DENMARK
Bendtner fights UEFA ruling
Denmark forward Nicklas Bendtner has challenged his World Cup suspension for wearing sponsored underpants at the European Championship. European soccer’s governing body UEFA says its appeal panel will judge the case on Aug. 27. Bendtner hopes to overturn UEFA’s one-match ban before Sept. 8, when Denmark begin their 2014 World Cup qualifying program against the Czech Republic. UEFA found Bendtner guilty of “improper conduct” for breaking ambush marketing rules at this year’s Euro Cup. Bendtner scored his second headed goal in a 3-2 group-stage loss against Portugal, then raised his shirt and lowered the top of his shorts slightly to reveal the name of a betting firm which was not a tournament sponsor. UEFA says Bendtner has not challenged the 100,000 euro (then US$126,000) fine he was ordered to pay.
GERMANY
German Cup progresses
Bundesliga side Augsburg progressed to the second round of the German Cup with a 2-0 win over SV Wilhelmshaven on Friday. Offseason signings Aristide Bance and Knowledge Musona scored for the visitors. Burkina Faso striker Bance put away the game’s first chance in the 28th minute and Musona — a loan signing from TSG 1899 Hoffenheim — made it safe in the 78th. Second-division sides Eintracht Braunschweig and FSV Frankfurt also beat fourth-tier opposition to progress, the league leader overcoming Luebeck 3-0 and Frankfurt coming from behind to win 2-1 at Sonnenhof Grossaspach. Cup holder Borussia Dortmund opened their defense against fourth-tier Oberneuland yesterday, while beaten finalist Bayern Munich visit Jahn Regensburg tomorrow.
ENGLAND
Swansea sign Kyle Bartley
Premier League club Swansea City have bolstered their squad on the eve of the new season by signing young Arsenal defender Kyle Bartley for an undisclosed fee on Friday. Bartley agreed a three-year contract with the Swans after finally accepting he would have to leave the Emirates Stadium on a permanent basis to secure regular first-team action. The 21-year-old made only one appearance for the Gunners in five years at the club and spent last season on loan at Scottish club Rangers.
ENGLAND
United sign Chilean striker
Young Chilean striker Angelo Henriquez is to join Manchester United, his club, Universidad de Chile, announced in a statement on Friday. “Angelo Henriquez will join Manchester United this month,” said the Chilean club, last year’s winners of the Copa Sudamericana, South America’s equivalent of the Europa League. The talented 18-year-old will join United for a fee of US$5.5 million after undergoing a medical in England this week and will become the first Chilean ever to play for the Old Trafford club. Henriquez made his Chilean league debut this year, scoring 10 goals in 15 games and four in the Libertadores Cup.
ENGLAND
QPR close to Bosingwa deal
Queens Park Rangers manager Mark Hughes has revealed his club are close to signing former Chelsea defender Jose Bosingwa. Bosingwa was released by the Blues at the end of last season after helping the club win the Champions League and FA Cup, but the Portugal right-back could be in line for a quick return to west London with Hughes’ side. Hughes has confirmed advanced discussions have taken place as he looks to snap up Bosingwa, who is available on a free transfer.
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
The San Francisco Giants signed 18-year-old Taiwanese pitcher Yang Nien-hsi (陽念希) to a contract worth a total of US$500,000 (NT $16.39 million). At a press event in Taipei on Wednesday, Jan. 22, the Giants’ Pacific Rim Area scout Evan Hsueh (薛奕煌) presented Yang with a Giants jersey to celebrate the signing. The deal consisted of a contract worth US$450,000 plus a US$50,000 scholarship bonus. Yang, who stands at 188 centimeters tall and weighs 85 kilograms, is of Indigenous Amis descent. With his fastest pitch clocking in at 150 kilometers per hour, Yang had been on Hsueh’s radar since playing in the HuaNan Cup
Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei yesterday advanced to the semi-finals of the women’s doubles at the Australian Open, while Coco Gauff’s dreams of a first women’s singles title in Melbourne were crushed in the quarter-finals by Paula Badosa. World No. 2 Alexander Zverev was ruffled by a stray feather in his men’s singles quarter-final, but he refocused to beat 12th seed Tommy Paul and reach the semi-finals. Third seeds Hsieh and Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia defeated Elena-Gabriela Ruse of Romania and Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine 6-2, 5-7, 7-5 in 2 hours, 20 minutes to advance the semi-finals. Hsieh and Ostapenko converted eight of 14 break
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
RSS