Soccer-Motta sent off as leaders PSG draw rare blank

PARIS, Jan 11 (Reuters) - Ten-man Paris St Germain failed to score in a Ligue 1 game for the first time since August as the leaders were held to a 0-0 home draw by lowly Ajaccio on Friday.PSG wasted numerous goal chances after having Thiago Motta sent off on the stroke of halftime for a dangerous tackle on Frederic Sammaritano.Carlo Ancelotti's men were also hindered when captain Thiago Silva had...

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Soccer-Rayo beat Bilbao to move into European places in La Liga

MADRID, Jan 11 (Reuters) - Tiny Rayo Vallecano won 2-1 at Athletic Bilbao on Friday to move into sixth spot in La Liga, level on points with fourth-placed Malaga in the Champions League qualification slots.Lass Bangoura and Piti, with a penalty, put Rayo two goals up in the second half and they held on despite Bilbao pulling one back through Mikel San Jose near the end and a late red card for visiting...

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FACTBOX-Soccer-African Nations Cup finalists Tunisia

Jan 12 (Reuters) - Factbox on African Nations Cup finalists Tunisia ahead of this year's tournament in South Africa from Jan. 19 to Feb. 10:Previous appearances in African Nations Cup finals: 15Best performances: Winners in 2004; Runners-up in 1965 and 1996FIFA world ranking Dec 2012: 45Coach:Sami Trabelsi was a long-standing fullback for the Tunisia side, playing at three Nations Cup finals between...

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D'Antoni says Lakers need better starts, tighter defense

(Reuters) - Faster starts and a much improved defense are sorely needed by the Los Angeles Lakers if the 16-time NBA champions are to resurrect a bitterly disappointing campaign, according to their head coach Mike D'Antoni.Lakers fans had lofty expectations for 2012-13 after Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol were joined by fellow All-Stars Dwight Howard and Steve Nash during the off-season but the once mighty...

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UPDATE 1-NBA-Spurs smack Sixers to ride high in the West

* Spurs win 10th straight game at home* Stay in contention for top spot in the West (adds quotes, detail)Jan 5 (Reuters) - Tony Parker and the San Antonio Spurs maintained course with a swagger in their bid for supremacy in the hotly contested Western Conference with a 109-86 rout of the road-weary Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday.Four-times All-Star guard Parker recorded 20 points and five assists...

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Spurs smack Sixers to ride high in the West

(Reuters) - Tony Parker and the San Antonio Spurs maintained course with a swagger in their bid for supremacy in the hotly contested Western Conference with a 109-86 rout of the road-weary Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday.Four-times All-Star guard Parker recorded 20 points and five assists while Manu Ginobili added 19 points and Tim Duncan 16 as the Spurs improved their record to 27-9 with a commanding...

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Pettersson: Golf on 'witch hunt' of long putters

KAPALUA, Hawaii (AP) — Carl Pettersson says the proposed rule to ban the anchored stroke for long putters feels like a "witch hunt," and that golf's governing bodies were only reacting to three of the last five major champions using a belly putter."It seems silly to ban something that's been around for 40 years," Pettersson said in his first comments since the U.S. Golf Association and Royal &...

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INTERVIEW-Golf-Poulter seeks final piece in major puzzle

Jan 2 (Reuters) - Still feeling a little giddy after a barn-storming finish to his 2012 campaign, Ian Poulter is itching to plug the only hole in his otherwise glittering career resume by winning a major championship.The fashion-conscious Englishman, widely regarded as one of the best putters in the game, has achieved virtually everything else in professional golf and says landing one of the four...

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Poulter seeks final piece in major puzzle

Still feeling a little giddy after a barn-storming finish to his 2012 campaign, Ian Poulter is itching to plug the only hole in his otherwise glittering career resume by winning a major championship.The fashion-conscious Englishman, widely regarded as one of the best putters in the game, has achieved virtually everything else in professional golf and says landing one of the four majors would fulfill...

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