SOCCER
Judge pleads not guilty
A suspended Guatemalan judge who was arrested while aboard a Disney cruise ship has pleaded not guilty to charges that he took bribes in exchange for media and marketing rights to World Cup qualifier matches. Hector Trujillo, who was secretary general of the Guatemalan soccer federation and a judge on the country’s Constitutional Court until his Dec. 4 arrest, entered his plea on Wednesday in US federal court in Brooklyn, New York, a spokeswoman for Brooklyn prosecutors said on Thursday. He is one of dozens of soccer officials charged by US authorities investigating corruption in the sport’s world governing body, FIFA. A bail hearing has been set for Jan. 7, according to the spokeswoman. Soccer bosses from South and Central America, including Trujillo, were among 16 people charged on Dec. 3 for engaging in schemes involving more than US$200 million in bribes and kickbacks sought for marketing and broadcast rights to tournaments and matches.
SOCCER
Goalie donates to deaf team
Stoke City goalkeeper Jack Butland has donated ￡5,000 (US$7,370) to Great Britain’s women’s deaf team to ensure they can compete in this year’s World Cup. An online appeal aiming to raise ￡10,000, half the amount the British team need to attend the Deaf World Cup in Italy in June, has now reached its target thanks to Butland’s donation. Claire Stancliffe, who won bronze with Britain’s deaf team at the 2008 World Cup, praised Butland, 22, for helping the squad’s hopes of attending the tournament. “Physically shaking. Thank you so much Jack Butland for the ￡5,000 donation. We are in shock,” she tweeted. Explaining why he wanted to make the donation, Butland tweeted: “I’ve learnt a lot from major tournaments, experiences I’ll never forget, I’d love for you to experience the same!” Butland, who has three England caps, also works as an ambassador for the Kick It Out anti-discrimination campaign.
BASEBALL
Maeda linked with Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are set to sign Japanese pitcher Kenta Maeda, multiple US media outlets reported on Thursday. The 27-year-old right-hander was posted by his Japanese club the Hiroshima Carp, who would be due a posting fee of up to US$20 million by any Major League Club that signs him. Maeda has pitched for Hiroshima since 2008, going 97-67 with a 2.39 ERA. He went 15-8 last season with a 2.09 ERA and 175 strikeouts in 206-1/3 innings, earning his second Sawamura Award as top pitcher. The Arizona Diamondbacks, Seattle Mariners, New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs and Dodgers were all said to be interested him. The reported deal comes one day after the Dodgers signed free-agent starting pitcher Scott Kazmir.
SOCCER
Panathinaikos sign Mesto
Italy defender Giandomenico Mesto, who was a free agent, has signed a one-and-a-half-year contract with Panathinaikos, the Greek Super League club announced on Thursday. Mesto, 33, spent the past three seasons with SSC Napoli and has also played for Genoa and Udinese during a long career in his home country. The right-back, who has won three caps for Italy, will try to help Panathinaikos improve on their current position of fourth in the Greek top flight. They are a remarkable 20 points behind the leaders Olympiakos halfway through the season.
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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