IN BRIEF (Page 24)
SOCCER
Sevilla's Puerta in "very critical" state
MADRID: Sevilla midfielder Antonio Puerta is in a "very critical" condition after collapsing during a match on Saturday, doctors said in a statement yesterday.
"The player remains in the hospital in a very critical state and his progress is unfavourable," doctors at the Virgen del Rocio hospital in Seville said.
The 22-year-old Spanish international collapsed after jogging back towards his own goal 35 minutes into the Primera Liga match against Getafe.
Teammates and medical staff rushed to his side and were seen preventing him from swallowing his tongue as he lost consciousness.
He was able to walk from the pitch but doctors said that he collapsed again in the changing rooms and had to be given cardiac resuscitation before being taken to hospital where he has been since.
Argentina includes Messi, Heinze for Aussie friendly
MELBOURNE: Argentina coach Alfio Basile named Real Madrid's Gabriel Heinze and Barcelona's Lionel Messi in a 21-man squad for the international friendly against Australia in Melbourne next month.
Basile named a strong party with Real's new signing Heinze included alongside club team mate Javier Saviola, Liverpool's Javier Mascherano, Manchester United's Carlos Tevez and Hernan Crespo of Inter Milan.
Influential midfielder Juan Roman Riquelme has been left out for the clash at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sept 11. The match was originally scheduled for June but Argentina asked for a postponement fearing they could not muster a squad strong enough.
The match will be Australia's first since losing on penalties to Japan in the quarter-finals of the Asian Cup.
BASEBALL
Mussina place in jeopardy as Tigers maul Yankees
DETROIT: Mike Mussina's season continued to unravel while Justin Verlander pulled his together, tossing seven shutout innings as the Detroit Tigers mauled the New York Yankees 16-0 on Monday.
Verlander's gem was the highlight of a four-game home stand, the Tigers taking three-of-four from the Bronx Bombers as they continue to stalk the Cleveland Indians, who hold a 2-1/2 game lead at the top of the American League Central.
Houston fires manager Garner
HOUSTON, Texas: Phil Garner is looking for a new job just two years after guiding the Houston Astros to the team's first World Series appearance in franchise history.
Bench coach Cecil Cooper will serve as interim manager and team president Tal Smith was named interim general manager.
Houston on Monday fired Garner and general manager Tim Purpura.
Garner, who has a record of 277-252 with the Astros, managed the Milwaukee Brewers from 1992-1999 and the Detroit Tigers from 2000-2002. He has a career record of 985-1,054 as a major league manager.
TENNIS
Gibson honoured on 50th anniversary of US title
NEW YORK: Trailblazer Althea Gibson was the posthumous guest of honour on the opening night of the 2007 US Open on Monday as the 50th anniversary of her US Nationals win was celebrated at the National Tennis Center.
Gibson, who became the first African-American to win the US Nationals, the precursor to the Open, in 1957, was inducted into the US Open Court of Champions with the unveiling of a plaque to be displayed on the grounds.
(China Daily 08/29/2007 page24)
