Soccer
African big guns misfire
Heavyweights Algeria, Ghana and Nigeria all suffered poor results in Africa Cup of Nations qualifying games on Sunday. Algeria’s 2-0 away defeat against the lowly ranked Central African Republic was one of the biggest upsets in the tournament’s qualifying history. It marked only the second time the Central African Republic, who rarely enter the tournament and have only ever played in a single World Cup qualifying campaign before, had won a competitive international. Their last success was in 1973. Algeria now have just a single point from their opening two qualifiers after being held at home by Tanzania last month in another upset result. Both Ghana and Nigeria have yet to appoint new coaches after their World Cup managers moved on and the instability showed on Sunday. Nigeria’s 1-0 loss in Guinea was exacerbated by the uncertainty of the status of the game up until Friday. Nigeria were suspended last week by FIFA for political interference in the running of their football association, leaving the team’s preparations in limbo until Friday when the ban was temporarily lifted. Ghana played a first match since coach Milovan Rajevac departed to a more lucrative club job in Saudi Arabia and also looked lackluster in a goalless home draw with Sudan.
Soccer
Jamaica win, Taiwan draw
Dane Richards of MLS’ New York Red Bulls scored from a penalty kick in the 19th minute to help Jamaica beat Trinidad and Tobago 1-0 on Sunday in an international friendly in Kingston. It was the teams’ second match in two months. Jamaica also won 3-1 in August in Port of Spain. In another friendly on Sunday, Taiwan drew 1-1 with the Philippines in Kaohsiung.
Volleyball
Brazil retain world title
Brazil hammered Cuba 3-0 in Rome to secure their third straight world men’s championship on Sunday. The South Americans took the final set 25-22 thanks to a winning shot from the consistently excellent Leandro Vissotto. He fell to the ground in ecstasy after securing victory in a largely one-sided final. Cuba had beaten Brazil 3-2 in the first round and finished above their rivals in Pool B. “It was a hard-fought victory,” Brazil coach Bernardinho told Italy’s Rai television. “Psychologically it was a equal game for both teams because Brazil with the pressure have to win and Cuba have a young team that were in this position for the first time.” Hosts Italy earlier lost the third/fourth place playoff to Serbia 3-1.
Cricket
Bangladesh beat Black Caps
Openers Imrul Kayes and Shariar Nafees smashed half-centuries to help Bangladesh comfortably win the third match of a five-game limited-overs series against New Zealand yesterday in Dhaka. Nafees scored 73 while Kayes collected 50 as Bangladesh reached 177-3 in just 40 overs after New Zealand were dismissed for 173. Bangladesh lead the series 2-0 after winning the first match last Tuesday. The second match was abandoned because of rain. Nafees’ runs came off 73 balls with 13 boundaries while Kayes’ 50 came from 83 balls that included four boundaries. Earlier, left-arm spinner Suhrawadi Shuvo claimed three wickets for the hosts when New Zealand batted. After losing seven wickets for only 101, Ross Taylor had attempted to engineer a New Zealand recovery hitting 62 runs off 72 balls. Taylor and Kyle Mills added 72 in an eighth-wicket partnership before Mills was dismissed.
Bologna on Thursday advanced past Empoli to reach their first Coppa Italia final in more than half a century. Thijs Dallinga’s 87th-minute header earned Bologna a 2-1 win and his side advanced 5-1 on aggregate. Giovanni Fabbian opened the scoring for Bologna with a header seven minutes in. Then Viktor Kovalenko equalized for Empoli in the 30th minute by turning in a rebound to finish off a counterattack. Bologna won the first leg 3-0. In the May 14 final in Rome, Bologna are to face AC Milan, who eliminated city rivals Inter 4-1 on aggregate following a 3-0 win on Wednesday. Bologna last reached the
If the Wild finally break through and win their first playoff series in a decade, Minnesota’s top line likely will be the reason. They were all over the Golden Knights through the first two games of their NHL Western Conference quarter-finals series, which was 1-1 going back to Minnesota for Game 3 today. The Wild tied the series with a 5-2 win on Tuesday. Matt Boldy had three goals and an assist in the first two games, while Kirill Kaprizov produced two goals and three assists. Joel Eriksson Ek, who centers the line, has yet to get on the scoresheet. “I think the biggest
From a commemorative jersey to a stadium in his name, Argentine soccer organizers are planning a slew of tributes to their late “Captain” Pope Francis, eulogized as the ultimate team player. Tributes to the Argentine pontiff, a lifelong lover of the game, who died on Monday at the age of 88, have been peppered with soccer metaphors in his homeland. “Francisco. What a player,” the Argentine Football Federation (AFA) said, describing the first pope from Latin America and the southern hemisphere as a generational talent who “never hogged the ball” and who showed the world “the importance of having an Argentine captain,
Noelvi Marte on Sunday had seven RBIs and hit his first career grand slam with a drive off infielder Jorge Mateo, while Austin Wynn had a career-high six RBIs as the Cincinnati Reds scored their most runs in 26 years in a 24-2 rout of the Baltimore Orioles. Marte finished with five hits, including his eighth-inning homer off Mateo. Wynn hit a three-run homer in the ninth off catcher Gary Sanchez. Cincinnati scored its most runs since a 24-12 win against the Colorado Rockies on May 19, 1999, and finished with 25 hits. Baltimore allowed its most runs since a 30-3 loss to
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