ARGENTINA
Name change report queried
FIFA questioned the Argentine Football Association (AFA) over reports the country’s championship could be renamed after the General Belgrano battleship sunk during the Falklands War in 1982. AFA were warned the potential name change for the Clausura championship, which began last weekend, could breach FIFA statutes. “FIFA contacted AFA with regards to a potential change of name of the Liga de Primera Division.” According to media reports, the league was set to be named after “Crucero General Belgrano,” FIFA said in a statement. “FIFA has requested the AFA to provide further information on this matter, and reminded the AFA of article three of the FIFA statutes which prohibits any kind of discrimination against a country, private person or group of people on account of ethnic origin, gender, language, religion, politics or any other reason.” Local media said the name change would have to be approved first by the AFA’s executive committee, which meets weekly, usually on Tuesdays.
BRAZIL
Ronaldinho may play Bosnia
The national team could field Ronaldinho, Neymar and Paulo Henrique Ganso, a key trio in their 2014 World Cup ambitions, when they meet Bosnia in a friendly in Switzerland on Feb. 28. Flamengo captain Ronaldinho and the Santos pair, striker Neymar and playmaker Ganso, were included in a 23-man squad named on Tuesday by coach Mano Menezes. Menezes first fielded the trio against Ghana in September last year when Ronaldinho, 31, made his Brazil comeback, but midfielder Ganso only played for a few minutes before being injured in the 1-0 win in London. Ronaldinho, part of Brazil’s 2002 World Cup-winning team, but overlooked in 2010, was recalled by Menezes in September after a 10-month absence during which he missed the Copa America in Argentina in July.
ARGENTINA
Roma’s Lamela called up
AS Roma teenager Erik Lamela and 31-year-old Napoli defender Hugo Campagnaro have earned their first national team call-ups for a friendly against Switzerland in Berne on Feb. 29. Liverpool winger Maxi Rodriguez also earned a recall in the 18-man squad of foreign-based players named by coach Alejandro Sabella on Tuesday, while Real Madrid’s Angel Di Maria returns from injury. The squad will be increased in the leadup to the match with the inclusion of players from the local league, the AFA said on their Web site. The gifted Lamela has been in good form for Roma since his transfer from relegated Argentine giants River Plate in middle of last year. Rodriguez, who played for Argentina at the 2006 World Cup, last turned out for his country in the 4-0 quarter-final defeat by Germany in Cape Town in July 2010.
ENGLAND
Mertesacker out for a while
Arsenal defender Per Mertesacker could be sidelined for a month with an ankle injury, manager Arsene Wenger said on the eve of yesterday’s Champions League game at AC Milan. The Germany international was injured in Saturday’s Premier League win at Sunderland and is poised to miss both legs of the last-16 tie with Milan as well as the north London derby against Tottenham Hotspur and his national team’s friendly with France. “He had reconstruction of his ankle in Germany before he joined us and the scan did not look too positive yesterday. Last night he went back to Germany to speak to the specialist and see where we go from there,” Wenger told reporters on Tuesday. “Certainly in the next month he will not be with us.”
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
Matvei Michkov did not score on Monday, but the Philadelphia rookie had a hand in both goals as hosts the Flyers earned a 2-1 victory over the Nashville Predators. Ryan Poehling and Jamie Drysdale got the goals for the Flyers (31-36-9, 71 points), who won their third straight. Michkov and Travis Konecny assisted on both. Ivan Fedotov stopped 28 shots to earn his first win since March 1, ending a personal six-game losing streak. Zachary L’Heureux got the lone goal for Nashville. Michael McCarron and Brady Skjei got the assists for the Predators (27-39-8, 62 points), who have just four goals in their
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