Australia's Shane Warne took five wickets but Andrew Flintoff helped England to a defendable total in the second Test with a half-century. Warne dismissed Ashley Giles and Steve Harmison with successive deliveries. But Flintoff, batting with an injured shoulder, crashed two sixes off Mike Kasprowicz to take the lead past 250. Brett Lee had already claimed four victims, dismissing Marcus Trescothick, Michael Vaughan and Matthew Hoggard in a morning spell of 3-4 in 11 balls....BBC

Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas claims that Arsenal and Manchester United want to beat Chelsea to the signature of midfielder Michael Essien. He suggests Arsenal want Essien, 22, after failing to sign Julio Baptista as a replacement for Patrick Vieira. Aulas said: "The longer Chelsea take to make up their minds, the more exposed they are to a bid from another English club who have lost a key midfielder. "Essien is a bit mixed up. Manchester United are after the player as well." Chelsea have been chasing Essien after missing out on a deal for Liverpool's Steven Gerrard but the French champions have slapped a £32m price tag on him. But Arsenal's interest has increased after Baptista's move from Sevilla to Real Madrid. The Gunners are keen to move into the transfer market following Vieira's departure to Juventus, with Baptista their first target. Boss Arsene Wenger was reportedly looking at converting the Brazilian into a midfielder to plug the gap left by Vieira, but is now looking at Essien as a direct replacement for the influential Frenchman. United, meanwhile, will see Essien as a replacement for Roy Keane who is approaching his 34th birthday. Both clubs have funds available, but will not be able to match Chelsea's spending power. Aulas added: "It's annoying to lose one of the best players in Europe but he has not gone yet. "As far as recruiting is concerned, if manager Gerard Houllier needs reinforcements we will do what is necessary over the next period of the transfer window."...BBC

French Open champion Rafael Nadal has pulled out of this week's Croatia Open. The 19-year-old Spaniard aggravated a knee injury during his victory in the Mercedes Cup final on Sunday, his eighth clay court title of the year. "Rafael called and said he was awfully sorry but that he couldn't play because of a knee injury," said Croatia Open tournament director Slavko Rasberger. "He played the last three matches with the help of injections and said he cannot do it any more....BBC

Colin Montgomerie's second-place Open finish has lifted him to 22nd in the world rankings and secured a spot at the HSBC World Match Play Championship. The 42-year-old Scot has risen from 40th in the rankings and is also up to second in the European Order of Merit behind New Zealander Michael Campbell. Montgomerie is also now certain to be among the 16-man field at Wentworth in September, based on major performances. "I am thrilled to make it in," he said. "It is one of my favourite events." Montgomerie will compete for the biggest first prize in golf, £1m, with even first-round losers earning £60,000. "I have really missed playing in it over the past couple of years," he added. "I really enjoy the match play format and always feel very at home playing at Wentworth." Retief Goosen has also secured a place and he and Montgomerie join defending champion Ernie Els, Vijay Singh (world number one on 31 March), Kenneth Ferrie, Angel Cabrera and major winners Tiger Woods and Michael Campbell....BBC

Greg Rusedski successfully defended his Hall of Fame Championships title with a three-set victory over Vince Spadea in Newport, Rhode Island, on Sunday. The British number two came from a break down in the final set to battle past the American 7-6 (7-3) 2-6 6-4 for the 15th tournament win of his career. "I was really, really pleased to win today," Rusedski told BBC Five Live. "It's the first time I've defended a title. I really seem to like this grass in Newport." It is the third time he has won the event, which gave him his debut tour title in 1993. World number 57 Spadea looked in good shape when he recovered from losing the opening set to break twice in the second and again early in the third. But Rusedski hauled himself level at 4-4 in the decider and got what proved to be the decisive break to take victory. "When he broke me, I just had a feeling I could still get back in the match," said the 31-year-old Briton. "I went for it a little more and things just worked out for me....BBC

London has defeated European rival Paris to host the 2012 Summer Games, bringing the Olympics back to Britain for the first time in more than half a century. International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge made the announcement after IOC members voted 54-50 to eliminate the French capital in the fourth and final round of secret ballots Wednesday in Singapore. "The International Olympic Committee has the honor of announcing that the Games of the 30th Olympiad in 2012 are awarded to the city of London," Rogge declared after opening a sealed envelope containing the result. Thousands of people in London's Trafalgar Square cheered as they watched the announcement on giant TV screens. (Full story) London has twice played host to the Olympics, in 1908 and 1948. It becomes the first city to host the Olympics three times. British Prime Minister Tony Blair hailed the victory as "a momentous day for London." London bid leader Olympic gold medalist Sebastian Coe said: "I'm absolutely ecstatic, we have the opportunity to do what we always dreamed about, getting more young people into sport. "This is our moment. It's massive. It's huge. This is the biggest prize in sport," The Associated Press quoted Coe as saying. England soccer captain David Beckham said: "In 2012, I can take my children to an Olympics which we might never had had the chance to do. ... This is such a huge lift for our country." Rogge also expressed joy at London's victory. "We are very, very pleased with the victory of London," AP quoted the IOC chief as saying. "People we trust, people we know will give us a superb games." In the French capital, groans of disappointment swept through a crowd of thousands gathered at Paris Town Hall. It was the third defeat for Paris in 20 years, with bids for the 1992 and 2008 Games also failing....CNN

New Zealand secured their record win against the Lions as they wrapped up the series with one game to play in Wellington on Saturday. Dan Carter was the star of the show, grabbing two tries as he scored a New Zealand individual record of 33 points against the Lions in the 48-18 win. Tana Umaga, Sitiveni Sivivatu and Richie McCaw also went over. The Lions tries came from captain Gareth Thomas and Simon Easterby, with Jonny Wilkinson kicking eight points. They were much improved from the side which was well beaten in the first Test but, after living with the hosts for the first half, they were blown away after the break. All Black's fly-half Carter produced a marvellous all-round display and he was amply rewarded with 23 points from the boot to add to his brace of tries. The visitors made a dream start and after a couple of probing attacks new captain Thomas strode through an enormous gap around the fringes of a ruck to cross under the posts. Wilkinson was never going to miss and his conversion put the Lions 7-0 up after just two minutes. Within a minute Dwayne Peel sniped round the fringes of a ruck once again and scampered to halfway before being held, but the Lions kept the pressure on and were awarded a penalty, only for Wilkinson to hit the post. The Lions won the ball back in prime attacking position but Paul O'Connell came flying into the ruck and conceded a stupid penalty, halting the Lions' momentum. The All Blacks got on the board through two Carter penalties and the fly-half then engineered a marvellous try. When Thomas dropped a pass Umaga fed Carter and the fly-half shrugged off Gavin Henson before racing 50 yards and returning the ball to Umaga. The All Blacks' captain crossed near the posts and Carter converted to push the hosts into the lead after 18 minutes. Wilkinson cut the gap with his first penalty eight minutes later but straight from the re-start the Lions conceded a penalty and Carter restored the gap. Wilkinson, who had just missed a drop goal, again trimmed the gap to three points with his second penalty before the All Blacks scored a sparkling try....BBC

Jason Robinson and Martin Corry appear to be the major casualties of the Lions' first Test disaster after being selected to play Manawatu on Tuesday. Robinson, replaced after a poor display at full-back against the All Blacks, will start on the right wing. Corry, who took over the captaincy on Saturday after Brian O'Driscoll's injury, plays at blind-side flanker. Head coach Sir Clive Woodward insisted, however, that it did not necessarily mean they would miss the second Test. "Competition is intense," he said. "There are some involved on Tuesday who will also be involved in the Test." Even so, it is unlikely either Robinson or Corry will be asked to start three matches in eight days. Neil Back could be another casualty after being named on the bench against Manawatu. The absence of Lewis Moody from Tuesday's 22 suggests he could replace his Leicester team-mate at open-side flanker for the second Test. Ryan Jones is likely to start at number eight after his outstanding contribution since joining the tour, while Simon Easterby could replace the injured Richard Hill at blind-side. Gavin Henson, who many believed should have played in the first Test, will not play against Manwatu because of a slight groin strain. But if the Welshman recovers in time, he should feature in the second Test. Stephen Jones, Dwayne Peel, Ben Kay and Gethin Jenkins were also not considered for Tuesday's match because of minor knocks....BBC

BMW will enter its own racing team on the Formula One circuit in 2006 after buying a majority stake in Swiss team Sauber. The name of the new team, the driver line-up and the revamp in key positions will be resolved by the takeover date of January 1. "For the first time in company history, BMW will be competing independently in Formula One," it said in a statement. Unhappy with the disappointing performances from its partnership with Williams, BMW said it sees a greater chance to race for the championship by playing a greater role beyond just supplying engines. "Success in Formula One increasingly depends on the perfect interplay of all factors," said Burkhard Goeschel in a statement. "With a team managed by BMW we will, as of next year, take on responsibility for the entire package, which will include the key factors of the chassis, tyres and drivers," the management board member in charge of Formula One continued. The German company's decision to focus its attention on Sauber is a slap in the face for veteran team owner Frank Williams, who has won nine constructors championships and seven drivers titles since 1980. "Regrettably, sadly, the relationship has been just too hostile for too long," said Williams on June 10. "It makes life very difficult. It does not compare well with (previous) Renault or Honda relationships, which we regret." BMW entered the circuit in 2000 with Williams but the team has failed to improve on its second-place showing in 2002. Williams-BMW are tied for fourth place with Toyota, while Sauber rank seventh in the current standings. A failed attempt to radically improve its aerodynamics last year with a hammerhead shark-styled nose led to a disappointing placing last year and the team had lost both its drivers from last season. Despite the difficulties Ferrari has faced this year, rival stables Renault and McLaren-Mercedes have emerged as the main contenders while BMW continued to struggle, leading to speculation they might take over Swiss-based Sauber. Sauber joined Formula One in 1993. Its best season was 2001 when it finished fourth in the constructors' championship and made the podium six times. The team is one-third controlled by Peter Sauber and are two-thirds owned by financial group Credit Suisse. The deal provides for Credit Suisse to sell its holding over the next three years. Sauber will hold on to a stake in the team of about 20 percent. "I have been involved in this company and tied to this company for 35 years and I am very very happy that I can hand it over into good hands," said Sauber. BMW motor sport head Mario Theissen said he was impressed with the performance at Sauber and believed the team provided a strong basis for the future. "The results achieved there (at Sauber) so far are worthy of respect in the light of the team's limited budget," he said....CNN

Wimbledon champion Roger Federer hopes to avoid British number one Tim Henman when the draw is made for this year's Championships on Thursday at 1030 BST. The pair could meet as early as the quarter-finals and the world number one said: "Tim's a threat and I really hope he's not too close to me in the draw. "I really respect his game, which is excellent for grass, and the home crowd really get behind him which is a bonus. "He's definitely got the tools to win Wimbledon for sure." Federer must first get past the first round where he could be drawn against the likes of Greg Rusedski, Ivo Karlovic and Mark Philippoussis - all unseeded, but dangerous on grass. A total of 11 British players have been given wildcards for the main draw, including teenager Andy Murray and his Davis Cup doubles partner David Sherwood. But top seed Federer is already thinking ahead, and is wary of several other top-ranked players. They include Spanish sensation Rafael Nadal, who beat Federer in the French Open semi-finals before going on to capture the Grand Slam title for himself....BBC

Seamers Darren Gough and Jon Lewis took seven wickets for eight runs in 20 balls as England stunned Australia to win their first Twenty20 international by 100 runs on Monday. The match was little more than a light-hearted romp before the serious business of the one-dayers and the Ashes series. But England, egged on by the crowd at Southampton's Rose Bowl, were soon celebrating as Australia, chasing a 179-8 target, were bowled out in 14.3 overs. "We were really up for it," Gough said after the win. "The Australians normally come at us hard from day one. To get one up on them was nice. It's 1-0 to England but it's a long summer." Australia captain Ponting responded: "There wasn't much good stuff to come out of it for us. Our guys just weren't good enough today." One moment the world champions were 23 without loss in the third over and the next they were 31 for seven in the sixth. The 29-year-old Lewis, uncapped in one-dayers or tests, took four for 24 off four overs while Gough took three for 16 off three. Three wickets fell in four balls, with Gough sparking the carnage. Adam Gilchrist had made 15 off 14 balls before a big slog across the line went straight up in the air and the ball was caught by Kevin Pietersen. Next delivery, Matthew Hayden went for the pull and Pietersen, this time running back, made it two out of two. Michael Clarke then followed for a golden duck, prodding forward and adjuged caught behind with Geraint Jones standing up to Lewis. Moments later and man-of-the match Pietersen, who had earlier hammered a quickfire 34, had his third catch, snapping up Andrew Symonds. Within minutes and the top five had gone for the addition of a single run as Mike Hussey edged a ball from the 34-year-old Gough and Andrew Flintoff, standing at second slip, pouched the chance. By the time Damien Martyn and Ricky Ponting had both gone to Lewis, one edging and the other driving to extra cover, the game was already over with only 5.5 overs gone. Earlier Pietersen hammered 34 off 19 balls, Marcus Trescothick made 41 and Paul Collingwood top-scored with 46 off 26 balls before going last ball of the innings to give Glenn McGrath his third wicket....CNN

Uefa are set to tell Liverpool on Friday whether they can defend their Champions League title. The executive commitee at Uefa has already held a phone conference on the matter and will now inform the Reds, possibly around 1200 BST. It is believed Liverpool will be offered a place in the qualifying rounds, giving the Premiership five teams in next season's competition. Liverpool won the Champions League but did not qualify to play in it again. However, it is thought enough members of the executive commitee - Football Association chairman Geoff Thompson was not given a vote - want the reigning champions to defend their crown. Otherwise Liverpool will play in the Uefa Cup where they have earned a spot by finishing fifth in the Premiership. If given the green light, Liverpool will join Manchester United and neighbours Everton in the qualifying stages, with Chelsea and Arsenal already assured of a spot in the group stages. It is not clear, however, which qualifying round Liverpool would go into, should they be given a place. The first qualifying round first leg would be on 12 or 13 July, with the second legs on 19 or 20 July. That could mean the Anfield club cancelling their scheduled friendlies against Bayer Leverkusen and Cologne. If Liverpool then play in the second round they would have to cancel a pre-season tour of Japan, where they are due to play Shimizu S-Pulse and Kashima Antlers. It seems much less likely that Liverpool will be allowed to go straight into the group stages, not least because of the knock-on effects around Europe. In Turkey, officials have already registered unhappiness at that suggestion because it could to their league champions Fenerbahce being relegated to the qualifying round. However, Uefa has insisted the European champions have not yet not guaranteed a place....BBC

When the NHL finally returns to the ice, the tie game will probably be a thing of the past. "If they don't have a shootout, I'll be shocked," New York Islanders general manager Mike Milbury said Tuesday. "That's an easy one. "The fans want it, and it's the least we can do after spitting at them for the last 12 months." Fans in the AHL and other minor leagues have grown to enjoy shootouts. The NHL seems ready to implement the system that would eliminate tie games. "It sounds like most people want a definite outcome -- a win or loss -- one way or the other," Vancouver Canucks director of player personnel Steve Tambellini said during a break on the second day of the three-day NHL research camp. Shootouts would be used to determine a winner if a game remained tied after a five-minute overtime period. After watching free-agent junior and college players on Monday test a radical plan by Boston Bruins president Harry Sinden that allows passing from the top of the faceoff circles to anywhere on the ice, and the use of nets four inches taller and eight inches wider than usual, club representatives took in scrimmages Tuesday to test zero tolerance on obstruction fouls and strange-looking nets with arced posts. The most likely changes in NHL play for next season are shootouts, smaller goalie equipment and tag-up offsides. Some of the radical stuff being tested is too over the top for many GMs. "We have, traditionally, been very conservative as a group," Milbury said. "There isn't any doubt about that. "We've tried to be respectful of the game's history and heritage but the coaches haven't. They've coached the hell out of it. They've coached defensive hockey and worked the trap and angles and crowding in front of the net, and goalies have cheated ... over the last number of years....CNN

England have named an unchanged squad for the second Test against Bangladesh, starting at the Riverside on Friday. Spinner Gareth Batty keeps his place with Ashley Giles again ruled out because of a hip problem. Giles has been included, however, in a 14-man squad for the NatWest Series against Australia and Bangladesh. Uncapped seamer Jon Lewis replaces Alex Wharf in the squad, which sees Andrew Flintoff and Kevin Pietersen team up for England for the first time. "Jon Lewis had an excellent A tour, continues to perform consistently for Gloucestershire in both forms of the game and fully merits a place in both the Test and one-day squads. "He is keen to represent his country and I am sure he will be ready to take advantage of any opportunities that come his way," said chairman of selectors David Graveney....BBC

Liverpool produced one of the greatest comebacks in football history to claw back a three goal deficit before beating AC Milan in a penalty shoot out to win the Champions League final. The match in Istanbul appeared over as Hernan Crespo added two first half goals to an early Paolo Maldini strike inside the first minute. But three goals in six minutes from Liverpool's inspirational captain Steven Gerrard, Vladimir Smicer and Xabi Alonso sensationally brought them level on the hour. With the scores tied at 3-3, the match went into extra time and with Milan again looking the stronger side, it took a stunning double save from Jerzy Dudek to deny star striker Andriy Shevchenko the winner with just two minutes remaining. In the subsequent penalty shoot out, Milan missed their first two penalties as Serginho blazed over and Andrea Pirlo saw his effort saved by Dudek. Dida in the Milan goal kept out a John Arne Riise effort, but another Dudek save from Shevchenko gave Liverpool an improbable fifth triumph in Europe's premier club competition. They can now keep the trophy to mark the achievement. "I don't think I have the words to express how I feel at this moment," said Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez who had led Valencia to UEFA Cup triumph last season. "We played a good match. We had six minutes of craziness," Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti said. "It was something which can't be explained. It's not the moment of regrets. We are sorry, embittered, but this is soccer." It all looked so different as Maldini put the Italians ahead in the first minute with a downward volley from an Andrea Pirlo free kick, which bounced through a crowded area and beat the outstretched arm of Liverpool keeper Dudek. The defender's goal, his first of the season, was the fastest in a European Cup final since Enrique Mateos for Real Madrid against Stade de Reims in 1959. At 36, the Milan captain also became the oldest player to score in a final. Liverpool bravely rallied and gave the massed ranks of their spectators in the Ataturk stadium reason for hope as captain Gerrard crossed for Sami Hyppia to force a good save from Dida. But the respite was only temporary with Milan's midfield trio of Clarence Seedorf, Gennaro Gattuso and Kaka giving them a vice-like grip on the game. Crespo saw a near post header cleared off the line by Luis Garcia and Andriy Shevchenko had the ball in the net from a Kaka pass only to be pulled back for offside...CNN

