ROONEY's fire and fitness mask a multitude of sins

A paper cup was blasted into the pitchside wall. The roof of the dugout reverberated to a slap of the hand. His boots were torn off and thrown at the grass. Imprecations were uttered. Wayne Rooney was in a strop.

But it was a rage of frustration, a young man's anger that he had been unable to finish the match and to complete the job he had started. "I asked him about it afterwards and he told me it was because he was disappointed," Sven-Goran Eriksson said, reflecting on his decision to remove the 20-year-old in the 69th minute. "But he played better than last time. He lasted longer, and he will get better and better. I took him off because I can't risk him getting injured."

Seldom was a truer word spoken by an England manager. The team's absolute reliance on Rooney's presence was emphasised last night by a first half in which they functioned properly for the first time in the tournament, despite starting the match with a stroke of wretched misfortune.

As he watched Michael Owen writhing on the touchline less than a minute into last night's match, Eriksson must have wondered what blows fate is reserving for the remainder of this chequered World Cup campaign. Deprived first of Owen, then of Rooney, and now of Owen once again, he found himself summarily thwarted in his desire to reassemble and road-test his most potent striking combination.

Poor Owen, who has spent the last six months struggling to recover from the broken foot he suffered on New Year's Eve. As he was strapped on to the stretcher last night, it looked very much as though his World Cup was in jeopardy. And given the scanty nature of the squad's striking resources, it seemed that the head coach would be needing to brace himself against another assault from his critics.

No squad is ever going to be improved by the removal of a fit and firing Owen, but for a while last night it looked as though this might be one of those occasions on which an accident steers a team towards the discovery of its true form and nature. Eriksson's players gave an instant and positive reaction to the setback, and none more obviously than Rooney. Making his first start for England since the friendly against Uruguay on March 1, he responded to the emergency created by his partner's early departure with a show of vigour that put the utmost pressure on Sweden's veteran centre-backs while working hard to dovetail with Peter Crouch, who was making an unexpectedly swift return as Owen's replacement.

Ninety minutes before the kick-off Rooney and Crouch had wandered on to the pitch among a small group of England players who watched the stadium's giant screens with interest as the early arrivals were treated to a film of the World Cup's greatest misses. Brazilians, Yugoslavs, Frenchmen and Russians were among those whose momentary embarrassments were captured on film for the instruction and amusement of future generations. Among them, indeed, was the great Paolo Rossi, the goalscoring inspiration of Italy's 1982 triumph, who was at that very moment hanging around behind the media area in the Stadion Köln, enjoying a crafty fag.

If you had to bet on an Englishman to match Rossi's impact in the present tournament, it would certainly be Rooney. During the subsequent warm-up he raced around with a zest that brought a smile to the face of David Beckham and launched himself into challenges with a vigour that would have chilled the blood of the FA's insurance underwriters.

Thrown into the fray after an hour against Trinidad & Tobago last Thursday, Rooney revved up the team's mental approach through his mere arrival on the pitch. His failure to beat Dwight Yorke in a straight sprint down the wing, however, prompted questions about his true fitness. Last night he seemed to dispel those doubts, filling the first half with runs of energetic directness and impressive power which seemed to lift the level of the whole team, certainly when compared with their performances against Paraguay and in the first, Rooney-less hour against the Caribbean islanders.

There had been a degree of anxiety that he might fall foul of last night's referee, Massimo Busacca. During the defeat in Belfast last September, the Swiss official booked Rooney for raising his arm to Keith Gillespie and could well have followed up that initial sanction with a second yellow card for various outbreaks of voluble dissent and general disorderliness. On their second meeting, however, Rooney kept his emotions under control, perhaps recognising that Owen's departure placed an extra weight of responsibility on his shoulders.

Only after his own exit did he allow the tensions of the night to surface. Until then he had led the attack with great verve, working hard to give depth and width to an attack that had seemed one-dimensional in his absence. To begin with it was Frank Lampard who most obviously benefited from Eriksson's change of formation and from Rooney's ability to knit together the forward and midfield lines. Making the most of the space vacated by the absent Steven Gerrard, Lampard came to the fore as he has not done for several matches in an England shirt.

