■UKRAINE
Shevchenko rejoins Kiev
Former European Footballer of the Year Andriy Shevchenko has agreed to rejoin Dynamo Kiev from Chelsea. “Shevchenko has signed a two-year contract,” the Ukrainian club said on their Web site on Saturday. Kiev added the 32-year-old Ukraine striker would be presented as their player yesterday. On Friday, Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti said he could not guarantee Shevchenko first-team soccer. “I spoke with Shevchenko and he would like to play with continuity here. For me it is difficult to give him this possibility and I think he has taken the right decision [to move],” Ancelotti said.
■PORTUGAL
Porto go top of the table
New striker Radamel Falcao’s early goal helped four-time defending champions FC Porto beat Naval 3-1 in the Portuguese league on Saturday. The Colombia striker, signed from Argentina’s River Plate in the summer to replace the departed Lisandro Lopez, notched his third goal in as many games in the eighth minute at Bento Pessoa Stadium. Silvestre Varela made it 2-0 in the 61st minute, before Rolando’s own-goal in the 75th minute cut the lead to one. Ernesto Farias re-established the two-goal cushion two minutes later as Porto moved to the top of the table with seven points from three games. Also on Saturday, Pacos Ferreira drew 0-0 with Guimaraes.
■GREECE
Aris held by rivals Iraklis
Javier Campora scored two goals as Aris drew 2-2 at crosstown rivals Iraklis on Saturday in a match delayed for 45 minutes just a few seconds after kickoff when an Iraklis fan slapped and shouted obscenities at Aris goalkeeper Michalis Sifakis. Private security employees did nothing to prevent the fan from reaching Sifakis and the fan was not arrested. The draw moved both clubs to the top of the Greek league alongside Asteras, with all the teams on four points. Asteras had earlier beaten Kavala 1-0 away from home. Campora put Aris ahead with a low drive in the 21st minute, but four minutes later, Victoras Iacob leveled with a powerful header. Campora put his team ahead again with a header off a cross from Sergio Koke in the 38th minute, but in the 58th minute Denis Epstein converted a penalty. Also on Saturday, Panionios drew 1-1 at home with Ergotelis.
■NETHERLANDS
Alkmaar down Willem II
Hector Moreno and Brett Holman scored for AZ Alkmaar, who beat Willem II 2-1 to move atop the Dutch league on Saturday. Sergio Zijler grabbed the lone goal for Willem 11 in the 23rd minute. AZ lead the standings with 12 points, two more than Feyenoord and FC Twente, who have a game in hand. Also on Saturday, VVV-Venlo maintained their unbeaten run by holding NEC Nijmegen 1-1 for their fifth straight draw. Japan midfielder Keisuke Honda set up Sandro Calabro for the opening goal in the 30th minute, before Ramon Zomer equalized for NEC six minutes after the break. FC Utrecht downed Sparta Rotterdam 2-0 with goals from Jacob Lensky and Gregoor van Dijk.
■ENGLAND
Lennon set for recall
Aaron Lennon looks set to be recalled for England’s World Cup qualifier against Croatia when a victory would secure qualification for South Africa 2010. The speedy winger has impressed national manager Fabio Capello in the early weeks of the season, having helped Tottenham win their first four matches of the Premier League season.
Tallon Griekspoor on Friday stunned top seed Alexander Zverev 4-6, 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (7/4) in the second round at Indian Wells, avenging a devastating loss to the German at Roland Garros last year. Zverev, the world No. 2 who is heading the field of the prestigious ATP Masters event with No. 1 Jannik Sinner serving a three-month drugs ban, is the first Indian Wells men’s top seed to lose his opening match since Andy Murray in 2017. It was a cherished win for Griekspoor, who had lost five straight matches — including four last year — to the German. That included a five-setter
Donovan Mitchell on Wednesday scored 26 points as the Cleveland Cavaliers punched their ticket to the NBA playoffs with a hard-fought 112-107 victory over the Miami Heat. A seesaw battle in Cleveland saw the Heat threaten to end the Cavs’ 11-game unbeaten streak after opening up a seven-point lead late in the fourth quarter, but the Cavs clawed back the deficit in the closing minutes to seal their 12th straight victory and a place in the post-season. The Cavaliers improved to 52-10, maintaining their stranglehold on the Eastern Conference with 20 games of the regular season remaining. Mitchell was one of six Cleveland
Five-time champion Novak Djokovic on Saturday tumbled out of the Indian Wells ATP Masters, falling in his first match to lucky loser Botic van de Zandschulp as two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz advanced. “No excuses for a poor performance,” 24-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic said after 37 unforced errors in a 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 defeat. “It doesn’t feel great when you play this way on the court,” he said. “But congratulations to my opponent — just a bad day in the office, I guess, for me.” Djokovic is just the latest in Van de Zandschulp’s string of superstar victims. He
Manchester United on Thursday settled for a 1-1 draw with Real Sociedad in the first leg of their Europa League round-of-16 tie. United led on Joshua Zirkzee’s goal in the 58th minute, but the hosts equalized 12 minutes later after Bruno Fernandes’ hand ball and Mikel Oyarzabal sent Andre Onana the wrong way from the penalty spot. The Europa League could be a way for United to finish the season with a trophy after crashing out of the FA Cup on Sunday. A spot in the quarter-finals is to be on the line at Old Trafford in the second leg on Thursday next
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