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Wake up and smell the English roses By Ben Tan, Yahoo! Southeast Asia Monday June 28, 2010 04:02 am PDT So England has crashed out of yet another World Cup. How can they rebuild their reputation as a world-class footballing nation? I’ve said before that the English football team is a collection of overrated individuals who have bought into their own hype. Their match against Germany last night cruelly exposed their shortcomings. Dark days loom ahead for English football unless sweeping changes are implemented. 1. Get your ‘head’ straight England needs a new manager. Not to say that Fabio Capello should be vilified for the team’s poor performance. In fact, I feel that without him, the English would most probably have gone the way of France and Italy: kicked out at the group stage by less glamorous opposition. His track record speaks for itself and he did at least put some roar back in the Three Lions. However his pragmatic brand of football cannot be sustained by his charges. Capello’s stifling tactics need players of a certain technical capability who play the game with a cold and calculated approach. Sadly, England’s players just aren’t good enough to produce that level of football yet. Instead of wasting all that money on his contract, it is time to cut costs and hire an interim coach, to manage things and maybe try to qualify for the odd tournament or two, but with considerably less expectations. A former player who has seen it all before might just be able to steady the ship for a few years, letting his reputation rule the dressing room. Potential candidates: Stuart Pearce, Alan Shearer 2. Expect to do well… after 2018 The money saved on the coach can then be invested into a new generation of players that must be bred: skilled in the basics, and schooled with a more cerebral approach of modern football. Too often England has relied on its “bulldog” spirit to paper over the cracks in their deficiencies, drawing upon sheer will and determination to propel them to victory, but romanticism can only get a team so far if it lacks the substance to back their claims. In this day and age where comprehensive scouting reports are the norm and tactical planning is foremost on every team’s mind, having 10 Englishmen running around like headless chickens on the pitch is one of the biggest and saddest jokes in football. The FA must accept the fact that English football will be on the decline for the next few years. They have to think past the immediate future and plan for the World Cup in 2018. That would mean targeting the current batch of 14-16 year olds as future Lions. The setting up of St George’s Park National Football Centre is a good start, if only they can complete the project. Only by doing so will England have a chance at producing World-Cup-worthy talent. Unlike the current squad, the added internal competition for places due to the larger talent pool may spur this new wave of players to work harder to improve, knowing full well that one misstep and they could be out of the reckoning. The same cannot be said of Gerrard and co, who knew all along that come what may, they will always be on the team sheet due to the lack of alternative options and stature in the public eye. Just think: England won’t be a ‘kick and rush’ team anymore. 3. Forget the hype – get real John Terry, “best centre back in the world”. Statements like these fire the imagination of a public that has craved a bona fide footballing hero for 44 years. Alas, the likes of Terry, Gerrard and Rooney just cannot compare to the legends that are Moore, Charlton and Hurst. Calling their bluff, this ‘golden generation’ of players is nothing but a shadow of glories past. England must learn to do away with the hype. Much of it is self-generated, whipped into such a frenzy that everyone starts to believe in something that just doesn’t exist. The English tabloids must be more objective in its expectations for the side. I too, have had delusions of grandeur for the Three Lions which was a direct result of what I read in the papers, but that stupor has been replaced by the cold reality that everything I’ve believed in is all a construct of a hyperactive press. Imagine: For once England fans will be humble and acknowledge that other teams are just better. This World Cup must be the catalyst for change. It will be painful as the truth always hurts, but the English do need to wake up and stop believing the lie that they are a world class team, or forever be tragic losers on football’s greatest stage.

US football chief to discuss coach’s future By RONALD BLUM, AP Sports Writer 8 hours, 45 minutes ago JOHANNESBURG (AP)—U.S. Soccer Federation president Sunil Gulati says the American team did not meet his expectations at the World Cup and he will likely meet with Bob Bradley after the tournament to discuss the coach’s future. Bradley was hired in December 2006 and has a contract running through the end of the year. The Americans were eliminated last weekend in the second round with a 2-1 overtime loss to Ghana. “The team is capable of more,” Gulati said Monday. “The players know it. Bob knows it. And so at that level we’re disappointed we didn’t get to play another 90 minutes at least.” Gulati described Bradley as being “very disappointed” with the team’s outcome. “The missed opportunity is partly a chance to get to the quarters and the matchup with Uruguay, but it’s also a missed opportunity to stay in the American public’s eyes for another four, five, six days, maybe 10 days, when interest is at an all-time high,” Gulati said. Gulati said there was a chance he would start discussions with Bradley later Monday before the coach returned to the United States, but extensive talks probably will wait until Gulati traveled back after the World Cup final on July 11. “I want to hear his views, express some of mine and see what makes sense,” Gulati said. “He’s done a very good job. I want to make that very clear. … When we’ve had our `A’ team, the record is pretty darn good. … The problem is that our expectations have risen pretty sharply and there have been some performances where we didn’t play as well as we would have liked.” Gulati said a coach can do only so much. “It ultimately comes down to players,” he said. “The expectations have to be realistic. The players that are representing the U.S. are not players at Arsenal and Inter and Real Madrid and Barcelona and Chelsea and Manchester United and so on. The players we were playing against in some of these situations are.” Before Bradley was hired, Gulati held talks with former Germany coach Juergen Klinsmann, who lives in California. Klinsmann withdrew after Major League Soccer refused to guarantee access to players for the CONCACAF Gold Cup and the Copa America in 2007. A member of Germany’s World Cup team in 1990, 1994 and 1998, Klinsmann coached the Germans to a third-place finish as host in 2006. He agreed in January 2008 to become coach of Bayern Munich the following summer, but was fired in April 2009 with the club in third place in the Bundesliga following its quarterfinal elimination from the Champions League. Klinsmann then moved back to California with his family, and last month he wouldn’t say whether he’d be interested in taking over the U.S. team. For Gulati, domestic and foreign coaches both have advantages. “Having someone who understands the mentality of Americans and American players is a plus,” he said. “On the other side of that, it’s also a plus to have played in a World Cup final and coached in a World Cup final, and we don’t have anyone that fits that in the United States.” A charismatic coach would assist in marketing the team. “Would we be in the news and capture some interest by doing that? Sure. But we capture far more interest by having a good team, so that’s the critical element,” Gulati said.

Brazil rediscovers its samba ways By KARL RITTER, Associated Press Writer 3 hours, 35 minutes ago JOHANNESBURG (AP)—Half hour into the World Cup’s second round, Brazil found its rhythm. A hammer-strike header. A pinball-style counterattack. An explosive run followed by a clinical finish—Brazil’s football orchestra was playing in true harmony Monday for the first time in the tournament. Coach Dunga said there’s still much to improve, but he must have been encouraged what in the 3-0 win over Chile at Ellis Park. Chile is no pushover. It earned its place in the second round with victories over Switzerland and Honduras and a 2-1 loss to European champion Spain. Against Brazil though, coach Marcelo Bielsa’s team never had a chance. “It was likely our best match so far,” said Maicon, who struck the corner kick that set up Juan’s powerful header for 1-0. “We did well against a team that had been playing well so far in the tournament. It was important to show that we can come up with a good performance when needed.” Until the Chile match, Brazil had been a letdown for its samba-dancing and demanding fans, who don’t just want to see Brazil win—they want to see Brazil win in style. The team struggled to beat North Korea 2-1, improved in a 3-1 win against Ivory Coast but was held to a disappointing scoreless draw against Portugal. The Brazilians appeared to be heading for another lackluster performance at Ellis Park, creating few moments of danger in the first half hour save for a long-distance shot by Gilberto Silva. It all changed with Juan’s opening goal. Bielsa made two substitutions at halftime and a third 17 minutes into the second half as Chile pushed for an unlikely comeback. But it struggled to find ways past Brazil’s defense, while Dunga’s team seemed to come close in every other attack. “We created a lot of scoring opportunities and didn’t give many chances to our opponent,” said Luis Fabiano, who scored the second goal on a fast break. “It shows that we are improving match after match, and this is important in a competition like the World Cup. We want to keep playing better and we did that today.” Brazil and Chile split possession and the Brazilians just narrowly outshot their opponents, 17 to 15. Still, Chile never lacked precision in decisive moments, unlike Robinho, who scored his first goal of the World Cup after a dazzling run by Ramires. “It was made perfectly clear today that there are distances between the big teams and our team,” Chile’s coach admitted. “Perhaps the result could have been narrower,” Bielsa said. “But generally speaking, we can say that the superiority of Brazil was too much for us. We were unable to slow them down.” Dunga said Brazil’s confidence is growing match by match. But he wouldn’t be drawn into talking about prospects of Brazil lifting the World Cup trophy for a record sixth time. “Given the quality of the Brazilian players there is always this expectation that Brazil will be the winners,” Dunga said. “But being favorite doesn’t mean you will win the World Cup.”

