Sporting briefs

Porto: The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has rejected an attempt by Portuguese clubs Benfica and Vitoria Guimaraes to have rivals Porto thrown out of this season's Champions League over bribery allegations. CAS announced on its website (www.tas-cas.org) yesterday that Benfica and Guimaraes' appeals against the Portuguese champions' readmission to the competition had been dismissed.

Brazil: Brazil's soccer team will play a warm-up match with Vietnam on July 27 as preparation for the Beijing Olympics, state media reported yesterday. Vietnam paid $500,000 to lure the Brazilians, who are chasing their first Olympic soccer gold.

Engelaar: Netherlands midfielder Orlando Engelaar has signed a three-year contract to join Schalke 04 from Twente Enschede, the Bundesliga club said. The 28-year-old midfielder signed for €5.5 million.

West Brom: Newly-promoted Premier League side West Bromwich Albion have signed Slovakia left back Marek Cech from Porto for £1.4 million. The 25-year-old, who has signed a three-year deal, was in the Porto team that won three domestic titles last season.

Friendlies: Wuppertal vs Schalke 0-3; Dundee vs Aberdeen 0-0; Lincoln vs A. Villa 3-1; Southend vs Fulham 0-2; Piacenza vs Juventus 1-0.

Tennis: Austria's Stefan Koubek has withdrawn from the Olympics tennis competition because of injury and his place will go to Australia's Chris Guccione, the ITF said yesterday. In the women's event, Italy's Karin Knapp has also pulled out, meaning a spot in the singles draw for compatriot Mara Santangelo.

Motor racing: Force India, still chasing their first point of the F1 season, have pinned their hopes of closing the gap on a new gearbox. "With the seamless shift box due to debut in Hungary, we should perhaps look to that race for a better step forward rather than in Germany," Italian driver Giancarlo Fisichella said.