■SOUTH AFRICA
FIFA increases prize pot
The winners of next year’s World Cup final in South Africa will collect a check for US$30 million, FIFA said on Thursday. The losing finalists will receive US$24 million and all participating teams will receive an extra US$1 million to cover their preparation costs. FIFA Secretary-general Jerome Valcke said the total prize money available to the 32 finalists would be US$420 million, up 61 percent from US$261.4 million in 2006. The semi-finalists get US$20 million, the quarter-finalists US$18 million, second-round losers US$9 million and those eliminated at the group stage US$8 million. Valcke said FIFA would also provide US$40 million for clubs whose players took part in the tournament. “Every club who has a player at the World Cup will receive US$1,600 per day, per player,” Valcke said.
■ENGLAND
Pompey players not paid
Premier League strugglers Portsmouth announced on Thursday that their players had not received wages for the second time this season. The south coast club, who are bottom of the table, issued a statement confirming that not all their squad had received last month’s salary on time. A similar situation took place two months ago when players were paid their September wages late. “A proportion of their wages will be paid tomorrow [Friday], with the club’s new owners working towards paying the remainder over the next few days,” the statement said. Portsmouth attributed the September payment delay to problems arising from the takeover of the club by former owner Sulaiman Al-Fahim. There were hopes at Fratton Park that such difficulties were a thing of the past, however, after Al-Fahim was brought out in turn by Saudi Arabian businessman Ali Al-Faraj.
■ENGLAND
Walcott to miss Stoke game
Arsenal suffered a fresh setback on Thursday when it was announced England winger Theo Walcott had suffered a hamstring injury and would miss today’s Premier League match against Stoke City. Walcott, 20, played in the second half of the 3-0 loss to Chelsea on Sunday before, with Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger selecting reserve players, missing out on the Gunners’ League Cup defeat by Manchester City on Wednesday. Arsenal’s Alex Song is suspended for the Emirates Stadium fixture against Stoke, but fullback Bacary Sagna is set to return after an ankle injury.
■SPAIN
League votes on tax protest
La Liga was voting yesterday on whether to suspend matches next weekend to protest a government plan to eliminate a tax break for high-income players. The governing Socialist party wants to eliminate the so-called “Beckham Law” that allows foreign players who earn more than 600,000 euros (US$905,000) to pay only 24 percent tax. If the proposed change goes through, those players would pay 43 percent.
■FRANCE
Player jailed for hitting ref
An amateur player was jailed on Thursday for two weeks and fined 3,801 euros (US$5,728) for knocking out a referee in a seventh division game last weekend. Ten minutes from the end of the game between Bocognano and Ghisonaccia, Bocognano player Marcello Cherchi reacted to being shown a second yellow card for a dangerous tackle by punching referee Joel Plantecoste in the face. Plantecoste was left unconscious on the pitch and had to be hospitalized until Wednesday, before filing a complaint with police.
The US’ bid for a fourth consecutive CONCACAF Nations League title came to a stunning end as they fell 1-0 to Panama after a stoppage-time goal from Cecilio Waterman on Thursday in Inglewood, California. Despite dominating possession, the US struggled to break down a resilient Panama side for long periods. Panama spent the bulk of the match defending, but pounced on a giveaway by the US before substitute forward Waterman sent a shot from the right side of the area to the bottom left corner late in stoppage time. Up next for Panama in tomorrow’s final is to be Mexico, who beat
DOMINATION: McLaren drivers Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris took the first two spots as Mercedes’ George Russell and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen followed them Australian Oscar Piastri yesterday roared back from season-opening disappointment in his home race by winning the Formula One Chinese Grand Prix from pole position in a McLaren one-two with championship-leading teammate Lando Norris. George Russell finished third for Mercedes, ahead of Red Bull’s reigning champion Max Verstappen with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Saturday’s sprint winner Lewis Hamilton fifth and sixth respectively. Piastri’s win denied Norris a third victory in a row, including last year’s Abu Dhabi season-ender, but left champions McLaren unbeaten in two races so far this year. “Mega job guys. The car was very, very lovely,” Piastri said
TO FINAL FOUR: France had 22 chances and scored two goals, while Croatia could not manage a single shot on target in 120 minutes. Les Bleus won 5-4 on penalties France on Sunday overturned a two-goal deficit to qualify for the UEFA Nations League Final Four by eliminating Croatia 5-4 on penalties after a 2-0 victory in their quarter-final second leg at the Stade de France. Dayot Upamecano scored the winning spot kick in a nail-biting shootout in which France keeper Mike Maignan made two saves, sending Les Bleus into the semi-finals against Spain. Michael Olise opened the scoring and Ousmane Dembele doubled their lead 10 minutes from time to send the tie into extra time after their 2-0 loss in Split, Croatia, on Thursday. France had a total of
BRING THE NOISE: Brazil’s Fonseca attracted a boisterous crowd that brought such dominant soccer-style energy the referee switched to Portuguese to ask for quiet Australia’s Alex de Minaur on Monday put an end to Brazilian talent Joao Fonseca’s challenge at the Miami Open, outlasting the 18-year-old 5-7, 7-5, 6-3 in an enthralling contest. Attendance on stadium court had been sparse throughout the day, but the Hard Rock Stadium turned into a mini-Maracana Stadium for Fonseca’s match, complete with Brazilian flags and soccer-style chanting. Fonseca brought his energetic brand of ultra-attacking tennis, but De Minaur was up to the challenge, coping with blistering forehands and a partisan crowd. Such was the dominance of Fonseca’s raucous support that the referee switched to Portuguese for his appeals for quiet. However, De
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