SYDNEY (AP) — Football Australia has banned former Western United player Riku Danzaki for seven years and ex-Macarthur FC pair Clayton Lewis and Kearyn Baccus for at least four years over spot-fixing gambling offenses in the A-League.
In August, Japanese footballer Danzaki was convicted and fined, along with amateur player Yuta Hirayama, for committing yellow card betting fraud. Hirayama would place bets on Danzaki deliberately receiving yellow cards.
Danzaki and Hirayama have been banned for seven years, backdated to June 1, when they were both issued no-fault interim suspensions, Football Australia said Friday.
In September, Baccus and Lewis were handed two-year conditional release orders, similar to a good behavior bond, and avoided convictions after pleading guilty to engaging in conduct that corrupts the betting outcome of an event.
The pair admitted being paid 10,000 Australian dollars ($6,600) each by former club captain Ulises Davila to deliberately earn yellow cards at a match in December 2023.
They were also required to repay the money they received for getting the yellow cards as a fine.
Davila in October pleaded guilty to facilitating and engaging in conduct that corrupts the betting outcome of an event and is awaiting sentencing.
Football Australia said all four players have accepted their respective punishments and won’t appeal.
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FILE - Mato Grgic of North East United FC, right, and Ulises Davila of Delhi Dynamos FC fight for a ball during the Hero Indian Super League soccer match in Gauhati, India, on Feb. 7, 2019, (AP Photo/Anupam Nath, File)
FRIBOURG, Switzerland (AP) — Canada beat Slovenia 3-1 to make it five wins from five games at the ice hockey world championship on Friday.
Emmitt Finnie led with a goal and an assist and Denton Mateychuk and Dylan Cozens also scored. Jet Greaves stopped 13 shots as Canada outshot Slovenia 32-14.
Mateychuk, playing in his first worlds, skated to the top of the left circle before shooting past Slovenia goaltender Zan Us at 11:07 in the opening period.
Cozens added the second from the slot with 6:46 remaining in the middle period for his third goal in Switzerland. Sidney Crosby bagged his sixth assist at the tournament.
Finnie made it 3-0 by deflecting in a shot by Morgan Rielly from the blue line in the final period.
Rozle Bohinc scored a consolation goal for Slovenia with 1:05 left.
Canada tops Group B in Fribourg with Slovakia trailing by three points. The teams meet on Sunday.
Canada has won four games in regulation and one in overtime.
In a Group A in Zurich, Germany downed Hungary 6-2 for its first victory at the worlds after four defeats. Leon Gawanke sparked the Germans with a hat trick.
Later Friday, Finland played Britain in Zurich and Sweden faced Italy in Fribourg.
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Canada's Sidney Crosby, left, vies for the puck against Slovenia's Miha Bericic, right, during a preliminary round game between Canada and Slovenia at the men's ice hockey world championship in Fribourg, Switzerland, Friday May 22, 2026. (Salvatore Di Nolfi/Keystone via AP)
Canada's Emmitt Finnie, left, clashes against Slovenia's goaltender Zan Us, right, during a preliminary round game between Canada and Slovenia at the men's ice hockey world championship in Fribourg, Switzerland, Friday May 22, 2026. (Salvatore Di Nolfi/Keystone via AP)
Canada's Dylan Cozens, second right, celebrates his goal with his teammates Canada's Canada's Macklin Celebrini, left, Sidney Crosby, left, and Canada's Denton Mateychuk, right, centre, after scoring during a preliminary round game between Canada and Slovenia at the men's ice hockey world championship in Fribourg, Switzerland, Friday May 22, 2026. (Salvatore Di Nolfi/Keystone via AP)
Slovenia's goaltender Zan Us, left, concedes his second goal past Slovenia's Blaz Gregorc, right, and Canada's Sidney Crosby, center, during a preliminary round game between Canada and Slovenia at the men's ice hockey world championship in Fribourg, Switzerland, Friday May 22, 2026. (Salvatore Di Nolfi/Keystone via AP)
Canada's Emmitt Finnie, right, clashes against Slovenia's goaltender Zan Us during a preliminary round game between Canada and Slovenia at the men's ice hockey world championship in Fribourg, Switzerland, Friday May 22, 2026. (Salvatore Di Nolfi/Keystone via AP)
