Soccer Capsules: De La Hoya joins U.S. World Cup bidders
NEW YORK — Retired boxer Oscar De La Hoya has joined the U.S. bid committee trying to win the right to host the World Cup in 2018 or 2022.
De La Hoya is a part-owner of Major League Soccer's Houston Dynamo.
England, Netherlands-Belgium, Russia, Spain-Portugal, Australia and Japan also are bidding to host both World Cups. Indonesia, Qatar and South Korea are bidding for 2022 only.
FIFA's executive committee will vote on Dec. 2.
Other U.S. board members include former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and director Spike Lee.
MLS delays roster compliance deadline
NEW YORK — Major League Soccer delayed its roster compliance deadline because of continuing talks for a collective bargaining agreement.
Teams were to have trimmed rosters to 24 players or fewer — 20 senior players plus four developmental players — and met salary budget limits by Monday.
"Discussions continue over related topics with the MLS Players Union," the league said in a statement. "The roster compliance date will be set in the next few weeks."
MLS's labor contract expired last Thursday after players balked at a third extension. The deal was to have expired Jan. 31.
The MLS schedule begins March 25, when the expansion Philadelphia Union is at Seattle.
Steve Cherundolo training with U.S. soccer team
AMSTERDAM — Injured Hannover defender Steve Cherundolo is training with the U.S. soccer team this week, even though he isn't on the roster for Wednesday's exhibition against the Netherlands.
Cherundolo, who started all three U.S. games at the 2006 World Cup, broke a bone in his shoulder during training Jan. 31, an injury his club said was going to sideline him for a month.
U.S. team spokesman Michael Kammarman said Monday that Cherundolo will rejoin Hannover after Tuesday's practice.
The 31-year-old from San Diego hopes to return to Hannover's lineup on Saturday at Freiburg.
U.S. tops Sweden 2-0, reaches Algarve Cup final
FERREIRAS, Portugal — With the first two-goal game of her international career, Lauren Cheney put the United States into the final of the Algarve Cup against Germany.
Cheney entered at the start of the second half and lifted the United States over Sweden 2-0 Monday.
"She came in, had a lot of fire and got the team going," U.S. captain Shannon Boxx said.
Germany, the defending world champion, routed China 5-0 to finish first in its group. The Germans and Americans will meet for the title on Wednesday in a rematch of the 2005 and 2006 championships. The Americans won 1-0 in 2005 and the Germans triumped 4-3 on penalty kicks a year later following a 0-0 tie.
Germany has outscored opponents 16-0 in this year's tournament.
Cheney gave the U.S. the lead in the 56th minute when she ran onto a through ball from Casey Nogueira, rounded goalkeeper Hedvid Lindahl and slotted home from a tight angle.
"It's good for all of us to know that someone coming off the bench can change the game," U.S. coach Pia Sundage said.
Cheney added her third goal of the tournament in the 87th minute on a give-and-go with Lori Lindsey, beating Lindahl with a powerful shot into the top left corner.
"I think I knew right when it hit my foot that it was just one of those shots," said Cheney, who has seven international goals. "It was nice, because I was tired, so I was like, 'Thank goodness we got some cushion.'"
Goalkeeper Hope solo got her second shutout of the tournament.
The United States (3-0) has won the title six times in nine years and will be in its eighth straight Algarve final.
In other games, Norway beat Iceland 3-2 and Denmark defeated Finland 2-1.
-- Dirk Hinrichs
World Cup
City's tale shows hurdles in taking Cup to Africa
NELSPRUIT, South Africa — A fight over the money to build a World Cup stadium and infrastructure brought down this town's municipal government. It's also blamed for the slaying of a politician.
Then there were the crowds of angry children, throwing rocks at stadium construction workers. The kids were tired of waiting in vain for schools to be built after the community provided cheap land for the football stadium.
Yet if Nelspruit, a stop on the way to the famous Kruger game park, faced extraordinary problems on the road to the World Cup, the solutions typify what it has taken to get ready for the tournament across South Africa: determined politicians, persistent nudging from FIFA and the wisdom to lower expectations when necessary.
Nelspruit managed to complete its 46,000-seat stadium at a cost of just under $1 million last year and will be among the nine cities hosting games when the monthlong football tournament opens in June, just 100 days from Tuesday.
This is the first time the main event for the world's most popular sport is coming to Africa, and its host is a developing country plagued by high crime, unemployment and a widening gap between rich and poor.
But if all goes well, the World Cup will put South Africa in line for other high profile events, perhaps even the Olympics. And it will give South African leaders and entrepreneurs, particularly in the tourism sector, new visibility and clout.
"I was not ever a skeptic," said Gillian Saunders, who has tracked South Africa's preparations as a strategist for Grant Thornton South Africa, which provides risk analysis, financial and other services.
