World Cup Capsules: For U.S., stopping Rooney key to beating England
IRENE, South Africa (AP) — To beat England, the United States has to stop a player who in real life had the kind of season usually seen only in video games.
Wayne Rooney scored five goals this season against Jozy Altidore's Hull, and three against Jonathan Spector's West Ham. He had two against Clint Dempsey's Fulham, and one each against Marcus Hahnemann's Wolverhampton and Brad Guzan's Aston Villa.
"To be honest, we're under no illusions. We're going to have to be at our best to beat a player like him, or to even match a player like him," American defender Jay DeMerit said Tuesday, four days before the big game.
Rooney, the 24-year-old star of Manchester United and England's national team, was a whirlwind this season. His 26 Premier League goals were second behind Didier Drogba's 29. He had five more in the European Champions League and two in the League Cup.
On Jan. 23 alone, he had four goals against Hull. He has long been a star, but never before had he put together a season like this.
"He's revered. People think of him as a sporting god, and they should," U.S. goalkeeper Tim Howard said. "He's amazing, quite simply, and he does all the things that a striker needs to do, and he does them great. And that's why he's considered the best one or two players in the world."
Howard kept Rooney from scoring in two games this season, helping Everton gain a league split with Manchester United. He hasn't allowed a goal to Rooney in four club and two national team matches, although Everton went 1-2-1 and the U.S. 0-2.
Dempsey also had big games against United, with Fulham shutting out the Red Devils at Craven Cottage to win Premier League matches in each of the last two seasons.
"We stayed compact defensively. We had two solid backs of four and, you know, we picked and choosed our moments when to get forward," Dempsey said. "The U.S., we play similar to, or try to play similar to how we do at Fulham."
A 5-foot-10 musclebound dynamo of strength and pace, Rooney has 25 goals in 60 appearances for England. He's known for his temper — he was ejected for stomping on Ricardo Carvalho's groin as England lost to Portugal in the 2006 World Cup quarterfinals.
But he hasn't been tossed since United lost at Fulham in March 2009, when he was given his second yellow card of the match for throwing a ball.
"Maturity is one of the final parts of a player's development," United manager Alex Ferguson said. "You can't have it at 16. You can't have it at 18. You can't have it at 21. You have to wait until the mid-20s before they get that authority, timing and maturity that those qualities bring. And I think what we're seeing with Wayne is quite interesting. There were signs last season that maturity was coming to his game, but not all the time. That's what sometimes, you get with young players."
Rooney's increased maturity on the field and ability to temper his temper was echoed by defender Rio Ferdinand, his England and Manchester United teammate.
"I don't see Wazza having a problem disciplinary-wise at the World Cup at all," Ferdinand, said. "Wayne's disciplinary record has been magnificent over the last couple of years, since the incident in Germany. He's done so well to get where he is now."
Still, Rooney received a yellow card Monday as England beat the local Platinum Stars 3-0 in an exhibition. Referee Jeff Selogilwe claimed Rooney swore at him.
"He is a good player when you see him on the TV, but when you see him on the pitch, he just keeps on insulting the referees," Selogilwe said. "To me it looks like Rooney insults people and fouls other players. If he insults a referee like me, then he will use that vulgar language to other referees as well."
Five days shy of his 17th birthday, Rooney became the youngest scorer in Premier League history when he connected for Everton against Arsenal in October 2002. He moved on to Manchester United for the 2004-05 season, and this year became one of the dominating players in Europe.
American players are concerned about limiting Rooney's scoring, not his fiery nature. Still, they wouldn't mind if Brazilian referee Carlos Simon disciplined him. Simon issued five yellow cards during Italy's 2-0 victory over Ghana in the first round of the 2006 World Cup, eight more in Spain's 3-1 win over Tunisia, and four yellows and a red as Germany beat Sweden 2-0 in the second round.
"Ultimately you try to make his day difficult," DeMerit said of Rooney. "If you start to make those types of personalities have a difficult day, then maybe those types of things come out."
Howard knows that stopping Rooney is a big part of solving England. He's done it so far, but knows it will require a team effort and big individual performances.
"We'll have our hands full. But we know that," he said. "I think a lot of the pressure that England is facing is heavily on his shoulders, but those shoulders are broad and he relishes those opportunities."
Oguchi Onyewu says he's ready to face England
IRENE, South Africa (AP) — Oguchi Onyewu feels ready to face England.
The big American defender hasn't played a full 90 minutes since Oct. 10, four days before he tore his left patellar tendon during the final World Cup qualifier against Costa Rica.
He returned May 25 and played 65 minutes against the Czech Republic and entered at the start of the second half four days later versus Turkey. Coach Bob Bradley used him as a 61st-minute substitute Saturday against Australia, the last warmup ahead of the U.S. World Cup opener on Saturday.
"Obviously, yeah, I would love to be able to see if I could have played a full 90," he said Tuesday.
Jay DeMerit seems certain to start in central defense against the English. Because Onyewu hasn't played a match from start to finish in eight months, it's unclear whether he or Clarence Goodson will be paired with DeMerit.
"You can see him starting to come along," DeMerit said. "I don't think he or anyone was under any illusions that he would come in and be perfect to where he was last summer. You know, when you have horrific injuries like that, you need to relearn a lot of the key things that make you a player."
Goodson started the last three exhibition games for the Americans. With 54 international appearances, the 28-year-old Onyewu has far more international experience than Goodson, who is four days younger yet has played just 13 games for the national team.
Bradley won't give any hints as to his thinking on Saturday's lineup.
"I've seen a good Gooch in training and the games," right back Steve Cherundolo said. "I hope he's gotten a little more fitness in. He's definitely got some games in since he's been here."
