The Word on the Street

13 Jun 2006

Beckham appreciates family time

England coach Sven-Gorn Eriksson gave his players a day off on Monday to spend with their wives and children and David Beckham says it is a policy that works well for everyone.

"Because we're away for, hopefully, five weeks, it's always nice to see the families and the kids because we realise how important that is," said Beckham, whose wife Victoria and sons Brooklyn, Romeo and Cruz are in southern Germany.

His sister Joanne and mum Sandra are also here.

"It is not unusual (to have family around). With Sven he always gives us the chance on free days to see the wives, girlfriends and kids. It's important."

According to British newspaper reports, Beckham's former Spice Girl wife brought 60 pairs of sunglasses and 30 pairs of jeans with her. She reportedly said she planned to change her outfit five times a day.

Beware of my homeland warns Klose

Germany's Polish-born striker Miroslav Klose has warned the World Cup hosts to beware of a backlash from his homeland on Wednesday when the two rivals lock horns in Dortmund.

"A wounded animal is very dangerous and always ready to bite back," said Klose.

"Poland have their backs to the wall and they will come at us with everything."

"It is not an average game for me as I am from Poland - but I represent Germany and we want to win this game," Klose said.

"I like Poland and the Polish people. My aunt and uncle live there.

"But I came over to Germany at the age of eight and met my first friends here. I used to play football with them and I was just a bit better than the others."

Chinese fan has heart attack

A Chinese football fan suffered a heart attack during a World Cup match following three sleepness nights of heavy drinking and watching the tournament on television, a doctor said Tuesday.

The 42-year-old man from Qingdao in eastern China's Shandong province, became agitated after seeing Portugal miss a goal against Angola, according to newspaper reports.

"He spent too long continuously watching the games and he drank too much," Yin Zuomin, a doctor from the casualty department of Qingdao City Hospital told AFP, confirming Zhang's heart attack.

"He is still in hospital but the most dangerous period is over."

China is six hours ahead of Germany, meaning the early matches begin at 9:00 pm local time and the latest start at 3:00 am.

Crouch no longer feels like dancing

England striker Peter Crouch has sent the 'robot' into retirement and will only revive it if England win the World Cup.

The gangling Liverpool forward emerged as a cult figure amongst fans with his bizarre goal celebrations during friendly wins over Jamaica and Hungary.

"It's not about robotic dancing," Crouch said. "It is about scoring goals and winning matches. It's an important time for everyone now.

"It's serious business, though we might all do it if we win the World Cup."

Crouch said although team-mates had encouraged him to continue his goal celebrations, he wanted to ensure he was focused on winning.

"If you can enjoy yourself, all well and good, but the first thing we must concentrate on winning football matches," said Crouch.

Czech papers celebrate US "scalp"

The Czech Republic's 3-0 football World Cup triumph over the United States was celebrated enthusiastically with photos and front page coverage in all Czech newspapers on Tuesday.

"3:0 We have the American scalp," said the daily Pravo.

"3-0 with the USA. Great start," proclaimed the daily Dnes on its front page, adding that the victory was overshadowed by the injury to the Czech's giant striker Jan Koller, who was stretchered off soon after scoring the opening goal.

"Attractive and hot" was the headline in the daily Sport. "It was an amazing concert. Czech football at the World Cup yesterday celebrated its first major win," it added.

Daily Blesk carried a photo of a smiling Czech President Vaclav Klaus applauding the action. The Czechs still have to play Ghana and Italy in their opening group.

Japanese lick their wounds

Japanese fans licked their wounds Tuesday after their side opened up its World Cup campaign with a humiliating loss to the Aussies that leaves them little hope of advancing beyond the group stage.

"Zico looked like he aged all of a sudden in the last five minutes of the game," said Kazutaka Nakamura, 31, who screamed the night away at a pub with a headband bearing Japan's rising sun emblem.

"It was nothing but a nightmare," the Sports Nippon said. "The pitch under the scorching heat washed out the players' stamina."

"What determined the last minutes of the game was the career difference of the commanders," Nikkan Sports said. "Australia's Hiddink is an experienced coach who led the South Korean team to the final four in the previous World Cup."

The Yomiuri Shimbun, Japan's most-read newspaper, said: "Four years later, the Hiddink magic again prevailed."

Mexican coach in trouble for smoking

Mexican coach Ricardo La Volpe will be given a warning about smoking on the touchlines at the World Cup after he lit up during the 3-1 victory over Iran, FIFA said on Tuesday.

FIFA officials spotted La Volpe smoking when they reviewed the videotape of Sunday's match in Nuremberg.

"We looked at the tape and in fact we realised he did smoke," said a FIFA official.

"An official letter will be sent to the Mexican federation underlining that neither the coaches nor anyone else on the sidelines is allowed to smoke."

La Volpe, who won the World Cup as a player with Argentina in 1978, is a chain-smoker who was rarely seen without a cigarette in his hand at last year's Confederations Cup in Germany.

Playing pangs for van Basten

Hailed as one the legends of his footballing generation, Marco van Basten admitted Tuesday that it was more enjoyable to savour the World Cup as a player and not a coach.

"It's better being a player," said van Basten. "It's nice being healthy and being on the pitch and playing football. That's a beautiful thing to do.

"But I'm also happy to be the coach at the moment because physically it's much easier," he joked.

Van Basten, the youngest coach at the World Cup at only 41 years old, added: "At the moment I'm a little bit older and happy I don't have to act like the players on the field, in the heat and (deal with) all this tension, so I'm okay.

"Also as a player I felt tension, and as the coach also so there's no big difference."

Relief at last for embattled Italy

Italian football fans had something to celebrate at last Tuesday following weeks of murky relevations about match-fixing among the country's top clubs.

The 2-0 World Cup win over Ghana in Hanover was just the tonic needed as the Squadra Azzurra opened their campaign confidently.

"The game was there, the colour, the goals - Italy off to a great start," headlined Gazzetta dello Sport.

"We got the dream start we were looking for. But we must keep our feet firmly placed on the ground and not get carried away," the paper warned.

"Fine win for the Squadra Azzurra after a tough start to the match," wrote La Repubblica.

"Italy blasts off," headlined Corriere della Sera calling the Italian team "technically impressive with players who are not huge talents but who play well as a team."

That was the Italy we want to see," enthused La Stampa.

US press disappointed with defeat

Americans Tuesday were disappointed with their opening loss against the Czech Republic and were glumly gauging their slim prospects of advancing to the second round of the tournament.

"Everything went terribly wrong," said The Washington Post, which put out a snap, online poll to rate the US team for its performance and future World Cub prospects.

"US Held in Czech," read a punny headline in The Washington Times. The "nightmare" of a match, said the daily, looked decided in the first five minutes after the Czech's first goal.

"A humiliating defeat," said The New York Times.

"The United States hoped to possess an edge in speed, fitness and health. But it was the supposedly aging and hobbled Czechs who proved to be the more spry, imaginative and determined team, even with four starters over age 30," the Times added.