The Official 2010 Pre- World Cup Thread

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[b][size=5]World Cup 2010: Didier Drogba returns to Ivory Coast squad[/size][/b]

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[font=arial, sans-serif]Didier Drogba has rejoined the [url="http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/ivorycoast"]Ivory Coast[/url]'s World Cup squad with a cast protecting his broken arm, after weekend surgery on the injury.[/font]

[font=arial, sans-serif]However, it is still not clear whether the African Footballer of the Year will be fit to play in their opening Group G match in Port Elizabeth next week. Fifa rules allow Ivory Coast to wait until Monday 14 June, 24 hours before the game against Portugal, before deciding whether to replace Drogba.[/font]

[font=arial, sans-serif]Drogba fractured the ulna, or inner bone, of his right forearm in a [url="http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/jun/04/didier-drogba-world-cup-injury"]warm-up match against Japan in Switzerland on Friday[/url]. The striker had surgery in Berne on Saturday, an operation doctors described as successful.[/font]

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[color=#333333][font=arial, sans-serif][size=4]"His recovery has been extremely encouraging. It is suggested that, at this stage, all the signs are good and there is great hope the captain of the Elephants will be in action with his team-mates as soon as possible," a spokesman for the Ivorian Football Federation said.[font=arial, sans-serif][/font]

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[/size][/font][/color][color=#333333][font=arial, sans-serif][size=4]The Ivorians depart for South Africa on Wednesday. They conclude their preparations in Switzerland with a friendly against Lausanne Sports in Nyon tomorrow.[/size][/font][/color] [/quote]



[url="http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/jun/07/world-cup-2010-didier-drogba"]http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/jun/07/world-cup-2010-didier-drogba[/url]

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[color="#303030"][font="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][size="2"][b][color="#303030"][font="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][size="3"][size="5"]French sports boss slams choice of hotel[/size][/size][/font][/color][/b][/size][/font][/color]
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[b][size="3"]French Secretary of State for Sport Rama Yade yesterday criticised the choice of hotel for the French squad at the World Cup finals as overly luxurious, and called for "decency" at a time of general belt-tightening.[/size][/b]

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[color="#303030"][font="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"][color="#000000"][font="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][size="2"]"I would not have chosen this hotel. Spain, for example, has chosen a university campus," noted Yade in an interview.[/size][/font][/color][color="black"][font="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][size="2"][left]"If France goes a long way [in the tournament] the choice of a site offering the best training conditions would appear judicious. But if results do not come up to expectations then those in charge will have some explaining to do," Yade commented.[/left][/size][/font][/color]

[color="black"][font="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][size="2"][left]"I hope that the French team wow us by their results rather than the swankiness of their hotel. I have called on them to show some decency in times of crisis," Yade said.[/left][/size][/font][/color]

[color="black"][font="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][size="2"][left]The French, champions in 1998 but who struggled to qualify for the event in South Africa, are being accommodated at the five-star Pezula resort, in Knysna.[/left][/size][/font][/color]

[color="black"][font="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][size="2"][left]Despite coach Raymond Domenech's perpetually upbeat attitude, confidence is running low among his players ahead of Friday's opener against Uruguay.[/left][/size][/font][/color]

[color="black"][font="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][size="2"][left]Following two unconvincing warm-up matches, and with only a handful of days remaining, the French need to improve fast to stand a chance of repeating their surprise performance of four years ago, when they reached the final.[/left][/size][/font][/color]

[/font][/color][font="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][size="2"]France were beaten by China 1-0 on Friday after being outplayed in a 1-1 draw against Tunisia. Before that, the French beat Costa Rica 2-1, coming from behind to win with a late goal.[/size][/font] [/quote]


[url="http://www.timeslive.co.za/sport/soccer/article490848.ece/French-sports-boss-slams-choice-of-hotel"]http://www.timeslive...choice-of-hotel[/url]

[JC]

All Redcardo Clark is going to do is leave us a man down 30 minutes into a game. I'd rather see Edu.

I pray, pray, pray Deuce and MBjr avoid yellows. Not having MB for the Brasil game in the CC was huge for Brasil. We need him. We need Deuce to keep his cool. We need Rooney to get pissed off and punch Bornstein in the face.

Real worried about the card situation with us..Especially if the suspension takes place in the knockout stages.

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[quote name='JC' date='09 June 2010 - 11:37 AM' timestamp='1276101471' post='892278']
We need Rooney to get pissed off and punch Bornstein in the face.
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LOL, only if he is off the pitch and punches him on the USA bench! Please no Bornstink in the match!


Seriously though, you're right about the card situation. We can't afford suspensions.

[MAGICTOUCH]

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[color="#FF0000"][color="#000000"][size="5"]Spain over Brazil in split decision

[/size][b][size="1"]by [/size][url="http://www.socceramerica.com/author/50/sa-editorial/"][size="1"]SA Editorial[/size][/url][size="1"], June 9th, 2010 12:43AM[/size][/b][/color][/color]

[color="#FF0000"][PREDICTIONS] [/color]Soccer America editors [b]Paul Kennedy[/b], [b]Ridge Mahoney[/b]and [b]Mike Woitalla[/b] agree that Spain and Brazil will reach the 2010 World Cup final, though they are divided about the outcome. For how they see the USA doing, as well as all group finishes and knockout results ...[color="#FF0000"]
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Formatting was all messed up, click on link for prediction chart:



[url="http://www.socceramerica.com/article/38403/spain-over-brazil-in-split-decision.html"]http://www.soccerame...t-decision.html[/url]

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[color=#FF0000][color=#000000][size=5]Injuries pivotal to U.S. and England tactics

[/size][b][size=1]by [/size][url="http://www.socceramerica.com/author/49/ridge-mahoney/"][size=1]Ridge Mahoney[/size][/url][size=1], June 9th, 2010 2:04AM[/size][/b][/color][/color]
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[color=#FF0000][USA-ENGLAND COUNTDOWN] [/color]Once again, a vital member of England’s national team has gone down with an injury on the eve of the World Cup, prompting English pundits and fans to wail in anguish.

Veteran defender [b]Rio Ferdinand[/b], one of very few pro athletes to have flunked a drug test by missing it altogether through forgetfulness, suffered a knee injury last week in training and won’t play in the competition. Though prone to “switching off” (British parlance for “spacing out”) at critical moments, the Manchester United star is one of the few tough, elegant defenders to grace England’s team in the past few decades.

Metatarsal injuries to [b]David Beckham[/b] (2002) and [b]Wayne Rooney[/b](2006) affected their performances in those World Cup competitions, but losing Ferdinand entirely is a test of the squad and Coach [b]Fabio Capello[/b]. His replacement choices include oft-injured Tottenham veteran [b]Ledley King[/b]. The presence of King alongside with [b]John Terry[/b] would put the English in much the same situation as the USA, i.e., that of a central defender plagued by fitness worries.

King, who suffered a foot injury shortly before the 2006 competition, twice sat out six-week intervals of the Premier League season with knee problems. [b]Oguchi Onyewu[/b]’s recovery-in-progress from a ruptured patellar tendon is one of several fitness issues of concern to U.S. head coach [b]Bob Bradley[/b].

Capello’s other choices are [b]Jamie Carragher[/b] and [b]Matt Upson[/b], who played four qualifiers when Carragher and King weren’t available. None have Ferdinand’s agility and quickness; on the other hand, they are less prone to lapses in concentration. King, Spurs’ captain and a one-club player (since 1999), is a reliable defender with good pace, but Ferdinand’s experience of playing in the last three World Cups can't be undervalued.

One countermove to the loss of Ferdinand would be a tightening of central midfield, but here, too Capello’s options are limited. Another injury absentee is [b]Gareth Barry[/b], and without his tackling and tenacity to hold the center, Capello is faced with using [b]Steven Gerrard[/b] and [b]Frank Lampard[/b]together in the middle with the holding and attacking duties to be shared. Or he could use a player like [b]James Miler[/b] in a holding role and shift either Lampard or Gerrard out wide.

Writing in the Guardian, English journalist [b]Paul Hayward[/b] said, “Another snag is that it shines a light again on the Frank Lampard-Steven Gerrard central midfield double act, and which of them should be burdened with the greater defensive responsibility. That debate still awaits its resolution.” (Ironically, King got some time as a holding mid for England before the last World Cup under former coach [b]Sven-Goran Eriksson[/b].)

If Capello pairs Lampard and Gerrard in the center, this could offer[b] Landon Donovan[/b] and [b]Clint Dempsey[/b] opportunities to veer inside from the flank to find pockets of space between the English midfield and back line. There would also be space on the flanks for teammates, either the outside backs or even [b]Michael Bradley[/b], who doesn’t leave the central channel very often but has shown he can deliver a cross from wide positions. On the other hand, tracking and containing both Gerrard and Lampard would severely test the American center mids and limit their offensive input.

And how does U.S. forward [b]Jozy Altidore[/b] fit into all this? After sitting out the final warm-up match against Australia Saturday, Altidore returned to full training on Tuesday. His size and heft are unique among the U.S. attackers, and it’s assumed that Bradley will start him against England.

Yet it’s painfully easy, pun intended, for defenders to jab and kick a forward’s tender ankle, so unless Altidore is as close as can be to 100 percent, a forward pairing of[b] Edson Buddle [/b]and [b]Robbie Findley[/b] is still a possibility. They are all World Cup rookies, as is [b]Herculez Gomez[/b], so there’s no advantage in that department. Only Altidore played in the Confederations Cup.

Capello still has to resolve, at least publicly, his issues of who to pair up with Rooney and which goalkeeper to play, but the certainty regarding Barry and Ferdinand simplifies his game plan. Bradley must decide if he can trust Altidore’s ankle and Onyewu’s knee sufficiently to start them against a very good team. [/quote]



[url="http://www.socceramerica.com/article/38406/injuries-pivotal-to-us-and-england-tactics.html"]http://www.socceramerica.com/article/38406/injuries-pivotal-to-us-and-england-tactics.html[/url]

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[color=#FF0000][color=#000000][size=5]'Killer' Mphela ready to conquer world

[/size][b][size=1]by [/size][url="http://www.socceramerica.com/author/45/paul-kennedy/"][size=1]Paul Kennedy[/size][/url][size=1], June 9th, 2010 1:40AM[/size][/b][/color][/color]
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[color=#FF0000][PORTRAIT] [/color]Hapless host South Africa is suddenly looking like a force to reckoned with at the World Cup. Bafana Bafana are unbeaten in 12 games since [b]Carlos Alberto Parreira[/b] returned as head coach. And their star has been their lone striker, [b]Katlego Mphela[/b], whose killer form -- six goals in his last five games -- is directly attributable to Parreira's training regime.

Mphela hails from the poor Oukasi township outside mineral-rich Brits in the North West province, where he earned the nickname "Killer" for a goal he scored as a youth. He was first spotted by former New York Cosmos player [b]Jomo Sono[/b], who signed him to his Jomo Cosmos.

Mphela had a short stint in France with Strasbourg and Reims but returned to South Africa because of homesickness and has spent the rest of his career at home with SuperSport United and Mamelodi Sundowns, for which he was the ABSA Premiership's leading scorer and most valuable player in 2009-10.

Parreira took domestic-based players on extended training camps to Brazil and Germany.

"I think I have never been this fit in my whole career, thanks to all the training in camp," he [url="http://www.kickoff.com/2010/power-station/news/15854/mphela-says-french-players-are-old.php"]told[/url]kickoff.com.

Mphela shed more than 10 pounds.

"It has helped me get even quicker and it looks simple when I pass the defenders," he added, "but it is not that simple. It is because of all the training in the national team. I'm lighter now and ready for our opponents."

Mphela believes he can exploit his pace in Friday's opener against Mexico.

Based on his time in France, Mphela also has an opinion on the 2006 World Cup runners-up whom South Africa meets in its final group game.

"I don't think France are strong," he said. "I watched their last game and their players are old."

The sudden success of Bafana Bafana -- up until recently considered the weakest team to ever host the World Cup -- has raised the spirits of South African fans and has been credited with helping boost World Cup ticket sales in the final push to sell out stadiums.

Mphela has become a hero back in Brits, where his mother [b]Maki Maggy Monyeki[/b] told church-goers on Sunday that through “the Grace of God and our earnest prayers that our boys will conquer the world." [/quote]


[url="http://www.socceramerica.com/article/38405/killer-mphela-ready-to-conquer-world.html"]http://www.socceramerica.com/article/38405/killer-mphela-ready-to-conquer-world.html[/url]

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[color=#FF0000][color=#000000][size=5]Nani is latest World Cup casualty

[/size][b][size=1]June 8th, 2010 6:15PM[/size][/b][/color][/color]
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[color=#FF0000][PORTUGAL] [/color]Portugal's [b]Nani[/b] is the latest star to withdraw from the World Cup when he was ruled out of the tournament with a collarbone injury suffered in training last week.

The 23-year-old Manchester United winger was expected to play a key role for Portugal in support of his former United teammate,[b]Cristiano Ronaldo[/b].

"He is in pain," Coach [b]Carlos Queiroz[/b] told Portugal's TVI network. "We carried out tests and the upshot is that he is not fit to compete."

[b]Ruben Amorim[/b] of Benfica has replaced [b]Nani[/b] on the Portugal roster.

In the last week ...

-- Nani's United teammate, England captain [b]Rio Ferdinand[/b], was forced to withdraw with a knee injury suffered in practice.

-- [b]Arjen Robben[/b] suffered a hamstring injury and looks more and more doubtful. He's remained in the Netherlands for treatment.

-- Ivory Coast star [b]Didier Drogba[/b] suffered a broken forearm but hopes to play in the World Cup. He was not seen on the sidelines Tuesday during the Elephants' 1-1 tie with Swiss second division club Lausanne.

Teams have until 24 hours before their first game to replace an injured player.

The Netherlands begins its World Cup campaign Monday against Denmark, while Ivory Coast opens against Portugal the next day [/quote]



[url="http://www.socceramerica.com/article/38398/nani-is-latest-world-cup-casualty.html"]http://www.socceramerica.com/article/38398/nani-is-latest-world-cup-casualty.html[/url]

[MAGICTOUCH]

Wow, no ego problem here...


LOL, classic Maradona. Just another reason to root against Argentina. Some think he will misuse Messi to hold him back so that people won't consider him the best Argentine ever.



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[color="#FF0000"][color="#000000"][size="5"]Maradona gets best seat in the house

[/size][b][size="1"]June 8th, 2010 9:44PM[/size][/b][/color][/color]

[color="#FF0000"][OFF THE POST] [/color]Wanting to be be good hosts, South Africa organizers asked competing teams to send the special requests that will make their stay in South Africa that much more enjoyable. Some lists were short -- Slovakia only wanted two ping-pong tables and an electronic dartboard -- but others bordered on the excessive. Argentina's long list of requests included a luxury toilet for its coach,[b]Diego Maradona[/b].

The E-Bidet featuring a heated seat, a warm air blow-dryer and front and rear bidet wands sells for $450 at [url="http://www.sandman.com/intimst.html"]sandman.com[/url] and is billed as "the world's best toilet seat."

The request also included specifications on for new wash basins, toilet bowls, cisterns and taps.

"They felt that the basins and toilet bowls were not up to Maradona's standards," [url="http://www.timeslive.co.za/sundaytimes/article464238.ece/El-Diego-turns-nose-up-at-local-loo"]said[/url] [b]Colin Stier[/b], head of the University of Pretoria's High Performance Centre, Argentina's base camp.

Stier added that the bathroom was torn apart to install a toilet that met Maradona's needs.

"Of course, we were happy to do so," he [url="http://www.skysports.com/football/world-cup-2010/story/0,27032,17237_6195233,00.html"]said[/url]. "If it makes Diego more comfortable during his stay, then it's worth the effort."

The Argentine federation went to the trouble of having an architect spend two weeks at the center to monitor work.

