Briefs

Juarez: Mexico World Cup star Efrain Juarez last night signed a four-year contract with Celtic. The 22-year-old utility player will undergo a medical while Celtic officials finalise the documentation surrounding his transfer from Pumas.

Garcia: Palermo have completed the signing of Argentina defender Santiago Garcia from Rosario Central. The 22-year-old full-back has signed a five-year deal after joining the club for an undisclosed fee.

Smeltz: New Zealand striker Shane Smeltz has walked out on Chinese club Shandong Luneng after only one week and is on his way back to the A League. The Gold Coast Bulletin reported that Smeltz had decided that it would be too difficult for his wife and two children to settle in Jinan, 400 kilometres south of Beijing, and will instead rejoin Gold Coast United.

Martino: Gerardo Martino has agreed a new four-year contract to remain coach of Paraguay, but could still leave the post after the Copa America. Last week, the Argentinian agreed terms to remain in charge for another year, but yesterday he revealed he has reached a deal on a contract to 2014.

Bocanegra: Rennes have agreed a deal to transfer USA defender Carlos Bocanegra to St Etienne. The 31-year-old defender has spent the last two seasons at Rennes after joining from Fulham in 2008. Bocanegra has made 54 appearances for Rennes, scoring two goals.

Insua: Emiliano Insua is on the verge of leaving Liverpool to join Fiorentina. The Argentina defender will move to the Serie A club for a transfer fee of around €4.5m and should be joining up with his new team-mates shortly.

Friendlies: Brisbane Roar vs Everton 1-2; Bohemians vs Wolves 0-3; Barnet vs Arsenal 0-4; C. Palace vs Chelsea 0-1.

Cricket: Shahid Afridi did not pull any punches as he announced his decision to quit Test cricket after captaining Pakistan to a crushing 150-run defeat in their series opener with Australia at Lord's. "I'm not good enough for Test cricket," said the hard-hitting batsman. But he insisted his decision, which will leave the infamously unstable Pakistan having to pick a seventh Test captain in three years, had nothing to do with the greater financial rewards on offer in Twenty20 cricket. "I've got enough money," he said.

Golf: England's Paul Casey and South African Louis Oosthuizen pulled ahead of the pack in yesterday's third round of the British Open, threatening to make the major title chase a two-man affair. Oosthuizen, who missed the cut in seven of his prior eight majors, stood on 14-under par through 16 holes while Casey, trying to become England's first major champion since Nick Faldo at the 1996 Masters, was three strokes off the pace. Oosthuizen began with a bogey but birdied seven and nine to answer Casey's challenge.

Doping: The NFL suspended Green Bay Packers defensive tackle Johnny Jolly without pay at least for the upcoming 2010 season for violating the league's substance abuse policy. The league said Jolly's suspension begins immediately and could continue beyond the 2010 season. He will be eligible to apply for reinstatement after the Super Bowl. Jolly is facing drug charges in Texas, stemming from his arrest in July 2008 for illegally possessing at least 200 grams of codeine. If convicted, Jolly faces up to 20 years in prison.

Formula One: Hispania Racing have dropped Indian driver Karun Chandhok for the German Grand Prix today week. The team confirmed Sakon Yamamoto will keep his drive with Bruno Senna, who was replaced by the Japanese at Silverstone, returning to action. "After Yamamoto gave a very positive performance in Silverstone, the team has decided to give the Japanese another opportunity," the team said. Yamamoto, 28, is now likely to compete in the next two races, while Senna has been told he will keep his seat for the rest of the season.