Gerrard headed to MLS after season ends

LONDON (AP) ― Steven Gerrard wants to win a trophy and lead Liverpool to a top-four finish in the English Premier League before he leaves his childhood club for Major League Soccer at the end of the season.A day after Gerrard announced he will leave the club and play abroad, the long-time captain confirmed on Saturday he will go to Major League Soccer, though he has yet to sign a deal with an MLS side.“I’ll be going to play in America,” Gerrard said on Liverpool’s in-house TV channel. “I’m not o

SoccerJan. 4, 2015

S. Korea beats Saudi Arabia 2-0 in last tune-up for Asian Cup tourney

South Korea benefited from an own goal to defeat Saudi Arabia 2-0 on Sunday in its final tune-up match ahead of the AFC Asian Cup, a result that masked some underlying problems for the team with the continent's largest football tourney on the horizon.Saudi Arabian defender Osama Hawsawi deflected a South Korean free kick into his own net in the 67th minute and unheralded forward Lee Jeong-hyeop scored his first international goal in his debut in injury time, as South Korea blanked its long-time

SoccerJan. 4, 2015

Lampard stays at Man City to end of season

MANCHESTER, England (AP) ― Frank Lampard will carry on playing for Manchester City throughout the Premier League season, the English champion announced Wednesday night.“Manchester City can confirm that it has extended Frank Lampard’s contract up to the end of Manchester City’s season, enabling his continued participation in both domestic and European campaigns,” the club said in a statement on its website.Lampard will now be available to face Sunderland in a league match at the Etihad Stadium on

More SportsJan. 1, 2015

Russia fails to resolve Capello payment issue

MOSCOW (AP) ― The Russian Football Union has failed to achieve its goal of paying national team coach Fabio Capello his unpaid wages by the end of the year.Capello has not received any of his reported $11 million-a-year salary since June amid financial problems at the RFU.The organization’s president Nikolai Tolstykh said Monday he planned to resolve the issue by the end of 2014, but told local media Wednesday that was now impossible.With Russia gearing up for almost two weeks of public holidays

More SportsJan. 1, 2015

Seahawks end where expected as best in NFC

RENTON, Washington (AP) ― Even when the Seattle Seahawks were slogging along at 3-3 and 6-4 around the midpoint of the season, finishing on top of the NFC still remained the goalThat’s exactly where the Seahawks ended up after closing the season on a dominant six-game win streak. And now they get their reward: A needed week of rest and a guarantee that they will not have to leave the Pacific Northwest throughout the NFC playoffs.“The rest is important but we’re playing fast at the end of the yea

More SportsDec. 31, 2014

Chelsea, Man City play to draws in Premier League

LONDON (AP) ― Chelsea kept its three-point lead at the midpoint of the Premier League season Sunday despite a 1-1 draw at fourth-place Southampton.Chelsea benefited from a collapse by defending champion Manchester City, which squandered a 2-0 lead at home to draw 2-2 with 19th-place Burnley.Chelsea yielded a goal in the 17th minute as Sadio Mane raced onto a pass from Dusan Tadic and lifted the ball over goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. Eden Hazard struck for Chelsea just before halftime, running on

SoccerDec. 29, 2014

Buccaneers lose 23-20 to clinch No. 1 pick

TAMPA, Florida (AP) ― The Tampa Bay Buccaneers wound up winners after a season-ending loss.Drew Brees shrugged off three interceptions ― two of them stopping promising third-quarter drives ― to throw for 281 yards in the New Orleans Saints’ 23-20 win over the Buccaneers on Sunday.With the loss, Tampa Bay (2-14) locked up the first pick in next spring’s draft.“It’s been a long year,” first-year Buccaneers coach Lovie Smith said. “When you’re down there that’s one consolation, I guess, from the se

More SportsDec. 29, 2014

Doosan Bears bring back Dustin Nippert

South Korean baseball club Doosan Bears announced Monday they have re-signed their right-hander Dustin Nippert, bringing back the steady starter for his fifth season in the Korea Baseball Organization.The Bears said Nippert has agreed to a $1.5 million deal to return to the Seoul-based club. Foreign players are only allowed to sign one-year contracts with the KBO clubs.Nippert, 33, has gone 52-27 with a 3.25 ERA in 107 appearances for the Bears and holds the record for most victories by a foreig

BaseballDec. 29, 2014

Russia leaves out Olympic skating champ for Euros

MOSCOW (AP) -- Russia has left Olympic women's figure skating champion Adelina Sotnikova off its roster for next month's European championships.Sotnikova missed this week's Russian nationals with an ankle injury, but there had been speculation her Olympic achievements could persuade the Russian Figure Skating Federation to give her a place.``The team roster was selected exclusively on the basis of the sporting principle, according to the results of the Russian championship,'' federation presiden

SportsDec. 28, 2014

Vick wants to keep playing

Michael Vick still thinks of himself as a starting quarterback in the NFL. Not only that, the 34-year-old New York Jets backup feels he can still play for at least another two years. Where he’ll be is the big question.Vick is a free agent after this season, with his one-year deal with the Jets expiring. He hasn’t ruled out returning to New York, but he didn’t sound all that enthusiastic about the possibility, either.“I don’t know, I couldn’t say right now,” Vick said. “I’d have to talk to my age

More SportsDec. 28, 2014

Crystal Palace fires manager Neil Warnock

LONDON (AP) ― Crystal Palace fired Neil Warnock after only four months in charge on Saturday, becoming the first English Premier League manager to lose his job this season.The 66-year-old Warnock’s second spell in charge of Palace ended with the London club in the relegation zone after just one win in 12 Premier League matches.Palace said that Warnock’s assistant, Keith Millen, will be in charge for Sunday’s game against Queens Park Rangers as caretaker manager.One of the most outspoken, colorfu

SoccerDec. 28, 2014

China has slim chance of winning Asian Cup: Perrin

GUANGZHOU, China (AFP) ― China on Saturday said it does not have the “best chance” to win the 2015 Asian Cup, held in Australia in January, after its 23-man squad was unveiled.“We are not the favorite, we do not have the best chance,” China’s head coach Alain Perrin said in response to a question from AFP.“What I know is that the players are ready to give the best they can,” Perrin said, adding that “anything was possible.” China survived a scare before scraping into the Asian Cup on goal differ

SoccerDec. 28, 2014