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Muktijoddha 2 Farashganj 0
   Muktijoddha Sangsad KC stamped their superiority over Farashganj SC with a 2-0 victory in the Premier Bank Premier Division Football League at the Bangabandhu National Stadium on Friday.
   The two Nigerian recruits – Jeremiah and Paul Anukuchu – scored the goals for the red outfit.
   Farashganj, who started the match with the same 13 points from seven games as Muktijoddha, tasted their second consecutive defeat which indicates their loss of form. In the earlier match, Mohammedans defeated Farashganj by a solitary goal.
   The opening minutes belonged to Farashganj as they rattled their opponents’ defence with their two Nigerian attackers, Felex and Adafa, tormenting from the flanks.
   Adafa’s powerful grounder whizzed past the side post in the 4th minute.
   Rajani cleared a cross from Palash to deny Felix who was standing alone in the six-yard box.
   Jeremiah dashed down the left flank in the 21st minute and found Farashganj keeper Piru alone but shot wide. Taking the ball from the goal-kick Palash ran down the right flank and unleashed a cracker which was fisted by Aminul and came back into the field after hitting the crosspiece.
   Both the teams exchanged attacks and counter-attacks in the 28th and 30th minutes with Paul again finding Piru alone but repeating the same mistake while Farashganj midfielder Kabir saw his long range drive punched away by Aminul for a corner.
   Jeremiah, after a dull time, at last showed his skill curving a free-kick to put his team ahead five minutes into the second-half.
   Titu was fouled by a Farashganj defender just outside the box and Jeremiah produced a rare feat in Dhaka football with a free-kick goal.
   Paul Anukuchu and substitute midfielder Pappu’s first time efforts were stopped by Piru on the 64th and 67th minutes but both players blasted the ball over the bar in their second attempts.
   Paul finally made amends for his early failures in the 74th minute as he tucked the ball into the net from a Jeremiah centre.
   Defender Khaled rocked the Muktijoddha crosspiece on the 76th minute from the top of the box and in the penultimate minute Felix saw his grounder well-grabbed by a diving Aminul.

London 2012 will have only 26 sports instead of 28 after softball and baseball were thrown out of the Olympics by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) here on Friday and no new sports were chosen to replace them.
   The expulsion, decided by the IOC rank and file during a secret vote on all 28 sports that make up the Olympic programme, allowed two new sports to come in but the members opposed replacing them.
   The attempt to replace softball and baseball with squash and karate ended in controversy when the IOC rank and file firmly said 'NO'
   Altogether five sports were vying for the two spots - golf, roller sports, rugby sevens, squash and karate.
   But although the IOC members decided that squash and karate would be the best two to be in the Olympics they refused to give them the two-thirds majority to make it possible.
   Softball federation president Don Porter was stunned by the decision.
   Three years ago at the Mexico City Session, IOC president Jacques Rogge attempted to have baseball, softball and modern pentathlon cut from the Olympics but the plan was firmly rejected by the IOC members.
   'It's payback for Mexico City. They wanted us out then. It has taken them three years and they got us,' said Porter.
   'We thought that we had a lot of support,' he said. 'The members told us we were getting support, but obviously we weren't.
   'I don't want to say it's an anti-US thing, but they are two native American sports,' he added.
   Aldo Notari, the Italian president of the international baseball federation, admitted the absence of the top players in the Olympics was to blame for the vote.
   'One is not happy when one is in this situation. The problem with baseball is the best players are not going to the Olympics Games. But baseball is still in Beijing and it is still necessary to work for the future in 2016.'
   The expulsion will cost the two sports millions of dollars.
   All Olympic sports share the television revenue generated by the Games. After the Athens Games softball and baseball received an estimated seven million dollars each.
   ASOIF-the body representing the summer Games sports-had bitterly fought Rogge's plan to change the Olympic programme.
   'You don't change a winning team,' said ASOIF president and IOC member Denis Oswald. 'Once you take one piece out to put another piece in, you don't know what the consequences will be.'
   But his plea was rejected by the IOC members.
   'Needless to say, these sports are very, very disappointed,' said Rogge.
   'However, I have to emphasise the fact that they should not fear this purge. The fact is that they shall not be included in the programme of the 2012 Olympic Games, but it does not disqualify them forever as Olympic sports.'
   'I would like to invite the leaders of these sports that will not be included in the programme to make their very best efforts during the coming years so as to be able to convince the session that they deserve to come back to the Olympic Games in 2016. We shall support them in their efforts.'
   The last time a sport was removed from the Olympics was polo in 1936.