Defense figures to a key against the English, led by forward Wayne Rooney. In addition, Three Lions coach Fabio Capello could start 6-foot-6 Peter Crouch.
A 6-4, Onyewu is a tower of strength for his teammates. But if his reaction time and sharpness aren't fully back, Bradley may opt to go with Goodson, who while just as tall appears to be less physical.
Onyewu, who failed to get back on the field for AC Milan following the injury, hardly got airborne when he was beaten to a header by the Czech Republic's Tomas Sivok for a goal. He looked steadier in the last two games.
"I'm physically fit," he said. "It was a progression. The Czech game was my first game back after seven months and, you know, I could have anticipated that not being the greatest outing, but you get better as it goes and right now I feel fine and ready to start this tournament."
Onyewu — and the entire U.S. squad — is convinced it will need a team effort to defeat England, a nation still searching for its first World Cup title since 1966. American fans have focused on the game, the first competitive match between the countries since the 1-0 U.S. upset at the 1950 World Cup.
"I'm up to facing England," Onyewu said. "I don't think Wayne Rooney is the only player on the English squad. They have a number of world-class players from the defense, to the midfield, to the attackers. Although he is a world-class and great player, you shouldn't just focus on one player in a team sport."
-- Ronald Blum
ESPN betting U.S. soccer fans want more World Cup
NEW YORK (AP) — Knowledgeable U.S. soccer fans — it's not an oxymoron.
ESPN is making a huge investment in World Cup coverage, paying $100 million for the rights to the 2010 and 2014 tournaments, based on the conviction that not only do Americans know the beautiful game, they want all they can get.
The 2006 tournament on ESPN and ABC drew the largest audiences for a World Cup outside the United States. But research afterward showed the network could do more to show fans it's taking the sport seriously.
Now the network is trying to do just that, and to attract even more viewers, despite the time zone challenges of this year's event in South Africa, which is six hours ahead of New York and nine hours ahead of Los Angeles.
"The simple math of ratings, if you can take that audience and get them to watch for a longer period of time, it has the same effect as growing the number of viewers," said Jed Drake, executive producer for ESPN's World Cup coverage. "We really have targeted our presentation now for a knowledgeable soccer audience."
The same network that drew criticism for calling 20 matches from U.S. studios four years ago is putting together a staff of 300 people to produce the event in South Africa. ESPN has hired British announcers and plans 65 hours of live studio programming from Johannesburg.
"We have a production plan that we think is up to the level of ambition of this event with a great group of commentators that we've assembled, a broadcast operation that is far and away the biggest we've ever amassed outside of the U.S.," Drake said.
The ESPN compound at the International Broadcast Center in Johannesburg is massive, dwarfing that of any other operation. A large bullpen is filled with editors and writers, with more than a dozen big-screen TVs on the walls. There are four editing suites and three control rooms, the largest of which has 10 high-definition screens that show everything ESPN is doing.
"You look at the footprint of this facility and we are, shall we say, quite large," Drake said. "It's just part of the commitment. You only do something at this level with the best equipment and the best people."
ESPN also has an expansive set overlooking the Soccer City stadium, where "SportsCenter" will be broadcast live, and an open-air patio that can be the site for live reports for "Good Morning America" or one of ABC's other shows. ESPN and ABC are owned by The Walt Disney Co.
Former national team captain John Harkes, who will work as a commentator on all of the U.S. team's games, said Americans have learned to watch soccer differently in recent years, and that knowledge will influence how they follow this World Cup.
"It's not that we're just going to see the games," he said of soccer fans in the U.S. "Now I'm going to see the games and I understand what's happening, and why that player's there."
The real test of America's passion for soccer begins at 10 a.m. EDT this Friday, when the World Cup will kick off with South Africa playing Mexico live from Johannesburg.
Much of ESPN's unprecedented coverage in the United States will come at times when TV viewers are typically at work, asleep or otherwise away from their sets. Most games are scheduled to start at 7:30 a.m., 10 a.m. or 2:30 p.m. on the East Coast — that's 4:30 a.m., 7 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. out West.
ESPN's gamble relies on more than games, saturating its various platforms with coverage that might drive more people to watch morning matches or pique their interest if they miss them. The network is planning more than 230 hours of live original programming. A little more than half will be games, but the rest — at more viewer-friendly hours — will be commentary and other material.
In the end, the hope is this nation will love the game.
"That was the revelation to a lot of people in 2006 when we had the biggest audience ever," said Rob Hunter, ESPN's vice president for digital technology. "I will be surprised if we don't have even more people this year say, 'Wow, those guys can play. They can really play.'"
Of course, the country has been slow to embrace soccer despite the presence of the World Cup on U.S. soil in 1994 or the signing of David Beckham with the Los Angeles Galaxy of the MLS.
All games will also be re-aired in prime time on ESPN Classic. And then there's all the planned radio, online and mobile coverage.
Research by Nielsen found that 23 percent of American fans planned to keep up with the tournament with their mobile phone — especially if they can't watch the games live on TV.
Nine games will be broadcast on a weekend afternoon in the Eastern time zone, a more traditional sports-watching time; that includes England-United States on June 12 and the final. And all the matches will be on ESPN Mobile and most on ESPN3.com.
In an era when the TV ratings for many American sporting events can fluctuate widely depending on who's playing and how much drama they're ensnared in, the World Cup likely won't be any different. A deep run by the U.S. team would naturally pull in viewers.
"The games will determine what the real story is," Hunter said. "Our viewership in the U.S. will really be a function of the games. We know we're creating a great platform. Our coverage plans for this World Cup are extraordinary. If the games themselves match the coverage plan, the audience results will be outstanding."