Brazil beats Chile 3-0 to reach WCup quarterfinals By TALES AZZONI, Associated Press Writer 4 hours, 33 minutes ago JOHANNESBURG (AP)—Brazil moved closer to a sixth World Cup title on Monday, beating South American rival Chile 3-0 to reach the quarterfinals. Juan, Luis Fabiano and Robinho scored a goal each at Ellis Park. “It was a very good performance for Brazil,” playmaker Kaka said. “I’m happy with how we played. It shows that we are improving after each match, just as planned.” Center back Juan gave his team the lead in the 35th minute with a firm header from a corner, sending the ball into the upper left corner and past the outstretched arms of Chile goalkeeper Claudio Bravo. Luis Fabiano added to the lead from a fast breakaway in the 38th, receiving a one-touch pass from Kaka and rounding Bravo before scoring into an open net. Robinho started the play with a run on the left side before finding Kaka at the edge of the area. Robinho then scored his first goal in World Cups with a shot from the edge of the area in the 59th. Ramires’ strong run drew three defenders, and he laid the ball off for Robinho to shoot inside the far post. “We can say that the superiority of Brazil was too much for us,” Chile coach Marcelo Bielsa said. “We were unable to slow them down.” It was Robinho’s seventh goal in Brazil’s past six matches against Chile. He put his hands into the air in celebration at the final whistle, rushing to hug his teammates at midfield. “I’m very happy with my first goal in a World Cup and with the victory of my team,” Robinho said. Brazil’s quarterfinal opponent will be the Netherlands, which beat Slovakia 2-1 earlier Monday in Durban. “Now it’s a match between two traditional teams with great players,” Brazil captain Lucio said. “Now the matches will get harder and harder.” Chile became the first of the five South American teams to be eliminated from the World Cup. Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay are still in the tournament along with Brazil. “We leave the tournament knowing that we gave everything on the pitch,” Bravo said. “We are a very fragile team at times. We attack very well, but we have to know when to defend.” Brazil has now reached the quarterfinals of the World Cup every time since the 1990 tournament in Italy, when it lost to Argentina in the second round. Brazil coach Dunga and assistant coach Jorginho were starters in that Brazil team. “Chile played exceptionally well, they had a lot of possession of the ball,” Dunga said. “But Brazil was able to have balance and control.” The victory in front of nearly 55,000 fans at Ellis Park was Brazil’s eighth consecutive win over Chile, and the result extended Brazil’s unbeaten streak against its continental rival to 10 matches. The last loss came in a World Cup qualifier in 2000. Led by Argentine coach Bielsa, Chile was able to keep pace with the five-time champions in the beginning, threatening with some quick ball movement to try to surprise the Brazilians. But Brazil quickly gained control of the match and created some of the most dangerous opportunities. After Juan’s first goal, the Brazilians took advantage of its speedy strikers to keep the pressure on the Chileans. “When our opponent attacks like that, Brazil always creates a lot of chances,” Luis Fabiano said. “That was exactly what happened today and we took advantage of that.” Chile was trying to advance past the second round for the first time since its home tournament in 1962, when it eventually lost to Brazil in the semifinals. Chile had also lost to Brazil the last time it reached the round of 16, a 4-1 result in the 1998 tournament in France. Brazil again was without regular starter Elano because of a right ankle injury, while defensive midfielder Felipe Melo missed with a left ankle problem. Chile was without several regular starters, including central defenders Gary Medel and Waldo Ponce because of yellow card suspensions, while Marco Estrada missed the match after being sent off against Spain. Lineups: Brazil: Julio Cesar, Maicon, Lucio, Juan, Michel Bastos, Gilberto Silva, Ramires, Daniel Alves, Kaka (Kleberson, 81), Robinho (Gilberto, 85), Luis Fabiano (Nilmar, 76). Chile: Claudio Bravo, Ismael Fuentes, Mauricio Isla (Rodrigo Millar, 62), Alexis Sanchez, Pablo Contreras (Rodrigo Tello, 46), Carlos Carmona, Arturo Vidal, Mark Gonzalez (Jorge Valdivia, 46), Jean Beausejour, Gonzalo Jara, Humberto Suazo.

Netherlands beats Slovakia 2-1 at World Cup By ANDREW DAMPF, AP Sports Writer 6 hours, 22 minutes ago DURBAN, South Africa (AP)—Impressive as Arjen Robben and his Dutch teammates were in advancing to the World Cup quarterfinals, they seek much more. The Netherlands reached the final eight Monday when standouts Robben and Wesley Sneijder scored in each half of a 2-1 victory over Slovakia. “We played a difficult match. Main thing is, we are through,” Robben said. “Probably the perfect game has still to come.” The Dutch might need to approach perfection in their next match against five-time champion Brazil. For now, they can enjoy the rekindling of the crafty Dutch offense—and they can credit Robben, who made his first start of the tournament after recovering from a hamstring injury. The Oranje, who have never won soccer’s biggest prize, went ahead in the 18th minute when Robben cut inside from the right wing and found the net with a low, precise shot from 20 yards. “It’s fantastic,” coach Bert van Marwijk said. “After such an injury that he has the touch to score a goal like that.” The Moses Mabhida Stadium was filled mostly with orange-clad Netherlands fans and they blasted their vuvuzelas on Robben’s first touch. After his goal, the sound became deafening. Sneijder doubled the lead into an empty net in the 84th after a gamble by Slovak goalkeeper Jan Mucha backfired. “We had a good first half hour. And we started well in the second half,” Van Marwijk said. “We should have scored 2-0, 3-0, maybe 4-0 there.” Netherlands goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg preserved the win with two key saves in the 67th and the Dutch extended their team-record unbeaten streak to 23 games. Robert Vittek scored on a last-second penalty kick for Slovakia, then rushed to the net to retrieve the ball, only to hear the final whistle. “At a crucial stage Maarten Stekelenburg saved us,” Netherlands coach Bert van Marwijk said. It was only a month ago when Robben and Sneijder were on opposite sides of the pitch in the Champions League final—Robben with Bayern Munich and Sneijder with winner Inter Milan. On Monday, they showcased some of the brilliant passing and scoring that is a trademark of the Netherlands when it is playing well. Sneijder sent Robben sprinting upfield with a long, accurate pass and the winger did what he’s been doing all season with Bayern, scoring with shots from beyond the penalty area. With a sharp breeze blowing in from the nearby Indian Ocean, Robben nearly doubled the lead in the 50th minute, but Mucha deflected his shot just wide of the goal. A minute later, Robben sent a dangerous cross inside the area and Mucha blocked a close-range shot from Joris Mathijsen. In the 71st, when he was replaced by Eljero Elia, Robben exited to a standing ovation. “He’s a total genius, and when I saw him in the starting lineup I thought he makes the Dutch team 50 percent stronger—and I was right,” Slovakia coach Vladimir Weiss said. Sneijder sealed the victory when Dirk Kuyt drew Mucha out of his net. The Netherlands won all three group games; its last loss was to Australia in September 2008, a run of 18 wins and five draws. Slovakia upset Italy 3-2 in its previous match, eliminating the defending champion. The Slovaks had to be satisfied with their tournament debut as an independent nation. Slovakia’s two best chances before Vittek’s penalty kick both came in the 67th. Stekelenburg leaped to tip a powerful shot from Miroslav Stoch over the crossbar. Then Vittek, who scored twice against Italy, directed his shot too close to the goalkeeper seconds later. Vittek’s penalty kick goal tied him with Argentina forward Gonzalo Higuain for the tournament scoring lead with four goals. “We played with heart and courage and we are proud that we made it to the second round, but the better team advanced,” Weiss said. “The penalty made us feel a little better on the flight home.” The Netherlands reached consecutive World Cup finals in 1974 and 1978 but lost both—to Germany and Argentina, respectively. Its only major tournament victory was the 1988 European Championship.

