FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) ― From one red carpet to the other, Germany is still celebrating the World Cup title.On the field, however, Germany is looking far from being the best team in the world.As year-end honors pour in and Joachim Loew’s team gets feted across the country, the World Cup champions have struggled to keep up their reputation and so far have had a lackluster European Championship qualifying campaign.“Somehow, we’ve landed hard on the surface of reality,” Loew said last week.No wond

Stanton agrees to record $325m deal with Marlins

Seo Geon-chang, the record-breaking second baseman for the Nexen Heroes, on Tuesday bagged his first MVP award in South Korean pro baseball.Seo garnered 77 of 99 media votes to claim the 2014 Korea Baseball Organization MVP honors. He established new KBO single-season records with 201 hits, 135 runs scored and 17 triples. The 25-year-old also batted .370 for his first batting title. He played in all 128 games this year.Seo, the 2012 Rookie of the Year, became only the second KBO player ever to w

MEXICO CITY (AP) ― Christina Kim won the Lorena Ochoa Invitational on Sunday for her first LPGA Tour title in nine years, beating Shanshan Feng in a playoff after blowing a five-stroke lead.Kim won with a tap-in par on the par-4 18th on the second extra hole.The 30-year-old American celebrated with an exuberant dance and jumped up and down on the green. Kim hugged caddie T.J. Jones, boyfriend Duncan French and friend Michelle Wie, with Wie wiping away tears after embracing the winner. French is

The top South Korean baseball league said Monday it requested Major League Baseball to post South Korean left-hander Yang Hyeon-jong for interested clubs.The Korea Baseball Organization said it has filed the necessary paper work with the MLB after being notified of Yang’s availability by the Kia Tigers earlier in the day.They are steps to have the 26-year-old pitcher available for an MLB-wide silent auction this week. Once he is posted, interested MLB clubs will have four business days to submit

TEHRAN (Yonhap) ― South Korea will try to end its winless streak versus Iran when the two rivals clash in a friendly match in Tehran on Tuesday.The kickoff will be 4:25 p.m. Tuesday at Azadi Stadium in the Iranian capital, or 9:55 p.m. in Seoul.It will be the last match of 2014 for South Korea, coached by ex-German international Uli Stielike. South Korea defeated Jordan 1-0 in Amman on Friday to begin its two-match Middle East road trip.South Korea is ranked 66th in the world, fourth-highest amo

Wayne Rooney celebrated his 100th appearance for England by scoring in a 3-1 win over Slovenia, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic had a goal in his return for Sweden in a 1-1 draw at Montenegro in European Championship qualifiers Saturday.Along with England’s fourth win in as many games, San Marino ended its streak of 61 losses by tying 0-0 against Estonia in Group E.Defending champion Spain won 3-0 at home over Belarus, but Slovakia remained atop Group C with a 2-0 victory at Macedonia.Austria strengthene

MEXICO CITY (AFP) ― Christina Kim, who is seeking her first LPGA win in almost a decade, posted a 4-under 68 to take a five-shot lead into the final round of the Lorena Ochoa Invitational.The 30-year-old American has one of the longest winless droughts on the tour ― her last victory came in 2005 at the Tournament of Champions.Kim, who began the day just one shot ahead of Paula Creamer, finished 54 holes at 14-under-par 202.“I’m just here to enjoy myself and really just go out and try and play so

LONDON (AP) ― Roger Federer blew away Andy Murray 6-0, 6-1 to finish the ATP Finals round-robin unbeaten, and hand Murray his worst defeat in seven years in front of his home crowd on Thursday. Federer, the most successful player at the year-end championship with six titles, equaled Ivan Lendl’s record of 12 semifinal appearances in winning his group ahead of Japanese debutant Kei Nishikori.“I knew I was qualified, so maybe I went in a bit more relaxed,” Federer said. “It’s not the way I thought

FIFA President Joseph Blatter speaks during a ceremony held at the Saudi Football Federation on the night of the 22nd Gulf Cup football tournament in Riyadh on Thursday. (AFP-Yonhap)GENEVA (AP) ― A long-awaited day of judgment on World Cup hosts Russia and Qatar turned into another day of FIFA disarray. Nearly four years after FIFA chose Russia and Qatar to host the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, the football body’s ethics judge exonerated the two countries of any corruption in their winning bids and