■MALAYSIA
Chinese and Aussies fined
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has warned Australian and Chinese soccer authorities over their players’ bad behavior after fining them for a brawl at an under-19 women’s game this month. The AFC imposed fines totaling US$12,000 over the brawl at the AFC under-19 Women’s Championship match played in Wuhan, China, on Monday. Australia’s Jessica Seaman was suspended for four matches and fined US$3,000 after “she was found guilty of violating the AFC disciplinary code.” Seaman was sent off for violent conduct during the match, which China won 2-1. The Australian under-19 women’s team were fined a total of US$4,000 for disciplinary offenses, the AFC said. The China women’s under-19 team were fined US$2,000 for involvement in the post-match scuffle, while the Chinese FA was fined US$3,000 for failing to control spectators.
■PERU
Alianza held by Anzoategui
Alianza Atletico and Deportivo Anzoategui of Venezuela played out an uninspiring scoreless draw in the preliminary round of the Copa Sudamericana on Thursday. The return leg will be played in Venezuela on Sept. 15. Alianza had the better chances to break the deadlock in Peru, with the best opportunity falling to Israel Tordoya, who poked the ball wide in the 69th minute after Anzoategui goalkeeper Juan Burtovoy spilled a short corner. Both teams struggled to cope with the synthetic pitch at the largely empty Elias Aguirre Stadium in Chiclayo, northern Peru. The match was played in Chiclayo because Alianza’s home stadium 200km away in Sullana is too small to host Copa Sudamericana matches.
■ENGLAND
Hull sign Olofinjana, Altidore
Hull City signed Nigerian midfielder Seyi Olofinjana from fellow Premier League club Stoke City on Thursday. Olofinjana, who is believed to have cost £3 million (US$5 million), agreed on a four-year contract with Phil Brown’s Tigers after the 29-year-old turned down an approach from Monaco. Hull also signed US international Jozy Altidore, 19, on a season-long loan from Villarreal, subject to a work permit hearing on Monday, with a view to a permanent deal.
■GERMANY
Fans warned on swine flu
Soccer fans have been advised to tone down their goal celebrations to reduce the risk of catching swine flu. The warning came from Susanne Huggett, the director of a German laboratory who told Thursday’s Bild: “They [fans] shouldn’t shake someone’s hand, kiss or hug” when a goal is scored. “At a football stadium, people are seated very close together. If you find yourself next to someone who is coughing and sniffling all the time, you should think about switching places,” she said. “For the moment, we don’t feel any need to do anything in this area, but we are following developments very closely and we are in close contact with the authorities,” said Holger Hieronymus, director of the Bundesliga.
■ENGLAND
Tottenham sign Bassong
Tottenham Hotspur have signed Newcastle United defender Sebastien Bassong, the Premier League club said on its Web site on Thursday. The 23-year-old, who can play at fullback and centerback, joins a Spurs team depleted by injuries to central defenders Jonathan Woodgate and Michael Dawson, while long-suffering club captain Ledley King is also doubtful to start the season. The former France under-21 international is serving a two-match ban held over from last season.
College basketballer Kaitlyn Chen has become the first female player of Taiwanese descent to be drafted by a WNBA team, after the Golden State Valkyries selected her in the third and final round of the league’s draft on Monday. Chen, a point guard who played her first three seasons in college for Princeton University, transferred to the University of Connecticut (UConn) for her final season, which culminated in a national championship earlier this month. While at Princeton, Chen was named the Ivy League tournament’s most outstanding player three times from 2022 to last year. Prior to the draft, ESPN described Chen as
College basketballer Kaitlyn Chen (陳凱玲) has become the first player of Taiwanese descent to be drafted by a WNBA team, after being selected by the Golden State Valkyries in the third and final round of the league's draft yesterday. Chen, a point guard who played her first three seasons in college for Princeton University, transferred to the University of Connecticut (UConn) for her final season, which culminated in a national championship on April 6. While at Princeton, Chen was named the Ivy League tournament's most outstanding player three times from 2022 to last year. Prior to the draft, ESPN described Chen as a
Robinson Cano spent 17 seasons playing in the MLB in front of all kinds of baseball fans, but he said there is something special about his stint with the Mexican Baseball League’s Diablos Rojos. He is not alone. The league last week opened its 100th season, aiming to keep an impressive growth in attendance that began after the national team’s surprise run at the 2023 World Baseball Classic, and is already surpassing some first-division soccer clubs. After finishing third in the 2023 tournament, many casual fans, some of them soccer enthusiasts disappointed after Mexico were eliminated in the first round in the 2022
Arne Slot has denied that Darwin Nunez was dropped from Liverpool’s win against West Ham because of a training-ground row with a member of his coaching staff. The Liverpool head coach on Sunday last week said that Nunez was absent from the 2-1 victory at Anfield, having felt unwell during training the day before, although the striker sat behind the substitutes throughout the game. Speculation has been rife that the Uruguay international, whom Slot criticized for his work rate against Wolves and Aston Villa in February, was left out for disciplinary reasons. Asked on Friday to clarify the situation, Slot said: “He
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