IN BRIEF (Page 23)
Soccer
Real holds crisis meeting after cup defeat
LONDON: Real Madrid has held a crisis meeting at the Bernabeu after the team's crushing 5-3 defeat against Sevilla in the Spanish Super Cup, local media reported.
Spanish media said the team had now decided against selling Brazilian right back Cicinho and would renew its bid to buy Chelsea winger Arjen Robben.
Sports daily AS reported that new coach Bernd Schuster had called for the club to sign a new striker to support Ruud van Nistelrooy in attack. Real Zaragoza's Diego Milito, Inter Milan's Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Ajax striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar top the list of possible new recruits.
Real sells Emerson to Milan
MADRID: Brazilian midfielder Emerson will return to Italy to play for AC Milan after just one season with Real Madrid.
The Primera Liga side said on their Web site (www.realmadrid.com) they had reached an agreement to sell the 31-year-old international to the European champions but did not reveal the fee.
Milan confirmed the Brazil international had joined the club on its website (www.acmilan.com).
Emerson joined Real Madrid from Juventus for an estimated fee of 16 million euros ($21.56 million) last year after the Italian side was punished with relegation following a match-fixing scandal.
Lehmann gets Loew support
LONDON: Germany coach Joachim Loew has given his full backing to goalkeeper Jens Lehmann, despite the two glaring mistakes the Arsenal man has made for his club already this season.
"With a view to Euro 2008 Jens is, and will stay, our No 1," Loew told reporters on the eve of Germany's friendly against England on Wednesday.
German goalkeeping coach Andreas Koepke also offered his support saying: "Jens knows how to deal with this sort of pressure. He proved that before the World Cup in his battle with Oliver Kahn."
Ronaldinho, Kaka set to start on bench against Algeria
RIO DE JANEIRO: Ronaldinho and Kaka are set to start Brazil's friendly against Algeria on the subsitutes' bench after being placed in the reserve team in a practice on Tuesday.
The pair have been recalled to the squad for Wednesday's match against the North Africans in Montpellier, France, after missing the Copa America at their own request.
However, coach Dunga warned on Monday that they would not automatically regain their places in the team.
The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) said on its website (cbfnews.com.br) that both turned out for the reserves during Tuesday's practice match against the first team.
Basketball
Former NBA player Griffin dies in car-train crash
HOUSTON, Texas: Eddie Griffin, a former Houston Rockets and Minnesota Timberwolves power forward, has been identified as the man who died when his car struck a moving train in Houston last week.
Griffin, 25, drove his sport utility vehicle through a railroad crossing barrier and into a moving train at about 1:30am on August 17, officials said.
The vehicle burst into flames on impact, damaging Griffin's body so badly that investigators had to use his dental records to verify his identity on Tuesday, a report in the Houston Chronicle stated.
"The entire organization is devastated and saddened by this terrible tragedy," Rockets owner Leslie Alexander said. "Our thoughts go out to Eddie's family and friends during this very difficult time."
CRICKET
England finds form to hand India one-day thrashing
LONDON: England produced a rare all-round display of high quality one-day cricket to emphatically beat India by 104 runs at Southampton on Tuesday in the first of seven games between the two countries.
Maiden one-day centuries for Alistair Cook and Ian Bell helped England to 288 for two in overcast conditions in the day-night match.
India was always struggling after limping to 38-4 in 15 overs thanks to three wickets in four overs from James Anderson, who ended with career-best figures of four for 23 off 10, and were all out for 184.
The victory was built on one of England's best one-day batting displays for a long time after it was put in by Rahul Dravid.
(China Daily 08/23/2007 page23)