-- Rachel Cohen
North American fans predict U.S. triumph at the WCup
JOHANNESBURG (AP) — While many soccer fans expect Brazil to win the World Cup for a record sixth time, almost half of the North Americans surveyed predict an unexpected triumph for the United States.
Bookmakers rate Brazil and Spain as the favorites to win the title at Soccer City on July 11, with a worldwide survey released Tuesday showing that 34 percent of people are backing the South Americans.
But Nielsen Media Research said 46 percent of North Americans believe that the United States is going to shock the soccer world and take home the trophy.
The Americans are in form and beat European champion Spain last year but, other than the first tournament in 1930, have made it past the first round only once in a World Cup outside the United States.
That helps explain why, when everyone else's votes are included, the U.S. slips back to share second place with former champions Argentina, England and Germany — taking just 9 percent of the global vote.
It could be that the online survey, which quizzed 27,000 people, backs up the accusations of parochialism often thrown at Americans by soccer fans.
"It is the fastest growing sport in the U.S. and Beckham isn't there now but he made an impact while he was there," said Toni Petra, the regional director for Nielsen Audience Measurement. "They know something about the game and have bought into it and the kids play it, but how much do they know? How much do they know about other countries compared to the average European?"
A separate study by Nielsen, which also provides TV viewing figures in the United States, suggested that while 34 percent of Americans consider themselves soccer fans, only 18 percent said they would follow the World Cup.
That's even after the men's national team surprised all observers by beating Spain to reach last year's Confederations Cup final in South Africa.
Such apparent disinterest contradicts the trend elsewhere, with figures showing that the World Cup attracts plenty of non-fans.
Worldwide, 34 percent of people say they are soccer fans but 51 percent will still follow the World Cup. The trend is even more pronounced in China, where the numbers are 19 percent and 60 percent, respectively.
"You've got this great sport but there's no way that North American or Asian fans are following the European Cup," Petra said. "It's just about being aware that Spain did win the European Championship."
Nielsen selected its respondents randomly for a base demographically representative of the population in each of the countries covered.
"It doesn't surprise me, these wild predictions," Petra said. "You wouldn't see the same responses in a survey of soccer fans. They'd be a lot more knowledgeable."
-- Stuart Condie
Altidore resumes full training with U.S. team
PRETORIA, South Africa (AP) — Forward Jozy Altidore has resumed full training with the U.S. World Cup team, six days after spraining his right ankle during practice.
"I feel great. The ankle feels fine," Altidore said in comments relayed by the U.S. Soccer Federation after Tuesday's practice. "It's a little sore, but I had no issues participating in all the exercises today. I'm happy to be part of the group again."
Altidore, who has nine goals in 25 international appearances, didn't play in Saturday's 3-1 exhibition win over Australia. The U.S. plays its World Cup opener against England on Saturday.
Overall World Cup News
Horns aplenty will sound at this year's World Cup
JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Its name in Zulu roughly translates to "making a lot of noise" — and it sure does.
Nothing represents the sheer exuberance of South African soccer fans better than the "vuvuzela," the trombone-length plastic horn that will be heard in force starting Friday at the World Cup.
Some say the vuvuzela — pronounced voo-voo-ZAY-lah — makes a beautiful, boisterous noise. Others call it an annoying racket.
When thousands of the horns are blown in a stadium, they create a buzzing din, described as similar to the wail of foghorns, the trumpeting of a herd of elephants, or perhaps the traffic jam from hell.
One thing's for sure: By the end of the World Cup tournament, just about everyone on Earth will have had a chance to hear them.
Vuvuzelas are sold everywhere in South Africa these days. They have moved from corner shops in poor townships to glittering shopping malls in plush suburbs.
When U.S. team members checked into their rooms at the luxurious Irene Country Lodge near Pretoria, a gift vuvuzela awaited each of them.
South Africa President Jacob Zuma even gave a blast on a vuvuzela at a prayer meeting for a successful tournament.
"It's the culture of the country," South African national team coach Carlos Alberto Parreira said. "We will not change it. We will stress it. We want it louder and louder and louder."
The horns have prompted complaints, but Sepp Blatter, the president of soccer's governing body, declined to ban them for the World Cup, saying they are part of the sport's culture in South Africa.
Some officials, though, have told fans they need to take it easy.
"The level of noise in the stadium — it is an important matter that when we make an announcement in the stadium, everybody must be able to hear it," local organizing committee chief Danny Jordaan said.
"We ask for that particular discipline. We cannot have unmitigated noise levels in the midst of the singing of national anthems," he said. "These are serious issues that we need to address."
Don't expect World Cup fans to keep quiet.
Vuvuzela seller Ndaba Sdombe believes the instruments, which cost less than $3, add excitement to the game.
"Without it, it's a lifeless match. How do you enjoy it?" asked Sdombe, 23.
If you don't like the sound of a vuvuzela, there's also the kuduzela — which makes a deeper and louder noise — and the mini vuvuzela, with a sharper, more piercing noise.
Some soccer fans attach a vuvuzela to a hard hat decorated in team colors, creating a contraption known as the makarapa vuvuzela.
Ayanda Dube, 27, says she believes vuvuzelas can influence how the athletes perform. "When I have it," she said, "players get power from it."
A Cape Town-based group has even formed a "vuvuzela orchestra" to perform with the various plastic horns.
The history of the vuvuzela is somewhat disputed.
Enoch Mthembu claims that the Shembe Church, a South African Christian church, first created the vuvuzela but called it "ibhomu," which was made from metal.
But Freddy "Saddam" Maake says he got the idea from a metal bicycle horn. He went into partnership with the Boogie Blast Co., which began mass-producing plastic horns.