It also requested that the rooms in which its players stay be painted white and included a long list of menu requests, including 14 different salads, three different pasta sauces and three different puddings at every meal. [/quote]



[url="http://www.socceramerica.com/article/38401/maradona-gets-best-seat-in-the-house.html"]http://www.soccerame...-the-house.html[/url]

[MAGICTOUCH]

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[color=#FF0000][color=#000000][size=5]South Africa 2010 arrives in ESPN 3D

[/size][b][size=1]by [/size][url="http://www.socceramerica.com/author/66//"][size=1]Julian Quisquater[/size][/url][size=1], June 9th, 2010 12:51AM[/size][/b][/color][/color]
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[color=#FF0000][TV WATCH] [/color]For the first time ever, World Cup matches will be available in 3D. This exciting new leap in sports programming will be available starting on June 11 on the brand new ESPN 3D channel.

[b]What is 3DTV?[/b]
A 3DTV projects two separate but duplicate images simultaneously. Viewers use a pair of 3D glasses in order to perceive the two images as a single 3D image. The experience gives the viewer the illusion of depth, although the images are not truly 3-dimensional.

[b]How can you get it? [/b]
ESPN 3D will be available to Comcast and DirecTV subscribers starting June 11.

[b]How much does it cost?[/b]
3D televisions generally run $300-$500 more than their non-3D counterparts, depending on the size of the television. ESPN 3D cannot be viewed properly without a 3D television. ESPN 3D is available for free to all Comcast and Direct TV subscribers who currently have ESPN.

[b]Which games will be featured in 3D?[/b]
Soccer fans will undoubtedly notice that ESPN 3D’s launch date happens to coincide with the World Cup kickoff match between South Africa and Mexico, which will be the first game available. The first scheduled ESPN 3D match involving the USA squad will be against Slovenia at 10 a.m. ET on June 18. Powerhouses Brazil, Argentina, Germany, Netherlands, Spain, and Italy, among others, will also be featured during the preliminary rounds. ESPN 3D will air three quarterfinals, both semifinals, the third-place game, and final. See the full group play 3D match schedule below.

[b]Is it worth the money? [/b]
While many of the World Cup group matches will be featured in ESPN 3D, the amount of non-soccer related 3D content currently available is slim. Also, since all viewers are required to wear a pair of 3D glasses, watching in large groups becomes somewhat problematic.

Considering the limited amount of sports coverage in support of this relatively new technology, coupled with its premium price, it appears unlikely that many soccer fans will be willing to fork over the dough required to watch the World Cup in 3D. However, 3D appears to be much more than a technological gimmick and presents some exciting possibilities down the road once it becomes more readily accessible.

[b]Is 3DTV the future?[/b]
3DTV is only the beginning, and Japan has taken the 3D craze a step further into the realm of science fiction. As part of their proposal to host the 2022 World Cup, Japan has suggested the possibility of performing motion capture of live games so that 3D holograms of the actual players can be projected onto fields in stadiums worldwide. This technology may sound impossible, but given Japan’s track record in pioneering digital technology, it is unlikely that they would promise something they can’t deliver 12 years down the road. If the technology were developed, we could be looking at the first truly global World Cup in history.

[b]ESPN 3D Group Play Schedule
[/b](Includes 30-minute pregame show; all times ET)

[color=#FF0000]Friday, June 11 [/color]
South Africa vs. Mexico 9:30 a.m.
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Saturday, June 12 [/color]
Argentina vs. Nigeria 9:30 a.m.
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Sunday, June 13 [/color]
Germany vs. Australia 2 p.m.

[color=#FF0000]Monday, June 14[/color]
Netherlands vs. Denmark 7 a.m.

[color=#FF0000]Tuesday, June 15[/color]
Brazil vs. North Korea, 2 p.m.
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Wednesday, June 16 [/color]
Spain vs. Switzerland 9:30 a.m.

[color=#FF0000]Thursday, June 17[/color]
Argentina vs. South Korea, 7 a.m.

[color=#FF0000]Friday, June 18 [/color]
Slovenia vs. United States, 9:30 a.m.

[color=#FF0000]Saturday, June 19[/color]
Netherlands vs. Japan, 7 a.m.

[color=#FF0000]Sunday, June 20[/color]
Brazil vs. Ivory Coast, 2 p.m.

[color=#FF0000]Monday, June 21[/color]
Spain vs. Honduras, 2 p.m.

[color=#FF0000]Tuesday, June 22[/color]
Nigeria vs. South Korea, 2 p.m.

[color=#FF0000]Wednesday, June 23[/color]
Ghana vs. Germany, 2 p.m.

[color=#FF0000]Thursday, June 24[/color]
Slovakia vs. Italy, 9:30 a.m.

[color=#FF0000]Friday, June 25[/color]
Portugal vs. Brazil, 9:30 a.m. [/quote]



[url="http://www.socceramerica.com/article/38402/south-africa-2010-arrives-in-espn-3d.html"]http://www.socceramerica.com/article/38402/south-africa-2010-arrives-in-espn-3d.html[/url]

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[b][size="5"]John Terry hoping Fabio Capello anger management can be kept to a minimum[/size][/b] [/size][/size][/size][/font]
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[font="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][size="2"][size="2"]John Terry knows better than most what it is like on the wrong side of Fabio Capello. It can be terse and matter-of-fact, as when the Italian stripped him of the England captaincy, or it can be a volcanic eruption of anger, as in the dressing room at Moruleng Stadium.[/size][font="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][size="2"]England's players witnessed a different side to Capello at half-time in their lethargic 3-0 win against Platinum Stars on Monday — a side that they had heard about but not seen in its full glory. "I've not seen him like that before," Terry said. "That was the worst, the angriest, I'd seen him. He had his say and he was not happy. Then he went out [of the dressing room] and spoke to the others.[/size][/font]

[font="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][size="2"]"He wasn't pleased. We'd worked all week on pressing and not letting the opposition turn and get time on the ball and we didn't do that. It sums him up. He wasn't happy with the first half against Japan, either, but he's a winner and even in training he can go like that from nothing. He just wasn't happy. He wants us to be at our best all the time — in training, on the pitch, everywhere."[/size][/font]

[font="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][size="2"]Like Sir Alex Ferguson, with his infamous "hairdryer treatment", or any other manager with the capacity to tear into his players, Capello prefers to preserve his anger for when he really needs to express it; rant and rage too often and it loses its effect.[/size][/font]

[font="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][size="2"]The concern for the England manager is that he has needed it just a little too often this season — starting at half-time against Holland in Amsterdam last August and continuing with the recent friendly matches against Egypt, Mexico, Japan and, on Monday, the unofficial game against Platinum Stars, a local team from Rustenburg.[/size][/font]

[font="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][size="2"]It would be interesting to know what Capello really thinks, with Saturday bringing England's opening game of the World Cup, against the United States. Their performances in the warm-up matches have been fairly wretched — and, yes, the same could certainly be said of some of the form shown by France, Portugal and others — and while it is far more important that they are in the right shape when the action starts, he would have wished for them to limber up in a more purposeful manner.[/size][/font]

[font="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][size="2"]With Gareth Barry's injury ruling him out for Saturday, Capello has little choice but to put his faith in Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard to resume a partnership in central midfield that he seemed to have consigned to the past, where it belonged. There are also doubts over who to select in goal — with none of Robert Green, Joe Hart and David James staking the irrefutable claim the manager was looking for — and even in attack, where the travails of Peter Crouch on Monday are likely to have cemented a recall to the starting line-up, for the first time since October, for the much-maligned Emile Heskey.[/size][/font]

[font="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][size="2"]It has been in keeping with a difficult build-up that began in February with a series of unedifying revelations about Terry's private life, which led to him being summoned to Wembley and stripped of the captaincy by Capello.[/size][/font]

[font="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][size="2"]"I haven't found it difficult," Terry said of seeing Rio Ferdinand, now injured, and then Gerrard take the captain's armband that he once wore with such pride.[/size][/font]

[font="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][size="2"]"When I met the manager, I stressed to him that I accepted his decision, but one thing that he gets from me is completely the same character, the same person, and I'm not going to allow my head to go down and beat myself up about it. I am here to win the World Cup like every other player and the manager, and I will do everything possible for the team.[/size][/font]

[font="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][size="2"]"It hasn't been a test for me. I got questioned earlier in the season about my form, but at Chelsea towards the end of the season we had a lot of big games and I feel I stepped up and performed at my best level, and I was really pleased with that. When Chelsea didn't win games, I probably accept that I didn't play well. But when Chelsea won games — and we won a lot more than we lost — I feel like I played well.[/size][/font]

[font="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][size="2"]"I will continue to give everything. At every level I play at, in training every day, I demand that everybody gives 100 per cent — just the same as the manager does. That's the minimum that we can ask of anyone. Of course different players have different qualities and you can have bad days as well, but the minimum is to go out there and give it everything."[/size][/font]

[font="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][size="2"]Terry is determined that nothing will knock England out of their stride when the action starts — not the 1,500-metre altitude in Rustenburg, not the incessant din from the vuvuzelas and not the much-criticised adidas Jabulani ball. "The ball does move in the air," he said. "It goes left, right, all over the place. You think you have it and then it hits you full on the nose or drops a yard to the right or left. But we've been working with it and getting used to it.[/size][/font]

[font="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][size="2"]"We're getting used to everything — the ball, the altitude, the noise of the crowd."[/size][/font]

[/size][/font][font="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][size="2"]The noise of the vuvuzelas, though, will be nothing to the sound of Capello making his displeasure known if standards are not raised on Saturday.[/size][/font] [/quote]



[url="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/international/article7146410.ece"]http://www.timesonli...icle7146410.ece[/url]

[MAGICTOUCH]

Go Stuey, hope to see you on the pitch!

[quote]
[font="arial, sans-serif"][size="3"][color="#111111"][size=2][size=3]
[b][size=5]Holden gets personal with England rivalry[/size][/b]
[/size][/size][/color][/size][/font]
[font="arial, sans-serif"][size="3"][color="#111111"][size=2]
[/size][/color][/size][/font]
[font="arial, sans-serif"][size="3"][color="#111111"][size=2]For the United States, the chance to make a dream start to the World Cup will be motivation enough when it lines up Saturday at Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenburg to take on England, one of the world’s top teams.[/size][/color][/size][/font]
[font="arial, sans-serif"][size="3"][color="#111111"][size=2]
[/size][/color][/size][/font]
[color=#111111][font=arial, sans-serif][size=2]For Stuart Holden, his reasons are more personal.Holden spent the first 10 years of his life in Scotland, where the anti-English feeling is so strong that one of the best selling shirts in the clothing shops of Edinburgh and Glasgow this week simply reads: “A.B.E.” – “Anyone But England.”

Since Scotland failed to qualify for the tournament, most Scots don’t care who wins as long as it’s not the hated neighbors from south of the border. So Holden has even more reason than his U.S. teammates to want to inflict an embarrassing defeat on the English.

“In a sense, I feel as if I am representing two nations, the United States and Scotland,” Holden said. “I can fly an American flag on my back, and still have that loyalty towards Scotland.

“I am proud to have lived in the States for 14 years. My family is also proud of our Scottish heritage, but when it came down to a soccer choice, I felt loyalty to the USA.”

Holden moved with his family from Aberdeen to Texas as a youngster and his soccer career flourished in the American system. He spent two years at Clemson before joining Major League Soccer’s [url="http://sports.yahoo.com/mls/teams/hou/;_ylt=AlGZTrWYK9VL8RNYFPnMnWmdXYp4"]Houston Dynamo[/url] and forcing his way into Bob Bradley’s U.S. side.

He now plies his trade with Bolton Wanderers of the English Premier League and is a regular with the national team, having committed himself to his adopted homeland even when former Scotland boss George Burley expressed interest a couple of years ago.

When the 24-year-old walks out to take on England at Rustenburg, it will be a proud moment for the Holden family but one tinged with sadness. Last year, the midfielder’s father Brian finally lost his six-year battle with cancer and passed away.

“It would have meant everything for him to see me play England at the World Cup,” Holden said. “It will be extra special on the day because I will think of him and how this is something we achieved together.

[/size][/font][/color][color=#111111][font=arial, sans-serif][size=2]“There is not an hour that goes by that I don’t think of him and I know he’s proud of me just as I’m proud of him for the way he fought his illness. I wish he could be here to see it and I’ll be doing it for him and thinking of him.”[/size][/font][/color] [/quote]


[url="http://sports.yahoo.com/soccer/news?slug=ro-holden060810"]http://sports.yahoo.com/soccer/news?slug=ro-holden060810[/url]

[MAGICTOUCH]

[quote] [color="#222222"][font="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"]
[b][size="5"]Honduran government orders time off for WCup[/size][/b]
[color="#777777"][size="1"]BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS[/size][/color]
[color="#777777"][size="2"][size="1"]TUESDAY, JUNE 8, 2010 AT 12:31 P.M.[/size][/size][/color][/font][/color]
[color="#222222"][font="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][size="1"][color="#777777"][size=2]
[/size][/color][/size]
[b]TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras[/b] — 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 [url="http://topics.signonsandiego.com/topic/2010_World_Cup"]World Cup[/url] in South Africa.

The government has urged private enterprises to do the same.

Africo [url="http://topics.signonsandiego.com/topic/Madrid"]Madrid[/url], 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.

[/font][/color][color="#222222"][font="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"]Honduras is playing in only its second World Cup. In 1982 it failed to win a match.[/font][/color] [/quote]



[url="http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/jun/08/honduran-government-orders-time-off-for-wcup/"]http://www.signonsan...e-off-for-wcup/[/url]

[MAGICTOUCH]

[quote]
[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][color=#333333][color=#000000][color=#333333][size=3][color=#000000]
[b][size=5]Onyewu, Altidore deemed ready[/size][/b]
[/color][/size][/color]

[color=#333333][size=3]
[/size][/color]

[color=#333333][size=3]IRENE, South Africa -- [url="http://soccernet.espn.go.com/player/_/id/75589"]Jozy Altidore[/url] and [url="http://soccernet.espn.go.com/player/_/id/30272"]Oguchi Onyewu[/url] are fit enough to play in the United States' World Cup opener against England this weekend should U.S. coach Bob Bradley decide to use them.[/size][/color]

[color=#333333][size=3]Altidore resumed full practice on Tuesday, six days after the forward sprained his right ankle in practice. His missed Saturday's 3-1 exhibition win over Australia.[/size][/color]

[/color][/color][/font]
[color=#333333][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]"Cost him a couple days, but from the start we knew that this was very minor," Bradley said Wednesday. "The fact that he's back in regular training certainly means that he's available for whatever role we choose for Saturday."[/font][/color]
[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][color=#333333][size=3]Onyewu tore his left patellar tendon Oct. 14 during the final World Cup qualifier against Costa Rica. The defender didn't get back on the field for AC Milan during the remainder of the season.[/size][/color]

[color=#333333][size=3]He played in all three World Cup warmups, but saw limited action. He started against the Czech Republic on May 25, entered at the start of the second half four days later versus Turkey, and came in as a 61st-minute substitute against Australia.[/size][/color]

[color=#333333][size=3]Speaking before the team's next-to-last workout in Pretoria ahead of the opener, Bradley was pleased with the team's health.[/size][/color]

[color=#333333][size=3]Defender [url="http://soccernet.espn.go.com/player/_/id/121844"]Carlos Bocanegra[/url] appears to have recovered from the sports hernia surgery he had May 5, playing in the last two exhibitions. [url="http://soccernet.espn.go.com/player/_/id/43948"]Jay DeMerit[/url] also played in the last two games after getting over an abdominal strain.[/size][/color]

[/font][color=#333333][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]"The overall fitness is, I think, quite good. Some of the players that were a little behind, I think the work continues to move them in the right direction," Bradley said. "The fitness program that we put our players through to prepare for the World Cup I think has every player in our 23 ready to play 90 minutes if asked. It's a credit to [assistant coach] Pierre Barrieu and it's a credit to the players, because they worked incredibly hard."[/font][/color] [/quote]



[url="http://soccernet.espn.go.com/world-cup/story/_/id/5267133/ce/us/jozy-altidore-oguchi-onyewu-ok-go-us-coach-bob-bradley-says?campaign=rss&source=ESPNHeadlines&cc=5901&ver=us"]http://soccernet.espn.go.com/world-cup/story/_/id/5267133/ce/us/jozy-altidore-oguchi-onyewu-ok-go-us-coach-bob-bradley-says?campaign=rss&source=ESPNHeadlines&cc=5901&ver=us[/url]

[MAGICTOUCH]

[quote]
[color=#FF0000][color=#000000][size=5]Reality has set in

[/size][b][size=1]by [/size][url="http://www.socceramerica.com/author/49/ridge-mahoney/"][size=1]Ridge Mahoney[/size][/url][size=1], June 10th, 2010 1:28AM[/size][/b][/color][/color]
[color=#FF0000]
[/color]
[color=#FF0000][USA-ENGLAND COUNTDOWN][/color] The U.S. players have been pondering the idea of facing England in the World Cup for six months. In the final days leading up to the match, reality has set in. They will face a forward of electrifying pace, utter commitment and endless energy in [b]Wayne Rooney[/b]. They must contain two gifted yet toughened midfielders in [b]Steven Gerrard[/b] and [b]Frank Lampard[/b].