Liverpool striker Milan Baros says Wednesday's Champions League final could be his last game for the club. The 23-year-old Czech forward has been upset at his lack of playing time and admits his agent, Pavel Paska, will be in talks with other clubs over a move. "I have had several offers from other clubs and it is now the job of my agent Pavel to talk to them," Baros was quoted as saying in the Daily Mirror. "Maybe I'll leave Anfield, maybe I'll stay. We'll listen to what is offered." Forward Baros, who moved to Anfield in December 2001, has made 44 appearances for the Reds this season but has often failed to finish the game, and he has criticised Reds boss Rafael Benitez. He faces a battle to keep his place in Istanbul from fit-again striker Djibril Cisse. Baros added: "I am calm about my future and I can concentrate fully on the Champions League final. "But my main aim at the moment is that I can keep my place ahead of Cisse for the final against Milan, and I will do my best to make that happen." Should Djibril Cisse play it will cap a remarkable comeback for a player who was expected to miss the season after breaking his leg in two places last October. There were suggestions he may never play again and Cisse even admitted that he may have had to have the leg amputated if medical staff had not acted so quickly. But the French international said: "Some people said my career was finished. It was hard to hear that because I knew I could play again. "I was sure I would play again and score goals, and felt I could play again this season. "My leg was so sore that sometimes I couldn't stand up. It was frustrating and it was the worse period of my career." Cisse believes Milan's overconfidence could see Reds boss Rafael Benitez lead them to upsetting the Italians in Istanbul. "Milan think it will be easy but maybe it's a mistake by them. I say it will not be easy. It will be a hard game for them," he added....BBC

Ashley Cole is set to appear at the Premier League inquiry into Chelsea's alleged illegal approach for him. The 24-year-old Arsenal defender attended the first day of the two-day hearing in London on Tuesday but it is understood he was not questioned. Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon and manager Jose Mourinho also both gave evidence on Tuesday. Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger attended the inquiry to support Cole, who is also accused of approaching Chelsea. Cole turned up to the inquiry early on Tuesday with Gunners vice-chairman David Dein. The England defender is reported to have met Mourinho and Kenyon in January while under contract to Arsenal. An independent three-man commission, whose chairman will be High Court judge Sir Philip Otton, chairs the hearing and its ruling will be binding under Premier League rules. Cole has been charged under Rule K5, governing approaches from players to clubs, while Mourinho was charged under Rule Q, governing a manager's conduct. Chelsea's charge relates to Rule K3 and governs clubs approaching players. Fifa president Sepp Blatter also waded into the row, suggesting clubs found guilty of 'tapping up' should be punished by being prevented from operating in a transfer window....BBC

West Brom boss Bryan Robson was ecstatic after they avoided relegation on the final day of the season. A 2-0 victory over Portsmouth, combined with their three relegation rivals all failing to win, saw them stay up. "This is the best ever," said Robson. "It is a fantastic feeling. The boys have done me proud and worked their socks off. They deserve this. "I feel sorry for the other managers. I feel great now but I can understand how the others must feel." West Brom become the first team in Premiership history to avoid relegation after being bottom of the table at Christmas. "That is in the past now," added Robson. "Full credit to the players because people mention the history all the time and sometimes you can start to believe it but this lot didn't. "I always believed in the players we have. We narrowed the squad down and once we started firing on all cylinders I knew we could do it." Substitute Geoff Horsfield scored the Baggies' opener and Kieran Richardson added the second. And Robson admitted that the atmosphere in the ground gave him an indication of the scores in the other matches involving teams battling the drop - and whether West Brom were in a survival position. "Towards the end of the second half we were 2-0 up and the fans weren't really behind us so we knew Crystal Palace must be winning," he said. "But I had told the lads to concentrate for 90 minutes and Charlton have gone and scored the goal to keep us up. "All four teams have battled right until the end of the season." Horsfield scored the opener within seconds of his introduction and said that helping the club survive was the highlight of his career. "Even though I have been promoted with every club I have been at this is the best moment of my career," said Horsfield. "I am delighted for the fans and the gaffer. We have proved all the critics wrong." Defender Neil Clement could not contain his joy. "Staying up means everything, it is absolutely fantastic," said Clement. "We knew we had to win to have a chance and we got the result....BBC

Bolton striker El Hadji Diouf has been ordered to appear before magistrates over an alleged spitting incident involving fans at Middlesbrough. Diouf is accused of disorderly conduct after an incident in the 1-1 draw at Boro's Riverside Stadium in November. A Boro fan complained after Diouf appeared to spit a mouthful of drink into the crowd after being substituted. The 24-year-old is currently on loan from Liverpool, who signed him from French club Lens for £10m in 2002. A spokeswoman for the CPS in Cleveland said: "Information has been laid and a summons is being sent out." Diouf will face magistrates on Teesside for disorderly conduct, although a date has yet to be set. The Senegal international has scored eight goals this season in Bolton's unlikely push for a European place....BBC

In theory, this should have been a pleasant and uneventful spring for the Tennessee Volunteers. With 17 starters returning from a team that went 10-3, won the SEC Eastern division and stomped Texas A&M 38-7 in the Cotton Bowl, the biggest "issue" facing the coaching staff was supposed to be determining which of their three proven quarterbacks -- Erik Ainge, Rick Clausen or Brent Schaeffer -- should be named the starter. If only things were that simple. Injuries to four of the Vols' five projected offensive line starters and several sidelined receivers made it tough to truly handicap the quarterback race, with Tennessee's offense failing to score a touchdown its first three scrimmages. A total of 21 players missed all or part of spring practice -- which concluded with Saturday's modified spring game -- while recovering from surgery, but nearly all are expected to recover in time for the season. More disturbing has been the near-daily rash of headlines involving various off-the-field transgressions by team members, forcing head coach Phillip Fulmer to defend himself and his program against an onslaught of critics (including, albeit half-jokingly, SEC rival Eleven Vols have been either arrested or issued citations since March 2004, including two incidents within a week's span recently involving alleged fights between Tennessee players and members of their school's general student body. Schaeffer and receiver Bret Smith were charged with misdemeanor assault after allegedly hitting and throwing to the floor a student who was arguing with Schaeffer's girlfriend in a dormitory lobby, while defensive end Robert Ayers and linebacker Jared Mayo were issued warrants for their role in a March 5 fight at a fraternity in which the victim was knocked unconscious and had his jaw broken (the student's mother said his jaw remains wired shut and is unable to talk). Meanwhile, defensive tackle Tony McDaniel faces a felony assault charge for allegedly punching a student during a pickup basketball game in January, breaking four bones in his face....CNN

Newcastle boss Graeme Souness claimed "things conspired against" his side as they went out of the Uefa Cup. Sporting Lisbon won 4-1 in the second leg, going through 4-2 on aggregate, after the Magpies lost Kieron Dyer, Titus Bramble and Jermaine Jenas. The injuries were such that Charles N'Zogbia, 18, had to finish the game with a suspected fractured collar bone. "We are very disappointed," said Souness. "We felt that things conspired against us tonight." Souness added: "We had some golden opportunities to kill them off, and then we started to lose our better players with Jenas coming off at half-time, Titus coming off and then Kieron Dyer, who had been a real threat during the game, coming off. "We knew we were under pressure then and when we had had our strongest 11, our starting 11, we were very confident, especially after getting the first goal. "But it shows how thin our squad is. We had some boys on there tonight and asked them to do a man's job. But that is the situation we find ourselves in. "There is nothing we can do about it. We will take this defeat on the chin and start to prepare now for a very hard game in Cardiff on Sunday (against Manchester United in the FA Cup semi-finals)....BBC

With the red-hot Nuggets in town, Denver should have no trouble melting all that snow that hit the area over the weekend. George Karl's team has now won 21 of 23 since the All-Star break to climb into the No. 7 spot in the West. The way they're going, they could get as high as the fifth spot. Like the Nuggets, the Warriors of late have also undergone a remarkable turnaround. Led by Baron Davis, Golden State had won eight straight before falling in double OT Sunday to the Spurs. The Warriors, who play at Denver on Monday, won't be going to the playoffs this year. But they sure have brought excitement -- and hope -- to the Bay Area over the final month of the season...CNN

Manager Graeme Souness admitted he was glad both Dyer and Bowyer played their part in the 1-0, Uefa Cup quarter-final first leg win. "I'm just relieved that we have got through a game and we are talking about football again," added Souness. "There was pressure on the players out there tonight and I think that contributed to maybe the way we played at times. "Lee and Kieron know they have been really daft and they won't do it again - but the crowd have been fantastic to both of them here. "You can understand them going home frustrated on Saturday but they showed they are behind the boys."BBC

A rare Fabio Cannavaro header handed Juventus a strong chance of making the last four of the Champions League despite a 2-1 loss on an emotional night at Liverpool on Tuesday. Goals by Sami Hyypia and Luis Garcia rewarded a forceful first-half as four-time winners Liverpool shrugged off indifferent domestic form in the clubs' first meeting since the 1985 Heysel tragedy. But veteran defender Cannavaro, who had scored just twice in 78 previous European games, grabbed a vital second half reply for the Italian giants. Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard was in positive mood despite the soft reply which should have been blocked by keeper Scott Carson. "I'm sure Scott will be disappointed with it but he stopped one in the first half with one of the best saves I've seen this season," he said. "He's young and he'll learn from it. Now Scott or Jerzy (Dudek) need to keep a clean sheet for us in the second leg." Looking forward to the match in Turin next Wednesday when a goalless draw would be enough to send Liverpool through, Gerrard added: "I don't think we'll play for 0-0, we've got the players to nick a goal over there." Having conceded just two goals in its eight previous Champions League games this season, Juve let in two more in the first 25 minutes. Hyypia, recalled to the Liverpool defense because Mauricio Pellegrino is ineligible, scored in the 10th minute. Steven Gerrard's right wing corner was flicked on by Luis Garcia and the Finland defender arrived unmarked at the far post to prod the ball home....CNN

Newcastle have confirmed Lee Bowyer and Kieron Dyer will both stay at the club despite fighting each other during the 3-0 defeat to Aston Villa on Saturday. But Bowyer has been fined the maximum six weeks wages by the Magpies, thought to be in the region of £200,000. The pair were sent off for brawling but shook hands after training on Monday and boss Graeme Souness revealed they have contested Dyer's dismissal. Souness said: "They've spoken over the weekend and have had a laugh about it." A Newcastle statement read: "Lee Bowyer has been handed an unprecedented fine, severely censured and additionally warned as to his future conduct. "The decision to fine and censure Bowyer was taken after chairman Freddy Shepherd and Graeme Souness interviewed both players at the club's training ground on Monday. "The fine, amounting to six weeks wages, is the highest fine handed out by the club."...BBC

UEFA dismissed Chelsea's claim over the meeting as "false, wrong and unfounded" and are expected to punish Mourinho with a touchline ban of at least two games on Thursday. During a lecture to coaches in Tel Aviv, Mourinho said: "If something happens in a football stadium and I don't see it and if one of my people arrives and says: 'I saw this happen' and another one says: 'I saw the same', I say it is true. I cannot run away from it because I trust my people." This latest claim could now leave his assistant Steve Clarke and security official Les Miles, upon whose testimony Chelsea's version of events is understood to be based, facing the heaviest punishment. Frisk quit refereeing after being sent death threats by Chelsea fans in the aftermath of the match. UEFA accused over 'assault' on Mourinho UEFA's attack on Mourinho was branded extraordinary by Commons leader Peter Hain. Mr Hain said a "full frontal assault" had been launched on the Chelsea manager and said football's authorities should act with a little more dignity. UEFA say Chelsea's claims created "a poisoned and negative ambience" in an attempt to influence the second leg at Stamford Bridge. Mr Hain: "On the question of the UEFA attack - I should call it full frontal assault on Jose Mourinho - I do find it extraordinary. "I do think the football authorities ought to conduct themselves with a little more dignity in these matters."DAILY MAIL

England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson has recalled Emile Heskey to his squad for the World Cup qualifiers against Northern Ireland and Azerbaijan. Birmingham striker Heskey, 27, has been pushing for a recall and Eriksson has brought him back while dropping Manchester United's Alan Smith. Fellow forward Andy Johnson has kept his place in the squad but the axe has also fallen on Darius Vassell. England play Northern Ireland on 26 March and Azerbaijan on 30 March. Newcastle midfielder Nicky Butt is another not to be included in the 24-man squad along with Heskey's club team-mate and central defender Matthew Upson. Eriksson spoke to Magpies boss Graeme Souness about Butt and both decided the player needed more time to build up his fitness after recently returning from injury. Heskey has not featured in an England squad since pulling out of the friendly against Ukraine in August 2004 with an injury. But he has been showing improved form of late and has scored six goals in his last 10 Premiership outings, including the opener in his side's derby win over Aston Villa on Sunday. Johnson has been included despite a foot injury and is set to miss the first couple of days of training. Central defender Sol Campbell is out through injury for the games against Northern Ireland at Old Trafford and Azerbaijan at St James' Park....BBC

Cheltenham Gold Cup prospect Farmer Jack has died while training on the gallops on Tuesday morning. The Philip Hobbs-trained nine-year-old was supplemented at a cost of £17,500 for Friday's blue riband event. Farmer Jack landed the Aon Chase and the Racing Post Chase on his last two starts and was a general 12-1 chance. "It happened about 0830 - he was having an ordinary canter and just dropped dead," said Hobbs. "We presume it was a heart attack." Farmer Jack's death follows Tuesday's withdrawal of Kingscliff and Rule Supreme, while three-time champion Best Mate scratched last week. Somerset-based Hobbs, who won the Champion Hurdle with Rooster Booster in 2003, trains Gold Medallist, the favourite for Wednesday's opening race, the Royal & SunAlliance Novices' Hurdle.

Padraig Harrington played 18 sizzling holes in the final round of the Honda Classic before edging a tense play-off to win his first PGA title. Harrington shot a nine-under-par 63 and prevailed in a three-way play-off over Joe Ogilvie and Vijay Singh to win the £2.86million event. Harrington finished on 14 under, collecting £514,000 for his first victory in his third full year on the PGA Tour. The Honda Classic continued to be good to players looking for their first tour victory. Harrington became the ninth golfer to notch his first career win in this tournament. Harrington shot a blistering round that included 11 birdies to vault from a tie for 21st to the play-off. The Irishman birdied 10 of his first 13 holes, including six in a row starting at number eight. His only blemishes were bogeys on the 14th and 15th. The trio went back to number 18 to begin the play-off and Ogilvie was eliminated with a bogey. Singh was the only one to find the fairway with his drive but his birdie putt trailed off to the right by inches and he tapped in for par. Harrington drove in the rough and found the rough again on his approach but was able to get up and down, holing a six-footer to force another hole. On the second play-off hole, Singh and Harrington both found the fairway off the tee and were within feet of each other in the rough to the left of the green. Singh was inside Harrington after each player chipped onto the green with their third shot and Harrington nailed his putt for par. Needing to hole a putt from four feet, Singh pushed it just to the right and the ball lipped out of the right of the hole....DAILY MAIL

Marcelo Zalayeta's goal four minutes from the end of extra time gave Juventus a 2-0 win over Real Madrid and a place in the quarterfinals of the Champions League. The goal followed red cards for Real's Brazilian striker Ronaldo and Juve defender Alessio Tacchinardi after the paid clashed when Ronaldo was hauled down as he raced through on goal. Juve had forced the match into the extra period when David Trezeguet pulled them level at 1-1 on aggregate 15 minutes from the end of normal time. The substitute French striker scored with an acrobatic overhead strike from six meters. Uruguayan striker Zalayeta then beat Madrid keeper Iker Casillas with a half-volley from 20 meters as the match seemed to be heading for penalties. "We played with great humility, never giving up the hope to beat Real. I was overjoyed after scoring such a decisive goal," said Zalayeta. Juventus coach Fabio Capello, normally one of the most reserved coaches in Serie A, raced to the tunnel screaming with delight after seeing his current side defeat his former club. "It is never an easy business defeating Real Madrid and so that was a special feeling," said Capello. "I think it is the first time I have celebrated like that but now I've done it, I'd like to try it again. It was a very tough game for both teams. We played well and gave them very few chances. It was really an excellent performance from us. We gave away little and were also dangerous, which hasn't always been the case of late. "It's a great result for us, to come back from a 1-0 defeat in Madrid and turn it around here was always going to be difficult. But we played with intelligence, spirit and quality." Ronaldo had come closest to scoring for Real when he clipped the post in the 50th minute. A burst of speed took the Brazil striker past the defense from the halfway line before his low cross-shot was diverted on to the woodwork by Gianluigi Buffon. "We had our chances, but in the end Juve took theirs and went through," said Madrid striker Raul....CNN