Lucky Sekati, a 29-year-old soccer fan, said he would advise foreigners coming for the World Cup "to try it out and see, so that they can experience South African culture."
"Each country has its own. Some play instruments, some sing, and we play vuvuzelas."
The South African Earplug Co. has an answer for those who can't stand the sound of the horns. It has designed an earplug in the shape of a vuvuzela. Spokesman Andrew Chin said the company had 70,000 provisional orders a few weeks before the tournament.
Bryan Robson, the former England captain and now coach of the team from Thailand believes the horns will make a huge difference for the lightly regarded host team.
He should know. Bafana Bafana — the nickname for the South Africans — beat Thailand 4-0 in a recent exhibition game as the vuvuzelas blared.
Robson's message to South Africa's opponent in the tournament opener Friday: "Good luck, Mexico."
-- Nekemeleng Nkosi
Dunga, Maradona out to make a point at World Cup
JOHANNESBURG (AP) — From dour Dunga to the downright eccentric Diego Maradona, the leading coaches at the World Cup are plotting different ways to win the title.
Brazil coach Dunga has upset millions of his countrymen by leaving big stars such as Ronaldinho, Alexandre Pato and Adriano out of a squad he believes needs stability to win a sixth World Cup.
One of the game's all time greats as a player, Maradona has stunned the football world by ignoring hugely experienced defenders Javier Zanetti and Esteban Cambiasso, who showed their top form by helping Inter Milan win the Champions League.
Maradona has been unable to get the best out of stars such as Lionel Messi and the football jury is out as to whether such a great player will ever make it as a coach.
While the rejection of these top players seems crazy, no will be complaining in Brazil if Dunga wins the title he won as a player 16 years ago. And Maradona will achieve even greater plaudits in Argentina if he justifies his selections by capturing a third for his country.
"We will do whatever is needed to reach our goal," Dunga said during his team's World Cup preparations. "We are confident that everything has been very well planned.
"It's always the same thing before every World Cup. Everybody wants to talk about those players who are not on the team. For some reason they are always better than those who are on the team. People will always complain. But I'm going to summon those I think will help Brazil the most, regardless of their names."
While Dunga has a wealth of talent to choose from, England's Fabio Capello struggled to find genuinely top quality players to complement the stars he has.
The Italian, who has had major club successes with AC Milan and Real Madrid, knows he has the nucleus of a team to get very close to winning the title. But he doesn't have a safe and reliable goalkeeper and can't find the right partner for Wayne Rooney in attack.
What he does have, however, is a technique to get these millionaire stars to do what he wants, to behave smartly and respectfully even at their team hotel where cell phones and flip-flops are banned in public and the players dine together as a team. The disciplinarian has also ordered his England players to leave their wives and girlfriends — and millionaire lifestyles — behind.
"Capello instills fear, like a severe dad," England striker Wayne Rooney said of the England head coach. "He has explained to us how to do everything. He has made us more of a squad. He has worked above all on the tactics, now we can change them every match."
While Capello has many players who are at their peak, Italy's Marcello Lippi, who guided the team to its triumph four years ago, is trying to get one last effort from his aging stars.
Lippi was persuaded to return to the role after a disastrous spell by Roberto Donadoni, and it's no surprise that nine 30-something players are still around and that 36-year-old 2006 World Cup winning captain Fabio Cannavaro is starring in the center of defense.
Facing Paraguay, New Zealand and Slovakia, Italy is the favorite to win its group, and would then likely face Denmark, Japan or Cameroon for a place in the last eight. With this aging team, however, anything after that would be a bonus for Lippi, who is handing over the reins to former Fiorentina coach Cesare Prandelli after the tournament.
France coach Raymond Domenech is on the way out too, and will be replaced by former Bordeaux coach after the World Cup is over. Many of his critics say that's already too late.
But France, like Italy, has a comparatively easy path to the last 16 with games against Uruguay, Mexico and host South Africa. And despite the poor form of a talented but dispirited side, three victories will make Domenech look good.
A newspaper poll showed half of the French don't think the team can advance beyond the quarterfinals, while former France great Marcel Desailly said he believed the team would go out in the group stage.
Spain's Vicente Del Bosque know that his side is among the leading favorites, especially with most of the Euro 2008 winning team he inherited from Luis Argones still around.
Quiet and happy to stay out of the spotlight, Del Bosque won domestic and European titles with Real Madrid and many neutral football fans in the world would applaud him for a World Cup triumph.
His biggest headache is the fitness of several key players coming into the competition, with Fernando Torres, Cesc Fabregas and Andres Iniesta all missing games for their clubs.
Germany and the Netherlands are other major contenders. Joachim Loew has loaded his German squad with six strikers to compensate for a weaker-than-usual midfield, while Dutch coach Bert van Marwijk knows his team's chances also rely heavily on a star studded-attack with Robin van Persie hoping to thrive on the talent of Arjen Robben and Wesley Sneijder.
There's no guarantee, however, that one of the traditional favorites will go home with the trophy.
Bob Bradley has made steady improvements to the United States side after a dismal performance under Bruce Arena four years ago and a victory over England at Rustenburg on day two could kickstart a powerful run through the tournament.
Sven-Goran Eriksson had plenty of success at club level before leading England to the quarterfinals of two World Cups and a European Championship. Now the Swede has to bring stability to a talented Ivory Coast side and a quarterfinal appearance by the Ivorians, host South Africa, Ghana, Nigeria or Algeria will be a major boost for African football.
Otto Rehhagel is out to try and emulate a famous Euro 2004 triumph with Greece while the goal for Ottmar Hitzfeld, who won European titles with Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich, is to spur Switzerland to make a World Cup mark long after its last quarterfinal finish in 1954.
