SOCCER
Spurs fire Cristian Stellini
A day after a 6-1 loss against Newcastle United, Tottenham Spurs chairman Daniel Levy on Monday announced the departure of interim manager Cristian Stellini and the appointment of another temporary fix in Ryan Mason. “Sunday’s performance against Newcastle was wholly unacceptable,” Levy said in a statement. “It was devastating to see. We can look at many reasons why it happened and whilst myself, the board, the coaches and players must all take collective responsibility, ultimately the responsibility is mine.” Spurs are fifth in the Premier League, six points behind Manchester United and Newcastle, who have played fewer games.
RUGBY UNION
Kolisi in doubt for Cup
Springboks captain Siya Kolisi could miss his country’s Rugby World Cup title defense in France later this year after being advised to have surgery on a knee injury, South Africa’s Independent Online reported. The loose forward, who lifted the Webb Ellis Cup in Japan four years ago, sustained the injury playing for the Durban-based Sharks against Irish province Munster in the United Rugby Championship on Saturday. The Independent, citing a source “with knowledge of the injury,” said he had sustained a partial tear to his anterior cruciate ligament and damaged the meniscus on both sides of the joint.
CRICKET
Mark Chapman kept on
Mark Chapman’s red-hot T20 form in Pakistan has revived the New Zealand batter’s one-day international career in a World Cup year, but the 28-year-old is taking nothing for granted. Initially selected only for the T20 leg of the Black Caps’ tour, Chapman had checked out of his hotel room in Rawalpindi and was preparing to leave for home after helping his team draw the series 2-2 on Monday. Then came the news he was staying on for the five-match ODI series starting in Rawalpindi on Thursday. “I had to check back into my room,” Chapman said. “I already had paid my bill and checked out. I got back here, had to get another room key... Same room, thankfully. So, it feels like home.” Chapman was dismissed only once in five innings and racked up 290 runs — a record tally for a five-match T20 series — and was named Player of the Series. He hit 104 off 57 balls on Monday to secure New Zealand’s six-wicket win in the final match.
CRICKET
Stand named for Tendulkar
The Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Monday honored India batting great Sachin Tendulkar on his 50th birthday by naming a stand after him. The venue in the United Arab Emirates held a ceremony for the former India captain, announcing that the West Stand had been renamed the Sachin Tendulkar Stand. Tendulkar smashed 143 runs against Australia at the stadium in April 1998 in a one-day international dubbed “Desert Storm” after play was disrupted for 25 minutes due to a sand storm. His knock guided India to the tri-series final against Australia, which India won by six wickets with Tendulkar striking 134 runs on his 25th birthday. “I can’t forget his birthday celebrations,” Sharjah Cricket chief executive officer Khalaf Bukhatir said. “It mesmerized the whole audience and I feel lucky to have been there.”
Bologna on Thursday advanced past Empoli to reach their first Coppa Italia final in more than half a century. Thijs Dallinga’s 87th-minute header earned Bologna a 2-1 win and his side advanced 5-1 on aggregate. Giovanni Fabbian opened the scoring for Bologna with a header seven minutes in. Then Viktor Kovalenko equalized for Empoli in the 30th minute by turning in a rebound to finish off a counterattack. Bologna won the first leg 3-0. In the May 14 final in Rome, Bologna are to face AC Milan, who eliminated city rivals Inter 4-1 on aggregate following a 3-0 win on Wednesday. Bologna last reached the
If the Wild finally break through and win their first playoff series in a decade, Minnesota’s top line likely will be the reason. They were all over the Golden Knights through the first two games of their NHL Western Conference quarter-finals series, which was 1-1 going back to Minnesota for Game 3 today. The Wild tied the series with a 5-2 win on Tuesday. Matt Boldy had three goals and an assist in the first two games, while Kirill Kaprizov produced two goals and three assists. Joel Eriksson Ek, who centers the line, has yet to get on the scoresheet. “I think the biggest
From a commemorative jersey to a stadium in his name, Argentine soccer organizers are planning a slew of tributes to their late “Captain” Pope Francis, eulogized as the ultimate team player. Tributes to the Argentine pontiff, a lifelong lover of the game, who died on Monday at the age of 88, have been peppered with soccer metaphors in his homeland. “Francisco. What a player,” the Argentine Football Federation (AFA) said, describing the first pope from Latin America and the southern hemisphere as a generational talent who “never hogged the ball” and who showed the world “the importance of having an Argentine captain,
Noelvi Marte on Sunday had seven RBIs and hit his first career grand slam with a drive off infielder Jorge Mateo, while Austin Wynn had a career-high six RBIs as the Cincinnati Reds scored their most runs in 26 years in a 24-2 rout of the Baltimore Orioles. Marte finished with five hits, including his eighth-inning homer off Mateo. Wynn hit a three-run homer in the ninth off catcher Gary Sanchez. Cincinnati scored its most runs since a 24-12 win against the Colorado Rockies on May 19, 1999, and finished with 25 hits. Baltimore allowed its most runs since a 30-3 loss to
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