SCOREBOARD
Thursday, April 6, 2006
SOCCER
UEFA offers to help solve Armenia-Azerbaijan dispute:
UEFA has offered to help settle a dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan,
which have unable to agree on a match venue for their Euro 2008 qualifiers.
Armenia — which is at odds with its neighbor over Nagorno-Karabakh, an ethnic
Armenian enclave in Azerbaijan — said it was prepared to host games in the
capital, Yerevan, and travel to Baku. Azerbaijan, however, refused to host
Armenian players and called for a neutral venue. “We understand that there are
problems with security,” UEFA chief executive Lars Olsson said on a visit to
Yerevan. Olsson said the dispute should not be politicized and that soccer’s
European governing body was ready to set up a special commission to investigate
the situation and mediate. The soccer federations in ex-Soviet Moldova and
Georgia have offered to act as hosts.
Plovdiv fan jailed for hooliganism:
A Lokomotiv Plovdiv fan has been jailed for one year for attacking police
before a league match against CSKA Sofia last month, court officials said on
Wednesday. It is the first time a fan has been jailed for soccer hooliganism in
Bulgaria. “Beloslav Hristev hit the policeman on the chest with a stone
after the officer tried to stop a group of Lokomotiv fans attacking CSKA
travelling supporters,” said Plovdiv police colonel Todor Grebenarov. Fifteen Botev
Plovdiv fans were fined and handed a two-year ban from grounds for their part
in a fight with Beroe Stara Zagora supporters on March 11.
BASEBALL
Marlins belt four homers in Astros rout in NL:
Josh Willingham hit a pair of home runs as the Florida Marlins routed Andy
Pettitte and the Houston Astros 11-2 in National League play at Minute Maid
Park. Mike Jacobs added a three-run shot and Miguel Cabrera also homered for
the Marlins, who knocked the veteran Pettitte around for 10 runs on 13 hits.
Seven of the runs off Pettitte were earned in just 4 2/3 innings. He struck
out three, walked three and gave up three of the four Florida homers. In
Milwaukee, Chris Capuano pitched six strong innings and Gabe Gross hit a key
two-run, pinch-hit homer as the Brewers beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-5. Capuano
allowed two runs on five hits while striking out seven and walking none.
Derrick Turnbow pitched a scoreless ninth for his second save of the young season.
The game scheduled in San Diego between the San Francisco Giants and the
Padres was postponed by rain.
Indian Boone rains on White Sox ring parade in AL:
In the American League, Aaron Boone homered, had four hits and drove in four
runs as the Cleveland Indians downed the Chicago White Sox 8-2 in Chicago.
Boone’s exploits at the plate, backed up by solid pitching from Jake
Westbrook, came on the day the White Sox received their World Series rings. Boone, a
notoriously slow starter, said he would not be getting overly excited by his
performance. In Toronto, Roy Halladay pitched 7 2/3 solid innings as the Blue
Jays won their home opener 6-3 over the Minnesota Twins. Halladay allowed
three runs — two earned — on five hits with four strikeouts and no walks,
out-duelling Johan Santana in a match-up between recent Cy Young winners.
CRICKET
England eager to rediscover winning one-day form:
England is eager to rediscover its winning one-day form as it braces for
today’s must-win, fourth limited-overs international against India. Wilting
under intense weather conditions in the southern Indian coastal city of Cochin
where the mercury is touching 36 degrees Celsius (97 degrees Fahrenheit) and
the humidity is 90 percent, England trails India 3-0 in the seven-match series.
England desperately needs its top-order batsmen to fire against an Indian
lineup that wants to stamp its supremacy after a 1-1 drawn test series. “It’s
been a long, tough tour and we’ve had some key personnel missing,” said
England wicketkeeper Geraint Jones. “One-day cricket is an intense test of skills,
we haven’t performed as we should have,” said Jones, asserting that England’s
cricketers were not lacking passion in limited-overs matches.
BOXING
Former WBC champion Dagge dies:
Former WBC super welterweight champion Eckhard Dagge of Germany has died of
cancer at the age of 58, it was announced by a Hamburg hospital on Tuesday.
Dagge, who had a reputation as the wild boy of German boxing, became only
Germany’s second world champion after the legendary Max Schmeling. After winning
his world title in 1976 he defended it twice before losing it in 1977 to
Italy’s Rocco Matioli. Dagge, who ended his career in 1981 after Britain’s Brian
Anderson sent him crashing to the canvas, was also the European champion in
1975. The German ended his career with 26 victories, five defeats and a draw.