Mexico’s Mistake Leads to 1-0 Loss to South Korea
An uncharacteristic error by veteran goalkeeper Oswaldo Sanchez gave South Korea an early goal Wednesday night, and the team made it stand up for a 1-0 victory over Mexico in an international soccer friendly between two World Cup-bound teams in front of 64,128 fans at the Coliseum.
Sanchez’s miscue came in the 15th minute after neither team had threatened to score in the early going. Sanchez easily saved a bouncing free kick by Lee Chun-Soo, then, in a lapse of concentration, threw the ball out in front of him, intending to kick it up the field.
He threw it too far, however, and alert South Korean striker Lee Dong-Gook sneaked in and tucked the ball into the open net. Sanchez, Mexico’s No. 1 choice in the nets, protested in vain, believing Lee Dong-Gook had been offside, but only succeeded in earning a yellow card for dissent.
South Korea, coming off a 1-0 loss to another World Cup team, Costa Rica, in Oakland on Saturday, provided most of the attacking play in the match.
The chances of Mexico salvaging the game were always there, however, because the Koreans showed little ability to retain possession and repeatedly turned the ball over. Against a better team, it might have proved costly.
-- Grahame L. Jones
TENNIS
Clijsters Pulls Out
a Victory in Return
Top-ranked Kim Clijsters struggled past French teenager Tatiana Golovin, 4-6, 7-6 (4), 7-5, in her comeback match at the Diamond Games in Antwerp, Belgium.
It was Clijsters’ first tournament since retiring because of an ankle injury during an Australian Open semifinal against Amelie Mauresmo.
Clijsters will next face Dinara Safina of Russia in the quarterfinals.
Safina defeated Katarina Srebotnik of Slovenia, 6-2, 6-4. Third-seeded Nadia Petrova also advanced, beating Ana Ivanovic of Serbia and Montenegro, 7-5, 6-3.
Fifth-seeded Richard Gasquet of France was upset, losing to countryman and wild card Arnaud Clement, 3-6, 6-4, 6-0, in the first round of the Open 13 in Marseille, France.
PRO FOOTBALL
Sherman Joins Texans
as Assistant Head Coach
Mike Sherman, fired as coach of the Green Bay Packers on Jan. 2, was introduced as the Houston Texans’ assistant head coach for offense.
Sherman, 51, turned down assistant jobs with Buffalo and the New York Jets. He and Texan Coach Gary Kubiak were assistants at Texas A&M.;
JURISPRUDENCE
Judge Rules for O’Brien Against Ohio State
Ohio State, awaiting a decision on possible penalties for NCAA rules violations under former basketball coach Jim O’Brien, could have to pay him millions of dollars for firing him under a judge’s ruling in Columbus, Ohio.
O’Brien claimed the university improperly fired him in June 2004 for loaning $6,000 of his own money to a recruit.
Ohio Court of Claims Judge Joseph Clark ruled O’Brien broke his contract by giving the loan and failing to inform university officials, but the error was not serious enough to warrant firing, adding the university violated the contract by firing him without compensation.
O’Brien, 55, sued for $3.5 million in lost wages and benefits. The award, which could reach nearly $9.5 million with interest and other damages, will be determined after another hearing.
O’Brien coached the Buckeyes for seven years and led them to the Final Four in 1999.
Former NHL player Steve Moore filed another lawsuit in Toronto against Todd Bertuzzi for the Vancouver Canuck forward’s on-ice attack nearly two years ago.
A similar lawsuit in Denver was thrown out last year.
Moore is seeking $15 million in lost wages and more in damages from Bertuzzi. Orca Bay, the parent company of the Canucks, and the NHL team also were named in the suit.
Moore hasn’t played since March 8, 2004, when Bertuzzi grabbed him from behind, punched him in the head and drove his head into the ice. Moore, then with the Colorado Avalanche, was left with three fractured neck vertebrae, a concussion and other injuries.
Bertuzzi was reinstated to the NHL in August after being indefinitely suspended and missing 13 regular-season games and the Stanley Cup playoffs in 2004. He pleaded guilty to assault and was sentenced to probation and community service.
Miami Dolphin tackle Damion McIntosh, 28, was arrested on suspicion of domestic violence against his wife, Precious, at their home in Davie, Fla., police said.
MISCELLANY
NCAA Aims to Punish
Secondary Schools
The NCAA wants to punish nontraditional secondary schools that fail to meet academic standards and said athletes attending those schools could pay a severe penalty by losing their freshman eligibility.
The NCAA hopes to use on-site visits and more thorough questioning to help identify “diploma-mills.” Penalties, including reporting violators to state agencies, could be imposed as early as this fall.
Former King Cliff Ronning retired, ending an 18-year career in which he played for seven teams. Ronning, 40, last played for the New York Islanders in 2003-04 and went unsigned after the 2004-05 season was canceled by a labor dispute.
Nicole Blood, the nation’s top prep girls’ distance runner, has enrolled at Simi Valley Royal High, girls’ track Coach Jay Sramek confirmed, and will compete this spring for the Highlanders.
Blood, a senior, has the top national mile time among high school girls, 4 minutes 46.82 seconds, set Feb. 4 in the women’s open division of the New Balance Collegiate Invitational at the New York City Armory.
Blood is leaving Saratoga Springs High in New York because her stepfather’s job was relocated to the Simi Valley area.