French federation boss to quit after WCup fiasco 11 hours, 37 minutes ago PARIS (AP)—French Football Federation president Jean-Pierre Escalettes says he will quit later this week following France’s World Cup fiasco. Escalettes says he will resign Friday at a meeting of the federation’s federal council. France was eliminated at the group stage in South Africa for the second consecutive major tournament under coach Raymond Domenech. There were also open conflicts between the squad and team management. France players boycotted a training session in protest of Nicolas Anelka being thrown off the squad following an expletive-filled tirade directed at Domenech. “My decision is mainly dictated by the desire to preserve and facilitate the evolution of an institution that I serve with passion for decades,” Escalettes said in a statement. “I accept my share of the responsibility lucidly.” Escalettes is scheduled to appear before France’s National Assembly for questioning Wednesday about the World Cup performance. It’s a sign how seriously France’s politicians are taking the defeat. French sports minister Roselyne Bachelot earlier said she felt Escalettes’ resignation was “inevitable,” prompting FIFA to warn France it won’t hesitate to suspend the country in case of government interference with the team. France President Nicolas Sarkozy has also vowed to personally investigate the squad’s meltdown. France failed to win a match at the World Cup and finished last in Group A. After six years in charge, Domenech will be replaced by former Bordeaux coach Laurent Blanc, a World Cup winner with France in 1998 and a European Championship winner two years later.

FA to decide on Capello’s future within 2 weeks 12 hours, 40 minutes ago RUSTENBURG, South Africa (AP)—England’s Football Association told Fabio Capello on Monday it will take two weeks to decide whether to retain him as coach of the national team. Capello, who has two years left on his contract, said he met with FA board member Dave Richards and told him he “absolutely” wants to stay on despite England’s elimination from the World Cup by Germany. “He told me that he needs two weeks time to decide,” Capello said. “I said I can be for the next season the manager of England.” Capello led England to nine wins from 10 qualifying matches, but his team exited the second round Sunday following a 4-1 loss—England’s most lopsided at a World Cup. The former Real Madrid and AC Milan coach said he supported Richards’ response. “I think it’s an intelligent answer,” Capello said. The Italian is contracted to the FA until after the 2012 European Championship. “I refuse a lot of opportunities to be a manager of important clubs because I like to stay here,” Capello said, adding he and Richards discussed the need to turn to younger players and rebuild the national team. That could mean the likes of John Terry, Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard facing the end of their international careers if Capello stays on. Capello said tiredness was the main reason for England’s poor performance at the World Cup after long seasons in domestic and European competitions. “The players were not as good as I know because they played not so fast, not so quick. I can see through the seven games they were not so fast as I know,” he said in reference to three warmup games and the four played at the tournament. “I understand a lot after this tournament. The players trained very well and were focused every time. But the performance was not at the level that I know. Probably we are really tired every time at a competition that we have to play.” Capello noted that Germany has a long midwinter break and that might explain why its players appeared fresher at the end of their domestic and European campaigns and for the World Cup. “Germany always arrive at the second part of the season very well when you play Champions League,” he said, referring to Bayern Munich reaching the final of European soccer’s premier club competition. “The reason is that it’s very important to recover the force. But it’s not my job to decide the calendar.”

Germany’s Klose says England didn’t play as a team By NESHA STARCEVIC, AP Sports Writer 12 hours, 46 minutes ago ERASMIA, South Africa (AP)—England’s failure to play as a team and match Germany’s spirit were behind its 4-1 loss in the round of 16 at the World Cup, German striker Miroslav Klose said Monday. Klose scored to give Germany a 1-0 lead in Bloemfontein on Sunday, tying him with Pele in fourth place on the career World Cup list with 12 goals. Two more goals by Thomas Mueller and another by Lukas Podolski inflicted England’s worst World Cup loss. “We came out with confidence and as a unit and we were present in the game from the opening whistle. I did not have the impression that England came out as a team,” Klose said. “I expected them to come with the bit between their teeth, but after five or seven minutes it was clear to me that it wasn’t the case.” Klose showed Germany’s determination when he outraced and outmuscled England defender Matt Upson to connect with a long goal kick from Manuel Neuer and shoot the ball into the net with his first touch. It was Klose’s 50th goal in 99 games for Germany, and left him trailing only Ronaldo of Brazil (15), countryman Gerd Mueller (14), and Just Fontaine of France (13) on the World Cup scorers list. “I signaled to him to give it a strong kick, and I saw that the ball had changed its trajectory and I watched it closely,” Klose said of Neuer. “It is extraordinary to have reached this (12th World Cup goal), but I am not yet finished—there could be a goal or two more. “It helps to have a good team behind me. If I don’t get the passes or the crosses, I won’t score.” The 32-year-old Klose has put a difficult season behind him. He spent much of it on Bayern Munich’s bench, scoring only three Bundesliga goals. But he hit the second goal in Germany’s opening 4-0 rout of Australia after coach Joachim Loew kept faith in him. That faith was tested after being sent off in Germany’s 1-0 loss to Serbia, missing the 1-0 win over Ghana in the last group game. But he was back in the starting lineup after his suspension. “It is very important to have a coach who believes in you. And my strength is to peak at the right time, to get fit when I need to be fit,” Klose said. Klose is the oldest starter on Germany’s team—the country’s second youngest squad at a World Cup—but the striker believes it has the right blend to repeat its 2006 quarterfinal victory over Argentina on Saturday in Cape Town. Germany knocked out Argentina on penalty kicks after a 1-1 draw in regulation time. Klose equalized in the 80th minute to cancel out Roberto Ayala’s second-half goal. Germany won when goalkeeper Jens Lehmann stopped shots by Ayala and Esteban Cambiasso. “We have a good balance between young and experienced, and we have the quality to beat Argentina,” Klose said. “I know they can take revenge for 2006, but it’s a different team now. Lionel Messi was on the bench then. “On paper, they have better individuals. But it’s what happens on the field that matters, as you saw yesterday. It’s how you come out as a team.”

