On the pitch

03 Jul 2006

Germany's Frings suspended for semi-final

FIFA on Monday suspended German midfielder Torsten Frings for the World Cup semi-final against Italy on Tuesday.

Frings was barred after the FIFA Disciplinary Committee viewed TV pictures which show him hitting an Argentinian player in the face in an on-pitch fracas following Germany's win in a penalty shootout in the quarter-final.

FIFA said he was definitely suspended for the semi-final but can return for the final on Sunday should Germany qualify.

However any recurrence of bad behaviour in the next six months would see him banned for another match, a FIFA spokesman told AFP.

"Frings is suspended for two matches, but one is a suspended punishment," the spokesman said.

Frings is likely to be replaced for the match in Dortmund by Borussia Dortmund's defensive midfielder Sebastian Kehl.

Rooney 'gobsmacked' by red card

England striker Wayne Rooney said Monday he was "gobsmacked" by his red card in the World Cup quarter-final against Portugal and said his apparent stamp on an opponent "didn't warrant" his dismissal.

England's 10 remaining men hung on without Rooney but went on to lose in a penalty shootout.

FIFA have given the feisty forward until Thursday to explain his actions.

"I'm bitterly disappointed to have been sent off in a World Cup finals match for England," Rooney said in a statement.

"I remember the incident clearly and have seen it several times since on television. I am of the same opinion now as I was at the time that what happened didn't warrant a red card.

"If anything, I feel we should have had a free kick for the fouls committed on me during the same incident.

"I want to say absolutely categorically that I did not intentionally put my foot down on Ricardo Carvalho. He slid in from behind me and unfortunately ended up in a positioning where my foot was inevitably going to end up as I kept my balance. That's all there was to it.

Fatigue not a problem says Ballack

Germany captain Michael Ballack admits his team's strength has been sapped after going through extra-time and penalties to defeat Argentina, but promised the prospect of reaching the World Cup final would get the adrenalin pumping against Italy on Tuesday.

"It was a hard slog playing 120 minutes against Argentina but we have had a few days to recharge and can give everything again. There is no problem there," Ballack said.

"Everyone is fit and refreshed. Italy did not have as many problems in terms of the result and the length of the game but it is not a problem," said the new Chelsea man.

"It is a long tournamemt - almost six weeks with preparation - but we are all targeting the final and you do not feel tired when you are winning."

Rooney and I are still friends: Ronaldo

Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo said Monday there is no hostility between him and his Manchester United team-mate Wayne Rooney despite accusations that he helped get the England striker sent off during the World Cup quarter-finals.

"I would like to make it clear that there is no problem at all between me and Rooney. I insist: no problem at all," he said.

"At the end of the game, we exchanged a series of text messages just as we had on the day before. Between the two of us, everything is clear," he added.

"In fact, he didn't just send me congratulations for going forward in the World Cup, he also told me we have a great team, and if we carry on as we have, we will go far."

During the second half of Saturday's match Ronaldo appeared to encourage Argentine referee Horacio Elizondo to demand a card for Rooney after the England star stamped on Chelsea's Portuguese defender Ricardo Carvalho.

England's future under McClaren is bright

England will benefit from new manager Steve McClaren's experience of the national team's World Cup heartache, according to Football Association chief executive Brian Barwick.

"First and foremost the England coach has to qualify for major tournaments," he said.

"We've seen over the last three weeks exactly what England in a major tournament is about, 30 million people galvanised.

"England start again in August in a new era with a new coach and we have to be positive and we are positive about that.

"What I see as a huge positive, and I've watched it up close in the last three weeks, is the value Steve has got from being around the players for a long time, focused on a major tournament.

"This is his third major tournament, he's been around these players for a long time and they have a huge respect for him."

FIFA to investigate Frings and fracas

Germany could be hit by a late blow ahead of Tuesday's World Cup semi-final with Italy after FIFA asked to see footage that apparently shows influential midfielder Torsten Frings hitting Argentinian striker Julio Cruz in the free for all that took place after the quarter-final.

