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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Sounders fall to Buddle, Galaxy

Galaxy's Edson Buddle, right, scores a goal 3-1 win over Sounders. (Associated Press)
The Spokesman-Review

MLS: Edson Buddle and Juninho scored to lead the Los Angeles Galaxy to a 3-1 victory over Seattle Sounders FC on Sunday night in Carson, Calif.

Buddle and Landon Donovan played their first game for the Galaxy (11-1-3) since returning from the World Cup in South Africa.

Steve Zakuani scored for the Sounders (4-8-3), who also conceded an own goal and have lost five of their past six games against Major League Soccer opponents.

Buddle scored his MLS-leading 10th goal in the 19th minute on a glancing 7-yard header off Donovan’s corner kick. Donovan recorded his league-best 10th assist.

Seattle defender James Riley conceded an own goal in the 77th minute, when Alan Gordon’s right-wing cross hit the sliding Riley in the leg and rolled into the net.

Nigerian soccer executives fired

World Cup: The Nigerian Football Federation fired its two leaders, trying to appease the West African nation’s president.

In a statement, the federation’s executive committee said it fired president Sani Lulu and vice president Amanze Ugbulam, as well as a member of the federation’s technical committee. The statement said the committee wanted to apologize to all Nigerians over the team’s lackluster performance at the World Cup

The Nigerians haven’t won a World Cup match since 1998. They had two losses and a draw in 2002 and didn’t qualify for the 2006 tournament.

Argentina returns home: Argentina’s national team returned home amid high security after an exit from the World Cup that many fans felt was humiliating and premature.

Police took extreme measures to prevent fans from reaching Buenos Aires’ international airport. Customs and immigration officials processed the players and coaching staff at the plane, and a bus took them directly from the tarmac to the Argentine Football Association’s nearby headquarters.

Van Persie good to go against Uruguay: Robin van Persie has been cleared to face Uruguay in the World Cup semifinals despite the left elbow injury he got against Brazil.

Dutch team spokeswoman Monique Kessels says a scan showed the injury was not as serious as first feared.

US crews win three races at Henley

Miscellany: Three U.S. crews rowed to victory on a blustery final day of the Henley Royal Regatta in Henley, England.

Harvard University won the Ladies’ Plate for elite eights on the River Thames, the University of Washington took the Temple Cup for student eights and a U.S. national squad racing as Princeton Training Center captured the Stewards’ Cup for international coxless fours.

Washington had little trouble against its Dutch opponent, leading from the start in cruising to 41/4-length victory.

Three other U.S. crews lost in their finals.

Source: Georgia AD ousted: A person familiar with the decision says Damon Evans is out as Georgia’s athletic director.

A conference call of the athletic association’s board of directors executive committee is scheduled today.

Evans was arrested and charged with DUI late Wednesday.

Vanhoenacker, Dollinger win Austria Ironman titles: Marino Vanhoenacker of Belgium won the Ironman Austria triathlon for a fifth straight year, and Eva Dollinger of Austria took the women’s race in Klagenfurt, Austria.

Vanhoenacker finished in 7 hours, 52 minutes, 5 seconds.

Dollinger led the women’s race throughout, finishing in 9:18:50 for her first Ironman title.

Franny Freud wins Belmont’s Prioress: Franny Freud extended her winning streak to four with a 13/4-length win over Champagne d’Oro in the $250,000 Prioress for 3-year-old fillies at Belmont Park in New York.

The New York-bred Franny Freud improved to 8 for 11 with her first Grade 1 victory.

Discreetly Mine wins Monmouth feature: Discreetly Mine ran past Out of Respect in the deep stretch to win the $200,000 Jersey Shore Stakes at Monmouth Park by 11/4 lengths in Oceanport, N.J.

In the co-feature, Maram used a strong stretch run to win the $100,000 Miss Liberty Stakes by a head over Strike the Bell.

Sumo officials ban pair over betting scandal: The Japan Sumo Association has banned wrestler Kotomitsuki and coach Otake from Japan’s national sport for gambling on baseball.

The 34-year-old Kotomitsuki, who holds the second-highest rank, revealed last month that he bet on professional baseball games. Otake, a leading coach, acknowledged running up betting debts of more than $50,000.