Belgium's Tom Boonen confirmed he is the rider to watch when he snatched the first stage of the Paris-Nice cycle race over 186.5 kilometers. The 24-year-old Quick Step rider easily outsprinted Brazil's Luciano Pagliarini and experienced Latvian Jaan Kirsipuu to take victory at the end of the stretch from Etampes to Chabris on Monday. Dutchman Erik Dekker, who finished with the bunch, took the overall leader's yellow jersey from Germany's Jens Voigt, winner of the prologue on Sunday. The stage which took place under a grey and cloudy sky sparked into life when Frenchman Fabien Sanchez and Spaniard Igor Gonzalez de Galdeano broke away at the 45th kilometer. The two riders pushed their lead up to seven minutes and 45 seconds before the bunch, led by the Quickstep team of Boonen, caught them with 15-km to go. Boonen did receive some luck when several riders collided on a narrow road eight kilometres from the end. The race still has six days to go but some riders like double winner Alexander Vinokourov and Liberty Seguros team leader Jorg Jaschke, victor in Nice last year, may have already lost out in the crash. "The fall happens on the right side of the road and almost all my guys were trapped in it," Liberty Seguros team manager Manolo Sainz lamented. "The only thing it was good for was the show." T-Mobile team leader Vinokourov and Discovery Channel's Lance Armstrong finished 41 seconds behind but the American had always made it clear he was not chasing a win. Six-time Tour de France winner Armstrong crossed the line in 44th position and is now 70th overall, 68 seconds adrift of Dekker. On Tuesday the second stage will lead the riders from La Chatre to Thiers over 191 kilometers of hilly roads but organizers said they are considering shortening the ride because of snow....CNN

Martin Jol's eyes are firmly fixed towards Cardiff rather than Amsterdam saying the cup represents a 'very good opportunity' for silverware. The Tottenham head coach re-iterated that he is in it for the long haul at White Hart Lane after his side's 3-0 FA Cup victory at Nottingham Forest. Jol felt obliged the day before the fifth-round replay to issue a statement saying he had no intention of leaving after being linked to Ajax. Maybe it was not meant to be a rallying call but it certainly did the trick as Tottenham secured a place in the last eight and a match at Newcastle. A blistering second-half performance brought goals from Noe Pamarot, Robbie Keane and sub Mido. That gave them a comfortable victory and moved them a step closer to the Millennium Stadium Jol spelt out his desire to succeed at Spurs, saying: "This is a very good opportunity for me and the players. "Maybe the club have not done that well for the last five or 10 years. We have good players. We just need to gel to become a very good side. We are working on it. "Perhaps it is not the best draw going to Newcastle. However, we beat them in the league and we have to be confident. Jol: I know how important the Cup is "I know how important the FA Cup is to Tottenham and I thought our supporters were unbelievable."...DAILY MAIL

The Football Association may launch a disciplinary inquiry after Jose Mourinho was sent off during Chelsea's Carling Cup final win over Liverpool. The Chelsea boss was sent from the touchline by a policeman for appearing to taunt Liverpool fans after Chelsea equalised - before going on to win 3-2. Referee Steve Bennett has confirmed he will include the incident involving Mourinho in his official match report. Mourinho said his gesture was aimed at the English media, not Liverpool fans. Mourinho was charged with improper conduct in January following comments he made after Chelsea's Carling Cup semi-final, first leg encounter against Manchester United. But the Football Association decided not to take any disciplinary action. However, he confirmed the circumstances of his dismissal in Sunday's final at the Millennium Stadium. And he expressed his regret at any possible misjudgement over his gesture of putting his fingers to his lips in front of thousands of frustrated Liverpool fans. "The police told the fourth official `Mr Mourinho must go' - and if I made a mistake I apologise," he said. "I have a lot of respect for fans of every team in the country, in the world and try to show that." He added: "This is a special situation for me but if I made a mistake and did something that I cannot do in English football, then I have to adapt and understand where I am. "I have a lot of respect for Liverpool fans. What I did, the sign of silence - `shut your mouth' - was not for them. It was for the English press." Mourinho could not disguise his anger at the criticism he and his team had received after losing to Newcastle United in the FA Cup and Barcelona in the Champions League. He was also criticised for refusing to speak to the media after the defeat in the Nou Camp but was in outspoken mood after claiming his first trophy in English football....BBC

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has ordered captain Steven Gerrard not to play down their Champions League ambitions and be more positive. Gerrard told the BBC Liverpool were unlikely to win the trophy this year. Benitez responded: "I spoke to Steven and said to him that in future it's better to think we can win the Champions League. Why not?" He said: "We need winners here and everyone thinking only of winning. I always want to win." Benitez added: "When we lose I only think of solutions. If you only think about winning the next game, you don't know what the draw will be. "If we can win the next game, maybe we will draw a side that isn't so strong, or a side with injuries or suspensions." Benitez is hoping to win his first trophy since arriving at Liverpool from Valencia when they play Chelsea in the Carling Cup on Sunday in Cardiff....BBC

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger claimed their display in the 3-1 defeat against Bayern Munich was "our worst peformance in the Champions League". Kolo Toure's late goal gives the Gunners hope for the second leg, but Wenger said: "The only positive is that we are still in the tie. "The players are really down in the dressing-room. I feel we really turned in a bad performance. "At 3-0 we faced a real struggle, but 3-1 at least gives us a chance."...BBC

Wayne Rooney will play for Manchester United on his first return to former club Everton on Saturday. United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has decided not to spare the 19-year-old the hostile reception that is expected at the FA Cup fifth round tie. "Wayne will handle the pressure. Like any player going back to his former club, he is going to get a bit of stick," said Ferguson. Everton have warned fans the club could be punished if there is crowd trouble. Ferguson said: "Wayne's going to get a lot of abuse, but he has got a first-class temperament. He will handle it and I'm sure Everton know that, too. "He responds to big-game atmospheres. I never entertained the thought of not playing him. He's already answered all the questions about himself...BBC

Arsenal produced a scintillating display to crush Crystal Palace 5-1 and close to within two points of second-placed Manchester United in the Premier League on Monday. Dennis Bergkamp, Jose Antonio Reyes and Thierry Henry scored three goals within eight minutes just before halftime and Patrick Vieira and Henry completed the rout. The English champions moved to 57 points from 27 matches, 11 adrift of leaders Chelsea. Palace remained 17th, two points above the relegation zone. Henry said that he should have had a hat-trick having one ruled out for offside. "I am convinced it should have been a hat-trick," said Henry, who has bounced back with three goals in two matches having previously gone seven matches without a goal. "However the match tonight was to see if we could be consistent and I think after taking 10 minutes to settle we played well, had great movement and scored some great goals." Palace also made a bright start at Highbury and keeper Jens Lehmann nearly conceded a comical own goal when he allowed a back pass from Gael Clichy to slide under his foot. The German also reacted smartly to keep out a snap shot from Palace striker Dougie Freedman but Arsenal gradually took control of the match. Bergkamp produced a clinical finish at the near post on 32 minutes, Reyes rifled in a low shot from the edge of the area and Henry whipped in the third after cutting in from out wide. The Palace defense was ripped apart once again on 54 minutes, Henry's clinical pass releasing Vieira who rounded keeper Gabor Kiraly and prodded the ball into an empty net. Palace pulled a goal back on 63 minutes when Andy Johnson was fouled by Vieira in the penalty area and the England striker smashed the resulting spot-kick into the roof of the net. Arsenal's fifth goal came 13 minutes from time when Bergkamp teed up Henry and the French international bamboozled the Palace defence before crashing an unstoppable shot past Kiraly from the edge of the area....CNN

Phil Mickelson has claimed consecutive PGA Tour titles for the first time in his career. The U.S. golfer closed with a 1-over-par 73 but still won for the second straight week, claiming a four-stroke victory in the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, and becoming the first winner to lead throughout in the 68-year history of the event. The only thing he didn't do on a cold, damp day along the Pacific Ocean was set the tournament scoring record. Mickelson finished at 19-under 269, missing by one shot the record set seven years ago by Mark O'Meara. Still, it was the first time in his career he had won in consecutive weeks. Even more alarming is the margin of victory, especially for a guy who usually keeps it entertaining to the very end. After a five-shot victory last week in Phoenix, Mickelson nearly matched that Sunday in beating Mike Weir. Going into this year, Mickelson had won his previous eight PGA Tour events by a combined nine shots, three of those in playoffs. "It's been fun," Mickelson said. "I've been playing well the last couple of weeks. I'm excited to get the year started with a couple of wins." The margin might have been even wider except that Mickelson missed six birdie putts inside 18 feet over the final seven holes. Weir posted the best round of a difficult day at Pebble with a 5-under 67, including a 3-wood into 6 feet for the only birdie on No. 9 that kept his hopes alive. After another birdie on the 11th, Weir looked exasperated as six straight putts burned the edge of the cup, and his eagle chip on the 18th just turned away. "I played one of the better rounds I've ever played," Weir said. "It could have been a really special round if a few things could have dropped for me." Mickelson won for the 25th time on the PGA Tour. His $954,000 winner's purse pushed him over $2 million for the year and put him on the top of the money list. He will take the Nissan Open off next week, then head to La Costa for the Match Play Championship. "Obviously, he's doing something right," Weir said. Greg Owen of England, a PGA Tour rookie playing in the final group with Mickelson, birdied the last hole for a 72 and finished third to earn $360,000....CNN

Hermann Maier bounced back to take gold in the giant slalom at the world skiing championships with his compatriot Benjamin Raich's silver medal completing a return to form for Austria. American Daron Rahlves, who had a 0.60 second lead over Maier from the first run, finished third. Maier won an Olympic giant slalom gold at the Nagano in 1998, but was without a medal in the discipline in a world championships and feared he would never return to the podium in the event. "It's unbelievable -- a medal in GS was so unexpected," said Maier. "Where I made the difference was in the first leg in the upper part and middle part, I really gave everything in the second run. But I'm still surprised by this." The former double Olympic and world champion had been off the pace in the speed events, finishing fourth in super-G and a poor 17th in the downhill. However he produced a powerful second run to beat Raich by 0.25 seconds and become the first Austrian man to win a world championships giant slalom since the late Rudi Nierlich took gold in 1991. Raich has now picked up three medals, a bronze in the super-G, followed by gold in the combined and now the silver in giant slalom to complete the set. He will also be a medal contender in the slalom. American Bode Miller, the defending world champion in giant slalom who was searching for his third gold at Bormio, skied out in the first run. Maier's victory was all the more surprising given his poor form in giant slalom since coming back from a motorcyle crash in August 2001 that kept him out of action for more than a year. His most recent win in giant on the World Cup circuit was in Are back in March 2001 and in his last two races in the discipline he finished 18th and 28th. "Coming back from an injury, everything is really hard and a medal in GS was the one which was missing," he said. "Being on the podium today means so much for me because everything these days is much more difficult." Despite his best finish in a giant slalom race, speed specialist Rahlves was disappointed to have missed out on gold as he paid heavily for mistakes on his second run. "On the second run you have to take a risk, that's the main rule in GS. If you want to ski comfortably it's nonsense because you have to give your all. "I made a big mistake in the second run and I lost my advantage and lots of speed. But it's still a nice medal," said the American who was second in the downhill....CNN

England's Darren Gough made an early breakthrough in the fourth one-day match, trapping South Africa opener AB de Villiers lbw in the fifth over. But both Gough and Steve Harmison - back from injury to replace matthew Hoggard - struggled as Jacques Kallis joined captain Graeme Smith. Captain Michael Vaughan, who returned from illness to replace Vikram Solanki, won the toss and elected to bowl first. South Africa named an unchanged side after Friday's three-wicket win. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Latest action: 9th over: Kallis holds his cover-drive pose for a second to admire his handiwork after dispatching Gough through the covers. Smith takes a single to bring up the 50. 8th over: Kabir Ali replaces Harmison, whose three-over opening spell cost 24. He has an appeal against Smith with a delivery perhaps going down the off side. Smith uses that trademark clip, this time in front of point and worth four. 7th over: Smith tucks Gough off his legs behind point, but doesn't quite make the rope. 6th over: Kallis, another home town boy, drives Harmison with authority through the covers for four. Smith is a little lucky to avoid a run out, with the throw from cover off target. 5th over: Gough makes the breakthrough, pinning De Villiers on the back foot with a delivery that would have taken out middle and leg. South Africa 18-1 (De Villiers 9) New batsman Kallis gets off the mark with a top-edged hook which flies for four. 4th over: De Villiers' first shot is a hook off Harmison for six into the oak trees at midwicket. The bowler is into the 90s now but bowls successive wides and is getting wider. De Villiers drives into the covers, Giles attempts a sliding stop and turns his ankle doing to. 3rd over: Gough's wides come on both sides of the wicket and Extras are running away with it at the moment as Smith blocks and leaves with more assurance than he has shown recently. 2nd over: Harmison begins with a couple of leg-side wides, but at a speed of 88mph at the ground where Shoaib Akhtar broke into three figures during the World Cup. 1st over: Smith edges the first ball to third man to get the scoreboard running and Gough concedes a wide, with very little swing on offer. 0759 GMT: On a sunny day in Cape Town, Graeme Smith takes strike on his home ground and Darren Gough marks out his run....BBC

Serena Williams has beaten top-ranked Lindsay Davenport 2-6, 6-3, 6-0 in the Australian Open final, making a stirring comeback after injuring her back in the opening game. Williams stretched her winning streak at Melbourne Park on Saturday to 14 matches and captured her seventh Grand Slam singles title, ending an 18-month drought without one. She beat sister Venus to win the final here two years ago -- when the Williams sisters were at the top of women's tennis -- but couldn't defend the title last year because of a knee injury. The seventh-seeded Williams, who fended off three match points in her semifinal win over Maria Sharapova on Thursday, made a dramatic comeback after needing a medical timeout in the first set for what a trainer initially described as a rib injury. "Lindsay had me on the run. My back went out -- I'm not as young as I used to be," Williams said. "Eventually I was able to come back." Coming to grips with a series of injuries and the shooting death of her sister, Yetunde Price, in September 2003, had been hard enough, Williams said, without having to face persistent questions about "what's wrong with the Williams sisters?" "There's nothing wrong with us," she said Saturday. "We're still players to beat." Williams said regaining the Australian title was the start of a resurgence: "This gives me confidence." Davenport, who won the last of her three Grand Slam titles here in 2000 and hadn't been in the final of a major since the 2000 U.S. Open, won only eight points in the third set. After Davenport's backhand landed long on match point, Williams dropped to one knee and raised both arms in the air. She held up her index finger, showing she's No. 1, before walking over to her entourage in the crowd and slapping hands with her mother, Oracene, and Australian hitting partner Mark Hlawaty. Davenport, who lost in the women's double final Friday afternoon, said Williams was too strong in the end. "She's had a tough couple of years, but she's come back like the champion she is," Davenport said....CNN

Sir Alex Ferguson deflected blame for the goal that dumped Manchester United out of the Carling Cup away from keeper Tim Howard and onto his defence. "They scored from a free-kick from 50 yards out," he said of Damien Duff's late winner for Chelsea. "You cannot expect to win losing goals like that. "The defenders had every chance to attack it before it bounced in. "We played extremely well in the second half. We needed that bit of luck in a cup tie which we didn't get." He added: "But it was a great game and I didn't think you could divide the teams." The loss saw Ferguson lose his record of not having lost a domestic semi-final but he remained philosophical in defeat. "I thought we had the far bigger momentum in the second half. We played some excellent stuff. "Ryan scored a very good goal and at that moment I thought we would go on and win it." United were denied a penalty when Wayne Bridge looked to have brought Quinton Fortune down but Ferguson said: "I'm fed up of talking about penalties being turned down. "In the first leg we should have had a penalty kick and we should have in the second leg as well. I'm disappointed but that is the matter over."...BBC

When Billy Gillispie took over as head coach at Texas A&M in March, he found a team lacking size, experience and depth. He soon found out, however, that the Aggies did have some talent despite their woeful record from the previous season. Acie Law, one of those talented leftovers, had 24 points and six assists, freshman Joseph Jones added 13 points and 10 rebounds and A&M ended an 18-game Big 12 losing streak with a 74-63 upset of No. 10 Texas on Wednesday night. "It's about having the right guys," Gillispie said, smiling. "It's no magic formula. The story is not about me ... it's about those guys in the white jerseys. The sky's the limit on what you can achieve." Gillispie has the Aggies achieving way beyond what many thought was possible at a school that has always treated basketball as a distraction after football season. A&M has finished last in the Big 12 three of the past four seasons. The Aggies (12-1, 1-1) are off to their best start since 1959-60, and Gillispie has made the best debut in school history. Before a school-record crowd of 12,811, A&M ended the Longhorns' 10-game winning streak in College Station and improve its record at Reed Arena to 12-0 this season. The Aggies also knocked off their first Top Ten foe, and fourth overall, since beating Texas in 1982. "It feels real good to get the first Big 12 victory," said Law, a sophomore point guard who suffered through last season's 7-21 record. "A Top Ten team comes in ... that's a perfect opportunity to show everyone what we can do."...CNN

The dominoes fell more than a year ago, unleashing a torrent of emotions in fans, players and coaches alike. And now, just when that domino energy had dissipated, here they are again, cosmically linked, the top three teams in the latest AP poll: Illinois. Kansas. North Carolina. In the annals of coaching changes, the 2003 Domino Effect was the Big One, a remarkable confluence of events that transformed three of the nation's premier college hoops programs. To understand how unusual it was, consider the first three dominoes the last time UNC changed coaches, in 2000: North Carolina. Notre Dame. Delaware. You certainly didn't see that trio topping the polls a season later. And that was normal. This isn't. On one hand, you could say all the hand-wringing, finger-pointing and talk radio-slamming from a year ago is moot. The Illini, Jayhawks and Tar Heels are doing just fine, thank you, under their new bosses. (In fact, their rankings are an intriguing reversal of the supposed pecking order established by the changes, with Illinois at No. 1 and UNC at No. 3.) All three teams are loaded with talent, and yet they deserve tremendous credit: to the players for adjusting to new systems, and to the coaches for succeeding with players they didn't recruit. But getting here sure took a psychic toll on the principals. Williams became a pariah to many in Lawrence, Kan., the town that once revered him, and had to turn around an underachieving Carolina squad. Self spurned the Illini, whose fans pleaded with him to stay, then faced the skepticism of Kansas players who'd already won playing another way. Weber got so fed up with the comparisons last year that he dressed in black and held a mock funeral for Self, right there in the Illini locker room. Illinois. Kansas. North Carolina. With the possible exception of Illinois-UNC, they'll never schedule games against each other. On the human drama scale, a Final Four involving all three -- in St. Louis, no less -- would be off the charts.

