CONCACAF
Galaxy beat Cartagines
Robbie Keane scored twice in the second half to lift the Los Angeles Galaxy to a 2-0 victory on Tuesday over Costa Rican club CS Cartagines in their group opener in the CONCACAF Champions League. Keane gave the Galaxy the lead in the 66th minute, taking a pass from Landon Donovan and scoring from a tight angle on the left. Donovan gave the last pass again for Keane’s second goal three minutes into stoppage-time. The Galaxy next face off against El Salvador’s AD Isidro Metapan in a home game on Sept. 18. Cartagines play Isidro Metapan at home next week. The winners of the three-team group advance to next year’s eight-team knockout stage.
FRANCE
Three players leave Ligue 1
Ghana international midfielder Mohammed Rabiu has joined Russia’s Kuban Krasnodar from Evian Thonon Gaillard, the French club confirmed. Rabiu, 23, has signed a three-year deal with Kuban, who are due to face Feyenoord in the UEFA Europa League playoffs. In other Ligue 1 transfers, Belgian champions RSC Anderlecht have confirmed the signing of leftback Fabrice N’Sakala from ES Troyes AC on a three-year deal. Capped at under-21 level by France, N’Sakala had been sidelined by Troyes after stating his wish to leave following their relegation from Ligue 1. Cameroon international leftback Gaetan Bong has left Valenciennes to join Greek champions Olympiakos. Valenciennes president Jean-Raymond Legrand said Bong signed a three-year deal after Olympiakos paid a transfer fee of “just over 1 million euros [US$1.34 million].”
TURKEY
National team coach quits
National coach Abdullah Avci has left his post by mutual consent, the Turkish Football federation said in a statement on Tuesday, amid a disappointing World Cup qualifying campaign. Turkey are struggling to reach the 2014 World Cup finals in Brazil and stand fourth in Group D with seven points from six matches, adrift of leaders the Netherlands (18) and second-placed Hungary (11), who are currently in the playoff spot. The 50-year-old Avci, who took charge in November 2011, has been criticized by fans and the media for Turkey’s poor qualifying results, which include a home defeat by Romania. “Just like winning and losing, parting ways is also a part of football. I consider that quitting my post is the right decision,” Avci was quoted as saying by the Hurriyet Daily News Web site.
ENGLAND
Cissokho loaned to Reds
French leftback Aly Cissokho has joined Liverpool on a season-long loan from Valencia, the Premier League club announced on Tuesday. The 25-year-old, who has been capped once by France, joined Valencia from Olympique Lyonnais last year and made 25 league appearances in his debut campaign for the Spanish club, scoring twice. He has also played for Porto. “I’ve always dreamt of one day signing for a really legendary club,” Cissokho told Liverpool’s Web site. “I’ve always said, along with a lot of other French players, that I really love the English league, and although I’ve been fortunate enough to have played at some big clubs, in the back of my mind I’ve always wanted to play in England.” Brendan Rodgers’ side began their league campaign with a 1-0 win at home to Stoke City at the weekend and visit Aston Villa in their next game on Saturday.
Memphis Grizzlies forward Brandon Clarke, 29, has died, the NBA team said in a statement on Tuesday, while the family of Jason Collins, the first openly gay man to play in a major US pro sports league, announced the former Grizzlies and Brooklyn Nets player had died after a battle with brain cancer. “We are heartbroken by the tragic loss of Brandon Clarke,” the Grizzlies said in a statement posted on social media. “Brandon was an outstanding teammate and an even better person whose impact on the organization and the greater Memphis community will not be forgotten.” The statement did not provide
Mathys Tel was hero and villain as Tottenham drew 1-1 at home to Leeds United on Monday — a result that leaves their English Premier League future hanging in the balance. The Frenchman broke the deadlock early in the second half to ease the tension at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but then gave away a penalty with a reckless attempted clearance. In the dying minutes, Spurs were grateful to Antonin Kinsky, who produced an astonishing save to deny the visitors a win. Tottenham are now two points clear of 18th-placed West Ham United with just two games left this season. The
Houston Astros right-hander Teng Kai-wei, the only active Taiwanese pitcher in MLB, on Sunday suffered his third loss of the season, throwing a season-high 63 pitches in his second start of the year. Teng allowed three earned runs over three innings on five hits in the Astros’ 5-0 road loss to the Cincinnati Reds. He struck out one, walked one, and hit one batter among the 15 hitters he faced, raising his earned run average to 3.12. It was the Astros’ second attempt to use the 27-year-old Taiwanese as a starter, after he had established himself as a reliable bullpen
‘DONE IT ALL’: LeBron James is now out of contract with the Lakers and would head into the off season as a free agent with uncertainty swirling around his future LeBron James on Monday said he would take time to consider his future after the Los Angeles Lakers were swept out of the NBA playoffs by the Oklahoma City Thunder in what could turn out to be the final game of his career. James, 41, delivered a typically defiant performance with 24 points and 12 rebounds, but it was not enough to prevent the Lakers from falling 115-110 as the Thunder completed a 4-0 sweep in the Western Conference semi-finals series. The four-time NBA champion is now out of contract with the Lakers and would head into the off season
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