George Kottan enjoyed a reunion with his former national players as well as a 2-0 victory over high-flying Farashganj Sporting Club at the Bangabandhu National Stadium on Friday.
   The new coach of Muktijoddha Sangsad KC, who in his words ‘will take over the full responsibilities from tomorrow’, closely observed his team’s game and was a delighted man when national players Motiur Munna and custodian
   Biplob, who were the members of Kottan’s SAFF football title-winning team, and others greeted him just after the match ended.
   Kottan’s appraisal of his team was very much evident as he introduced Iqbal, the defensive midfielder as the sweeper and allowed Rajani full freedom to roam.
   The tactics worked with Rajani playing his best game in the league.
   ‘Rajani is the best fighter in my team, if I cut down his role then the team will suffer, it was the weakness of the team before my arrival,’ said Kottan.
   Kottan admitted that he did not select the playing eleven as he did not see any match. Assistant coach Atiq picked the starting line-up and watched over the proceedings.
   ‘I know most of the players as they were under my tutelage before apart from the two foreigners, Jeremiah and Paul Anukuchu.
   ‘I have to introduce my system which will be completely different from what Muktijoddha are now playing,’ said Kottan, who seemed to be satisfied with his charges.
   Explaining the conditions of his players Kottan said they seemed to be a little bit nervous as they failed to cope with the pressure.
   My duty will be to help them get back their confidence.
   Kottan was reluctant to admit that Farashganj created more chances against his team.
   ‘My players also wasted a good number of chances and I will bring some changes to wipe out the flaws, I hope that Muktijoddha will be a changed team very soon.’
   The players also hailed the arrival of Kottan. ‘He has lifted the team spirit with his presence, the players are now ready to give their best under him,’ said Aminul, the skipper of Muktijoddha.

Bangladesh Football Federation is ready to discuss the issue of releasing Bangabandhu National Stadium for a tri-nation cricket tournament, scheduled for November this year, involving Zimbabwe and Kenya.
   Officials of the Bangladesh Cricket Board have already expressed their desire to stage the tournament at the premier venue of the country, though they are yet to start any formal talks with the BFF.
   ‘It depends on whether there is any national interest involved with the holding of the tournament. If there is any such thing we have no problem to discuss the issue with the BCB. We all must act in the national interest,’ BFF president SA Sultan told New Age when asked to comment on the issue.
   Though the BFF president believes it would be very tough for them to accommodate another game at the stadium in the said period as they too have a busy season ahead of them.
   ‘We have a few competitions in the coming days. Moreover, we are also taking preparations for an international tournament early next year. So I don’t know how we will be able to help cricket,’ said the football boss.
   BCB president Ali Asghar said they will start negotiations for the venue once they get the confirmation of the tournament, mainly from Zimbabwe.
   Zimbabwe are scheduled tour New Zealand for a full-fledged Test and one-day series in November. However, the New Zealand government recently said that they would not welcome a cricket team from a country where there is no human rights at the moment.
   ‘We are not yet sure when we will get the Zimbabwe team here. Once we get their consent we will ask the government to give us the BNS,’ said the BCB president.
   Cricket left the most coveted venue of the country last March following a government decision to earmark it for football permanently.
   The BFF destroyed all the five cricket pitches located at the centre of the ground in the very first morning they got the possession of the stadium.

July Marcus Trescothick’s first one-day international hundred against Australia guided England to a nine-wicket win at Headingley here Thursday.
   Chasing 220 to win, England saw left-handed opener Trescothick erase some of the damage done by previous low scores against the world champions with an unbeaten 104, his tenth century at this level.
   England captain Michael Vaughan, looking in his best form of the season, was 59 not out as his side won with four overs to spare.
   Trescothick shared stands of 101 with Andrew Strauss and 120 with Vaughan, who finished the match with a pulled four off fast bowler Brett Lee.
   Somerset left-hander Trescothick faced 134 balls with one six and eight fours with Vaughan striking seven fours in his 65 balls.
   Australia paceman Jason Gillespie saw his 10 overs go for an expensive 66 runs.
   Earlier medium-pacer Paul Collingwood, who last month against Bangladesh became the first England bowler to take six wickets in a one-day international, finished with four for 34 as Australia were held to 219 for seven.
   Left-hander Michael Hussey’s unbeaten 46 off 52 balls gave Australia hope. Together with Brett Lee (15 not out) he put on 51 in 31 balls.
   But the result of this first of three-game series owed much to the decision of Vaughan, on his Yorkshire home ground, to field first after winning the toss.
   Australia’s innings began under dark clouds at a ground known for assisting swing and cut, which their quicks would have relished.
   England’s openers, by contrast, started their reply under batsman-friendly blue skies.
   By that stage paceman Simon Jones had become the first player to be substituted under the International Cricket Council’s 10-month trial rules for one-day internationals when, after bowling 10 overs for 28 runs, he was replaced by batsman Vikram Solanki.
   England saw both their left-handed openers enjoy lucky breaks.
   Strauss, on one, tried to force a cut off Glenn McGrath saw diving wicket-keeper Adam Gilchrist drop the low left-handed chance.
   And next delivery Trescothick, on five, was caught at third man by McGrath off a no-ball from fast bowler Lee.
   Trescothick though found his touch, cutting and flicking Gillespie for two fours in as many balls. But Australia ‘supersub’ and left-arm wrist spinner Brad Hogg needed just three balls to break a partnership worth 101 and so become the first replacement to take a wicket.
   On for Matthew Hayden Hayden, Hogg had Strauss caught behind for 41 off a reverse sweep. England were now 101 for one in the 25th over.

A source close to the discussions between the West Indies Players’ Association (WIPA) and the West Indies board (WICB) has told Cricinfo that approaches by the ICC to mediate in the dispute were rebuffed on at least three occasions by the board.
   The source said that WIPA had raised the possibility
   of an ICC intervention with Richard Bevan and Tim May of FICA, the international players union, and Bevan then spoke to the ICC.
   It seems that Malcolm Speed, the ICC’s chief executive, then had conversations with senior WICB officials and offered to set up a three-man panel of independent figures selected by the ICC and FICA in a bid to find a solution.
   The WICB are reported to have declined the offer.