Capello admits England must change to progress by Chris Hatherall 42 minutes ago RUSTENBURG, South Africa (AFP) - Fabio Capello has given an insight into how he sees the future England as he picks over the ashes of his team's miserable World Cup exit. The England manager, who says he wants to stay in the post, has been told he must wait two weeks before his employers, the Football Association (FA) decide whether he will complete the two remaining years of his current contract, which takes him up to the end of the Euro 2012 finals. But the Italian is already discussing ways of refreshing his team for the Euro 2012 qualifiers after seeing the way his experienced side, many of whom have played in two or even three previous major tournaments, failed to deliver. With typical self confidence the former AC Milan, Juventus, Roma and Real Madrid manager feels he did everything right to prepare his team but was let down by his players, particularly in a 4-1 last-16 exit against Germany which was England?s biggest World Cup finals defeat. Now, his own future aside, the biggest debate in England is which players should be dropped and who should be brought in to rescue English football from yet another low point. Capello was, as expected, tight-lipped on the former of those two questions but happy to discuss the players who could potentially be drafted in for a new era next season. "We talked about this with my staff," he said. "I think we will find two or three new players, probably, for the Euros. "Adam Johnson, the Arsenal left-back Kieran Gibbs. Also Michael Dawson, although he is not young. Also Gabriel Agbonlahor and Bobby Zamora, who was injured this time. And another player we will hope will be fit is Owen Hargreaves. "The best young players are in the under 21s and are not ready to play here at the World Cup. But I hope in the next year or six months people will come through. I hope Theo Walcott will be back and his shoulder is ok. And Jack Wilshere is another interesting player. I hope some good players will be ready in six months, it?s possible." Capello, who also hinted at a big future for goalkeeper Joe Hart, knows his brave new world with England will be subject to the same restrictions and problems that affected the current squad, however. With only 38 per cent of players in the Premier League eligible to play for England the talent pool remains shallow and the intense, physical nature of the league means injuries and tiredness are par for the course. "I know a lot of things about the players and what happened", insisted Capello as he made a case for two more years in charge. "I know more now than before because I realised what happened when we arrived at the World Cup. I understand more things. "And I understand one thing really important, I understand why England didn't win before. The England players arrive at the end of the season tired. "Every game we played in this period, seven games in all including friendlies and at the World Cup, I never saw the players that I can see in the autumn or two months after Christmas. They were training well, were focused, but they are not the same players, not as fast or quick, as I know. "I want to change something but it's impossible, there are too many games in the season. They play, Saturday, Wednesday, Saturday, Wednesday." That, if Capello does remain in charge, could prove to be his biggest challenge, but he is adamant he wants a chance to prove he can change England?s fortunes. "I prefer to stay," he insisted. "We need time to recover and be fresh."

Simone Pepe doesn't appreciate being drawn as a coffin Sun Jun 27 02:07pm EDT By Brooks Peck The anguish in Italy over their team's early exit from the World Cup is still being released as the squad has now returned to the fist-shaking nation. But after all the fury and harsh headlines, the thing that has offended Italy winger Simone Pepe the most is a cartoon. The vignette by Giorgio Forattini (above) appeared on the front page of Il Giornale, but Pepe apparently did not appreciate it. From Football Italia: “That was going too far,” slammed Pepe upon his return from South Africa. “I accept criticism, but depicting us in coffins is offensive. “Whoever drew such a thing should be an undertaker. I hope soon they get to build a coffin for him instead – not blue, but brown.” Wishing death on a man who offended you by depicting you as a coffin on the pitch? Isn't that just a tad hypocritical, Simone? Forattini defends his work, though, telling Gazzetta dello Sport: “Against Slovakia I saw 11 cadavers out there. It was not my intention to wish death upon the players, obviously. “If anything I wanted to describe the sporting death of our Nazionale. That is all. Pepe’s reaction was far worse, but I take his words with a smile upon my lips." And Il Gioranele editor Vittorio Feltri offered a more direct insult for Pepe: “A vignette is a vignette,” said Vittorio Feltri. “If Pepe knew how to read, he’d realise that the message was not the physical death of the players, but the death of our football.” So Pepe goes from thinking he's been depicted as a dead man to being told that he's illiterate and partially responsible for killing Italian football. I think he might have been better off just thinking he was a dead man.

World-Paraguay v Japan Reuters - 2 hours ago PRETORIA, June 28 (Reuters) - Paraguay play Japan in a World Cup second round match on Tuesday. Where: Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria Capacity: 49,000 When: Tuesday June 29, 1600 local (1400 GMT) Referee: Frank De Bleeckere (Belgium) World ranking: Paraguay 31, Japan 45 Teams: Likely formation, shirt numbers, age, caps, goals: * denotes misses next match if booked Paraguay (4-3-3) Japan (4-5-1) 1-Justo Villar 32-76-0 21-Eiji Kawashima 27-13-0 4-Denis Caniza 35-99-1 *2-Yuki Abe 28-47-3 21-Antolin Alcaraz 27-8-1 22-Yuji Nakazawa 32-108-17 14-Paulo Da Silva 30-74-2 4-Tulio 29-42-8 3-Claudio Morel 32-31-0 3-Yuichi Komano 28-56-0 *13-Enrique Vera 31-32-3 *5-Yuto Nagatomo 23-29-3 6-Carlos Bonet 32-66-1 16-Yoshito Okubo 28-53-5 16-Cristian Riveros 27-52-9 *7-Yasuhito Endo 30-97-9 *9-Roque Santa Cruz 28-73-21 17-Makoto Hasebe 26-34-1 18-Nelson Valdez 26-41-9 8-Daisuke Matsui 29-26-1 19-Lucas Barrios 25-6-3 18-Keisuke Honda 24-18-6 Also available: 5-Julio Cesar Caceres 30-63-2 23-Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi 34-117-0 8-Edgar Barreto 25-49-1 12-Kisho Yano 26-19-2 10-Edgar Benitez 22-14-1 15-Yasuyuki Konno 27-38-0 12-Diego Barreto 28-3-0 13-Daiki Iwamasa 28-2-0 17-Aureliano Torres 28-30-2 20-Junichi Inamoto 30-82-5 20-Nestor Ortigoza 25-6-0 14-Kengo Nakamura 29-47-5 2-Dario Veron 30-29-0 6-Atsuto Uchida 22-31-1 22-Aldo Bobadilla 34-19-0 9-Shinji Okazaki 24-31-17 23-Rodolfo Gamarra 21-3-0 10-Shunsuke Nakamura 32-98-24 7-Oscar Cardozo 27-32-4 11-Keiji Tamada 30-71-16 11-Jonathan Santana 28-23-0 19-Takayuki Morimoto 22-6-1 1-Seigo Narazaki 34-76-0 Trainer - Gerardo Martino Takeshi Okada Injured - None None Suspended - 15-Victor Caceres 25-30-0 None Changes: * Paraguay coach Gerardo Martino could replace the suspended holding midfielder Victor Caceres with the versatile Carlos Bonet. Antolin Alcaraz, who missed the 0-0 draw with New Zealand with a minor injury, returned to training on Saturday and could start. * Japan coach Takeshi Okada fielded the same starting lineup for his side's three group matches and with no injuries or suspensions will probably do the same again. Key stats: * Of all the remaining teams, Japan have completed the least amount of passes. Their 709, with a completion rate of 62 per cent, significantly trails Paraguay's stats (1051 and 69 per cent). Previous meetings: 20.09.95 Tokyo Japan 1 Paraguay 2 17.05.98 Tokyo Japan 1 Paraguay 1 02.07.99 Asuncion Paraguay 4 Japan 0 01.07.01 Sapporo Japan 2 Paraguay 0 11.06.03 Saitama Japan 0 Paraguay 0 27.05.08 Saitama Japan 0 Paraguay 0 Paraguay's tournament results: June 24 Paraguay 0 New Zealand 0 June 20 Slovakia 0 Paraguay 2 June 14 Italy 1 Paraguay 1 Japan's tournament results: June 24 Denmark 1 Japan 3 June 19 Netherlands 1 Japan 0 June 14 Japan 1 Cameroon 0 (Compiled by Tom Pilcher, Editing by Patrick Johnston ; To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