-- Robert Millward
AIDS activists use WCup to spread their message
JOHANNESBURG (AP) — For health workers, South Africa's World Cup isn't just about football.
"We know when people are partying, sex happens," said Miriam Mhazo, whose independent Society for Family Health provides AIDS virus testing and counseling across South Africa.
Football-mad South Africans are celebrating the debut of the world's most popular sports event on their continent. AIDS experts like Mhazo say it's also a time for serious action and discussion.
South Africa, a nation of about 50 million, has an estimated 5.7 million people infected with HIV, more than any other country. After years of official denial and delay, the government last year embarked on an anti-AIDS drive, vowing to halve new infections and ensure that 80 percent of those who need them have access to AIDS drugs by 2011.
By the time the monthlong World Cup ends on July 11, fans will have had scores of chances to be tested at mobile units parked in stadium car parks, help themselves from baskets of free condoms, and hear their football heroes talk about safe sex.
Right to Care, one of the largest private providers of AIDS treatment, counseling and testing in South Africa, seized on an item that no South African football fan would be without: the plastic horns known as vuvuzelas.
The group's vuvuzelas are bright red with a message in white to "make noise for HIV!" — a plea to break the silence and stigma surrounding AIDS. The vuvuzela, whose most subtle note is a blare, is perfect for the task.
Right to Care is selling its vuvuzelas for 20 rand (about $3), using the proceeds to fund AIDS treatment for the poor. The group's mobile testing units will be at stadiums and other places fans gather.
Football's stars also have been pulled in. David Beckham, after meeting HIV-positive pregnant women and new mothers at a Cape Town clinic in his capacity as UNICEF goodwill ambassador, said one of the counselors told him more men need to support their partners to get treatment and care.
"I hope that I can do my bit to help promote this message ... and that men out there hear this and do their bit," the trend-setting Beckham said.
UNICEF is just one of the UN agencies using the World Cup as a platform. For the tournament, the U.N. will debut a song performed by stars across Africa that will touch on a range of goals, including fighting AIDS, hunger and poverty. Kiyo Akasaka, the U.N. communications chief, said he hoped to hear football fans singing along before World Cup matches.
"We'd like to have a song like 'We are the world,'" Akasaka said on a visit to South Africa. "The World Cup is a great opportunity. The people of the world will look at the people of Africa, of South Africa, through the global media. Whatever message is coming out of South Africa will be distributed so widely."
Mhazo said South Africans are "very celebrity conscious."
"You use celebrities to talk about important issues, and people stop and listen," Mhazo said.
Nike is working with Bono, who persuaded a range of major retailers to sell T-shirts and shoes and donate proceeds to AIDS and other global health projects. Nike's contribution to the (RED) project, launched months before the World Cup, are red shoe laces.
"I think you'll see those laces on the pitch," Charlie Denson, president of Nike, said in an interview in a Johannesburg Nike shop where the trendy decor included a clear plastic pot of condoms from which customers can help themselves.
FIFA is weighing in with Football for Hope centers where the young will be drawn in by playing fields and after-school activities, and then be given sex education and AIDS prevention messages.
The South African government will distribute free condoms, some donated by Britain, at hotels where World Cup fans were expected to stay.
AIDS isn't the only cause on the World Cup health agenda. Campaigners against malaria, which kills 1 million people a year, have persuaded FIFA to include in halftime entertainment at the stadiums a video message about using bed nets and donating to buy nets and malaria medication for impoverished Africans.
It's not a competition among diseases, said Christina Vilupti-Barrineau, manager of the United Against Malaria campaign that brings together international aid, development and health organizations. Vilupti-Barrineau said that the overall goal is to strengthen health systems in Africa to better cope with malaria, AIDS and other crises.
And Herve Verhoosel, spokesman for the U.N. Roll Back Malaria agency, said football was key to the effort.
"FIFA has more members than the United Nations," Verhoosel said of the governing body's 208 football associations, compared to the U.N.'s 192. "That shows you the power of FIFA, and the power of football."
-- Donna Bryson
What's in a name? Brazil life prizes familiarity
JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Nicknames are a big part of popular culture in most countries, particularly in sports, but most still hold tight to formalized names when it comes to anything official. Not so the Brazilians.
Affectionate familiarity in Brazil is for everyone from the kid next door all the way up to the country's president.
"We don't use the last names," said Lyris Wiedemann, a native of Porto Alegre, Brazil, who is now director of the Portuguese language program at Stanford in the United States. "It reflects a trait in the culture that's more personalized. We care about the person, and the person is not the family name. It's who they are."
It's why no one knows Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite as anything but Kaka. Why one player on Brazil's 2006 team was called, simply, Fred. And why Edson Arantes do Nascimento is just some guy until you realize he's Pele.
"Through the ages, people have been known by their first names or their nicknames," said Alex Bellos, author of "Futebol, the Brazilian Way of Life." ''They're seen as slightly charming and Brazilians are quite proud of it. You can see it from the football team."
The use of first names and nicknames stems from Brazil's days as a Portuguese colony. In the Portuguese tradition, Wiedemann said many people have four names: their given name, which is often two to include a saint's name; the mother's last name; and then the father's.
Learning just one name can be tough on a kid, so imagine the meltdown that mouthful could cause.
"If you were to use the last name, it's kind of more complicated," Wiedemann said.
So, too, when there's more than one person with the same name. Sometimes they're distinguished by using second names — look at Brazil's squad for South Africa, there's a Gilberto and a Gilberto Silva. Other times, an "inho" (meaning small) or an "ao" (meaning big) is tacked on to a name.
That's how there came to be a Ronaldo, a Little Ronaldo and a Little Ronaldo from southern Brazil.