Saunders says some of the estimated 480,000 foreign fans she expects in South Africa (others have lowered the fan figure substantially) may find themselves stuck in traffic after games in a few cities, and that tents and trailers will have to augment hotel rooms.
Such concerns must seem minor to FIFA officials, who were repeatedly asked whether they had plans to hold the World Cup elsewhere if South Africa failed to deliver. FIFA president Sepp Blatter has been among the fiercest proponents of bringing the World Cup to Africa, a continent rich in football talent.
South Africans also have been determined, first bidding unsuccessfully for the 2006 games, then bringing anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela to Switzerland in 2004 to help make their 2010 case to FIFA. Mandela told FIFA's decision makers about listening to a World Cup on the radio while imprisoned on Robben Island.
"Football was the only joy to prisoners," he said. "As football generated hope on Robben Island, hosting this World Cup will give a certain meaning to this hope."
As he ushered in the new year, President Jacob Zuma told South Africans the World Cup made 2010 as critical a year in their history as 1994, when apartheid ended.
"We have won the greatest marketing opportunity of our time, the rights to host the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup," Zuma said. "Together as all South Africans, we must make this one of the most successful projects we have even undertaken as a nation!"
Blocks met along the way included:
— A 68,000-seat stadium in the tourism mecca of Cape Town was delayed by residents who complained their tranquility and views would be ruined, and its cost of 4.45 billion rands ($550 million) was much higher than originally budgeted.
— New, government-run rapid bus transit systems to supplement the erratic and often dangerous private minibus services on which commuters in South Africa's metropolitan centers have had to rely were fiercely and at times violently resisted by the private operators.
— Stadium workers across the country went on strike for a week in July 2009. Some workers were earning about $300 a month, but informal or casual laborers were taking home less than $100. They ended the strike after getting an increase of 12 percent, below their earlier demand of 13 percent.
But nowhere were the problems as difficult as in Nelspruit, nestled in the boulder-strewn hills of eastern South Africa.
The government of the province that includes Nelspruit had to take over running the municipality, firing all council members and the mayor, after charges and countercharges of corruption in the awarding of contracts for World Cup work brought government to a standstill.
Differ Mogale, the municipality's 2010 coordinator, said mistakes were inevitable when a municipality with a population of some 700,000 took on something on the scale of hosting World Cup events, even if only four games will be played in Nelspruit.
"It was a challenge of understanding this huge project that we had to deal with," Mogale said in an interview. "We'd never dealt with spending $3.2 billion over three years."
Mogale said city officials learned along the way about tightening employment and contract rules to guard against graft. If there was corruption, Mogale said, there were also a feisty media to expose it and police and courts to deal with the accused.
The council speaker who had publicly condemned corruption surrounding World Cup contracts, Jimmy Mohlala, was shot and killed in January 2009. Lassy Chiwayo, sent to Nelspruit by the governing African National Congress to revive local government in 2008, is not alone in believing Mohlala was killed by people who believed he blocked them from getting World Cup contracts.
"I can say without any shred of doubt that the huge money involved did create interests," Chiwayo said.
"I wouldn't be surprised if in some circles I'm defined as the enemy," Chiwayo said in an interview. "But I came here with a job to do."
Chiwayo said he had two instructions from the ANC: "Go fix that municipality. Do all you can to ensure that you save the host city status."
Nelspruit has had support from the regional government to get on track. For example, after FIFA questioned whether the municipality would be equipped with proper emergency services, the province stepped in. It decreed that instead of using a local emergency services network, construction would be speeded on another, regional center that would otherwise have been completed after the World Cup.
Attempts have been made to accommodate poor residents of the province, who have at times felt shunted aside.
Nomuso Khathi, a provincial official working on World Cup projects, was in charge of setting up viewing areas with big screen TVs, stages for pre-game entertainment, playgrounds for younger fans and other amenities in 18 towns and cities in Mpumalanga, the province that includes Nelspruit.
Mpumalanga is one of the country's poorest provinces. Many here won't be able to afford even the tickets sharply discounted for South Africans, so Khathi's free public viewing areas, known as PVAs, were as close as they were going to come to the Cup.
"When we were still dreaming, we wanted to have one PVA in every locality," she said. Instead, because of lack of funds, there will be three for the entire province. Still, it's something.
To build the stadium, construction teams made offices of two brick schools near the site. The students were moved into prefab classrooms, with promises new schools would be built.
Wendy Mabuza, 17, said she did not join the sometimes violent demonstrations over being moved staged by other Cyril Clark Secondary School students. But, she said, "they were right to protest, because the temporary school is small and the classes are small. We can't concentrate."
Work finally started on the new schools last year, and students are expected to move out of the cramped prefabs before the World Cup begins.
Mayor Chiwayo, who served six years on Robben Island for his activities as an underground ANC operative during the fight against apartheid, is determined to look forward.
