LONDON: Chelsea are reportedly close to signing Brazilian midfield starlet Neymar, who could join compatriot and fellow international Ramires at Stamford Bridge.Midfielder Ramires is expected to be announced as the club`s latest signing on Thursday or Friday, when he completes a 22

NEW DELHI: Fast bowler Munaf Patel will join India`s squad for the remaining matches of the ongoing triangular one-day series in Sri Lanka, officials said on Thursday."Munaf Patel is joining the Indian team in Sri Lanka as an additional member of the squad. He will reach Dambulla

LONDON: England coach Fabio Capello admitted he called time on David Beckham`s international career on Wednesday without first breaking the bad news to the star.Beckham was unable to play in the World Cup due to an Achilles injury suffered while on loan at AC Milan in March, but the LA

ROME: Following seven games without a win, no victories in 2010 and their dismal showing at the World Cup, Daniele De Rossi admitted that Italian football is in crisis.A new-look Italy began the Cesare Prandelli era with a 1-0 defeat to Ivory Coast in London on Tuesday night as the new

COPENHAGEN: Danish substitute Mads Junker inspired Denmark to come from 2-0 down to force a 2-2 draw against World Cup semi-finalists Germany on Wednesday.Junker created one for veteran Dennis Rommedahl and scored the leveller four minutes from time after Germany had gone 2-0 up through

LONDON: England bounced back from the nadir of their dismal World Cup campaign with a 2-1 victory over Hungary in a friendly Wednesday which suggested the future might not be as bleak as it seemed for Fabio Capello`s men.Two superb goals from skipper Steven Gerrard in three minutes in the

MASON: Ohio Russia`s Elena Dementieva lost 6-1 6-3 to compatriot Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the second round of the rain-hit Cincinnati Open Wednesday, but Maria Sharapova and Kim Clijsters both advanced to the third round.Fourth seed Clijsters comfortably defeated another former world

TORONTO: Top seed Rafael Nadal battled out a marathon tiebreaker on Wednesday to reach the Toronto Masters third round, downing Stanislas Wawrinka 7-6 (14/12), 6-3.The first-set decider tied the record of the longest ever played by the Spaniard, who went the same distance in 2009 but lost

MEXICO CITY: Newly-crowned World Cup champions Spain played to a 1-1 draw with Mexico on Wednesday in a friendly international at Azteca Stadium marking the bicentennial of Mexican independence.Manchester United`s Javier Hernandez put the hosts ahead in the 12th minute, and it wasn`t

BUENOS AIRES: Argentina`s soccer chief Julio Grondona broke his word when the ruling body did not renew World Cup coach Diego Maradona`s contract, striker Carlos Tevez said on Tuesday."Mr Grondona said Maradona could do what he liked (after the World Cup)," Tevez said, adding the AFA

SHEBOYGAN: Golfer Phil Mickelson revealed on Tuesday he has been diagnosed with a severe form of arthritis that attacks the body`s immune system and in his case left him unable to even get out of bed.The reigning Masters champion said doctors at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota are treating

TORONTO: Andy Roddick`s season hit another low on Tuesday as the 2003 champion withdrew with illness from the Toronto Masters.The one-time number one, now ranked 11th, foreshadowed the news a week ago as he lost in the third round in Washington, saying he was feeling unwell.His summer

SINGAPORE: FIFA president Sepp Blatter on Wednesday defended the scheduling of international matches this week just days ahead of the European football season, telling critics to stop making so much "noise".Virtually all European nations will be in action on Wednesday, with England facing

BIRMINGHAM: Kevin Pietersen has been told to find himself a new county by next season or risk jeopardising his England central contract.But England coach Andy Flower says it won`t worry him if Pietersen`s domestic cricket future is unresolved by the time the side head off to Australia for

SHEBOYGAN: The tabloids have toned down their coverage, the paparazzi no longer sit in front of his hotel trying to snap photos and the helicopters don`t hover above his house like they used to.But just when it seemed like life might be returning to a semi-normal state following the

TORONTO: Roger Federer blasted out of the starting blocks for US Open hardcourt build-up, overcoming early niggles to beat Juan Ignacio Chela 7-6 (9/7), 6-3 to reach the third round of the Toronto Masters Tuesday.Federer is working on a trial basis with coach Paul Annacone, former mentor

CINCINNATTI: Maria Sharapova survived a second-set lapse and delivered a dominant third set to beat Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-4, 1-6, 6-2 Tuesday in the first round of the Cincinnati Women`s Open.While Kuznetsova`s triumph in San Diego on Sunday pushed her ranking to 14, one higher than

LONDON: Interim Ivory Coast coach Francois Zahoui refused to be drawn on whether he`d take the job vacated by Sven Goran Eriksson on a permanent basis even after beating Italy in his first game in charge.The former Elephants midfielder, who is coach of the national youth team, watched his

EAST RUTHERFORD: After a World Cup where they failed to live up to expectations, the smiles appeared to return to Brazilian faces again on Tuesday after a new-look team beat the United States 2-0 in a friendly.The bright and lively performance from the team coached for the first time by

SYDNEY: Australia Wednesday named German veteran Holger Osieck as their surprise new coach, opting against a "big name" to help rebuild after a disappointing World Cup.Osieck, 61, who was Franz Beckenbauer`s assistant when Germany won the 1990 World Cup and coached Canada to the 2000