They will attack a back line that includes a pair of defenders who’ve just added another Premier League title to their resumes in [b]Ashley Cole[/b] and [b]John Terry[/b] of Chelsea.

They will be up against one of the most respected and accomplished coached -- and a former Italian international who once scored a goal to beat England – in [b]Fabio Capello[/b].

They know that if they play a strong game, and get a few breaks, they can win. They also know that England, and Rooney in particular, can be ruthless about punishing mistakes, and given their back-line gaffes in competitions great and small, they are more than capable of betraying stretches of good play by horrendous errors.

Most important of all, they know this game, as important as it is, isn’t the only game they will play. A fervor whipped up by six months of reminding everyone what happened 60 years ago and steadily increasing promotional blasts by ESPN could produce healthy ratings on ABC, yet has certainly obscured what happens after referee[b]Carlos Simon[/b] blows his whistle to end the match at approximately 4:30 p.m. Eastern time on Saturday.

“In the bigger picture, it’s just one of three games, and we understand that they’re all equally important in that way,” said [b]Landon Donovan [/b]at a press conference Wednesday. “They really are. Aside from that, the other part of it is knowing what this game means back home. For the last six months all we’ve seen is U.S-England, so if you were a casual sports fan at home you might think this is the World Cup final, you wouldn’t know any different.”

Most of the U.S. regulars have played in England: goalie [b]Tim Howard[/b], defenders [b]Carlos Bocanegra[/b],[b]Jay DeMerit [/b]and [b]Jonathan Spector[/b]; midfielders [b]Stuart Holden[/b], [b]Clint Dempsey[/b], and Donovan; and forward [b]Jozy Altidore[/b]. That experience can help adjust to individual tendencies; the team itself is another matter.

England under Capello often looks different than past versions. Some of England’s success – it cruised through the qualifying phase with nine wins and just one loss – is credited to Capello’s influence in broadening England beyond its traditional strengths of hard running, aerial prowess, and determination. Still, having at least three potential game-breakers in Rooney, Gerrard, and Lampard is one of the best tactics of all.

“What you expect is that the team will be well-prepared, tactically they’ll be right, their mentality will be right,” says U.S. coach [b]Bob Bradley[/b]. “He certainly sets a good tone with his team in terms of how they need to play, how they go about their business and I think that certainly, when you look at their qualifying, that has been positive.”

If 6-foot-7 [b]Peter Crouch[/b] starts alongside Rooney, crosses and set plays will be that much more dangerous. [b]Jermain Defoe[/b] brings blistering pace, [b]Emile Heskey[/b] is a tank of a man who runs pretty well. Both teams have good attackers and potent midfields; England has the edge in defense, Howard is a much better keeper than any of the English choices, yet – like many of the Americans – he is playing in his first World Cup.

No matter who Capello deploys, the Americans will know what’s coming in what is being billed as -- but really isn’t -- the game of their lives. There are at least two more to go.

“Players have had different moments in their careers when they’ve been tested in those ways,” says Bradley. “Might have been a match already with the national team, might be experiences they’ve had with their club teams. I think the fact that we have players like Landon who have been in big games, have played in the World Cup and tasted success, that gives our team a level of experience that helps in big games.” [/quote]



[url="http://www.socceramerica.com/article/38419/reality-has-set-in.html"]http://www.socceramerica.com/article/38419/reality-has-set-in.html[/url]

[MAGICTOUCH]

[quote]
[color=#FF0000][color=#000000][size=5]Experienced Cherundolo to attack

[/size][b][size=1]by [/size][url="http://www.socceramerica.com/author/49/ridge-mahoney/"][size=1]Ridge Mahoney[/size][/url][size=1], June 10th, 2010 12:55AM[/size][/b][/color][/color]
[color=#FF0000]
[/color]
[color=#FF0000][UNDER THE MICROSCOPE][/color] The image of a Brazilian right back –[b]Jorghino[/b] and [b]Cafu[/b] in the past, [b]Maicon[/b] of the current team – thundering up the flank is seductively romantic, but hardly unique to jogo bonito. These days, overlapping outside backs who can get to the corner and deliver crosses are deployed by most teams to varying degrees of success, but nearly as valuable are players who can lob and drive balls from wide positions in midfield while still attending to their defensive duties, which are considerable.
Outside backs are often isolated one-v-one against crafty, tricky midfielders, and they also must keep track of overlapping opponents and occasionally mark up a forward. While defending is still the first priority, every team at any competitive level values a capable crosser and accurate passer who can range up the flanks.

In last year’s Confederations Cup, two of [b]Clint Dempsey[/b]’s goals came from balls lobbed from the right side of midfield by right back[b]Jonathan Spector[/b]. The threat of an outside back launching such a serve can open up space for a run down the wing, as occurred in the 31st minute the USA final pre-World Cup friendly against Australia, when right back[b] Steve Cherundolo[/b] darted past a challenge by [b]Mark Bresciano[/b] and gained enough ground to hit a terrific cross that[b]Edson Buddle[/b] headed home at the far post.

“For sure, they are very important,” says U.S. coach [b]Bob Bradley[/b] of getting defenders into the attack. “You need the width, you need the ability to have those players join in, be a threat and not only to cross but to provide crosses from different places. That can lead to some great chances.

"We saw that in the Confederations Cup last year. I think [b]Jonathan Spector[/b] [against Egypt and Brazil] had two great deliveries that set up goals for [b]Clint Dempsey[/b]. Also the types of crosses that get us further up the field. I think that both Steve and Jonathan give us great options in that regard."

Cherundolo, one of only three U.S. players on the current World Cup team to have traveled to the past two competitions, has been locked in a duel for the past year with Spector for the right back starting spot. Cherundolo played in all three of the USA's final warm-up matches

The 31-year-old has been a regular with German team Hannover 96 since leaving the University of Portland after his sophomore year. His quickness, speed, and poise on the ball have been honed by 11 seasons in the pro game; he played all three matches at the 2006 World Cup, and was named to the 2002 team as an injury replacement for [b]Chris Armas[/b] but was himself injured and didn’t play.

His size (5-foot-6, 145 pounds) can be a detriment when he is needed to guard the back post. Shortly after setting up the go-ahead goal against Australia, he dueled for a chip with [b]Tim Cahill[/b], and jostled him hard enough that the ball skimmed off the top of Cahill’s head outside the penalty area. Before Cherundolo could regain his balance, [b]Scott Chipperfield[/b] ran onto the loose ball to hit a cross that [b]Josh Kennedy[/b] somehow headed off-target from close range.

In this situation, Cherundolo did his job. Unable to win the ball outright, he nevertheless neutralized Cahill, a very good header. Nobody covered the space on the left wing, however, and that error allowed Chipperfield to hit a cross that should have produced a goal. Yet opposing teams are certainly aware of his size and will test him in the air as often as they can.

When Australia pushed the pace early in the second half, Cherundolo labored through a few rough minutes. Chipperfield deked his way past Cherundolo and from near the corner flag whipped a cross that [b]Clarence Goodson[/b] nicked at the near post and Kennedy couldn’t reach at the far post. Two minutes later, a skied Goodson clearance dropped for Cherundolo, who was under no pressure but still aimed his header back toward keeper [b]Marcus Hahnemann [/b]well wide of the target; the ball rolled out for a very cheaply conceded corner kick.

The threat of flank serves from midfield arose in the 63rd minute, when Cherundolo dropped deeper to protect the corner and Chipperfield instead pulled up to hit a diagonal ball that [b]Jonathan Borstein[/b] – covering the middle from the left-back position – cleared with a spectacular flying volley. Outside backs are posed with dozens of such decisions in every game and Cherundolo, who earned his 60th cap against Australia, has been making them for more than a decade.

Cherundolo's skill and savvy on the ball turned the momentum around a minute later. In his own half near the touchline, he cut past[b] Carl Valeri [/b]to win a free kick near the midfield line. After a turnover by Australia, he joined in an attack up the right side and dribbled past two opponents to play ball for [b]Landon Donovan[/b], who ran into a tackle and lost the opportunity.

While Spector, at 6-foot, 180 pounds, offers the size one likes in a defender, he ended the Premier League season with several rough games at left back for West Ham, and hasn’t played a minute in the warm-up games. He remains an option at several positions if Cherundolo runs into caution jeopardy, and/or the U.S. needs a bigger body late in a game for set plays.

“Steve is an important player for us,” says Bradley. “He is a true professional. Whenever we talk about leadership in our team, the kind of tough conversations that go on inside the team, Steve just has an excellent way of interjecting at the right time. He listens to what people have to say but he still has real strong opinions that come from his experiences.



“When you take into account his time in Hannover, the fact that he’s been the captain there, I think it speaks to the fact that he’s a real professional and an important part of what we’re doing.” [/quote]



[url="http://www.socceramerica.com/article/38416/experienced-cherundolo-to-attack.html"]http://www.socceramerica.com/article/38416/experienced-cherundolo-to-attack.html[/url]

[MAGICTOUCH]

[quote]
[color="#FF0000"][color="#000000"][size="5"]Pressure on host South Africa

[/size][b][size="1"]by [/size][url="http://www.socceramerica.com/author/50/sa-editorial/"][size="1"]SA Editorial[/size][/url][size="1"], June 10th, 2010 1:31AM[/size][/b][/color][/color]

[color="#FF0000"][SOCCER AMERICA PREDICTIONS][/color] The World Cup begins on Friday when South Africa hosts Mexico and France meets Uruguay in Group A. The pressure will be on Bafana Bafana to extend the unbeaten record of the host nation in its opening game at the World Cup. France and Uruguay will try to make amends for an ill-tempered game eight years ago in Busan, South Korea. For more on Friday's games and Soccer America's predictions ...

[color="#FF0000"]SOUTH AFRICA (0-0-0) vs. MEXICO (0-0-0[/color][color="#FF0000"])[/color]
[color="#FF0000"]June 11 in Johannesburg, Soccer City
[/color][b]Kickoff: [/b]10 a.m. ET.[b] [/b][b]Television:[/b] ESPN/Univision.[b]
Referee: [/b]Ravshan Irmatov (Uzbekistan).
[b]Past World Cup Meetings:[/b] none.
[color="#FF0000"]
PREDICTIONS:[/color]
[b]Paul Kennedy:[/b] Mexico 3-2
[b]Ridge Mahoney: [/b]Tie 1-1
[b]Mike Woitalla: [/b]Mexico 2-1
[i]
[/i][color="#FF0000"]THE LOWDOWN:[/color]
A South Africa loss would mean Bafana Bafana would become the first host team to ever lose its opening game. The previous hosts have gone 15-0-4 (W-L-T). Only England (1966), Mexico (1970), Spain (1982) and the USA (1994) tied its opener.



[color="#FF0000"]FRANCE (0-0-0) vs. URUGUAY (0-0-0)[/color]
[color="#FF0000"]
[/color] [color="#FF0000"]June 11 in Cape Town
[/color][b]Kickoff: [/b]2:30 p.m. ET.[b] [/b][b]Television:[/b] ESPN/Univision. [b]
Referee: [/b]Referee Yuichi Nishimura (Japan).
[b]Past World Cup Meetings: [/b]2002 -- Tie 0-0.
[color="#FF0000"]
PREDICTIONS:[/color]
[b]Paul Kennedy:[/b] Tie 0-0.
[b]Ridge Mahoney: [/b]Uruguay 2-1.
[b]Mike Woitalla: [/b]Tie 0-0.
[i]
[/i][color="#FF0000"]THE LOWDOWN:
[/color]Eight years ago, defending champion France went out without scoring a goal and had [b]Thierry Henry [/b]sent off 26 minutes into its ill-tempered game with Uruguay. France has only one win in the group stage in its last two World Cup appearances; Uruguay has only one win in the group stage in its last four World Cup appearances. [/quote]



[url="http://www.socceramerica.com/article/38417/pressure-on-host-south-africa.html"]http://www.soccerame...uth-africa.html[/url]

[MAGICTOUCH]

[quote]
[color=#FF0000][color=#000000][size=5]South Africa 2010 games: live to phone

[/size][b][size=1]by [/size][url="http://www.socceramerica.com/author/66//"][size=1]Julian Quisquater[/size][/url][size=1], June 10th, 2010 1:07AM[/size][/b][/color][/color]
[color=#FF0000]
[/color]
[color=#FF0000][TV WATCH][/color] Bygone are the days when access to a television was required in order to enjoy the beautiful game of soccer. If you find yourself stuck away from your television and are desperate to catch a World Cup match, just use your phone.

The ability to stream live video on a mobile device varies from phone to phone, but if you have what is generally referred to as a “smart phone” (iphone, blackberry, or android), you likely have the ability to stream live soccer matches.

If you happen to be an AT&T customer, you’re in luck, because they have exclusive rights to all of ESPN’s English language mobile World Cup broadcasts. All you need to do is download MobiTV or AT&T mobile TV, and pay the $10 monthly service charge. This will give you access to ESPN Mobile TV.

Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile users will also have the ability to stream matches to their mobile devices, although they won’t have access to all the matches that AT&T subscribers do. The [url="http://proxy.espn.go.com/mobile/products/product?id=3242441"]ESPN Mobile TV web site[/url] breaks down how to stream matches depending on your phone service provider.

[url="http://www.univision.com/content/content.jhtml?cid=1194085"]Univision[/url] has the exclusive Spanish-language mobile rights, and its match streams can be accessed by downloading their Univision Futbol application.

Because cell phone service tends to vary depending on your location, it would be wise to connect to a Wi-Fi network when streaming video if you have access to one.

A huge concern is that mobile networks won’t be able to handle the additional strain that throngs of streaming soccer matches will put on their bandwidth. It remains to be seen whether dropped calls and crummy reception become the collateral damage of this generation's desire to push the possibilities of sports viewership onto the mobile phone platform. [/quote]


[url="http://www.socceramerica.com/article/38418/south-africa-2010-games-live-to-phone.html"]http://www.socceramerica.com/article/38418/south-africa-2010-games-live-to-phone.html[/url]

[MAGICTOUCH]

[quote]
[color="#FF0000"][color="#000000"][size="5"]The 736 players

[/size][b][size="1"]June 9th, 2010 10:56PM[/size][/b][/color][/color]

[color="#FF0000"][WORLD CUP ROSTERS][/color] The 736 players at the World Cup range in size from Serbia's [b]Nikola Zigic[/b], the tallest at almost 6-foot-8, to England's[b]Aaron Lennon[/b], the smallest at 5-foot-5. England, Germany and Italy consist entirely of dmoestic-based players, while Nigeria is the only team whose squad is entirely foreign-based. Brazil is the oldest team with an average age of more than 29 years, while Ghana is the youngest, averaging under 25 years. For the numerical rosters of the 32 World Cup finalists ...