The 31-year-old passed a medical on Monday and will now link up with father Harry at St Mary's. "I am so excited about this - it's a great club to come to and a big challenge for me," he said. "The fact that I am helping my Dad out comes into it a little bit but the main thing for me is to be playing again." Redknapp joined Spurs from Liverpool in 2002 and made 53 first-team appearances for the club. He was appointed club captain following the departure of Teddy Sheringham in 2003 but he has made only nine league starts this season....BBC

The 28-year-old is struggling to make the first team at Real with Ronaldo, Raul and ex-Liverpool striker Michael Owen above him in the pecking order. "The main reason is coach Rafa Benitez - he is Spanish and knows me perfectly which is worth a lot," said Morientes. "I don't want to expand except to say I am already looking through the English dictionary," he told the Reds website. Morientes' agent Gines Carvajal has admitted the Spanish international's future is now in the hands of Madrid, who will need to agree a fee for the player. "Everything depends on Real Madrid - I haven't seen anything in writing from Liverpool," Carvajal said. "I know they spoke with Madrid and the initial amount did not satisfy the president. "But within the right price frame the feelings of the player will be a priority - that is important." Newcastle were also reportedly in the running to sign Morientes, but the frontman looks to have quashed those rumours....BBC

Chelsea kick-start a busy festive period for football with a tough Boxing Day game against Aston Villa. The Premiership leaders carry a five-point lead into Christmas, ahead of a run of four matches in eight days. But Jose Mourinho's men can ill afford to rest on their laurels (or holly) as defending champions Arsenal and Manchester United step up their bids. Relegation strugglers, meanwhile, will desperately be hoping for a windfall of seasonal points to help their causes....BBC

Manchester City midfielder Joey Barton faces disciplinary action after an incident at the club's Christmas party. Barton poked a burning cigar in youth team player James Tandy's left eye after a fracas in central Manchester. The 22-year-old Barton is said to have been provoked after Tandy tried to set his shirt on fire. City carried out an internal investigation, finding the two players guilty of gross misconduct and docking them six weeks' wages. In Barton's case that is thought to mean the loss of £100,000. Police are not investigating the incident, but Tandy did receive hospital treatment for burns on his eyelid. The pair will now face a disciplinary hearing in the next couple of days with manager Kevin Keegan and two of the club's directors. City are keen to stress that both players were equally responsible for the incident, but it is Barton's future at the club which is once again likely to be called into question. He has been in trouble before for on-the-field misdemeanours, with Keegan recently warning him to improve his behaviour. A spokesman for the club earlier told BBC GMR: "We are aware of an incident that took place on Sunday involving two members of our playing staff. "An investigation has already been carried out by senior club officials and the matter is being dealt with."...BBC

Gordon Strachan turned down the chance to become Portsmouth manager so as not to sour memories of his time at local rivals Southampton. The Scot, who left his job as manager of Saints in February, felt his recent St Mary's connections made it an untimely and unseemly move for him to make. Harry Redknapp made a similar switch much quicker, albeit in the opposite direction, when he quit Portsmouth last month and subsequently defected to Southampton. But it was not for Strachan, who told BBC's Match of the Day 2: "I think it's a fantastic job for anybody apart from somebody who has just been the Southampton manager....DAILY MAIL

WICKETS with both new balls for Matthew Hoggard made the beginning and end of the opening day of the series a good deal more enjoyable for England than the long and blustery hours in between. A strong sou’wester enabled Ashley Giles to bottle up an end for most of the afternoon while the quick men did their best to extract some spark from a pitch that was as slow as expected, but Boeta Dippenaar’s typically steadfast innings and an attractive 93 by Jacques Rudolph insured South Africa against calamity. Neither side could feel complete satisfaction, England because they missed chances offered by both Rudolph and Dippenaar, South Africa because a partnership of 112 by these two had taken them to 178 for three before Andrew Flintoff undermined them with one of those hostile, shrewdly mixed spells that are becoming increasingly common. England had the edge by the end, but for South Africa to have got within sight of 300 despite ducks for their two outstanding batsmen, Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis, showed the level of determination in their ranks. In particular they refused to be bullied by the pace and hostility of Flintoff and Stephen Harmison. Dippenaar played them mainly off the back foot in his adhesive innings of just under five hours. WICKETS with both new balls for Matthew Hoggard made the beginning and end of the opening day of the series a good deal more enjoyable for England than the long and blustery hours in between. A strong sou’wester enabled Ashley Giles to bottle up an end for most of the afternoon while the quick men did their best to extract some spark from a pitch that was as slow as expected, but Boeta Dippenaar’s typically steadfast innings and an attractive 93 by Jacques Rudolph insured South Africa against calamity. Neither side could feel complete satisfaction, England because they missed chances offered by both Rudolph and Dippenaar, South Africa because a partnership of 112 by these two had taken them to 178 for three before Andrew Flintoff undermined them with one of those hostile, shrewdly mixed spells that are becoming increasingly common. England had the edge by the end, but for South Africa to have got within sight of 300 despite ducks for their two outstanding batsmen, Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis, showed the level of determination in their ranks. In particular they refused to be bullied by the pace and hostility of Flintoff and Stephen Harmison. Dippenaar played them mainly off the back foot in his adhesive innings of just under five hours...THE TÝMES

England's four representatives in the Champions League will learn their opposition for the knockout stage of the competition on Friday at 1100 GMT. Arsenal and Chelsea are seeded as group winners, while runners-up Manchester United and Liverpool are not. Rules state that teams from the same country or group will be kept apart. The favourites are Chelsea and Barcelona, and Real Madrid, the two Milan sides, Juventus and Bayern Munich are among the 16 still in the hat. Sir Alex Ferguson believes his Manchester United side will be paired with Italian giants AC Milan. "We've played the others so many times, the team that we haven't met is AC Milan. But I think fate will probably throw them our way. I have that feeling," said Ferguson. Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho says he wants to face his old club Barcelona...BBC

Real Betis winger Joaquin has admitted he would be interested in a move to Chelsea. The Spain international, who tormented England in the friendly defeat at the Bernabeu last month, has been linked with a number of top clubs but Chelsea appears to be his preferred destination. Jose Mourinho is reported to have been following the £20million--rated player for several months and the Stamford Bridge club are believed to have already made an approach to Betis. "I have heard the offer is very big and I know Chelsea are a very big club but for me money has never been the issue," said Joaquin, according to a newspaper. "Football is the only issue for me. My friend (Arsenal star Jose) Reyes tells me good things about English football when we play for Spain. "It makes me think about things. The main club of the last two seasons has been Chelsea. All the players these days want to play for Chelsea."....DAILY MAIL

STEVEN GERRARD stood and watched in disbelief, his hands on his hips, as his Liverpool team-mates contrived to undermine his latest rescue act by conceding an inexplicable stoppage-time equaliser that cast serious doubts about their hopes of satisfying his ambitions. For the second time in six days, albeit in far less dramatic circumstances than in the breathless Champions League victory over Olympiakos, Gerrard had dragged Liverpool almost single-handedly out of the sea of mediocrity that threatens to consume them, this time with a spectacular free kick with 20 minutes to go. It is questionable whether even a 1-0 win would have quelled his doubts about his prospects of enjoying success at Anfield. After a last-gasp goal from Loman a LuaLua, though, Liverpool must be more fearful than ever of losing their inspirational captain to Chelsea...THE TIMES

With the NHL in the throes of a lockout, 33 players got together Monday night to play some big-time, soft-checking hockey in a farewell game honoring Russian legend Igor Larionov. Larionov, a three-time Stanley Cup winner with the Red Wings, retired after last season but invited some of his old pals to Moscow for an exhibition. Many of them were current or former Wings, plus coaches Scotty Bowman, Dave Lewis and Barry Smith. The game ended in a 6-5 victory for Larionov's all-Russian squad over a world team captained by Steve Yzerman. Fittingly, Larionov scored a goal, assisted by one former Wing, Sergei Fedorov, and beating another, goaltender Chris Osgood. After the second period, Larionov and Yzerman switched teams. Yzerman then scored twice in his biggest test since he suffered an eye injury May 1 during the Wings' playoff series with Calgary. Wings forward Darren McCarty and former Wings forwards Luc Robitaille and Martin Lapointe also scored for the world team. Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov attended the Larionov farewell, played before a sellout crowd at the Luzhniki sports complex. President Vladimir Putin was invited but didn't show; instead, he sent over a green-ribboned Order of Friendship, which Larionov pinned to his jersey in a ceremony after the game. Larionov said the game left him with "bittersweet feelings."...FREEP

Referee Graham Poll said he applied the laws of the game in allowing Arsenal striker Thierry Henry's free-kick in Sunday's 2-2 draw with Chelsea. Keeper Petr Cech was organising his defensive wall when Henry's quick free-kick flew in, which angered Chelsea. "The whistle doesn't need to be blown. I asked Henry 'do you want a wall?'. He said 'can I take it please?' He was very polite. I said 'yes'," said Poll. "I deal with the laws of the game. I deal with fact." Poll added: "I gave the signal for him to take it. That's what he did. "The same thing happened when I refereed Chelsea against West Ham in an FA Cup replay two years ago - when Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink scored - and I don't remember them complaining about that." Henry explained why he paused before striking the ball for the goal, which put Arsenal 2-1 ahead. Henry told BBC Radio Five Live: "The ref asked me if I wanted 10 yards or if I wanted to take it straight away and I said that I wanted to take it straight away. He said to me, 'go'....BBC

Arsenal could be hit by a double Spanish raid, with Lauren and Edu being linked with moves to Primera Liga giants Real Madrid and Barcelona. Real are reportedly set to snap up Cameroon international Lauren when his contract runs out in the summer. Bernabeu president Florentino Perez is quoted in The Sun as saying: "Lauren will play for Real Madrid next season because his contract will expire. We have him signed." Brazil midfielder Edu, meanwhile, has expressed a desire to join Barcelona after stalling on signing a new deal at Highbury....DAILY MAIL

STEVEN GERRARD appeared to nail his colours to the Liverpool mast when he inspired his team to reach the knockout phase of the Champions League, but Roman Abramovich is steady in his belief that the inspirational midfield player will be wearing the blue shirt of Chelsea by the start of next season. Sources at Stamford Bridge indicated last night that Abramovich, the billionaire Chelsea owner, remains as confident as ever that Gerrard will move to London at the second time of asking next summer, despite having revelled in his role in Liverpool’s dramatic 3-1 victory over Olympiakos at Anfield on Wednesday night. Manchester United, too, hope to raise the finances necessary to bid for Gerrard, even if the prospect of moving to Old Trafford is likely to prove unthinkable for such a proud Liverpudlian. Liverpool would fight hard to keep their captain, but the reality is that they will be powerless to resist Chelsea’s millions if the 24-year-old is set on a move. The club’s management were resigned to losing him to Chelsea last summer only for Gerrard to decide, after weeks of soul-searching, to stay at Anfield for one more year. Abramovich does not take rejection easily, but that disappointment will not stop him launching a new bid of about £35 million if, as he has been led to hope, Gerrard is unsettled again by the end of the season. The decision will be Gerrard’s but he will argue, as he did at some length on Tuesday, just 24 hours before the decisive group A match against Olympiakos, that the onus is on the club to prove that they can satisfy his ambitions. “I think what I’ve said the supporters will agree with,” Gerrard said after his spectacular late goal on Wednesday. “The main point I’ve made is I want to be in a Liverpool side that’s challenging for the (Premiership) title and the Champions League all the time. That’s where the club needs to be.”...THE TIMES

FOR his actions to drown out his ill-chosen words, Steven Gerrard required the performance of a lifetime last night. To the delirium of an Anfield that reverberated to anthems new and old, he produced it, rousing his Liverpool team-mates to a famous comeback that, fittingly, he capped with a quite stunning late goal to seal a 3-1 win. Someone called it the most priceless goal in the club’s recent history and, considering the state of uncertainty over the ownership of the club as well as the future of their captain, it was hard to disagree. A 2-1 scoreline would have sent Olympiakos through to the knockout stages of the Champions League , banishing Liverpool to the sideshow of the Uefa Cup, but Gerrard’s heroic contribution transformed the picture, the finances and — who knows — perhaps the club’s fortunes for the foreseeable future. In basic financial terms, the only guaranteed windfall is around £2 million, which includes gate receipts as well as the prize-money for reaching the last 16, but Gerrard had acknowledged the importance of that money by saying it was imperative that Rafael Benítez, the manager, was given the funds to reinforce the squad in the January transfer window. New recruits could include Fernando Morientes, the Real Madrid forward, but there is the added importance of attracting investment at a time when Liverpool are in danger of being seen as lame ducks. For now, though, it is all about Gerrard. By his own admission, he has had his head turned by the interest of Chelsea, who would have had every reason to be encouraged by his latest rumblings of discontent in the pre-match press conference. Last night, Roman Abramovich, José Mourinho and company would have had cause to think that dragging him from Merseyside next summer might not be the formality they had been led to expect...THE TIMES

Adam Gilchrist raced to 60 off 48 balls as Australia totalled 261-7 in the second Chappell-Hadlee Trophy match against New Zealand in Sydney. Gilchrist and opening partner Matthew Hayden (43) set the tone with a stand of 86 in 11 overs. Darren Lehmann (52) and Brad Hogg (41 not out) built on their good work to give themselves a good chance of avenging Sunday's defeat in Melbourne. New Zealand lost Chris Harris, who damaged his right shoulder fielding. The match was a personal milestone for Harris, who was making his 250th one-day appearance, but the injury was later diagnosed as a torn rotator cuff and he will be returning home early. Australian skipper Ricky Ponting chose to bat after winning the toss and was rewarded as Gilchrist took the attack to the New Zealand seamers. He struck a six and eight fours to reach his half century off only 37 deliveries, but perished in cavalier fashion as a pull shot off Scott Styris was caught by Nathan Astle at deep square leg. Ponting maintained the tempo with a quickfire 32 but his exit, caught at mid-off from the bowling of Kyle Mills, sparked a slump which saw Australia decline from 140-2 to 161-6....BBC

Former England boss Kevin Keegan has joined the campaign for Middlesbrough winger Stewart Downing to be given his chance at senior international level. The 20-year-old was one of the architects of Boro's 3-2 Barclays Premiership victory over Keegan's Manchester City at the Riverside Stadium, prompting Keegan to admit he could be the real thing. "I would think that if you're looking at the left-side problem for England, which has been there for many, many years, he's the one I would say at the moment looks to be the answer," said Keegan. He's got pace, he doesn't have to try hard to beat people and he seems to have quite a good picture of how the game is going. In other words, he's learnt very quickly." Downing outshone fellow England hopeful Shaun Wright-Phillips, who was superbly marshalled by Michael Reiziger, although Keegan believes both will go on to play for their country with distinction. It was Downing who played in Mark Viduka to open the scoring with just nine minutes gone and, after Robbie Fowler had levelled, the Australian claimed a second on 54 minutes to claim the man of the match award....DAILY MAIL

Brighton Bears and Chester Jets, the pre-eminent teams in the British game over the opening two months of the BBL campaign, suffered surprise defeats at the weekend to add credibility to the growing belief that this could be the most unpredictable season for many years. Thames Valley Tigers strengthened the argument when they ended their eight-game losing streak by recording two of those upsets — against the Bears in a BBL Trophy qualifying group game and, winning 84-81 away to Chester Jets in the league last night. The Tigers’ recent poor run had led to speculation concerning the future of Paul James, the long-serving coach, although two such impressive results will leave his position secure, for the time being at least. The 80-72 win over Brighton was more comfortable than the scoreline suggests after the Tigers posted a 16-5 run in the second period to build a 44-22 advantage. Dean Williams and Josiah James shouldered the bulk of the Tigers scoring with 18 points each as Thames Valley won their first group match in three attempts. The consolation for the Bears lies in the fact that they can still qualify for the knockout stages in their remaining matches. Last night, the Tigers recorded an even more unexpected 84-81 success over the Jets. The outcome was decided in the final 22 seconds when, with the Tigers leading 82-81, Trey Moore, the Chester sharp-shooter, fouled out, Nick Moore scoring the two free throws to finish with 24 points, the same tally as Trey....THE TIMES

THE credibility of athletics in the United States and beyond was dealt a huge blow last night on a television programme when Victor Conte, the founder of the illegal drugs pharmacy, the Bay Area Laboratories Co-Operative (Balco), claimed that he had witnessed Marion Jones injecting herself with steroids. “Are you saying that Marion Jones was a drugs cheat?” Martin Bashir, the interviewer for the programme 20/20, asked. “Without a doubt,” Conte replied. Conte, who has been charged with numerous counts of steroid distribution and money laundering, went further, slurring the entire Olympic movement. “The Olympic Games are a fraud,” he said. “It’s almost like what I’m here to tell you right now is that not only is there no Santa Claus, but there’s no Easter Bunny or Tooth Fairy either in the world of sport. The whole history of the Olympic Games is just full of corruption, cover-up, performance-enhancing drug use.” Jones has already issued a curt response through Richard Nichols, her lawyer. “Victor Conte is a man facing a 42-count federal indictment, while Marion Jones is one of America’s most decorated female athletes,” he said in a statement. “Mr Conte’s statements have been wildly contradictory, while Marion Jones has steadfastly maintained her position throughout: she has never, ever used performance-enhancing drugs.” It is worth noting that Conte is not exactly a man high on credibility. When he says in the programme that “it’s not cheating if everybody is doing it”, he is by no means the first to use such a get-out clause. However, Jones’s denials come at a time when revelations have poured out of the Balco investigation. In the past three days, the scandal has engulfed three of the biggest names in the US: Jones and Barry Bonds and Jason Giambi, two baseball stars...THE TIMES