"An international gift that was given to South Africa by Nelson Mandela, Sepp Blatter ... became a basis for divisions, fights, instability," Chiwayo said. But now, he said, his municipality has shown "some visible signs of progress, and that change can come from very difficult circumstances."
-- Donna Bryson
World Cup stadium sparked tension
NELSPRUIT, South Africa — The roof of the stadium build in Nelspruit for the World Cup is supported by a circle of 18 iron giraffes, 90 feet high and painted orange, which look as is they were designed by a gifted preschooler.
The seats are black and white, arranged in a zebra-stripe pattern. The stylized signs on the bathrooms are of men and women kicking balls. In short, the building seems too playful to have been the source of so much trouble.
Municipal officials had sealed a deal for the land on which the stadium sat in exchange for developing the area around it, home to orchard workers who were living without electricity, running water or paved roads.
The land was owned by the black Mdluli clan, which had seen it taken by a white farmer in the 1920s. The clan, descendants of a 19th century Swazi chief named Matsafeni Mdluli, appealed to a land restitution board instituted by the post-apartheid government. After eight years of negotiating, they were able to reclaim 6,000 hectares in 2003.
The Mdlulis accepted a token rand (about 10 cents) for 69 hectares of their hard-won property in 2006. The next year, stadium construction began. But the Mdlulis and other poor blacks living in the area waited in vain for construction on promised schools, roads and water and electricity projects to begin.
It looked, said M.T. Silinda, a Nelspruit lawyer appointed as a trustee for the Mdlulis in 2008, as if the government restored the land to poor blacks only to take it back for the World Cup. The national government intervened, demanding the city make it right, said Lassy Chiwayo, sent to Nelspruit by the governing African National Congress to revive local government in 2008.
The government of the province that includes Nelspruit had taken over running the municipality after charges and countercharges of corruption in the awarding of contracts for World Cup work brought government to a standstill.
After the national government intervened, surveyors put a value on the land and the Mdlulis were paid about $140,000, Mokoena said.
In addition to the payment, the municipality remained committed to developing the area, at no cost to the Mdlulis. Work finally started on the new schools last year, and students are expected to move out of their cramped prefabs before the World Cup begins.
Terry Mdluli, a clan leader, shows little bitterness now.
"If it was not for the World Cup, we wouldn't be seeing all this development, especially on our land," he said.
-- Donna Bryson
Parreira: 'World is focused on us' as WCup looms
DURBAN, South Africa — South Africa coach Carlos Alberto Parreira said on Monday his team is now the focus of the football world and has told his players that everything they do from now on is important.
Parreira spoke on arrival in Durban ahead of Tuesday's celebrations in the east coast city to mark the 100-day countdown to the World Cup.
"I wish to say to my players from now on everything they do is important," Parreira said. "Even at training, because we are now a World Cup team. We are World Cup players, the whole world is focused on us so everything changes."
South Africa takes on Namibia at the newly built Moses Mabhida Stadium on Wednesday in its final warmup match in front of its own fans ahead of World Cup kickoff on June 11.
Despite the huge challenge that awaits the host country in Group A alongside Mexico and former winners France and Uruguay, the Brazilian coach said his players should make the most of it.
"There is something about the World Cup, once you have been there you will know the feeling," Parreira said. "It's priceless, difficult to describe. You have to be there to know it.
"So I tell my players: you are part of the elite, you are going to represent your country and very few athletes in the world have this opportunity, so use it and do the best you can do."
The South African Football Federation said Orlando Pirates midfielder Teko Modise would be captain against Namibia in the absence of regular skipper Aaron Mokoena, who was not required by Parreira for the match.
Modise led his country to victory against neighbor Zimbabwe in another friendly last month.
Parreira also said he was keeping a close watch on injured striker Benni McCarthy of England's West Ham.
Parreira said the experienced McCarthy, who scored South Africa's first ever World Cup goal in 1998, was still a crucial part of his squad despite doubts over his commitment to the team.
"I have been saying this all along: I believe Benni is a big asset for us because of his quality and experience and if he can't be here with us it's a big blow," Parreira said. "We need him for his experience."
Chile calls off World Cup warmups after earthquake
SANTIAGO, Chile — Chile canceled two World Cup warmup matches this week because of the earthquake that killed at least 700 people.
The South Americans were scheduled to play an unusual doubleheader on Wednesday in Santiago, facing North Korea and Costa Rica. Chile will be playing in its first World Cup since 1998. North Korea has also advanced to the tournament, which starts June 11 in South Africa.
Harold Mayne-Nicholls, president of the Chile federation, said soccer was a low priority in the face of the death and destruction.
"Football cannot remain apart from the catastrophe," Mayne-Nicholls said on the federation's Web site. "Nor can we be indifferent in the face of the pain and tragedy for thousands of Chileans.
"The prevailing interest now is to meet the urgent needs of our country," he added. "There will be time for football."