[color="#FF0000"]GROUP A[/color]
[color="#FF0000"]South Africa[/color]
[b]Goalkeepers: [/b]1 Moeneeb Josephs (Orlando Pirates), 16 Itumeleng Khune (Kaizer Chiefs), 22 Shu-Aib Walters (Maritzburg United).
[b]Defenders[/b]: 14 Matthew Booth (Mamelodi Sundowns), 2 Siboniso Gaxa (Mamelodi Sundowns), 20 Bongani Khumalo (SuperSport United), 3 Tsepo Masilela (Maccabi Haifa), 4 Aaron Mokoena (Portsmouth), 5 Anele Ngcongca (Genk), 21 Siyabonga Sangweni (Golden Arrows), 15 Lucas Thwala (Orlando Pirates).
[b]Midfielders:[/b] 7 Lance Davids (Kapkaupungin Ajax), 13 Kagisho Dikgacoi (Fulham), 22 Thanduyise Khuboni (Golden Arrows), 12 Reneilwe Letsholonyane (Kaizer Chiefs), 11 Teko Modise (Orlando Pirates), 19 Surprise Moriri (Mamelodi Sundowns), 10 Steven Pienaar (Everton), 6 MacBeth Sibaya (Rubin Kazan), 8 Siphiwe Tshabalala (Kaizer Chiefs).
[b]Forwards:[/b] 9 Katlego Mphela (Mamelodi Sundowns), 18 Siyabonga Nomvethe (Moroka Swallows), 17 Bernard Parker (FC Twente).
[b]Coach:[/b] Carlos Alberto Parreira

[color="#FF0000"]Mexico[/color]
[b]Goalkeepers:[/b] 1 Oscar Perez (Chiapas), 13 Guillermo Ochoa (Club America), 23 Luis Ernesto Michel (Guadalajara).
[b]Defenders:[/b] 4 Rafael Marquez (Barcelona), 5 Ricardo Osorio (VfB Stuttgart), 2 Francisco Rodriguez (PSV), 3 Carlos Salcido (PSV), 15 Hector Moreno (AZ), 12 Paul Aguilar (Pachuca), 16 Efrain Juarez (Pumas UNAM), 19 Jonny Magallon (Guadalajara), 20 Jorge Torres Nilo (Atlas).
[b]Midfielders:[/b] 18 Andres Guardado (Dep. Coruna), 6 Gerardo Torrado (Cruz Azul), 8 Israel Castro (UNAM), 17 Giovani dos Santos (Galatasaray).
[b]Forwards:[/b] 7 Pablo Barrera (UNAM), 21 Adolfo Bautista (Guadalajara), 22 Alberto Medina (Guadalajara), 10 Cuauhtemoc Blanco (Veracruz), 11 Carlos Vela (Arsenal), 14 Javier Hernandez (Guadalajara), 9 Guillermo Franco (West Ham).
[b]Coach:[/b] Javier Aguirre

[color="#FF0000"]France[/color]
[b]Goalkeepers:[/b] 1 Hugo Lloris (Lyon), 16 Steve Mandanda (Marseille), 23 Cedric Carrasso (Bordeaux).
[b]Defenders:[/b] 5 William Gallas (Arsenal), 3 Eric Abidal (Barcelona), 2 Bakary Sagna (Arsenal), 13 Patrice Evra (Man. United), 22 Gael Clichy (Arsenal), 6 Marc Planus (Bordeaux), 4 Anthony Reveillere (Lyon), 17 Sebastien Squillaci (Sevilla).
[b]Midfielders:[/b] 19 Abou Diaby (Arsenal), 18 Alou Diarra (Bordeaux), 8 Yoann Gourcuff (Bordeaux), 15 Florent Malouda (Chelsea), 14 Jeremy Toulalan (Lyon).
[b]Forwards:[/b] 21 Nicolas Anelka (Chelsea), 9 Djibril Cisse (Panathinaikos), 11 Andre-Pierre Gignac (Toulouse), 10 Sidney Govou (Lyon), 12 Thierry Henry (Barcelona), 7 Franck Ribery (Bayern München), 20 Mathieu Valbuena (Marseille).
[b]Coach:[/b] Raymond Domenech

[color="#FF0000"]Uruguay[/color]
[b]Goalkeepers:[/b] 1 Fernando Muslera (Lazio), 12 Juan-Guillermo Castillo (Deportivo Cali), 23 Martin Silva (Defensor Sporting).
[b]Defenders:[/b] 2 Diego Lugano (Fenerbahce), 3 Diego Godin (Villarreal), 19 Andres Scotti (Colo Colo), 4 Jorge Fucile (Porto), 22 Martin Caceres (Juventus), 6 Mauricio Victorino (Universidad de Chile), 16 Maximiliano Pereira (Benfica).
[b]Midfielders:[/b] 5 Walter Gargano (Napoli), 17 Egidio Arevalo-Rios (Penarol), 8 Sebastian Eguren (AIK), 15 Diego Perez (Monaco), 11 Alvaro Pereira (Porto), 20 Alvaro Fernandez (Universidad de Chile), 18 Ignacio Gonzalez (Valencia), 14 Nicolas Lodeiro (Ajax).
[b]Forwards:[/b] 21 Sebastian Fernandez (Banfield), 9 Luis Suarez (Ajax), 10 Diego Forlan (Atletico Madrid), 13 Sebastian Abreu (Botafogo), 7 Edinson Cavani (Palermo).
[b]Coach:[/b] Oscar Washington Tabarez

[color="#FF0000"]GROUP B[/color]
[color="#FF0000"]Argentina[/color]
[b]Goalkeepers:[/b] 22 Sergio Romero (AZ), 21 Mariano Andujar (Catania), 1 Diego Pozo (Colon).
[b]Defenders:[/b] 15 Nicolas Otamendi (Velez Sarsfield), 2 Martin Demichelis (Bayern Munich), 13 Walter Samuel (Inter Milan), 6 Gabriel Heinze (Marseille), 4 Nicolas Burdisso (Roma), 3 Clemente Rodriguez (Estudiantes), 12 Ariel Garce (Colon).
[b]Midfielders:[/b] 17 Jonas Gutierrez (Newcastle), 20 Maximiliano Rodriguez (Liverpool), 14 Javier Mascherano (Liverpool), 8 Juan Sebastian Veron (Estudiantes), 7 Angel Di Maria (Benfica), 23 Javier Pastore (Palermo), 5 Mario Bolatti (Fiorentina).
[b]Forwards:[/b] 10 Lionel Messi (Barcelona), 9 Gonzalo Higuain (Real Madrid), 18 Martin Palermo (Boca Juniors), 16 Sergio Agüero (Atletico Madrid), 19 Diego Milito (Inter Milan), 11 Carlos Tevez (Man. City).
[b]Coach:[/b] Diego Maradona

[color="#FF0000"]South Korea[/color]
[b]Goalkeepers:[/b] 21 Kim Young-kwang (Ulsan), 1 Lee Woon-jae (Suwon), 18 Jung Sung-ryong (Seongnam).
[b]Defenders:[/b] 15 Kim Dong-jin (Ulsan), 3 Kim Hyung-il (Pohang), 2 Oh Beom-seok (Ulsan), 12 Lee Young-pyo (Al Hilal), 14 Lee Jung-soo (Kashima Antlers), 22 Cha Du-ri (Freiburg), 4 Cho Yong-hyung (Jeju United), 23 Kang Min-soo (Suwon).
[b]Midfielders:[/b] 16 Ki Sung-yong (Celtic), 6 Kim Bo-kyung (Oita), 5 Kim Nam-il (Tomsk), 13 Kim Jae-sung (Pohang), 8 Kim Jung-woo (Gwangju), 17 Lee Chung-yong (Bolton), 7 Park Ji-sung (Man. United).
[b]Forwards:[/b] 10 Park Ju-young (Monaco), 9 Ahn Jung-hwan (Dalian Shide), 11 Lee Seung-ryul (FC Seoul), 19 Yeom Ki-hun (Suwon), 20 Lee Dong-guk (Jeonbuk).
[b]Coach:[/b] Huh Jung-moo

[color="#FF0000"]Greece[/color]
[b]Goalkeepers:[/b] 13 Michalis Sifakis (Aris Salonika), 12 Alexandros Tzorvas (Panathinaikos), 1 Kostas Chalkias (PAOK).
[b]Defenders:[/b] 2 Giorgos Seitaridis (Panathinaikos), 11 Loukas Vintra (Panathinaikos), 5 Evangelos Moras (Bologna), 19 Socrates Papastathopoulos (Genoa), 16 Sotiris Kyrgiakos (Liverpool), 8 Avraam Papadopoulos (Olympiakos), 15 Vasilis Torosidis (Olympiakos), 4 Nikos Spiropoulos (Panathinaikos), 22 Stelios Malezas (PAOK).
[b]Midfielders:[/b] 21 Kostas Katsouranis (Panathinaikos), 6 Alexandros Tziolis (Siena), 10 Giorgos Karagounis (Panathinaikos), 18 Sotiris Ninis (Panathinaikos), 3 Christos Patsatzoglou (Omonia), 23 Sakis Prittas (Aris Salonika).
[b]Forwards:[/b] 9 Angelos Charisteas (Nuremberg), 14 Dimitris Salpigidis (Panathinaikos), 20 Pantelis Kapetanos (Steaua Bukarest), 17 Theofanis Gekas (Hertha Berlin), 7 Giorgos Samaras (Celtic).
[b]Coach:[/b] Otto Rehhagel

[color="#FF0000"]Nigeria[/color]
[b]Goalkeepers:[/b] 1 Vincent Enyeama (Hapoel Tel Aviv), 23 Dele Ayenugba (Beni Yehuda FC), 16 Austine Ejide (Hapoel Petah Tikva).
[b]Defenders:[/b] 3 Taye Taiwo (Marseille), 21 Elderson Echiejile (Rennes), 17 Chidi Odiah (CSKA Moscow), 2 Joseph Yobo (Everton), 6 Daniel Shittu (Bolton Wanderers), 22 Ayodele Adeleye (Sparta Rotterdam), 5 Rabiu Afolabi (Salzburg).
[b]Midfielders:[/b] 20 Dickson Etuhu (Fulham), 10 John Obi Mikel (Chelsea), 14 Sani Kaita (Alaniya), 15 Lukman Haruna (Monaco), 13 Ayila Yussuf (Dynamo Kiev), 11 Peter Odemwingie (Lok. Moscow), 12 Kalu Uche (Almeria).
[b]Forwards:[/b] 8 Yakubu Ayegbeni (Everton), 19 Chinedu Obasi (Hoffenheim), 4 Nwankwo Kanu (Portsmouth), 9 Obafemi Martins (Wolfsburg), 7 John Utaka (OB Odense), 18 Victor Obinna (Malaga).
[b]Coach:[/b] Lars Lagerback

[color="#FF0000"]GROUP C[/color] [color="#FF0000"]Algeria[/color]
[b]Goalkeepers:[/b] 16 Fawzi Chaouchi (ES Setif), 1 Lounes Gaouaoui (ASO Chlef), 23 Mbohi Rais Ouheb (Slavia Sofia).
[b]Defenders:[/b] 12 Habib Belaid (Boulogne), 3 Nadir Belhadj (Portsmouth), 2 Madjid Bougherra (Glasgow Rangers), 5 Rafik Halliche (Nacional), 14 Abdelkader Laifaoui (ES Setif), 18 Carl Medjani (Ajaccio), 20 Djamel Mesbah (Lecce), 4 Anthar Yahia (Bochum).
[b]Midfielders:[/b] 22 Djamel Abdoun (Nantes), 7 Riad Boudebouz (Sochaux), 17 Adlane Guedioura (Wolverhampton), 21 Fouad Kadir (Valenciennes), 8 Medhi Lacen (Racing Santander), 6 Yazid Mansouri (Lorient), 13 Karim Matmour (Borussia Moenchengladbach), 19 Hassan Yebda (Portsmouth), 15 Karim Ziani (Wolfsburg).
[b]Forwards:[/b] 11 Rafik Djebbour (AEK), 9 Abdelkader Ghezzal (Siena), 10 Rafik Saifi (Istres).
[b]Coach:[/b] Rabah Saadane

[color="#FF0000"]England[/color]
[b]Goalkeepers:[/b] 23 Joe Hart (Man. City), 1 David James (Portsmouth), 12 Robert Green (West Ham).
[b]Defenders:[/b] 18 Jamie Carragher (Liverpool), 3 Ashley Cole (Chelsea), 5 Michael Dawson (Tottenham), 2 Glen Johnson (Liverpool), 20 Ledley King (Tottenham), 6 John Terry (Chelsea), 15 Matthew Upson (West Ham), 13 Stephen Warnock (Aston Villa).
[b]Midfielders:[/b] 14 Gareth Barry (Man. City), 22 Michael Carrick (Manchester United), 11 Joe Cole (Chelsea), 4 Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), 8 Frank Lampard (Chelsea), 7 Aaron Lennon (Tottenham), 16 James Milner (Aston Villa), 17 Shaun Wright-Phillips (Man. City).
[b]Forwards:[/b] 9 Peter Crouch (Tottenham), 19 Jermain Defoe (Tottenham), 21 Emile Heskey (Aston Villa), 10 Wayne Rooney (Man.United).
[b]Coach:[/b] Fabio Capello

[color="#FF0000"]Slovenia[/color]
[b]Goalkeepers:[/b] 1 Samir Handanovic (Udinese), 12 Jasmin Handanovic (Mantova), 16 Aleksander Seliga (Sparta Rotterdam).
[b]Defenders:[/b] 13 Bojan Jokic (Chievo), 4 Marko Suler (Gent), 5 Bostjan Cesar (Grenoble), 6 Branko Ilic (Moscow Lokomotiv), 22 Matej Mavric-Rozic (Koblenz), 3 Elvedin Dzinic (Maribor), 2 Miso Brecko (FC Cologne), 19 Suad Filekovic (Maribor).
[b]Midfielders:[/b] 17 Andraz Kirm (Wisla Krakow), 20 Andrej Komac (Maccabi Tel-Aviv), 15 Rene Krhin (Inter Milan), 21 Dalibor Stevanovic (Vitesse), 8 Robert Koren (-), 18 Aleksander Radosavljevic (Larissa), 10 Valter Birsa (Auxerre).
[b]Forwards:[/b] 11 Milivoje Novakovic (FC Cologne), 14 Zlatko Dedic (Bochum), 9 Zlatan Ljubijankic (Gent), 7 Nejc Pecnik (Nacional), 23 Tim Matavz (FC Groningen).
[b]Coach:[/b] Matjaz Kek

[color="#FF0000"]USA[/color]
[b]Goalkeepers:[/b] 18 Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), 23 Marcus Hahnemann (Wolves), 1 Tim Howard (Everton).
[b]Defenders:[/b] 3 Carlos Bocanegra (Rennes), 12 Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA), 6 Steve Cherundolo (Hannover 96), 15 Jay DeMerit (Watford), 21 Clarence Goodson (Start), 5 Oguchi Onyewu (AC Milan), 2 Jonathan Spector (West Ham).
[b]Midfielders:[/b] 7 DaMarcus Beasley (Rangers), 4 Michael Bradley (Borussia Moenchengladbach), 13 Ricardo Clark (Houston Dynamo), 8 Clint Dempsey (Fulham), 10 Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy), 19 Maurice Edu (Rangers), 22 Benny Feilhaber (AGF Aarhus), 11 Stuart Holden (Bolton), 16 Jose Torres (Pachuca).
[b]Forwards:[/b] 17 Jozy Altidore (Hull City), 14 Edson Buddle (Los Angeles Galaxy), 20 Robbie Findley (Real Salt Lake), 9 Herculez Gomez (Puebla).
[b]Coach:[/b] Bob Bradley