South Africa will rely on a steady diet of one-day cricket to prepare for their back-to-back Test series against Australia next season.
   South Africa’s tour schedule released by Cricket South Africa (CSA) on Thursday features five one-day internationals and a 20-over match at home against New Zealand in October and November.
   The team will then travel to India for a series of five one-day internationals.
   South Africa’s tour to Australia starts on December 11 and will feature three Tests as well as a triangular one-day series also involving Sri Lanka.
   Graeme Smith’s side will then come home in February to face Australia in three Tests, five one-dayers and a 20-over match.
   New Zealand will return in April to play three Tests in a season that is scheduled to stretch into the wintry days of May.

Ricky Ponting suggested the toss had all but decided the first one-dayer between England and Australia at Headingley on Thursday.
   Asked about the significance of the toss after his side had slumped to a nine-wicket defeat, the Australia captain said: ‘It would have been a nice one to win.
   ‘You know coming here to Headingley that if there’s a lot of cloud cover there’s going to be some movement (of the ball) on offer,’ Ponting told a news conference.
   ‘They were definitely contrasting conditions. It seemed like Headingley under the clouds for the first innings, then like Adelaide in the second.’
   The world champions were restricted to 219 for seven after being put in to bat. Marcus Trescothick then scored a century as the England team reached the target with four overs to spare.
   The Yorkshire venue was shrouded in cloud for the morning before the sun broke through in the second innings.
   Ponting said he was happy with his team’s total although ‘conditions changed dramatically.
   ‘It was incredibly hard batting in the morning, with the ball going all over the shop.’
   Ponting was unhappy with Jason Gillespie’s form, the paceman conceded 66 runs off 10 overs on Thursday, and said he would talk to him before deciding whether to rest him.
   ‘He’s a guy we have been able to rely on, with his line and length. I don’t know if it’s about his technique or about confidence.’
   Winning captain Michael Vaughan, who made 59 not out and put on 120 for the second wicket with Trescothick, said: ‘I think the toss was quite important.
   ‘The wicket probably calmed down but you still have to go out and get the runs.’
   ‘It’s great to play here, you always get good support,’ he said.
   ‘We played a good game, it was a good toss to win but we bowled well and restricted them to a total we knew we had a good chance of chasing.
   ‘Marcus and Straussy got us off to a fantastic start and made my job easier. I’m delighted for Tres, it could be the start of something special for him.’
   Vaughan was pleased to silence his critics with an elegant unbeaten 59 from 65 balls.
   ‘It’s always nice to get a few but it’s important the team got off to a good start and we have done,’ he said.
   ‘We must go to Lord’s and do a similar thing and make sure we go 2-0 up on Sunday.’
   Marcus Trescothick was typically modest after recording his 10th one-day century, his first against Australia.
   ‘The sun came out and completely changed the wicket, it gave us an opportunity to make some good runs on there,’ he said.
   He insisted he had made no dramatic changes to his technique, despite observers criticising his lack of footwork.
   ‘I’ve just been working hard for the last couple of weeks,’ he said.
   ‘With this much rain we haven’t played on too many great wickets and it’s been difficult to arrange great practice facilities.’
   Australia and England will meet again at Lord’s on Sunday, with the third and final match being staged at The Oval on Tuesday before the teams go into a five-test Ashes series.
   England have recorded three wins against Australia since the tourists arrived, in two one-dayers and a Twenty20 match, while Australia have won once.
   The teams tied a triangular series final at Lord’s on Saturday.

Wimbledon champion Venus Williams faces a tough weekend when she takes on Fed Cup champions Russia for a place in this season’s finals.
   World number one Lindsay Davenport has pulled out of the semi-final because of a back injury, leaving Mashona Washington as the No 2 American singles player.
   Williams, who has 12-1 win-loss record in the Fed Cup, faces last year’s French Open winner Anastasia Myskina and Elena Dementieva, who played in two Grand Slam finals last season.
   She suffered her only Fed Cup defeat at the hands of Dementieva in the last match between the teams in the 1999 final which the United States won 4-1.
   Russia are looking for their first win in five matches.
   The nearest Russia came to victory was in the 1990 final, a tie which involved both US captain Zina Garrison and Larisa Neiland, one of the Russian coaches.
   Myskina and Williams will open the semi-final tie on the red clay courts of Moscow’s Olympic indoor stadium today.
   The match between Dementieva and Washington will complete the opening day’s schedule. Sunday’s reverse singles and doubles will decide the winners.