Leverkusen goalkeeper Adler favored for World Cup
MUNICH — Bayer Leverkusen goalkeeper Rene Adler is favorite to be Germany's No. 1 at the World Cup.
Germany goalkeepers' coach Andreas Koepke said Monday that Adler will be in goal for this week's friendly against Argentina. Wednesday's match is Germany's last before the squad for South Africa is named in May.
The 25-year-old Adler is in a three-way battle for the starting spot with Werder Bremen's Tim Wiese and Schalke's Manuel Neuer.
Koepke said Adler is "No. 1 at the moment" and that the position is his to lose.
Slovakia coach hopeful of Skrtel return for WCup
ZILINA, Slovakia — Slovakia coach Vladimir Weiss says Liverpool defender Martin Skrtel will recover from a broken foot in time to play at this year's World Cup.
The Slovakia international was carried from the field in the 3-1 Europa League win at Unirea Urziceni on Thursday and scans showed he broke a metatarsal bone in his right foot.
Slovakia won its European qualifying group to secure qualification for the World Cup for the first time.
Elsewhere
Portsmouth goes back to court over unpaid taxes
LONDON — Portsmouth faces another court hearing Tuesday because the British government is contesting the Premier League club's right to legal protection from creditors.
The government's revenue and customs authority tried to shut down Portsmouth over unpaid taxes and is challenging the High Court's ruling last week that allowed the club to enter bankruptcy protection.
The latest hearing has been scheduled for 10:30 a.m. local time (1030 GMT) Tuesday at the High Court in central London.
Revenue and customs confirmed the hearing but said it was unable to comment further because of the legal status of the case.
Portsmouth became the first English Premier League team to enter administration, as the protection is known, after failing to clear debts of about 70 million pounds ($105 million).
If Portsmouth is denied protected status, the revenue and customs authority would be able to pursue the club over unpaid taxes and could force it out of business.
"We're not unduly worried," court-appointed administrator Andrew Andronikou said. "It's not standard procedure but I'd imagine that HMRC (Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs) are basically crossing their I's and dotting their T's.
"We're expecting the administration to proceed as it was."
Andronikou has said he will cut costs in an effort to keep Portsmouth in business, but the club is almost certainly facing a drop in income whatever happens.
Portsmouth is adrift at the bottom of the standings even before the Premier League has imposed the automatic nine-point penalty for going into administration.
Demotion to the second tier would hit income from broadcast and sponsorship.
New Zealand businessman Victor Cattermole explored the possibility of buying the club last week and becoming its fifth owner this season. He said Monday he still wanted to meet with Andronikou to discuss a possible takeover.
"We're still interested in buying Portsmouth," Cattermole told Sky Sports News. "We still have to carry out due diligence and see what is owed, what is expected to be paid for it, and what the value's going to be once the whole issue of relegation is sorted out."
Portsmouth is deep in trouble after overspending on wages and transfer fees to fund a return to the top flight and a shot at winning trophies.
The 2008 FA Cup was its first major title since 1950 but it spent 55 million pounds ($82.4 million), or 78 percent of its turnover, in salaries that season.
The south coast club has since sold almost an entire squad of top players for fees totaling about 100 million pounds ($150 million).
-- Stuart Condie
Dunga out to show depth of talent against Ireland
LONDON — With Luis Fabiano already sidelined ahead of Tuesday's friendly against Ireland, Brazil coach Dunga hopes the rest of his stars will go back to their clubs without any injuries.
Facing a fast-moving, strong tackling Irish squad at Arsenal's Emirates Stadium, Dunga doesn't want to anger the club coaches by sending them back hobbling with knee, foot and ankle injuries and then head for the World Cup with similar problems.
"The most important thing for us is to send the players to their clubs without injuries," he said on the eve of the game. "Some played Sunday, some a few hours ago and players might be tired.
"We will make some substitutions so that as many players as possible can play. We also don't want players to be injured when they go to the World Cup."
Dunga is fine-tuning his squad with the World Cup starting in a little over 100 days. Although Luis Fabiano will return once he has recovered from a pulled pectoral muscle he picked up playing for Sevilla, the recall of Ronaldinho and Pato are far less certain.
The pair have returned to form and Dunga has said everyone is still in contention for the June 11-July 11 event in South Africa. But Dunga picked Wolfsburg's Grafite after Luis Fabiano withdrew from the game at Arsenal's 60,000-capacity Emirates Stadium.
Even without three of Brazil's biggest names missing, Dunga can still call on Adriano, Nilmar and Robinho with Kaka, Elano and Julio Baptista available to support from behind.
Brazil's first three opponents at the World Cup are North Korea, Ivory Coast and Portugal, and hopes a competitive game against the Irish — who tackle hard and play at a fast pace — will be ideal preparation.