[color="#FF0000"]GROUP D
Australia[/color]
[b]Goalkeepers:[/b] 12 Adam Federici (Reading), 18 Brad Jones (Middlesbrough), 1 Mark Schwarzer (Fulham).
[b]Defenders:[/b] 6 Michael Beauchamp (Al-Jazira), 21 David Carney (FC Twente), 11 Scott Chipperfield (Basel), 20 Mark Milligan (JEF United), 3 Craig Moore (-), 2 Lucas Neill (Galatasaray), 8 Luke Wilkshire (Dynamo Moscow).
[b]Midfielders:[/b] 23 Mark Bresciano (Palermo), 4 Tim Cahill (Everton), 5 Jason Culina (Gold Coast United), 7 Brett Emerton (Blackburn), 19 Richard Garcia (Hull), 13 Vince Grella (Blackburn), 14 Brett Holman (AZ), 15 Mile Jedinak (Antalyaspor), 16 Carl Valeri (Sassuolo), 22 Dario Vidosic (Nuremberg)
[b]Forwards:[/b] 9 Josh Kennedy (Nagoya Grampus Eight), 10 Harry Kewell (Galatasaray), 17 Nikita Rukavytsya (FC Twente).
[b]Coach:[/b] Pim Verbeek

[color="#FF0000"]Ghana[/color]
[b]Goalkeepers:[/b] 22 Richard Kingson (Wigan), 1 Daniel Agyei (Liberty Professionals), 16 Stephen Ahorlu (Hearts of Lions).
[b]Defenders:[/b] 7 Samuel Inkoom (Basel), 8 Jonathan Mensah (Granada), 19 Lee Addy (Bechem Chelsea), 17 Rahim Ayew (Zamalek), 2 Hans Sarpei (Bayer Leverkusen), 5 John Mensah (Sunderland), 15 Isaac Vorsah (Hoffenheim), 4 John Paintsil (Fulham).
[b]Midfielders:[/b] 11 Sulley Muntari (Inter Milan), 9 Derek Boateng (Getafe), 6 Anthony Annan (Rosenborg), 21 Kwadwo Asamoah (Udinese), 13 Andre Ayew (Marseille), 10 Stephen Appiah (Bologna), 20 Quincy Owusu Abeyie (Al Sadd), 23 Kevin-Prince Boateng (Portsmouth).
[b]Forwards:[/b] 14 Matthew Amoah (NAC), 3 Asamoah Gyan (Rennes), 12 Prince Tagoe (Hoffenheim), 18 Dominic Adiyiah (AC Milan).
[b]Coach:[/b] Milovan Rajevac

[color="#FF0000"]Germany[/color]
[b]Goalkeepers:[/b] 22 Hans-Joerg Butt (Bayern Munich), 1 Manuel Neuer (Schalke 04), 12 Tim Wiese (Werder Bremen).
[b]Defenders:[/b] 4 Dennis Aogo (Hamburg), 14 Holger Badstuber (Bayern Munich), 20 Jerome Boateng (Hamburg), 3 Arne Friedrich (Hertha Berlin), 2 Marcell Jansen (Hamburg), 16 Philipp Lahm (Bayern Munich), 17 Per Mertesacker (Werder Bremen), 5 Serdar Tasci (VfB Stuttgart).
[b]Midfielders:[/b] 6 Sami Khedira (VfB Stuttgart), 18 Toni Kroos (Bayer Leverkusen), 21 Marko Marin (Werder Bremen), 8 Mesut Ozil (Werder Bremen), 7 Bastian Schweinsteiger (Bayern Munich), 15 Piotr Trochowski (Hamburg).
[b]Forwards:[/b] 19 Cacau (VfB Stuttgart), 23 Mario Gomez (Bayern Munich), 9 Stefan Kiessling (Bayer Leverkusen), 11 Miroslav Klose (Bayern Munich), 13 Thomas Mueller (Bayern Munich), 10 Lukas Podolski (FC Cologne).
[b]Coach:[/b] Joachim Loew

[color="#FF0000"]Serbia[/color]
[b]Goalkeepers:[/b] 1 Vladimir Stojkovic (Sporting Lisbon), 12 Bojan Isailovic (Zaglebie Lubin), 23 Andjelko Djuricic (Uniao Leiria).
[b]Defenders:[/b] 6 Branislav Ivanovic (Chelsea), 2 Antonio Rukavina (1860 Munich), 5 Nemanja Vidic (Man. United), 20 Neven Subotic (Borussia Dortmund), 13 Aleksandar Lukovic (Udinese), 16 Ivan Obradovic (Real Zaragoza), 3 Aleksandar Kolarov (Lazio).
[b]Midfielders:[/b] 10 Dejan Stankovic (Inter Milan), 4 Gojko Kacar (Hertha Berlin), 11 Nenad Milijas (Wolves), 22 Zdravko Kuzmanovic (VfB Stuttgart), 19 Radosav Petrovic (Partizan), 17 Milos Krasic (CSKA Moscow), 7 Zoran Tosic (Man. United), 18 Milos Ninkovic (Dynamo Kiev), 14 Milan Jovanovic (Standard Liege).
[b]Forwards:[/b] 15 Nikola Zigic (Valencia), 9 Marko Pantelic (Ajax), 8 Danko Lazovic (Zenit St. Petersburg), 21 Dragan Mrdja (Vojvodina Novi Sad).
[b]Coach:[/b] Radomir Antic

[color="#FF0000"]GROUP E[/color] [color="#FF0000"]Netherlands[/color]
[b]Goalkeepers:[/b] 1 Maarten Stekelenburg (Ajax), 22 Sander Boschker (FC Twente), 16 Michel Vorm (Utrecht).
[b]Defenders:[/b] 12 Khalid Boulahrouz (VfB Stuttgart), 15 Edson Braafheid (Celtic), 5 Giovanni van Bronckhorst (Feyenoord), 3 John Heitinga (Everton), 4 Joris Mathijsen (Hamburg), 13 Andre Ooijer (PSV), 2 Gregory van der Wiel (Ajax).
[b]Midfielders:[/b] 20 Ibrahim Afellay (PSV), 6 Mark van Bommel (Bayern Munich), 8 Nigel de Jong (Man. City), 18 Stijn Schaars (AZ), 10 Wesley Sneijder (Inter Milan), 23 Rafael van der Vaart (Real Madrid), 14 Demy de Zeeuw (Ajax).
[b]Forwards:[/b] 19 Ryan Babel (Liverpool), 17 Eljero Elia (Hamburg), 21 Klaas Jan Huntelaar (AC Milan), 7 Dirk Kuyt (Liverpool), 9 Robin van Persie (Arsenal), 11 Arjen Robben (Bayern Munich).
[b]Coach:[/b] Bert van Marwijk

[color="#FF0000"]Japan[/color]
[b]Goalkeepers:[/b] 1 Seigo Narazaki (Nagoya Grampus Eight), 21 Eiji Kawashima (Kawasaki Frontale), 23 Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi (Jubilo Iwata).
[b]Defenders:[/b] 22 Yuji Nakazawa (Yokohama F-Marinos), 4 Tulio (Nagoya Grampus), 15 Yasuyuki Konno (FC Tokyo), 13 Daiki Iwamasa (Kashima Antlers), 3 Yuichi Komano (Jubilo Iwata), 5 Yuto Nagatomo (FC Tokyo), 6 Atsuto Uchida (Kashima Antlers).
[b]Midfielders:[/b] 10 Shunsuke Nakamura (Yokohama F-Marinos), 7 Yasuhito Endo (Gamba Osaka), 14 Kengo Nakamura (Kawasaki Frontale), 20 Junichi Inamoto (Kawasaki Frontale), 2 Yuki Abe (Urawa Reds), 17 Makoto Hasebe (Wolfsburg), 18 Keisuke Honda (CSKA Moscow), 8 Daisuke Matsui (Grenoble).
[b]Forwards:[/b] 9 Shinji Okazaki (Shimizu S-Pulse), 11 Keiji Tamada (Nagoya Grampus), 16 Yoshito Okubo (Vissel Kobe), 19 Takayuki Morimoto (Catania), 12 Kisho Yano (Albirex Niigata).
[b]Coach:[/b] Takeshi Okada

[color="#FF0000"]Cameroon[/color]
[b]Goalkeepers:[/b] 16 Souleymanou Hamidou (Kayserispor), 1 Carlos Kameni (Espanyol), 22 Guy Ndy (Valenciennes).
[b]Defenders:[/b] 2 Benoit Assou-Ekotto (Tottenham), 5 Sebastien Bassong (Tottenham), 12 Gaetan Bong (Valenciennes), 14 Aurelien Chedjou (Lille), 8 Geremi Njitap (Ankaragucu), 19 Stephane Mbia (Marseille), 3 Nicolas Nkoulou (Monaco), 4 Rigobert Song (Trabzonspor).
[b]Midfielders:[/b] 18 Eyong Enoh (Ajax), 11 Jean II Makoun (Lyon), 20 Georges Mandjeck (Kaiserslautern), 21 Joel Matip (Schalke 04), 7 Landry Nguemo (Celtic), 6 Alexandre Song (Arsenal).
[b]Forwards:[/b] 23 Vincent Aboubakar (Coton Sport), 13 Eric Choupo-Moting (Nuremberg), 10 Achille Emana (Betis), 9 Samuel Eto'o (Inter Milan), 17 Mohamadou Idrissou (Freiburg), 15 Pierre Webo (Mallorca).
[b]Coach:[/b] Paul Le Guen

[color="#FF0000"]Denmark[/color]
[b]Goalkeepers:[/b] 22 Jesper Christiansen (FC Copenhagen), 16 Stephan Andersen (Broendby), 1 Thomas Sorensen (Stoke).
[b]Defenders:[/b] 4 Daniel Agger (Liverpool), 6 Lars Jacobsen (Blackburn), 23 Patrick Mtiliga (Malaga), 13 Per Kroldrup (Fiorentina), 15 Simon Busk Poulsen (AZ), 3 Simon Kjaer (Palermo), 5 William Kvist (FC Copenhagen).
[b]Midfielders:[/b] 2 Christian Poulsen (Juventus), 21 Christian Eriksen (Ajax), 7 Daniel Jensen (Werder Bremen), 14 Jakob Poulsen (AGF Aarhus), 17 Mikkel Beckmann (Randers), 20 Thomas Enevoldsen (Groningen), 12 Thomas Kahlenberg (Wolfsburg), 19 Dennis Rommedahl (Ajax), 8 Jesper Groenkjaer (FC Copenhagen), 9 Jon Dahl Tomasson (Feyenoord), 10 Martin Jorgensen (AGF Aarhus).
[b]Forwards:[/b] 11 Nicklas Bendtner (Arsenal), 18 Soren Larsen (Duisburg).
[b]Coach:[/b] Morten Olsen

[color="#FF0000"]GROUP F[/color] [color="#FF0000"]Italy[/color]
[b]Goalkeepers:[/b] 1 Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus), 14 Morgan De Sanctis (Napoli), 12 Federico Marchetti (Cagliari).
[b]Defenders:[/b] 13 Salvatore Bocchetti (Genoa), 23 Leonardo Bonucci (Bari), 5 Fabio Cannavaro (Juventus), 4 Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), 3 Domenico Criscito (Genoa), 2 Christian Maggio (Napoli), 19 Gianluca Zambrotta (AC Milan).
[b]Midfielders:[/b] 16 Mauro Camoranesi (Juventus), 6 Daniele De Rossi (AS Roma), 8 Gennaro Gattuso (AC Milan), 15 Claudio Marchisio (Juventus), 22 Riccardo Montolivo (Fiorentina), 17 Angelo Palombo (Sampdoria), 7 Simone Pepe (Udinese), 21 Andrea Pirlo (AC Milan).
[b]Forwards:[/b] 10 Antonio Di Natale (Udinese), 11 Alberto Gilardino (Fiorentina), 9 Vincenzo Iaquinta (Juventus), 20 Giampaolo Pazzini (Sampdoria), 18 Fabio Quagliarella (Napoli).
[b]Coach:[/b] Marcello Lippi

[color="#FF0000"]Paraguay[/color]
[b]Goalkeepers:[/b] 1 Justo Villar (Real Valladolid), 22 Aldo Bobadilla (Inde. Medellin), 12 Diego Barreto (Cerro Porteno).
[b]Defenders:[/b] 3 Claudio Morel (Boca Juniors), 4 Denis Caniza (Leon), 14 Paulo da Silva (Sunderland), 2 Dario Veron (UNAM), 5 Julio Cesar Caceres (Atletico Mineiro), 6 Carlos Bonet (Olimpia), 17 Aureliano Torres (San Lorenzo), 21 Antolin Alcaraz (Club Brugge).
[b]Midfielders:[/b] 8 Edgar Barreto (Atalanta), 16 Cristian Riveros (Cruz Azul), 15 Victor Caceres (Libertad), 13 Enrique Vera (Liga de Quito), 11 Jonathan Santana (Wolfsburg), 20 Nestor Ortigoza (Argentinos Juniors).
[b]Forwards:[/b] 9 Roque Santa Cruz (Man. City), 7 Oscar Cardozo (Benfica), 18 Nelson Valdez (Bor. Dortmund), 10 Edgar Benitez (Toluca), 19 Lucas Barrios (Bor. Dortmund), 23 Rodolfo Gamarra (Libertad).
[b]Coach:[/b] Gerardo Martino

[color="#FF0000"]Slovakia[/color]
[b]Goalkeepers:[/b] 1 Jan Mucha (Legia Warsaw), 23 Dusan Kuciak (Vaslui), 12 Dusan Pernis (Dundee United).
[b]Defenders:[/b] 2 Peter Pekarik (Wolfsburg), 22 Martin Petras (Cesena), 3 Martin Skrtel (Liverpool), 16 Jan Durica (Hannover 96), 5 Radoslav Zabavnik (Mainz), 4 Marek Cech (West Bromwich), 21 Kornel Salata (Slovan Bratislava).
[b]Midfielders:[/b] 20 Kamil Kopunek (Spartak Trnava), 8 Jan Kozak (Timisoara), 19 Juraj Kucka (Sparta Prague), 10 Marek Sapara (Ankaragucu), 17 Marek Hamsik (Napoli), 7 Vladimir Weiss (Man. City), 15 Miroslav Stoch (Chelsea), 6 Zdenko Strba (Xanthi).
[b]Forwards:[/b] 9 Stanislav Sestak (Bochum), 18 Erik Jendrisek (Schalke 04), 11 Robert Vittek (Ankaragucu), 14 Martin Jakubko (Saturn Moscow), 13 Filip Holosko (Besiktas).
[b]Coach:[/b] Vladimir Weiss

[color="#FF0000"]New Zealand[/color]
[b]Goalkeepers:[/b] 23 James Bannatyne (Team Wellington), 12 Glen Moss (Melbourne Victory), 1 Mark Paston (Wellington Phoenix).
[b]Defenders:[/b] 18 Andy Boyens (New York Red Bulls), 3 Tony Lochhead (Wellington Phoenix), 6 Ryan Nelsen (Blackburn), 4 Winston Reid (FC Midtjylland), 2 Ben Sigmund (Wellington Phoenix), 19 Tommy Smith (Ipswich), 5 Ivan Vicelich (Auckland City).
[b]Midfielders:[/b] 13 Andy Barron (Team Wellington), 11 Leo Bertos (Wellington Phoenix), 8 Tim Brown (Wellington Phoenix), 21 Jeremy Christie (FC Tampa Bay Rowdies), 16 Aaron Clapham (Canterbury United), 7 Simon Elliott (-), 15 Michael McGlinchey (Motherwell), 17 David Mulligan (-)
[b]Forwards:[/b] 22 Jeremy Brockie (Newcastle Jets), 14 Rory Fallon (Plymouth), 10 Chris Killen (Middlesbrough), 9 Shane Smeltz (Gold Coast United), 20 Chris Wood (West Bromwich).
[b]Coach:[/b] Ricki Herbert

[color="#FF0000"]GROUP G[/color] [color="#FF0000"]Brazil[/color]
[b]Goalkeepers:[/b] 1 Julio Cesar (Inter Milan), 12 Heurelho Gomes (Tottenham), 22 Doni (Roma).
[b]Defenders:[/b] 4 Juan (Roma), 3 Lucio (Inter Milan), 14 Luisao (Benfica), 15 Thiago Silva (AC Milan), 2 Maicon (Inter Milan), 13 Dani Alves (Barcelona), 16 Gilberto Melo (Cruzeiro), 6 Michel Bastos (Lyon).
[b]Midfielders:[/b] 8 Gilberto Silva (Panathinaikos), 5 Felipe Melo (Juventus), 17 Josue (Wolfsburg), 20 Kleberson (Flamengo), 7 Elano (Galatasaray), 18 Ramires (Benfica), 10 Kaka (Real Madrid), 19 Julio Baptista (Roma).
[b]Forwards:[/b] 9 Luis Fabiano (Sevilla), 21 Nilmar (Villarreal), 11 Robinho (Santos), 23 Grafite (Wolfsburg).

