FOOTBALL

OWENS LEAVES CAMP AFTER ARGUMENT WITH REID

All-Pro wide receiver Terrell Owens left Eagles training camp yesterday after a heated exchange with coach Andy Reid. Reid asked the injured Owens to leave after their discussion, according to Owens’s publicist, Kim Etheredge. She said Owens was asked to return next Wednesday and had gone to his home in New Jersey.

“I got sent home until Wednesday for whatever reason,” Owens told Comcast SportsNet for a TV interview from his front lawn. “It was just a difference of opinion. I was defending myself.”

Comcast SportsNet reported the disagreement occurred during a team meeting. Owens then got his belongings and cleared out of training camp at Lehigh University. He did not say what the argument was about. Owens, who has not practiced since Sunday while nursing a groin injury, remains disgruntled over his contract. He signed a seven-year contract worth nearly $49 million last year after being acquired from San Francisco, but has a base salary of just $3.25 million in 2005.

TENNIS

AGASSI ADVANCES IN MONTREAL MASTERS TOURNEY

Three-time champion Andre Agassi defeated Jonas Bjorkman of Sweden yesterday to advance to the third round of the Montreal Masters tennis tournament.

The 35-year-old Agassi, seeded fourth and seeking his first victory in Canada since 1995, advanced to face Nicolas Kiefer of Germany in the round of 16 today with his 6-1, 3-6, 6-2 victory. Kiefer, a semifinalist last year, beat American Taylor Dent 6-4, 6-4. Agassi improved to 5-0 against Bjorkman.

BASEBALL

THOME TO UNDERGO SEASON-ENDING SURGERY

Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Jim Thome will have season-ending surgery on his right elbow next week. The four-time All-Star was placed on the 15-day disabled list July 1, his second stint on the DL this season. He hit .207 with seven homers and 30 RBI in 59 games this year.

BASKETBALL

LAKERS WAIVE GRANT, AVOID LUXURY TAX

The Los Angeles Lakers waived forward Brian Grant on yesterday, taking advantage of a one-time provision to the NBA’s new collective bargaining agreement that allows teams to save nearly $30 million in luxury tax penalties. Grant was part of the trade that sent Shaquille O’Neal to the Miami Heat last July. Grant was the Lakers’ second-highest paid player after Kobe Bryant and still is owed $29.8 million on his contract. He averaged a career-low 3.8 points and 3.7 rebounds last season while bothered by chronic tendinitis in his knees.

SOCCER

LIVERPOOL, INTER MILAN WIN IN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE QUALIFYING

Defending European champion Liverpool and two-time winner Inter Milan won easily yesterday in the first leg of final Champions League qualifying.

Defender Steven Gerrard paced Liverpool to a 3-1 victory in Bulgaria against CSKA Sofia. The play of striker Adriano led Inter to a 2-0 win over Shakhtar Donetsk in Kiev, Ukraine.

Four-time champion Ajax drew 2-2 in Denmark against Brondby. Meanwhile, Germany’s Werder Bremen suffered a surprising 2-1 loss to Basel in Switzerland. The second-leg games will be played in two weeks, with the winners advancing to the lucrative group stage.

D.C. UNITED BLANKS METROSTARS

Bobby Boswell, Dema Kovalenko, and Joshua Gros scored goals to give D.C. United a 3-0 victory last night over the MetroStars. Gros capped the chippy contest by juking MetroStars defender Jeff Parke and blasting a shot just inside the right post past goalkeeper Tony Meola for a 3-0 lead in the 88th minute.

United played without 16-year-old Freddy Adu, who is expected to miss two to four weeks with a second-degree medial collateral ligament sprain in his right knee. He sustained the injury during United’s 3-2 victory Saturday at Chicago.

– Associated Press