Back when Ronaldo, he of the record for most goals scored in the World Cup, joined the Brazilian team, the squad already had a Ronaldo, a defender. So Ronaldo became Ronaldinho. Then another Ronaldinho came along, and they called him Ronaldinho Gaucho, for the area in Brazil where he was from.
When the first Ronaldo was done playing, Ronaldinho became Ronaldo again and Ronaldinho Gaucho lost the Gaucho. (For everyday use, that is. He's often listed as Ronaldinho Gaucho in squads, and his official website is www.ronaldinhogaucho.com.)
But Brazil's colorful monikers aren't limited to what's on a birth certificate. Brazilians often pick up nicknames as kids, and they stick for life. Many are diminutives of first names, like the president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is known to all as Lula. Others are more random. Kaka got his nickname from his little brother, who couldn't pronounce Ricardo.
And some, well, you know how nicknames go.
"It's quite jocular, sort of an informal culture," said Bellos, who lived in Brazil for five years as The Guardian newspaper's South American correspondent. "If they were called something horrible, they wouldn't like it. But they don't see something that we would see as pejorative as pejorative."
Brazil's coach answers to "Dopey," as "Dunga" is Portuguese for the seventh dwarf in "Snow White," and Dunga's uncle saddled him with the nickname when he was a kid and they didn't think he'd grow to be very tall.
While Brazilians don't see anything unusual in their use of first names and nicknames, it makes Brazil's team all the more appealing to those not used to being on such familiar terms. There's something about cheering for a team of regular Joes — and Michaels and Luises — rather than one filled with sterile-sounding last names.
"It feels like they're friends," Bellos said. "It feels like they're one of your gang."
Which is exactly the point, Wiedemann said. When you look at Brazil's team, she said, it reflects the country's makeup, whether the measure is socio-economic status or race or geography.
"Nicknames, of course you would use them mostly with the people that you are very familiar with," Wiedemann added. "We feel we are so familiar with the national team because it's us. It's the poor, the rich, the south, the north.
"It's very personal for a Brazilian."
-- Nancy Armour
Italy and France have the blues
CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — Four years after reaching the World Cup final, Italy's Azzurri and France's Les Bleus appear to have a bad case of, well, the blues just days ahead of their opening matches.
Critics say there's no way either will play in the final on July 11 at Soccer City. Both world champion Italy and runner-up France only need look at history. You know, been there, done that.
For France, the crisis is most acute if only because its opener is Friday and its opponent is a confident Uruguay. Italy has respite until Monday, when it opens against another South American challenger, Paraguay.
If other nations surge on national enthusiasm, France has to do with much less. Even Marcel Desailly, the defensive stalwart of the 1998 World Cup-winning team, has lost all belief that France will advance from Group A, which also includes Mexico and host South Africa.
"While I hope for South Africa and France to get into the second round, I think South Africa and Uruguay will make it," Desailly wrote in South Africa's Sunday Times.
And a poll in Le Parisien newspaper showed half of the nation believed Les Bleus would not go beyond the quarterfinals.
A shocking 1-0 loss to China in its last World Cup preparation game amped up the negative vibes, especially when it came on the heels of a lucky 1-1 draw with Tunisia and a come-from-behind 2-1 win over Costa Rica. None of those opponents qualified for the World Cup.
Even the highlight reels from qualifying don't lend a hand either in boosting French confidence for the players — or their fans. People around the world keep seeing the handball of Thierry Henry which helped France bamboozle its way past Ireland in a playoff and into the tournament.
The only voice of optimism comes from coach Raymond Domenech.
"We just lacked the finishing touch," he said of the loss to China, a typical opponent for a final warmup match, a minor team that should have given France's strikers scoring practice.
The coach has often been met with derision and he developed a tough skin in Germany four years ago before leading the country into the final, where it lost on penalty kicks to Italy. Then, as now, it was not expected to do well.
Four years ago, however, France still had the magical touch of Zinedine Zidane. Franck Ribery was expected to take over his leadership role and provide an unmatched sparkle, but he has fallen short on both counts so far. And much of his supporting cast would not have made some of the classic French teams over the past three decades.
Italy, too, has the same coach as four years ago, and Marcello Lippi has the same problems: too little sparkle and leadership amid his players.
He still relies on central defender Fabio Cannavaro, who was smooth and efficient at the World Cup and became FIFA's player of the year that season because of it. Pushing 37 now, he could not plug the holes in a 2-1 loss against Mexico in Brussels last week, and the usually vaunted Italian defense looked sluggish.
"We were second to every ball," Lippi complained.
And even when the Italians finally had the ball, they showed little.
A 1-1 draw on Saturday in their last warmup match against Switzerland, considered a rank outsider in the World Cup, brought little encouragement for the Italians.
"Italy gave us more space than Costa Rica," Switzerland defender Stephan Lichtsteiner said.
What's more, over its two preparation games, the Italian team was devoid of personality and creativity. It is still full of players who gave Lippi the title four years ago. His enduring trust could cost him and the four-time champs.
Then again, Italy has a tradition of looking bad early on before surprising everyone and notching another title.
Four years ago, a corruption scandal had the team reeling before it won the cup. In 1982, it didn't win any of its first three games before awakening from its slumber and lifting another trophy.
The blues can turn to gold over a four-week period.
-- Raf Casert
Port Elizabeth readies for 1st World Cup game
PORT ELIZABETH, South Africa (AP) — Workers were still putting the finishing touches Tuesday on the World Cup stadium in Port Elizabeth, four days before the "Friendly City" hosts its first game of the tournament.
Tight security was already in force at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, with army officers and police keeping a watchful eye as army helicopters buzzed up and down the coastline of the city.