The terror attacks in London won’t affect the British Open.
   Golf’s third major tournament of the year is scheduled to start as planned next Thursday at St. Andrews despite four explosions that tore through London during Thursday’s morning rush hour.
   ‘Normal security measures are in place and anything above that will be taken on the advice of the Fife Constabulary,’ the Royal and Ancient Club said in a statement.
   Hunter Mahan, the first-round leader at the John Deere Classic in Illinois who is still trying to qualify for the British Open, said Thursday’s attacks in London wouldn’t keep him from playing in the major. Though it might influence his travel plans.
   ‘The tournament’s in Scotland, so I’d probably have to go through there,’ he said. I’d probably try to fly through Glasgow. That’s a crazy thing that happened.’
   Australian Mark Hensby already planned to fly through Glasgow and won’t give a second thought to playing in the British Open.
   ‘If it’s going to happen, it’s going to happen,’ he said.
   Four years ago, the Sept. 11 terror attacks in the United States forced the cancellation of the Ryder Cup, which had been scheduled to start in England just weeks later. The biennial tournament was instead played the next year.
   Thursday’s attacks left at least 37 people dead and hundreds wounded, but didn’t deter most sports events in Britain from proceeding as usual.
   However, an Olympic celebration was called off, as was horse racing at Epsom and functions by a few Premier League soccer teams.
   The Scottish Open golf tournament at Loch Lomond in Luss continued without interruption and a one-day cricket
   match between England and Australia in Leeds started just hours after four explosions hit the capital.
   ‘I’m sorry and empathetic for what happened,’ golfer Phil Mickelson said.
   The British Grand Prix also will go ahead as planned. Practice for the auto race is Friday, with qualifying on Saturday and the race Sunday. The British GP has been run every year since Formula One started in 1950.
   ‘Silverstone has a well-established set of security measures in place that have been agreed and planned in detail with police and other agencies,’ race organizers said. ‘Silverstone is confident that these measures are adequate to ensure the safety of all attending.’
   Celebrations were scrapped for London’s winning 2012 Olympic bid.
   ‘It would be completely inappropriate in view of this appalling tragedy,’ Olympics Minister Tessa Jowell said.
   The evening horse race at Epsom was abandoned hours after officials had promised the schedule would proceed as usual. Course clerk Andrew Cooper cited the ‘escalating situation in London.’
   ‘We feel it would be inappropriate for us to race,’ Cooper said.
   English Premier League champion Chelsea did not introduce a new player acquisition and canceled a news conference with manager Jose Mourinho, and Arsenal called off a ceremony for its new stadium.
   After the sixth inning of the Mets-Nationals game at RFK Stadium on Thursday afternoon, there was a moment of silence for the victims of today’s attacks in London.
   Nationals spokesman John Dever said the team had been in contact with Major League Baseball security and local law enforcement officials before the game to discuss tightening security.
   ‘We increased some of the security measures here today, but I can’t discuss specifics,’ Dever said.

France are overwhelming favourites to reach their third successive Fed Cup final when they take on Spain in Aix-en-Provence this weekend.
   Having beaten Spain 5-0 in last year’s semi-final, as well as in the quarter-final the previous year, they are expected to stroll into a final against Russia or the United States.
   With a rejuvenated Mary Pierce, runner-up at the French Open last month, and Wimbledon semi-finalist Amelie Mauresmo leading the charge they should outclass a steady, but unspectacular, Spanish team.
   ‘We will be the favourites since we beat them twice in our last two ties,’ said team captain George Goven, who took over from Guy Forget after last year’s defeat to Russia in the final.
   France, with Mauresmo and Pierce in the side, beat the United States in Moscow in 2003 to clinch their second title.
   ‘We must not forget we are number one in the ITF teams standings. The girls know they start as favourites,’ he added.
   ‘They are ready to deal with the situation.’
   France will be without Virginie Razzano, who pulled out with an ankle injury and has been replaced by Severine Beltrame. Even the court surface should favour the French, who opted to play on a hard court rather than clay, which would have favoured the Spanish.
   ‘If our players play at their usual level, we should go through,’ said Goven.
   Anabel Medina Garrigues and Nuria Llagostera will lead Spain’s challenge.
   Medina, 22, is Spain’s form player with a singles ranking of 33 and doubles ranking of 19. She has faced France twice before in the Fed Cup, losing both her singles matches last year.
   However she did manage a doubles victory in 2003 when she partnered Virginia Ruano Pascual, although the tie ended in a 4-1 defeat.
   The 25-year-old Llagostera, who ranked 39, comes into the match on a high after winning a gold medal in the doubles at the Mediterranean Games last week.
   Medina and Llagostera teamed up to win the final doubles rubber against Argentina in April’s closely-fought quarter-final which Spain win 3-2.

Chilean seventh seed Nicolas Massu reached his first quarter-final of the year on Thursday with a second-round Swiss Open win over Czech Jan Hernych.
   Massu, who underwent a hernia operation at the end of 2004 before missing three months of this season with rib and foot injuries, needed two hours and 17 minutes to see off Hernych 7-5, 2-6, 6-4.
   ‘It’s been a really tough year for me,’ said Massu. ‘This is the first time I’ve reached a quarter-final all year, so I’ll just be doing my best to win again tomorrow.
   ‘For the last three years, I’ve been used to making a lot of quarter-finals so this is quite a new situation for me.’
   Playing through steady drizzle in Gstaad, the 25-year-old double Olympic champion relied on a string of powerful strokes from the baseline to eventually get the better of his opponent.
   ‘It was difficult because the court was so slippery today, but obviously the organisers are doing their best to get the tournament completed,’ Massu said.
   Seeking his first tournament victory since clinching the Olympic singles and doubles titles in Athens last August, the Chilean will now face Luis Horna in the last eight.
   The Peruvian world number 53 booked his own place in the quarter-finals with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Italy’s Alessio Di Mauro.
   Local favourite Stanislas Wawrinka also made it through to the quarters after completing a thrilling 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 win over Spain’s Fernando Verdasco.
   Carrying Swiss hopes at the tournament in the absence of world number one Roger Federer, the 20-year-old from Lausanne came back from 5-1 down in the final set tiebreak and successfully defended three match points before wrapping up his victory.
   The Swiss number two, a former junior French Open winner who shares fitness trainer Pierre Paganini with Federer, will now fancy his chances against Czech qualifier Frantisek Cermak.
   Ranked 413th in the world, Cermak pulled off the biggest upset of the day with a 6-7, 6-4, 6-4 win over compatriot and third seed Radek Stepanek.
   Stepanek’s early departure means that Massu and former French Open champion Gaston Gaudio are the only remaining seeds left in contention.

