IN BRIEF (Page 23)

Benitez seeks talks with refs' chief over Mascherano

LONDON: Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez said he will seek talks with referees' chief Keith Hackett following Javier Mascherano's red card in Sunday's 3-0 defeat by Manchester United at Old Trafford.

The Argentine midfielder was given a second yellow card for dissent having earlier been booked for a foul, and then added to his troubles when he refused to leave the pitch.

He will serve an automatic one-match ban, ruling him out of Sunday's Merseyside derby against Everton, but could face a longer suspension if the FA punishs him for his histrionics.

Benitez initially seemed angry with his player, who he gripped firmly while talking to him in Spanish when he eventually left the pitch, but later said he considered the sending off to be harsh.

"I would like to speak to Keith Hackett because it is important that we find a solution," he told Liverpool's website (www.Liverpoolfc.tv) on Tuesday.

Cabrera and Tigers agree on $152.3 million deal

DETROIT: Miguel Cabrera and the Detroit Tigers finalized an 8-year $152.3 million deal on Tuesday, making the third baseman one of Major League Baseball's highest paid players.

Obtained in a blockbuster offseason trade with the Florida Marlins that also brought pitcher Dontrelle Willis to the Motor City, the Tigers had made signing Cabrera to a long-term deal a priority.

Before locking himself into a multi-year deal, the four-time All Star wanted to see how he fit in with the Tigers, and with spring training coming to an end decided Detroit was a good fit.

"I felt that the first day I got here," Cabrera told MLB.com. "I feel good here. I feel this is my home."

The $152.3 million deal, reported on the Tigers' website (detroit.tigers.mlb.com), is the fourth richest in the major leagues, trailing only the New York Yankees tandem of Alex Rodriguez ($275 million) and Derek Jeter ($189 million) and Boston Red Sox slugger Manny Ramirez ($160 million).

Party-loving Koo told to buck up or face Olympic axe

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's National Sports Council will support any decision to drop former All England champion Koo Kien Keat from the Olympics if the player fails to change his partying lifestyle, local media reported yesterday.

Coach Rexy Manaiky said this month he would axe doubles specialist Koo because of his off-court antics.

"I had a chat with the player and I told him that I don't want any problems, not just from him but from any player in the squad," Sports Council director general Zolkples Embong told the New Straits Times.

"In the midst of preparing for the Olympics we can't be spending time solving problems. I will stick by Rexy if the players fail to buck up.

Koo became a national hero last year when he partnered Tan Boon Heong to the All England men's doubles title.

However, the pair has performed poorly this year, falling in the first round of the All England and the second round of the Malaysian and Swiss Opens.

Goosen ready to soar again after victory drought

HOUSTON: Winless on the PGA Tour for almost three years, twice US Open champion Retief Goosen has renewed confidence in his game for this week's New Orleans Classic.

The smooth-swinging South African tied for second at the weather-delayed WGC-CA Championship in Miami on Monday and is in optimistic mood with the year's first Major, the April 10-13 Masters, just around the corner.

"It's nice to get the game going a little bit," Goosen told reporters after finishing one stroke behind Geoff Ogilvy of Australia at Doral Golf Resort & Spa.

"It's a pity I couldn't have had just one shot better, but overall I'm very happy.

"This was my fifth event in a row and I was determined to keep going to get my game in shape," added the 39-year-old after posting his first top-10 on the 2008 PGA Tour.

"I don't like to practice a lot so I felt playing a lot was the only way to get my game back into shape."

(China Daily 03/27/2008 page23)