FOOTBALL
Cutler leads Bears to victory
Jay Cutler on Monday returned from injury and threw for 252 yards and a touchdown to lead the struggling Chicago Bears to a 20-10 upset of the Minnesota Vikings. Rookie Jordan Howard ran for 153 yards and a score for the Bears, who improved to 2-6. Cutler, who missed five games with a sprained thumb, completed 20 of 31 passes as the Bears snapped a three-game losing streak. His 11-yard touchdown pass to Alshon Jeffery, his first of the season, gave the Bears a 20-3 lead with 9 minutes, 52 seconds remaining in the third quarter. The Vikings, who opened the season with five straight wins, came into the contest off their first defeat of the year. They were unable to right the ship, failing to reach the end zone until late in the fourth quarter, when quarterback Sam Bradford connected with Stefon Diggs on a 25-yard touchdown pass.
SOCCER
Stoke City defeat Swansea
Stoke City striker Wilfried Bony on Monday scored twice against his former club in a 3-1 victory over Swansea City in the English Premier League, leaving American coach Bob Bradley still seeking his first win in charge of the Welsh club. Bony put the hosts ahead after only three minutes before Wayne Routledge equalized for the Swans five minutes later. Stoke went back ahead 10 minutes after the interval with an own-goal by Alfie Mawson, and Bony headed in a third goal to put the result beyond doubt in the 73rd minute. Bradley lost 3-2 at Arsenal in his first game with Swansea and drew 0-0 at home to Watford in the second. Stoke moved up to 12th, while Swansea stayed in the relegation zone, five points from safety.
SOCCER
Valencia, Coruna draw 1-1
Valencia’s poor La Liga season continued on Monday as Los Che remain just a point above the relegation zone after a 1-1 draw at fellow strugglers RC Deportivo de La Coruna. Deportivo have failed to replace the goal threat posed by Lucas Perez since his move to Arsenal in August, but a point is enough for them to move out of the bottom three on goal difference. Turkish midfielder Emre Colak’s towering header from a right-wing cross put Deportivo in front in first-half stoppage time. However, in former Italy coach Cesare Prandelli’s third game in charge, Valencia battled back after the break and Rodrigo tapped home Nani’s low cross just before the hour mark.
SOCCER
Torino squander lead to tie
Torino on Monday surrendered an early advantage in a 2-2 draw at Udinese that left the Granata in eighth place, four points below the Europa League spots, and on a three-game winless streak. Marco Benassi was set up nicely by Andrea Belotti as Torino went ahead 15 minutes in. Adem Ljajic drew Torino level in the 77th from inside the area after taking a pass from Lorenzo De Silvestri. Cagliari captain Daniele Dessena marked his return from a year-long injury layoff in style, scoring both goals in a win over struggling US Citta di Palermo. Dessena connected on a volley in the 53rd, then added another goal 11 minutes later from the center of the area. In the 79th minute, Macedonia striker Ilija Nestorovski pulled one back for Palermo with his fifth goal of the season.
Brazil has four teams, more than any other country, in the expanded Club World Cup that kicked off yesterday in the US, but for SE Palmeiras, the competition holds a special meaning: winning it would provide some redemption. Under coach Abel Ferreira since 2020, Palmeiras lifted two Copa Libertadores titles, plus Brazilian league, cup and state championships. Even before Ferreira, it boasted another South American crown and 11 league titles. The only major trophy missing is a world champions’ title. Other Brazilian clubs like Fluminense FC and Botafogo FR, also in the tournament, have never won it either, but the problem for Palmeiras
Paris Saint-Germain’s Lee Kang-in has pleaded with South Korea fans to get behind the team at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after more boos were aimed at coach Hong Myung-bo despite leading them to qualification. South Korea reached next year’s finals in North America without losing a game, but that does not tell the whole story. The country’s soccer association has been in the firing line, having scrambled about to find a successor after sacking the unpopular Jurgen Klinsmann in February last year. They eventually settled on Hong, the decorated former skipper who had an unsuccessful stint as coach in 2013-2014, during which
Lionel Messi drew vast crowds and showed flashes of his brilliance when his Inter Miami side were held to a goalless draw by African giants Al-Ahly as the revamped FIFA Club World Cup got off to a festive start on Saturday. Fans showed up en masse for the Group A clash at the Hard Rock Stadium, home to the NFL’s Miami Dolphins, but Messi could not fully deliver, his best chance coming through a last-second attempt that was deflected onto the crossbar. Inter Miami next face FC Porto on Thursday in Atlanta, while Al-Ahly, who benefited from raucous, massive support, are to
Ferrari’s F1 fortunes might be flagging, but the Italian team start this weekend’s 24 Hours of Le Mans as favorites, targeting a third consecutive triumph in motorsport’s fabled endurance classic. Roger Federer is acting as celebrity starter with the tennis icon getting the 93rd edition of the jewel in four-wheeled endurance racing’s crown under way tomorrow. Twenty-four hours later, through daylight, darkness and dawn, the 21 elite hypercars are to battle it out over 300 laps (more than 4,000km) in front of a sold-out 320,000 crowd burning the midnight oil with copious quantities of coffee and beer. Ferrari made a triumphant return after
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