■BRAZIL
Palmeiras win derby match
A hat-trick by Obina gave Palmeiras a 3-0 win in their Sao Paulo derby on Sunday against Corinthians, who lost Ronaldo with a suspected broken hand. Palmeiras joined Atletico Mineiro, shock 1-0 losers at home to Goias, at the top of the Brazilian championship standings with 28 points from 14 matches. Atletico lead by a difference of one goal. The two teams are four points ahead of Vitoria, who beat Coritiba 1-0 at home, and Internacional, who went down 3-2 away to Botafogo on Saturday. Palmeiras, unable to fly because of poor visibility on Saturday, had to make a 570km bus trip to the city of Presidente Prudente where the derby was played to avoid crowd trouble in Sao Paulo, but still turned in the better performance. Ronaldo, who fell badly on his left arm, had to leave the field after 20 minutes and Corinthians doctor Paulo de Faria said he had “a suspected fracture of the hand, he hurts a lot and cannot play.”
■BRAZIL
Romario facing jail term
Former Brazil striker Romario is appealing a tax evasion conviction that could keep him in prison for up to three-and-a-half years, Brazilian media reported on Sunday. Romario was convicted and sentenced on June 9 after accusations he evaded about US$500,000 in taxes when he played for Brazilian club Flamengo in 1996 and 1997, Globo’s G1 Web site reported. He allegedly did not declare his earnings in full at the time. The striker, who helped Brazil win the 1994 World Cup in the US, is likely to escape prison time, however, and the sentence could be transformed into community service after an appeal, G1 said, citing prosecutors. Less than two weeks ago, Romario was arrested in a child support case involving his first wife and spent a night in jail until reportedly paying what he owed.
■ENGLAND
Shearer still in the dark
Alan Shearer still has no idea whether he will be appointed permanent Newcastle United manager, only two weeks before the club begins life in the Championship (second division), the former England striker said on Sunday. Shearer took over as manager of the club for the last eight games of the Premier League season, but could not prevent their relegation. With owner Mike Ashley trying to sell the club, assistant manager Chris Hughton has taken charge of their pre-season friendlies, including a 6-1 defeat by League One (third division) Leyton Orient on Saturday. “I am the same as everyone else, I am in limbo — I don’t know what is going on,” Shearer told the BBC at a St James’ Park match to raise funds for former Newcastle and England manager Bobby Robson’s cancer charity. “I know as much as you. I would dearly love it to be sorted out one way or the other, then the club can move forward. Everyone is telling me there are people in to buy the club. If that is the case, then great. I’m a fan like everyone else and I don’t like to see the situation the club is in.”
■HONDURAS
Two fans shot dead
Two people were shot dead and more than 15 injured in Honduras on Sunday when fans of rival soccer teams clashed outside a stadium following a match, police said. Police arrested dozens when they moved in to quell the violence, which erupted after the two teams, Olimpia and Motagua, tied 0-0 in the Honduran capital, police spokesman Orlin Cerrato said. “There are two dead,” Cerrato told reporters, saying they had been shot. Honduras has been on edge since president Manuel Zelaya was ousted in a coup last month.
Shohei Ohtani and Clayton Kershaw on Friday joined their Los Angeles Dodgers teammates in sticking their fists out to show off their glittering World Series rings at a ceremony. “There’s just a lot of excitement, probably more than I can ever recall with the Dodger fan base and our players,” manager Dave Roberts said before Los Angeles rallied to beat the Detroit Tigers 8-5 in 10 innings. “What a way to cap off the first two days of celebrations,” Roberts said afterward. “By far the best opening week I’ve ever experienced. I just couldn’t have scripted it any better.” A choir in the
The famously raucous Hong Kong Sevens are to start today in a big test for a shiny new stadium at the heart of a major US$3.85 billion sports park in the territory. Officials are keeping their fingers crossed that the premier event in Hong Kong’s sporting and social calendar goes off without a hitch at the 50,000-seat Kai Tak Stadium. They hope to entice major European soccer teams to visit in the next few months, with reports in December last year saying that Liverpool were in talks about a pre-season tour. Coldplay are to perform there next month, all part of Hong Kong’s
Shohei Ohtani, Teoscar Hernandez and Tommy Edman on Thursday smashed home runs to give the reigning World Series champions the Los Angeles Dodgers a 5-4 victory over Detroit on the MLB’s opening day in the US. The Dodgers, who won two season-opening games in Tokyo last week, raised their championship banner on a day when 28 clubs launched the season in the US. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts shuffled his batting lineup with all four leadoff hitters finally healthy as Ohtani was followed by Mookie Betts, then Hernandez and Freddie Freeman in the cleanup spot, switching places with Hernandez. “There’s a Teoscar tax to
Marcus Rashford’s first goals for Aston Villa on Sunday inspired a 3-0 win against Preston North End that sent his side into the FA Cup semi-finals for the first time in 10 years. Rashford struck twice in the second half at Deepdale to end Preston’s stubborn resistance before Jacob Ramsey wrapped up Villa’s long-awaited return to the last four. Villa are to face Crystal Palace — 3-0 winners at Fulham on Saturday — in the semi-finals at Wembley Stadium in London. Revitalized since joining Villa on loan from Manchester United during the January transfer window, Rashford is beginning to show the form that
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