Italy’s Lorenzo Bernucci steered clear of a pile-up on the final bend to win a rain-soaked sixth stage of the Tour de France on Thursday.
   The stage looked set for a mass sprint finish after the 199-km run from Troyes, only for riders to start skidding out of contention in a treacherous final kilometre in Nancy.
   France’s Christophe Mengin, who had led for more than 160 km and was bidding to win his second Tour stage in his home town, was the first to crash into a barrier near the finish line.
   The front of the chasing peloton then piled up in turn, a crash which involved the Tour’s best sprinters — Belgian Tom Boonen and Australian Robbie McEwen.
   Six-times Tour champion Lance Armstrong avoided the crash. The American will take his overall leader’s yellow jersey to Germany in Friday’s seventh stage, which ends in Karslruhe.
   ‘We were all very nervous with the rain and the turns and the crashes at the finish,’ said Armstrong, who added that team manager Johan Bruyneel had warned him and his team mates of the dangers ahead.
   Bernucci, 25, took advantage of the confusion to finish on his own, with a three-second lead over Kazakh Alexander Vinokourov. Germany’s Robert Foerster was third, seven seconds behind.
   It was Bernucci’s first success since his professional debut three years ago.
   ‘It’s my first victory, I’m very happy. I did not expect it,’ said the Fassa Bortolo rider.
   ‘When I reached the finish line, I realised there was nobody else and the victory was mine. When I saw the others fall, I gave it my all.’
   Second place moved Vinokourov, who came third in the Tour two years ago, into second place overall, 53 seconds behind Armstrong, who finished in the main bunch in the same time as Foerster.
   As in previous days, a small group of riders tried their luck to avoid another mass sprint at the finish.
   This time, they were Dutchman Karsten Kroon, France’s Mengin and Stephane Auge, Estonian Jaan Kirsipuu and Italian Mauro Gerosa, who broke clear of the main bunch after 38 kilometres.
   In heavy rain over eastern France, the five took a lead of eight minutes and 20 seconds before the pack, led by the sprint specialist teams and Danish team CSC, launched the chase.
   While the main group caught four of the breakaways in the last of three climbs on the stage, Mengin, who lives in the Nancy region, launched his attack in the hope of finishing on his own and repeating his stage win in Freiburg in 1997.
   Just as he was about to be caught, the 37-year-old rider slipped at the last corner and was quickly joined by a dozen others.

Curtly Ambrose, the former West Indies fast bowler, has lashed out at West Indian players for demanding higher pay at a time when the team’s performance has been poor. The WICB and the Players Association have been at loggerheads over sponsorship and endorsement rights, which has led to the selectors picking a second-string squad for the upcoming SL tour.
   ‘If it is (not) all about money (so why are) you looking for a pay rise when you and not producing any results,’ Ambrose said on Observer Radio’s Voice of the People programme on Wednesday. ‘If I employ you to do a job, and you are forever coming up short, you can’t come to me with any argument that you want a pay rise. I mean, for what? On what grounds really?’
   WIPA has been demanding an appearance fee of US$150,000 for the SL tour, but the WICB said it could only offer US$50,000. Both parties have failed to resolve the dispute which has been going on for the past nine months and it has resulted in the exclusion of top players like Brian Lara, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Chris Gayle.
   Ambrose added: ‘We are getting licks for many years. We are last in the world ratings (among the top teams) because you can’t count Bangladesh. We can’t win a series. We can’t even draw a game.’

Top seed Rafael Nadal outgunned compatriot Alberto Martin 6-2, 6-4 on Thursday to set up an all-Spanish quarter-final with Juan Carlos Ferrero at the claycourt Swedish Open.
   The French Open champion, playing in his trademark sleeveless shirt, dominated the first set but had to work hard in the second where he fought off several break points at 4-3 and at 5-4 when serving for the match.
   ‘In the first set I played really well but I lost a little bit of my concentration in the second,’ said Nadal who is chasing his seventh title this season.
   ‘That happens sometimes, I start really well and then my level goes down a little. I’m happy because I’m through to the quarter-finals without dropping a set.’
   Nadal expects tougher opposition from Ferrero, the 2003 French Open champion, who beat Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, another Spaniard, 6-3, 6-4.
   ‘He’s one of the best in the world on clay so I hope to play my best tomorrow. I will have to be aggressive,’ said Nadal. Nadal has beaten Ferrero twice this year, in Valencia and in the Barcelona final where he beat him in straight sets.
   ‘Tomorrow for me against Nadal it’s going to be a lot of rallies,’ said Ferrero who last year finished out of the top 30 for the first time in five years.’