And yet almost as soon as the second half began England's most damaging habit reasserted itself. As so often in tournament play, Eriksson's men proved unable to hang on to a hard-won lead. And having begun last night's match by suffering a grievous blow to their strike force, they ended it with their vaunted defence in total disarray. A team who were reputed to have enough highly qualified centre-backs to supply a whole World Cup group turned out to be horribly vulnerable to anything lofted into their goalmouth.

One step forward, one rather sizeable step back. But Rooney's parting show of spirit may yet turn out to have been the night's most significant gesture.

Source: The Guardian

Owen to miss rest of World Cup with knee injury

Michael Owen will miss the rest of the World Cup after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.

The England striker was injured Tuesday in the second minute of his team's 2-2 draw with Sweden in Cologne. Owen had a scan on his knee Wednesday near England's team base in southern Germany and was to return home later in the day.

"Obviously it's a massive blow to suffer the injury -- and be out of the World Cup," Owen said in a statement. "As soon as it happened I knew I was in trouble. It was a
major disappointment to pick up the injury so early in the game."

Owen's right knee buckled after he played a pass. He rolled off the field and lay on the sideline clutching his leg while play continued. He was treated by doctors and then strapped to a stretcher and taken away.

The English Football Association said Owen's recovery would be handled by his English Premier League club Newcastle. Freddy Shepherd, the club's chairman, said Owen had ruptured the ligament, but it was "too early to say how long he will be out for, although it is a serious injury."

Players generally need 6-to-8 months to recover from a torn ACL.

"Everyone at the club will give Michael their full support and our concern now is to provide the best possible care for Michael and get him on the mend as quickly as possible," Shepherd told Newcastle's Web site.

Owen said he was "clearly sorry" to leave Germany, but was convinced England would be a success.

"I'll be following all the matches very closely and giving them my full support, hopefully all the way to Berlin," he said. "My main objective is now to get fit as quickly as possible for Newcastle United."

The 26-year-old Owen, who broke a bone in his right foot on Dec. 31, only returned last month. He had been replaced in both of England's World Cup games before Tuesday.

"Michael has had terrible luck with injuries since Christmas," England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson said. "I feel very sorry for him to miss out on the rest of the World Cup --it's a blow to him and a big loss for the team.

"However, I am sure Michael will work very hard to get back as quickly as possible for Newcastle and England. He is a true professional and a very mentally strong person. I hope the team can now go on and achieve success in Germany for Michael."

Both England and Sweden have advanced to the second round from Group B.

"It's very disappointing for him and the team, as well," England goalkeeper Paul Robinson said. "Unbelievable. Just as he was getting fit, as well. It's just a very, very unfortunate incident."

Owen made his World Cup debut as an 18-year-old in 1998, scoring an incredible goal against Argentina. He's been a mainstay in England's attack ever since.

This year's World Cup is his fifth tournament for England, but Owen has had a disappointing past two years.

He moved from Liverpool to Real Madrid in 2004, but failed to break into the starting lineup. He moved back to England last season with Newcastle and made 10 starts for the club and one substitute appearance.

Owen's latest injury means Wayne Rooney's fitness has now become crucial for England.

The Manchester United striker started his first game since breaking his foot on April 29 and lasted 69 minutes.

Without Owen, England has only three strikers left: Rooney, Peter Crouch and 17-year-old Theo Walcott, who has only 25 minutes of international experience and has never played in the English Premier League for Arsenal.

"To lose a player of Michael's quality is bad for the team and it's bad for the squad," Robinson said. "The loss of a striker is going to hit any squad, but we've got Theo, we've got Stevie (Gerrard), who can play up there off the front two. We've got Wazza (Rooney) and Crouchy who are playing well at the moment. We should be all right."

England plays Ecuador in the second round in Stuttgart on Sunday.

Source: AP

TORRES comes of age in World Cup cauldron

High-flying Spaniard Fernando Torres is set to blow his way through Saudi Arabia's leaky defence boosting a World Cup goals tally that could in turn spark English Premiership interest in his talents.

The Spain striker, who sits one goal behind Germany's four-goal hero Miroslav Klose in the World Cup scoring table, may be relatively unknown outside the Primera Liga where he plays for Madrid's unfashionable Atletico.

