Stags are bottom after Hanoi's 2-1 win

Hanoi FC consigned Tampines Rovers to a third loss in four AFC Cup Group G games with a 2-1 win last night at Jalan Besar.

Yasir Hanapi gave the Stags the lead but Nguyen Van Quyet and substitute Pham Van Thanh earned the visitors full points.

Malaysia's Felda United thrashed Ceres Negros from the Philippines 3-0 in Shah Alam. Both have five points, two ahead of Tampines and three behind the Vietnamese leaders.

Blazers hope narrow loss won't be costly

LOS ANGELES • Karl- Anthony Towns scored 34 points and pulled down 12 rebounds, as the Minnesota Timberwolves cooled off the red-hot Portland Trail Blazers with a 110-109 National Basketball Association (NBA) victory on Monday.

Portland's Damian Lillard had a solid look at what would have been a game-winning shot, but his jumper lipped out at the buzzer and the Blazers' six-game winning streak came to an end.

At 38-39, they are clinging to the Western Conference's final play-off spot, 11/2 games ahead of the Denver Nuggets.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

Extra game may be back on EPL agenda

LOS ANGELES • The head of the International Champions Cup exhibition tournament said on Monday he believes the English Premier League is ready to revisit proposals to stage a 39th game overseas.

Charlie Stillitano, whose company Relevent Sport runs the ICC pre-season event, told ESPN's Max & Herc podcast that the EPL was not "that far away" from an additional game.

The EPL first suggested adding a round of fixtures - to be played overseas - in 2008. But the idea was shelved after opposition from clubs, fans and Fifa.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

Pay issue holds up naming of Gomez

JOHOR BARU • A lack of funds and the demand for high salary has thrown a spanner in the appointment of former Johor Darul Takzim head coach Mario Gomez as the Malaysia national football team manager.

Football Association of Malaysia president Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim said the Argentinian has yet to accept the post because it would not be able to match his salary request.

BERNAMA

IOC blasts Olympic ban on NHL players

AARHUS (Denmark) • The International Olympic (IOC) Committee yesterday hit out at the North American National Hockey League (NHL) for refusing to let top players take part in the Winter Olympics next year.

"This must be a huge disappointment for the players who definitely wanted to play at the Olympic Winter Games Pyeongchang 2018," said an IOC statement released within hours of the NHL announcement.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

Coach held in graft probe after drubbing

BARCELONA • Filippo di Pierro, the Italian coach of Spanish third division club Eldense, has been arrested as part of a corruption probe following his team's 12-0 defeat by Barcelona's B team that relegated them, Spanish police said yesterday.

REUTERS