NETHERLANDS
AZ maintain their lead
AZ Alkmaar maintained their lead in the Dutch league with a 3-0 win over ADO The Hague on Sunday thanks to goals from Brett Holman, Adam Maher and Jozy Altidore. Holman gave AZ the lead in the 11th minute, before Maher and Altidore added goals in the second half to secure the victory. Also on Sunday, second-placed Twente routed De Grafschaap 4-0, while a hat-trick from Jeremain Lens inspired PSV Eindhoven to a 4-1 win over Heracles Almelo. In the most eventful match of the day, Zambia winger Jacob Mulenga created two goals and scored another as Utrecht beat Ajax 6-4. AZ have 31 points from 12 games. Twente and PSV have 25 each, while Ajax have 20. In Utrecht, Ajax took the lead twice in the first half, before the hosts scored four second-half goals in a wild shootout. Russia striker Dmitri Bulykin gave Ajax the lead after eight minutes, but Mulenga set up Ghana forward Nana Asare for an equalizer eight minutes later. Mulenga then played in Edouard Duplan, who scored from close range, before Ajax battled back to level through veteran defender Andre Ooijer’s header in the 32nd minute. Bulykin made it 3-2 for Ajax in the 41st minute, but Utrecht then took charge with goals from Daan Bovenberg, Mulenga and Asare to make it 5-3. Christian Eriksen gave Ajax renewed hope in the 72nd minute, but Anouar Kali netted in stoppage-time to wrap up the win. In other matches it was VVV Venlo 0, Excelsior Rotterdam 0; NAC Breda 1, Vitesse Arnhem 0; RKC Waalkwijk 1, Groningen 1; Roda JC 1, SC Heerenveen 2; and Feyenoord 0, NEC Nijmegen 1.
PORTUGAL
Benfica blow their chance
Benfica drew 1-1 at Braga on Sunday, missing a chance to move top of the Portuguese league standings. Braga went ahead in first-half stoppage-time through Lima’s spot-kick after Benfica defender Emerson had handled in the area. Spanish forward Rodrigo Moreno equalized in the 72nd minute, but Benfica failed to get the winner that would have lifted them two points ahead of defending champions Porto. Midfielder Matias Fernandez scored once in each half to lead Sporting to a 3-1 win over Leiria. Third-placed Sporting are one point behind Porto and Benfica. In other matches it was Beira Mar 2, Feirense 1; Rio Ave 2, Nacional 1; and Setubal 0, Gil Vicente 0.
UNITED STATES
Beckham’s LA make final
David Beckham set up a goal with one of his trademark crosses as the Los Angeles Galaxy advanced to the MLS Cup Final with a 3-1 win over Real Salt Lake on Sunday. The 36-year-old English midfielder is now due to play for his first MLS title in the final game of his five-year contract in Los Angeles. Beckham set up Mike Magee for a goal in the 58th minute. US striker Landon Donovan had earlier scored and Republic of Ireland striker Robbie Keane got the third for the Galaxy, who are set to face the Houston Dynamo for the championship on Nov. 20.
CZECH REPUBLIC
Cech banned from flying
The Czech Republic could suffer a potential blow ahead of their crucial Euro 2012 playoff against Montenegro on Friday after goalkeeper Petr Cech hinted he could be sidelined. Chelsea’s Cech suffered a broken nose in the 1-0 win away to Blackburn Rovers on Saturday and he later announced a flying ban, imposed by doctors, means he would be unable to join up with his national squad as scheduled yesterday. If doctors give the go-ahead, the 29-year-old should be able to travel home tomorrow at the earliest.
Freddie Freeman homered and drove in four runs, Shohei Ohtani also went deep and Roki Sasaki earned his first major league win as the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Atlanta Braves 10-3 on Saturday night for their seventh straight victory. The Dodgers have won the first two games of the series to improve to 5-0 against Atlanta this year. Los Angeles’ three-game sweep at home early in the season left the Braves 0-7. Sasaki allowed three runs and six hits over five innings. The 23-year-old right-hander gave up a home run to Ozzie Albies, but received plenty of offensive support in his
INTER AWAIT: Superb saves by PSG ’keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma inspired the victory, as Arsenal were punished for misses, including one by Bukayo Saka Arsenal on Wednesday fell short on the big stage again as their painful UEFA Champions League semi-final exit against Paris Saint-Germain left Mikel Arteta to rue his club’s failure to provide him with enough attacking options. Arteta’s side were unable to reach the Champions League final for the first time in 19 years as PSG clinched a tense 2-1 win at Parc des Princes. Trailing 1-0 from last week’s first leg in London, the Gunners made a blistering start to the second leg, but could not convert their chances as Gianluigi Donnarumma’s superb saves inspired PSG’s 3-1 aggregate victory. Arsenal were punished for
Bayern Munich on Sunday were crowned German champions for the 34th time, giving striker Harry Kane his first major trophy, after second-placed Bayer 04 Leverkusen drew 2-2 at SC Freiburg. Bayern’s 3-3 draw at RB Leipzig on Saturday, when the Bavarians came from two goals down to take the lead before conceding a stoppage-time equalizer, meant defending Bundesliga champions Leverkusen needed to win at Freiburg to delay the title party. Leverkusen were two goals down before scoring twice in the final 10 minutes, but Xabi Alonso’s side could not find a third, as Bayern reclaimed the title at the first attempt after
THRILLER: Raphinha gave Barca a 3-2 lead with two minutes remaining of regular time, but Francesco Acerbi equalized the game in the second minute of added time Davide Frattesi on Tuesday fired Inter into the UEFA Champions League final with an extra-time winner that gave the Italians a stunning 4-3 triumph over Barcelona, 7-6 on aggregate. Italy midfielder Frattesi won a tie for the ages under a downpour in Milan when he lashed home in the 99th minute, sending a packed and rocking San Siro wild with joy. Simone Inzaghi’s team will face either Arsenal or Paris Saint-Germain at the end of this month in Munich, Germany, where they would feel they have a great chance to be crowned kings of Europe for a fourth time after
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