Japan out to end Asia’s South American jinx 2 hours, 56 minutes ago By Peter Rutherford PRETORIA (Reuters) - Japan may never have a better opportunity to bring Asia’s woeful World Cup record against South American opposition to an end than when they face Paraguay in the second round in Pretoria on Tuesday. No Asian team have ever beaten a South American side at the World Cup. Of the 10 encounters between the continents, South America have won eight times with two games drawn—North Korea v Chile 1-1 in 1966 and South Korea v Bolivia 0-0 in 1994. However, Japan’s flying form in the group stage this time around makes them strong candidates to break that jinx and qualify for the quarter-finals for the first time. While Paraguay topped a group that included world champions Italy, Slovakia and New Zealand they have rarely shown the attacking verve expected of a team featuring top-class forwards Roque Santa Cruz, Lucas Barrios and Nelson Valdez. Japan, meanwhile, have been one of the tournament’s delights with their free-flowing attacking style and set-piece mastery. After dominating Denmark 3-1 in their final group game, striker Keisuke Honda, who scored a stunning 30-meter freekick, has now set his sights on a place in the last eight. “For me, for the team, the next game is more important because we want to show the Japanese people that nothing is impossible,” he said. DEAD AIM Japan have also shown the rest of the teams at the World Cup that scoring direct from a freekick with the much-maligned Jabulani ball is far from impossible. Honda and Yasuhito Endo scored stunners in the same game against Denmark and defender Tulio, who has declared himself fit after picking up a knock against the Danes, said Japan could exploit their set-piece superiority again. “They (Paraguay) will be trying everything on to rile us. Every goal is so much more precious now in this knockout stage and it is important we try to get our noses in front first,” he told fifa.com. “One thing we will have to try and do is vary our set-pieces to surprise them.” Paraguay would be happy to get goals from anywhere at the moment after a lackluster 0-0 draw with New Zealand in the final group game highlighted their shot-shy struggles. Defender Julio Cesar Caceres said Paraguay were not satisfied with just reaching the second round, which they had achieved three times before. “We’re happy that we went through the first round but our objective is to keep writing history and the match against Japan is the most important thing,” he said. “We are capable of playing a great match. Japan is a quick team, we have to think about every detail against them.” (Editing by Ken Ferris)

Franz Beckenbauer: Germany Were Better Than England In Every Aspect Goal.com 1 hour, 50 minutes ago Germany legend Franz Beckenbauer believes that England were “overwhelmed” in their 4-1 loss in the World Cup Round of 16 on Sunday. Beckenbauer has been critical of the Three Lions during the tournament and after Germany’s convincing victory to knock England out he acknowledges that his country took apart their arch-rivals. "England were overwhelmed - they just could not come to terms with our style of play," Beckenbauer told The Mirror. "We have taken England apart. We were simply better in every aspect." Goals from Miroslav Klose and Lukas Podolski gave Germany an early stranglehold on the match before Matthew Upson halved the advantage later in the first half. England should have drawn level just a short time later but Frank Lampard’s shot that landed over the line after hitting the underside of the crossbar was not given. A second half brace from Thomas Muller put the game out of reach for the Three Lions, and Beckenbauer was pleased that the disallowed goal was rendered insignificant by Germany’s second half display. "The linesman really has to see the that goal which was not given. "It was a clear goal. "Fortunately, we added two more, otherwise there would be a lot more discussion about it."

Liverpool Midfielder Steven Gerrard Hopes Fabio Capello Will Remain The England Manager Despite World Cup Exit Goal.com 1 hour, 38 minutes ago England captain Steven Gerrard wants Fabio Capello to stay after the Three Lions were eliminated from the World Cup by Germany on Sunday. The Three Lions fell to a 4-1 defeat against their arch-rivals in their Round of 16 clash in Bloemfontein, ending their World Cup campaign in disappointing fashion. Some are already calling for Capello’s head after England crashed out of the tournament, but Gerrard hopes that the Italian will stay. "I'm sure Fabio will stay and he'll address his own situation very soon,” Gerrard told The Sun. "I don't know when. Personally I'd like him to stay as I think he's a fantastic manager but that's my opinion." The Liverpool star thinks that England will have a vastly different squad when their Euro 2012 qualifying campaign begins in September. "Everyone in the dressing room is hurting, the coaching staff and the players. "We'll go away in the summer and analyse things personally and the team. "We'll have to see what the future holds. We've got an experienced team and players who are getting on. "I'm sure they'll be changes by the time the next tournament comes around. "But they're questions you'll have to ask the manager."

Angry English press demands that Capello quit 54 minutes ago LONDON (AFP) - English commentators launched scathing attacks Monday on their football team's dire performance against Germany which ended the country's World Cup hopes, as calls mounted for Fabio Capello to quit. Newspapers saved some of their criticism for the referee in the game who disallowed an England goal that had clearly crossed the line, during the country's heaviest ever defeat in the World Cup finals. But this was nothing compared to the fury directed at the team for their unconvincing effort in Bloemfontein, South Africa, which saw them slump to a 4-1 defeat against their arch-rivals. The Sun tabloid, which is Britain's best-selling paper, headlined its front page with a message to the players: "You let your country down." "We gave football to the world. Yet since 1966, the world has stubbornly refused to give it back," said the paper, referring to the only time England has ever won the World Cup. "And in yesterday's pathetic performance we miserably failed to take the game from the old enemy, Germany." "England coach Fabio Capello and his team of self-regarding flops have presided over a national embarrassment, one of the most comprehensive humiliations in our sporting history," lamented the Daily Mail. The mounting anger at England's performance led commentators to call for what many now expect to happen—Capello to resign and make way for a fresh face to help the side get over such a severe defeat. "England played three calamitous matches out of four, failed to score goals and defended like fools—and that's all (Capello's) responsibility," said the Times. The Italian, who has been in charge of the Three Lions since January 2008, admitted at a press conference after England's defeat he was considering his position as coach. Papers were also up in arms about the decision by Uruguayan referee Jorge Larrionda and his assistant to disallow a goal scored by England player Frank Lampard in the first half of the match, which had clearly crossed the line. Had the referee allowed it, England would have equalised with Germany. "The ref and his assistant were the only two people in the ground who didn't think the ball had crossed the line," commented the Daily Mail. But most thought the referee's mistake had not made much difference to the final result, as England were playing so badly. The Sun said the disallowed goal "was no excuse for the way Fabio Capello's toothless Three Lions were made to look like pussycats". "England were robbed of a goal, not the result. They deserved to lose," said the Times. The controversial decision did however prompt a flurry of appeals for the introduction of video goal-line technology to avoid such blunders in the future. "Even the stubborn bunch who run FIFA must now cave in to demands for bringing technology to the game," urged the Sun.

Capello has no plans to quit after England loss By RYAN LUCAS, Associated Press Writer 8 hours, 58 minutes ago BLOEMFONTEIN, South Africa (AP)—Fabio Capello has no plans to quit as coach despite overseeing England’s most lopsided World Cup defeat. England lost 4-1 to Germany on Sunday in a second-round match during which its defense was badly exposed. Capello said he wanted to discuss his future with Football Association chairman Roger Burden soon, but the 64-year-old Italian made it clear he had no immediate plans to resign. “We have time to decide,” Capello said. “I need to know whether the FA have confidence in me or not … I want to speak with the chairman and then we can decide my future.” In early June, the Capello signaled his desire to remain with England by signing a deal with the FA that removed an escape clause that could have let him leave after the World Cup. Capello, who has coached Real Madrid and AC Milan, took over the England squad in January 2008 after Steve McClaren was fired for failing to qualify England for the 2008 European Championship. Capello quickly transformed the England squad, imposing strict discipline and a no-nonsense approach. England’s players responded, and the team breezed through World Cup qualifying by winning nine of 10 games. Frank Lampard, who thought he’d scored an equalizer before halftime but was not awarded a goal against Germany, sought to play down speculation about Capello’s future. Lampard said debate over a coach’s fate is routine after a dramatic World Cup exit. “At the end of the day, when an England team gets knocked out of the World Cup there’s question marks about managers and old players,” said Lampard, who described Capello as a “top manager.” Captain Steven Gerrard also supported keeping Capello at the helm. “I’d like him to stay because I think he’s a fantastic manager,” Gerrard said. “I’m sure he’ll address his own situation very soon.” Capello’s current contract runs through the 2012 European Championship in Poland and Ukraine.