Michael Owen wants to move to Real Madrid’s biggest rivals Barcelona.
   The England striker is desperate to avoid another season warming the Bernabeu bench.
   Now his representatives have touted Owen to Barca boss Frank Rijkaard.
   The move to the Catalan club would make Owen an instant hate figure in Madrid.
   The former Liverpool ace, 25, reports for Real Madrid pre- season training on Friday knowing his future hangs in the balance.
   His first-team chances will be made even more limited than last year with the imminent arrival of Santos sensation Robinho, 21, to partner Brazilian pal Ronaldo up front.
   And Real will be happy to cash in on Owen if they can double their money after paying just £8million to grab him from Anfield last summer.
   The England hitman was given just 20 La Liga starts and used from the bench 16 times — despite scoring an impressive 13 goals for Real in his debut season in Spain.
   Owen knows he cannot afford to continue in a bit-part role in the build-up to the 2006 World Cup in Germany if he is to lead the England attack.
   Newcastle failed with a £16m bid to seize Owen because he prefers a move to one of the Premiership’s big three.
   But he has been forced to widen his search to include Real’s arch-rivals Barca with his options running out.
   Chelsea have closed the door on Owen by taking back Hernan Crespo from AC Milan, while Arsenal are closing in on Seville’s Julio Baptista.
   And Manchester United have given no indication to Owen’s agents or Real that they are ready to launch a bid.
   Rijkaard is chasing a new striker after being foiled in his bold attempt to tempt Arsenal into selling Thierry Henry.
   Now Owen is prepared to consider a highly-controversial switch to the Nou Camp.
   Barcelona won the title last season with superstar Ronaldinho playing a major role. And now the Brazilian’s agent has played down reports linking him with a world-record £54.5m move to Chelsea.
   The 25-year-old midfielder is believed to be unsettled at Barcelona following a boardroom row at the Nou Camp.
   But his agent and brother Roberto de Assis insists there has not been a bid from Chelsea.
   He said, ‘I do not know anything of this offer.
   ‘Nothing has arrived yet although in football you can never be surprised.’
   Ronaldinho is said to be unhappy at the departure of vice-president Sandro Rosell, who quit after a row with president Joan Laporta. Rosell formerly worked for Nike and played a key role in luring the Brazilian to Barcelona instead of Manchester United.
   Chelsea were impressed by Ronaldinho’s displays in La Liga last season and in the two ties against them in the Champions League.
   But Barca are desperate to keep hold of their prized asset and have even opened talks about a new deal with him.

Liverpool duo Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher have signed new four-year contracts with the European Cup winners.
   The future of Gerrard has been the subject of intense speculation this week after the England midfielder initially told Reds chief executive Rick Parry of his intention to quit Anfield.
   However, after performing a complete U-turn on that decision on Tuesday night, Gerrard has now committed his future to the club, as has Carragher, a major influence behind Liverpool's memorable Champions League triumph over AC Milan in Istanbul.
   The news will be greeted with delight by Liverpool fans, who regard the Merseyside-born duo as the heartbeat of their side.
   While Gerrard may still have some work to do to get the more sceptical fans behind him, his undoubted quality gives Rafael Benitez's men a better chance of ending their 15-year run without a league championship.
   With so many continental players arriving as Benitez's revolution takes hold, the pair's presence is vital in retaining a close link with the supporters. Carragher's enhanced status is likely to have seen him awarded a significant salary increase.
   It is anticipated both men will play in Liverpool's first friendly of their pre-season programme at Wrexham today and then be involved as they begin the defence of their European crown against Welsh minnows Total Network Solutions at Anfield next Wednesday. For Gerrard it is the end of a tumultuous seven days, which at one stage appeared certain to see him head for Chelsea.
   And while he admits there is some minor repair work to carry out on his relationship with Benitez, he is convinced staying with his hometown club is the right decision.
   'Our relationship is okay but I admit it could be better and that is something I am going to work on,' he told the Liverpool Daily Post.
   'I am sure we will sit down in the next few days for a chat.
   'I don't think he has seen the best of me. There were times last season when I wasn't happy with my performances. Things were on my mind. All the talk of bust-ups is nonsense. We have had a few heated discussions over the last five or six days but my respect for Rafa has not changed.
   'He is one of the best coaches in the world and I understand he rates me as a player.'

Brazil forward Ronaldinho is close to signing a lucrative contract which could keep him at FC Barcelona for the rest of his career, news agency Efe said Thursday.
   The contract would be for five years with an option for renewal each of the next four years, running to 2014 - when Ronaldinho would be 34.
   The deal was reportedly agreed Wednesday at a dinner between Ronaldinho’s agent, his brother Roberto de Assis, and Barcelona president Joan Laporta and vice president Ferran Soriano.
   The new contract only needs to be drawn up and should be signed in a matter of weeks, Efe said. According to the new agreement, Ronaldinho’s fixed annual salary would rise in increments to US$7.76 million in 2008, when his current contract expires, and then increase in line with inflation, sports daily Mundo Deportivo reported Thursday.
   The forward would also be paid a variable salary, which depends on the number of matches he plays and the trophies he wins, which would start at an annual US$4.78 million.
   He would also receive 5 per cent of the sum of his fixed and variable salaries as well as compensation for ceding Barcelona a third of the income from his image rights. The report came a day after Spanish radio station La Cope said Chelsea had agreed to financial terms with Ronaldinho and was planning to make Barcelona a record US$95.5 million offer. De Assis denied the story.
   Barcelona is trying to extend the contracts of key players who helped it win the Spanish league title for the first time in six years. It has also sought to improve the deals of its young prospects.
   Ronaldinho’s spectacular displays in his first season made him Barcelona’s major asset and gained him recognition as one of the world’s best players. The club responded by granting him a salary rise and set his buyout clause at US$179.1 million.

