by yesterday’s La Gazzetta dello Sport when asked about Pirlo, amid speculation he could join former Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti at Chelsea. “We’ll see. I was the first to say that he must stay, but then they showed me the sums [for his salary],” Berlusconi said.
■AUSTRALIA
Anderson to join Gold Coast
Former Brazilian youth international Anderson Alves da Silva has joined A-League side Gold Coast United on a short-term contract to cover for injured compatriot Jefferson, the club said yesterday. Jefferson tore his knee cartilage in training last week and that is likely to keep the midfielder out for three to four months. Anderson, a Brazilian under-17 and under-20 international, who spent four years with Flamengo, is set to join his new teammates in Singapore next week.
MARRED FINAL: As most of Senegalese players walked off the pitch after a controversial decision, some supporters threw objects and attempted to get onto the pitch Senegal on Sunday won the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) as Pape Gueye’s extra-time winner sunk hosts Morocco 1-0 after a chaotic final that saw the eventual champions storm off the pitch late in the game. Brahim Diaz could have won the trophy for Morocco with a controversial spot-kick in the 24th minute of added time at the end of normal time as ugly scenes broke out in the stands. However, Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy easily saved the weak attempted “Panenka” chip by the Real Madrid winger, who was clearly distracted by the long delay that followed the penalty award.
James Harden on Friday scored 31 points and came up big in overtime to help the Los Angeles Clippers erase a double-digit deficit on the way to a 121-117 NBA victory over the Toronto Raptors. Harden scored 16 points in the fourth quarter and overtime as the Clippers pushed their wining steak to five games despite the absence of star Kawhi Leonard with a sprained right ankle. The Clippers trailed by 11 entering the fourth quarter, but Harden drilled a pair of free-throws with 1:24 left in regulation to tie it and after misses from both teams, they went to
Qatar’s Nasser al-Attiyah on Saturday secured his sixth Dakar Rally car title in Saudi Arabia with Luciano Benavides scraping home by two seconds to claim the motorbike title. “We’ve worked very hard since last year. I might not be showing much emotion yet, but it’s there, deep down. We are so happy to win,” al-Attiyah said at the finish. Al-Attiyah, at the wheel of a Dacia, only had to avoid a final day slip-up to top the podium after bringing his career tally of stage wins to 50 on Friday. The 55-year-old, who took clay pigeon shooting bronze at the
Tobias Harris on Monday scored 25 points as the Detroit Pistons held off the Boston Celtics to score a 104-103 victory in their top-of-the-table Eastern Conference showdown. Harris was one of four Detroit players to finish in double figures, with Jalen Duren adding 18 points and point guard Cade Cunningham scoring 16 points with 14 assists. The win sees Detroit extend their lead at the top of the Eastern Conference to 31-10, 5.5 games ahead of second-placed Boston, who fell to 26-16 with the defeat. Jaylen Brown led the Celtics scoring with 32 points and almost snatched victory in the
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