SOCCER
Maradona leaves hospital
Argentine great Diego Maradona was released from the hospital after being admitted earlier on Friday with internal bleeding in the stomach, which was discovered during routine examinations, his daughter Dalma said. “For those who were really worried about my dad I can tell you that he is well,” Dalma wrote on Twitter. “He is going home soon.” The 58-year-old was having a routine medical in his homeland before returning to Mexico, where he is coach of second-division side Dorados de Sinaloa, when doctors discovered the problem. However, a source close to the family told reporters that the problem was not serious and that the former Boca Juniors, SSC Napoli and Barcelona midfielder was not in any danger. Another source said that Maradona might have to undergo more tests. The news came just hours after Maradona’s lawyer confirmed that he would coach in Mexico for a second consecutive season. Maradona took over at struggling Dorados de Sinaloa in September and got them into the playoffs, where they lost to Atletico San Luis.
SOCCER
Broke team losing players
Spain’s players’ association on Friday joined the players of second-division team Reus in asking the nation’s soccer federation to postpone their next match because of the club’s critical financial situation. Reus only has 12 players because their former teammates left after not having been paid for more than three months, thereby freeing them from their contracts. US defender Shaq Moore, who was on loan from La Liga’s Levante UD, was one of those who left. Reus last month said that it had found the money to play its players, but four have since left. The players have blamed the situation on majority stakeholder Joan Oliver.
SOCCER
Greek referee strike ends
Greek Super League referees on Friday said that they are ending their strike protesting an attack on one of their colleagues last month. The move came after a meeting representatives of the referees held with government officials, the Hellenic Football Federation and the league in which the referees received assurances for their safety. Greek Cup matches are to resume on Tuesday and the Super League on Saturday after weekend matches were twice postponed.
GOLF
Woodland leads in Hawaii
Gary Woodland on Friday reeled off five successive birdies en route to a second straight 67 that gave him a three-shot lead at the halfway point of the PGA Tour’s Sentry Tournament of Champions in Hawaii. After a frustrating front nine, Woodland kicked off his birdie run with a chip-in at the 11th and capped his day with another birdie at the par-five 18th to move to 12-under-par 134 at the Kapalua Plantation course. Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy shot a 68 for a share of second place on nine-under alongside Bryson DeChambeau (68) and Kevin Tway (71). Defending champion Dustin Johnson (74) plunged seven shots behind after a round that included a double-bogey at the fourth hole where he incurred a two-stroke penalty for hitting the wrong ball. Woodland said his patience had been tested on a day that started extremely windy. Overnight leader Tway, who shot a 66 on Thursday despite a sinus infection and earache, said he felt much better after sleeping more than 12 hours, although his second round was five shots worse than the first.
Taiwan suffered its first defeat of the 2024 World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Premier12, losing to defending champion Japan 3-1 at the Taipei Dome last night. Japan’s victory put Taiwan’s score at two wins and one loss in WBSC Premier12 championship Group B play. In the top of the first inning, a sacrifice fly from Japanese batter Shota Morishita allowed Masayuki Kuwahara to score a run on Taiwan’s starter Chen Po-ching (陳柏清). Taiwan’s attempt to catch up in the bottom of the first ended to no avail and an uneventful second inning saw the score
Taiwan last night defeated Cuba 2-0 in their World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Premier12 Group B game at the Taipei Dome and finished the group second. At the Taipei Tianmu Baseball Stadium, South Korea yesterday defeated Australia 5-2, while Japan last night won 11-3 against the Dominican Republic. On Sunday, Taiwan scored two three-run homers in an 11-3 blowout win over Australia at the Taipei Dome to advance to the Super Round. Fresh off a defeat at the hands of defending Premier12 champions and Group B winners Japan the previous day, Taiwan’s offense came out slugging against Australia from the
Taiwan scored two three-run homers in an 11-3 blowout win over Australia at the Taipei Dome last night to advance to the Super Round of the 2024 World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Premier12 tournament. Fresh off a defeat at the hands of defending Premier12 champion and Group B winner Japan the previous day, Taiwan’s offense came out slugging against Australia from the off. After taking a walk to first base, Taiwan’s Chen Chieh- hsien (陳傑憲) then stole second before Tseng Song-en (曾頌恩) drew a walk to first in the top of the first inning. Chen then
A debate over the soul of soccer is raging in FIFA World Cup holders Argentina, pitting defenders of the social role of the beautiful game against the government of libertarian Argentine President Javier Milei, who wants to turn clubs into for-profit companies. Argentina, which gave the world Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi, is home to some of the world’s most devoted soccer fans — a fact attributed by supporters like Gabriel Nicosia to the clubs’ community outreach. Nicosia is a lifelong supporter of San Lorenzo, a more than 100-year-old first division club based in the working-class Buenos Aires neighborhood of Boedo where
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