Real Madrid have made an improved offer to Santos for wing ace Robinho.
   Marca says Real have offered £17 million for the Brazil international and hopes that will be enough to convince Santos to sell as the relationship between the two clubs deteriorates.
   Robinho is also fed up with Santos’ behaviour and while stopping short of threatening to take the club to FIFA over their stand, the player’s agent, Juan Figer, admitted on Thursday, ‘There is now a big distance between the player and club. But he is still contracted to them.
   ‘It is a very difficult negotiation, due to the pressure surrounding the player from Spain and also Brazil. But it’s not impossible, despite the financial differences.’
   Robinho, angry with his club Santos after they turned down an offer from Real Madrid, continued to boycott training with the Brazilian champions on Thursday.
   Meanwhile, Real Madrid coach Wanderley Luxemburgo is confident Brazil star Robinho will be a Madrid player next week.
   ‘I think he’s going to come. The move could be completed in the next few days,’ he said after his squad returned for pre-season training on Friday.
   Santos striker Robinho claims that Real Madrid have offered his club 25 million dollars and cannot understand why the offer has not been accepted.
   The 21-year-old wants to move to Madrid and said on Monday, ‘I didn’t expect such a fuss when I got a concrete offer to leave Brazil. At the moment I’m not in the right frame of mind to play in Brazil.’

Frank Lampard, John Terry, Ricardo Carvalho and Wayne Bridge all expect to be ready for the new season when Chelsea defend their English Premiership title.
   The Blues begin their pre-season campaign at Wycombe next week, before meeting Benfica ahead of a three-game tour to the United States.
   Skipper Terry hopes to be able to lead his side against Wycombe Wanderers following surgery on his foot.
   The England centre-half, 24, had an operation during May, which saw him sit out the final two matches of the Premiership campaign.
   'There is a little bit of scar tissue which needs to be broken down, but the masseurs are going to do that and I am ready to go,' said Terry.
   Midfielder Lampard (foot) and Ricardo Carvalho (shoulder) also went under the surgeon's knife during the close season, and both are progressing well.
   'I have had no problems with it for the past month,' said Lampard, who had a cyst removed from between two of his toes which had continually flared up and caused the England international discomfort.
   'It is all cleared up and I am ready to go. I am not quite 100 per cent fit - but I am ready to go and get fit. This is about the longest break I have had since I have been playing football, so I am looking forward to getting training again.'
   Bridge has set himself a fitness target for the start of the season after recovering well from a broken ankle.
   The England international defender missed the latter part of the last campaign after breaking his ankle in the FA Cup fifth-round tie against Newcastle in February.
   It had been expected the full-back would not be available again to manager Jose Mourinho until September at the earliest.
   However, Bridge is progressing ahead of schedule and stepped up his rehabilitation after the Blues squad returned to their training complex this week.
   'I have been doing a lot of work over the summer, can now run and do most things. The bad leg has not quite got that spring in it yet, but that should come over the next month or so,' revealed Bridge, who turns 25 at the start of next month.
   'It gets better each day, and if it keeps going that way, hopefully I will be back sooner than expected. I am hoping to be ready for the start of the season.'
   The former Southampton left-back, however, will face competition from new 8 million pound signing Asier del Horno for his first-team place in the new season.
   The Spain international has been only high-profile addition to the playing squad which lifted the Premier League and Carling Cup trophies last season, although striker Hernan Crespo will return to Stamford Bridge following his successful loan spell with AC Milan.

In the popular imagination they are rich, drive fast cars, date beautiful women and are hero-worshipped every weekend.
   So it comes as a surprise to learn that Italy’s soccer players are an unhappy lot—if, that is, you believe the results of a survey carried out by Italian research institute Eta Meta and published in La Gazzetta dello Sport on Friday.
   The survey was based on interviews with 124 professional footballers, the vast majority of whom play in Italy’s top two divisions, uncovered a hidden world of worry.
   Almost two thirds said they were stressed out by their job, citing the pressure to perform and fear of injury as the biggest causes of anxiety. Far from facing up to their demons, 22 per cent reacted to stress by withdrawing from the world. A third questioned admitted to taking out their frustrations on their loved ones.
   One in 10 felt they did not have any real friends.
   As for burying their heads in a newspaper, nearly one in five blamed the ‘continual criticism that arrives from the media’ for getting them overwrought in the first place.

Real Madrid insisted on Friday they had received no official offer from Liverpool for their Portuguese midfielder Luis Figo although they are aware of talks between the player's agent and the Anfield club.
   Reports had claimed the European champions are set to sign the 32-year-old, whose contract with the Spanish giants will expire next year. However, the Spanish club's head of communications Antonio Garcia-Ferreras told PA International that no offer had been received for the former FIFA world player of the year.
   'Real Madrid have not received an official offer from Liverpool for Luis Figo,' said Garcia-Ferreras.
   'It's true that Luis Figo or his agent have been holding talks with Liverpool but there has been no offer for Figo from Liverpool.'
   'An agreement exists with Liverpool, but the decision rests on Real,' said Luis Douens, one of Figo's agents. If they want money for the transfer, then I believe it will be hard.' According to latest reports, Real want £2million for the player, which could prove to be a stumbling block if negotiations between the two clubs do indeed get underway.

