Person with knowledge of proposal says FIFA looking at plan to open World Cup a day early with host Qatar facing Ecuador

Aug 10, 2022

Person with knowledge of proposal says FIFA looking at plan to open World Cup a day early with host Qatar facing Ecuador

ZURICH (AP) — Person with knowledge of proposal says FIFA looking at plan to open World Cup a day early with host Qatar facing Ecuador.

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S. Korea falls to Japan for 2nd straight loss at regional baseball tournament

Nov 14, 2026

S. Korea falls to Japan for 2nd straight loss at regional baseball tournament

South Korea dropped to Japan 9-5 for its second straight loss at an ongoing regional baseball tournament in Tokyo on Friday, as it failed to hold on to an early lead and got undone by long balls. South Korea surrendered four home runs in the teams' second game of the Asia Professional Baseball Championship (APBC) at Tokyo Dome, none more devastating than the go-ahead three-run bomb by Rui Muneyama in the bottom of the eighth inning. South Korea, made up of Korea Baseball Organization stars, opened the competition with an 8-7 loss to Australia on Thursday. Managed by Choi Won-ho, South Korea will next face Taiwan at 7 p.m. Saturday, while Japan will take on Australia at noon Saturday. After the completion of round-robin play, the bottom two teams will meet in the third-place match at 11 a.m. Sunday, while the top two nations will square off in the championship final at 7 p.m. Sunday. This is the third edition of the APBC. South Korea finished as the runner-up to Japan at each of the two earlier tournaments. In order to reach its third straight final, South Korea must beat Taiwan and have J

Coach says S. Korea must improve 'in every aspect' following loss to Saudi Arabia

Nov 14, 2026

Coach says S. Korea must improve 'in every aspect' following loss to Saudi Arabia

AL RAYYAN, Qatar — Robert Moreno, temporary head coach of the men's national football team, acknowledged Friday that South Korea must improve "in every aspect" in light of their 3-2 loss to Saudi Arabia in their latest friendly match. South Korea suffered their first loss to Saudi Arabia in a little over 21 years at Jassim bin Hamad Stadium in Al Rayyan. just west of Doha, where three different Saudi Arabian players found the back of the net. Oh Hyeon-gyu and Lee Jae-sung each scored for South Korea in the second half but Moreno's record with the Taegeuk Warriors fell to two wins, one draw and two losses since he took the reins as caretaker manager in September. "We wanted to deliver a win for our fans and this was a disappointing outcome," Moreno said at his postmatch press conference. "I think the players in particular must have wanted to prove that they had truly become a team, but we fell short." Moreno rued some defensive breakdowns in the loss, saying, "We committed mistakes that should not be made at national team level and ended up conceding easy goals." "I think we had enough s

Nat'l football team submits another lackluster performance in loss to Saudi Arabia

Nov 14, 2026

Nat'l football team submits another lackluster performance in loss to Saudi Arabia

AL RAYYAN, Qatar — The men's national football team tried to turn the page and move on from a recent controversy surrounding rift inside the locker room, as they traveled to Qatar for two friendly matches this month. In the first of those two games held Friday, though, South Korea ended up writing the same old story, as they lost to Saudi Arabia 3-2 in Al Rayyan, just west of Doha. The South Korean players were inefficient with the pressing and lacked precision and speed with their buildup plays. They did not move the ball with purpose from their own half after winning possession, while allowing their opponents to seize control with quick transition and superior individual skills. South Korea arrived in Qatar under the cloud of rumors that a handful of mainstays had not been seeing eye to eye. After a 2-0 win over Uzbekistan at home on Oct. 6, three 30-year-old veterans, Hwang In-beom, Hwang Hee-chan and Kim Min-jae, threatened to retire from international play because they were apparently not happy with the way captain Son Heung-min and his fellow 34-year-old Lee Jae-sung were runnin

Twist in David Warner’s bombshell Sandpapergate claims involving ex-teammates

Nov 14, 2026

Twist in David Warner’s bombshell Sandpapergate claims involving ex-teammates

David Warner has accused Cricket Australia of a cover-up of the Sandpapergate scandal.

Fullback battle between Kalyn Ponga and Reece Walsh looming as decisive factor in World Cup final

Nov 14, 2026

Fullback battle between Kalyn Ponga and Reece Walsh looming as decisive factor in World Cup final

The two superstars will go head to head in another chapter to the rivalry.

‘We are not asking for special treatment’: Wallaroos captain blasts RA during pay dispute

Nov 14, 2026

‘We are not asking for special treatment’: Wallaroos captain blasts RA during pay dispute

Wallaroos captain Siokapesi Palu has criticised Rugby Australia over player pay and conditions.

Bulls reach Giddey heights after NBA overtime thriller

Nov 14, 2026

Bulls reach Giddey heights after NBA overtime thriller

A quartet of Australians have made the most of big opportunities in their NBA Cup contests, but only one was smiling at the end of their respective outings.

Rabbitohs meet with Roosters halfback Sam Walker

Nov 14, 2026

Rabbitohs meet with Roosters halfback Sam Walker

Out-of-favour Rooster Sam Walker has had a secret meeting with the Rabbitohs in a move that will again escalate tensions between the bitter rivals.

Marnus hails 'awesome' Bulls bowlers after Shield win

Nov 14, 2026

Marnus hails 'awesome' Bulls bowlers after Shield win

Queensland's opening batters have wrapped up victory over Tasmania to give captain Marnus Labuschagne a winning start on return from the South Africa Test tour.

Crowe, Yu vying for honours at Austin Championship

Nov 14, 2026

Crowe, Yu vying for honours at Austin Championship

American Trace Crowe leads the Austin Championship by one stroke after play was suspended during the second round.

Kim leads Aussies, despair for compatriot in Florida

Nov 14, 2026

Kim leads Aussies, despair for compatriot in Florida

Australia's Grace Kim has jumped nine positions to move into a tie for 11th after the second round of The ANNIKA, but she is five shots behind the leaders.

'Grateful' Konstas believes he's ready for Test return

Nov 14, 2026

'Grateful' Konstas believes he's ready for Test return

Sam Konstas says his batting is in a better place than when he last played for Australia, as selectors weigh up their squad for the first Test against NZ.

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