SOCCER
Kaohsiung to host games
The Long Term Cup kicks off at the National Stadium in Kaohsiung today at 4:30pm when Hong Kong take on the Philippines, before hosts Taiwan face Macau in the second match at 7pm. Entrance is free to those taking along five till receipts, which will be donated to the Eden Foundation. The CTFA will also be giving away 500 national team shirts starting at 6pm. The four-team tournament continues on Sunday, when Macau play Hong Kong at 4:30pm and Taiwan face the Philippines at 7pm, and on Tuesday, when the Philippines face Macau at 4:30pm and the hosts wrap up the tournament against Hong Kong at 7pm.
SOCCER
Anzhi fires coach Gadzhi
Russian premier league team Anzhi Makhachkala have fired their coach Gadzhi Gadzhiyev after a string of disappointing results. A brief statement from the team yesterday did not state the reason for the dismissal of Gadzhiyev, who took the helm last year. Anzhi attracted worldwide attention last month when they signed Cameroon striker Samuel Eto’o from Inter for a reported sum of nearly US$29 million per season, which would make him the world’s best-paid player. However, Anzhi’s performance since Eto’o joined the team has been poor, with just one win from their last six matches.
CRICKET
Samuels cleared to bowl
The West Indies were given a boost yesterday ahead of their Bangladesh tour when all-rounder Marlon Samuels was cleared to bowl by the sport’s world governing body. The off-spinner, a key member of the West Indies Test, one-day and Twenty20 squads for the tour, had been suspended from bowling after being reported for a suspect action in 2008. The International Cricket Council (ICC) said an independent test had found Samuels’ action to be legal following significant remedial work and that he could resume bowling. The independent analysis was performed by Bruce Elliott, a member of the ICC’s panel of human movement specialists, at the University of Western Australia, Perth, this month. However, the spinner’s action will continue to be scrutinized by match officials to ensure it remains legal, the ICC statement added. Samuels, currently in Dubai with the West Indies team for a one-week camp ahead of the Bangladesh tour, said he was pleased to know he could resume bowling in international cricket.
SOCCER
S Korean club apologizes
A South Korean K-League club has apologized to the people of Japan after its fans displayed a banner that made light of the country’s earthquake and tsunami disaster. “We extend our sincere apology to Japanese people and football fans,” Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors said in a statement on its Web site. A paper banner reading “Let’s celebrate Japan’s big earthquake” in Japanese was hung from the stands occupied by Jeonbuk supporters during Tuesday’s Asian Champions League quarter-final second leg against Japan’s Cerezo Osaka. The banner was removed about 20 minutes into the game in the southwestern city of Jeonju after Cerezo lodged a complaint with the organizers. The Japanese club sent a letter of complaint to the Asian Football Confederation. Jeonbuk beat Cerezo 6-1 to reach the semi-finals. “We believe it was done by an indiscreet spectator, not by our supporters,” Jeonbuk spokesman Son Ji-hoon said, adding that his club plans to refer the case to prosecutors.
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
The Minnesota Timberwolves, with so many promising performances spoiled by late mistakes fresh in their memory bank, sure timed this strong finish well. Jaden McDaniels scored a career playoff-high 30 points and spearheaded Minnesota’s stifling defense on an ailing Luka Doncic, and the Timberwolves beat the Los Angeles Lakers 116-104 to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven Western Conference first-round series in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Friday night. “Jaden never looks tired. He looks like he could play 48 minutes,” said teammate Anthony Edwards, who had 29 points, eight rebounds and eight assists. Julius Randle added 22 points for the Wolves, who outscored
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,
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