However his World Cup performances for Spain - capping some blistering attacking displays with three goals in two games - could change his footballing horizons.

Torres has in the past been courted by some of England's biggest clubs and at only 22 years old, the player known as 'El Nino' (The Kid) is still a huge prospect.

Torres opened his account with a goal against Ukraine, and was on hand with two crucial goals to help Spain qualify for the second round in Stuttgart on Monday with a convincing 3-1 win over Tunisia.

While regularly criticised for missing goalscoring opportunities, he is regarded as a vital element in Aragones' attack.

His first goal against Tunisia on Monday came after he ran 50 yards on to a through ball down the left from Arsenal's Cesc Fabregas.

After rounding the last defender, the outside of Torres' right foot sent an exquisite angled shot past the hapless Tunisia keeper Ali Boumnijel and into the net from 18 yards.

In the absence of Spain's habitual penalty taker David Villa, who was substituted for strapping forward Joaquin in the 55th minute, Torres' second came from the penalty spot after he had been obstructed in the box.

"David (Villa) wasn't there to take it as he usually does, so it came down to me," said Torres, in the simplest of terms.

In their two matches so far Spain coach Luis Aragones has left Raul on the bench and substituted all of his leading forwards - bar one.

On Friday, Torres is again likely to start and finish a match which the already eliminated 'Sons of the Desert' will be hoping does not turn into a goals-fest in Spain's favour.

Aragones is not normally known for singing his players' praises, but when it comes to Torres, who scored seven goals for Spain in their qualifying campaign, he is prepared to make an exception.

"Fernando is an enormously strong player," said Aragones after the Tunisia game.

"He has great physical condition and boundless energy, although he still has some things to improve on."

Although one of the Liga's most feared strikers, Torres has probably suffered playing at Atletico - where Aragones made his name as a goalscoring midfielder before going on to coach at the Estadio Vicente Calderon.

Atletico are usually left playing for honours in mid-table, meaning their profile in the Champions League is practically non-existent.

And given that a transfer to Real, or Barcelona would be practically impossible for Torres, the general feeling in Spain is that he will soon give in to the temptation and, like Luis Garcia or Cesc Fabregas, move to England.

Source: AFP

Ghana's ESSIEN brings two-way worries for US

Michael Essien is on the verge of leading World Cup stunner Ghana into the second round, the Chelsea midfielder having already convinced a worried US squad that he could destroy their Cup dreams.

A victory over the Americans here Thursday in a Group E showdown would send the World Cup debutantes into the round of 16, possibly against reigning champion Brazil.

"It would be hard, but we are prepared for it," Essien said. "We're not afraid to meet the Brazilians. We are ready to play anyone. First we have to deal with the USA. They play good football and they will be tough."

The 23-year-old star sparked Ghana past second-ranked Czech Republic 2-0 in the biggest Cup shocker so far, a landmark triumph for the Cup debutantes.

"It really shows what we are made of," Essien said. "The win was very important for Ghana and for African football."

A draw with the USA might be enough to send the Black Stars through, but with their destiny in their hands, Ghana players want to leave no doubts.

"We will go for a win against the US team," Essien said. "And our chances are good I think."

US coach Bruce Arena agrees, seeing the control of Essien as a central factor in a game the 2002 quarter-finalists must win for any hope to advance.

"Essien is one of the top players in this tournament. He not only organized their attack, he played well on defence," Arena said.

"He's a player who is brilliant. We can't let him do what he wants for 90 minutes or we're going to lose."

Chelsea paid 38 million Euros, the largest transfer fee for any African player, to bring Essien from French champion Lyon. Essien responded by helping Chelsea capture a second consecutive English Premiership crown.

Essien has the ability to orchestrate the backline and serve as the vital distributor on the attack, impressing US counterpart Landon Donovan.

"Essien is dynamic. He is the modern two-way player. He plays tough defence and he scores a lot of goals," Donovan said.

"He's going to hurt you if you're not aware of where he is all the time. So we're going to be aware."

While Ghana and the US squad have never played a full international, they did meet in the 1999 under-17 world consolation final. Defender coordinator Essien helped Ghana get the best of attacker Donovan's US side to finish third.