World Cup blunder continues England misery By Martin Rogers, Yahoo! Sports 10 hours, 28 minutes ago BLOEMFONTEIN, South Africa – The call that drove a stake through the heart of one nation and gave another sweet revenge after 44 years was this World Cup’s most dramatic moment. And also its most disappointing. It wasn’t just Frank Lampard and England that deserved better than the outrageous blown call that denied them a valid goal and sent Germany to a 4-1 victory and a place in the quarterfinals. Soccer deserves better. “There is so much at stake in these big games and this was a million-dollar call,” Lampard said. “I am gutted because it was clearly a yard or so over and it would have changed the game.” Lampard’s chip after 38 minutes at Free State Stadium gave England a dramatic equalizer, leveling the score at 2-2 after the English had gone down by two early goals. At least, the entire stadium and both sets of players thought that. The only exceptions were Uruguayan referee Jorge Larrionda and his Uruguayan assistant referee Mauricio Espinosa. Neither saw Lampard’s shot bounce down off the crossbar and the ball pass the line by more than a foot for what should have been a goal. “It is a big mistake,” England coach Fabio Capello said. “It is one goal, but the game will be different with this goal. They can’t decide if it is a goal or not a goal? I saw the ball go over the line. “Little things change a game. It is incredible. I can’t believe it. I can’t understand this. Why can’t we have another referee who can see if it goes over the line?” It was the moment that was so many things. For Larrionda and his crew, it was a moment of shame that will haunt them forever. For governing body FIFA, it was another headache to plague them after a World Cup marred by dreadful officiating. For Germany, it was revenge from the 1966 World Cup final, when England’s Geoff Hurst was allowed a goal that bounced off the crossbar and did not fully cross the line. And for England, it was agony. Not just the end of a campaign that initially promised much but an injustice that will rankle for years in a country utterly obsessed with this game. The disbelief on Lampard’s face told it all – shock, horror and denial wrapped up into one tortured portrait. And as the second half wore on and Germany sealed victory with two breakaway goals late, the red mist started to rise in England’s frustrated players, their patriotically clad fans and a furious nation back home. Germans have never forgotten that Hurst decision in the intervening decades, but this finally scratched that long-standing itch. The final score line of a three-goal margin doesn’t begin to tell the full story here, but you’ll struggle to find a single German who cares about that. There is a common belief in England that Hurst’s goal in 1966 may have drained the English well of soccer good fortune. Ever since, there has been nothing but a steady diet of disappointment. Diego Maradona’s infamous Hand of God handball goal in 1986 was one heartbreak. Three exits via the dreaded penalty-shootout format hasn’t exactly soothed England’s soul either. This controversy, though, had all the ingredients for a concoction of pain beyond compare. No opponent, no scenario, could inflame more than this. Capello, who already was celebrating Lampard’s phantom goal before being told by his support staff about the officials’ incredible short-sightedness, was still incredulous after the final whistle. For him, it was the lowest point of a difficult campaign, one which has seen early optimism about the team erased by a repeated second-guessing of his methods in the media and the questioning of his authority by senior players. There is nothing that can console him, his men or the throngs that gathered to watch on giant screens in English cities. The other blown calls of this World Cup offer not a shred of solace. Soccer is a game defined by such small margins, yet this was not a borderline call. It was not a moment of magic by an opponent or a mistake by someone in an England shirt. It was simple ineptitude from a referee who controls the fates of elite players and entranced nations but missed the most glaring of incidents. “We had a lot of luck with this shot,” said Germany’s Thomas Mueller, who was voted man of the match. “We heard about it and we realized we knew we had to make the most of this good luck.” England was left to lick its wounds and wonder again when its luck might change.

German keeper feels he ‘fooled the referee’ By Martin Rogers, Yahoo! Sports 9 hours, 9 minutes ago BLOEMFONTEIN, South Africa – Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer admitted he “fooled” referee Jorge Larrionda into making the most controversial decision of the World Cup. Neuer carried on playing even when Frank Lampard’s 38th-minute lob bounced over the line and appeared to give England a clear goal at Free State Stadium. The 24-year-old grabbed the ball and swiftly kicked it upfield as England’s disbelieving players rounded upon Larrionda and begged him to reconsider his decision. “I didn’t react because I just wanted to concentrate on carrying on and making the game fast,” said Neuer, who plays for Schalke in the German Bundesliga. “I realized it was tight, but I was quite sure it was over the line. I think that perhaps the way I carried on so quickly fooled the referee and made him think it was not over. “After the game I was in doping control and saw it on the television. And yes, of course it was over and should have been a goal for England. It was lucky for us and unlucky for them.” The German team was equally as stunned as England by its slice of good fortune. Head coach Joachim Loew was spotted nudging his assistant and smiling at their luck, while England boss Fabio Capello fumed nearby. Neuer insisted, though, that the Lampard no-goal made no difference to the eventual outcome Sunday, 4-1, claiming Germany would have won the match in any case. “It was one incident and yes, it was important,” Neuer said. “But I believe we were the stronger team and deserved to win the game even without this. “If you look at the way the match played out then I think our team would have scored the goals we needed just like we did. When you have good luck in football it is important to capitalize on that luck, and we did.” Germany next takes on Argentina in a quarterfinal at Cape Town’s Green Point Stadium on Saturday.

England incensed after ref misses obvious goal By Martin Rogers, Yahoo! Sports 13 hours, 18 minutes ago BLOEMFONTEIN, South Africa — The most astonishing and controversial moment of the World Cup left England’s players and fans incensed after a perfectly legal goal was disallowed in its round-of-16 clash with Germany. Frank Lampard’s chip in the 38th minute struck against the crossbar of the Germany goal and bounced down more than a foot over the line. However, Uruguayan referee Jorge Larrionda and his assistants incorrectly ruled that the goal should not count, as the England side held their heads in disbelief. The incident spawned unavoidable comparisons with one of the most contentious moments in World Cup history. During the 1966 World Cup final between England and West Germany, England’s Geoff Hurst was awarded a goal when the ball struck the bar and landed on the line. Germans have never forgotten that decision in the intervening 44 years, but revenge finally arrived at Free State Stadium. With England trailing 2-1, Lampard’s strike should have completed a remarkable first-half comeback after Germany had taken a two-goal lead in the early stages. England head coach Fabio Capello already was celebrating before being told by his support staff about the officials’ incredible short-sightedness. The no-goal call will only increase pressure on governing body FIFA to introduce video replays, something it has so far steadfastly resisted. Germany retained its 2-1 lead at halftime. The winner will advance to the quarterfinals.

