Malta U-20: The Malta U-20 team placed fourth in the inaugural International Tournament after the Maltese youngsters lost to organisers Portugal 2-0 in the play-off for third place in Viseu yesterday. Despite finding themselves a goal behind after 53 minutes, Mark Miller's team kept battling hard to gain an equaliser. But their hopes were all but ended when Portugal made sure of the win with a second goal in injury time.
Free beer: A German brewery will give away 10,000 litres of beer to fans of the first team to beat Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga this season. Bayern have won 15 league games in a row - six out of six this season, plus their final nine on the run-in to the title last term - and are already four points clear at the top. "We want to create a bit of excitement," Bitburger spokesman Dietmar Henle told Bild newspaper yesterday. "We've nothing against Bayern but there must be some tension." The beer could be claimed tomorrow when second-placed Hamburg SV host Bayern.
Puyol: Barcelona captain Carles Puyol has extended his contract with the Spanish champions until 2010, the Primera Liga club announced yesterday. The 27-year-old Spanish international, whose original deal ran to 2007, is just the latest of the club's most influential players to extend his stay with the Catalans. World Player of the Year Ronaldinho, leading striker Samuel Eto'o, Portugal midfielder Deco and Spanish players Xavi and Victor Valdes have all signed up until 2010 in recent months, while Argentine teenage prodigy Lionel Messi has agreed to stay until 2014.
Baumann: Werder Bremen coach Thomas Schaaf came to the defence of his captain Frank Baumann yesterday after the player's own goal consigned the club to their first league defeat. "I had to work hard to control myself after reading some of the reports," Schaaf said following Bremen's 2-1 reverse at Borussia Moenchengladbach on Tuesday. "Baumann can play better but the criticism simply isn't justified. His play is not spectacular but he does a valuable job for the team. His work (in midfield) makes our attacks possible. He's under-estimated." Baumann inexplicably shot the ball past his own keeper to hand Gladbach victory.
Okocha: Nigeria captain Austin "Jay-Jay" Okocha was named yesterday in the squad for their African zone World Cup qualifier against Zimbabwe next month in Abuja. The Bolton Wanderers midfielder missed the Group Four qualifier against Algeria earlier this month due to injury. Coach Austin Eguavoen called up 27 others for the October 8 game. Nigeria must win and hope leaders Angola fail to beat Rwanda to clinch the group's sole ticket for next year's finals.
Cycling: Michael Rogers of Australia made cycling history yesterday by winning the men's elite time trial for the third time in a row when he powered his way to the gold medal in the world championship in Madrid. The 25-year-old blasted his way round the 44.1-km course in 53 minutes 34.49 seconds to smash the time set by home favourite Jose Ivan Gutierrez by some 24 seconds. Fabian Cancellara of Switzerland claimed the bronze medal.
In France: Ligue 1 - Olympique Lyon vs Racing Lens 1-1.