[color="#FF0000"]Ivory Coast[/color]
[b]Goalkeepers:[/b] 1 Boubacar Barry (Lokeren), 23 Daniel Yeboah (Asec Mimosas), 16 Aristide Zogbo (Maccabi Netanya).
[b]Defenders:[/b] 22 Souleymane Bamba (Hibernian), 3 Arthur Boka (VfB Stuttgart), 20 Guy Demel (Hamburg), 21 Emmanuel Eboue (Arsenal), 17 Siaka Tiene (Valenciennes), 2 Benjamin Angoua (Valenciennes), 4 Kolo Toure (Man. City), 6 Steve Gohouri (Wigan).
[b]Midfielders:[/b] 12 Jean-Jacques Gosso Gosso (Monaco), 18 Abdelkader Keita (Galatasaray), 14 Emmanuel Kone (International Curtea Arges), 10 Gervinho (Lille), 13 Romaric (Sevilla), 9 Cheik Ismael Tiote (FC Twente), 19 Yaya Toure (Barcelona), 5 Didier Zokora (Sevilla).
[b]Forwards:[/b] 15 Aruna Dindane (Lens), 7 Seydou Doumbia (Young Boys), 11 Didier Drogba (Chelsea), 8 Salomon Kalou (Chelsea).
[b]Coach:[/b] Sven-Goran Eriksson

[color="#FF0000"]North Korea[/color]
[b]Goalkeepers:[/b] 1 Ri Myong-guk (Pyongyang City), 18 Kim Myong-gil (Amrokgang), 20 Kim Myon-won (Amrokgang).
[b]Defenders:[/b] 2 Cha Jong-hyok (Amrokgang), 16 Nam Song-chol (April 25), 13 Pak Chol-jin (Amrokgang), 14 Pak Nam-chol (Amrokgang), 3 Ri Jun-il (Sobaeksu), 5 Ri Kwang-chon (April 25), 21 Ri Kwang-hyok (Kyonggongop).
[b]Midfielders:[/b] 17 Ahn Young-hak (Omiya Ardija), 8 Ji Yun-nam (April 25), 22 Kim Kyong-il (Rimyongsu), 15 Kim Yong-jun (Chengdu), 11 Mun In-guk (April 25), 4 Pak Nam-chol (April 25), 23 Pak Sung-hyok (Sobaeksu), 19 Ri Chol-myong (Pyongyang City).
[b]Forwards:[/b] 7 An Chol-hyok (Rimyongsu), 12 Choe Kum-chol (Rimyongsu), 10 Hong Yong-jo (FK Rostov), 9 Jong Tae-se (Kawasaki Frontale), 6 Kim Kum-il (April 25).
[b]Coach:[/b] Kim Jeong-hoon

[color="#FF0000"]Portugal[/color]
[b]Goalkeepers:[/b] 12 Beto (Porto), 22 Daniel Fernandes (Iraklis), 1 Eduardo (Braga).
[b]Defenders:[/b] 23 Fabio Coentrao (Benfica), 3 Paulo Ferreira (Chelsea), 6 Ricardo Carvalho (Chelsea), 2 Bruno Alves (Porto), 4 Rolando (Porto), 21 Ricardo Costa (Lille), 5 Duda (Malaga), 15 Pepe (Real Madrid), 13 Miguel (Valencia).
[b]Midfielders:[/b] 19 Tiago (Atletico Madrid), 20 Deco (Chelsea), 16 Raul Meireles (Porto), 17 Ruben Amorim (Benfica), 14 Miguel Veloso (Sporting Lisbon), 8 Pedro Mendes (Sporting Lisbon).
[b]Forwards:[/b] 11 Simao Sabrosa (Atletico Madrid), 18 Hugo Almeida (Werder Bremen), 9 Liedson (Sporting Lisbon), 7 Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid), 10 Danny (Zenit St. Petersburg).
[b]Coach:[/b] Carlos Queiroz


[color="#FF0000"]GROUP H[/color] [color="#FF0000"]Spain[/color]
[b]Goalkeepers:[/b] 1 Iker Casillas (Real Madrid), 23 Pepe Reina (Liverpool), 12 Victor Valdes (Barcelona).
[b]Defenders:[/b] 2 Raul Albiol (Real Madrid), 17 Alvaro Arbeloa (Real Madrid), 11 Joan Capdevila (Villarreal), 4 Carlos Marchena (Valencia), 3 Gerard Pique (Barcelona), 5 Carles Puyol (Barcelona), 15 Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid).
[b]Midfielders:[/b] 14 Xabi Alonso (Real Madrid), 16 Sergio Busquets (Barcelona), 10 Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal), 6 Andres Iniesta (Barcelona), 20 Javi Martinez (Athletic Bilbao), 21 David Silva (Valencia), 8 Xavi (Barcelona).
[b]Forwards:[/b] 22 Jesus Navas (Sevilla), 13 Juan Mata (Valencia), 18 Pedro (Barcelona), 19 Fernando Llorente (Athletic Bilbao), 9 Fernando Torres (Liverpool), 7 David Villa (Valencia).
[b]Coach:[/b] Vicente Del Bosque

[color="#FF0000"]Chile[/color]
[b]Goalkeepers:[/b] 1 Claudio Bravo (Real Sociedad), 12 Miguel Pinto (Univ. de Chile), 23 Luis Marin (Union Espanola).
[b]Defenders:[/b] 5 Pablo Contreras (PAOK), 2 Ismael Fuentes (Univ. Catolica), 4 Mauricio Isla (Udinese), 17 Gary Medel (Boca Juniors), 18 Gonzalo Jara (West Bromwich), 3 Waldo Ponce (Univ. Catolica), 8 Arturo Vidal (Bayer Leverkusen).
[b]Midfielders:[/b] 6 Carlos Carmona (Reggina), 13 Marco Estrada (Univ. de Chile), 14 Matias Fernandez (Sporting Lisbon), 19 Gonzalo Fierro (Flamengo), 20 Rodrigo Millar (Colo Colo), 21 Rodrigo Tello (Besiktas), 10 Jorge Valdivia (Al-Ain).
[b]Forwards:[/b] 15 Jean Beausejour (Club America), 11 Mark Gonzalez (CSKA Moscow), 16 Fabian Orellana (Xerez), 22 Esteban Paredes (Colo Colo), 7 Alexis Sanchez (Udinese), 9 Humberto Suazo (Real Zaragoza).
[b]Coach:[/b] Marcelo Bielsa

[color="#FF0000"]Honduras[/color]
[b]Goalkeepers:[/b] 1 Ricardo Canales (Motagua), 18 Noel Valladares (Olimpia), 22 Donis Escober (Olimpia).
[b]Defenders:[/b] 5 Victor Bernardez (Anderlecht), 3 Maynor Figueroa (Wigan), 14 Oscar Garcia (Olimpia), 23 Sergio Mendoza (Motagua), 21 Emilio Izaguirre (Motagua), 4 Jhony Palacios (Olimpia), 16 Mauricio Sabillon (Hangzhou Luchen), 2 Osman Chavez (Platense).
[b]Midfielders:[/b] 17 Edgar Alvarez (Bari), 10 Julio Cesar de Leon (Torino), 13 Roger Espinoza (Kansas City Wizards), 20 Amado Guevara (Motagua), 7 Ramon Nunez (Olimpia), 8 Wilson Palacios (Tottenham), 6 Hendry Thomas (Wigan), 19 Danilo Turcios (Olimpia).
[b]Forwards:[/b] 11 David Suazo (Genoa), 12 George Welcome (Motagua), 9 Carlos Pavon (Real Espana), 15 Walter Martinez (Marathon).
[b]Coach:[/b] Reinaldo Rueda

[color="#FF0000"]Switzerland[/color]
[b]Goalkeepers:[/b] 1 Diego Benaglio (Wolfsburg), 21 Johnny Leoni (FC Zurich), 12 Marco Woelfli (Young Boys).
[b]Defenders:[/b] 22 Mario Eggimann (Hannover 96), 13 Stephane Grichting (Auxerre), 2 Stephan Lichtsteiner (Lazio), 3 Ludovic Magnin (FC Zurich), 4 Philippe Senderos (Arsenal), 5 Steve Von Bergen (Hertha Berlin), 17 Reto Ziegler (Sampdoria).
[b]Midfielders:[/b] 7 Tranquillo Barnetta (Bayer Leverkusen), 11 Valon Behrami (West Ham), 16 Gelson Fernandes (St. Etienne), 6 Benjamin Huggel (Basel), 8 Gokhan Inler (Udinese), 14 Marco Padalino (Sampdoria), 20 Pirmin Schwegler (Eintracht Frankfurt), 23 Xherdan Shaqiri (Basel).
[b]Forwards:[/b] 18 Albert Bunjaku (Nuremberg), 19 Eren Derdiyok (Bayer Leverkusen), 9 Alexander Frei (Basel), 10 Blaise Nkufo (FC Twente), 15 Hakan Yakin (FC Lucerne).
[b]Coach:[/b] Ottmar Hitzfeld [/quote]


[url="http://www.socceramerica.com/article/38415/the-736-players.html"]http://www.soccerame...36-players.html[/url]

[MAGICTOUCH]

[quote]
[color=#FF0000][color=#000000][size=5]World Cup 2010 Schedule

[/size][b][size=1]June 7th, 2010 8:19PM[/size][/b][/color][/color]
[color=#FF0000]
[/color]
[color=#FF0000][DATEBOOK][/color] The 2010 World Cup kicks off Friday in South Africa. Here's the complete television schedule with information on online and mobile viewing.

[b]ONLINE: [/b]Most games will be available online at [url="http://espn.go.com/espn3/"]ESPN3[/url] (formerly ESPN360.com). Univision will offer live streaming at[url="http://futbol.univision.com/"]futbol.univision.com[/url].

[b]MOBILE: [/b]Most games will be available on [url="http://proxy.espn.go.com/mobile/products/product?id=3242441"]ESPN Mobile TV[/url] on many mobile carriers. Univision Móvil will provide live streaming to Verizon Wireless V CAST subscribers where available.

[b]REPLAYS:[/b] ESPN Classic will re-air all 64 matches. Each matchday, between 6 p.m. and midnight ET, the network will present all the matches played earlier that day. ESPN and ESPN2 will air the best match of the day on select nights. Spanish-language Telefutura and Galavision will also replay games in the evening.

[b]Note: [/b][i]All times ET. They are kickoff times. All networks will begin coverage with pre-game shows of varying duration.[/i]

[color=#FF0000]Group A [/color]
[b]June 11 in Johannesburg, 10 a.m. ESPN/Univision[/b]
South Africa vs. Mexico
[b]June 11 in Cape Town, 2:30 p.m. ESPN/Univision[/b]
Uruguay vs. France
[b]June 16 in Pretoria, 2:30 p.m. ESPN/Univision[/b]
South Africa vs. Uruguay
[b]June 17 in Polokwane, 2:30 p.m. ESPN2/Univision[/b]
France vs. Mexico
[b]June 22 in Rustenburg, 10 a.m. ESPN/Univision[/b]
Mexico vs. Uruguay
[b]June 22 in Bloemfontein, 10 a.m. ESPN2/TeleFutura[/b]
France vs. South Africa

[color=#FF0000]Group B[/color]
[b]June 12 in Johannesburg, 10 a.m. ESPN/Univision[/b]
Argentina vs. Nigeria
[b]June 12 in Port Elizabeth, 7:30 a.m. ESPN/Univision[/b]
South Korea vs. Greece
[b]June 17 in Bloemfontein, 10 a.m. ESPN/Univision[/b]
Greece vs. Nigeria
[b]June 17 in Johannesburg, 7:30 a.m. ESPN/Univision[/b]
Argentina vs. South Korea
[b]June 22 in Durban, 2:30 p.m. ESPN2/TeleFutura[/b]
Nigeria vs. South Korea
[b]June 22 in Polokwane, 2:30 p.m. ESPN/Univision[/b]
Greece vs. Argentina

[color=#FF0000]Group C[/color]
[b]June 12 in Rustenburg, 2:30 pm. ABC/Univision[/b]
England vs. USA
[b]June 13 in Polokwane, 7:30 a.m. ESPN/Univision[/b]
Algeria vs. Slovenia
[b]June 18 in Johannesburg, 10 am. ESPN/Univision[/b]
Slovenia vs. USA
[b]June 18 in Cape Town, 2:30 p.m. ESPN2/Univision[/b]
England vs. Algeria
[b]June 23 in Port Elizabeth, 10 a.m. ESPN2/TeleFutura[/b]
Slovenia vs. England
[b]June 23 in Pretoria, 10 a.m. ESPN/Univision[/b]
USA vs. Algeria

[color=#FF0000]Group D[/color]
[b]June 13 in Durban, 2:30 p.m. ABC/Univision[/b]
Germany vs. Australia
[b]June 13 in Pretoria, 10 a.m. ESPN/Univision[/b]
Serbia vs. Ghana
[b]June 18 in Port Elizabeth, 7:30 a.m. ESPN/Univision[/b]
Germany vs. Serbia
[b]June 19 in Rustenburg, 10 a.m. ESPN/Univision[/b]
Ghana vs. Australia
[b]June 23 in Johannesburg, 2:30 p.m. ESPN/Univision[/b]
Ghana vs. Germany
[b]June 23 in Nelspruit, 2:30 p.m. ESPN2/TeleFutura[/b]
Australia vs. Serbia

[color=#FF0000]Group E[/color]
[b]June 14 in Johannesburg, 7:30 a.m. ESPN/Univision[/b]
Netherlands vs. Denmark
[b]June 14 in Bloemfontein, 10 a.m. ESPN/Univision[/b]
Japan vs. Cameroon
[b]June 19 in Durban, 7:30 a.m. ESPN/Univision[/b]
Netherlands vs. Japan
[b]June 19 in Pretoria, 2:30 p.m. ABC/Univision[/b]
Cameroon vs. Denmark
[b]June 24 in Rustenburg, 2:30 p.m. ESPN/TeleFutura[/b]
Denmark vs. Japan
[b]June 24 in Cape Town, 2:30 p.m. ESPN2/Univision[/b]
Cameroon vs. Netherlands

[color=#FF0000]Group F [/color]
[b]June 14 in Cape Town, 2:30 pm. ESPN/Univision[/b]
Italy vs. Paraguay
[b]June 15 in Rustenburg, 7:30 a.m. ESPN/Univision[/b]
New Zealand vs. Slovakia
[b]June 20 in Bloemfontein, 7:30 a.m. ESPN/Univision[/b]
Slovakia vs. Paraguay
[b]June 20 in Nelspruit, 10 a.m. ESPN/Univision[/b]
Italy vs. New Zealand
[b]June 24 in Johannesburg, 10 a.m. ESPN/TeleFutura[/b]
Slovakia vs. Italy
[b]June 24 in Polokwane, 10 a.m. ESPN2/Univision[/b]
Paraguay vs. New Zealand