Germany beats England 4-1 in World Cup By NESHA STARCEVIC, AP Sports Writer 5 hours, 5 minutes ago BLOEMFONTEIN, South Africa (AP)—Germany’s latest World Cup victory over England will be remembered not for any of the brilliant goals, but for the one that didn’t count. Lukas Podolski and Philipp Lahm of Germany celebrate victory over England. (Michael Steele/Getty Images) Ask anyone—players, coaches, thousands of fans in the stadium and millions more watching on television—and there’s little question that Frank Lampard put a shot in the net late in the first half that would have tied the score. But referee Jorge Larrionda waved play on, and Germany used two second-half goals by Thomas Mueller for a 4-1 victory Sunday. The Germans are headed to the quarterfinals. The English are shaking their heads in disbelief. Referees miss an obvious English goal Plane with World Cup fans lands on highway Maradona accuses countryman of treason “It’s incredible,” England coach Fabio Capello said. “We played with five referees and they can’t decide if it’s a goal or no goal. The game was different after this goal. It was the mistake of the linesman and I think the referee because from the bench I saw the ball go (in).” Germany coach Joachim Loew couldn’t argue that point. “What I saw on the television, this ball was behind the line,” Loew said. “It must have been given as goal.” It wasn’t. “The goal was very important,” Capello said. “We could have played a different style. “We made some mistakes when they played the counterattack. The referee made bigger mistakes.” Larrionda and assistant referee Mauricio Espinosa were not made available to comment. FIFA said in a statement that it “will not make any comments on decisions of the referee on the field of play.” Soccer’s rules-making panel agreed last March not to pursue experiments with technology that could help referees judge goal-line decisions. Germany went up on goals by Miroslav Klose and Lukas Podolski before England’s Matthew Upson made it 2-1 in the 37th minute. Lampard’s non-goal came a minute later. After the ball landed across the line, it spun back into the arms of Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer. Capello initially celebrated what he thought was an equalizer by clenching his fists and shaking his arms. But his face changed when he realized the goal had not been given. As the players headed off the field at halftime, Wayne Rooney walked over to a linesman and gestured with his hands how far he thought the ball crossed the goal line. In 1966, England and Germany were 2-2 in extra time in the World Cup final when Geoff Hurst’s shot struck the underside of the crossbar, bounced down and spun back into play. That time, the referee consulted his linesman, who awarded the goal. Hurst went on to score a third goal in England’s 4-2 victory at Wembley. This time, it was Mueller getting two goals. “We heard that the ball was behind the line, that we were fortunate,” Mueller said of Lampard’s shot. “Before the last two goals, the game hung in the balance, England was putting on the pressure.” The 20-year-old forward finished two quick German counterattacks within 3 minutes to sink England’s hopes of beating Germany at the World Cup for the first time since that ’66 final. Germany plays Argentina, which beat Mexico 3-1, in the quarterfinals on Saturday in Cape Town. “In the knockout stages, Germany is always there,” Podolski said. “We fought and ran a lot, just fantastic today.” Added Klose: “We were aggressive from the first minute and it was a deserved victory. Our target was to reach the semifinals and that’s what we want to achieve.” It was the most lopsided England loss in a World Cup. Mueller scored on the counterattack in the 67th minute, having started the move after a long clearance by Jerome Boateng. Mueller passed to Bastian Schweinsteiger, who patiently dribbled upfield and ran across the 18-yard line to feed the unguarded Mueller. His shot hit the hand of England goalkeeper David James and went in. Three minutes later, Mueller struck again after a break on the left wing by Mesut Oezil. “We played I think well at 2-1, but after the third goal it was a little bit disappointing,” Capello said. “Germany is a big team. They played a good game.” Klose scored his 50th goal in 99 games for Germany—his 12th World Cup goal — by outmuscling defender Upson to a bouncing ball off a goal kick. Podolski gave the three-time champions a 2-0 lead, putting the ball through James’ legs. Upson headed in a cross from Steven Gerrard to make it 2-1, then Lampard’s shot was not rewarded—a decision sure to be debated for as long as international soccer has no video replay. “I think if you look back at the game as a whole, we’ve been beaten by the better team,” England captain Steven Gerrard said. “At 2-1, if Frank’s ball had stayed I think it would have been a nice turning point in the game.”

Move Over Chalice, Australomussa rowleyensis is Here Australomussa rowleyensis is the latest colorful coral import that is sure to become as desireable as Acans of the past and Chalices of the present. While aquarists will likely lump Australomussa rowleyensis into the “chalice” category alongside the watermelons and mummy eyes of Echinophyllia, Mycedium, and Oxypora– it’s clearly a different animal. When looking at the coralites A. rowleyensis looks remarkably like Scolymia vitiensis. Veron writes that specimens from south-east Asia can exhibit unique color combinations including intense reds, yellows and greens. “Corallites are subcerioid or have short, shallow valleys 8-20 millimetres wide, separated by thick walls. Tissue over the septa is usually distinct in colour and/or texture from tissue over the costae. Septa and costae are sturdy, with large blunt teeth. Colour: In north-west Australia, colonies are a uniform blue-grey or valleys may have concentric cream and green colours. In south-east Asia colonies have a much wider range of colours including bright red, yellow and green.” - Excerpt from Glassbox

American Dreams-less... Ghana crush American dreams, deliver African joy Reuters - 8 hours ago By Timothy Collings RUSTENBURG, June 26 (Reuters) - Ghana crushed American dreams and delivered African joy on Saturday when they beat the United States 2-1 after extra time of a thrilling contest to take their place in the World Cup quarter-finals. Rising to the challenge of an emotion-charged evening, they carried their continent's hopes with pride and passion to become the third African nation ever to reach the last eight in the world's greatest soccer tournament. Goals by thrusting midfielder Kevin Prince Boateng after just five minutes and then from striker Asamoah Gyan three minutes into added time carried them to victory after the ice-cool Landon Donovan had converted a second-half penalty to drag the spirited Americans back into a tumultuous match. "I am the happiest man in the world," a delighted Gyan said. "We have made everyone proud -- not just Ghana, but all of Africa." Ghana, who combined great enthusiasm with moments of sublime skill, now meet Uruguay at the Soccer City stadium in Johannesburg next Friday after emulating the feats of Cameroon (1990) and Senegal (2002) in reaching the quarter-finals. Their achievement was greeted with a crescendo of blasting vuvuzuelas at the final whistle when players collapsed on the field amid wild scenes of unrestrained relief and bliss. The sight of John Pantsil, with the flag of Ghana, and Samuel Inkoom, with that of South Africa, running laps of the stadium in front of a crowd that included former U.S. president Bill Clinton, FIFA president Sepp Blatter and South African local organising committee chief Danny Jordaan, was a symbol of a memorable night. GHANA'S NIGHT The opening half, and the night, belonged to Ghana, who repeated the result of their only previous clash with the United States when they beat them by the same score in Germany four years ago. "We gave away an early goal and put a lot into it to recover, but we were in that spot once too many times," admitted U.S. coach Bob Bradley. "Ghana are a talented team and I think that Milovan Rajevac has done a great job in organising them." Ghana started with steely aggression and swiftly went in front when Ricardo Clark lost possession in midfield. Collecting in his own half, Boateng ran directly at the passive American defence, evading Clark's attempted recovery, and then turned Jay DeMerit before striking a low left-foot shot inside Tim Howard's right post. It was a poor goal to concede and this time the Americans, who had come from behind twice in the group stage, struggled to recover. Outnumbered in midfield, where Ghana had three central players to their two, they were swamped at times and Clark, in frustration, was cautioned before being withdrawn on the half hour. A low shot from Robbie Findley, which Richard Kingson saved with his left leg, was their best effort in reply before Ghana, content to play on the break, went close to a second following another DeMerit error, but Howard dived to save from Kwadwo Asamoah. Bradley reorganised his team for the second period, taking off the re-called Robbie Findley and sending on Benny Feilhaber in a switch that freed Clint Dempsey to rove behind Jozy Altidore. This gave them parity in the tightly-contested central area and, after 47 minutes, almost an equaliser when Feilhaber's close-range shot was saved one-handed by Kingson. Ghana began to lose their discipline and shape and it was no great surprise when Jonathan Mensah misjudged a tackle on Dempsey and brought him down to concede a penalty on the hour. Donovan stepped up and steered his spot-kick high to Kingson's left as he went the other way. It was the first penalty they had been awarded at the World Cup since 1930. Further chances came at both ends in normal time, when the Americans played with greater authority and Altidore, steering a low shot just wide after 80 minutes, almost snatched a winner. Ghana hung on, but regrouped for extra time and regained the lead by punching another hole through the American defence. Chasing a clearance by Dede Ayew, Gyan shrugged off Carlos Bocanegra's challenge and ran clear of DeMerit to shoot over Howard. The Americans refused to lie down, but it was a heavy blow to their morale and Ghana, despite looking naive and vulnerable at times, battled through as thick wisps of smoke from nearby bush-fires supplied a dramatic final backdrop. (Editing by Kate Holton)