Newcastle striker Craig Bellamy sprang a major surprise Thursday when he joined Blackburn on a four-year contract.
   The 25-year-old Welshman, who had been pursued by Champions League qualifiers Everton, Scottish Cup winners Celtic and Aston Villa, links up with former Wales boss Mark Hughes at Ewood Park.
   ‘Rovers have today completed the signing of Craig Bellamy. The Wales international has signed a four-year deal,’ said a statement by Blackburn. Bellamy’s decision brings an end to a saga which has been running since a bust-up with Magpies boss Graeme Souness, the man who made way for Hughes at Blackburn when he took up his post at St James’ Park last September.
   The former Norwich and Coventry striker spent the second half of last season on loan at Celtic after being told he would never play for Souness again following a television tirade in which he branded the Scot a liar.

Rio Ferdinand’s agent has admitted the England defender’s contract talks with Manchester United are deadlocked.
   The 26-year-old had been discussing a new deal at Old Trafford before the end of last season, but United were frustrated as discussions stalled.
   Agent Pini Zahavi told The Independent, ‘No-one is having talks.
   ‘There is no need to speak. He has two years. There was at some stage an idea for a new contract but we could not reach an agreement.’
   United are still hopeful Ferdinand will stay, but manager Sir Alex Ferguson warned before the FA Cup final that he wanted the deal sorted out.
   But there has been no sign that the two sides are close to an agreement.
   Zahavi, however, added, ‘But he is loyal to Manchester United and I am sure at the end of the day he will stay.’
   United’s fans were angry at the delay, jeering Ferdinand in the victory at Charlton, particularly after United stood by him during his eight-month ban for a missed drugs test.
   However, United chief executive David Gill has already rejected the allegations of disloyalty levelled against the former Leeds captain and insisted he should only sign ‘when the time is right’.
   ‘We want him to stay, he wants to stay and in my experience, when that situation prevails, invariably the player stays,’ said Gill.

The team playing Liverpool in the Champions League are so desperate for ‘quality’ players that they are advertising on the internet, reports the Daily Mirror.
   Welsh champions TNS have posted an ad on the web ahead of their sell-out match at Anfield.
   They describe it as ‘a unique opportunity’ for ‘players of real quality’. TNS play Liverpool in the first qualifying round of the Champions League on Wednesday.
   It will be Liverpool’s first game since their sensational victory over AC Milan in Istanbul in May.
   And their Welsh opponents are determined to strengthen their side by any means possible.
   The advert reads, ‘Are you a good footballer with the ability and experience to play on the European stage?
   Are you a player out of contract disheartened with your current skills being overlooked? Then we want to hear from you.
   ‘TNS are always looking for players of real quality to relocate to the beautiful mid-Wales and border counties area.
   ‘Country of origin should not be a problem but a proven track record at a high standard will be essential.
   ‘If this football opportunity of a lifetime appeals to you then stand up and be counted, Contact us now.’ TNS are a small team based in North Wales who won the Welsh League last season.
   Originally called Llansant-ffraid, they changed their name to TNS after the company Total Network Systems eight years ago.

Badda outplay BRTC
Badda Jagarani Sangsad registered a massive 5-0 victory over BRTC SC in the Premier Bank First Division Football League at Bir Shrestha Shaheed Mostafa Stadium in Kamalapur on Friday. The winner led the first half by 3-0. Moloy put Badda ahead in the very fifth minute while Milon doubled the margin in the 26th minute. Nasir widened the margin three minutes before the lemon break. Sabuj scored the team’s fourth goal in the 74th minute while two minutes later Moloy netted his second and team’s fifth goal in the 76th minute.
— BD News

Matuail beat Dilkhusha
Matuail Udayan Sangsad registered a solitary goal victory over Dilkhusha SC in the super-league match of the 3rd Football League at Bir Shrestha Shaheed Mostafa Stadium in Kamalapur on Friday. Gaffar scored the all-important goal in the 80th minute for the winners.
— BD News

Kishoreganj football on
Purbasha Krira Chakra on Friday beat Kutigirdi Sporting Club 3-2 at the opening match of Nurul Islam Tara Mia and Md Isamuddin Smriti Tournament at the district stadium. Titu, Habib and Rukan of the winning team netted one goal each while Alo scored two goals in favour of the defeated team. A total of four teams are participating in the tournament. Other teams are Mangcru Krira Chakra and Sholakia Sporting Club.
— BD News

Heinze hailed by fans
Gabriel Heinze has been voted Manchester United supporters’ player of the year. The Argentina full-back edged out Wayne Rooney to become the first non-European winner of the award, an achievement even more remarkable because he missed the first month of the season because of international commitments at the Olympics. A £6.9million arrival from Paris St Germain last summer, Heinze won over the fans with his wholehearted style and though Rooney ended up top scorer in his first season at Old Trafford, it was not enough to oust the 27-year-old from top spot.
— SPORTINGLIFE

Juve step up plans to land Vieira
Juventus admit they are still hoping to sign Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira. General director Luciano Moggi has been attempting to seal a deal for the 29-year-old, but said, 'Arsenal don't want to sell him.' But reports in Italy say it is Arsenal's £14m asking price that is holding up the deal, with Juve offering £5m plus midfielder Stephen Appiah. Moggi said, 'I haven't said that he is too expensive. In any case we will have to meet them again.' The Italian champions have rejected a £30m approach from Chelsea for striker David Trezeguet, 27, and are instead intent on strengthening their squad. Moggi has identified Vieira, 29, as a potential summer target. He said recently, 'Obviously, they will not let him go cheaply as he is a magnificent, winning midfielder but if Arsenal are willing to do business, we'd buy him tomorrow.'
— BBC