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho claims many English teams play by instinct instead of with their brains. Mourinho wants his team to out-think the opposition and claims many English teams don't play that way. The former Porto chief believes the key to winning is to ensure that his team can think as one during important matches. He added: "In general terms we must think more about our football and not play by instinct. Most of the game is played with passion, love for football and instinct, but in football you also have to think. When you play another team with the same qualities as you, normally the best one wins. "But when you play against other people and other teams who can think football and can stop during the game and thing collectively and don't play by instinct, it becomes much more difficult. "You see how Spanish, Italians and Portuguese play football. I don't say they are perfect, I say English football has a few things to learn from them in the same way they have a lot of things to learn from English football....DAILY MAIL

Walter Smith has been named as the new manager of Scotland. The former Rangers and Everton manager has thrashed out an agreement with the Scottish Football Association and will be officially unveiled at 1300 GMT. Gordon Strachan and Frenchman Philippe Troussier were also in the running for the job before the SFA confirmed Smith's appointment. The 56-year-old succeeds Berti Vogts, who resigned on 1 November after a dismal sequence of results. Smith will retain the services of assistant manager Tommy Burns, who was number two to Vogts and took charge of the team for the 4-1 friendly defeat by Sweden last month. "Walter has asked me to stay and work alongside him in the same capacity as I was in before. "I'm thrilled to have been given that chance as I have always considered it a great honour to be involved with Scotland," Burns told the Scottish Sun newspaper....BBC

STRENGTH in depth and strength in desire: the fight on four fronts goes on for Chelsea. The Carling Cup is the least of their priorities, with hopes of winning the Barclays Premiership, European Cup and FA Cup still burning bright, but with the final at the end of February, it offers the earliest chance of a first trophy for the Londoners since the FA Cup in 2000. The totality of José Mourinho’s vision demands that even if the manager rotates his personnel, the intensity of ambition must not alter. Chelsea’s hunger — and there is no danger that it will be sated by past triumphs — backed up by near-infinite resources, suggests that they will be an unrelenting force. Fulham, though, ran them close in last night’s quarter- final. Chelsea’s triumph, courtesy of two fortunate goals, proved that some clubs get all the luck. And the money. And the talent....THE TIMES

Fulham will have to do without the services of injured goalkeeper Mark Crossley and suspended defender Zat Knight as they attempt to gain revenge for last month's 4-1 Premiership thrashing at the hands of their West London neighbours. Edwin van der Sar will replace Crossley, while Ian Pearce should earn a recall in place of Knight. Meanwhile Chris Coleman, the manager, has warned supporters that they should not expect Fulham to be able to compete in the long-term with the wealth of Chelsea. "I think they will win the Premiership, and possibly the Champions League," Coleman said. "It is not realistic for us to think like Chelsea or to try to compete with them for honours, season in and season out. The aim here for us is staying in the Premier League, getting into the top ten and having a real good cup run. That is the basis for us and what we have to stick by." "To compete with the top six consistently, you are going to be spending millions and millions of pounds. That is the sad fact of football nowadays. We can't do that - and so have to be realistic in what our goals are," he added....THE TIMES

Despite the loss to Liverpool leaving them five-points behind of Chelsea, Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has said he does 'not think there is too much wrong' by the form that has seen them win just once in their last six Premiership games. The Highbury chief now also has skipper Patrick Vieira banned for the league match with Chelsea following his fifth booking of the season. But Wenger claimed: "I am not really too concerned about what Chelsea are doing, I am more concerned with us getting back on track. We have to regroup and find our way back to our best form." For Arsenal it was their second defeat in 55 league matches, but also their second in their last six in the Premiership....DAILY MAIL

The England cricket team has arrived in Zimbabwe, two days later than originally planned as a result of the row over press accreditation. The aircraft carrying the squad touched down in Harare this morning and the team now begins preparations for the first of the series of one-day internationals which will take place on Sunday. The match had originally been scheduled to be played today, but was cancelled when England failed to board the flight from South Africa on Wednesday after learning that 13 news organisations had had their accreditation applications turned down. The media ban was lifted on Thursday, but the ECB refused requests to play the match on Saturday, claiming the team would not have sufficient time to prepare. It was confirmed this morning that the match will now go ahead on Sunday. "The rest of the schedule should follow shortly," said Andrew Walpole, spokesman for the England team, at Johannesburg airport, shortly before the players boarded the plane...THE TIMES

Zimbabwe has lifted its ban on British journalists planning to cover a five-match cricket tour by England, clearing the way for the visit to go ahead. Major Anyway Mutambudzi said on Thursday a backlog of applications, including those of the 13 barred reporters, had been cleared. "The confusion came initially from the fact that people had applied as a group rather than as individuals as is required by our law. We have cleared everyone," he said. The England team, who are due to play the first one-day match in Zimbabwe on Friday, were ordered to stay in Johannesburg on Wednesday by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). The team were holding a meeting with officials at their hotel in South Africa and a decision on whether the controversial tour should go ahead was expected soon. ECB chairman David Morgan said earlier England would cancel its tour unless a "significant number" of the journalists, banned on Tuesday, were admitted to cover the matches. "We certainly will not proceed with the tour unless a significant number of the 13 are accredited," Morgan told BBC radio from Harare...CNN

AS Monaco 1 Liverpool 0 IN THE language of the casinos that abound in this playground of the rich and famous, Liverpool did not quite blow it all last night, but they headed back to Merseyside with little to warm them but the shirts on their back. If this was a dire occasion, unbefitting the grandiose billing of the Champions League, it was also a costly one for the Barclays Premiership team. They will have little left to bank on but the passion of their home supporters when they bid to secure their place in the knockout stage at the expense of Olympiakos in a fortnight. Luck, a basic requirement for anyone hoping to flourish in Monte Carlo, was in woefully short supply for Liverpool, who fiercely disputed Monaco’s goal. They also saw their personnel crisis deepen with the loss of Luis García to a hamstring problem after only two minutes and Josémi, his replacement, to a head injury. Whatever the mitigating circumstances that forced Rafael Benítez, the Liverpool manager, to field Neil Mellor as a lone striker, this was a wretched performance. Not even Steven Gerrard’s return to the starting line-up, after two months out with a foot injury, could lift Liverpool, whose ambition seemed to stretch no farther than a goalless draw, denied them by Javier Saviola’s second-half strike. A victory would have seen Liverpool progress in the Champions League — they are now guaranteed at least a place in the Uefa Cup — but they may now have to beat Olympiakos by two goals at Anfield when, in addition to Milan Baros, Djibril Cissé and Luis García, they will be without Dietmar Hamann, who picked up his second yellow card of the competition last night...THE TIMES

THE previous time that Steven Gerrard was in Monaco, it was three years ago as the tyro at the heart of a Liverpool team contesting the European Super Cup final, which would yield his fifth winner’s medal in a heady six-month period. A dazzling future lay in prospect, but while he was to mature into a world-class player over the seasons that followed, his team would regress, leaving the young man to embark on a period of soul-searching that almost led him to join Chelsea last summer. Since that momentous day in June, when he was trotted out in front of the media to read a 128-word statement to profess his loyalty to Liverpool, Gerrard has had little opportunity to illustrate his value — or, indeed, his commitment — to his home-town club. A broken metatarsal four weeks into the season condemned him to a two-month layoff, but he will return to the starting line-up tonight, back in Monte Carlo, desperate to give his team the impetus they need to reach the knockout stage of the Champions League. “It’s been really frustrating,” Gerrard said. “I hate injuries more than anyone. It (the rehabilitation) was just feet up at home and really boring. I hate watching football. I’ll go to the match as much as possible, but it’s frustrating when you’re kicking every ball from the stands and watching the Champions League on television is difficult because I want to be part of it, but I’ve had a good rest and tried to take something positive out of it. We’re still in the Champions League and we’re confident that we can qualify.” ....THE TIMES

Birmingham boss Steve Bruce claimed Dwight Yorke was the subject of racist taunts during the game against Blackburn at Ewood Park. Yorke said he had been abused by two home fans as he warmed up prior to his 74th-minute introduction as substitute. "They racially abused him. Dwight is bitterly upset and angry," Bruce said after the 3-3 draw. Blackburn confirmed one fan had been ejected for making a gesture at Yorke, and pledged a full investigation. The claims come just four days after racism made an unwelcome return to the spotlight when England players were abused during a friendly in Spain. Bruce added: "Apparently it is monkey taunts and that is sick. It's all right him getting a bit of stick but when it comes to what we've just seen in midweek, everybody is sickened by it." Yorke left Rovers for St Andrew's in August, bringing to an end a tempestuous two-year association with the club. The Trinidad international was roundly booed by fans as he warmed up and in particular when he replaced Darren Anderton as substitute. Bruce said: "It was something similar to the racist taunts the English players had and we just don't want to see it. "I will sit down with Dwight in the morning and go through the whole situation." Rovers boss Mark Hughes said he was unaware of any incident and would only comment when the facts were made clear....BBC

Glenn McGrath celebrated his first Test half-century as Australia took a commanding lead at the close of play on day three of the first Test against New Zealand in Brisbane. McGrath's remarkable unbeaten knock of 54 off 66 deliveries helped guide Australia to 564 for nine at stumps - a lead of 211 runs. With fellow tail-ender Jason Gillespie closing in on his own half-century on 43, the prospects look bleak for New Zealand, who provided little weight in attack in the final session of the day and only claimed the wicket of Michael Kasprowicz after tea. The Black Caps had the chance to restrict Australia, and McGrath's score, but the Australia paceman was dropped by wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum and then by Mark Richardson in the same over, soon after he took to the crease. McGrath pulled Daniel Vettori for four to bring up his 50, and having hit five fours and one six, he will be confident of adding more runs on day four before New Zealand come back in to bat....DAILY MAIL

The Spanish football federation is facing disciplinary action from UEFA and FIFA after the racist abuse directed at several black England players during Wednesday night's friendly in the Bernabeu. The English FA said they will be demanding action from football's governing bodies after monkey-chanting from large sections of the crowd overshadowed Spain's 1-0 victory. British prime minister Tony Blair said he was '"very disappointed" by the events. Sports minister Richard Caborn is also to complain to his Spanish counterpart. The unsavory crowd reaction, that was clearly audible on live television coverage, also casts a pall over Madrid's bid for the 2012 Olympic Games which was unveiled hours before the match in Madrid. The English FA will also complain about similar racist abuse in the under-21 friendly between the two teams on Tuesday. England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson, who experienced racist fans when he was at Italian club Lazio, said: "The issue of racism is big. There must be a protest through official ways. "I am against racism and it should not happen in 2004 in any country." England captain David Beckham, who plays for Real Madrid in the Bernabeu, told the FA's website: "It's disappointing when it happens anywhere in world football because we all know how wrong it is -- and so many people are working so hard to cut it out of the game."...CNN

The Spanish Football Federation were today facing an official inquiry into the shocking racist taunts which were repeatedly directed at England's players during their friendly in Madrid. Several black players, most notably Shaun Wright-Phillips and Ashley Cole, were subjected to vile monkey chants by hundreds, if not thousands, of Spanish supporters. The scale of the abuse was particularly shocking, with several players left visibly shaken by the experience, as football returned to the dark ages. Spain coach Luis Aragones shamefully failed to condemn the racist taunts, hiding behind the claim that he would only talk about the game, which ended in a 1-0 victory for his side. However, Sven-Goran Eriksson was outspoken in his criticism of the Spain fans, with the English FA demanding action be taken by UEFA and FIFA. Indeed, the international governing bodies now face a litmus test of just how seriously they take the fight against racism...DAILY MAIL

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has confirmed he intends to give Cristiano Ronaldo a break at some point in the season - but not just yet. The 19-year-old Portuguese star had a demanding summer, combining a run to the final of Euro 2004 with a relatively disappointing Olympic campaign and appeared to be showing signs of weariness during his 16th Red Devils outing of the season at Newcastle on Sunday. There was no rest for Ronaldo this week after being called into Felipe Scolari's national squad for the World Cup qualifier with Liechtenstein, leading to speculation that Ferguson might be tempted to take his £12m teenager out of the firing line. Having been rewarded for handing his young winger a three-week break during his first season in England with a series of brilliant performances towards the end of the campaign, Ferguson admitted he intends following the same path this year...DAILY MAIL

Malcolm Glazer's bid to buy Manchester United was dealt a serious setback after the American's bankers JP Morgan dropped him as a client. Earlier, three United directors lost their seats on the Old Trafford board in a bitter twist to the takeover saga. Legal adviser Maurice Watkins, new commercial director Andy Anson and non-executive director Philip Yea all had their re-elections blocked. Glazer cast his 28.11% stake against their appointments at the club's AGM. United recently ended talks with Glazer over his bid to gain control at Old Trafford. Investment bank JP Morgan, who were thought to be crucial to the US tycoon's takeover bid, are reported to be unhappy at Glazer's boardroom coup...BBC

David Moyes, the Everton manager, has signed a new contract which will keep him at the club until 2009. The 41-year-old Scot has steered the Toffees to third place in the Barclays Premiership table despite last season's narrow escape from relegation and the summer sale of forward Wayne Rooney to Manchester United. Moyes succeeded Walter Smith at Goodison Park in March 2002 after leaving Preston. He welcomed the new deal, saying: "I am ever so pleased. The opportunity to sign a second contract at Everton doesn't come around very often, whoever you are. I am delighted and extremely humbled to receive it because I realise that a big part in me getting this is because the players have performed well. "I also feel that we have made progress in the past two-and-a-half, three years and I now see a much better future for Everton. That is making me think that it's certainly the right place for me to put my name to." Bill Kenwright, the Everton chairman, has been desperate for Moyes, whose initial contract at the club ran out at the end of next season, to sign a new deal....THE TIMES

Big guns Liverpool and Manchester United have reached the League Cup quarterfinals with 2-0 wins over holders Middlesbrough and an under-strength Crystal Palace side. Premier League leaders Chelsea joined them in the last eight after a 2-0 extra-time win over Newcastle with goals from Eidur Gudjohnsen and Arjen Robben. Fulham went through 4-2 at Nottingham Forest, also after an extra period. Liverpool, who have won the League Cup a record seven times, put paid to Middlesbrough's hopes of returning to the Millennium Stadium to defend the trophy they won after beating Bolton last season. Neil Mellor struck twice in the last seven minutes with a right-footed close range strike and then a left-foot shot from 20 meters. Goals from Louis Saha and Kieran Richardson gave Manchester United a comfortable victory at Old Trafford as the home side made light work of a completely changed Palace team, without several first team players who had been rested or were injured. France striker Saha scored in the 22nd minute with a sharp close-range strike after being fed by Quinton Fortune before 20-year-old Richardson fired home from 20 metres just before the break with a shot that Julian Speroni let slip under his body. Chelsea, who won the trophy in 1998, beat Newcastle at St James' Park to increase the pressure on manager Graeme Souness who has seen his new side ship six goals at home in two matches after their 4-1 defeat by Fulham in the league on Sunday...CNN

Steve Wigley has admitted that he was 'vulnerable' and rapidly losing support at Southampton after the 'horrific' 5-2 Carling Cup defeat at Watford. As Wigley fights for his job as Saints boss, James Beattie could be rushed back into Premiership action for the local derby against Portsmouth on Saturday. Star striker Beattie, still warmly tipped to join Aston Villa in January despite Saints' illegal approach charge against them, has missed six games with a double fracture of a toe but returned to training this week - and desperate times call for desperate measures. That is just what Saints and Wigley are in. Goalkeeper Antti Niemi's likely three-weeks absence following a knee operation only makes matters worse. "It is a big blow because Antti is probably our best player but James could be available. We will have to wait and see," said a depressed Wigley after his side were hit for five by ninth-in-the-Championship Watford last night. DAILY MAIL

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has been backed to speak his mind by Gunners chairman Peter Hill-Wood. Wenger faces a Football Association charge for accusing Manchester United's Ruud van Nistelrooy of cheating. "Wenger is a very intelligent man and he says exactly what he thinks," Hill-Wood told the Daily Express. "It was a silly, stupid spat but if Wenger believes Van Nistelrooy is a cheat he is going to say so, and if the FA don't like it that's up to them." The FA also wants both Arsenal and Manchester United to get together for peace talks after a string of contentious matches. But Hill-Wood said: "Can you see them over a cosy dinner date? I can't and I wouldn't insist that our manager does anything like that if he does not want to. "I've not said to him 'stop insulting Ferguson' and I've no intention of doing so." ....BBC

An Indian businessman has insisted New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming has made false claims against him relating to betting and match-fixing. Fleming claims he was introduced to a syndicate by promoter Austim Khetrapal during the 1999 World Cup. But Khetrapal said: "My passport shows that I was in England from 30 July until 3 August 1999 whereas the World Cup was held in June the same year." He also told the BBC he was considering action against Fleming. Khetrapal, who is alleged to be an associate of notorious Indian bookmaker Sanjeev Chawla, concedes he did meet Fleming, but at a different time. He also says it was after Fleming requested a meeting because he was looking for agents. "I did meet Fleming in a hotel in Leicester where he was playing a county match," said Khetrapal. "He said he wanted agents in India and he was offered US$250,000 dollars (£135,000) for modelling assignments. "A contract was also signed by him regarding this," says Khetrapal, who runs a sports management company in Mumbai....BBC

Arjen Robben broke Everton's stubborn resistance as Chelsea's Premiership challenge gathered pace. Robben raced on to Eidur Gudjohnsen's pass to beat Nigel Martyn for his first Premiership goal after 72 minutes. Everton were cursing a glaring miss by Alan Stubbs, who headed Leon Osman's cross wide from only eight yards and Tim Cahill twice tested Petr Cech. But Robben also brought a fine save from Martyn and Gudjohnsen wasted a glorious chance from only eight yards. The early exchanges were lively, with opportunities at both ends as Everton demonstrated they were ready to match Chelsea. Everton's Alessandro Pistone was fortunate to deflect Frank Lampard's shot wide after the Italian defender slipped....BBC