[color=#FF0000]Group G[/color]
[b]June 15 in Port Elizabeth, 10 a.m. ESPN/Univision[/b]
Ivory Coast vs. Portugal
[b]June 15 in Johannesburg, 2:30 pm. ESPN/Univision[/b]
Brazil vs. North Korea
[b]June 20 in Johannesburg, 2:30 p.m. ABC/Univision[/b]
Brazil vs. Ivory Coast
[b]June 21 in Cape Town, 7:30 a.m. ESPN/Univision[/b]
Portugal vs. North Korea
[b]June 25 in Durban, 10 a.m. ESPN/Univision[/b]
Portugal vs. Brazil
[b]June 25 in Nelspruit, 10 a.m. ESPN2/TeleFutura[/b]
North Korea vs. Ivory Coast

[color=#FF0000]Group H[/color]
[b]June 16 in Nelspruit, 7:30 a.m. ESPN/Univision[/b]
Honduras vs. Chile
[b]June 16 in Durban, 10 a.m. ESPN/Univision[/b]
Spain vs. Switzerland
[b]June 21 in Port Elizabeth, 10 a.m. ESPN/Univision[/b]
Chile vs. Switzerland
[b]June 21 in Johannesburg, 2:30 p.m. ESPN/Univision[/b]
Spain vs. Honduras
[b]June 25 in Pretoria, 2:30 p.m. ESPN/Univision[/b]
Chile vs. Spain
[b]June 25 in Bloemfontein, 2:30 p.m. ESPN2/TeleFutura[/b]
Switzerland vs. Honduras

[color=#FF0000]Second Round[/color]
[b](Game 49): June 26 in Port Elizabeth, 10 a.m. ESPN/Univision[/b]
1A vs. 2B
[b](Game 50): June 26 in Rustenburg, 2:30 pm. ABC/Univision[/b]
1C vs. 2D
[b](Game 51): June 27 in Bloemfontein, 10 a.m. ESPN/Univision[/b]
1D vs. 2C
[b](Game 52): June 27 in Johannesburg, 2:30 pm. ABC/Univision[/b]
1B vs. 2A
[b](Game 53): June 28 in Durban, 10 a.m. ESPN/Univision[/b]
1E vs. 2F
[b]Game 54): June 28 in Johannesburg, 2:30 pm. ESPN/Univision[/b]
1G vs. 2H
[b](Game 55): June 29 in Pretoria, 10 a.m. ESPN/Univision[/b]
1F vs. 2E
[b](Game 56): June 29 in Cape Town, 2:30 pm. ESPN/Univision[/b]
1H vs. 2G

[color=#FF0000]Quarterfinals[/color]
[b](Game 57): July 2 in Port Elizabeth, 10 a.m. ESPN/Univision[/b]
W53 vs. W54
[b](Game 58): July 2 in Johannesburg, 2:30 pm. ESPN/Univision[/b]
W49 vs. W50
[b](Game 59): July 3 in Cape Town, 10 a.m. ABC/Univision[/b]
W52 vs. W51
[b](Game 60): July 3 in Johannesburg, 2:30 pm. ABC/Univision[/b]
W55 vs. W56

[color=#FF0000]Semifinals[/color]
[b](Game 61): July 6 in Cape Town, 2:30 pm. ESPN/Univision[/b]
W58 vs. W57
[b](Game 62): July 7 in Johannesburg, 2:30 pm. ESPN/Univision[/b]
W59 vs. W60

[color=#FF0000]Third-Place Game[/color]
[b]July 10 in Port Elizabeth, 2:30 pm. ABC/Univision[/b]
L61 vs. L62

[color=#FF0000]Final[/color]
[b]July 11 in Johannesburg, 2:30 pm. ABC/Univision[/b]
W61 vs. W62 [/quote]



[url="http://www.socceramerica.com/article/38389/world-cup-2010-schedule.html"]http://www.socceramerica.com/article/38389/world-cup-2010-schedule.html[/url]

[MAGICTOUCH]

[quote]
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[b][size=5]Referees learning English swear words[/size][/b]
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[color=#333333][size=3]RUSTENBERG, South Africa -- The Brazilian referee and his assistants who will work the England-United States match at the World Cup have been studying English-language obscenities the players might use.[/size][/color]

[color=#333333][size=3]Carlos Simon will referee Saturday's match in Rustenburg, assisted by Roberto Braatz and Altemir Hausmann. They want to ensure players can't get away with abuse.[/size][/color]

[color=#333333][size=3]"We have to learn what kind of words the players say," Hausmann told Brazilian broadcaster Globo Sport. "All players swear and we know we will hear a few."[/size][/color]

[color=#333333][size=3]Braatz says they aren't learning them in "11 different languages, but at least we have to know the swear words in English."[/size][/color]

[color=#333333][size=3]FIFA denied reports that match officials have been given lists of swear words to listen for, but did say proficiency in English was a requirement for referees and assistants working the World Cup.[/size][/color]

[color=#333333][size=3]In addition, refereeing officials briefed all teams about the rules, including the potential for players to be cautioned or sent off for abusive language or gestures[/size][/color]

[/color][/color][/font]
[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][color=#333333]"There should not be any surprises to any members of the teams," FIFA spokesman Alex Stone said.[/color][color=#333333][size=3]Stone said there was no requirement for referees to know obscenities in languages other than English.[/size][/color]

[color=#333333][size=3][url="http://soccernet.espn.go.com/player/_/id/21046"]Wayne Rooney[/url] received a yellow card during England's warmup match against South African club Platinum Stars on Monday for swearing at the referee.[/size][/color]

[color=#333333][size=3]"In this day and age I think it's important to show the referees some respect," England captain [url="http://soccernet.espn.go.com/player/_/id/7935"]Steven Gerrard[/url] said Thursday. "You don't use any language because then you'll be booked and the whole team suffers. You don't want to fall into that trap ...[/size][/color]

[/font][color=#333333][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]"We've had experience of losing big players at important times."[/font][/color] [/quote]



[url="http://soccernet.espn.go.com/world-cup/story/_/id/5270852/ce/us/referees-learning-english-swear-words?campaign=rss&source=ESPNHeadlines&cc=5901&ver=us"]http://soccernet.espn.go.com/world-cup/story/_/id/5270852/ce/us/referees-learning-english-swear-words?campaign=rss&source=ESPNHeadlines&cc=5901&ver=us[/url]

[MAGICTOUCH]

Could be interesting. It's possible we could get Rooney all riled up and have him lose his cool, or little Bradley or Clark plays (ugh) and get over zealous we could be in some trouble.


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[b][size="5"]Referee for England-US match loves yellow card[/size][/b]
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IRENE, South Africa (AP)—Carlos Simon, who will referee the match between England and the United States at the World Cup, went through cards with the speed of a Las Vegas dealer at the 2006 tournament.

The Brazilian referee issued five yellows during Italy's 2-0 first-round victory over Ghana, handing the first to Daniele de Rossi 10 minutes in. He gave out eight more in Spain's 3-1 win over Tunisia, and added four yellows and a red to his total as Germany beat Sweden 2-0 in the second round.

He's been selected to officiate England's first match at this year's World Cup, on Saturday. Given an English team and an American side filled with Premier Leaguers, it could make for a match of attrition.

[/size][/font]
[font="arial, sans-serif"][size="2"]"A foul in England is a foul," American goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann said. "In another country, they're wondering if it's a yellow card or a red card."The U.S. had its own card-filled night at the last World Cup. In the 1-1 draw against Italy, the Americans went a man up when De Rossi was sent off by Uruguayan Jorge Larrionda in the 28th minute for an elbow that split Brian McBride's left cheek. Seventeen minutes later, the sides were evened when Pablo Mastroeni was shown red for a studs-up tackle on Andrea Pirlo. American defender Eddie Pope was sent off two minutes into the second half for his second yellow.

World Cup matches generally are refereed more tightly than league games, especially than those in England.

"You go into a World Cup, you always want to have a little bit of sense of what FIFA has now chosen to clamp down on," American midfielder Michael Bradley said. "That will be something we think about."

Bradley, who plays for Borussia Moenchengladbach in Germany, missed last year's Confederations Cup final against Brazil after getting a red card in the semifinal victory over Spain for a lunging tackle.

Yet, he doesn't want think about curbing the roughness too much.

"Having a physical edge is something that we bring on our best days and I think we need to look to have on Saturday," he said.

England forward Wayne Rooney will be playing his first World Cup match since his team's penalty-shootout loss to Portugal in the 2006 quarterfinals. He got a red card that night for stamping on Ricardo Carvalho's groin—with then-Manchester United teammate Cristiano Ronaldo running over to Argentinian referee Horacio Elizondo to plead for Rooney's dismissal.

"I think you always have to be conscious of referees and their decisions," said American defender Jay DeMerit, captain of Watford in England's second-tier Championship. "If you go in and do a tackle that you think you might be able to get away with in England, you might not be able to get away with it on this type of stage, you know. And I think that's our job, to realize that, and to understand the rules."

FIFA has tried to increase protection of goal-scorers, telling referees to give red cards for career-threatening fouls. But just because Simon gave out lots of cards four years ago, American right back Steve Cherundolo doesn't necessarily expect a similar spate.

"I think the game Saturday, of course it will be a hard-fought game," he said. "Both teams want to win. Both are physically talented. So I assume there will be some tackles that may be reported or punished by a yellow card—I hope no red cards. It's part of the game, but I don't expect the referee to show more only because he has in the past."

Coach Bob Bradley knows games probably will be called tightly, and has made his feelings known.

[/size][/font][font="arial, sans-serif"][size="2"]"It's important that there's discipline," he said Wednesday. "I think we've seen in a number of World Cups, especially in the first round, the fact that players must respect the game, must respect their opponents. Otherwise, there will be cards given."[/size][/font] [/quote]



[url="http://g.sports.yahoo.com/soccer/world-cup/news/referee-for-england-us-match-loves-yellow-card--fbintl_ap-wcup-us-england-referee.html"]http://g.sports.yaho...nd-referee.html[/url]

[MAGICTOUCH]

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[b][size=5]Capello shouts at photographers at England base[/size][/b]
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[font=verdana][size=2]RUSTENBURG, South Africa (AP) -- England coach Fabio Capello lost his cool at the media on Wednesday at the team's World Cup training camp, yelling at photographers and cameramen for capturing images of the players in a building used as a medical base."Why do you take photos of the rooms?'' Capello shouted. "No excuses.''

It is the first time Capello has been seen so angry in public since taking charge of England, but his players are used to private blasts.

Capello has also been upset with his players over their performances in warmup matches - including the slack display Monday in a training fixture against local South African side the Platinum Stars.

"He was not pleased,'' defender John Terry said of Capello's halftime talk. "It was the worst, the angriest, I have seen him ... he had his say at halftime in a manner I have not seen before and it was quite understandable. But it sums him up - he is a winner. Even in training, he can go like that from nothing.''

Also Wednesday, midfielder Shaun Wright-Phillips returned to training after picking up a minor knee injury two days earlier.

England plays its first match in Group C against United States on Saturday

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[font=verdana][size=2][font=arial, verdana, tahoma, sans-serif][size=3][url="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/soccer/world-cup-2010/06/09/capello.shouts.ap/index.html"]http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/soccer/world-cup-2010/06/09/capello.shouts.ap/index.html[/url][/size][/font][/size][/font]

[MAGICTOUCH]

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[b][color="#303030"][font="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][size="3"][size="5"]Unpredictability is North Korea's secret weapon[/size][/size][/font][/color][/b]

[b]
[/b]

[b][size="3"]A week after arriving for the World Cup, the North Korean team remains largely hidden from public view, sequestered behind the tightly guarded gates of a remote hotel in northern Johannesburg that seems to rise like a fortress from the South African veld.[/size][/b]
[/size][/color][/size][/font][/color][/font][/color]
[color="#303030"][font="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"][color="#000000"][font="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"] [/font][/color][/font][/color]
[color="#303030"][font="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"][color="#000000"][font="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][size="2"]No chance of a casual South African braai — barbecue — with fellow hotel guests: All meals, prepared by a cook flown in from Pyongyang, are closed to outsiders. And no chance for the players to stray from the group.[/size][/font][/color][color="black"][font="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][size="2"][left]No team at the tournament is more of a mystery than North Korea, one of the world's most isolated countries.[/left][/size][/font][/color]

[color="black"][font="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][size="2"][left]They're the lowest ranked of the qualifiers and are in the toughest group.[/left][/size][/font][/color]

[color="black"][font="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][size="2"][left]But North Korea has a history of surprising top teams at the World Cup: In 1966, the last time it qualified, the squad from the reclusive communist state produced a stunning upset win over Italy to secure a quarterfinal spot.[/left][/size][/font][/color]

[color="black"][font="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][size="2"][left]Nearly as unknown as they were 44 years ago, the North Koreans are banking on what may be their greatest asset as they prepare to face Brazil in their opening match: their unpredictability.[/left][/size][/font][/color]

[color="black"][font="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][size="2"][left]Most training sessions at Maphulong Stadium in the township of Tembisa have been closed, and coach Kim Jong Hun made only Japanese-born star Jong Tae Se available Wednesday for a news conference required by FIFA, football's governing body.[/left][/size][/font][/color]

[color="black"][font="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][size="2"][left]A cloud of controversy surrounding the North Koreans may give Kim an excuse to keep the team from prying journalists' eyes. And he may well want to keep the players under wraps and use the relative anonymity to the team's tactical advantage.[/left][/size][/font][/color]

[color="black"][font="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][size="2"][left]Only three play overseas and the team has made few international appearances in recent years, giving opponents little chance to study strengths and weaknesses.[/left][/size][/font][/color]

[color="black"][font="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][size="2"][left]In a sport where fans follow their favourite players' every move, the North Koreans' names are so unfamiliar that almost no one noticed that coach Kim listed a top striker as a goalkeeper when he submitted his final World Cup squad.[/left][/size][/font][/color]

[color="black"][font="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][size="2"][left]Greece got a taste of North Korea's surprise tactics in a friendly late last month in Austria. After floundering at the start, North Korea took control of the game, eventually equalizing to hold Greece to an unexpected 2-2 draw.[/left][/size][/font][/color]

[color="black"][font="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][size="2"][left]The North Koreans may have been the darlings in '66, the underdogs from a little-known country who delighted their English hosts by staging feisty upsets to become the first Asian team to make the World cup quarterfinals.[/left][/size][/font][/color]

[color="black"][font="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][size="2"][left]Four decades later, however, the world is well aware of North Korea, its nuclear ambitions and the accusations that Pyongyang sank a South Korean warship in March — a matter taken to the U.N. Security Council last week amid a firestorm of threatening rhetoric from both Koreas.[/left][/size][/font][/color]

[color="black"][font="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][size="2"][left]Behind the wall of silence, the Chollima squad — as they are called back home after a winged horse prized in North Korean mythology — is mentally girding itself for the tournament, said Jong, the charismatic 26-year-old striker who is one of two Japanese-born players in the squad and has emerged as the team's star player and de facto spokesman.[/left][/size][/font][/color]

[color="black"][font="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][size="2"][left]Experts and oddmakers say it would take a miracle for North Korea to advance from Group G — which includes Brazil, Portugal and Ivory Coast - to the round of 16.[/left][/size][/font][/color]

[color="black"][font="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][size="2"][left]That doesn't phase Jong, nicknamed "the People's Rooney" by South Korean media, who says the North Koreans will make up for what they lack in experience with passion, will and determination when they face Brazil on Tuesday at Ellis Park in Johannesburg.[/left][/size][/font][/color]

[color="black"][font="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][size="2"][left]"Our advantage is that we have first-world mentality. We have confidence in our concentration and speed," he told broadcaster APTN on Wednesday. "If we believe in our strength and unite as one, and believe in ourselves, we could surely achieve victory."[/left][/size][/font][/color]

[color="black"][font="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][size="2"][left]He vowed to "surprise" the world again.[/left][/size][/font][/color]

[color="black"][font="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][size="2"][left]The team prides itself on its unity, and with most of the squad playing in the domestic competition, they've had plenty of time to finesse their teamwork.[/left][/size][/font][/color]

