■ENGLAND
Inter make Lampard bid
Italian champions Inter made a bid of £6.5 million (US$12.8 million) for Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard, British daily the Sun reported. Lampard, 30, has one year of his current contract left and could buy himself out of the remainder, the newspaper said. Alternatively, he could wait until January and sign a pre-contract agreement with Inter that would allow him to leave on a free transfer at the end of next season, the daily added. Lampard has been pressing for a new contract at Stamford Bridge for months, though Chelsea has continuously refused to complete negotiations on a deal, the Sun said.
■SPAIN
Barca president survives poll
FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta survived a confidence vote held on Sunday that was brought against him by a supporter who was angered by the Spanish club’s second straight season without any major title, final results show. Less than half of all Barcelona supporters who cast ballots, 37.75 percent, voted to keep the 45-year-old at the helm of the club, while 60.6 percent voted against him staying on, the club said on its Web site. But to be successful, the vote against Laporta needed to have the support of over two-thirds of voters with a minimum turnout of 10 percent of the 118,528 club members entitled to take part. The result means Laporta and his team will be able to continue at the helm of the club until their current term expires on June 30, 2010.
■ITALY
Blues want Kaka: Galliani
Chelsea made an “astronomical” offer for Brazil playmaker Kaka, a top AC Milan official reportedly said on Sunday. Vice president Adriano Galliani was asked in an interview in La Stampa if it had been difficult to keep Kaka at the Serie A club, which is owned by Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. “For Kaka, we got an astronomical offer from Chelsea,” Galliani said. He did not say how much or when the offer was made. Chelsea did not immediately return calls seeking comment. Kaka signed with Milan in 2003, coming from Brazilian team Sao Paulo. He had knee surgery in Brazil in May and recently was quoted as saying he is on track to rejoin Milan to prepare for the upcoming season.
■SPAIN
Atletico sign Assuncao
Atletico Madrid announced on Sunday the signing of Brazilian midfielder Paulo Assuncao from Portuguese first division side Porto for an undisclosed fee. The 28-year-old joined his new teammates at Atletico yesterday, the Spanish club said in a statement posted on its Web site without specifying the length of his contract. Assuncao joined Porto in 2005 from AEK Athens, but has been eager to leave the Portuguese club after falling out with its management.
■ENGLAND
Crouch in Pompey move
Portsmouth agreed to pay Liverpool £11 million (US$21.8 million) for Peter Crouch and the England striker will sign a contract midweek, the Independent reported. The English Premier League clubs reached an agreement on Sunday, though Crouch, 27, can’t complete the move because some Liverpool officials do not return to work until this week, the newspaper said. Crouch also attracted similar-sized bids from Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United, the Independent said. He opted for Portsmouth so he could link up again with Harry Redknapp, whom he played for more than six years ago during Redknapp’s first spell at Pompey, the paper said.
AGENCIES
OFFENSE SHINES: First baseman Pan Chie-kai hit a solo homer in the fifth inning as all 10 batters Taiwan used contributed at least one hit toward their team total of 14 One day after their first shutout loss at the WBSC Premier12, Taiwan yesterday bounced back with a commanding 8-2 victory over the US, keeping their hopes for a spot in tomorrow’s final alive. The win in the Super Round marked Taiwan’s first triumph over the US at a top-tier international baseball tournament since 2003. Their previous win over the US was at the 2003 Baseball World Cup, with only one win in the previous 10 matchups since 1999. Yesterday’s game was tightly contested through the first six innings, with the margin never exceeding two runs. However, the tide turned in the top of
“Please love us. Please cheer us on. We have been working hard. Do not give up on us.” Taiwan captain Chen Chieh-hsien’s heartfelt plea echoed across the World Baseball Softball Confederation’s (WBSC) Premier12 tournament after a historic victory. Rather than boasting, Chen was making an earnest appeal after leading Taiwan to a 4-0 victory over Japan to claim their first major international baseball title at the senior level. Chen’s decisive three-run homer in the fifth inning and his Premier12 leading .632 batting average secured him the Premier12’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) title. He was also named one of the tournament’s outstanding defensive players
WELL-AGED: Although the youngest team in the tournament, Taiwan featured several veteran stars, including Sunday’s home-run hero Chen Chieh-hsien “I will never forget today,” veteran Taiwanese pitcher Chen Kuan-yu said after Taiwan on Sunday night blanked Japan to secure their first ever gold in the World Baseball Softball Confederation’s (WBSC) Premier12 championship. Chen, who at 34 is the oldest member on the team, said Taiwan “made every difficult step to come to today’s victory. I will never forget today.” Taiwan made history when they won their first gold medal of the Premier12 tournament, beating Japan in a 4-0 shutout victory in the final at the Tokyo Dome. It was a jaw-dropping victory for many baseball commentators who went into the game with
Nikola Jokic on Saturday scored 34 points and grabbed 13 rebounds to spark the Denver Nuggets over the Los Angeles Lakers 127-102, continuing their dominance of the NBA rivalry, while Scotty Pippen Jr scored a career-best 30 points to lead the Memphis Grizzlies past the Chicago Bulls, 142-131. The Nuggets won for the 13th time in the past 14 contests against the Lakers, including ousting the Lakers in the playoffs the past two seasons. Serbian star Jokic failed to achieve his sixth consecutive triple-double, managing only eight assists, but his effort was plenty as Michael Porter Jr added 24 points and 11
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