RUGBY UNION
Crusaders keep Penney
The Canterbury Crusaders yesterday said that Rob Penney would remain as head coach for next year’s Super Rugby season, despite overseeing the club’s worst campaign in more than 20 years. The Crusaders were ninth of 12 teams in Penney’s first season in charge and missed out on the playoffs after winning seven straight Super Rugby titles up to last year under Scott Robertson. This year was their worst season since finishing 10th in 2001. Crusaders chief executive officer Colin Mansbridge said that independent reviews of the season contributed to more than 50 recommended changes, but replacing Penney was not among them. “Rob’s got the backing of the board and he’s got the backing of the players,” Mansbridge said. The Crusaders this year lost key players Richie Mo’unga and Sam Whitelock to overseas clubs while enduring a miserable run of injuries. “At a high level, our worst result since 2001 created sleepless nights, no doubt about it,” Mansbridge said. “Should our fans be gutted about where we ended up? Absolutely.” However, sacking the coaches “and throwing grenades into a system which produced 14 championships over 26 years” would be like “killing the golden goose,” he added. “I think the story of the Crusaders in the final next year would be pretty outstanding and that’s what we’re banking on.”
Photo: AFP
TENNIS
Taiwan’s Wu advances
Wu Fang-hsien of Taiwan on Wednesday advanced to the women’s doubles quarter-finals at the Washington Open. Wu and partner Jiang Xinyu of China defeated Russia’s Alexandra Panova and Giuliana Olmos of Mexico 6-2, 6-2 in their round-of-16 clash on the hard courts at the William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center. The win earned them a match against Russian duo Yana Sizikova and Anastasia Potapova at the US$2,100,230 event, with their quarter-final to be played after press time last night.
SOCCER
Australia sack Gustavsson
Football Australia yesterday said that it had parted ways with Matildas head coach Tony Gustavsson following a disastrous Olympic campaign that saw the team fail to reach the quarter-finals. Gustavsson, 50, departs after four years in charge. “We thank him for his strong contribution, passion and commitment during that time and wish him every success for the future,” Football Australia chief executive officer James Johnson said in a statement. A 2-1 defeat on Wednesday to the US in Paris sealed the Matildas’ earliest exit from an Olympic Games since their debut in 2000. Under Gustavsson’s stewardship, Australia had reached the semi-finals of last year’s Women’s World Cup, which they cohosted with New Zealand. “It has been a great honor and privilege to have been able to be the head coach of the Matildas over the past four years,” Gustavsson said in a separate statement. “Australian football will be forever in my heart, and I will be watching on and cheering on your success in the future.”
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
The Minnesota Timberwolves, with so many promising performances spoiled by late mistakes fresh in their memory bank, sure timed this strong finish well. Jaden McDaniels scored a career playoff-high 30 points and spearheaded Minnesota’s stifling defense on an ailing Luka Doncic, and the Timberwolves beat the Los Angeles Lakers 116-104 to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven Western Conference first-round series in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Friday night. “Jaden never looks tired. He looks like he could play 48 minutes,” said teammate Anthony Edwards, who had 29 points, eight rebounds and eight assists. Julius Randle added 22 points for the Wolves, who outscored
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,
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