Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors were the only team among four South Korean K-League representatives to earn a victory this week at an ongoing continental club competition, while two Korean teams suffered defeats and another was held to a draw.At home in Jeonju, 243 kilometers south of Seoul, on Wednesday, Jeonbuk beat Cerezo Osaka 1-0 to move into first place in Group G of the Asian Football Confederation

VALENCIA, Spain (AP) ― Cristiano Ronaldo headed home the winner in extra time as Real Madrid ended an 18-year Copa del Rey trophy drought with a 1-0 victory over biggest rival Barcelona on Wednesday.Ronaldo guided Angel Di Maria’s 103rd-minute pass back across goal and past the outstretched hand of goalkeeper Jose Manuel Pinto into the top corner as Madrid won silverware for the first time since a

Is this the end of the road for Lee Seung-yeop? The Korean slugger of the Orix Buffaloes is in one of the worst slumps of his career in his seventh spell at the Japanese top-division baseball league. It is still early in the 2011 season, but the opening games saw the veteran hitter struggle to connect on pitches, picking up just two hits in the past seven games.On Tuesday, Lee went 0 for 3 in the

South Korean figure skater Kim Yu-na will go for her second world title next week in Moscow, the new venue for the rescheduled World Figure Skating Championships.The International Skating Union will run the season’s final competition from April 24-May 1. The event had been scheduled for March 20-27 in Tokyo, but was postponed after a devastating earthquake hit Japan earlier in March.Kim will leave

The 2011 K-League season is proving to be nothing if not unpredictable. Usual minnows such as Daejeon Citizen, Daegu FC and Sangju Sangmu are enjoying the rarified air near the top of the standings while there are some prestigious names floundering in the depths of the 16-team league. Just take a look at FC Seoul and Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma. Seoul lifted the domestic title in December just a month a

One-run games on the rise in Korean baseball leagueGames decided by the smallest of margins in South Korea’s top baseball league have been on the rise in the early going of the season, a trend that experts say has been exciting for fans but distressing to managers.In the first 52 games in the Korea Baseball Organization through Sunday, 18 games, or 35 percent, have been decided by a single run, ac

CLEVELAND (AP) ― Grady Sizemore never heard the crowd’s roar.Striding to the plate for his first at-bat in 11 months on a surgically repaired left knee, Sizemore’s mind raced. His thoughts drowned out a welcoming ovation from fans who couldn’t wait to see him back in Cleveland’s leadoff spot and roaming center field.As he stepped into the box, the noisy ballpark went silent.“There was a lot going

Stoke City bag 5-0 win at Wembley StadiumIt was a match he had dreamed of playing. Lee Chung-yong of Bolton Wanderers tried to reach the English FA Cup final, but his dream ended bitterly on Sunday as the team lost to Stoke City 5-0 in the semifinals at Wembley Stadium.The Korean midfielder revealed he was hugely disappointed to be knocked out of the FA Cup, admitting that his team had played its

CLEVELAND (AP) ― Orlando Cabrera senses something special happening to the Cleveland Indians. In 13 major league seasons, he’s seen this before.With each quality start, clutch hit and win, the Indians’ confidence grows. Cabrera sees a young team blossoming into a quality one.“I think we have what it takes,” he said.To do what?“To win,” he said. “I don’t like to compete. I like to win.”That’s exact

The World Taekwondo Peace Corps Foundation, a non-profit organization promoting peace through the traditional Korean martial art, is looking for new volunteers for this year’s program. The World Taekwondo Federation, the sport’s governing body, established the Peace Corps in 2008 to provide more opportunities for youths in developing countries. A volunteer teaches Sri Lankan participants during th

LONDON (AP) ― Manchester City ended Manchester United’s chances of winning three trophies in the same season, beating its local rival 1-0 at Wembley on Saturday to reach its first FA Cup final in 30 years.Chelsea kept alive its faint hopes of retaining the Premier League title with a 3-1 win at West Bromwich Albion.Yaya Toure scored in the 52nd minute for City, leaving United in contention for the

SAN ANTONIO, Texas (AFP) -- Korean-American Kevin Na endured a nightmare ninth in the Texas Open, setting a PGA Tour record-worst with a 16 on the par-4 hole.Na‘s Thursday woes included an unplayable lie from the tee, a two-stroke penalty after the ball bounced off a tree and hit him, and five straight shots from a thicket.“I got done with the hole and I said (to my caddie), ’I think I made somewh