■BRAZIL
Palmeiras win derby match
A hat-trick by Obina gave Palmeiras a 3-0 win in their Sao Paulo derby on Sunday against Corinthians, who lost Ronaldo with a suspected broken hand. Palmeiras joined Atletico Mineiro, shock 1-0 losers at home to Goias, at the top of the Brazilian championship standings with 28 points from 14 matches. Atletico lead by a difference of one goal. The two teams are four points ahead of Vitoria, who beat Coritiba 1-0 at home, and Internacional, who went down 3-2 away to Botafogo on Saturday. Palmeiras, unable to fly because of poor visibility on Saturday, had to make a 570km bus trip to the city of Presidente Prudente where the derby was played to avoid crowd trouble in Sao Paulo, but still turned in the better performance. Ronaldo, who fell badly on his left arm, had to leave the field after 20 minutes and Corinthians doctor Paulo de Faria said he had “a suspected fracture of the hand, he hurts a lot and cannot play.”
■BRAZIL
Romario facing jail term
Former Brazil striker Romario is appealing a tax evasion conviction that could keep him in prison for up to three-and-a-half years, Brazilian media reported on Sunday. Romario was convicted and sentenced on June 9 after accusations he evaded about US$500,000 in taxes when he played for Brazilian club Flamengo in 1996 and 1997, Globo’s G1 Web site reported. He allegedly did not declare his earnings in full at the time. The striker, who helped Brazil win the 1994 World Cup in the US, is likely to escape prison time, however, and the sentence could be transformed into community service after an appeal, G1 said, citing prosecutors. Less than two weeks ago, Romario was arrested in a child support case involving his first wife and spent a night in jail until reportedly paying what he owed.
■ENGLAND
Shearer still in the dark
Alan Shearer still has no idea whether he will be appointed permanent Newcastle United manager, only two weeks before the club begins life in the Championship (second division), the former England striker said on Sunday. Shearer took over as manager of the club for the last eight games of the Premier League season, but could not prevent their relegation. With owner Mike Ashley trying to sell the club, assistant manager Chris Hughton has taken charge of their pre-season friendlies, including a 6-1 defeat by League One (third division) Leyton Orient on Saturday. “I am the same as everyone else, I am in limbo — I don’t know what is going on,” Shearer told the BBC at a St James’ Park match to raise funds for former Newcastle and England manager Bobby Robson’s cancer charity. “I know as much as you. I would dearly love it to be sorted out one way or the other, then the club can move forward. Everyone is telling me there are people in to buy the club. If that is the case, then great. I’m a fan like everyone else and I don’t like to see the situation the club is in.”
■HONDURAS
Two fans shot dead
Two people were shot dead and more than 15 injured in Honduras on Sunday when fans of rival soccer teams clashed outside a stadium following a match, police said. Police arrested dozens when they moved in to quell the violence, which erupted after the two teams, Olimpia and Motagua, tied 0-0 in the Honduran capital, police spokesman Orlin Cerrato said. “There are two dead,” Cerrato told reporters, saying they had been shot. Honduras has been on edge since president Manuel Zelaya was ousted in a coup last month.
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
The Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) is considering reducing its pitch clock by two seconds to help players better adjust to the rules applied at the World Baseball Classic (WBC). The proposal aims to shorten the pitch timer from 25 seconds to 23 seconds with the bases empty, and from 20 seconds to 18 seconds with runners on base. Currently, the WBC mandates that pitchers deliver a pitch every 18 seconds with the bases empty and 15 seconds with runners on base. The issue was raised during a pre-season CPBL managers’ meeting on Tuesday by Rakuten Monkeys bench and batting
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