INCHEON (Yonhap) ― The South Korean men’s soccer team returned home early Monday following an early exit from the FIFA World Cup in Brazil with a winless record.The 23-man squad, coached by Hong Myung-bo, arrived at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, from Sao Paulo via Los Angeles a little before 5 a.m. to little fanfare.South Korea, which had set out to reach the knockout phase in South America, finished last among four nations in Group H with one draw and two losses. It opened the t

SoccerJune 30, 2014

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) ― Regulation time doesn’t seem to mean much at this stage, judging by the way Netherlands, Costa Rica and Brazil have advanced through the first of the World Cup knockout rounds.The Dutch needed a penalty deep in stoppage time to seal a 2-1 comeback win over Mexico and advance to a match against a Costa Rica lineup that beat Greece on penalties later Sunday to reach the World Cup quarterfinals for the first time. The Costa Ricans had to play for almost an hour with 10 men, an

SoccerJune 30, 2014

Klaas-Jan Huntelaar struck a stoppage-time penalty as the Netherlands staged an incredible late fightback to beat Mexico 2-1 and reach the World Cup quarter-finals here Sunday.Huntelaar kept his cool in furnace-like conditions to fire Holland into the last eight after Wesley Sneijder had scored an 88th-minute equaliser to cancel out Giovani Dos Santos's goal for Mexico.The dramatic Dutch fightback left Mexico's players in tears as their last 16 jinx struck again.Netherlands' Klaas-Jan Huntelaar

SoccerJune 30, 2014

Bryan Ruiz calmly guided 10-man Costa Rica through a tense penalty decider against Greece on Sunday and into the World Cup quarter finals for the first time in the country's history.The Ticos' captain scored the goal that put Costa Rica ahead and also put away his penalty as the Central Americans kept their nerve to win the decider 5-3.The two sides were 1-1 after regulation time with Sokratis Papastathopoulos cancelling out Ruiz's goal in injury time to force extra time which also ended in dead

SoccerJune 30, 2014

SAO PAULO (Yonhap) ― The head coaching position of the South Korean men’s national team is often referred to as the “poisoned chalice” ― for the job isn’t always what it’s cracked up to be.It is arguably the most visible job in South Korean sports. And with fame and the high profile come unreasonable expectations, which have been so heightened after the Dutch coach Guus Hiddink guided South Korea to the semifinals at the 2002 FIFA World Cup.Though it was a historic run that probably will never b

SoccerJune 29, 2014

LONDON (AP) ― As Serena Williams began to fall behind in what would become her earliest Wimbledon exit in nearly a decade, her coach could tell something was awry.Not the so-so serving. Or the bad backhands. This was a larger problem.“Right now, she doesn’t have her usual ability to respond and turn matches around,” said Patrick Mouratoglou, who has worked with Williams since 2012. “It was obvious when she trailed 3-0 in the second set. Nothing happened.” Unable to get back on track once she no

More SportsJune 29, 2014

Michelle Wie (left) watches Ryu So-yeon play a shot on the third hole at the NW Arkansas Championship on Saturday. (AP-Yonhap)ROGERS, Arkansas (AP) ― Whether it’s because of her improved play or the reason for it, Michelle Wie appears as comfortable on and off the golf course as at any time in her career.Wie continued her season-long surge on the LPGA Tour on Saturday, shooting her second straight 5-under 66 to take a two-shot lead in the suspended second round of the NW Arkansas Championship.Th

GolfJune 29, 2014

With a spectacular swivel-and-strike, James Rodriguez provided one of the highlights of the World Cup and gave Brazil reason to worry.Rodriguez scored one of the best goals of the tournament and added a second to put Colombia into the World Cup quarterfinals for the first time with a 2-0 win over Uruguay on Saturday _ setting up a meeting with the host nation.  Uruguay`s Cristian Rodriguez jumps high to head the ball during the World Cup round of 16 soccer match between Colombia and Uruguay at t

SoccerJune 29, 2014

Brazil advanced to the World Cup quarterfinals on Saturday with a 3-2 shootout win over Chile following a tense and thrilling battle that ended 1-1 after extra time. David Luiz (C) of Brazil celebrates after winning the penalty shootout of the FIFA World Cup 2014 round of 16 match between Brazil and Chile at the Estadio Mineirao in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, Saturday. (Yonhap)Neymar, David Luiz and Marcelo scored in the shootout, and Brazil goalkeeper Julio Cesar saved two penalties before watching

SoccerJune 29, 2014

All of a sudden, Serena Williams is failing to stick around for long at Grand Slam tournaments.Betrayed by her backhand and, more surprisingly, her usually dangerous serve, five-time Wimbledon champion Williams lost to 25th-seeded Alize Cornet of France 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 Saturday in the third round at the All England Club.“If I'm not playing a great, great match, these girls, when they play me, they play as if they're on the ATP Tour, and then they play other girls completely different,” Williams sa

More SportsJune 29, 2014

SACRAMENTO, California (AP) ― Thirty-four weeks pregnant, Alysia Montano ran the 800 meters Thursday in the U.S. Track and Field Championships. The five-time national champion finished in 2 minutes, 32.13 seconds in the qualifying rounds, only seven weeks before she’s scheduled to give birth to her first child. That the 28-year-old former University of California star finished last in her heat didn’t matter one bit to the crowd gathered at Hornet Stadium. Trailing the lead pack by more than 120

More SportsJune 27, 2014

SAO PAULO, Brazil -- South Korea’s slim chance of advancing to the round of 16 faded Thursday in Sao Paulo as a 10-man Belgium secured a late 1-0 victory over the Taeguk Warriors in their final group match. Instead, Algeria earned its first-ever ticket to the knockout round by drawing 1-1 with Russia in Curitiba.Belgian captain Jan Vertonghen, in for an injured Vincent Kompany, pounced on a rebound off goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu to score in the 78th minute -- the third straight game in which Belgi

SoccerJune 27, 2014