CANADA
Rapids take MLS crown
The Colorado Rapids were crowned champions of Major League Soccer for the first time after a 2-1 extra-time win over FC Dallas on Sunday. Dallas took the lead in the 35th minute when Colombian David Ferreira coolly converted a superb cross from Marvin Chavez. In a largely scrappy game, Colorado drew level through a scrambled effort in the 57th minute when striker Conor Casey scooped the ball home while lying on the floor. Colorado went in front in extra-time when a shot from substitute Macoumba Kandji was deflected in by Dallas defender George John.
SOUTH KOREA
FIFA official speaks out
FIFA vice president Chung Mong-joon thinks the recent suspension of two executive committee members for alleged ethics violations is too harsh. “I personally believe the disciplinary measures on the two executive committee members are excessive,” Chung told reporters in Seoul yesterday. The ethics panel for soccer’s world governing body last week banned Nigeria’s Amos Adamu from all soccer activity for three years for allegedly agreeing to take bribes from undercover reporters from Britain’s the Sunday Times newspaper who posed as lobbyists trying to buy votes. It also suspended Reynald Temarii of Tahiti, the president of the Oceania confederation, for one year for breaching FIFA’s loyalty and confidentiality rules when he was secretly filmed. Chung said it’s obvious the two committee members’ remarks were “not careful,” but he wondered if their behavior was serious enough to warrant such a punishment. He said many other executive members have also expressed regret over the suspension.
SCOTLAND
Referees vote to strike
Scottish soccer fixtures may be postponed this weekend after the country’s leading referees voted to strike, media reports said on Sunday. BBC Scotland said the officials had become concerned that their integrity was constantly being questioned by some clubs and individuals. A decision to take strike action received unanimous backing at a meeting on Sunday, the reports said. Former Scottish Premier League referee Stuart Dougal told Sky Sports News: “What’s got to referees is the level of abuse, the intensity of the criticism and of the scrutiny ... My understanding is there are referees who believe, not only their own personal safety, but that of their family [is at risk] as well. When it gets to that level it is unacceptable.” The reports of a possible strike followed weeks of controversy surrounding match officials.
FRANCE
Bolt fancies himself a striker
Jamaican sprint sensation Usain Bolt on Sunday revealed that he would like to try his hand at professional soccer when he retires from athletics and dreams of playing for Manchester United. “I’d like to try to become a professional [soccer player] at the end of my career,” the triple Olympic champion on French television station Canal Plus said. “I’ll stop athletics at the age of 30. If I could have the chance to play for a team, even for one of the smallest teams in the English Premier League or a lower division, just to see if I can do it.” Bolt is an avowed United supporter and he went on to admit that it is his dream to line up alongside his heroes at Old Trafford. The world record holder at 100m, 200m and the 4x100m relay says he could see himself playing in midfield or as a striker. “But lots of people say I should play as a winger,” he added, “because I’m quick.”
INJURY TURMOIL: Despite stunning French Open champions Paolini and Errani to advance, Chan was forced to pull out after her partner’s tearful women’s singles defeat Last year’s mixed doubles champions Hsieh Su-wei of Taiwan and Poland’s Jan Zielinski on Monday crashed out of the quarter-finals at Wimbledon, leaving the Taiwanese star focused on pursuing a fifth women’s doubles title in London, while a partner injury forced compatriot Chan Hao-ching to give up on her doubles campaign. Hsieh and Zielinksi, who last year also won the Australia Open title, narrowly lost their opening set 7-6 (9/7), before Britain’s Joe Salisbury and Brazil’s Luisa Stefani stunned the former champions 6-3 at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. The Taiwanese-Polish duo had been dominant in the first two
Real Madrid’s FIFA Club World Cup quarter-final against Borussia Dortmund had taken three crazy turns during nine minutes of second-half stoppage time when Marcel Sabitzer chested the ball and sent a right-footed volley toward Thibaut Courtois’ post. Courtois leapt to his right, extended the long arm on his 2m frame and just managed to get his gloved fingertips on the ball, knocking it down. Courtois hit the ground as the ball bounded up. He looked skyward, planted his right hand to regain his balance, grabbed the ball with both hands on the second bounce and fell onto it with his chest. Sabitzer turned
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has overturned French Olympic fencer Ysaora Thibus’ four-year suspension for doping, ruling that her positive test for a banned substance was caused by kissing her then-boyfriend, American fencer Race Imboden. Thibus, a silver medalist in team foil at the Tokyo Games, had tested positive for ostarine, a prohibited muscle-building substance, during a competition in Paris in January last year. However, CAS concluded there was no intentional wrongdoing, finding it scientifically plausible that repeated kissing over several days with Olympic medalist Imboden — who was taking ostarine at the time — led to accidental contamination. The court
Chelsea scored the go-ahead goal on Malo Gusto’s 83rd-minute shot that went in after a pair of deflections, beating Palmeiras 2-1 on Friday night for a spot in the FIFA Club World Cup semi-finals. Cole Palmer put Chelsea ahead in the 16th minute, but Estevao, an 18-year-old who is to transfer to Chelsea this summer, tied the score against his future club with an angled shot in the 53rd. Gusto’s shot following a short corner kick appeared to deflect off defender Agustin Giay and goalkeeper Weverton and sent the Chelsea portion of 65,782 fans into a frenzy. FIFA credited Weverton with an
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