Football - David Beckham to captain Los Angeles Galaxy
David Beckham will wear the Los Angeles Galaxy captain’s armband this weekend for the first time in three years. Coach Bruce Arena decided Beckham will be captain for today’s Major League Soccer game at Real Salt Lake. The former England captain took over as L.A. skipper when he joined the team in 2007 but last captained the Galaxy on Oct. 26, 2008. The armband was given to Landon Donovan the following year. “Bruce has asked me to wear it, and I’ll be proud to wear it,” Beckham said. “It doesn’t change the way I play. It’s something you’re very proud to wear, but you need more that that one leader on the field.” Donovan will miss the game to be with the US national team for its friendly against Argentina in East Rutherford, N.J.
Football - South Korea beats Honduras 4-0 in friendly
Two goals in each half gave South Korea a convincing 4-0 victory over Honduras in a friendly at Seoul World Cup Stadium on Friday. Playing without Park Ji-sung and Lee Young-pyo, who retired from international football in January after the Asian Cup, Korea controlled the match against its fellow 2010 World Cup team. Defender Lee Jung-soo, who scored twice in South Africa, started the rout after 28 minutes, sweeping in a corner at the far post. Kim Jung-woo added a second just before the break on a counterattack. Striker Park Chu-young headed in a Ji Dong-won cross into the bottom corner for 3-0, and in injury time substitute striker Lee Keun-ho headed home a corner. Honduras travels to China for another friendly on Tuesday, when South Korea will play its Olympic team after the scheduled friendly with Montenegro was cancelled.
Football - Brandao joins Brazilian club Cruzeiro on loan
Marseille striker Brandao, who is facing accusations of rape, has been loaned to Brazilian club Cruzeiro until the end of the year. An investigating judge filed preliminary charges of rape against Brandao this month then released him from custody pending further investigation. Brandao has been authorised to leave France but will be required to attend judicial hearings. After a few days in Brazil, Brandao returned to Marseille this week to meet with club president Jean-Claude Dassier and coach Didier Deschamps. “He obviously told me that he will obey the summons issued by the judge,” Dassier said on Friday. “He looked very serene and confident regarding the outcome of the investigation.” A 23-year-old woman alleged she was raped on 2 March after she and Brandao returned from a nightclub. Brandao denied the accusation, saying they had consensual sex.
Cycling - Dumoulin wins 5th Volta stage
French rider Samuel Dumoulin won the fifth stage of the Volta of Catalunya yesterday, while overall leader Alberto Contador crept closer to a victory on debut. Dumoulin, riding for Cofidis, finished the 206-kilometre ride from El Vendrell to Tarragona in 4 hours, 49 minutes, 31 seconds. Contador, of SaxoBank, finished out of the top 10, but kept the leader’s jersey. He remained 23 seconds ahead of American rider Levi Leipheimer and Italy’s Michele Scarponi.
Cycling - Bobridge wins
individual pursuit title, second gold
Jack Bobridge stormed to victory in the individual pursuit for his second title of the track cycling world championships on Thursday night, a day after he led the Australia pursuit team to gold. The pursuit prodigy added the individual world title to the world record he shattered in Sydney last month, beating Jesse Sergent of New Zealand in the final of the 4-kilometre race in 4 minutes, 21.141 seconds. “It’s overwhelming really,” Bobridge said. “To come here after taking that world record the question was then whether I was going to be able to hang onto that form right through to the worlds and ... I think I’ve managed it quite well.” Michael Hepburn was third, beating Rohan Dennis in a head-to-head race between two more members of the gold medal-winning pursuit team. The individual pursuit is not an Olympic event, but on the evidence of the last two nights, Australia’s pursuit team will be favorite to take gold in London next year. Earlier, Britain won the women’s team pursuit by overpowering world record-holder the United States in the final.
Cricket - New Zealand stun South Africa to reach WCup semis
New Zealand produced an inspired fielding and bowling performance to extend South Africa’s horror run in World Cup knockout matches with a 49-run upset win in yesterday’s quarterfinal. South Africa appeared to be coasting at 108-2 in the 24th over after restricting New Zealand to 221 for eight, but crumbled to 172 all out. The “chokers” tag they had been so keen to banish at this tournament will continue to haunt them. The turning point came when Jacob Oram took an athletic catch on the boundary to dismiss Jacques Kallis on 47, and the rot set in for South Africa. Oram also took four wickets in a key performance.
Swimming - Bernard to miss 100 freestyle at worlds
Olympic champion Alain Bernard won’t swim the 100 freestyle at the world championships this summer after failing to qualify at the French trials. Bernard finished fourth in the final of the sprint race won by Fabien Gilot in 48.34 seconds at the French championships yesterday. William Meynard was second in 48.57 to qualify with Gilot. Yannick Agnel was third. The world championships are scheduled for July in Shanghai, China.
Yesterday’s results
BOV League Div III: Mdina-Swieqi U 4-1; Siggiewi-St Venera 2-1