The images were shown on Italian Sky Television on Sunday just hours after FIFA had said they were looking into Argentinian midfielder Maxi Rodriguez hitting Bastian Schweinsteigger.

All this took place after the hosts had eliminated Argentina on penalties, with even team manager Oliver Bierhoff wading in he claimed to separate the players from each other.

FIFA had already launched an investigation into the shabby scenes, with its president Sepp Blatter taking a very dim view of the fracas.

Uruguayan handed whistle for France v Portugal

Uruguayan Jorge Larrondia has been appointed referee for the potentially explosive World Cup semi-final between 1998 world champions France and Euro 2004 finalists Portugal in Munich.

The 38-year-old - who says that his favourite match of his career was France's 3-2 victory over Turkey in the 2003 Confederations Cup semi-finals - will be assisted on Wednesday by his compatriots Walter Rial and Pablo Fandiono.

FIFA will be hoping it does not end like the Euro 2000 semi-final between the two sides which resulted in several Portuguese players being severely punished for violent scenes at the end after a controversial penalty was awarded against them.

The Uruguayan trio have already officiated at two matches at the tournament, the first round clash between Italy and the United States which saw Larrionda send off three players and France's 2-0 victory over Togo in their final gorup match.

Domenech imposes a news blackout on France

Coach Raymond Domenech has imposed a news blackout ahead of France's World Cup semi-final against Portugal as he seeks to prevent complacency seeping in after the stunning win over Brazil.

He's worried reports of all the euphoria back home generated by knocking out the defending champions in Saturday's 1-0 win will distract his high flying veterans from Wednesday's last four clash in Munich.

"We've achieved something super, it's always a pleasure when you reap the rewards of the work you've put in," he said.

"But our work is not finished, we can't let up.

"We're happy but now there's a match coming up, a World Cup semi-final with all that entails with the final beyond it.

"The danger is to think we've done it by beating Brazil, we've got to get the players back to where they were before that win.

"It's a bit like having two metres to go before you reach the summit.

"We've got to give the maximum in this semi-final. I've turned off my mobile to stop getting all the messages of congratulations and we're not watching the news so as to keep ourselves fixed on the objective."

Rooney must explain 'stamping'

England striker Wayne Rooney has until Thursday to explain his actions in stepping on the groin of Portuguese player Ricardo Carvalho in the World Cup quarter-final, FIFA said on Monday.

All players who receive a direct red card in World Cup matches must give a detailed explanation to the FIFA disciplinary committee which has the power to hand down suspensions for international matches.

The Manchester United forward was dismissed by referee Horacio Elizondo in the 62nd minute of Saturday's match after appearing to stamp on Carvalho.

England's 10 men hung on without their star striker but went on to lose in a penalty shootout.

England start their qualification campaign for Euro 2008 against Andorra on September 2.

Don't bask in Argentina win says Klinsmann

Germany coach Jurgen Klinsmann believes it is vital that the hosts do not revel in the glory of Friday's sensational World Cup quarter-final penalty shootout win over Argentina, saying they can only be content when the trophy is in the cabinet.

"You can never look back after a successful match but look towards the next big challenge," said Klinsmann.

"We can only be content if we are world champions on Sunday. I will give everything to make that happen.

"There is no time for the word 'content' at the moment. A World Cup like this encourages a permanent hunger from match to match."

"In the beginning some laughed when we set the World Cup title as our target after we exited the Euro 2004 at the first stage. But fortunately now there is a different way of thinking which we have achieved through two years of hard work."

Nesta unlikely to face Germany

The chances of Italy's central defender Alessandro Nesta being fit to face Germany in the World Cup semi-finals are "very remote", Azzurri chief press officer Antonello Valentini said here on Sunday.

The 30-year-old centre-back has missed Italy's last two matches with a groin strain and is still struggling to recover from the injury.