"It's an important game for Brazil, especially because it's the last friendly for us," said Gilberto Silva, a former Arsenal midfielder. "This counts. We are playing together for the last time. The coach has been watching everyone at their clubs. It's important that everyone keeps their shape, and fitness. We don't want to lose time when we get there having to recover our fitness level.
"Ireland deserve to be at the World Cup. I feel sorry for the way they didn't qualify and the way they were knocked out. But sometimes these things happen and even though they aren't there, it will be a tough game and a tough opponent tomorrow."
The Irish failed to qualify for the World Cup after Thierry Henry's blatant handball in a playoff helped France go through instead.
Now, Giovanni Trapattoni's players hope to show that they are over that heartbreaking moment and will set out to make a mark by beating the heavily fancied Brazilians.
The Irish thought they might have to do it without top striker Robbie Keane.
The Celtic striker, currently on loan from Tottenham until the end of the season, initially withdrew from the game after injuring his knee while playing in Sunday's 1-0 loss to Rangers in the Scottish Premier League. But he returned to the squad on Monday after recovering from the injury.
Ireland lost central defender Richard Dunne on Monday. The Aston Villa player hurt a leg muscle in Sunday's League Cup final loss to Manchester United.
"We will start with the experienced players, because to put all the youngsters in against a team like this would be dangerous," Trapattoni said. "Brazil are a great team, every player can score a goal, they have so many creative and technical players. We can also not let such great players like Kaka have too much space."
The match is at Emirates Stadium partly because most of the Irish squad play in England, and up to 40,000 London-based Irish and Brazilian fans are expected to attend.
The other reason is that the Gaelic Athletic Association, which handles games at Dublin's Croke Park, declined to negotiate with the promotional company for Brazil.
-- Robert Millward
Brazil coach Dunga says results outweigh talent
LONDON — In a country where almost every Brazilian seems to have an opinion about the national team, Dunga knows that he alone makes the decisions that matter.
As the coach who has the heavy responsibility of regaining a World Cup title surrendered four years ago, Dunga has to try and listen to the fans yet focus entirely on his own job.
If that means leaving the likes of Ronaldinho and Pato out of the team and creating a results-based rather than a traditionally flamboyant Brazilian team, so be it.
"Most players in Brazil are talented players," he said on the eve of a friendly with Ireland at Arsenal's Emirates Stadium. "But we don't live on talent. We live on results.
"Some people say that Dunga is the only one who rules, but that's not the case. Some people say I'm arrogant but that's not true. It's normal that everybody speculates on what could happen. But I need to see what actually WILL happen. Pressure has always been the story of Brazil. It doesn't give you any advantage or any lack of it. It's something that happens and you have to live with it."
A record five World Cup triumphs appear to be evidence that the Brazilian way is best. The swagger of a team that gave the game Pele, Garrincha, Jairzinho, Rivelino, Zico, Socrates, Romario, Ronaldo and Ronaldinho has always been the style that outside observers associate with the so called "beautiful game".
Dunga's methods led to strong opposition from those who believed he had taken the flair out of the team. But he responded by saying that opponents had worked out how to play Brazil and his team needed a strong backbone capable of defending as well as they attack.
Brazil's first three opponents at the World Cup, which kicks off June 11, are North Korea, Ivory Coast and Portugal and the Brazilian media are already looking ahead to that June 25 showdown with the Portuguese in Durban.
But Dunga is sending out a message that there's a lot of hard work to be done before then.
"Everything we do now is (about) working hard to prove ourselves at the World Cup," he said.
"We have to continue the hard work, the good preparation, to get to the World Cup without injuries, to keep the training routines. The most important thing is that we shouldn't get any problems when we get close to the World Cup."
-- Robert Millward
Zidane says he won't apologize to Materazzi
MADRID — Former Real Madrid and France soccer star Zinedine Zidane says he regrets headbutting Marco Materazzi during the 2006 World Cup final, but he'd rather die than apologize to the Italian defender.
In an interview with leading Spanish daily El Pais published Monday, Zidane recalled the infamous incident with a sense of shame — but he felt none toward Materazzi.
"After the game, I went into the dressing room and told them, 'Forgive me. This doesn't change anything, but sorry everyone,'" Zidane recalled of the moments after the game.
"But to him I can't. Never, never," Zidane added. "It would be to dishonor me. ... I'd rather die."
The match was Zidane's last after a sparkling career in which he became one of the game's most respected players. In the 20th minute of extra time, Materazzi insulted Zidane, who responded by headbutting the Italian defender violently in the chest. He got sent off and watched France lose the match from the sideline.
"Of course I reproach myself," Zidane told El Pais. "But if I say 'Sorry,' I would also be admitting that what he did was normal. And for me it was not normal.
"Things happen on the pitch. It's happened to me many times. But I could not stand it that time," Zidane said. "My mother was sick. She was in hospital. This people didn't know. ... But it was a bad moment. More than once they had insulted my mother and I never responded."
