ENGLAND
FA charge Sunderland
Sunderland were charged by the Football Association on Wednesday with failing to control their players during a recent Premier League draw with title contenders Manchester City. The charge related to an incident in the 43rd minute of the 3-3 draw at Eastlands on Saturday, when Sunderland players reacted angrily after referee Phil Dowd awarded a penalty following Craig Gardner’s challenge on Edin Dzeko. Mario Balotelli scored from the spot to bring the hosts level and later scored again as City recovered from 3-1 down to rescue a point. Sunderland have until 4pm on Wednesday next week to respond to the charge.
SPAIN
Real great dies aged 81
Former Real Madrid player Jose Maria Zarraga, who won five European Cups with the club between 1956 and 1960, died on Tuesday at the age of 81. The Basque midfielder played for Madrid from 1949 to 1962 and also won six La Liga titles, one Spanish Cup and one Intercontinental Cup. Zarraga played alongside such greats as Alfredo Di Stefano and Ferenc Puskas, and won eight international caps for Spain. Madrid’s players wore a black armband as a mark of respect in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final against APOEL Nicosia at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday.
CONCACAF
Monterrey, Santos advance
Defending champions Monterrey booked a return trip to the final of the CONCACAF Champions League on Wednesday with a 1-1 draw against fellow Mexican club Pumas. Angel Reyna scored in the 35th minute for Monterrey, who advanced with a 4-1 aggregate victory after a 3-0 first-leg win. Antonio Garcia scored in the 71st minute for Pumas. Monterrey is scheduled to host Mexican Clausura leaders Santos in the first leg of the final on April 17, with the return leg slated for April 24. Santos thrashed Major League Soccer’s Toronto FC 6-2 in Torreon to advance 7-3 on aggregate.
AUSTRALIA
Gold Coast exit A-League
Gold Coast United were axed from the A-League yesterday, but the national competition will remain at 10 teams following this week’s announcement of a new Western Sydney franchise. Football Federation Australia (FFA) said their level of public and corporate support fell below the minimum requirements for a professional club. The future of Gold Coast United was thrown into doubt after the FFA stripped billionaire miner Clive Palmer of his ownership license in February for contravening competition regulations.
SOUTH AFRICA
Ranties on target for Pirates
Orlando Pirates joined Mamelodi Sundowns at the top of the Premiership league table on Wednesday after Tokelo Ranties scored the only goal in their win over AmaZulu. Ranties put Pirates ahead after just five minutes and they held their advantage at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban as AmaZulu missed a string of chances, which keeps them hanging midtable. Sundowns were held to a goalless draw by Golden Arrows, but despite their fifth game without a win still cling to the top spot ahead of Pirates on goal difference. Meanwhile, Free State Stars renewed their title hopes by climbing to fourth after a 2-1 victory over Bloemfontein Celtic. David Mathebula netted his ninth goal of the season in the third minute for Moroka Swallows, who whipped Bidvest Wits 3-0.
Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei and partner Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia yesterday advanced to the women’s doubles final at the Australian Open after defeating New Zealand’s Erin Routliffe and Gabriela Dabrowski of Canada 7-6 (7/3), 3-6, 6-3 in their semi-final. Hsieh has won nine Grand Slam doubles titles and has a shot at a 10th tomorrow, when the Latvian-Taiwanese duo are to play Taylor Townsend of the US and Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic in the championship match at the A$96.5 million (US$61 million) outdoor hard court tournament at Melbourne Park. Townsend and Siniakova eliminated Russian pair Diana Shnaider and Mirra Andreeva 6-7
Manchester City have reached do-or-die territory in the UEFA Champions League earlier than expected ahead of what Pep Guardiola has described as a “final” against Club Brugge today. City have disproved the suggestion a new format to Europe’s top club competition would remove any jeopardy for the top clubs as Guardiola stares down the barrel of failing to make the Champions League knockout stages for the first time in his career. The English champions have endured a torrid season both in their English Premier League title defense and on the continent. A run of one win in 13 games, which included Champions League
Things are somewhat out of control at the Australian Open this year, and that has only a little to do with the results on the courts. Yes, there were some upsets, including Madison Keys eliminating No. 2 Iga Swiatek in the women’s singles semi-finals on Thursday. It also was the first time since 1990 that three teenagers beat top-10 men’s seeds at a Grand Slam tennis tournament. The loser of one of those matches, Daniil Medvedev, got fined US$76,000 for behaving badly. Last year’s women’s singles runner-up exited in the first round. However, the real fuss is happening elsewhere. The rowdy fans, for one
The CTBC Brothers from Taiwan’s Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) on Friday announced they reached an agreement with the team’s shortstop Chiang Kun-yu (江坤宇) to extend his contract by 10 years in a deal that could worth up to NT $147.88 million (US$4.5 million). Including a NT$10 million incentive bonus, the 24-year- old’s new contract stipulates that his monthly salary will be NT$660,000 starting this year, increasing to NT$1.2 million from the fifth year of the deal. Chiang’s new agreement also comes with a caveat in the form of a “player option” where he would have the choice to become a free
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