Michael Jackson family one year on... Fans gather for Michael Jackson death anniversary AFP - Saturday, June 26 LOS ANGELES (AFP) - – Michael Jackson fans around the world marked the first anniversary of his death on Friday, with events from candlelight vigils to slumber parties planned in honour of the tragic superstar. Jackson, 50, died from a drug overdose at a rented Los Angeles mansion on June 25 last year, a seismic celebrity death that triggered a global outpouring of tributes for the eccentric genius known as "The King of Pop." Family matriarch Katherine Jackson, 80, paid a visit to the modest white frame house in Gary, Indiana where she raised her famous son and eight other children, slipping past excited fans through a side gate in a wrought iron fence. In the only official memorial event planned Friday she was to unveil an eight-foot high monument to her son in the front yard in the afternoon. A candlelight vigil was planned for later in the evening. The two-bedroom, one-story home has become a magnet for tourists from all over the world since Jackson's death, and a crowd of about 100 fans gathered outside as Gary police cruised the streets and private security popped in and out of the house. "This is where he was born," said Eileen Garbutt, 44, who flew in from London on Thursday for the anniversary. "Without this place we wouldn't have Michael Jackson." In Tokyo, flowers began piling up where 50 diehard fans paid more than 1,000 dollars each to attend a sleepover inside an exhibition space showcasing some of the singer's belongings. The participants were chosen from some 10,000 applicants who wanted to spend the night in the Neverland Collection at Tokyo Tower, surrounded by artifacts, including Jackson's music awards, Rolls Royce and crystal-studded gloves. In Germany, candlelight vigils with music, balloons, posters and Jackson imitators were planned in numerous cities, including Berlin, Hamburg and Munich. Fans dressed as their idol gathered in Prague, too, and unveiled plans for a bust of the singer in a city party. In Los Angeles, fans began gathering early at the picturesque Forest Lawn Memorial Park, a star-studded cemetery where the singer's golden casket was entombed last September. Park authorities have indicated they plan to keep a tight grip on the proceedings, saying visitors will only be allowed to walk past the elaborate neo-classical mausoleum that houses Jackson's final resting place. Related Article: Adoring Jackson fans catch glimpse of hometown statue Long Beach college student Dominique Richardson woke up at 2:00 am to get to the cemetery at daybreak. "It's Michael Jackson," she told KTLA local television. "Michael Jackson has inspired a lot of people and it's like the closest we're ever going to get to Michael so why not come and pay your respects?" Jackson fans are also expected to pay tribute at the singer's family compound in Encino, scene of mass floral tributes for days after the star's death last year. In Hollywood, a wax likeness of Jackson has been put on display in front of Madame Tussauds on Hollywood Boulevard, a short distance from Jackson's star on the Walk of Fame. Jackson family members are expected to attend a tribute event -- "Forever Michael" --at a Beverly Hills hotel on Saturday, with tickets priced at between 150 and 500 dollars. The music icon's death sent shockwaves around the world, and family and fans were outraged to learn that the singer had been given a cocktail of powerful prescription drugs including the anesthetic propofol. Legal wrangling over the tragic death flared anew after patriarch Joe Jackson filed a wrongful death lawsuit against his son's doctor Conrad Murray, the last person to see the singer alive. Murray has been charged with involuntary manslaughter in connection with the case and is expected to stand trial next year. Murray denies the charges. While the immediate aftermath of Jackson's death saw intense speculation about court-room disputes for control of the singer's affairs, expected legal battles over his children and vast musical empire failed to materialize. Katherine Jackson was granted custody of the children Prince, 13, Paris, 12, and Blanket, 8, who she has revealed will enroll in school for the first time later this year after having been educated at home for years. Though Jackson racked up a massive debt during his lifetime, his estate is said to have generated over a billion dollars in revenues since his death, through the re-issue of his music, films and other commercial spin-offs.

South Korea K.O. Uruguay beats South Korea 2-1 in round of 16 KARL RITTER, AP - 9 hours ago PORT ELIZABETH, South Africa (AP) -- The game on the line, Luis Suarez sidestepped two defenders in the driving rain and struck a right-footed shot from the edge of the penalty area. "The truth is, I didn't realize the ball was going to go in," he said. It did. And now Uruguay is headed to the World Cup quarterfinals for the first time in 40 years after beating South Korea 2-1 on Saturday. Suarez, who had Uruguay's only goal in its 1-0 group stage win over Mexico, scored twice against the Koreans -- early in the first half and again in the 80th with the score tied 1-1. "In these moments, the only thing I want to do is enjoy," said Suarez, who jumped over a row of photographers to celebrate his second goal with his teammates. Lee Chung-yong had tied the second-round game in the 68th on a header after goalkeeper Fernando Muslera left his line attempting to punch away a looping ball. It was the first goal given up by Uruguay in the tournament. "The key to Uruguay's improvement (at the end of the game) was South Korea's goal. We stopped thinking about not conceding a goal," Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez said. "Luckily, Suarez scored a spectacular goal that gave us victory." Uruguay took the lead in the eighth when goalkeeper Jung Sung-ryong failed to intercept Diego Forlan's low cross from the left flank. It bounced across the goal mouth and Suarez put the ball in the net with a one-timer from a tight angle. "I'm really happy because, being young, I always dream of these types of moments," the 23-year-old forward said. "These moments we're experiencing are once in a lifetime." The goal forced the Koreans to push forward, but Uruguay's compact defense forced them to rely on outside shots and they struggled to hit the target. Meanwhile, the South Americans sat back and waited for opportunities to counterattack. Lee finally scored when Uruguay failed

Villa on song as Spain beat Chile 2-1 Reuters - 6 hours ago By Rex Gowar * Brilliant Villa scores one, lays on another * Both teams go through to the second round * Chile's Estrada sent off for two bookings PRETORIA, June 25 (Reuters) - A brilliant David Villa scored one superb goal and laid on another as Spain beat 10-man Chile in a match that petered out into a pact of non-aggression to send both sides into the World Cup second round on Friday. Spain, having weathered early pressure from the Chileans, took the lead in the Group H decider when Villa curled a sublime ball into the empty net from 40 metres out on the left after goalkeeper Claudio Bravo had raced from his box to clear from Fernando Torres. Villa, who took his tally to 41 in 61 internationals, laid on the second when he took a pass to the left from Andres Iniesta and pulled the ball back into the middle where the midfielder shot low past central defender Waldo Ponce and Bravo. Chile, playing on a knife edge in their efforts to impose Bielsa's attacking tactics and spar with Spain as equals, had midfielder Marco Estrada sent off in the 37th minute. The hard-tackling midfielder earned a second yellow card for a trip on Torres off the ball in the build up to Iniesta's goal, putting the South Americans at risk of a pasting in the second half. However, coach Marcelo Bielsa, facing possible elimination for his side, made two bold halftime substitutions and one of them, midfielder Rodrigo Millar, chipped over Iker Casillas to pull a goal back just two minutes after the resumption. Spain plugged away looking for further goals but the hard working Chileans kept them at bay, protecting a goal that ensured they would go through in second place in Group H on goal difference even if Switzerland managed to beat Honduras. The Swiss were in fact held 0-0 by the group's whipping boys. TIGHT GROUP Vicente del Bosque's European champions also became protective of their lead going into the final quarter as they shared six points with Chile at that point and the Swiss could also potentially finish on six with tight goal difference coming into play. Spain, by winning the group having started out with a shock 1-0 defeat by Switzerland, go on to meet Portugal in the second round, avoiding favourites Brazil, who won Group G. "The defeat against Switzerland really made things difficult for us ... if we had drawn that match I think the whole group would have taken on a different look," Del Bosque said. "I think the doubts did start to enter in when Chile scored, the players started to play more cautiously ... but we achieved our goal." The tiring Chileans withdrew into their half but Spain gradually reduced their efforts to score a third goal and had long spells passing the ball across the back of their defence close to the halfway line as the clock wound down. This contrasted dramatically with the action-packed first half in which Chile defenders Gary Medel and Ponce picked up yellow cards along with Estrada, while Spain go through to their next match free of bookings. "The first 40 minutes were balanced in possession, in control and goal chances," Bielsa said. "Evidently, afterwards it was a different match. "We also instinctively felt that to qualify was the prime objective." (Editing by Nigel Hunt)