Materazzi recently told Italy's La Republica paper he was still waiting for Zidane to apologize and that he was still so angry over the incident that he won't even watch this year's tournament in South Africa.
"If it was Kaka, an ordinary guy, a good guy, of course I would have apologized. But to this one!" Zidane said. "If I ask forgiveness of him, I lack respect for myself and for all those I love with all my heart."
Zidane won two Serie A titles with Italy's Juventus and two La Liga titles and a Champions League with Real Madrid, along with the 1998 World Cup. He was voted FIFA World Player of the Year three times.
Now 37, he acts as an informal adviser to Real Madrid president Florentino Perez.
Boumsong worried by Henry's lack of playing time
CLAIREFONTAINE, France — France defender Jean-Alain Boumsong fears Thierry Henry's lack of playing time at Barcelona could hurt the French team's chances at the World Cup.
Less than four months before the World Cup starts, the France captain has lost his regular starting spot in Pep Guardiola's team this season.
Henry, France's all-time leading scorer with 51 goals in 117 internationals, has played only 113 minutes in the past six matches in all competitions. He stayed on the bench on Saturday during Barcelona's 2-1 win over Malaga in the Spanish league.
"If in the two coming months, he only plays one game a month, he will be short of match fitness," Boumsong said Monday, two days before France takes on European champion Spain in a friendly.
"It will be a problem if he doesn't play more in the next six weeks. When you don't play for a long period before a competition, it's always a handicap. He will have to work more at training to find his rhythm."
France qualified for the June 11-July 11 tournament in South Africa following a playoff win over Ireland last year steeped in controversy because of Henry.
France went through 2-1 on aggregate after drawing 1-1 at Stade de France thanks to Henry's handball in the buildup to William Gallas' equalizer, and coach Raymond Domenech has indicated he will keep faith in the striker.
"When a player doesn't play for three or four months, it's certainly a problem," Domenech said Sunday on French TV. "But when a player misses two or three matches because his team is rotating players, that is absolutely not the same thing."
The 30-year-old Boumsong, a member of France's squad that reached the 2006 World Cup final but who didn't play in any game of the tournament, said Henry's experience will help him overcome any lack of playing time — as will the demands of his position.
"Don't forget, he is a forward — so things are different," Boumsong said. "And on the other hand, it is also important not to play every three days before the World Cup to keep some freshness. It's almost recommended to play only a match a week."
Boumsong, who started his international career seven years ago but hasn't played for France since last June, thinks a string of good performances with Lyon — including a 1-0 win over Real Madrid in the Champions League last month — helped earn a recall.
"It gave me some credit," he said. "I'm really happy to be back here and if I can be part of the 23-man World Cup squad, I will be delighted. As long as I can feel that I'm useful to the team, I'm happy. If I can add my experience to the squad, it's fine with me."
Boumsong knows this is his last chance to impress at a World Cup, and is eager to make the most of any opportunity.
"Africa is the continent where I was born," Boumsong said, referring to his Cameroon birthplace. "My parents were born there, too. This will be the first World Cup to be staged in Africa, and probably my last one."
-- Samuel Petrequin
PSG fan in life-threatening condition
PARIS — A Paris Saint-Germain fan injured in a fight between rival factions of hooligans from the club was in a life-threatening condition Monday, police said.
The 38-year-old fan sustained a serious head injury ahead of Sunday's French league match between fierce rivals PSG and Marseille. Marseille went on to win the game 3-0.
The clashes involved hooligans from the two main stands at PSG's stadium Parc des Princes, the Tribune d'Auteuil and the Kop of Boulogne.
A 30-year-old man suspected of taking part in the beating was arrested just after the fight and has been held in detention.
Marseille fans had boycotted the game to protest against security measures imposed on visiting supporters.
Incidents also occurred before kick off outside the stadium and police used tear gas to disperse a handful of PSG fans who threw bottles at them.
French Sports minister Rama Yade said she will have a meeting with PSG officials in the coming days.
"Those wild behaviours won't stay unpunished," Yade said. "We have to put an end to those urban guerrilla scenes before violence and human stupidity lead to new tragic incidents."
Following several months of relative tranquility, Kop of Boulogne and Auteuil fans — angered by their team's poor results and a mutual opposition to the club's chief backer, Colony Capital — started fighting again at the end of last year and clashed violently at Lille in January.
In a statement, PSG "strongly condemned the clashes that occurred before and after the match against Marseille and principally the attack against one of its supporters."
The club said its president Robin Leproux will meet Paris's police prefect on Wednesday.
On Nov. 23, 2006, a member of a group called the Boulogne Boys was shot and killed by a police officer after a UEFA Cup match between PSG and Hapoel Tel Aviv.
The policeman was protecting a Jewish fan under attack from thugs shouting anti-Semitic epithets.