It's a victory for the smaller clubs in the Mail online Men of the Month awards for October with Crystal Palace striker Andrew Johnson and Bolton Wanderer's boss Sam Allardyce winning the player and manager awards respectively. Johnson pipped Rio Ferdinand by a single percent while Allardyce secured top spot ahead of Everton's boss David Moyes. In a tough month Bolton Wanderers manager Allardyce won the Manager of the Month award with 30% of the vote after guiding The Trotters to fourth place in the Premiership. Big Sam saw off nearest challenger David Moyes by 6% with Harry Redknapp, Graeme Souness and Iain Dowie a long way from contention. Allardyce's men earned three important victories and ended the month on a high after giving Graeme Souness his first loss as Newcastle manager with a 2-1 victory at the Reebok. Once again Big Sam has assembled a 'foreign legion' that are extremely difficult to beat. New signing Tunisian defender Rahdi Jaidi has been a revelation and only narrowly missed out on making the shortlist for Player of the Month. Crystal Palace striker Andrew Johnson shot himself to the Player of the Month award, winning 28% of the vote, after scoring four goals in five games through October...DAILY MAIL

Defending champion Tim Henman crashed out of the Paris Masters to in-form Russian Mikhail Youzhny on Thursday. The Briton started confidently and there was little to separate the pair until the 11th game, when Youzhny upped his game for the first break. World number 20 Youzhny, who won the St Petersburg title last week, served out the set and then broke four times in the second on his way to a 7-5 6-1 win. Youzhny faces Czech qualifier Radek Stepanek in the last eight. Henman will now turn his attentions to the Masters Cup in Houston, which begins on 15 November....BBC

Wigan boss Paul Jewell has played down reports linking him with the manager's job at West Bromwich Albion. Jewell emerged as a contender after reports on Thursday that West Brom had lost patience waiting for a response from ex-Spurs boss Glenn Hoddle. "I don't know much about it. I have not had any contact with West Bromwich Albion," Jewell, 40, told BBC Sport. "I'm happy at Wigan Athletic right now. I am here to do a job, and I have not heard about any approach." A Wigan spokesman said: "Paul's said on many occasions he's happy here. As far as we're concerned he's going nowhere." Meanwhile, ex-Middlesbrough boss Bryan Robson, a former West Brom player, confirmed he was still interested in the post...BBC

Berti Vogts insists that he will never return to management after his recent experiences as Scotland boss. The 57-year-old resigned from his post on Monday, blaming the abuse he suffered from a minority of fans and a media witch-hunt. "I am open to anything, but I will not return to the dug-out," he said, adding that he paid for others' past mistakes. "Nobody has understood what I wanted to do and my experiences in Scotland have robbed me of my energy." Vogts suffered poor results during his two-and-a-half year tenure. But he added: "I have had enough of being the scapegoat for mistakes made in Scotland 15 years ago...BBC

EIGHT days after the “Game of the Decade” gave way to the “Battle of the Buffet” before turning into a war of words between Arsenal and Manchester United, Arsène Wenger, understandably, appeared to be suffering from fatigue. “I am fed up with it,” he said yesterday, although not so exhausted that he did not want to clarify one more point. Informed that Manchester United would be citing Dennis Bergkamp as well as Thierry Henry in the utterly vain hope of getting both Arsenal players suspended, Wenger said that he was “happy with any verdict given by an objective eye”. He clarified his answer by saying that it was down to the Football Association, which should receive United’s dossier in the next 24 hours, to decide who had done what at Old Trafford. “It is their job,” the Arsenal manager said. “I don’t want to do their job.” God forbid that Sir Alex Ferguson might take that as a pointed remark. Wenger insisted that he would not be saying any more on the subject, adding that he “had no obsession with anybody. Our only obsession is the quality of our game.” Arguably, it is in need of a little attention after the tumultuous defeat to United was followed by Saturday’s 2-2 draw at home to Southampton in the Premiership....THE TIMES

Wolverhampton Wanderers have sacked Dave Jones, their manager, the Midlands club confirmed this morning. The Molineux club are in 19th place in the Coca-Cola Championship after being relegated from the Premiership at the end of last season. Wolves lost 1-0 to Gillingham on Saturday, leaving them with just 17 points from 15 matches, four points above the relegation zone. Jones, the former Southampton manager, took over in January 2001 and guided the club into the Premiership in 2003, the first time in 19 years that they had been in the top flight. The season ended in relegation, after they won just seven games, conceding 77 goals in 38 matches. Hopes were high that they could mount a promotion challenge this season and secure an immediate return to the Premiership. But Rick Hayward, the club chairman, obviously believes the task is beyond Jones...THE TIMES

Great Britain have the chance to gain revenge for last year's Ashes whitewash in their opening match of the Tri-Nations against Australia on Saturday. The Lions lost the series 3-0 after squandering winning positions in all three Tests. But under new coach Brian Noble, a revamped squad are optimistic of ending Australia's traditional dominance. "There's an air of quiet confidence in the team. But we don't want to compete - we want to win it," said Noble. Noble will not announce his final 17 until an hour before kick-off, although it is believed that the players already know the side with Danny McGuire and Sean O'Loughlin both set to make their international debuts...BBC

THE Football Association’s investigation into the so-called “Battle of the Buffet” was given some much-needed impetus last night when Edu, the Arsenal midfield player, became the first player from either club to shed light on the shameful scenes that followed his team’s acrimonious 2-0 defeat by Manchester United at Old Trafford. Although details of the post-match rumpus, in which Arsenal players pelted Sir Alex Ferguson with food, have filtered out through the course of the week, both clubs had pledged not to discuss the matter publicly for fear of inflaming the situation and incurring the wrath of the FA. But the silence has been broken by Edu, who, while maintaining that he saw nothing thrown, has deviated from Arsenal’s official line of denial by confirming that there was “pushing, pointing and shouting” in the tunnel, adding that it was started by the crowing of the victorious United players. “As we went down the tunnel afterwards, I saw people being pulled apart, people pushing, pointing and shouting,” Edu said. “The United players were shouting at us and trying to wind us up about the result. But I didn’t see any soup being thrown at anyone.” Edu said that the scenes were “nothing that I haven’t seen in derby matches in Brazil”, but his comments, in an interview published on Uefa’s website, are certain to be noted with interest by the FA, which hitherto had no testimony on which to base its investigation. FA sources indicate that its investigation is proving difficult, with Greater Manchester Police insisting that none of their officers witnessed what happened, but Edu ’s comments at least contradict the persistent claims of Arsène Wenger, his manager, that “nothing happened”....THE TIMES

England's cricket tour of Zimbabwe will go ahead next month after officials expressed satisfaction with safety and security measures in the troubled African country. ECB chairman David Morgan said the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and also the British Embassy in the Zimbabwe capital Harare, would help monitor the on-going situation until the end of the tour. "We have satisfied ourselves that appropriate safety and security measures will be in place to protect the England touring party and officials," Morgan said. "We are also concerned about the safety and security of travelling supporters and the media, and we concluded that Zimbabwe will provide a safe environment provided that they adhere to the Government's specific travel advice." England are scheduled to play five one-day internationals against Zimbabwe in November...CNN

West Bromwich Albion are refusing to comment on reports they have approached Sir Bobby Robson to take over at The Hawthorns from sacked Gary Megson. Robson has been touted as the early favourite to succeed Megson, possibly in partnership with former Baggies star Bryan Robson. Megson was dismissed after confirming he would not sign a new contract. Former Liverpool manager Gerard Houllier, Glenn Hoddle and Gordon Strachan are also in contention. Megson's departure had been on the cards for some time after his public falling-out with chairman Jeremy Peace over summer transfer spending...BBC

Manchester United have broken off talks with U.S. businessman Malcolm Glazer over a possible takeover of the club, saying his bid relied too heavily on borrowed money. However, the club said it expects Glazer to come back with a new offer. Glazer, owner of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, last week raised his stake in Manchester United PLC to 28.11 percent. If Glazer's ownership reaches 30 percent, he is required by British law to make an offer to buy out the remaining stockholders of the 126-year-old English club. In a statement to the London Stock Exchange, the board said it had "terminated discussions with respect to the current proposals." "We felt as a board that the level of debt coupled with their business plan meant that it was an unattractive proposal," chief executive David Gill said in a separate interview on Man United TV. But Gill said the club remained open to further approaches from Glazer. "Glazer will clearly consider their options, he will review what he should do and will come back to us, no doubt," he said. "But at the moment we have terminated the discussions," added Gill. "We don't have an issue with the Glazer family," Gill added. "It's about the business plan. We've been over there to Florida and visited them and I think they do run a very impressive and successful operation over in Tampa." There was no immediate comment from Glazer...CNN

SIR ALEX FERGUSON WAS SPLATTERED with soup, sandwiches and pizza by an Arsenal player as yesterday’s controversial clash continued in the players’ tunnel. The Manchester United manager was forced to change his suit before coming out for television interviews and, after last season’s “Battle”, perhaps yesterday may be remembered as The Great Food Fight of Old Trafford. Ferguson is believed to have been involved in a frank exchange with Arsène Wenger, his Highbury counterpart, in the narrow corridor that leads from the main tunnel past both dressing-rooms. Players also became embroiled and Ferguson’s suit appears to have suffered the worst consequences. Neither club was prepared to comment last night and, with no video evidence, the FA is unlikely to become involved. Given that it could not pin a charge of bringing the game into disrepute on David Beckham last week despite a full confession, the governing body is unlikely to pursue the case of the airborne sandwich...THE TIMES

Manchester United's Rio Ferdinand has admitted he contemplated turning his back on playing for England. Ferdinand, banned for eight months by the FA after missing a drugs test, said he had initially been angry enough to quit international football. "I was really bitter and if someone had asked me if I'd play for England again, I'd have said no," Ferdinand told MUTV. "But as time passes, you come to your senses - you remind yourself that every kid wants to play for their country." Ferdinand, who returned to the England fold for the World Cup qualifier against Wales, added: "I am not the first person to feel like I did about your national association...BBC

The St Louis Cardinals joined the Boston Red Sox in the World Series after they overcame the Houston Astros 5-2 at Busch Stadium on Thursday. The victory, largely thanks to Scott Rolen's two-run homer in the sixth, gave the Cardinals a 4-3 series win. Rolen's strike, off the pitching of Roger Clemens, allowed St Louis to overhaul Houston's early 2-0 advantage. "I really can't describe how great this feels," said St Louis manager Tony LaRussa. The Astros' Craig Biggio hit a home run in the first inning to put his side ahead, and that was followed up by Carlos Beltran, capitalising on Jim Edmonds's throwing error, in the third to make it 2-0....BBC

Andriy Shevchenko's first half header gave AC Milan a 1-0 win over Barcelona in front of a 68,000 and moved them a big step closer to the knockout stages of the premier club competition. The Ukraine striker buried Marcos Cafu's cross for his 30th goal in 60 Champions League appearances to settle a fiercely-contested match that left Milan three points clear in Group F. Barcelona can consider themselves unlucky not to have snatched a point with Henrik Larsson and Andres Iniesta both hitting the woodwork. Milan's victory maintained their 100 per cent record but Barcelona, who have a five-point lead at the top of the Spanish league, host their rivals at the Nou Camp in two weeks. AC Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti was delighted to shut out one of Europe's most potent attacking forces and take three precious points from the Catalans. "I am very happy as we controlled the match for an hour and 15 minutes," said Ancelotti. "At this moment Barcelona are playing some of the best football in Europe and the fact that we didn't concede a goal is very significant...CNN

A DRAW in Prague last night helped Manchester United towards qualification for the knockout phase of the Champions League but did nothing to bolster hopes of beating Arsenal in the Premiership on Sunday. Play like this at Old Trafford and Sir Alex Ferguson’s side could be embarrassed by Arsène Wenger’s rampant cavaliers. Another away point leaves United well placed at the halfway stage in group D but a thoroughly ordinary performance has to be put in the context of what Ferguson has called “the biggest week of the season so far”. Defeat to the Premiership leaders would be a calamity and, aside from the return of Rio Ferdinand and Roy Keane, there are not too many reasons for Stretford Enders to be optimistic. United were pressing for the winner in the closing stages but one goal in their past three games is damning of a squad with such a vast array of attacking resources. Wayne Rooney looked out of sorts, Ruud van Nistelrooy irritable while, at the back, Mikaël Silvestre was a danger to his team. Ferguson must hope that the magnitude of their next game, and the fear of defeat, inspires his players to much better things....THE TIMES

Adrian Mutu will not face a second drugs test after admitting to testing positive for cocaine, the Professional Footballers' Association has revealed. The Chelsea striker's acceptance of the positive test means he forfeits any right to a B sample being taken. But it could also mitigate any punishment Mutu now faces. "He will not be going ahead with the second test. He has tested positive for cocaine," PFA chief executive Gordon Taylor confirmed. Mutu's representative, Gica Popescu, had pleaded with the striker to come clean and avoid the possibility of increasing any ban from the game he may face. The Romanian international striker met with representatives of the PFA on Monday and will not insist on further analysis of the original test which proved positive for cocaine. "There will be a hearing at the Football Association, which we hope can be held as quickly as possible to get the matter dealt with," Taylor explained...BBC

Chris Coleman hinted that some of his players have indulged in complacency so far this season. That is unforgivable. He also hinted that one or two may have felt complacent at half-time on Saturday. That was, however, entirely understandable. Liverpool were, by common consent, delivering the worst performance of any among their 4,000 league appearances. A combination of extraordinary luck and the arrival from the bench of Xabi Alonso left Fulham reeling. “The league is unforgiving,” Coleman said. It is also cruel. At the final whistle Rafael Benítez, the Liverpool manager, chatted to Alonso and told him he had turned one particular easy pass into a difficult one by being overambitious. Which is a little like someone who has just won the pools complaining about the colour of the ink on the cheque. Liverpool were almost too awful in the first half to deserve the luck they were dealt in the second...THE TIMES

US sports tycoon Malcolm Glazer has raised his stake in Manchester United to 25.3%. This purchase is not necessarily a prelude to a bid but does confirm that Mr Glazer is a long-term investor, one of his associates told the BBC. Earlier, the club said talks between Mr Glazer and Irish race horse owners John Magnier and JP McManus - owners of 28.9% of the club - had broken down. Shares in the club closed the day almost 8% higher to stand at 285p. Late on Friday - and after rumours had swirled all day - Mr Glazer confirmed that he had purchased 15.4 million shares at 285 pence. In a statement earlier in the afternoon, Manchester United said there had been "no definitive proposal" for a takeover bid from US tycoon Malcolm Glazer. Manchester United's board said it had itself held talks with the Glazer family but that no bid had been forthcoming. The board said that the Glazer family was continuing to consider its options in relation to its 19% shareholding...BBC

South African Retief Goosen claimed the biggest win in the 41-year history of the World Match Play Championship golf with a 12 and 11 rout of American Jeff Maggert. Goosen, the U.S. Open champion, made light of tough conditions at a rainswept Wentworth to see off Maggert over just 25 of the scheduled 36 holes. "I started well, birdied the second and carried on from there," said Goosen. "I played solid, putted nicely for a change and kept the ball in play off the tee." The previous record was American Mark O'Meara's 11 and 10 victory over Fiji's Vijay Singh in 1998. "It's nice to have that achievement," world No. 5 Goosen said. "You know how quickly things can turn in match play and I was just determined to keep playing well. "You have to stay focused, I felt I was going to win and it was just a case of by how much." The 35-year-old Goosen, who won the U.S. Open for the second time this year, plays either British Open champion Todd Hamilton or Briton Lee Westwood in the second round on Friday. Early victory was good news for Goosen as heavy rain made conditions miserable. Maggert's gloom was lifted by the fact that he pocketed 60,000 pounds for his day's work - the guaranteed prize money for all first round losers. Torrential overnight rain had delayed the start of the championship by two and a half hours and the rains returned in the afternoon when greenstaff were forced 'squeeze' off excess water between putts. The delays meant that seven of the eight groups have to come back early Friday morning to finish their 36 hole first round matches. While Goosen was wreaking havoc fellow countryman Ernie Els was looking too strong for Scotland's Scott Drummond....CNN

Francesco Totti scored twice as Italy got their World Cup qualifying campaign back on track with a 4-3 victory over Belarus in a remarkable group five game. Italy went ahead in the 27th minute through a twice-taken penalty from Totti and then doubled their advantage six minutes later with a confident strike from Daniele De Rossi. Belarus replied seven minutes into the second half with a spectacular 30-meter drive from Maxim Romashchenko. Marcello Lippi's side restored their two-goal cushion on 74 minutes with a beautiful freekick from Totti, but the Belarussians narrowed the deficit three minutes later when Vitaly Bulyga robbed Gennaro Gattuso inside the Italy area and fired past Gianluigi Buffon. Alberto Gilardino made it 4-2 for Italy in the 86th minute, stooping to head in after a Gianluca Zambrotta shot had been parried. But there was more drama when Romashchenko fired in a brilliant free kick in the 89th minute....CNN

England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson promised Tuesday he will 'take care' of the controversy surrounding David Beckham's yellow card against Wales. Beckham, who cracked a rib in Saturday's 2-0 win, manufactured a ban because he knew the injury would keep him out of Wednesday's World Cup qualifier in Azerbaijan anyway. England's 1966 World Cup hat-trick hero Geoff Hurst accused Beckham of 'bringing the country into disrepute' and said it would have cost the captaincy had it happened in his day. Skipper Beckham had already been cautioned against Austria, but Eriksson said he had no idea that the latest offense was pre-meditated. "I will know what I will do on Thursday or Friday - please wait until then," said the Swede, who added: "On Thursday or Friday I will take care of it." Two reckless clashes with Wales full-back Ben Thatcher earned Beckham his second yellow card of the World Cup qualifying campaign which meant he was suspended for England's match in Azerbaijan...CNN