Asked if he recalled Essien from the match, Donovan admitted, "No, I don't. But you can say I did."

Donovan might soon remember Essien as the man who sparked a poor African nation's side to a World Cup dream triumph over a team from one of the wealthiest and most powerful places on the planet to doom their Cup hopes.

Just ask Czech goalkeeper Peter Cech, who saw his own country's title hopes imperiled by his Chelsea teammate.

"Essien showed what a great player he is," Cech said.

A repeat performance could leave audiences dancing in the streets of Ghana.

Source: AFP

RAUL once more the king of Spain

Spanish football icon Raul shook off a dose of the substitutes' blues to help relaunch Spain's World Cup campaign in a pulsating 3-1 win over Tunisia in Group H on Monday.

Raul came off the bench at the start of the second half to equalise Jawer Mnari's shock eighth-minute opener for Roger Lemerre's former African champions to settle the nerves of Luis Aragones and his players.

Atletico Madrid's Fernando Torres then struck the first of two goals after beating the Tunisian defence to a through ball from second half substitute Cesc Fabregas.
Torres, who also scored in Spain's 4-0 thrashing of Ukraine, finished Spain's top scorer on the night after he beat Tunisia keeper Ali Boumnijel from the penalty spot to take his World Cup tally to three goals.

However it was Raul's revival, after what has been an uncertain start to his third World Cup, that stole the show as Spain booked their second round ticket with a match to spare.

Torres admitted it was Raul's goal that was the catalyst for their fightback.

"For a long time nothing was going right for us up front but we were persistent," he said.

"I'm really happy I scored two goals, but Raul's goal was really important for our team. It kept us going."

Coming off a desperate season with Real Madrid due to a three-month injury layoff, Raul has looked down in the dumps ever since realising that his lack of match form would keep him down the Spain pecking order.

When he came on for the start of the second half he took some time to find his rhythm. But when he did he looked back to his old self, roaming the area looking for space and waiting to pounce on any loose balls.

In the 71st minute Raul found an opening when he held off his marker to pounce on a rebound in the area and beat keeper Ali Boumnijel from six yards out.

The goal took his record for Spain to 44 in 97 international appearances, but Raul was characteristically modest.

"It was very important for the team to get back on terms. It calmed us down and it says a lot for the team that we hung on in there and came back," he said.

It could however give Aragones a potential selection headache once the going gets tough in the second round after the final group match against Saudi Arabia on Friday. So far Aragones has favoured Liverpool's Luis Garcia playing behind Torres and on-form Valencia striker David Villa, who finished the Primera Liga's second top goalscorer behind Samuel Eto'o of Barcelona last season, in a promising 4-3-3.

However despite creating plenty of chances in the first half against the strudy north Africans, Tunisia's tough defensive tactics called for a change of plan. Aragones admitted that Raul had provided the perfect answer to Tunisia's physical presence at the back.

"We don't have big, two-metre tall players in our team - but we do have Raul, and he is able to react quickly," said Aragones, who also highlighted the sterling work of Arsenal's Cesc Fabregas.

"The way Cesc and Raul interpreted our kind of game worked perfectly. In the end we deserved to win."

Source: AFP

Mature TERRY ready to face challenge of his life

England's ambition at the World Cup is a mosaic of individual aspirations. This is a youngish squad yet its members have mostly been around long enough to experience the struggle of a career.

John Terry, captain of dominant Chelsea though he may be now, recalls how far he was from being equipped for the 2002 version of this tournament when he was 21. "It didn't even enter my head that I should be in the squad," he said. "I wasn't ready. When you look at Rio [Ferdinand] and Sol Campbell, they were different class. I wasn't near them. I feel ready now and it's time for me to prove myself."

Terry is right to suppose that he is still to demonstrate his worth fully. During Euro 2004, his sole tournament with England, they conceded four goals in the three matches he played. Though he was not particularly to blame, all their attacking prowess will be in vain this summer unless the defence functions much better.
He feels added experience and greater understanding will make a crucial difference this time. "You want to be the best," he said. "I'm improving and I'm trying to get there. When I train with Chelsea and England I don't just come away and get on the bus. I'm thinking about the work I've done and what I need to improve on."