PSG is 12th in the league with 33 points from 26 games, a performance that hardly matches its early season ambition to qualify for the Champions League.
Rooney fit for England's friendly against Egypt
WATFORD, England — Wayne Rooney declared himself fit for England's friendly against Egypt but sidestepped questions Monday about the widely publicized scandals that have affected John Terry, Wayne Bridge and Ashley Cole.
Rooney was a substitute in Sunday's League Cup final because of a knee injury but replaced Michael Owen and headed Manchester United's winning goal in a 2-1 victory over Aston Villa to take his tally for the season to 28.
"I went for a scan today and it's just a bit of bruising," Rooney said. "So I'm having a bit of a rest day today. I should train tomorrow and should play on Wednesday."
Rooney was happy to talk about his goals for Man United — which includes 12 in his last nine games — but refused to comment on the off-field behavior of his England teammates.
Terry is set to start at center back against Egypt on Wednesday but won't have the captain's armband, while there will be no sign of Bridge or Cole at left back.
England coach Fabio Capello took the captaincy away from Terry after weeks of daily publicity on the married player's alleged affair with the ex-girlfriend of Bridge, who has been his teammate with Chelsea and England.
Now at Manchester City, Bridge has since said he won't play alongside Terry with England and refused to shake hands with him before Saturday's Chelsea-Man City game.
Cole will miss the game because of a broken bone in his foot. But he has also been in the headlines for alleged affairs and his pop star wife, Cheryl Cole, announced they have separated.
"To be honest, it's none of my business," Rooney said. "It's not up to me to talk about it.
"Wayne Bridge is a fantastic player. Especially now that Ashley Cole is injured, I'm sure that he would probably have taken his place. It's unfortunate but it's his decision (not to play for England). We have to respect his decision."
Rooney said he hoped Terry would get a warm reception from the England fans despite the recent adverse publicity.
"He hasn't got the armband but he's still a great player and a great leader," Rooney said. "The squad has been no different since we've met up."
Neville suggests end of Man United career is near
MANCHESTER, England — Manchester United captain Gary Neville has indicated that his career with the English champions could be over at the end of the season, almost 18 years after making his first-team debut.
The 35-year-old Neville's contract expires in June and he is yet to be offered a new deal.
Asked about extending his career into next season, Neville responded: "I don't know ... I'm not even thinking about it."
Injuries have restricted the defender's playing time in recent seasons, although he featured for around 25 minutes on Sunday as United beat Aston Villa 2-1 to retain the League Cup.
"I'm at the age that I just want to stay fit and concentrate on the last few months of the season," Neville said. "I've got to decide what I want to do and speak to the manager (Alex Ferguson)."
Neville rose through the United ranks in the early 1990s as part of a group of young players nicknamed "Fergie's Fledglings," who also included David Beckham and Ryan Giggs.
But he has fallen behind Wes Brown and Rafael da Silva in the right-back pecking order.
"The manager's got other options now — I've started in the last two games before Sunday and I came on for around 20 minutes then," Neville said. "So it's been a good week in that sense, taking part in three matches. I feel better now.
"The difference now is that when I play games I get fitter, but when I get injured it takes me a month to get back into the swing of things and you saw that against Leeds (in January's FA Cup loss)."
Neville has won eight Premier League titles, the Champions League twice and three FA Cups.
He is also England's most capped right back, having made the last of 85 appearances three years ago.
-- Rob Harris
Culina named Australian captain
BRISBANE, Australia — Midfielder Jason Culina will captain Australia in its Asian Cup football qualifier against Indonesia this week, coach Pim Verbeek announced Tuesday.
Culina, 29, has played 44 matches for Australia and was seen as a leading candidate for the captaincy in a squad drawn largely from Australia's domestic A-League.
Verbeek announced the appointment of the Gold Coast United player at a news conference in Brisbane.
Australia needs a least a draw from Wednesday's qualifying match at Suncorp Stadium to be sure of a place in the 2011 Asian Cup in Qatar.
"It's a very important game there's no doubt about that," said Verbeek.
Culina, who will lead Australia for the first time, said he had confidence in his side's ability to qualify.
"It's a privilege to be captain," he said. "It's an important game. We need to get a result to get to the Asian Cup and I'm confident we'll do that."
Indonesia can no longer qualify for Qatar, but striker Bambang Pamungkas said his team was determined to give a strong performance for its fans.
"We'll make sure this isn't easy for Australia," he said. "The result is not important to our team, but the game is very important for us This is the first time since 1996 that we haven't (qualified) in the Asian Cup.
"We should have won the last game against Australia (which finished in a 0-0 draw). We had many chances and should have taken them."
Maradona expects spectacular match against Germany
MUNICH — Argentina coach Diego Maradona expects a spectacular match when his team meets Germany in a friendly later this week.
