■ BRAZIL
Ronaldo back in training
Ronaldo trained for the first time with Corinthians on Friday, a fortnight after signing a one-year contract with Brazil’s most popular club. The 32-year-old Ronaldo, trying to come back from a major knee injury this year, did not take to the field with the other players. Instead, he worked out for several hours inside the team’s gym — out of sight from the nearly 500 fans who hoped to see him practice outside. The three-time world player of the year showed up at the gym without the team’s kit, but when he saw the army of photographers awaiting him, he retreated back into the dressing room to re-emerge minutes later, wearing the kit. Ronaldo ruptured a tendon in his left knee while playing for AC Milan in February, the third major knee injury of his career. This month he signed a one-year deal with Corinthians with a one-year option and an opt-out clause for any time. Corinthians’ first game of the new season is not until Jan. 21 at home against Barueri.
■ENGLAND
Forest fire Calderwood
Nottingham Forest fired manager Colin Calderwood on Friday after a 4-2 loss against Doncaster Rovers left the former European champions in the relegation zone of the second-tier League Championship. Forest are 22nd in the 24-team league after winning just four games since being promoted from the third-tier League One. “We’re in a results business and it’s imperative that the club stays in the Championship,” chief executive Mark Arthur said. “We need to give ourselves every opportunity to do that.” Forest hired Calderwood, a former Scotland defender, in May 2006 after he guided Northampton out of League Two. Brian Clough led Forest to European Cup triumphs in 1979 and 1980.
■BRAZIL
FIFA agree to more venues
FIFA has agreed to increase from 10 to 12 the number of Brazilian cities that will host the 2014 World Cup, a spokesman for the Brazilian Football Confederation said on Friday. The confederation convinced the executive committee of soccer’s world governing body to increase the number because Brazil is such a big country, the spokesman said. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the matter with the media. The O Globo newspaper reported that five of the 18 potential host cities will definitely stage World Cup games — Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte, Brasilia and Porto Alegre. The northeastern cities of Fortaleza, Recife, Salvador and Curitiba in the south are “almost certain” sites, the newspaper said, adding that the remaining three cities will be chosen from Manaus, Belem, Cuiaba, Goiania, Campo Grande and Florianpolis.
■SPAIN
Real to appeal to UEFA
Real Madrid will appeal to UEFA against its rule that means only one of the team’s new signings — France midfielder Lassana Diarra and Netherlands striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar — is eligible to play in the Champions League. UEFA rules state that teams can sign three new players up until Feb. 1, but that only one who has played European soccer that season can play in the Champions League for his new club. Diarra and Huntelaar played in this season’s UEFA Cup for Portsmouth and Ajax, respectively. Madrid said in a statement on Friday that it had “another interpretation” of the rules, claiming they were designed to stop players changing teams within a competition and that they don’t apply in this case because Diarra and Huntelaar played in the UEFA Cup.
Taiwan kept their hopes of advancing to next year’s World Baseball Classic (WBC) alive with a 9-1 victory over South Africa in a qualifier at the Taipei Dome on Saturday, backed by solid pitching. Taiwan last night played against Nicaragua. As of press time, Nicaragua was leading 6-0. Bouncing back from Friday’s struggles on the mound, when Taiwanese pitchers surrendered 15 runs to Spain, Team Taiwan on Saturday kept the visiting team in check, allowing just one run in the bottom of the fourth inning. Starting pitcher Sha Tzu-chen struck out one and allowed no hits, except for a hit-by-pitch over
Team Taiwan are set to face Spain in a win-or-go-home match tonight for the final berth at the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC), despite losing to Nicaragua 6-0 in the WBC qualifier at the Taipei Dome on Sunday. The home team’s loss on Sunday means Nicaragua finish first in the qualifier round in Taipei with a perfect 3-0 record and advances to next year’s finals. After crushing South Africa 9-1 earlier on Sunday, Spain took second place in the four-team qualifier with a 2-1 record. With a 1-2 record, Taiwan finished third while South Africa placed at the bottom with
Taiwan kept its hopes of advancing to the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) alive with a 9-1 victory over South Africa in a qualifier at the Taipei Dome last night, backed by solid pitching. Bouncing back from Friday’s struggles on the mound, when Taiwanese pitchers surrendered 15 runs to Spain, Team Taiwan kept the visiting team in check, allowing just one run in the bottom of the fourth inning. The win was crucial for Taiwan, as a loss would have eliminated the team from contention for the next WBC. Starting pitcher Sha Tzu-chen (沙子宸) struck out one and allowed no hits, except for
Team Taiwan avoided missing the World Baseball Classic (WBC) for the first time by defeating Spain 6-3 in a do-or-die game in Taipei last night. After narrowly escaping a mercy-rule loss to Spain in the WBC Qualifiers opener on Friday last week, the home team — winner of last year's WBSC Premier12 title three months ago — got their revenge against the 2023 European champions at Taipei Dome. "It felt quite different from when we won the Premier12," Taiwan captain Chen Chieh-hsien (陳傑憲) said after the game, recalling the ups and downs the team has experienced over the past few days. Unlike in
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