IN BRIEF (Page 23)
Soccer
Klose returns to Werder seeking Bundesliga ton
BERLIN: Miroslav Klose will have the perfect stage to try for his 100th Bundesliga goal on Saturday when Bayern Munich travels to take on his former club Werder Bremen.
Klose switched between the two rivals for $13.48 million in June at the end of a messy transfer saga.
The top scorer at the 2006 World Cup showed Bayern's persistence had been worth it when he struck twice and set up a third for Luca Toni in the opening day 3-0 win over Hansa Rostock.
Those goals took his tally to 99 in 210 Bundesliga games and his return to the Weserstadion on Saturday could be the platform for a celebration.
England midfielder Dyer joins Hammers
LONDON: West Ham United have signed England midfielder Kieron Dyer from Newcastle United, both English Premier League clubs confirmed Wednesday.
The transfer appeared to have stalled after Newcastle reportedly upped their price from six million pounds (11.9 million dollars, 8.9 million euros) to eight million pounds.
"Newcastle United and West Ham have agreed terms and the transfer of Kieron Dyer to West Ham has now been concluded," the Hammers said on their website.
Milan fails to reach Emerson deal with Real
MILAN: AC Milan has failed to reach agreement with Real Madrid on the transfer of Brazilian midfielder Emerson, the European champions said.
The 31-year-old had been told he could leave Madrid with Milan and city rival Inter showing interest. "It has not been possible to find a financial agreement between the two clubs. The negotiations are over," a statement said on Milan's Web site (www.acmilan.it).
Stunning Messi goal gives Barca win against Bayern
MUNICH: Lionel Messi scored a spectacular volley five minutes from time to give Barcelona a 1-0 win against Bayern Munich in a friendly at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday.
The Argentine international smacked the ball just inside the post from the edge of the area to leave goalkeeper Michael Rensing helpless and settle a match marking the retirement of long-serving Bayern midfielder Mehmet Scholl.
Bayern won its first match of the Bundesliga season 3-0 at home to Hansa Rostock last weekend. The team plays away to Werder Bremen on Saturday.
Barcelona begin the Spanish league season with an away match against Racing Santander on the weekend of August 25-26.
Rugby
Montgomery record as Springboks thrash Namibia
CAPE TOWN: Fullback Percy Montgomery scored a South African test record of 35 points as the Springboks romped to a 105-13 win against Namibia in a World Cup warm-up match at Newlands on Wednesday.
A suspected rib injury to Jean de Villiers which forced him off the field five minutes from time was the only thing to mar the game for South Africa, however coach Jake White was confident the centre would be fit for next month's World Cup.
Montgomery, playing his last test in South Africa, surpassed the previous points record of 34, scored by Jannie de Beer against England in the 1999 World Cup quarter-final in Paris.
He scored a try, kicked 12 conversions and added two penalties to take his career test tally to 756.
Tennis
Mauresmo and China's No 1 player Li out of US Open
PARIS: Former world No 1 Amelie Mauresmo has announced that she will not play in the US Open saying she would not be fit enough in time for the last of the year's Grand Slam events.
The 28-year-old French woman has struggled with injuries and motivation all year having taken two months off in March to recover from an appendix operation.
She lost in the third round in the French Open, in the fourth round at Wimbledon, where she was the defending champion, and since then has played only in France's Fed Cup loss to Italy in mid-July where she went down to Francesca Schiavone.
China's world No 21 Li Na has also pulled out of the US Open after the recurrence of a muscle injury in her rib area, the China Tennis Association (CTA) said.
(China Daily 08/17/2007 page23)
