FOOTBALL
Peterson faces new trouble
Suspended Minnesota Vikings star Adrian Peterson faced new legal trouble on Thursday after Texas prosecutors in his child abuse case asked a court to order his arrest on a possible drug-related bond violation. Peterson, 29, who has been accused of injuring his four-year-old son while disciplining him with the thin end of a tree branch, allegedly told a drug-testing administrator on Wednesday he had smoked marijuana before submitting to a urinalysis test, court papers said. “During this process the defendant admitted ... that he smoked a little weed,” according to the motion filed by Montgomery County District Attorney Brett Ligon. A court date has not been set on the possible bond violation. Peterson’s next scheduled court date is Nov. 4. Peterson’s attorney, Rusty Hardin, declined to comment. Neither the Vikings nor the National Football League (NFL) immediately responded to requests for comment.
FOOTBALL
Dre headphones lead to fine
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick said on Thursday the NFL had fined him US$10,000 for appearing at a post-game press conference with Beats by Dre headphones around his neck. Kaepernick has a sponsorship deal with Beats by Dre, but rival manufacturer Bose has a league-wide deal that makes it the “Official Sound of the NFL.” Last year Kaepernick was asked not to wear his headphones during a press conference in London — a request he ignored, although it is not known if he was fined that time. On Sunday, Kaepernick sported bright pink headphones — reported to be a nod to Breast Cancer Awareness — as he addressed the media following the 49ers’ victory over Kansas City. Asked if Beats by Dre paid his fine, Kaepernick said: “We’ll let that be unanswered.”
RUGBY UNION
Aussies recall Cooper
Quade Cooper has been recalled to Australia’s training squad for the first time this year for next week’s third Bledisloe Cup Test against New Zealand. The 26-year-old Cooper, who is coming back from surgery on his left shoulder, was included in a 32-man squad yesterday, a day after Kurtley Beale was dropped pending the outcome of a code-of-conduct tribunal hearing. Wallabies coach Ewen McKenzie said he wanted to see how Cooper, a 50-Test veteran, trained and performed after nine months out of the national team. He is to cut the squad to 23 players next week, with Cooper likely to take a spot on the bench if he is fit. Fiji-born winger Henry Speight was also included in the squad, among four uncapped players, but is unavailable due to a hamstring problem. Center Matt Toomua was not considered due to a recent concussion.
RUGBY UNION
Fruean dropped for Williams
Center Robbie Fruean, who has defied a chronic heart condition to play Super Rugby for three New Zealand teams, has lost his contract with the Chiefs to make way for code-hopping star Sonny Bill Williams. Fruean has played for New Zealand at junior level, played provincial rugby for Wellington, Canterbury and Hawke’s Bay, and Super Rugby for the Hurricanes, the Crusaders and the Chiefs. He came close to winning All Blacks selection two years ago before illness intervened. The Chiefs yesterday announced Fruean will not be contracted next season. Head coach Dave Rennie said Williams’ return after two years in rugby league forced the change.
EVERY DAY A VICTORY: Players on the women’s team faced pressure from society just getting out onto the field as they prepare for their first Women’s Asian Cup game today Bangladesh’s national soccer team face daunting odds at their first-ever Women’s Asian Cup, but have already scored a major victory by qualifying. In the South Asian nation of 170 million, social stigma, family expectations, poverty and religious hardliners have long relegated women and girls to sports sidelines. The first women’s soccer league matches took place in 2011 and the squad, known to fans as the Red and Green, have kept pressing forward despite deeply embedded prejudices. “Many more girls would have joined us if the community had been even slightly supportive,” captain Afeida Khandaker told AFP ahead of her side’s March 3
US national team star Folarin Balogun was among the scorers as AS Monaco on Friday won 3-1 at Paris Saint-Germain, dealing a blow to the side from the French capital before they face Chelsea in a crunch UEFA Champions League round-of-16 tie. Maghnes Akliouche gave Monaco a first-half lead at the Parc des Princes, and Aleksandr Golovin doubled their advantage early in the second half of the French Ligue 1 clash. Bradley Barcola pulled one back for the reigning European champions, but Balogun struck shortly after with a fifth goal in his last five games as Monaco claimed a precious
Liverpool on Tuesday suffered an embarrassing 2-1 defeat at Wolverhampton Wanderers as Andre’s stoppage-time strike sealed a dramatic victory for the English Premier League’s bottom club. Arne Slot’s side fell behind to Rodrigo Gomes’ strike in the closing stages at Molineux. Mohamed Salah hauled Liverpool level with his first goal in 11 top-flight games dating back to November last year. However, Andre’s first goal for Wolves inflicted the latest humbling loss in a chastening season for Liverpool. It was the first time the Premier League’s bottom club had beaten the reigning champions since Crystal Palace defeated Chelsea in 2017. Liverpool
Teenage star Lamine Yamal’s superbly-taken goal on Saturday earned Barcelona a 1-0 win at Athletic Bilbao in Spanish La Liga. The champions restored their four-point lead over second-placed Real Madrid, who had on Friday temporarily closed the gap by beating Celta Vigo. Atletico Madrid tightened their grip on third with an entertaining 3-2 win over Real Sociedad. Yamal, 18, curled into the top corner after 68 minutes to split the sides at Athletic’s San Mames stadium. “We’re already seeing what Lamine can do — he puts it right in the top corner, and there’s nothing the keeper can do,” Barca
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