There has been a certain amount on which to reflect lately. The cameras caught his amusement and bemusement when the 19-year-old Aaron Lennon beat him comprehensively in a practice session. At 25, Terry already has to wonder at youngsters such as the Spurs winger and, to an extent, Theo Walcott.

"It's frightening when you have players like that," he said. "They know no different. Give them the ball and they get at people. If they do come on they will do a lot of damage." Terry has to plan to keep England out of harm's way when they meet Paraguay at the start of Group B on Saturday.

The defender has spoken with his Chelsea team-mate Hernán Crespo, who has played for Argentina against Aníbal Ruiz's side. Owen Hargreaves has also been consulted for information on his fellow Bayern Munich player Roque Santa Cruz. Paraguay's other forward Haedo Valdez, now moving to Borussia Dortmund, is known to the England midfielder as well.

There is an element of studiousness to Terry that might not have been anticipated in so visceral a defender. "It's down to ourselves, apart from what Steve McClaren and the boss do, to find out information for ourselves," he said. In the qualifiers Paraguay beat Argentina so they should offer a serious measure by which to judge England.

Ruiz's team may take the pace out of the game and even resort to minor fouls. This has been billed as a World Cup of strict officiating and Peter Mikkelsen, the former referee and now a Fifa adviser, did state on his visit to the England camp that shirtpulling, for instance, might lead to a booking.

Terry has to avoid a caution and hope Paraguay are chastened by yellow cards. When Wayne Bridge caught him on the ankle in training on Tuesday, though, the defender's first thought was "I could be on the way home". No matter how difficult Paraguay turn out to be, Terry's sense of gratitude at being part of this World Cup should stay undiminished.

Source: Kevin McCarra, The Guardian

LAMPARD wears weight of expectation lightly

If you were one of England's team of physios, you might try to talk Frank Lampard out of wearing the gigantic gold-encrusted watch that glittered from his left wrist when he turned up to meet the press in the garden cafe of a Baden-Baden hotel yesterday. Not only did it look heavy enough to pull his vertebrae out of alignment, its high bling quotient seemed an affront to a man who, having grown out of his phase of youthful indiscretions, otherwise radiates maturity and good sense.

Unfailingly polite and considerate, he was nevertheless quick to correct one journalist who prefaced a question about a 40-year record of disappointment in major tournaments with the casual suggestion that "England are the greatest nation in the world".

"I don't think anyone's got a divine right to win any tournament," Lampard replied. "And I don't know about England being the greatest nation in the world. I understand what you're saying, and with the top clubs and the top players we've got you'd hope to win more. But we can only look at ourselves. I've watched us lose World Cups in the past, and we've fallen short."

Omitted from Eriksson's squad four years ago, he went on holiday to the United States. The plan was to get away from the World Cup, but he found himself drawn to it. Watching the match against Argentina on television, however, he fell asleep and had to ring home for the result. Two years later he was acclaimed as the most effective performer in the Euro 2004 party, but not even the memory of three goals in four games could assuage the pain of elimination at the quarter-final stage.

"It was horrible on the pitch, it was horrible that evening with the families, and it was horrible the next morning, packing your bags to go home," he recollected yesterday. "I love all this - not just the games but the build-up and everything around it. It's where everyone wants to be. So when you're getting sent home, there's no worse feeling. And that's the kind of feeling that can drive you on to success."

Reluctant to go overboard in his predictions, he was none the less keen to promote a positive outlook. "I know that every time we sit down to talk about it we say the squad's stronger than it's ever been and that kind of thing, but I do feel an extra maturity about the team. Some of the players have an extra tournament behind them and they're now physically at their peak, and there's the mixture of the young players who've come in and are offering us that freshness and pace and an attitude that isn't fearful of anything because they've never been here before.

"We've got so many players who've played under high pressure and been successful, whether they're Liverpool players or Chelsea players or Manchester United or Arsenal players. People might say if we get to the semi-final that's a good achievement, but we've got top players and top personalities throughout the squad and we're putting pressure on ourselves to win it. We shouldn't come with any other attitude than that. And when you see players like John Terry, Steven Gerrard and Gary Neville, you're not talking about players who're in it for themselves. You're talking about players who're in it to back up their team-mates and go on and win the tournament."