Greg Rusedski booked his place in the second round of the Kremlin Cup with a hard-fought victory over Ivo Karlovic. The British No.2 managed to see off his Croatian opponent in straight sets, but was made to work hard for his 7-6 (16-14) 6-2 triumph, particularly in the opening set. The two big servers couldn't be separated in the opening 12 games of the contest and the first set had to be settled by a tie-break that Rusedski won 16-14. The second set proved much easier for the 31-year-old as he won 6-2 to book a match-up with either Robin Soderling or Filippo Volandri in the next round. In other first round matches played on Monday, top-seed Marat Safin managed to save two match points before defeating Max Mirnyi 6-7 (8-10) 7-6 (7-2) 7-6 (7-1). The 24-year-old found himself a set down to the Belarusian and appeared to be heading out of his home event when Mirnyi moved in front 5-4 in the second set and had the chance to serve out the match. However, Safin showed all his skills to draw himself level and then waltzed through a tie-break in the deciding set to seal his passage through to round two. “It was a tough match as any of my matches against Mirnyi as we play a similar style and know each other pretty well,” stated the Russian after the match. Second seed Joachim Johansson also progressed through the first round as he saw off Czech player Jan Henrych in straight sets....SKY NEWS

Ferrari's world champion Michael Schumacher stormed to a brilliant runaway victory in the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday for his 13th win of the season. A powerful typhoon saw Saturday's qualifying postponed until the morning of the race for the first time in F1 history and Schumacher secured pole before cruising to his 83rd career win and sixth at Suzuka. The German finished 14 seconds in front of younger brother Ralf's Williams with Jenson Button third for BAR. Schumacher, who clinched an unprecedented seventh world title in August, lifted his points haul to 146, beating his own 2002 record tally of 144. Second was Ralf's best result of the season, and also Williams' first podium since April, and it came in only his second race back after suffering spinal fractures when he crashed heavily at the U.S. Grand Prix in June. But there was no stopping big brother. "Qualifying pre-determined the race I think," said Michael Schumacher. "We had to be flat-out until the pit-stops but we have dominated all year and I didn't expect anything different here. We were superb." Briton Button's 10th podium of 2004 came in his team's 100th race since joining Formula One in 1999. Japanese team mate Takuma Sato was fourth as BAR virtually secured second place in the constructors' standings ahead of Renault. BAR have 116 points to 100 for Renault with just the Brazilian Grand Prix remaining. Ferrari have 254, a points record for a single season. "This year's definitely been a big step forward," said Button. I've been on the podium 10 times which is great but it's a little disappointing we haven't got that first win yet. Maybe in two weeks."...CNN

The headline spread across the wires and Web sites last week at the usual warp speed: Syracuse's Edelin academically ineligible for first semester. If you only read that headline, you probably thought, There's that Edelin, screwing up again. A closer look, however, reveals that Billy Edelin, a 6-foot-4 junior point guard, is actually saying and doing all the right things these days. That in itself is news, but it doesn't make for easy headlines. The truth is, it would have been a major surprise if the NCAA had declared Edelin eligible for the start of the season. Besides having to withdraw from classes last spring for personal reasons, Edelin also missed most of the 2001-02 school year because Syracuse suspended him after two female students accused him of sexual misconduct. (No charges were filed in the case.) NCAA rules dictate that a student must complete 50 percent of the credits necessary to graduate by the beginning of his junior year, but Edelin's "clock" was ticking even while he was out of school. The only way, then, that Edelin would have been able to play this fall would have been for the NCAA to grant Syracuse's appeal for a waiver. It didn't. Syracuse hopes to hear the result of its final appeal by the end of this month, but that answer isn't likely to be different from the first...CNN

Jermain Defoe is confident a three-pronged England strikeforce would be effective against Wales on Saturday. Sven-Goran Eriksson is pondering using three strikers at Old Trafford - with Wayne Rooney playing just behind Defoe and Michael Owen up front. "It has been dynamic in training," said Defoe. "I have no doubt all three of us can play together. "With Michael's experience and the goals he has scored, plus Wayne being on fire, it could be really special." Rooney would slot into the tip of Eriksson's midfield diamond in the position where the now-retired Paul Scholes used to operate for England. "I am the same type of player as Michael Owen in that I like to get on the defender's shoulder and get behind the back four, while Wayne can come short and make things happen," Defoe added. "He is similar to Scholes in the way he can create something out of nothing. "The prospect of being in the same side as those two is awesome."...BBC

The New York Yankees dug deep in the 12th inning to seal a dramatic 7-6 win over the Minnesota Twins in the American League Divisional Series (ALDS) on Wednesday. Hideki Matsui hit a sacrifice fly to score Derek Jeter in the bottom of the frame as the Yankees tied the best-of-five series at 1-1. The contest now moves to Minneapolis for games three and four Friday and Saturday. The Yankees were two outs away from trailing the series 2-0 before Miguel Cairo and Derek Jeter drew walks off Twins relief pitcher Joe Nathan and Rodriguez delivered a ground-rule double to left-centrefield to tie the scores. Matsui's line out to shallow right field then drove in Jeter with the winning run. The Yankees' arch rivals, the Boston Red Sox, won 8-3 away to the Anaheim Angels to take a 2-0 series lead in the other ALDS game. The Red Sox cut loose with four runs in the ninth innings to put the Angels, the 2002 World Series champions, on the brink of elimination. Boston scored 17 runs on 23 hits over two games in California...BBC

Striker Gareth Taylor and midfielder Andy Johnson have been released from the Wales squad and returned to their clubs to recover from injury. Neither of the two were likely to start against England in Saturday's World Cup qualifier at Old Trafford. But their absence further limits manager Mark Hughes' options, who has already lost Rob Page and Rhys Weston. Midfielder Jason Koumas also missed Tuesday's training session as he could only manage some light running. Cardiff City centre-back Page has been ruled out of Saturday's match with damaged ribs, and Weston is struggling with a hamstring injury. Both, though, have stayed with the squad at their training camp near Cardiff to prepare for next Wednesday's home qualifier against Poland in Cardiff. Andy Melville or James Collins are the candidates to partner Danny Gabbidon at centre-back, but neither of the two are regulars for their clubs sides. Melville arrived at the team hotel on Monday having played just 20 minutes of football in seven weeks after losing his place at West Ham United. And Collins, whose slip led to David Healy scoring Northern Ireland's second goal in last month's 2-2 draw in Cardiff, has not started a game for Cardiff since August...BBC

The future of former world No.1 Kim Clijsters is in the balance after she was ruled out until 2005 after aggravating a wrist injury in the Belgian Open. Playing in her first competition after five months out after tearing her wrist tendons and undergoing surgery, Clijsters was forced to retire in Saturday's semi-finals when trailing 4-6 2-2 to Elena Bovina. Initial reports suggested the injury was not as serious as the problem which interrupted her season. But tournament doctor Bruno Willems was downbeat. "This injury could mean the end of her career," Willems told Belgium's De Morgen newspaper. "I hope she comes back, but I'm pessimistic." Her website said that a scan had revealed a new injury in the left wrist, close to the old injury, with a brace and inflammatory drugs being used to solve the problem. She is set to undergo more tests this week...CNN

Michael Owen is battling to be fit for England's World Cup qualifier against Wales on Saturday after he was injured making his home debut for Real Madrid. Owen came off after 52 minutes of Real's 1-0 defeat by Deportivo on Sunday with what coach Mariano Garcia Remon called a "slight muscle problem." Owen's starting place against Wales was already in doubt because of his lack of action in La Liga this season. His fitness will be assessed by England's medical staff on Tuesday. Owen has had a difficult time since his £8m move from Liverpool to the Bernabeu in the summer. Sunday's start in place of the injured Ronaldo was only his second of the season. He has yet to score for Real, and missed two good chances against Deportivo, volleying wide from inside the area and then miskicking on the edge of the six-yard box. His injury was discovered at half-time and Remon revealed: "Rather than forcing it, we thought it was best to rest him and put on Fernando Morientes." England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson has already said he will monitor Owen closely in training this week. Wayne Rooney's return to fitness combined with Jermain Defoe's impressive start to the season means Eriksson is not short of options up front...BBC

The Detroit Tigers upgraded their offense from last season, and have a major league record to prove it. Marcus Thames had his first two-homer game and drove in three runs, and Craig Monroe also homered in Detroit's 5-1 win over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays on Saturday night. The Tigers set a major league record by having 11 players with at least 10 homers. "I'm glad it happened, no question," Detroit manager Alan Trammell said. "It's nice when things like that happen." Gary Knotts (7-6) allowed one run and four hits, walked two and struck out four in 7 2-3 innings. "I was hoping to go out on a good note, so I would have some confidence going into next year," Knotts said. Steve Colyer relieved Knotts with a runner on second and two outs in the eighth and struck out Aubrey Huff to end the inning. Colyer also struck out Tino Martinez looking in the ninth before Franklin German got the last two outs, completing the four-hitter. "We just didn't swing the bats too good tonight," Tampa Bay manager Lou Piniella said. Scott Kazmir (2-3) gave up four runs and five hits in six innings, walked one and struck out six. Detroit took a 1-0 lead in the second inning on Thames' bloop single to right, scoring Monroe, who had walked with one out and stole second. The Tigers increased their lead to 4-0 in the fourth on homers by Monroe and Thames. After Dmitri Young doubled with one out, Monroe lined Kazmir's first pitch over the left-center field fence. After Carlos Pena struck out, Thames drilled a shot into the left-center field stands -- estimated at 436 feet. ...FREEP

Batting star Sachin Tendulkar has been named in India's squad for the first Test against Australia despite ongoing concerns about an elbow injury. Tendulkar has not played for six weeks but was included in a 15-man squad for the game in Bangalore, which gets under way next Wednesday. "We have received a medical report that Tendulkar is progressing well," said Indian Board secretary SK Nair. "His condition will be evaluated on a day-by-day basis." There were no major surprises in the squad, although left-arm seamer Zaheer Khan was preferred to Ashish Nehra. Khan was not part of India's squad for the recent Champions Trophy. India hope to capitalise on Australian skipper Ricky Ponting's absence with a broken thumb by making a strong start to the four-match series. Ponting will not be available until the third Test as his side look to win a series in India for the first time since 1969-70. Run spree Yuvraj Singh and Virender Sehwag, meanwhile, returned to form with centuries as India Seniors defeated India A by five wickets in a four-day match in Bangalore...BBC

Mourinho's new club Chelsea defeated his old side Porto 3-1 to leave the European champions with an uphill battle to qualify from Group H of the Champions League. Porto, who won five trophies in two seasons under Mourinho climaxing with the European Cup last May, were no match for the London side who dominated in the drizzle at Stamford Bridge after goals from Alexei Smertin (7th), and Didier Drogba (50th) put them in command. Substitute Benni McCarthy's 68th minute reply gave Porto a brief ray of hope, but captain John Terry's 70th minute header quickly restored Chelsea's two-goal lead. With Chelsea now on six points from their opening two matches they are almost certain, even at this early stage of the competition, to advance to the last 16. Porto, beaten for the first time in 13 Champions League matches, have only one point from two games after their opening goalless draw against CSKA Moscow and while Mourinho can dream of winning the Champions League again, they would appear to have little chance of progressing. Chelsea top the standings with six points, followed by CSKA Moscow with four after their win over PSG on Wednesday, Porto with one and Paris St Germain none. Icelandic striker Eidur Gudjohnsen, who had an outstanding match without scoring, played a major part in the opening goal, starting the move by bringing Damien Duff into play, and then hooking Duff's return lobbed pass into the heart of the Porto defence with the outside of his right foot...CNN

Old Trafford legend Norman Whiteside has warned Wayne Rooney of the pressure he will face at Manchester United, but has backed him to thrive on it. Rooney, 18, scored a hat-trick on his United debut against Fenerbahce. "He'll face great pressure. I was one of those that thrived on it and he seems to as well," said the former Northern Ireland international. Whiteside made his debut for Manchester United in 1982 at the age of 16 and played in the 1982 World Cup aged 17. And he says the spotlight will be on Rooney more than ever following his move to Old Trafford. "It will be pressure 24 hours a day, seven days a week," he said. "If you go out for a beer, all of a sudden it's multiplied by 12. If you're seen walking down the road with a girl you're having an affair. "It's just all hype. It's even worse these days than it was when I was playing." Whiteside is the youngest FA Cup final scorer after grabbing the second goal in United's 4-0 win against Brighton in the 1983 replay...BBC

Unstoppable on the golf course, it has taken Hurricane Jeanne to stop world number one Vijay Singh in his tracks and forced him to withdraw from this week's WGC-American Express Championship in Kilkenny, Ireland. The Fijian was due to fly home to Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, on Sunday after his win in the Lumber 84 Pennsylvania Classic, but due to the hurricane he was unable to return until Monday. When he did get back, the storms had left his house with no power and water was coming in. European Tour officials said that despite Singh's withdrawal, 44 of the top 50 in the world rankings would be teeing up in the tournament which starts on Thursday. They include three-times winner Tiger Woods. But Singh's withdrawal ahead of an eagerly awaited 'rematch' with Woods will take some of the shine off the last WGC event of the season. The Fijian usurped Woods as the world's leading golfer after an astounding run of success that has seen him win five of his last six events, including a classic head to head with the American superstar at the Canadian Open. His latest victory in Pennsylvania saw him break Woods' record for prize money on the US PGA Tour and he is closing on a remarkable double of ten Tour wins and $10 million in prize money in one season...CNN

Britain's Tanni Grey Thompson stormed to her second gold medal of the Paralympic Games in Athens. The 35-year-old led the T53m 400m final from start to finish and took the title in 57.36 seconds and she will go later in the T54 200m final. Double cycling gold medallist Darren Kenny settled for silver in the CP3 individual road race and time trial. Britain's class three table tennis duo, Neil Robinson and James Rawson, also took silver after losing 3-0 to Korea. Team GB women's basketball team had a disappointing end to their Games, finishing in last place after losing 48-30 to the Netherlands. Dan McCaffrey's side had beaten the Dutch in their opening Paralympic match but the fortunes were reversed in the play-off for seventh and eighth place. The United States and Australia meet in the gold medal match later on Monday. At the Olympic Stadium, Grey Thompson defended her T53 title in style, dominating the race as the anticipated challenge from her rivals did not arrive....BBC

If it seems like Arkansas QB Matt Jones has been in school forever, that's because the guy's played in enough overtime periods to last an extra season. I believe it's written into CBS' contract that this one goes at least three....CNN

Writers now regularly bash the team's inept ownership, revolving door at coach and oft-misguided personnel moves. Fans are weary after a 10-year playoff drought. And agents have learned that Golden State, in NBA parlance, translates into the phrase "willing to overpay for mediocre talent." Or something like that. This year promises more of the same. The fans will come out in droves, the Warriors will win 33 to 38 games and the Arena in Oakland will be dark again come playoff time. A fan base that supports this team to the tune of more than 16,000 a night on average deserves better -- much better. But throughout Chris Cohan's ownership, the Warriors have shown an unwavering commitment to mediocrity. (Honesty compels me to admit that I used that same line when discussing Cohan and his Warriors in 1998 and 2000. That's how unwavering the commitment is.) Year after year, the brass shoots for .500 -- and usually hits its mark. No chances are taken, no dares are offered, no gambles are played. Just devotion to solid, underwhelming, talent. For every bold move the Warriors do make, such as selecting 18-year-old Andris Biedrins in the June NBA Draft, millions of dollars are sent the way of sub-mediocre talents such as Calbert Cheaney, Derek Fisher and Adonal Foyle. These are the sorts of moves that allow...CNN

Europe fought back from a poor start to extend their lead to 11-5 going into Sunday's final singles in the Ryder Cup at Oakland Hills, Detroit. Bernhard Langer's side were facing a whitewash in the fourballs before Paul Casey and David Howell won a vital late point to check the USA's resurgence. America won the fourballs 2½-1½ to narrow the gap to 8-4 but Europe hit back hard in the foursomes. Europe won three matches and now need just three points to retain the trophy. A jubilant Langer said: "My foursomes pairings were very strong. They came very natural to me. We will figure out a game plan and we'll have to come out charging US captain Hal Sutton "I just had a feeling they would do well. It's not surprising to me at all." US captain Hal Sutton was shell-shocked and admitted his side had been outplayed...BBC

Europe and America will lock horns on Friday as golf's 35th Ryder Cup gets under way in Detroit. The contest is set to roar straight into life with three of the sport's most famous names competing in the opening fourballs match. Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, the two highest-ranked players in action at the Oakland Hills course, will lead off the US challenge in the three-day contest. They are pitted against European talisman Colin Montgomerie, who will partner Padraig Harrington in the opening match. Both sides are claiming underdog status in the biennial team competition, which has become one of the most gripping and eagerly-anticipated events in golf. The Americans, who dominated in the early years of the event, have home advantage, higher world rankings and more major wins among their 12-strong team....BBC

Orlando Hernandez needed only an instant to recall the last time he went through a stretch in which he pitched this well. "In Cuba," he replied in Spanish. Hernandez pitched seven innings of five-hit ball to win his eighth straight decision, and the New York Yankees beat Sidney Ponson and the Baltimore Orioles 5-2 Saturday. Hernandez allowed one run and two walks in becoming the first Yankees starter to open the season 8-0 since Bob Wickman in 1993. Back with a flourish after shoulder surgery forced him to miss all of last year and the first 31/2 months of this season, the right-hander never doubted he would regain his effectiveness. "I was working very hard. If there was one good thing that I have, it is that I always believe in myself," he said through an interpreter. His teammates believe in him, too. When El Duque is on the mound, it doesn't take much offense for the Yankees to take control. "When you have a guy going out there that you know is going to shut the other team down, it takes a little bit of the pressure off," Yankees first baseman John Olerud said. "You still have to go out and get the hits and get on base and that sort of thing, but you definitely don't feel like you have to score a ton of runs to get a win." Hernandez left with a 2-1 lead. The one glaring flaw in his performance was a home run by Rafael Palmeiro, only the fifth allowed by the right-hander in 2004. Now in his sixth major league season, Hernandez has given up more than three runs in a game only once in his 12 starts this year, against Minnesota on Aug. 19. He struck out four, including Javy Lopez three times, and permitted only two runners past second base in lowering his ERA to 2.49. "I knew when we signed him in the spring that if anybody's going to be able to make it back, he's going to do it," Yankees manager Joe Torre said. "He's been terrific, he really has."...CNN