The stadium had its official opening in late February. On Tuesday, painters spruced up some entrances, workers unloaded boxes with lime-green stools destined for the VIP lounges, and street workers attempted to straighten out crooked bricks in the pedestrian footpaths around the stadium in preparation for Saturday's first match. South Korea plays Greece in Group B.
Strong winds whipped the large petal-like canopies around the roof of the new stadium. There were also ripples in the finely manicured pitch that will host five group matches, a second-rounder, a quarterfinal and the match for third place.
Outside the city, Japan and Denmark held training sessions open to the general public. Japan trained in Outeniqua Park in George and Denmark at Loerie Park in Knysna. The public was not allowed in to France's session at the exclusive Pezula Resort in Knysna.
Knysna was not kind to Denmark coach Morten Olsen, who has a fever and a virus that has been circulating around the team for several weeks.
Before Japan's training session at George, the players were introduced by mayor Mercia Draghoender, who welcomed the team to the town.
Denmark and Japan are both in Group E. Denmark plays its first match Saturday against the Netherlands in Johannesburg, while Japan takes on Cameroon on the same day. France plays its first Group A match in Cape Town on Friday against Uruguay.
The signs of busy preparations are visible as soon as visitors leave the airport, with roads continuing to be paved around the stadium, grass being laid and dozens of souvenir stands opening.
They'll all come in for good use, with two of the World Cup's top drawcards — Germany and England — set to visit.
After the South Korea-Japan match, it will be Portugal vs. Ivory Coast in a Group G match on June 15, Germany and Serbia in Group D on June 18, Chile vs. Switzerland on June 21 in Group H and Slovenia taking on England in Group C on June 23.
A second-round match between the Group A winner — among 2006 runners-up France, Mexico, South Africa or Uruguay — will take on the second-place team in Group B, which also features Argentina and Nigeria.
A quarterfinal is scheduled in Port Elizabeth for June 26 and the match for third place on July 10.
-- Dennis Passa
Grandson: Mandela likely to appear at WCup opening
JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Nelson Mandela will likely greet fans and players for 10 to 15 minutes at the World Cup opening ceremony before watching the rest of the game from home, his grandson said Tuesday.
"We believe that maybe before the game we could bring him to the game just to greet the players and greet the fans," Nkosi Zwelivelile Mandela said.
The 91-year-old Mandela was South Africa president from 1994-1999 after spending 27 years in prison during the apartheid system. He attended the 1995 Rugby World Cup final in Johannesburg, and any possible appearance during Friday's ceremony at Africa's first soccer World Cup would energize the nation.
There have been doubts Mandela would make an appearance because of his advanced age. He was a key factor in South Africa's winning bid, but has made few public appearances in recent years.
On Tuesday, Mandela made a trip to his office to see an art exhibition of works by a local South African artist, inspired and completed by children of Mvezo village in the country's south, where Mandela was born.
Walking with a cane and appearing frail but happy, Mandela looked at the neat rows of 32 framed and limited edition prints adorning the walls at the entrance of a low red-brick building in a leafy Johannesburg neighborhood.
The 32 broad-brushed paintings depict 11 joyful and dancing soccer players, representing the competing World Cup nations, against a background of their respective national flags. An Africa-shaped heart pulsates in their bodies. All the originals were signed by Mandela.
Mandela has a reputation for inspiring teams to victory with his presence, known as the "Madiba magic."
Has presence at the 1995 final at Ellis Park, when South Africa surprisingly beat New Zealand following years of exile from international sport, was seen by many as the moment when South Africans were truly united.
Mandela took over as president four years after being released from jail, and will be remembered for fostering democracy in the country.
Nkosi Mandela said the family has had "to play a protective role in ensuring that we do not open him up to dangers" because of his age.
"To have him sit the entire 90 minutes of soccer would really impact his state of health, because it is winter after all, and we have to guard against that," Nkosi said. "As South Africans, we wish him to live many more years to come."
-- Fisnik Abrashi
Notebook: Ramires gets 2, calls mom
JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Ramires knew exactly what he wanted to do the moment he scored his first international goals with the Brazilian national team: call mom.
Ecstatic after scoring twice in Brazil's 5-1 win over Tanzania in the team's final World Cup warmup Monday, Ramires took the first chance he had to call his mother Judith in the small Brazilian city he grew up.
Ramires said he made the call as soon as he got into the locker room, wanting to share his happiness with his mother and the entire family back in Barra do Pirai, near Rio de Janeiro.
"I talked to my brothers, too," he said. "They were all partying with my goals and they are probably still celebrating."
Ramires is a reserve for Brazil's World Cup squad, but he took advantage of the 45 minutes he played in Brazil's exhibition game in Dar es Salaam. He got his first goal in the 52nd minute after getting past a defender just outside the penalty area, then closed the scoring with a header in second-half injury time.
"It was just too good," the 23-year-old Ramires said. "I was looking for a goal but ended getting two."
The dynamic and tireless midfielder also was a reserve when Brazil arrived in South Africa for the Confederations Cup a year ago. But after coming off the bench in the team's first match he gained a starting spot and eventually helped Brazil win the title.
He replaced Felipe Melo on Monday, but he is also fighting for a spot with Elano in a more offensive position at midfield alongside Kaka. Ramires said he's willing to play in any position, but won't complain if he doesn't start at the World Cup.
"Just being part of this group makes me fulfilled," Ramires said. "I'm being rewarded every time I get in and help the team."
Ramires won a bronze medal at the Beijing Olympics two years ago, but hadn't been summoned often by coach Dunga until the Confederations Cup.