Lampard will celebrate his 28th birthday on June 20, the night England play Sweden in Cologne in their final group match. His form for Chelsea this season has been subject to fluctuations, and a dip towards the end of the league campaign was mirrored in relatively quiet performances against Hungary and Jamaica, although he scored the opening goal, his 11th in 32 appearances, against the Caribbean team, having missed a penalty against the east Europeans.

"I think my own form is very good," he said yesterday. "The season before I was very consistent and I finished it on a big high that lasted a long time. I think once you've set yourself those levels, the moment they aren't as high everyone wants to jump in. But I'm big enough now not to get too upset."

A two-week holiday after another long season seems to have paid the expected dividends in terms of physical and mental recuperation. "I certainly enjoyed the break," he said. "It was good foresight by the manager to fight to get it for us. Now I feel very fresh and hungry to start the games. And I have no fear. I go into it feeling very confident and I want to be a massive player for England in this World Cup."

Source: Richard Williams - The Guardian

Captain BALLACK writes off Germany's chances of victory

On the eve of the World Cup Germany's captain Michael Ballack yesterday gave a remarkably bleak assessment of their prospects in the tournament, describing his team as "deficient". In an interview with the German newspaper Der Tages-spiegel Ballack admitted his side, who take on Costa Rica tomorrow in the opening match in Munich, lacked the experience of previous squads.

Ballack, who is almost certain to play tomorrow after being cleared by doctors to resume training after a calf strain, said: "In comparison with some of the big teams we have deficiencies. Perhaps I'm wrong. I very much hope I'm wrong."

The midfielder missed two training sessions this week, prompting fears that Germany would be without their talismanic captain tomorrow, but he said: "It's not so bad. I'm sure I can play against Costa Rica. It's a hangover of the game against Colombia. I noticed on Sunday evening that there was still a stubborn twinge in my calf. But I'm optimistic it can be completely treated."

However Ballack, who will move from Bayern Munich to Chelsea after the World Cup, was surprisingly pessimistic about Germany's chances of winning on home soil. He said: "We have a team that is still in development. We don't have the choice [of players] we had during the 1990 World Cup, or in my opinion we had during the 1996 European Championships. There were many, many more tested and experienced international players back then. That isn't the case with this team."

He continued: "The team lives from its enthusiasm and from its lack of anxiety. Of course it makes a few mistakes, too. That's why I'm going into the tournament with a bit of uncertainty." Ballack also admitted that Germany had played too few competitive games since Jürgen Klinsmann took over as coach two years ago. "We've had virtually only friendly matches," Ballack said. "The only tough test was during the Confederations' Cup. It was the only opportunity to measure ourselves in comparable conditions."

The mood in the German camp, now based at their headquarters in Berlin, appears to have lightened since the defeat of Colombia last weekend. But the Bayern midfielder yesterday conceded that the German squad still had problems, most notably with its defence. This was most recently exposed during Germany's friendly last week against Japan. At one point in the second half Germany were 2-0 down, recovering to draw 2-2. "Our results in the run-up to the World Cup show that this team wobbles. It isn't always stable," Ballack said.

Germany were not assuming easy victories in the group stage and would take their first-round opponents - Costa Rica, Poland and Ecuador - "very seriously", he said. German commentators, meanwhile, have been full of criticism of Klinsmann's attempts to transform Germany's playing style to the offensive rapid game now commonplace in the Premier League and elsewhere.

Ballack was cautiously supportive of Klinsmann's aims but warned yesterday that the team needed to avoid costly mistakes. He told Der Tagesspiegel: "Our weakness is when defending. In the past two years we have never really got it right. We want to play forward and quickly. That's right, fundamentally, but sometimes we play forward too quickly and lose the ball. We have to be clear that we can't just think about attacking."

Ballack said he had a good relationship with Klinsmann but admitted they had disagreed over the team's playing style - with the captain last week publicly criticising Germany's inadequate defence. "We exchange views about the team's latest condition and what sort of shape it's in, both mentally and physically," he said. "The trainer is the decisive figure and wants us to play offensively. He also knows my opinion, though."

