Wayne Rooney failed to convert a spot-kick as Manchester United lost 3-1 on penalties to second-tier Middlesbrough in the League Cup on Wednesday, while Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool edged Bournemouth.

After 120 goalless minutes at Old Trafford, the fourth-round tie went to penalties and with Rooney, Michael Carrick and Ashley Young all fluffing their lines, Championship side Middlesbrough pulled off a memorable win.

Los Angeles Galaxy's bid for a record sixth MLS Cup crown came to a juddering halt on Wednesday as the reigning champions suffered a season-ending 3-2 defeat to the Seattle Sounders in the opening round of the playoffs.

A star-studded Galaxy side featuring former England and Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard and Ireland international Robbie Keane paid the price for a shoddy defensive display.

The Minnesota Timberwolves recorded an emotional season-opening victory Wednesday by toppling Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers 112-111, just 72 hours after losing head coach Flip Saunders to cancer.

The two NBA league doormats from last year put on an exciting display as the Timberwolves rallied from a nine-point half-time deficit then forced Lakers guard Louis Williams to miss a potential game-winning shot at the buzzer.

Barcelona's Javier Mascherano admitted to two counts of tax fraud totaling just over 1.5 million euros ($1.64 million) before a judge on Thursday.

Mascherano arrived at the court in Gava, a coastal town on the outskirts of Barcelona where the player resides, at 0900 local time (0800GMT) accompanied by his lawyers.

Agnieszka Radwanska sent top seed Simona Halep crashing out of the WTA Finals on Thursday with a 7-6 (7/5), 6-1 win which also put a resurgent Maria Sharapova into the semi-finals.

But despite her 500th career victory, Radwanska now faces an anxious wait as she needs Sharapova to beat Flavia Pennetta in straight sets later if she is to join the Russian in the Singapore semis.

The Chicago Bulls upstaged LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, and league MVP Stephen Curry got his new campaign off to an emphatic start as the 2015-16 NBA season got under way.

With President Barack Obama among a delighted Chicago crowd, the Bulls toppled the Cavaliers 97-95 on Tuesday in a thrilling opening night duel.

Eric Hosmer drove in the winning run with a sacrifice fly in the 14th inning to give Kansas City a 5-4 win over the New York Mets in Tuesday's emotional opener of the 111th World Series.

An intense Major League Baseball thriller featured the first inside the park World Series home run in 86 years by Kansas City's Alcides Escobar and Royals starting pitcher Edinson Volquez reportedly grieving the death of his father hours earlier.

Bayern Munich eased into the third round of the German Cup on Tuesday with a 3-1 win at holders VfL Wolfsburg as Germany forward Thomas Mueller scored twice.

It was 5-1 when the teams last met four weeks ago after Robert Lewandowski scored all five goals in just nine second half minutes of the Bundesliga rout, but Mueller was Wolfsburg's primary tormentor on this occasion.

Eden Hazard squandered the decisive penalty as Stoke City exacerbated Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho's misery with victory in the League Cup on Tuesday, while second-tier Sheffield Wednesday stunned Arsenal 3-0.

After Jon Walters put Stoke ahead with a fine 20-yard shot at the Britannia Stadium, Chelsea substitute Loic Remy, on for the injured Diego Costa, lashed home an injury-time equalizer to make the score 1-1.

Chelsea striker Diego Costa was taken to hospital after sustaining a rib injury during the League Cup holders' penalty shootout defeat at Stoke City on Tuesday, manager Jose Mourinho said.

The Brazil-born Spain striker appeared to hurt himself in a collision with Stoke goalkeeper Jack Butland and after initially playing on, he went off in the 33rd minute, with Loic Remy taking his place.