SAN JOSE (AP) ― Jorge Luis Pinto, who produced the surprise of the World Cup by coaching tiny Costa Rica to the quarterfinals, is leaving after failing to agree on a new contract. The Costa Rican federation announced Pinto’s departure on Thursday. Pinto said he was leaving because of disagreements with unnamed members of his coaching staff. He said they asked that he be fired 1 1/2 years ago. “I slept with the enemy for 1 1/2 years,” Pinto said. “I had my differences with the staff. They don’t s

SoccerJuly 25, 2014

Two clubs fighting to keep their playoff hopes alive in the Korea Baseball Organization announced their acquisitions of new foreign pitchers on Friday.The Doosan Bears said they've signed Cuban right-hander Yunesky Maya in a one-year deal worth $175,000.The 32-year-old represented Cuba at the 2006 and the 2009 World Baseball Classic. He signed with the Washington Nationals in Major League Baseball as a free agent in 2010 and made 16 big league appearances in 2010, 2011 and 2013, with a record of

SportsJuly 25, 2014

MONTREAL (AP) ― Mike Weir was well aware that it has been 60 years since a Canadian won the Canadian Open.“It’s going to end at some point, so hopefully, if not myself, it’s another Canadian that gets it done this week,” said Weir, one of 19 Canadians in the field for the tournament that starts Thursday at Royal Montreal. “It would be nice to get the streak over so we don’t have to talk about it.”Pat Fletcher, born in England, was the last Canadian winner, taking the 1954 event at Point Grey in

GolfJuly 24, 2014

PITTSBURGH (AP) ― Josh Harrison had two hits with two RBIs and the Pittsburgh Pirates jumped on Dan Haren early in a 6-1 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday night.Harrison’s two-run double down the left field line capped a four-run outburst in the first against Haren (8-8). Pittsburgh has won five of six since the All-Star break to move a season-high seven games over .500.Travis Snider added two hits, including his fifth homer, for the Pirates. Francisco Liriano (2-7) allowed one run o

BaseballJuly 24, 2014

The Kia Tigers released their struggling right-hander D.J. Houlton on Thursday, the last day for teams in the top domestic baseball league to waive their foreign players.The Korea Baseball Organization club said it has parted ways with the 34-year-old pitcher, who has gone 5-8 with a 4.80 ERA in 17 starts in his first season in South Korea. (Yonhap)

BaseballJuly 24, 2014

South Korea on Thursday tapped a former coach of the Dutch junior national team to lead its speed skating squad.The Korea Skating Union announced that Erik Bouwman, a native of the Czech Republic, will be the new speed skating head coach.Bouwman worked with young Dutch skaters after his competing days ended and developed future Olympic gold medalists Bob de Jong and Jan Blokhuijsen.In March, the Netherlands swept eight gold medals at the world junior championships.The Netherlands dominated speed

More SportsJuly 24, 2014

South Korea is trying to schedule a football friendly against Paraguay this fall, an official from the sport’s national governing body said Thursday.“We’ve asked our Paraguayan counterparts for a friendly match on Oct. 10,” the official from the Korea Football Association said. “We’re currently waiting for their response.” South Korea earlier announced it will host Venezuela on Sept. 5 and Uruguay on Sept. 8.“European and African nations will play qualifying matches for the Euro 2016 and the 201

SoccerJuly 24, 2014

The president of the national Olympic body will serve as an interim head of South Korea’s first Winter Games, officials said Wednesday, two days after the sudden resignation of the former chief organizer.Kim Jung-haeng, who heads the Korean Olympic Committee, will also oversee operations of the organizing committee of the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, an alpine town about 180 kilometers east of Seoul, until it finds a full-time replacement for the former president of the committee, Kim Ji

More SportsJuly 23, 2014

A Scottish newspaper reported that a former head coach of a pro football club there has emerged as a “strong candidate” to take over the South Korean men’s national team.The Scotsman said Neil Lennon, former head coach of Celtic FC in the Scottish Premier League, is “on a short list” to become the new bench boss for South Korea, which has been seeking a replacement for Hong Myung-bo, who resigned earlier this month following the country’s early exit from the FIFA World Cup in Brazil.According to

SoccerJuly 23, 2014

South Korea has turned to a former National Hockey League defenseman to lead its men’s national hockey team, hoping his playing experience and coaching acumen could help the country qualify for the next Winter Olympics on home ice.The Korea Ice Hockey Association announced Wednesday it has signed Jim Paek, the first player of Korean descent to play in the NHL, as the new head coach and executive director of the men’s national team. He agreed to a four-year deal but financial terms weren’t disclo

More SportsJuly 23, 2014

BALTIMORE (AFP) ― South Korea’s women golfers dedicated their efforts at this week’s inaugural LPGA International Crown team matches to lifting their homeland’s spirits after a ferry disaster that killed nearly 300 people.The ferry sank on April 16 with 476 people on board, including 325 high school students, and 294 were confirmed dead.“After that, all Koreans were feeling pretty sad. Everybody still thinks about that and all the young kids and feels really sad,” ninth-ranked Ryu So-yeon, the 2

GolfJuly 23, 2014