Sanchez is named Mexico’s coach
Hugo Sanchez, the former Mexico striker who made his name as one of Real Madrid’s most prolific goal scorers, on Thursday achieved a long-held ambition when he was named Mexico’s national soccer team coach.
Sanchez, 48, was selected for the position after lengthy consideration by the Mexican soccer federation, with which he has clashed in the past.
Affable but outspoken, Sanchez was a vocal critic of his sometimes taciturn predecessor, Argentina’s Ricardo Lavolpe, who coached Mexico into the second round of last summer’s World Cup in Germany.
Lavolpe stepped down after the tournament and the Mexican federation has had a list of five candidates ever since. On Thursday, it settled on Sanchez, nicknamed “Hugol” for his scoring feats in Spain in the 1980s when he was the Spanish league’s top scorer for five seasons, once with Atletico Madrid and four times with Real Madrid.
Sanchez retired as a player in 1996, having scored 47 goals in 75 games for Mexico, which he represented at the 1976 Montreal Olympics and also at the 1978, 1986 and 1994 World Cups.
He was chosen after the other finalist for the post, Argentina’s Americo Gallego, withdrew from consideration Wednesday, according to Decio de Maria, secretary-general of Mexico’s soccer federation.
Hugely popular among fans, Sanchez has had mixed results as a coach, but he did win two Mexican league titles with the Pumas of UNAM.
-- Grahame Jones
The contract of USC women’s soccer coach Jim Millinder was not renewed, ending his 11-year tenure, Athletic Director Mike Garrett announced.
Millinder, 47, compiled a 136-70-21 (.645) record at USC since taking over in 1996.
His teams made eight NCAA tournament appearances, but never advanced past the second round.
Fifth-seeded Azusa Pacific used a 21-3 shot advantage and defeated Tiffin (Ohio), 3-0, in the second round of the NAIA women’s championships at Olathe, Kan.
Azusa will play the winner of the Westmont-Covenant (Ga.) match in the semifinals.
GOLF
Miyazato shoots a 68
for one-shot advantage
Ai Miyazato held a one-shot lead after the opening round of the ADT Championship, the season-ending event on the LPGA Tour at West Palm Beach, Fla.
Miyazato shot a four-under-par 68 at Trump International, one shot better than Il Mi Chung and two-time ADT winner Karrie Webb, one of four women in the field still alive in the tour’s money title race.
Natalie Gulbis, Mi Hyun Kim and Julieta Granada were two shots off the pace at two under, while four other players -- Wendy Ward, Morgan Pressel, Se Ri Pak and Paula Creamer -- were another stroke back.
Two-time defending ADT champion Annika Sorenstam and player of the year Lorena Ochoa struggled.
Sorenstam was four over after 10 holes before rallying to finish two over, six shots off the lead. And Ochoa had a 75 in her opening round, with four bogeys and only one birdie.
Tiger Woods endured an embarrassing incident in the first round of the Dunlop Phoenix at Miyazaki, Japan, when he drove the green on the dogleg 332-yard, par-four 13th with the previous threesome still putting.
His ball landed in the front left fringe and rolled within several feet of the surprised players before stopping on the back fringe.
The gaffe notwithstanding, Woods overcame a slow start and shot a three-under 67 to sit two strokes behind leader Shingo Katayama.
Katayama, who was on the green at the time, described the incident as “dangerous.”
The green is not visible from the tee, blocked by a thick forest of stunted pines, and Woods said he didn’t see the caddie’s yellow flag warning that the green was still occupied.
“We saw no flag so I went ahead,” Woods said. “I thought they were off the green and they weren’t, so I had to apologize when I got up there.”
Jose Manuel Lara and Jyoti Randhawa shot six-under 64s to share a one-stroke lead in the Hong Kong Open.
Defending champion Colin Montgomerie (69) and Retief Goosen (70) struggled a little in the $2-million event.
Michael Campbell was hampered because of a sore right ankle and considered dropping out, but he hung on to shoot a two-under 68.
Tom Purtzer, a three-time Champions Tour winner, capitalized on six consecutive birdies en route to a seven-under 65 at Del Monte Golf Course in Pebble Beach and a one-shot lead over Michael Putnam after the first round of the Callaway Golf Pebble Beach Invitational.
TENNIS
Nalbandian ousts
Roddick at Masters Cup
Two days after coming within one serve of upsetting Roger Federer, Andy Roddick was eliminated from the season-ending Masters Cup by defending champion David Nalbandian, 6-2, 7-6 (4), at Shanghai.
Top-ranked Federer later defeated Ivan Ljubicic, 7-6 (2), 6-4, helping Nalbandian advance to the semifinals in the round-robin event. Federer, who extended his winning streak to 27 matches, is seeking his third Masters Cup title.
In doubles, top-ranked Bob and Mike Bryan missed out on a semifinal spot after losing to Paul Hanley and Kevin Ullyett, 3-6, 7-6 (4), 6-4.
MISCELLANY
Virginia Tech, Memphis
probe alleged payments
Two universities and the NCAA are investigating allegations that two pro athletes received cash and other items from a lawyer when they were still in school, officials said.
Virginia Tech is working “in a spirit of cooperation with the NCAA” to investigate claims against former Hokies football player Jimmy Williams, now a cornerback with the Atlanta Falcons, Athletic Director Jim Weaver said.
Weaver said the investigation resulted from a lawsuit that attorney Carl C. La Mondue filed last week demanding Williams and his father reimburse him about $55,000.
La Mondue also filed a similar lawsuit last week in Norfolk Circuit Court seeking reimbursement for almost $50,000 in cash and benefits from former Memphis basketball player Shawne Williams, now an Indiana Pacers rookie.
Cory Kruseman of Ventura and Damion Gardner of Concord will settle their season-long differences Saturday night when Perris Auto Speedway ends its racing year with the annual Jack Kindoll Classic for USAC/CRA sprint cars. Kruseman leads Gardner by 102 points in the standings.
The program, with racing starting at 6:30 over the half-mile dirt track, will consist of qualifying, four 10-lap heats, a B main and the 40-lap Kindoll Classic A main event.
Russia defeated tournament favorite Brazil in five sets to win the women’s world volleyball championships at Osaka, Japan.
Serbia and Montenegro defeated defending champion Italy, 25-22, 25-22, 25-21, to claim the bronze medal.
Manhattan Beach Mira Costa’s Alix Klineman, considered the top girls’ volleyball recruit in the nation, signed with Stanford.
An arrest warrant in Columbus, Ohio, for former heavyweight boxing champion James “Buster” Douglas was canceled when $406 in outstanding fines and court costs were paid.
