Chicago: Landon Donovan and Tim Howard are among 14 players from the USA`s FIFA World Cup™ squad named for next Tuesday`s friendly against Brazil in New Jersey. More than 55,000 tickets have already been sold for the Americans meeting with the five-time FIFA World Cup champion at the

COLOMBO:Defiant batting by India`s tailenders and twin blows by part-time spinner Virender Sehwag left the third and final cricket Test against Sri Lanka evenly poised on Thursday. India, chasing Sri Lanka`s first innings total of 425, were reduced to 321-6 in the post-lunch session of

AKRON: Extra spice has been added to this week`s WGC-Bridgestone Invitational where Tiger Woods is in danger of being dethroned as world number one by either fellow American Phil Mickelson or Britain`s Lee Westwood.Mickelson would take over at the top for the first time with victory at

Sports Deskbanglanews24.com.bd/AFPMADRID: Real Madrid star Kaka is expected to be out of action for three to four months after undergoing an operation on his left knee, his club Real Madrid announced on their website www.realmadrid.com Thursday.Following an earlier announcement that the

LONDON: Usain Bolt, the fastest man on Earth, will smash his world records yet again if he listens to his mum, she told AFP.Jennifer Bolt, the Jamaican sprinter`s mother, said she had tried simply telling her son to run even faster, but gentle encouragement combined with hard work in

BIRMINGHAM: Mohammad Asif has urged Pakistan`s batsmen to follow the example of England`s Eoin Morgan as the tourists look for a series-levelling win in the second Test here at Edgbaston.Pakistan suffered a 354-run thrashing in last week`s first of four Tests at Trent Bridge, in a match

IRVINE: Michael Phelps` lack of focus in wake of the 2009 World Championships drove Bob Bowman to distraction, but the perfectionist coach thinks the virtual vacation was vital to the swimming star`s continuing career."If we wanted him to swim into London, we had to have this year,"

SYDNEY: World Cup quarter-finalists Paraguay will play Australia and New Zealand in October in two friendlies.The South Americans take on Australia at Sydney Football Stadium on October 9 and play New Zealand three days later at a venue to be confirmed, Football Federation Australia and

BEIJING: Argentinian superstar Lionel Messi said Thursday he was sad to see national coach Diego Maradona go, but that the football legend`s sacking was just part of the game.Messi is in the Chinese capital with Spanish champions Barcelona for a friendly on Sunday against reigning Chinese

BEIJING: Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi said Thursday he hopes to one day play with Cesc Fabregas, the Arsenal captain who has made no secret of his desire to eventually join the Spanish champions.Messi made the comments at a press conference ahead of a friendly on Sunday between Barca

SEOUL: Lionel Messi scored a quick-fire double as Barcelona cruised to a convincing 5-2 win over the K-League All Stars in a friendly at Seoul World Cup Stadium Wednesday.The Argentinian superstar made his pre-season debut halfway into the game and scored two quick goals, giving his team

LONDON: The English Premier League (EPL) is contemplating the creation of "football schools" in a bid to improve the standard of the England national team.EPL chief executive Richard Scudamore insisted his organisation had "suffered" as a result of England`s early World Cup exit and

DEN OSSE: Dutch girl Laura Dekker, the 14-year-old bidding to become the youngest person to sail around the world alone, set off Wednesday saying the daunting voyage held no fear for her.Dekker left the port of Den Osse in southwestern Netherlands only days after winning a year-long

LONDON: Blackburn Rovers could be the latest English club set for a takeover after Indian entrepreneur Ahasan Ali Syed made a formal approach to the club`s advisors, it was reported Wednesday.Owned by the trustees of the late Jack Walker, Blackburn currently have debts of around 20

NANTES: Zinedine Zidane and Lilian Thuram are set to make a rare appearance for France in a charity match which will pit the 1998 world champions against a European select side.Like most of France`s World Cup winners, Zidane and Thuram have both retired from the game.But the pair will

KARACHI: Recalled Pakistan batsman Mohammad Yousuf flies to London Thursday to join his embattled team ahead of the second Test against England, which starts in Birmingham a day later.Yousuf, who turns 37 later this month, was recalled from retirement on Sunday, hours after Pakistan`s

PONTIAC: Brazilian Ronaldinho and star Italian midfielder Andrea Pirlo are among four top AC Milan players who will not make the trip to suburban Detroit for a Friday friendly against Greek outfit Panathinaikos.Ronaldinho suffered a strained left hamstring last week, prompting the Italian

LONDON: Chelsea forward Salomon Kalou on Tuesday warned rivals Manchester City that their spending spree will not guarantee them the Premier League title.City boss Roberto Mancini has spent over 70 million pounds (84 million euros) on signing Yaya Toure, Jerome Boateng, Alexander Kolarov

COLOMBO: Virender Sehwag hit a typically robust 97 not out off 87 balls to lead India`s reply after Thilan Samaraweera`s century lifted Sri Lanka to 425 in the third and final Test on Wednesday.Sehwag, who made 109 in the first Test and 99 in the second, continued his brilliant form to

LONDON: Chelsea are on the verge of signing Benfica`s Brazil defender Ramires on a four-year, 17 million pound deal, according to a report here on Tuesday.The 23-year-old, who has 16 caps and played for his country in the World Cup, is scheduled to have a medical at the Premier League