KAKA'S CHARITY: Brazilian soccer star Kaka is pitching for help to feed the world's 1 billion hungry people as part of a U.N. public interest campaign kicking off to coincide with the World Cup.
In the video spot, the Real Madrid star is shown drawing a diagram like a coach planning player moves on the field. He talks to a group of boys in soccer uniforms about how many people don't have enough to eat.
He then holds out a cup, like children do when they receive food aid, and tells viewers:
"Join me in making this cup the World's Cup."
The campaign is being promoted by the Rome-based U.N. World Food Program.
The agency's "Fill the Cup" campaign provides nutritious school meals to hungry children.
HELPING MLS FILL SEATS: Major League Soccer's attendance is expected to be helped by the World Cup and rise 15.4 percent to about 18,500 per game, according to the market research firm IBISWorld.
The league, which started play in 1996, already is up 10.7 percent from a similar point last year, the company said Tuesday.
"The early attendance spike is an encouraging sign of things to come, and the excitement from the World Cup will keep the ball rolling," IBISWorld analyst Dmitry Kopylovsky said. "Additionally, MLS attendance is expected to keep building momentum throughout the summer as the NBA and NHL playoffs end and there's less competition for the consumer's entertainment dollar."
NO. 6 FOR BRAZIL? Brazil is the team to beat in this year's World Cup, according to a global survey by The Nielsen Company.
The survey found that 34 percent of the respondents believe Brazil will take home the Cup, 25 percentage points more than any other country. Argentina, England, Germany, and, yes, the United States, all tied for second at 9 percent of the sample. Only 6 percent believe that defending champion Italy will repeat.
The numbers are based on 27,664 survey responses from 55 countries.
Four of the five global regions polled by Nielsen favored Brazil. Naturally, 57 percent of the Latin American region, including 86 percent of all Brazilians, picked Brazil.
The one global region that didn't pick Brazil was North America. Instead, 46 percent, including half of U.S.-based respondents, went for the Americans. Only 4 percent of the rest of the world said they liked the United States' chances of winning.
Within Europe, more people favor Spain (15 percent) than either Germany (14 percent) or England (10 percent).
CANADIAN TURF: Canada's soccer team didn't qualify for the World Cup in South Africa, but some of the country's best grass did.
Pickseed, a company based in Lindsay, Ontario, spent four years developing a special blend of grass that can withstand the stomping of soccer feet, regrow quickly and spread thickly.
The blend consists primarily of rye grass grown on hundreds of farms in Manitoba and some Kentucky bluegrass grown in the United States.
The blend has been chosen for the turf at the main soccer stadium in Johannesburg and at dozens of other practice fields and World Cup venues.
One of the farmers who provided the grass is Brad Rasmussen, who lives southwest of Winnipeg. He says he's never watched soccer before, but is watching now — and keeping an eye on the turf.
Minister upbeat despite continuing construction
JOHANNESBURG (AP) — South Africa's transport minister is insistent that the gridlock and parking problems that have afflicted some World Cup warmup matches won't be allowed to affect games once the tournament begins Friday.
Many of Johannesburg's roads remain under construction but the city's first high-speed train — Gautrain — ran along new tracks for the first time Tuesday morning.
It made the 12-minute journey from OR Tambo international airport into one of the city's business districts.
"The World Cup is not just about sport; it is more about transport," minister Sibusiso Ndebele said. "The Gautrain is a clear demonstration of world-class comfort."
An intercity bus service will also help transport fans to various fan parks and stadiums within the city.
Ndebele urged fans to use public transport system to ease the pressure on the road system.
The bus system launched in August, two months after the end of the Confederations Cup warmup event. It includes about 40 buses traveling the main route from Soweto, where the Soccer City stadium is located, to downtown Johannesburg.
This route is expected to be used by World Cup visitors since it is close to tourist attractions in the historic township, such as the famous Regina Mundi church and the old home of former president Nelson Mandela.
-- Lesego Motshegwa
Injured Chilean referee to miss World Cup
JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Chilean referee Pablo Pozo Quinteros and his two Chilean assistants will miss the World Cup because of an injury to Quinteros, FIFA said Tuesday.
Pozo Quinteros was due to referee the World Cup Group game between Algeria and Slovenia on Sunday.
FIFA said he would be replaced by referee Carlos Alberto Batres of Guatemala and assistants Leonel Leal of Costa Rica and Carlos Pastrana of Honduras.
World Cup referees operate in groups of three, usually from the same country, and if one leaves all three are obliged to be replaced.
Beckham, Yahoo! team up for World Cup coverage
SUNNYVALE, Calif. (AP) — Yahoo! has signed David Beckham to be part of its World Cup coverage. Beckham will help promote the site, which will feature a David Beckham channel with commentary on soccer's biggest event. After the World Cup, at least 75 fans will be invited to pose questions to Beckham.
The injured English star is out of the World Cup after tearing his left Achilles' tendon. He is in South Africa with the squad and was sent last week to scout the American team, England's first opponent on Saturday.
Beckham says the Yahoo! deal will allow him to "interact one-on-one with as many football fans as possible."
Honduran government orders time off for WCup
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP) — The Honduran government has approved a work schedule that allows 200,000 public employees time off the job to watch the national team play in the World Cup in South Africa.
The government has also urged private enterprises to do the same.
Africo Madrid, the government minister in charge of the changes, said Tuesday that employees would not have to begin work until 10 a.m. local time on June 16 when Honduras plays Chile. The match begins early in the morning, Honduran time.
Honduras faces Spain on June 21 and Switzerland on June 25. Matches those days begin in the early afternoon, Honduran time. Employees will be released at 11:30 a.m. Honduras is playing in only its second World Cup. In 1982 it failed to win a match.
