SOCCER

Agudelo returns to Revs after a season overseas

Juan Agudelo has returned to the New England Revolution after a one-year absence.

The Revolution said Friday the 22-year-old American forward had re-signed with Major League Soccer.

New England acquired Agudelo from Chivas USA in May 2013, and he scored seven goals in 14 regular-season games.

Agudelo signed with Stoke of England’s Premier League after the expiration of his MLS contract. He was denied a British work permit and spent the second half of last season in the Netherlands with Utrecht, where he scored three goals in 14 games.

FIFA: Two would-be FIFA presidents stepped up campaigning after nominations closed to challenge Sepp Blatter for the most powerful job in world football (soccer).

Luis Figo identified the five national federations – Denmark, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Montenegro and Poland – that formally nominated him, and FIFA Vice President Prince Ali bin al-Hussein of Jordan pledged not to “dodge my responsibility” if elected to lead the scandal-hit governing body.

BASEBALL

MINOR LEAGUES: Four minor league baseball players have been suspended because of drug violations:

Milwaukee left-hander Tyler Alexander and San Francisco right-hander Dylan Brooks were banned 50 games each after a second positive test for a drug of abuse. Alexander was on the roster of the Brewers’ team in the Arizona League and Brooks was with Class A Augusta.

Baltimore third baseman Austin Anderson was suspended 50 games after testing positive for an amphetamine. He was with Class A Delmarva.

Free agent right-hander Tyler Gonzales was banned 100 games for refusing to take a drug test.

There have been 26 players suspended this year under the minor league drug program.

FIGURE SKATING

EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS: Spain’s Javier Fernandez won his third straight gold with a free program that had some technical faults but never faltered on verve in Stockholm.

Russians Maxim Kovtun and Sergei Voronov took silver and bronze.

SKIING

WORLD CUP: Kamil Stoch of Poland won a ski jump World Cup event in Willingen, Germany, for his second victory of the season.

The two-time Olympic champion soared 147.5 meters with his first jump and 142.5 with his second for a total of 276.6 points, beating Slovenia’s Peter Prevc by 14.3 points.

BOBSLEDDING

WORLD CUP: Americans Elana Meyers Taylor and Cherrelle Garrett won the women’s bobsled event in La Plagne, France, for their fourth win this season.

Their two-run time was 0.24 seconds faster than second-place Jamie Greubel Poser and Lauryn Williams in a 1-2 for the American team in the French Alps.

Olympic champion Kaillie Humphries and Melissa Lotholz of Canada finished third, 0.51 second back.

MIXED MARTIAL ARTS

UFC: Middleweight champion Chris Weidman has a rib injury, forcing the cancellation of his title defense against Vitor Belfort at UFC 184 next month.

Ronda Rousey’s bantamweight title defense against Cat Zingano is the new main event of the show at Staples Center in Los Angeles on Feb. 28.

– From news services

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