SOCCER
Pele back in hospital
Brazilian legend Pele, 74, was back in hospital in Sao Paulo having undergone spinal surgery, TV Globo announced on Saturday. The Albert Einstein Hospital did not make any comment on the request of the family, but Globo said that Pele underwent the operation on Thursday and was recovering well. He is expected to be discharged today. According to the Globo Esporte Web site, Pele underwent arthrodesis, a procedure used to treat pain caused by the motion or instability of the spine. The site added that he has already recovered muscle strength and that the pain is under control. Pele was suffering from compression of two vertebrae which had made him lose the strength in his legs, especially in his right leg. Pele, the only player to win the World Cup three times, was reportedly due to undergo an operation on the problem last year, but other health problems forced him to put off the surgery.
SOCCER
Barca’s Bartomeu re-elected
Josep Maria Bartomeu was re-elected as president of European and Spanish champions Barcelona after seeing off rival Joan Laporta. Bartomeu, 52, polled 25,823 votes (54.63 percent) with Laporta, a former president, winning 15,615 votes (33.03 percent). Other contenders were businessman Agusti Benedito who garnered 3,386 votes (7.16 percent) and lawyer Toni Freixa with 1,750 votes (3.70 percent). With 47,720 votes counted, the election had the third-highest turnout in Barcelona’s history — only 2010 with 57,088 votes and 2003 with 51,618 had been greater. Bartomeu, who took over as president early last year after his predecessor Sandro Rosell stepped down, is to lead Barcelona for the next six years. Barcelona, just like their great rivals Real Madrid, but in contrast to other leading European clubs, are owned by their members.
RUGBY UNION
Genia, Horne to miss Test
Australia scrumhalf Will Genia and winger Rob Horne have been ruled out of next week’s Rugby Championship Test against Argentina after being injured in Saturday’s victory over South Africa. Genia started the match against the Springboks, but was forced off at halftime because of an injury to his right knee, while Horne aggravated a calf problem during the Wallabies’ last-gasp 24-20 win at Lang Park. Coach Michael Cheika said neither player would travel with the squad to Argentina today, but was confident they would be available to face the All Blacks in the first of back-to-back Tests against the world champions in Sydney on Aug. 8. Cheika has summoned winger Nick Cummins and scrumhalf Nic White back from the US, where they have been promoting Australia’s World Cup warm-up match in Chicago, to provide cover.
TENNIS
Errani to face Schmiedlova
Top seed Sara Errani of Italy ruined Romanian hopes when she beat Monica Niculescu 5-7, 6-1, 6-2 to reach the Bucharest Open final on Saturday. Errani was due to face seventh seed Anna Karolina Schmiedlova yesterday in their second final of the year. Errani beat the Slovakian in straight sets in the Rio de Janeiro final in February. That was Errani’s eighth career title. Schmiedlova finally broke through for her first in April in Katowice, Poland. Schmiedlova beat unseeded Polona Hercog of Slovenia 6-4, 6-3 in 35?C heat. Errani played an hour longer to overcome Niculescu. Errani had to save 11 of 15 break points to end Niculescu’s run to the semi-finals for a second straight year in her adopted hometown.
Bologna on Thursday advanced past Empoli to reach their first Coppa Italia final in more than half a century. Thijs Dallinga’s 87th-minute header earned Bologna a 2-1 win and his side advanced 5-1 on aggregate. Giovanni Fabbian opened the scoring for Bologna with a header seven minutes in. Then Viktor Kovalenko equalized for Empoli in the 30th minute by turning in a rebound to finish off a counterattack. Bologna won the first leg 3-0. In the May 14 final in Rome, Bologna are to face AC Milan, who eliminated city rivals Inter 4-1 on aggregate following a 3-0 win on Wednesday. Bologna last reached the
If the Wild finally break through and win their first playoff series in a decade, Minnesota’s top line likely will be the reason. They were all over the Golden Knights through the first two games of their NHL Western Conference quarter-finals series, which was 1-1 going back to Minnesota for Game 3 today. The Wild tied the series with a 5-2 win on Tuesday. Matt Boldy had three goals and an assist in the first two games, while Kirill Kaprizov produced two goals and three assists. Joel Eriksson Ek, who centers the line, has yet to get on the scoresheet. “I think the biggest
From a commemorative jersey to a stadium in his name, Argentine soccer organizers are planning a slew of tributes to their late “Captain” Pope Francis, eulogized as the ultimate team player. Tributes to the Argentine pontiff, a lifelong lover of the game, who died on Monday at the age of 88, have been peppered with soccer metaphors in his homeland. “Francisco. What a player,” the Argentine Football Federation (AFA) said, describing the first pope from Latin America and the southern hemisphere as a generational talent who “never hogged the ball” and who showed the world “the importance of having an Argentine captain,
Noelvi Marte on Sunday had seven RBIs and hit his first career grand slam with a drive off infielder Jorge Mateo, while Austin Wynn had a career-high six RBIs as the Cincinnati Reds scored their most runs in 26 years in a 24-2 rout of the Baltimore Orioles. Marte finished with five hits, including his eighth-inning homer off Mateo. Wynn hit a three-run homer in the ninth off catcher Gary Sanchez. Cincinnati scored its most runs since a 24-12 win against the Colorado Rockies on May 19, 1999, and finished with 25 hits. Baltimore allowed its most runs since a 30-3 loss to
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