Tim Henman is maintaining a relaxed approach as he stands on the brink of a first Grand Slam final appearance at the US Open. The Briton takes on top seed Roger Federer in the second men's semi-final on Saturday, at approximately 2000 BST. "Federer has had such an incredible year but I think that should add to the fact that I really don't have anything to lose," said Henman. "It's a great opportunity and I've got to go out there and enjoy it." He added: "Playing Federer is the toughest task in tennis but I've beaten him a few times in the past and hopefully I can beat him again."...BBC

While Southern California coach Pete Carroll realizes his wideouts are young and inexperienced, he said Tuesday he expected more from them in his team's season-opening 24-13 victory over Virginia Tech on Aug. 28. "I thought we might be able to do a little better than we did. But Virginia Tech had something to say about that," Carroll said. "Yeah, I wouldn't like to be talking about this issue of transition, but it's the facts. The young guys have to come on and do a good job for us. "It's clear -- one guy from last year is going to play a bunch of games in the NFL and the other is a highly regarded guy once he comes out. So, those were fantastic players that we lost and our guys need to make a big move to catch up there." Keary Colbert caught 69 passes for 1,013 yards and nine touchdowns as a senior last season, giving him a school-record 207 receptions in his career. He is now playing for the defending NFC champion Carolina Panthers. Mike Williams had 95 catches for 1,314 yards and 16 TDs as a sophomore, giving him 176 catches in just two seasons -- fourth on USC's all-time list. He is ineligible because the NCAA refused to reinstate him after his bid to turn pro early was blocked by the courts.CNN

Caretaker England rugby coach Andy Robinson has confirmed he intends to apply for the job full-time. Robinson took over as acting coach when Sir Clive Woodward, who guided England to World Cup glory, resigned last week. "I wouldn't have taken on the acting role if I didn't think I was good enough to get the main job," said Robinson, who was Woodward's assistant. "I'm putting a proposal to the board next week and hopefully that proposal will be accepted." Robinson says he will revitalise the team for the autumn internationals, when England will face Canada, South Africa and Australia on consecutive weekends. ...BBC

Tiger Woods will tee off 30 minutes late in his quest for a third straght US Masters title after heavy rain forced the opening round to be delayed. Thunderstorms on Monday forced practice rounds to b cancelled and further heavy rain has continued to fall. A statement said: "Due to weather conditions, there will be a delay of at least 30 minutes of all starting times for the first round the 2003 Masters." The weather is not forecast to improve until Friday at the earliest. Woods, the world number one, will now tee off at 1614BST, while the first group is scheduled to start at 1340BST. Woods is a member of an elite trio to have successfully defended their titles, along with Jack Nicklaus (1965-66) and Nick Faldo (1989-90). Last year he beat South African Retief Goosen by three shots to win his third green jacket after becoming the youngest winner at 21 in 1997. Woods, who has won eight Majors, is chasing six-time Masters winner Nicklaus' record of 18 Majors overall. The 27-year-old goes into the tournament on a hot streak that has seen him win three of the five tournaments he has entered this year. The American's main challenge will come from world number two Ernie Els, the Open champion, who has won four times around the world this season. South Africa's Els came fifth at Augusta last year, while his best finish was as runner-up to Fijian Vijay Singh in 2000. World number three Phil Mickelson has decided to ignore the aura of Woods and concentrate on his own game as he tries to rid himself of the tag of "best player never to have won a Major". "You can't look at it as though you're competing against a different person because as Bobby Jones always used to say, he was always competing against Old Man par, even in matchplay," said Mickelson. "That's the way a player needs to look at it, how low can he shoot, not what is that player doing?" Another potential threat could come from Woods' countryman Davis Love, runaway winner of The Players' Championship - the so-called "fifth Major" - two weeks ago. Love has twice finished second at Augusta, to Ben Crenshaw in 1995 and behind Jose Maria Olazabal in 1999. The 16-strong European challenge will be led by Ireland's Padraig Harrington, who was tied-fifth last year, and who finished second behind Love at The Players' Championship. European Ryder Cup stars Colin Montgomerie, Darren Clarke and Sergio Garcia all continue their quest for a first Major, while England's Justin Rose makes his Masters debut. Garcia finished a career-best eighth at Augusta last year and was the only player to finish in the top 10 at all four Majors. He has missed the cut in his last four starts in strokeplay tournaments this term but Els is confident he will bounce back. "When he's on his game and has got all the confidence going, he can win this thing," said Els. "Quite a few times also." Nicklaus, four-time winner Arnold Palmer and triple champion Gary Player will also compete at Augusta, possibly for the last time. The death of golf legend Sam Snead last year means there will be no ceremonial starter........BBC

Paula Radcliffe has revealed how a freak training accident nearly wrecked her chances of a second consecutive London Marathon win. Radcliffe goes into Sunday's race hoping to break her own marathon world record, which she set in Chicago last October. But a freak training accident last month almost cost her that dream - and the $125,000 in prize money a new world record would bring. Radcliffe was fine-tuning her preparations at her training base in Alberquerque, New Mexico, when near-disaster struck. "I was on a long run, and had done about 22 miles, when I went to overtake a young girl on her bike," says Radcliffe. "I thought I was clear of her, but she must have turned round to look behind her because she went right across the path and into my back foot. "I fell flat on my face and hit the concrete really hard. I cut up both knees, got burns on my shoulders and dislocated my jaw." Radcliffe, who showed her still-substantial scars to the media in London on Tuesday, was able to limp to her husband Gary Lough's car after the accident and assess the damage. Damaged "I was in shock," says Radcliffe. "I was really scared that it had messed everything up - my knees were bleeding really badly. "Luckily for me, my physio Gerard Hartman was out there with me and was able to treat me for a couple of days. "I had to visit the chiropractor because I had quite bad whiplash in my neck, as well as damaged stomach muscles."It was really worrying. My jaw hurt the most. Luckily I was near the car. I tried running the next day but I felt awful." It was the second time in two years that a bike accident has almost cost Radcliffe dear. Last year it was training partner Marion Sutton who cycled into her as the pair crossed a slippery wooden bridge - but that time it was the cyclist who hit the ground injured, rather than Radcliffe. Amazingly, Radcliffe was running again just two days after her accident last month. She has suffered no long-term damage and goes into Sunday's race full of confidence. "It's difficult to compare with last year because I have been running different routes, but I have been able to do what I wanted in training," she said........BBC

Tiger Woods, already the overwhelming favourite to win the US Masters, had his cause substantially advanced by the weather gods yesterday. The gates to Augusta National had not opened when a thunderstorm struck, depositing over an inch of rain on an already damp course. Worse, the forecast for today, tomorrow and Thursday is for more storms as a cold front from the Rockies sweeps down through the country. Temperatures are forecast to be below 50F (10C) for the remainder of the week, which means the course will probably not dry out and conditions will be distinctly unpleasant. Woods, however, tends to revel in the mud. He may not be the longest any more off the tee but he is long enough, and he has the capacity to grind out a score when the weather is at its worst. Yesterday's downpour means that there will be little or no run on the fairways, which in turn means that the shorter hitters will have no chance of reaching the crests of the 2nd, 9th and 10th holes, which offer substantial yardage gains for those who can pitch on the downslope. It also means that the greens will be receptive and players will be able to throw the ball at the pin knowing it will stop. That rules out the element of luck offered by firm greens, and most of this field need luck to stop the world No1. Woods has worked hard, though, to cope with any conditions. Mhairi McKay, the former Curtis Cup golfer who is now a professional on the US women's tour, was a classmate of his at Stanford University and tells of how she would see him purposefully put on waterproofs and go out to practise at times when everyone else was seeking the shelter of the clubhouse. Yesterday, at 7.30am, a loudspeaker announcement was made to the huge lines of queuing patrons waiting for the gates to open at 8am. They were told: "Dangerous weather is approaching. We recommend you go back to your cars and go home or seek shelter." It is 20 years since the weather was this bad. Yesterday's patrons were promised their money back and preferential treatment for tickets next year. "We are disappointed that our patrons could not enjoy the practice round," said Hootie Johnson, the chairman of Augusta National. "However, our first concern must be safety." Nick Faldo is fervently hoping to cling on to his special piece of tournament history. He is one of only three men to have won the first major of the year twice in a row, but knows Woods is a hot favourite to rewrite the record books yet again with his third consecutive victory. Jack Nicklaus missed the cut in 1967 after winning the previous two years, and Faldo finished joint 12th in 1991 after winning back-to-back play-offs in 1989-90. "I hope Tiger doesn't do it," said Faldo. "I want the three of us to share the record - me, Jack and Tiger. I don't want him to get that third title. I'm being as nice as I can but I want to keep our record." Denmark's Thomas Bjorn, who finished in a tie for 18th last year, has pulled out of the tournament for family reasons.......GUARDIAN

Giancarlo Fisichella staked his claim to the title of unluckiest driver in formula one yesterday. The Italian had to concede victory for the Jordan-Ford team in a wet Brazilian grand prix to McLaren's Kimi Raikkonen, even though the Finn was driving into the pit lane for his second refuelling stop when this chaotic race was prematurely flagged to a finish with 54 of its scheduled 71 laps run. It was Raikkonen's second grand prix victory in as many weeks and it propelled him into the lead of the drivers' world championship with 26 points to the 15 of his team-mate David Coulthard, who finished fourth. Fisichella was left to console himself with a superbly driven second place. It was a dramatic race of fluctuating fortunes. It began 15 minutes late in torrential rain, with the pack filing along behind the safety car for the first eight laps before the serious business began. The race then turned into a demolition derby of epic proportions and it ended with most of the cars scattered in pieces across the circuit after a succession of incidents. The safety car was used four more times. The victims claimed by the treacherous track surface included the world champion Michael Schumacher's Ferrari F2002, Juan Pablo Montoya's Williams FW25, both Jaguar R4s of Antonio Pizzonia and the brilliant Mark Webber, and Jenson Button's BAR-Honda. The race was finally red-flagged after a massive collision on the start-finish straight which left Fernando Alonso with leg injuries after he collided with debris from Webber's Jaguar, which had slammed into the barrier a few moments earlier. Fisichella had by that point nipped ahead of Raikkonen, but his hopes were cruelly dashed only minutes after he took the chequered flag when the win was awarded to the Finn instead. He was a victim of the rule stating that the race order at the end of the previous lap is the one that counts if the race is terminated prematurely. Rubens Barrichello in his Ferrari was desperate to add his name to the revered list of Brazilian drivers who have won in front of their delighted home crowd. Having started from pole position, he brought the bedraggled fans to their feet as he forced his way into the lead ahead of Coulthard with 46 laps completed. Only two laps later he rolled to a halt with mechanical problems, however, rounding off a dismal day for Ferrari, who had earlier watched as Schumacher crashed out from third place. After dry qualifying on Saturday the weather turned cool and overcast on race morning and with three hours to go the heavens opened. Within an hour deep puddles had built up at key corners around the 4.31km (2.7 miles) circuit. This posed a potentially serious problem for the Michelin runners, including McLaren, Williams and Jaguar. Their choice of designated rain tyre was closer to a deep-grooved "full wet" than the relatively lightly grooved Bridgestone intermediate. This meant that any running behind the safety car would effectively negate the Michelin runners' advantage when the track was at its wettest. And when the conditions eased, the Bridgestone intermediates could be expected to survive longer on a drying surface, handing its users a decisive advantage. After the first safety car departed Barrichello's Ferrari pushed on into the lead from pole, ahead of Coulthard. But at the end of the ninth lap the Scot surged through into the lead, going into the tight left-hander after the pits with Raikkonen following him through into second. For a few absorbing moments the two McLarens jousted wheel to wheel, then Raikkonen was through and away into the lead ahead of Coulthard, with Montoya's Williams-BMW moving up to second on lap 11. Coulthard quickly got back ahead of Montoya, but then the safety car was deployed again at the start of lap 19 after the Briton Ralph Firman's Jordan-Ford suffered a left front suspension breakage and skated into the back of Olivier Panis's Toyota. It was a terrifying moment for Firman in only his third grand prix as the Jordan's flailing front wheel came ominously close to his cockpit as it pirouetted to a halt at trackside. With debris all over the circuit it was necessary to slow the field, but after a restart on lap 23 the race lasted only another four laps before Schumacher's Ferrari spun off, almost colliding with the Brazilian novice Pizzonia's Jaguar, which had fallen foul of the slippery surface a couple of laps earlier. This time the safety car came in at the end of lap 29 only to be deployed for a fourth time on lap 33 after Button, running fifth in his BAR, lost control in cornering and made contact with the barrier. The British rookie Justin Wilson, who had already spun his Minardi there, described the corner in bemused terms: "There was a river of water running down on to the track from the bank alongside it - and it changed every lap.".......GUARDIAN

Speculation about Beckham's future has intensified in recent weeks with the England captain being linked with United's Champions League opponents Real Madrid. But Ferguson ruled out any possibility of Beckham being sold as part of a rebuilding process at Old Trafford in the summer. "It is totally out of the question. There is no way we would sell him - or any of our best players," said Ferguson. Beckham has reportedly been targeted by several top European clubs since he was hit by a football boot kicked by Ferguson after the FA Cup defeat against Arsenal at Old Trafford. The link with Real arose after the club's managing director Jorge Valdano was quoted as saying: "Beckham looks like the next big project for us." United face Real in the Champions League quarter-final first leg at the Bernabeu on Tuesday. And Valdano has insisted the Spanish giants are not interested in entering into a bidding war with Inter Milan for Beckham. "I don't know if Inter really want Beckham," Valdano told The Sun newspaper. "As far as we are concerned, Inter have the green light for Beckham because we are not going to enter any auction.".......BBC

A bogey and a double-bogey in his last three stopped the unheralded Briton John Morgan from entering the clubhouse as joint leader of the BellSouth Classic here. The 25-year-old from Portishead confounded the form book by charging to the top of the leaderboard alongside Chris DiMarco after 14 holes. Morgan fired an eagle and three birdies in covering his opening nine holes in 31, but, having started at the 10th, he had a five at his 16th hole (the seventh) and a six at his last (the ninth) to slip off the pace with a three-under-par 69. DiMarco held his form to be the leader in the clubhouse with a 67, putting him one ahead of a group including the defending champion, Retief Goosen. Morgan, the son of a Bristol docker, turned professional two years ago this month and in earning his 2003 European Tour Card became the first rookie to earn cards on both the PGA and European Tours in the same season. Starting his round on the back nine, where scoring appeared easier, was an advantage for Morgan. He matched par at the 608-yard 10th and went one better on the 11th, considered the most treacherous par three on the course as the drive is entirely over water. A birdie there put him two shots off the lead. Morgan's dream start rolled on with an eagle two on the 13th, par golf over the next four holes and a birdie at the 18th which saw him complete the first nine in just 31. Ireland's Padraig Harrington, who had finished first and second in his last two strokeplay events on the American tour, made a good start but dropped shots on either side of the turn and his round taled off in a 74. Scotland's Paul Lawrie, the 1999 Open champion, went to the turn in 35, moved to two under with a birdie at the 10th only to bogey the next hole. He finished on level par 72. The Hemel Hempstead-born Luke Donald had four birdies in his first nine holes, but his final five holes were nothing if not entertaining as a double-bogey at his 14th was followed by birdie, bogey, birdie, bogey. He finished with a 72.........INDEPENDENT

Rooney inspired England to victory with a stunning individual display as goals from Darius Vassell and David Beckham sealed the triumph. Eriksson revealed that he had left it late to tell Rooney he would be playing, and hinted the Everton striker would hold on to his starting place for the next match. "Wayne only knew about it at about four o'clock. To be fair to him he said 'okay' - it was a very good reaction," Eriksson said. He's a great talent, we knew that before. But now we know he's ready for the big matches. "I can't see any reason why I should leave him out if he plays like that. "But all the players played well. It was an extremely good effort all round and these are three very good points," he added. Eriksson was delighted with the way his side adapted to a slight change in formation and admitted that defeat would have almost certainly handed the group to the Turks. "We controlled the midfield and made life very difficult for them. We also defended very well - you have to against Turkey. "It was a very important game for us. If Turkey had won they would have more or less won the group. "I think it was a small surprise for them that we played as well as we did," Eriksson added. England captain David Beckham said he thought Eriksson's side had silenced their critics by gaining the victory. "We showed passion. The 'no-hopers' did well in the end," he said. "We deserved the win. We worked hard, battled hard and there was definitely a lot of passion from everyone out there. The best team won in the end. "It's a great night for English football and for the young players who've come into the team. "We put in a professional performance on Saturday and a magnificent one here."......BBC

One of the themes from my U.S. Open story in this week's Sports Illustrated was Ernie Els' perplexing fragility, and after Sunday at Troon you gotta wonder if he's suffered some kind of irreversible brain damage. In the last seven years Els has won just one major and lost about a dozen of 'em. The amount of scar tissue is incalculable. He's one signature self-immolation away from being certified as the Greg Norman of his generation, though that whiffed birdie putt on the 72nd hole on Troon will linger for a long time. For a while Els could blame Tiger Woods' transcendence for his futility in the majors, but Easy's victory at the '02 Open Championship began Woods's lull. (Even that win featured a near-disaster, as Els double-bogeyed the 70th hole to blow the lead and managed to prevail in a playoff largely due to the kindness of others.) The last two years should have belonged to Els, but if anything he's regressed. Els hit it all over the lot on Sunday, but holed a mile of putts to hang in there. Even so, it's not his swing that so consistently lets him down, it's "the head", as they say in Britain. Every time I see Els at the majors I'm struck by how he is endlessly shadowed by Jos Vanstiphout, the failed Belgian pop singer who has become a self-styled "mental coach." Jos falls somewhere between snake charmer and shaman, and for Els to be leaning ever more heavily on this crutch really makes me wonder. The two men playing the best golf in the majors right now are Phil Mickelson and Retief Goosen, and neither uses a sports psychologist. Nor does Woods. Grand Slam Sundays are played largely between the ears. Having lost three straight majors, Els needs to seriously sort out what's going on in his head....CNN