Sports Desk
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
SOCCER
BRAZILIAN KAKA WINS FIFA PLAYER OF THE YEAR AWARD
Brazil midfielder Kaka completed a virtual sweep of annual awards yesterday by winning FIFA’s World Player of the Year.
The Milan playmaker received 1,047 points, ahead of with Messi with 504 and Cristiano Ronaldo with 426 in a vote by national team captains and managers. The three were picked as finalists from a list of 30 candidates. For Kaka, it is the third accolade this year. He also won European soccer’s Golden Ball and World Soccer magazine’s player of the year award.
HOCKEY
AFTER ANOTHER UGLY PENALTY, SIMON LEAVES ISLANDERS
Chris Simon took a paid leave from the Islanders yesterday, agreeing with the team that he needed time away from hockey following his latest penalty for attempting to injure an opponent. Simon missed the first five games of this season while completing a 25-game ban — his sixth NHL suspension — meted out in March. He could be in line for another long penalty after he took down and stepped on Pittsburgh’s Jarkko Ruutu last weekend.