Maradona said ahead of Wednesday's game in Munich that Germany deserves respect because it fights until the last minute.
He said at a news conference Monday that Germany and Argentina both want to win and he expects a "spectacular game."
Germany has three World Cup titles — the last of them a 1-0 win over Argentina in 1990, when Maradona captained his country — and Argentina two.
Maradona has not long finished a two-month ban for a profanity-laden rant at reporters after his team, traditionally one of Latin America's powerhouses, only just qualified for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
South Africa 'disappointed' by CAF's Togo ban
GENEVA — South Africa's foreign minister has criticized a decision by African football authorities to ban Togo from the next two African Cup of Nations.
Maite Nkoana-Mashabane says she is "disappointed" with the African Football Confederation for banning Togo.
The team agreed to remain in Angola and play after gunmen killed two members of the team's party and a driver at last month's tournament in Angola, but the Togo government ordered the players home.
CAF said the withdrawal constituted government interference, a violation of the rules.
Togo has asked world sport's top court to overturn the suspension from the 2012 and 2014 African Cup of Nations.
Saha ruled out of friendly against Spain
CLAIREFONTAINE, France — France striker Louis Saha has been ruled out of Wednesday's friendly match against European champion Spain.
The Everton striker picked up a slight thigh injury and left the France training camp Monday after the team's doctors decided he was not fit to play, France spokesman Francois Manardo said.
Saha, who has scored 13 English Premier League goals this season, hasn't played for France since a 1-0 win over Greece in a friendly in November 2006.
He has been replaced in the squad by Panathinaikos forward Djibril Cisse.
Moutinho gets Portugal nod for China friendly
LISBON, Portugal — Portugal coach Carlos Queiroz has added Sporting Lisbon's Joao Moutinho to his squad for this week's international friendly against China.
The 23-year-old midfielder, who has made 25 appearances and scored one goal for Portugal, was named in the squad after Sporting beat FC Porto 3-0 in a league match late Sunday.
Queiroz had said he might increase his squad after the weekend matches. The squad now has 18 players.
Portugal meets China at Coimbra, in central Portugal, on Wednesday.
Portugal is drawn Group G for this year's World Cup, along with Brazil, Ivory Coast and North Korea.
Austria to miss four regulars against Denmark
VIENNA — Defender Emanuel Pogatetz and midfielder Christoph Leitgeb have been ruled out of Austria's friendly against Denmark, taking the total to four regular players who will miss the match due to injury.
Pogatetz has a knee injury and Leitgeb a thigh complaint. Both were ruled out Monday.
Goalkeeper Juergen Macho has a broken finger and midfielder Andreas Hoelzl has a stomach illness. Both were ruled out Sunday.
Austria coach Dietmar Constantini called up only one replacement — Werder Bremen defender Sebastian Proedl — for Wednesday's game at Vienna's Ernst Happel Stadium.
Report: Hiddink set to coach Ivory Coast at WCup
AMSTERDAM — Dutch daily De Telegraaf says Guus Hiddink will "almost certainly" coach Ivory Coast at the World Cup.
Hiddink's contract as Russia coach expires in June, and the Dutchman has already agreed to a two-year deal to lead Turkey through August 2012 with an option for two additional years.
Vahid Halilhodzic was fired as coach last week after Ivory Coast failed to reach the semifinals at the African Cup of Nations earlier this year.
Ivorian Football Federation president Jacques Anouma said Saturday that a new coach will soon be announced for the June 11-July 11 World Cup in South Africa.
Hiddink, who guided Russia to the semifinals of the 2008 European Championship, coached South Korea at the World Cup in 2002 and Australia in 2006.
Hamsik named Slovak player of 2009
ZILINA, Slovakia — Napoli midfielder Marek Hamsik has been named Slovakia's best footballer in 2009.
The 22-year-old captain of the national team topped a poll of experts, coaches and sports journalists, when the results were announced late Monday.
Hamsik played a key role on a team that secured Slovakia qualification for the World Cup for the first time in its history.
Bochum forward Stanislav Sestak, the best Slovakia scorer in the World Cup qualifying campaign with six goals, was second in the poll and Legia Warsaw goalkeeper Jan Mucha third.
Chelsea attacking midfielder Miroslav Skoch, who is currently on loan at FC Twente in the Dutch league, was named as the best new player under 21.
Goalkeeper Petr Cech named Czech player of 2009
PRAGUE — Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech has been named as the best Czech player in 2009.
Cech, who is currently out of the Chelsea side after tearing a calf muscle during his side's 2-1 loss at Inter Milan in the Champions League last week was chosen as the best player for a third time in a poll of coaches, players and journalists.
Cech arrived in Prague to receive the award late Monday. He also won it last year and in 2005.
Galatasaray striker Milan Baros, also injured at present, was second while Bordeaux midfielder Jaroslav Plasil was third.
