IN BRIEF (Page 24)

Baseball

Yankees most valuable

NEW YORK: The New York Yankees were rated as the most valuable Major League Baseball franchise, by a a Forbes magazine list released on Wednesday.

The Yankees retained their No 1 status, according to Forbes, by being valued at $1.3 billion, up nine percent from its list compiled last year.

Cross-town rivals the New York Mets were second on the list, worth $824 million for an increase of 12 percent.

Last year the two New York teams, who are both opening new parks next season, sold some 8 million tickets combined.

The Boston Red Sox were a close third on the list, increasing by 13 percent to $816 million, according to Forbes.

The Los Angeles Dodgers ($694 million) and the Chicago Cubs ($642 million) rounded out the top five among the 30 Major League Baseball clubs.

Soccer

Bayern back to big lead

BERLIN: Bayern Munich, which went behind against Eintracht Frankfurt and struggled for periods, hit back mainly thanks to a double by Italian striker Luca Toni to notch up a 3-1 away victory and restore its 10-point advantage at the top of the German league on Wednesday.

Bayern looks set to earn its 21st league title with just five matches to go.

Ottmar Hitzfeld's men, who beat Borussia Dortmund 5-0 on Sunday, had a poor first half despite the return of France international Franck Ribery who had been rested at the weekend.

However Ribery, like the whole of the Bayern team, did not play up to the usual high standard against a more focused and motivated opponent.

Valencia wins Spanish Cup

MADRID: Two goals inside the first 11 minutes helped give Valencia coach Ronald Koeman a night to savour, after a miserable season in La Liga, as his men beat Getafe 3-1 in the Spanish Cup final on Wednesday.

Failure to win the Cup would almost certainly have seen Koeman depart company from the Spanish side, which has only won one of its last nine league games, perhaps even being sacked before the end of the season. However, now that Valencia has ensured a return to European competition next year after lifting its seventh Spanish Cup, the under-fire Dutchman may yet have a future at the club and be able to mold it in his image.

Juve's Euro hopes boosted

ROME: A controversial goal by France international David Trezeguet inspired Juventus to a 3-0 win over relegation-threatened Parma on Wednesday and gave the winner an almost certain place in next season's Champions League.

Victory gave the "Old Lady" a 14-point advantage with five games remaining over fifth placed AC Milan, with only the top four qualifying for the Champions League.

(China Daily 04/18/2008 page24)