Asked whether the current Germany squad was now "his" team, Ballack said. "What do you mean my team? I became captain of a very young team two years ago. I've given my best to bring it on. But it's been a hard piece of work."

Source: Luke Harding - The Guardian

CISSE out for France after breaking leg in friendly

Djibril Cissé's chances both of featuring in the World Cup finals and leaving Liverpool appeared to have been dashed last night when he was stretchered from the field with a suspected broken leg during France's final pre-tournament friendly against China in Saint-Etienne.

The 24-year-old striker was chasing the ball down the right flank only 10 minutes into the fixture when he was knocked off balance by a China defender and, as he fell, his right leg twisted under him and buckled above the ankle. He departed the turf in agony and was replaced by David Trezeguet, with the France medical team's initial assessment suggesting he had broken his right tibia.

Should scans on the injury confirm the worst today Cissé will definitely miss his country's campaign in Germany - they depart for Hanover this morning - and may also be denied an escape route from Anfield. The Marseille sporting director Pape Diouf was on Merseyside yesterday discussing a possible move for the former Auxerre striker, who joined Liverpool for a club-record £14.1m in 2004 but has been made aware of the FA Cup winners' willingness to sell him.
Marseille's insistence that they wished to take him initially on a long-term loan basis meant no agreement had been reached over his departure for Stade Vélodrome, and they are likely to drop their interest if he has suffered a long-term injury.

Cissé missed much of his first season at Anfield after suffering a double fracture of his left leg in falling awkwardly in a Premiership match at Blackburn Rovers in October 2004.

"It is bad but we cannot say very much right now," said France's coach Raymond Domenech. "He has gone to the hospital for tests and we are extremely worried. We all saw what happened and it is hugely disappointing. We will go and see Djibril first but there will be solutions available to us."

Domenech will consider calling up the Barcelona midfielder Ludovic Giuly, the Lyon striker Sidney Govou or Fenerbahce's Nicolas Anelka as a replacement for the tournament.

Source: Dominic Fifield, The Guardian

ROONEY is injury free

Sven-Goran Eriksson today insisted Wayne Rooney is "injury free" and now just needs to obtain match fitness before he plays in the World Cup. The England coach declared the final decision on when the Manchester United striker can play in Germany will be "Rooney's and mine" after the player's club stated that independent medical opinion pointed to him not being ready to play until after the group stage.

Rooney joined in training with the rest of the squad in Baden-Baden this morning after undergoing a scan on his broken metatarsal in Manchester yesterday. United said last night that the 20-year-old "will require very careful assessment in order to address his suitability" to play.

However, Eriksson said today: "The good news from yesterday evening and today is Rooney has no more injury. He is injury free and it is up to us now to get him match-fit and when we think he is match-fit I am prepared to take him to any specialist we or Manchester United want to take him to."

Eriksson read out a prepared statement at this morning's press conference and then refused to answer any more questions on the subject from the assembled media. He referred to the independent medical advice given by Angus Wallace, a professor of orthopaedic surgery at Nottingham's Queen's Medical Centre and a former chairman of the National Sports Medicine Institute, who was on hand at the Whalley Range clinic which Rooney visited yesterday.

"Professor Wallace assured me this morning that he will be here when we think he is match fit," added Eriksson. "I'm prepared to listen to everyone and discuss with them about Wayne Rooney but the last say in this story is Rooney's and mine. I'm doing this in the best interests of Rooney, the England team and 40 million England fans. I'm responsible for it and I don't want any more discussions about Rooney until I tell you he is match fit. I don't want my players talking about Wayne Rooney's foot or injury and I hope you respect that."

It would appear the Swede is determined to field Rooney when he is considered to be fully fit despite another warning from United this morning, this time coming from Old Trafford director Sir Bobby Charlton, himself a World Cup winner with England in 1966.

What we don't want is for somebody to make a decision to play him when he's not fully fit," said Charlton. "That's dangerous for his future career, he's only a young boy."

Rooney broke his foot when playing for United against Chelsea on April 29 and his appearance in any of England's group games - they play Paraguay on Saturday, Trinidad
and Tobago next Thursday and Sweden on June 20 - would represent a remarkable recovery.

