SOCCER
PSV go top in Eredivisie
PSV Eindhoven scored four first-half goals to beat De Graafschap 4-1 on Sunday and move back on top of the Dutch League on goal difference. Dries Mertens converted an eighth-minute penalty to open the scoring before Ola Toivonen, Tim Matavz and Jeremain Lens settled the match before the break. Gil Vermouth gave the visitors a consolation goal from close range in the 52nd minute. PSV have 45 points from 21 matches and are ahead of AZ Alkmaar, who beat Excelsior Rotterdam 2-0 on Saturday, on goal difference.
SOCCER
Tevez apology smooths issue
Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini has told Carlos Tevez that an apology over his touchline tantrum might be enough to end his exile. Tevez is reported to have said he would return to Manchester today after spending the past few months home in Argentina following his row with Mancini during a Champions League tie against Bayern Munich in September last year. The Argentina forward has not played for City since he refused to warm up during the Bayern defeat and he was expected to leave the Premier League club during last month’s transfer window, but City were unable to agree a deal with AC Milan, Inter and Paris Saint-Germain and Tevez has now indicated he is ready to resume his career with City.
RUGBY UNION
Lomu needs new kidney
New Zealand great Jonah Lomu said yesterday that medical tests had confirmed a donated kidney he received eight years ago had failed and he needs a new transplant. The former All Blacks wing said he had lost 30kg since his longstanding health problems re-emerged in September last year, telling the New Zealand Women’s Weekly “everybody has to die sometime” and revealing he needs dialysis three times a week to keep his renal system functioning. Lomu was diagnosed in 1995 with the rare kidney disorder nephrotic syndrome and underwent a transplant in 2004, receiving an organ donated by friend and New Zealand radio broadcaster Grant Kereama.
RUGBY SEVENS
Samoa beat NZ in the US
Alafoti Faosiliva scored his second try in the last moments on Sunday to give Samoa a 26-19 upset of season leaders New Zealand in the final of the US stage of the IRB Rugby Sevens World Series. The giant forward crashed in for the deciding points at the death to bring a victory in Samoa’s first Sevens series final since the Dubai Sevens in December 2010. The shocker thwarted a two-try New Zealand comeback that had pulled the favorites level only to see them denied a third consecutive series crown. New Zealand remained atop the Series after the fifth of nine rounds on 92 points to 87 for Fiji with South Africa third on 76, two ahead of England, and Samoa jumping to fifth in the chase on 69.
CRICKET
Clarke out with injury
Australia captain Michael Clarke has been ruled out of Friday’s triangular series match against Sri Lanka in Sydney with a right hamstring injury, Cricket Australia said yesterday. The selectors will name the Australia squad for the next bunch of matches in the series today, where they will also have to choose a replacement captain for Friday’s fixture. “Michael Clarke sustained a low grade right hamstring strain in the ODI [one-day international] versus India in Adelaide on Sunday,” Australia team physiotherapist Alex Kountouris said in a statement.
Shohei Ohtani and Clayton Kershaw on Friday joined their Los Angeles Dodgers teammates in sticking their fists out to show off their glittering World Series rings at a ceremony. “There’s just a lot of excitement, probably more than I can ever recall with the Dodger fan base and our players,” manager Dave Roberts said before Los Angeles rallied to beat the Detroit Tigers 8-5 in 10 innings. “What a way to cap off the first two days of celebrations,” Roberts said afterward. “By far the best opening week I’ve ever experienced. I just couldn’t have scripted it any better.” A choir in the
The famously raucous Hong Kong Sevens are to start today in a big test for a shiny new stadium at the heart of a major US$3.85 billion sports park in the territory. Officials are keeping their fingers crossed that the premier event in Hong Kong’s sporting and social calendar goes off without a hitch at the 50,000-seat Kai Tak Stadium. They hope to entice major European soccer teams to visit in the next few months, with reports in December last year saying that Liverpool were in talks about a pre-season tour. Coldplay are to perform there next month, all part of Hong Kong’s
Shohei Ohtani, Teoscar Hernandez and Tommy Edman on Thursday smashed home runs to give the reigning World Series champions the Los Angeles Dodgers a 5-4 victory over Detroit on the MLB’s opening day in the US. The Dodgers, who won two season-opening games in Tokyo last week, raised their championship banner on a day when 28 clubs launched the season in the US. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts shuffled his batting lineup with all four leadoff hitters finally healthy as Ohtani was followed by Mookie Betts, then Hernandez and Freddie Freeman in the cleanup spot, switching places with Hernandez. “There’s a Teoscar tax to
Marcus Rashford’s first goals for Aston Villa on Sunday inspired a 3-0 win against Preston North End that sent his side into the FA Cup semi-finals for the first time in 10 years. Rashford struck twice in the second half at Deepdale to end Preston’s stubborn resistance before Jacob Ramsey wrapped up Villa’s long-awaited return to the last four. Villa are to face Crystal Palace — 3-0 winners at Fulham on Saturday — in the semi-finals at Wembley Stadium in London. Revitalized since joining Villa on loan from Manchester United during the January transfer window, Rashford is beginning to show the form that
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