Briefs | Sundhage replaces Ryan as U.S. women’s coach
Soccer
Sundhage indicates Solo will remain on U.S. team: Pia Sundhage, 47, was hired Tuesday as coach of the U.S. women’s team. The Swede replaces Greg Ryan, whose contract wasn’t renewed after the United States finished third in this year’s Women’s World Cup in China.
Sundhage’s contract runs through the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.
Sundhage indicated goalkeeper Hope Solo, a former Washington Huskies standout from Richland, would remain on the U.S. team. Solo was dismissed after criticizing Ryan for replacing her with Briana Scurry for a World Cup semifinal match the U.S. team lost 4-0 to Brazil on Sept. 27. Solo was reinstated to the roster last month.
“Hope is a good goalkeeper,” Sundhage said.
Dynamo’s Ching is doubtful for MLS Cup match: Houston Dynamo forward Brian Ching, the most valuable player of last year’s MLS Cup, is considered doubtful for this year’s title rematch against the New England Revolution because of a strained left calf.
Ching, a former Gonzaga and Seattle Sounders standout, was hurt during the reigning champion Dynamo’s 2-0 victory over Kansas City in Saturday’s Major League Soccer Western Conference final. The MLS Cup match is Sunday in Washington, D.C.
NHL
Fine fest: League disciplinarian Colin Campbell handed down several fines.
The New York Rangers were given a $25,000 fine, while the Toronto Maple Leafs were hit with a $10,000 penalty. Sean Avery of the Rangers will have to pay $2,500, and Toronto’s Darcy Tucker was slapped with a $1,000 fine.
Avery exchanged words and shoves with Maple Leafs forward Jason Blake and Tucker during warmups before New York’s 3-2 shootout victory Saturday night. An unnamed Rangers player told a Toronto radio station Avery started the scuffle with comments directed against Blake, who was recently diagnosed with a form of leukemia.
“I am extremely upset and hurt that false and damaging comments were attributed to me regarding Jason Blake,” Avery said in a statement.
The league also fined Coyotes coach Wayne Gretzky $10,000 and suspended Phoenix defenseman Nick Boynton for a game as a result of an altercation in Monday’s 5-0 loss to San Jose.
Stars dump Armstrong: The Dallas Stars fired general manager Doug Armstrong after a 7-7-3 start. Brett Hull and Les Jackson are the interim co-GMs.
Tennis
Nadal, Djokovic lose: Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic learned friendship doesn’t count for much at the Masters Cup in Shanghai, China.
Both lost to buddies in the round-robin phase of the season-ending tournament. Nadal lost to David Ferrer 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 in a matchup of Spaniards. Djokovic, who is from Serbia, lost to Richard Gasquet of France 6-4, 6-2.
Golf
PGA Tour drug testing to start in July: The PGA Tour plans to start its drug-testing program in July, after six months of an education program, with penalties for a positive test ranging from a one-year suspension for the first offense to a lifetime ban if a player is caught three times.
Meanwhile, Tour officials also decided to move next year’s FedEx Cup finale to the week after the Ryder Cup to allow Americans to be fresh as they try to end a decade of losing. The Ryder Cup starts Sept. 19.
Sailing
Swiss yacht club asks American rival to drop lawsuit: The Swiss yacht club that won the last two America’s Cup titles with Alinghi is asking an American rival - BMW Oracle Racing’s Golden Gate Yacht Club - to withdraw its lawsuit by Friday to ensure the 2009 competition will be raced on schedule in Valencia, Spain.
Track and field
Graham loses lawyers: U.S. Judge Susan Illston granted a request from coach Trevor Graham’s defense lawyers, Gail Shifman and Joseph Zeszotarski Jr., to remove themselves from the case. Graham is charged with lying to investigators in the federal government’s probe of steroid use in sports.
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