The second-round game, should England qualify, will be on June 24 or 25, depending on whether they win Group B or come second.

England captain David Beckham revealed Rooney had proved his fitness alongside the other members of the England squad. "He's done the fitness tests the way the other lads have done them. With him he will play when he is ready and that will be down to the management. It's nice now that all the squad are fit and back in training," said Beckham.

There were words of sympathy for Jermain Defoe, meanwhile, as Rooney's recovery means the Tottenham striker, who had been on stand-by, will have to leave the squad. "I think it's always hard when players have been in the squad all the way through," added Beckham. "Whether he stays with the team or goes on holiday Jermain is one of the best strikers in Europe. He's been top class so he will be sadly missed."

Steven Gerrard also welcomed the news on Rooney but sympathised with Defoe. "Jermain's been really professional," said the Liverpool captain. "Everyone knows he's a fantastic talent but unfortunately the manager can only pick 23 players. We've had good news on Wayne getting the all-clear after the scan but it's a shame because he's (Defoe) such a wonderful talent."

Source: Tom Lutz and agencies (Guardian)

Who's the greatest? RONALDINHO?

Can Ronaldinho, the smiling, mouth-full-of-teeth, feet-full-of-tricks Brazilian midfielder and goalscorer approach or even surpass the stature of Pele? Epoca, a Brazilian weekly magazine, asks that question in a recent cover story. The fact it even dares to raise the issue suggests how far Ronaldinho, 26, has come in a few years from humble beginnings at the Gremio soccer club in southern Brazil.

Without question, Ronaldinho is now the best-known, most-feared footballer around. When he gets the ball a hush descends. Anything can happen: an opponent left gaping; a defense-splitting pass of perfect weight and unlikely vision; a shot of outrageous precision. All executed with a playful whimsy, as if genius were the most natural thing in the world.

Ronaldinho has just helped his club, Barcelona, to its second consecutive Spanish League title, and to a European Champions League triumph over Arsenal. He was the FIFA World Player of the Year in 2004 and 2005, and also won the Golden Ball award for best European player last year. Recognition is coming thick and fast.

Still, the verdict in Brazil from six experts, including former World Cup stars Rivellino and Tostao, was: Ronaldinho's not there yet, not by some distance. In most areas of the game, and especially in shooting and heading, they gave Pele a clear advantage. The two players scored equal in dribbling, while Ronaldinho just edged Pele in control, and Pele was the narrow winner in passing. Overall, Pele got 465 points to Ronaldinho's 428.5. The beaming Barcelona boy, it seems, still has work to do.

Just how much is borne out by a few statistics. Pele scored 1,283 goals in 1,375 games, for an average of 0.93 per game. Ronaldinho is averaging just under half that. Pele won three World Cups (1958, 1962 and 1970); Ronaldinho has one to his name (2002). Pele won 11 league titles with Santos; Ronaldinho has three (one with Gremio, two with Barcelona).

The question of whether Pele can be equalled has come up before, of course. Maradona often seemed close, especially during Argentina's 1986 World Cup victory in Mexico.
Brazil's Zico (now managing Japan) was mentioned for a while in the same breath as the maestro. But the world's judgment in the end was: nope, not quite, nice try. Comparisons across the years, in any sport, are difficult. Is Roger Federer greater than Rod Laver or Bjorn Borg? How would Mike Tyson have fared in the ring against Joe Louis? And what about Michael Schumacher racing against another Brazilian, Emerson Fittipaldi? Go figure.

I think it's too early to rule out Ronaldinho's chances of equalling Pele. He has everything, starting with breathtaking skill and a good temperament. Or rather, almost everything: his heading stinks. He's the same age as Pele was in the 1966 World Cup. If Ronaldinho can lift Brazil to its sixth triumph in Germany and follow that, at the age of 30, with another inspired performance in South Africa in 2010, his claims to sit alongside Pele in the pantheon will become irrefutable. That's a lot of "ifs," I know, but no more than Ronaldinho has already overcome in his journey from a humble home in the southern city of Porto Alegre.

Source: Roger Cohen - IHT Blogs