Crystal Palace midfielder Mile Jedinak was Wednesday named captain of Australia's World Cup squad following the axing of Lucas Neill.

He will be backed by vice-captains Tim Cahill and Mark Bresciano.

Barcelona defender Gerard Pique has agreed to a four-year contract extension that will tie him to the club until 2019.

The Spain international has been an integral part of Barcelona's success, helping the club win two Champions Leagues titles and five of the past six league trophies since his arrival in 2008.

Yaya Toure has deflated Manchester City's Premier League title celebrations by complaining about the club's treatment of him and cryptically throwing his commitment into doubt.

In a bizarre complaint, Toure's agent said City didn't sufficiently celebrate the midfielder's birthday, with Dimitry Seluk believing it "shows they don't care about him."

The San Antonio Spurs were planning to attack the lane whether Oklahoma City big man Serge Ibaka was playing or not. The fact that the Thunder's athletic defender was absent only made things easier for them.

Tim Duncan scored 27 points as San Antonio took advantage of Ibaka's absence to dominate the paint, beating the Oklahoma City 122-105 on Monday night in the opener of the Western Conference finals.

Barcelona hired Luis Enrique as its new coach on Monday, hoping the former player can help restore the club's recent success following its first season in six years without a major trophy.

Barcelona said on its website that Enrique agreed to a two-year deal, but did not disclose further details. He will replace Argentine coach Gerardo Martino, who stepped down on Saturday immediately after the club failed to defend its Spanish league title.

A Indonesian striker playing in one of the country's top leagues has died after a goalkeeper kicked him in the stomach during a recent match, an official said Tuesday. 

The death of Akli Fairuz, 27, is a further blow to the reputation of Indonesian football, which has been beset by numerous problems in recent years, from leadership tussles to foreign players dying after complaining of going unpaid.

An Australian ultra-marathon runner completed a 1,500-kilometer (900-mile) "Middle East Peace Run" with a final stop in Jerusalem on Monday.

Pat Farmer, 52, reached the finish line Monday afternoon capping a journey that began on May 1 and took him to Lebanon, Jordan, the West Bank and Israel.

Ryan Giggs announced Monday he was retiring from his career as a player following his appointment as assistant manager to newly-installed Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal.

The 40-year-old one-club man revealed his decision in an open letter to supporters published on United's website.

Netherlands boss Louis van Gaal will take over as the new manager of Manchester United after the World Cup with Ryan Giggs as his assistant, the club announced Monday.

Van Gaal, 62, has signed a three-year contract to succeed David Moyes who was sacked in April after a disastrous run of results.

Brazilian organizers acknowledged problems but expressed satisfaction with the final two stadium tests for the World Cup on Sunday, including one at the troubled Sao Paulo arena that hosts the tournament opening game in a few weeks.

Brazilian league matches were played to inaugurate Itaquerao stadium in Sao Paulo and Arena Pantanal in the western city of Cuiaba.