Spain, Germany and Italy won to move to the brink of qualifying for next year’s World Cup, while Cristiano Ronaldo’s first international hat trick kept Portugal on course for the tournament in Brazil.The Netherlands needed an injury time penalty kick from Robin van Persie for a 2-2 tie at 85th-ranked Estonia, and England moved atop its group with a 4-0 rout of Moldova as Danny Welbeck scored twice following Steven Gerrard’s first England goal in three years and Rickie Lambert’s second in two gam

SoccerSept. 8, 2013

TOKYO -- Cheers and shouts of ``Banzai!!'' echoed across Tokyo just after sunrise as thousands of people started celebrating the city's successful bid to host the 2020 Olympics, beating rivals Istanbul and Madrid despite concerns about a nuclear plant leaking radioactive water. A slight favorite ahead of the International Olympic Committee's vote in Beunos Aires, Argentina, Japan's capital defeated Istanbul 60-36 in the final round. Madrid was eliminated in the first round.  More than 1,200 dign

Olympic GamesSept. 8, 2013

Kang Dong-hee, a disgraced former basketball coach recently found guilty on match-fixing charges, on Friday was banned from the top domestic league.At its disciplinary meeting, the Korean Basketball League decided to levy the heaviest punishment on the ex-bench boss for the Dongbu Promy.On Aug. 8, Kang was sentenced to 10 months behind bars for taking 47 million won ($43,000) from gambling brokers to fix four games between February and March in 2011. A district court said Kang played reserves in

More SportsSept. 6, 2013

BUENOS AIRES (AP) ― In a tight race to land the 2020 Olympics, Tokyo bid leaders focused on the country’s clean record in doping, while NBA star Pau Gasol tried to help Madrid on Thursday by saying the games could boost his nation’s ailing economy.Tokyo is hoping to turn the spotlight from the radioactive water leak at the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant in northern Japan, while Madrid is looking to fend off concerns related to Spain’s high unemployment rate and economic struggles.The host city

More SportsSept. 6, 2013

Kang Dong-hee, a disgraced former basketball coach recently found guilty on match-fixing charges, on Friday was banned from the top domestic league.At its disciplinary meeting, the Korean Basketball League (KBL) decided to levy the heaviest punishment on the ex-bench boss for the Dongbu Promy.On Aug. 8, Kang was sentenced to 10 months behind bars for taking 47 million won ($43,000) from gambling brokers to fix four games between February and March in 2011. A district court said Kang played reser

More SportsSept. 6, 2013

Choo Shin-soo of the Cincinnati Reds hit his 20th home run of the season on Thursday, with three steals left to him posting the third “20-20” season (at least 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases) of his Major League Baseball career.Facing off against the Cardinals’ starting pitcher Lance Lynn, the outfielder slammed the ball into the stands in the bottom of the fourth inning for a solo homer. It was the third home run in five games for Choo, continuing his hot streak.The Reds took the game 5-4 in a

BaseballSept. 6, 2013

Andy Murray's first attempt to defend a Grand Slam title ended on Thursday as he bowed out quickly, if not quietly, in the U.S. Open quarterfinals, losing 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 to Stanislas Wawrinka.Two months on from his drought-breaking victory for British men at Wimbledon, the Scot was no match for the Swiss in a surprisingly one-sided encounter.Wawrinka's semifinal opponent will be top seed Novak Djokovic, who overcame a third-set wobble with an authoritative final frame to beat Mikhail Youzhny 6-3,

More SportsSept. 6, 2013

South Korean relief pitcher Lim Chang-yong was called up from the Triple-A league by the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday, becoming the oldest South Korean rookie ever in U.S. Major League Baseball at the age of 37.Lim, who started his career in South Korea in 1995 and has also played in the Japanese and U.S. minor leagues, said he was “nervous and excited” about pitching in the majors. “I want to see what it feels like,” said Lim, also known as “Mr. Zero” for his prowess for closing out games.The Cubs

BaseballSept. 5, 2013

Lim Chang-yong got called up from the minor league by the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday, becoming the 14th South Korean national to join Major League Baseball (MLB).The Cubs announced that they picked up Lim's contract from their Triple-A affiliate in Iowa and made him immediately available for the matinee against the Miami Marlins at Wrigley Field. The Cubs went on to win the game 9-7, but Lim didn't pitch.The right-hander received No. 12 for his jersey as he made the Cubs' 40-man roster.Lim joins

BaseballSept. 5, 2013

Organizers of the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea’s PyeongChang said Wednesday that it would be “impossible” to split Olympic skiing events with North Korea, an idea earlier suggested by a Pyongyang official.Voice of America on Tuesday had quoted Chang Ung, an International Olympic Committee member from North Korea, as saying that the Masik ski resort could “possibly hold Olympic events” once it’s completed.Chang qualified his remarks by saying it’s a complicated matter that requires discuss

More SportsSept. 4, 2013

CINCINNATI (AP) ― The dirt-smudged base leaned on the floor in front of Billy Hamilton’s locker. An inscription in black ink noted the importance: “MLB Debut 9/3/13.”Some debut! The speedy outfielder who outran everything in the minors got his first stolen base in the majors on Tuesday night, and it decided a game with playoff implications. Hamilton swiped second and came around on Todd Frazier’s double in the seventh inning, sending the Cincinnati Reds to a 1-0 victory over the St. Louis Cardin

BaseballSept. 4, 2013