Palermo's Andrea Barzagli replaced Nesta in the 3-0 quarter-final win against Ukraine, but that was due to Marco Materazzi's one-match suspension.

Having served his ban, Materazzi - who scored in the 2-0 win over the Czech Republic before being sent-off against Australia - will almost certainly return to the heart of the Italy defence to play alongside captain Fabio Cannavaro when they face the host nation in Dortmund on Tuesday.

England fans praised after exit

The World Cup organisers on Sunday paid tribute to England's travelling army of fans despite dozens of arrests following the World Cup quarter-final defeat against Portugal.

"The English fans said before they are now the world champions in partying. "They have proved to be right, we had a great atmosphere," organising committee spokesman Gerd Graus said.

Police said they had arrested around 180 fans before and after England's defeat in a tense penalty shootout in the industrial western city of Gelsenkirchen.

About 80 supporters, most of them English, were arrested when they went on the rampage in the city centre and threw objects at the police just after Portugal had secured a place in the semi-finals.

Mexican to referee Germany v Italy semi-final

Mexican Benito Archundia will referee the World Cup semi-final between Germany and Italy it was announced on Sunday.

The 40-year-old will be assisted by compatriots Jose Ramirez and Hector Vergara for Tuesday's clash in Dortmund.

The trio have already been in charge of three matches at the tournament, the two first round clashes of Italy's 2-0 win over the Czech Republic - Archundia sending Czech player Jan Polak off - and Brazil's 1-0 victory over Croatia.

They also officiated at Ukraine's penalty shootout win over Switzerland in the second round.

Archundia, who is a qualified lawyer, has been an international referee since 1994 and has appeared at both the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and the 2004 edition in Athens.

Beckham quits as England captain

David Beckham resigned as England captain here Sunday following his side's World Cup quarter-final exit to Portugal.

Beckham was close to tears as he read from a prepared statement at England's training camp in southern Germany to confirm his decision to step down.

"On November 15, 2000 Peter Taylor gave me the greatest honour of my career in making me the captain of England, fulfilling me childhood dream," said the Real Madrid star.

"Now, almost six years later, after being captain for 58 of my 95 caps, I feel the time is right to pass on the armband as we enter in a new era under Steve McClaren.

"It has been an honour and a privilege to have captained our country and I want to stress that I wish to continue to play for England and look forward to helping both the new captain and Steve McClaren in any way I can."

"Finally, I have lived the dream, I am extremely proud to have worn the armband and been captain of England and for that I will also be grateful".

Germany prepares for street party

Germany was preparing to pack even more fans into its hugely popular open-air viewing areas on Tuesday when the home nation face Italy in the World Cup semi-finals.

In Berlin, the so-called Fan Mile which leads up to Brandenburg Gate, was being expanded westwards to fit 900,000 people when the Mannschaft meets the Azzurri in the hope of securing a place in the final.

"This has become much bigger than we ever dreamt," Berlin mayor Klaus Wowereit said at the weekend.

The Fan Mile has hosted more than six million supporters so far during the World Cup, making the football celebrations the biggest street party the city has seen since the Berlin Wall fell in 1989.

Sorry seems to be the easiest word for Eriksson

An apologetic Sven-Goran Eriksson brought the curtain down on his five-and-a-half year reign as England manager Sunday, expressing regret for failing to deliver on his vow to win the World Cup.

Eriksson said two factors were to blame for the defeat: the pivotal red card for Wayne Rooney and the failure of his players to convert their penalties.

In the final analysis, he said, England had only themselves to blame.

"I think we should be doing the warm down now and looking forward to the semi-final," Eriksson said. "But we're not, and we have to blame ourselves because I don't think we should be going home today.

"But that's life and you have to accept it. It will take a long time for it to sink in and I'm sorry -- I'm really sorry for the squad, and I'm sorry for all the England fans. They deserved something better."

"If you see the teams in the semi-finals, we should be there. And I'm sorry for all England, for the team, for the fans, and for you (the media) a little bit that we're not there."