CONCACAF
Monterrey beat Galaxy
Humberto Suazo and Aldo de Nigris scored late goals to lead Mexican side Monterrey to a 2-1 lead over the LA Galaxy in the first leg of the CONCACAF Champions League semi-finals on Wednesday. A.J. DeLaGarza opened the scoring for the Galaxy in the 28th minute, before Suazo knocked home a rebound in the 82nd and de Nigris beat Galaxy ’keeper Carlo Cudicini to a headed pass from Guillermo Madrigal in stoppage-time. Monterrey head into next week’s second leg in Mexico, having won the regional club championship for the past two years. The winners will meet Mexico’s Santos Laguna or the Seattle Sounders in the finals starting later this month. Santos beat the Sounders 2-1 on Tuesday in Seattle, Washington.
ENGLAND
Spurs’ Defoe out for 10 days
Tottenham Hotspur striker Jermain Defoe has been ruled out for up to 10 days with a muscle injury, manager Andre Villas-Boas said on Wednesday. It means that he missed the first leg of Spurs’ Europa League quarter-final at home to Basel yesterday, and is to miss Sunday’s home game with Everton in the Premier League. “If he can’t make Basel away, he should be fit in the week when we prepare to play Manchester City,” Villas-Boas said. “It is a big blow ... He is a big miss and has shown tremendous quality this season.”
FRANCE
Brest’s director takes reins
French Ligue 1 strugglers Stade Brestois 29 have handed the reins of the first team to sporting director Corentin Martins for the remainder of the season, president Michel Guyot told reporters on Wednesday. Martins steps into the void left by Landry Chavin, who was sacked on Tuesday after a run of one win in 10 games left the Brittany side in the relegation zone. Martins, a former French international who played for Brest between 1988 and 1991, has taken charge twice before. He took over for the final five games of 2011-2012, keeping Brest in Ligue 1 after Alex Dupont was sacked. Chauvin became the fourth managerial casualty of the season in Ligue 1, with Evian Thonon Gaillard, AC Ajaccio and AS Nancy-Lorraine also having parted company with their managers.
FRANCE
PSG furious over Silva slurs
Paris Saint-Germain threatened action against Joey Barton on Wednesday after the Olympique de Marseille midfielder likened PSG’s Brazilian defender Thiago Silva to a transsexual and called him an “overweight ladyboy.” “These attacks are serious and go beyond a simple verbal clash,” the Ligue 1 leaders said in a statement. “Thiago Silva and PSG reserve their right to take any necessary action.” English bad boy Barton, who has more than 2 million followers on Twitter, used the site to insult Silva with messages that drew condemnation from gay activists. Barton has been involved in an ongoing spat with Thiago Silva this week following disparaging comments the Briton made about some of the PSG player’s teammates. Marseille manager Elie Baup told a news conference that his responsibility did not extend further than the pitch, and the French Football Federation said its Ethics Committee would not take action for the same reason. Barton arrived in France on loan from Queens Park Rangers following a colorful career in England during which he spent two-and-a-half months in prison for assault. At the time of the attack, he was on bail for attacking former Manchester City teammate Ousmane Dabo. He also stubbed out a cigar in the eye of a youth player at the club in 2004.
Taiwan’s top women’s badminton doubles duo, Hsieh Pei-shan (謝沛珊) and Hung En-tzu (洪恩慈), achieved a straight-sets victory over Japan’s Kaho Osawa and Mayui Tanabe at the Badminton World Federation (BWF) Super 300 Macau Open on Sunday. The Taiwanese pair won the final 21-18, 21-12, marking the duo’s second title this year after their win at the BWF Super 300 Taipei Open in May. The match on Sunday was their first encounter with the Japanese duo, ranked No. 63 in the world. Hsieh and Hung, ranked No. 12, began the opening game well. Hung, who plays left-handed, performed strongly at both the net and the
Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko upset top-seeded Coco Gauff 6-1, 6-4 on Saturday night to reach the National Bank Open quarter-finals. “Your support was incredible,” Mboko told the crowd in French after a chorus of “Ole, Ole, Ole” chants echoed around the venue. “I’m really happy to win today ... It’s incredible. I’m so happy to beat such a great champion.” Gauff dropped to 2-3 since winning the French Open. She followed the major victory with opening losses in Berlin and Wimbledon, then overcame double-fault problems to win two three-set matches in Montreal. Gauff had five double-faults on Saturday after having 23 in
Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen on Thursday said that he is staying with the Red Bull team next year, ending months of speculation over his future. “Some people just like to stir the pot, some people just like to create drama, but, for me, it’s always been quite clear, and also for next year,” the four-time champion said ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix. “I’m discussing with the team already the plans — the things that we want to change for next year, so that means that I’m also staying with the team for next year,” he said. Verstappen has a contract with
Alex Michelsen on Thursday rallied for a 3-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-4 upset victory over third-seeded Lorenzo Musetti in the men’s singles, converting his seventh match point to reach the fourth round of the Canadian Open. Michelsen reached the last 16 of a Masters 1000 for the first time with his second win over a top-10 player in eight attempts. The 20-year-old American survived nearly 50 unforced errors and converted just two of nine break chances, but it was enough to vanquish Italy’s Musetti, a two-time Grand Slam semi-finalist ranked 10th in the world. “It feels really good,” the 26th-ranked Michelsen said. “I’ve put
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