[color="black"][font="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][size="2"][left]"Morale is very high and we're ready to fight," Coach Kim said, according to footage aired on North Korean state television.[/left][/size][/font][/color]

[color="black"][font="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][size="2"][left]Goalkeeper Ri Myong Guk is just as confident.[/left][/size][/font][/color]

[color="black"][font="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][size="2"][left]"Like the football players of Chollima Korea in 1966, I will also display the might of North Korea's 'army first' policy in the World Cup," Ri told APTN.[/left][/size][/font][/color]

[color="black"][font="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][size="2"][left]North Korea, its economy in shambles and its circle of friends diminishing due to its nuclear defiance, has few avenues for international glory.[/left][/size][/font][/color]

[color="black"][font="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][size="2"][left]The 23 men training in Tembisa are their country's most visible ambassadors, among the few North Koreans allowed to travel overseas.[/left][/size][/font][/color]

[color="black"][font="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][size="2"][left]At home, they're already heroes, bestowed with medals and merit citations and honored on postage stamps unveiled last week to commemorate the team's success in qualifying for the World Cup.[/left][/size][/font][/color]

[color="black"][font="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][size="2"][left]With that honour comes pressure. Moon Ki-nam, a former national-level North Korea coach who defected to South Korea in 2004, said players are handsomely rewarded with coveted apartments if they win internationally but are punished, some sent to coal mines, if they lose.[/left][/size][/font][/color]

[color="black"][font="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][size="2"][left]Even some of the feted players from the 1966 team were said to have been sent to one of North Korea's infamous labor camps for squandering a promising 3-0 lead to lose to a Eusebio-led Portugal in the quarterfinals.[/left][/size][/font][/color]

[color="black"][font="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][size="2"][left]And with North Korean leader Kim Jong Il personally giving the current team guidance, according to state media, success or failure is a state matter of the highest order.[/left][/size][/font][/color]

[color="black"][font="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][size="2"][left]"We will achieve a good success in this World Cup, therefore giving pleasure to our great General (Kim Jong Il) and proving ourselves worthy of the expectations of the Korean people," the coach told APTN as the team departed Pyongyang last month to the cheers and applause of well-wishers.[/left][/size][/font][/color]

[color="black"][font="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][size="2"][left]Kim has been a keen football fan for decades. According to Moon, the ex-coach-turned-defector, Kim used the surprise success of the 1966 team to his political advantage as he prepared to take over leadership of North Korea from his father, Kim Il Sung.[/left][/size][/font][/color]

[color="black"][font="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][size="2"][left]It may take another shock upset for North Korea to match the feats of the 1966 team, but at least one former football star doesn't think it will take a miracle.[/left][/size][/font][/color]

[color="black"][font="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][size="2"][left]Pak Doo Ik, who scored the magic goal that vaulted the North Korean team past Italy, says the players are skilled, organized and above all, confident.[/left][/size][/font][/color]

[/font][/color][font="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][size="2"]"Seeing the soccer players training and competing in the qualifiers, they surely can make it," he told APTN. "Playing the game with such confidence, we can surely make it."[/size][/font] [/quote]




[url="http://www.timeslive.co.za/sport/soccer/article497340.ece/World-Cup-players-sent-to-coal-mines-if-they-lose"]http://www.timeslive...es-if-they-lose[/url]

[MAGICTOUCH]

[quote]
[i][b][size="2"][b][size="5"]The 31 things you need to know about the World Cup[/size][/b][/size][/b][/i]
[i][b]

[size="2"][i][size="2"]As the World Cup gets set to kick off, we look at 31 things that should impact the course of the tournament in South Africa.[/size]

[/i][/size]

[size="2"][i]1[/i] Vuvuzelas[/size][/b][/i]
[i][size="2"]Those big damn horns will blare everywhere: In the streets, stadiums and bathtubs, probably. Experts are already warning fans to expect hearing loss. Several groups, including Japan's football association, have called for the stadium horn to be banned from games. FIFA has refused.[/size]

[size="2"][i]2[/i] Local customs[/size][/i]
[i][size="2"]South African tribal chiefs burned incense and slaughtered a cow outside Johannesburg's Soccer City Stadium in order to appease spirits living there. "It is a unifying cow. We don't want our spirits to be scared of all the different languages," said the ritual organizer.[/size]

[size="2"][i]3[/i] Hooligans[/size][/i]
[i][size="2"]They are already being stopped at the border, having travel visas revoked and being warned by the British government to be on their best behavior. Hooliganism has been relatively dormant on the international stage in recent years, but England's high expectations could have blood boiling again.[/size]

[size="2"][i]4[/i] Extremists[/size][/i]
[i][size="2"]A radical group called the Afrikaner Resistance Movement has declared war on South Africa's black community and warned foreigners not to attend the World Cup. That is not to mention the direct threats from Al-Qaeda, or the possibility of G20 protesters stopping in en route to Toronto.[/size]

[size="2"][i]5[/i] The home crowd[/size][/i]
[i][size="2"]No host nation has ever been eliminated in the first round, ever. Vitriolic fans carried 2002 co-host South Korea past heavily favoured Portugal, Italy and Spain en route to the semi-finals. The World Cup has been won by a team on home soil six times, so don't discount a miracle run from 83rd-ranked South Africa.[/size]

[size="2"][i]6[/i] Traffic[/size][/i]
[i][size="2"]With as many as 500,000 visitors expected at the month-long event, traffic is among the toughest challenges facing the host nation. More than 16 roads have been built or upgraded around Polokwane's Peter Mokaba Stadium alone. Soccer fans swarming stadiums and dozens of other public gathering places will push South Africa's infrastructure to the limit.[/size]

[size="2"][i]7[/i] Work? What work?[/size][/i]
[i][b][size="2"]Workers of the world unite, in procrastination, during the World Cup. Productivity tends to drop as footie-mad staff stay home, or chew up office bandwidth by watching games online. The effect will be big in Britain, where half of polled employees admit they will be watching games daily, but also throughout Europe and North America.[/size]

[/b][/i]
[i][b]8[/b][/i] Tricky North Korea
[size="2"]In an attempt to sneak an extra striker onto their 23-man roster, North Korea listed Kim Myong-Won as their third goaltender. They claimed it was an administrative error when FIFA noticed and ruled the speedy forward could only play in net during the tournament. The hermit state is holding practices under lock and key and refusing to meet with media; are there more tricks to come?[/size]

[size="2"][i][b]9[/b][/i] Tackling Tanaka[/size]
[size="2"]It was a tackle by Japanese defender Tulio Tanaka that fractured the arm of Ivory Coast star Didier Drogba during a friendly last week and dampened the African nation's chances to surprise at the World Cup. Drogba is an icon in his native continent, so you can expect fans to voice their displeasure with Tanaka. Is it a coincidence that Brazil, where Tanaka was born and his family still lives, is grouped with Ivory Coast in the first round? Yes, it is.[/size]

[size="2"][b]10 [/b]Naked in the streets[/size]
[size="2"]FIFA protocol deems it improper for a player to remove his shirt while celebrating a goal, but that doesn't mean the tournament will be void of precocious nudity. Argentine coach Diego Maradona has promised to run naked through the streets of Buenos Aries if his team wins the World Cup. The odds of that happening? 13-2, according to British bookmaker William Hill.[/size]

[size="2"][i][b]11[/b][/i] Dark horses[/size]
[size="2"]Pick one: Greece, Algeria, New Zealand or Honduras. So little is expected from them, and a small handful of others, that one will inevitably exceed expectations. A spectacular draw, an upset win or a second-round showing; at least one also-ran will go home as heroes.[/size]

[size="2"][b]12[/b] Hot on the spot[/size]
[size="2"]Germany has had a glut of good fortune in games decided by penalties. In 2006, they broke a draw with Argentina in the quarters by making four straight penalty kicks. Not only have they never lost a World Cup shootout, they have only missed once (in 1982) in 17 shots.[/size]

[size="2"][i][b]13[/b][/i] Not on the spot[/size]
[size="2"]In 2006, England battled Portugal to a 0-0 quarter-final draw before losing 3-1 on penalties. They shouldn't have been shocked. England has now appeared in three World Cup shootouts and dropped them all. Frank Lampard, who had his shot blocked in 2006, has vowed to break the curse.[/size]

[size="2"][i][b]14[/b][/i] The art of the dive[/size]
[size="2"]More than a few players — more than a few times a match — will drop to the pitch in apparent life-altering pain in a shameful attempt to lure a penalty or retain ball possession. Crowds will boo and opponents will act aghast. Until they themselves get a chance to dive, that is. It is the one thing soccer neophytes know to expect.[/size]

[size="2"][i][b]15[/b][/i] The name game[/size]
[size="2"]Like Canada, South Africa calls the beautiful game soccer. They have their own version of football: rugby (partially explaining why the CFL has never caught on there). So chances are a fight will break out when a European fan belittles a group of South Afrikaners for this, only to be told to stuff it.[/size]

[size="2"][i][b]16[/b][/i] House of cards[/size]
[size="2"]A total of 373 cards — 345 yellow and 28 red — were doled out during the 2006 World Cup in Germany; a record high. Will referees rein calls in this year? That's uncertain, although FIFA's medical staff has given orders to clamp down on hard, potentially career-ending tackles. There were 12 serious facial injuries in 2002, and only two in Germany four years ago.[/size]

[size="2"][i][b]17[/b][/i] Miracle on Grass[/size]
[size="2"]In 1950, an upstart American squad made up of semi-pros pulled off a startling 1-0 upset over a dominant England. The Brits barely believed it, while America barely noticed. Expect much to be made of this game, named the Miracle on Grass, when the two teams meet again on June 12.[/size]

[size="2"][i][b]18[/b][/i] First call for alcohol[/size]
[size="2"]Something about watching top athletes playing for the pride of their nation seems to make people want to drink. Pints at the pub go hand-in-hand with the World Cup. Bars across Ontario are free to pour as early as 10 a.m. through the tournament, while Washington, D.C.'s city council has legalized alcohol sale as early as 7 a.m. for registered bars. In England, bars are anticipating a major influx of customers during the month-long event. Liverpool has even gone so far as to establish "football safety zones" that heavy drinkers must avoid.[/size]

[size="2"][i][b]19[/b][/i] Canadian content[/size]
[size="2"]The most Canadian thing about these World Cups could be Steve Nash. The NBA's two-time MVP will be reporting and shooting video for CBSSports.com. Nash was born in Johannesburg and raised in Victoria, B.C. and grew up a serious soccer fan. He is part owner of the Vancouver Whitecaps, who will join Major League Soccer in 2011, and his brother Martin is a former member of Canada's national team.[/size]

[size="2"][i][b]20[/b][/i] K'naan content[/size]
[size="2"]The one Canadian who should get more airtime than Nash is K'naan, the Somali-Canadian musician whose song Wavin' Flag is the official theme song for the World Cup. It's the same song a group of Canadian artists performed to raise money or Haiti, so the words — "When I get older, I will be stronger/They'll call me freedom, just like a wavin' flag" — should be familiar. If they aren't now, they will be in a month.[/size]

[size="2"][i][b]21[/b][/i] The overdressed[/size]
[size="2"]The English WAGS will stick out in South Africa like the Sex and the City girls would in, well, South Africa. WAG Watch became a distracting pastime during the 2006 World Cup. England coach Fabio Capello rescinded his no-WAG policy ahead of this year's World Cup, opening the door for Victoria Beckham and company to tart up the soccer stadiums.[/size]

[size="2"][i][b]22[/b][/i] The underdressed[/size]
[size="2"]A wonderful tradition with origins in the country's Carnival festival, scantily clad women swaying to the Samba beat follow Brazil's football team wherever it goes. Expect women dressed in glitter, boas and feathers. And considering the Samba Boys status as one of the favourites, expect to see plenty of them.[/size]

[size="2"][i][b]23[/b][/i] The Jabulani debate[/size]
[size="2"]Players have been panning the Adidas Jabulani ball, crafted for this World Cup, for its uncertain trajectory when kicked. Adidas has defended the technology, which it says will settle down at South Africa's altitude. It is feared the ball will lead to a number of freak goals, which would inevitably lead to debate about Jabulani's quality.[/size]

[size="2"][i][b]24[/b][/i] Madiba magic[/size]
[size="2"]Nelson Mandela seems to have a mystical ability to will South African teams to victory. In 1995, just one year after becoming president, he attended the Rugby World Cup. South Africa beat favourite New Zealand in a win that has been credited for uniting the nation. The following year, he appeared in a South Africa soccer jersey when his team won the African Cup of Nations.[/size]

[size="2"][i][b]25[/b][/i] The new math[/size]
[size="2"]Swiss mathematician Roger Kaufmann has crunched the data — including current world ranking, average number of goals and team's opponents — to determine Brazil and Spain should meet in the final. According to Kaufmann, the Brazilians (ranked No. 1 in the world) have a 15.4% chance to win the World Cup; the Spaniards (ranked No. 2) have a 15.2% chance. An equation that favours the tournament co-favourites: Who says math doesn't work?[/size]

[size="2"][i][b]26[/b][/i] The Arrogant One[/size]
[size="2"]Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo, the football world's highest paid star known for his on-field dramatics, is either loved or hated for his arrogance. Alex Ferguson, Ronaldo's former manager, has defended his attitude. "All the great players," he once said, " have a touch of what you call 'nice arrogance' — a belief in themselves." Ronaldo certainly has that. After not scoring for Portugal during World Cup qualifying, he said he was saving his goals for when they count.[/size]

[size="2"][i][b]27[/b][/i] Blues for Les Bleus[/size]
[size="2"]France has had little to cheer about recently, with many observers marking them as ripe for an early upset. They lost to China in their final warmup for the tournament, and midfielder Florent Malouda said his team would be "embarrassing" at the World Cup. This all comes after the French needed an uncalled handball from Thierry Henry to advance to South Africa.[/size]

[size="2"][i][b]28[/b][/i] The Golden Boot[/size]
[size="2"]Spain's David Villa, who 37 goals in 56 games with his national teams, is the near-unanimous pick to score the most goals at the World Cup. William Hill has him at 8-1, Ladbrokes at 9-1. Argentina's Lionel Messi, is the second choice of both bookmakers. Brazil's Luis Fabiano is backing either Villa or England's Wayne Rooney. But the Brazilian might have thrown his own name in there. Both books have him at 12-1.[/size]

[size="2"][i][b]29[/b][/i] Ache and heartache[/size]
[size="2"]An all-star team of talent has been sidelined by injuries, leaving many teams awkwardly filling roster spots. Ivory Coast's Didier Drogba may play, but Germany's captain Michael Ballack will not. Nor will David Beckham or defender Rio Ferdinand. The New York Times' Jeffrey Marcus blames the long and gruelling English Premier League schedule.[/size]

[size="2"][i][b]30[/b][/i] Girls! Girls! Girls![/size]
[size="2"]South African brothels are reportedly increasing their cover charges — and roster numbers — in anticipation of a rush of business. Past host countries have anticipated an increased prevalence of prostitution during the event, although the surge in 2006 was not as high as Germany expected. World Cup organizers say up to 40,000 prostitutes were recruited ahead of the games, while health groups are warning visitors about the high level of Aids and HIV in the country.[/size]

[size="2"][i][b]31[/b][/i] Mascot mayhem [/size]
[size="2"]South Africa's anthropomorphized leopard has been a hit with soccer fans since being introduced as the friendly face of this World Cup. Zakumi, which FIFA says will be "be first on the dance floor and last off it," has been heralded for its appropriate mix of adorableness and attitude. It has also been listed as one of the 10 best World Cup mascots, although that's not exactly high praise. There have only been 12 World Cups with mascots, starting with England in 1966.[font="arial, verdana, tahoma, sans-serif"][/quote][/font][/size]

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[size="2"][font="arial, verdana, tahoma, sans-serif"][url="http://sports.nationalpost.com/2010/06/10/the-31-things-you-need-to-know-about-the-world-cup/"]http://sports.nation...-the-world-cup/[/url][/font][/size]