IN BRIEF (Page 24)

Soccer

Crouch saves Liverpool on angry night at Anfield

LONDON: Peter Crouch grabbed a late equalizer to earn Liverpool a 2-2 draw with Aston Villa in a Premier League game at Anfield played out against a backdrop of anger and protest on Monday.

The England striker's 88th-minute goal rescued the troubled home side after Villa had scored twice in three minutes against the run of play.

Liverpool, which had hoped to leapfrog city rival Everton into fourth place on goal difference, edged up to fifth on 40 points and ahead of Villa and Manchester City on goal difference.

Champion Manchester United has 54 points from 23 matches and leads Arsenal on goal difference at the top, with Chelsea third on 50.

Roma fans banned from Sampdoria game

MILAN: AS Roma fans have been banned from attending Wednesday's Italian Cup quarterfinal first leg at Sampdoria following violent incidents this weekend, Italy's anti-hooligan body said on Monday.

Three Catania fans were injured when they were stabbed in disturbances before Sunday's 2-0 defeat by Roma at the Stadio Olimpico in the Italian capital.

The hooligan body said in a statement it had decided to intervene "in a rigorous manner against Roma fans" and was determined to act for the long term.

Italy is trying to crack down on a serious soccer violence problem, with Rome particularly affected.

Kalou magic gives Ivorians winning start over Nigeria

ACCRA, Ghana: A moment of wizardry from Salomon Kalou settled the clash of heavyweights in Cote d'Ivoire's favor on Monday when it beat Nigeria 1-0 in an African Nations Cup Group B match in Sekondi.

But the much vaunted Elephants, who are among the title favorites, were overshadowed by a five-goal performance from Morocco that came one shy of matching a 38-year-old tournament record.

Morocco beat Namibia 5-1 in Group A in Accra in the first of three matches on Monday, set up by a 28-minute hat-trick from Soufiane Alloudi.

Mali closed the day with a 1-0 win over Benin in another Group B match delayed for 12 minutes when the floodlights lost power moments before kickoff.

Real's Pepe faces four weeks out with injury

MADRID: Real Madrid centerback Pepe has torn a muscle in his right leg and will be out of action for up to four weeks, the Primera Liga leaders said.

The Portugal international had to be substituted after 15 minutes of the city derby at Atletico Madrid on Sunday, which Real went on to win 2-0.

It makes him a doubt for Real's Champions League first knockout round match away to AS Roma on February 19.

Cycling

Local sprinter wins first leg of Tour Down Under

ADELAIDE, Australia: Australian sprint specialist Mark Renshaw won yesterday's opening stage of the six-stage Tour Down Under, the season-opening event of the ProTour international cycling series.

Renshaw, who rides for the Credit Agricole team, emerged from a bunch sprint to win the 129-km stage from the northern Adelaide suburb of Mawson Lakes to the Barossa Valley town of Angaston.

Caisse D'Epargne sprinter Jose Rojas Gil of Spain was second and Australian Graeme Brown of the Rabobank team third.

A three-man break went clear just after 40 km (25 miles) and led by 6 minutes and 50 seconds at about the halfway mark. But the peloton steadily came back into the race and caught the trio with about 5 kms.

(China Daily 01/23/2008 page24)