■ENGLAND
Adebayor signs for City
Manchester City on Saturday said they had clinched the £25 million (US$41 million) signing of Togolese forward Emmanuel Adebayor from Arsenal on a five-year contract. Adebayor completed his medical at Eastlands to become the latest big-money new face at City, after the recent captures of Gareth Barry, Carlos Tevez and Roque Santa Cruz. Hundreds of City fans greeted Adebayor, who said: “It made me feel really welcome and special and I can’t wait to play for City’s fans and show them what I can do. I was born to play football and that is what I want to do. I have come here to make history for this club and those supporters.”
■ENGLAND
Clubs chase Beckham
Under orders from England boss Fabio Capello to stay in tip-top shape if he wants to feature at the World Cup, David Beckham may yet return to the English Premiership with Chelsea or Tottenham Hotspur, the Mail on Sunday reported yesterday. After spending an impressive second half of last season with AC Milan, Beckham returned to US Major League Soccer outfit LA Galaxy in Thursday’s 3-1 victory over the New York Red Bulls, his first match since the end of the Serie A campaign. The Mail on Sunday report said Chelsea and Spurs were ready to bring him home, although Beckham said in midweek he was relishing an eventual return to Italy.
■MALAYSIA
Owen scores the winner
Michael Owen’s predatory instincts are still intact. That’s the message he sent after scoring the winning goal on his Manchester United debut. The 29-year-old striker came on as a second-half substitute in United’s opening game of their Asia tour and pounced on a loose ball with five minutes left after Ryan Giggs had been tackled in the penalty area. His decisive finish handed the team a 3-2 victory over a tough Malaysian XI after Wayne Rooney and Nani had put them two goals in front. “You train for weeks in preparation for that all-important first game and to score on your debut feels great,” said Owen, who joined the club this month on a two-year deal after his contract at relegated Newcastle United expired. “It’s always nice to get off the mark, not just when you join a new club, but any time,” he told the club’s Web site.
■UNITED STATES
Sturridge scores on debut
Teenager Daniel Sturridge wasted no time in making his presence felt for Chelsea, scoring one goal and helping create another in the Blues’ 2-0 victory over the Seattle Sounders in a friendly match on Saturday. Sturridge, 19, was making his debut after moving from Manchester City to Stamford Bridge and he helped make a winner out of new manager Carlo Ancelotti following his switch from AC Milan. Sturridge’s 12th-minute goal silenced the 65,289 fans — most in Seattle green — who turned out to see the first of two friendlies against overseas clubs.
■RUSSIA
CSKA rally to down Kazan
Three-time champions CSKA Moscow battled back from a goal down to clinch a 2-1 away win over reigning title holders Kazan on Saturday to inch closer to the league leaders. Kazan stay top despite the loss with 27 points after 14 matches, four points ahead of Spartak Moscow and CSKA, who both have a game in hand. “It was a very interesting match and we’re happy to win it,” CSKA’s Brazilian manager Zico said. “I’m glad that my guys continued battling after the hosts scored the opening goal. Today we persevered and won deservedly.”
After fleeing Sudan when civil war erupted, Al-Hilal captain Mohamed Abdelrahman and his teammates have defied the odds to reach the CAF Champions League quarter-finals. They are today to face title-holders Al-Ahly of Egypt in Cairo, with the return match in the Mauritanian capital, Nouakchott, on Tuesday next week. Al-Hilal and biggest domestic rivals Al-Merrikh relocated to Mauritania after a power struggle broke out in April 2023 between the Sudanese army and a paramilitary force. The civil war has claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced more than 12 million people, according to the UN. The Democratic Republic of the Congo-born Al-Hilal
Matvei Michkov did not score on Monday, but the Philadelphia rookie had a hand in both goals as hosts the Flyers earned a 2-1 victory over the Nashville Predators. Ryan Poehling and Jamie Drysdale got the goals for the Flyers (31-36-9, 71 points), who won their third straight. Michkov and Travis Konecny assisted on both. Ivan Fedotov stopped 28 shots to earn his first win since March 1, ending a personal six-game losing streak. Zachary L’Heureux got the lone goal for Nashville. Michael McCarron and Brady Skjei got the assists for the Predators (27-39-8, 62 points), who have just four goals in their
Arminia Bielefeld on Tuesday pulled off a major upset in the DFB-Pokal by defeating defending champions Bayer 04 Leverkusen 2-1 in their semi-final. The third-division team came from behind after Jonathan Tah gave the visitors a 17th-minute lead. Marius Worl replied three minutes later and Maximilian Groser scored Bielefeld’s second goal just before the break. The home team looked more likely to add to that tally as the Leverkusen players looked jaded. “I’m just proud of this team,” Bielefeld coach Mitch Kniat said as most of the fans the small stadium sang around him. “No one will sleep in the city tonight.” Patrik Schick went
Marcus Rashford’s first goals for Aston Villa on Sunday inspired a 3-0 win against Preston North End that sent his side into the FA Cup semi-finals for the first time in 10 years. Rashford struck twice in the second half at Deepdale to end Preston’s stubborn resistance before Jacob Ramsey wrapped up Villa’s long-awaited return to the last four. Villa are to face Crystal Palace — 3-0 winners at Fulham on Saturday — in the semi-finals at Wembley Stadium in London. Revitalized since joining Villa on loan from Manchester United during the January transfer window, Rashford is beginning to show the form that
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