OLYMPICS
Rio stadium goes dark
The track and field stadium for this year’s Rio de Janeiro Olympics was without power on Monday, with the city hall and Rio soccer club Botafogo blaming each other for unpaid utility bills. In a statement to The Associated Press, the city hall said Botafogo has been responsible for the utility bills since May last year. However, the club said that the city government owed it money to pay water and electricity bills. The Brazilian newspaper Globoesporte said the unpaid bills totaled 1 million reals (US$250,000). Brazil is in the middle of a deep recession, forcing cutbacks on Olympic organizers.
RUGBY SEVENS
Friend made Aussie coach
Former ACT Brumbies coach Andy Friend has been appointed coach of the Australia rugby sevens team and will guide the side to the Rio de Janeiro Olympics. The 46-year-old Friend, who has most recently been coaching Suntory Sungoliath in Japan’s Top League, takes over from interim coach Scott Bowen, who has led the side since Welshman Geraint Jones resigned unexpectedly in August. Friend, who has agreed a two-and-half-year contract, said Australia are “capable of beating any side in the world.”
RUGBY UNION
Mitchell to coach US team
Former New Zealand coach John Mitchell has been hired by the US to lead the national team into the 2020 World Cup. USA Rugby on Monday announced that Mitchell had signed a four-year contract with the Eagles. He replaces Mike Tolkin, who left the head coach’s position after the US lost all four pool stage games at the World Cup in England last year. “I see this as a wonderful opportunity to play a key part in inspiring, mentoring, creating confidence and stability in transforming USA Rugby into a strong, globally-competitive unit by the end of 2019,” Mitchell said. Mitchell, a no-nonsense disciplinarian, was All Blacks coach from 2001 to 2003 and England assistant coach from 1997 to 2000.
SOCCER
Rennes down Nice in Cup
Stade Rennais grabbed the final spot available in the round of 32 of the Coupe de France with a 7-6 victory on penalties over fellow first-division side OGC Nice in Nice, France, on Monday. The teams were tied at 2-2 after extra-time and Gelson Fernandes scored the winning penalty. After Alexandre Mendy gave Nice an early lead, Jeremie Boga equalized with eight minutes left at the end of an impressive team move. The visitors then took the lead through Benjamin Andre’s shot in the top corner in extra time, but Nice winger Hatem Ben Arfa put the teams level from the penalty spot. Rennes will play second-tier side Bourg-en-Bresse Peronnas in the next round, which will also feature four matches between Ligue 1 clubs, including Paris Saint-Germain against Toulouse.
TENNIS
Coric and Pavic advance
Croatian players Borna Coric and Ante Pavic each earned three-set wins over Spanish opponents on Monday to reach the second round of the Chennai Open. The eighth-seeded Coric defeated Marcel Granollers 7-6 (7/5), 2-6, 6-4, while Pavic beat Nicolas Almagro 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7/1). Also, John Millman of Australia rallied for a 6-7 (5/7), 6-4, 7-6 (8/6) win over Evgeny Donskoy of Russia as all three matches on the opening day went to three sets. The 44th-ranked Coric made several forehand errors, but got his game together for his second win over Granollers.
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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