Iran and some other Weak Teams' News !

[alimania]

Go Ghana! They jsut beat South Korea 3-1.. hehe

[DuK]

from the "weak teams" i choose Serbia & Montenegro because i like slavien people

[Antonio117]

Originally Posted by Kasparov

Saudi arabia has some good players , Sami el jaber is amazing , i expect them to reach the 2nd round .

There is al Ka7tani also..he's good...

Anywayz they wont make it to second round...(if they did, then they have a chance for the cup) Because Spain and Ukraine are In the Group....besides Tunisia ofcourse

[JulesK]

japan news:

Eurosport

Hidetoshi Nakata thinks his Japan side are a shambles ahead of their opening World Cup game against Australia next week. Bolton midfielder Nakata was speaking after Japan stumbled to a 1-0 win over lowly Malta in their final warm-up game on Sunday.

"We got nothing from the game," fumed Nakata. "It doesn't matter what sort of football you play - unless you run and work for each other it's pointless. Those are basic things."

The 29-year-old former Parma and Roma player has already stuck the boot in about his side's professionalism, complaining that the atmosphere within the Japanese squad was "too friendly" and that they were "not ready" for the World Cup.

"We're hardly at the stage where we can suddenly change things," Nakata told reporters. "What we're missing is the heart."

Nakata is Japan's most well-known and high-achieving player, but has been no stranger to controversy in the past, regularly sparring with former coach Philippe Troussier ahead of the 2002 World Cup, where they reached the second round.

Nakata was influential in last week's impressive 2-2 draw with World Cup hosts Germany but the mood has changed after injuries to Naohiro Takahara, Atsushi Yanagisawa and wing back Akira Kaji.

Sunday's goalscorer Keiji Tamada scored played down the rift ahead of the opening clash against Australia:

"We're in a strange country where we don't speak the language so it hasn't really hit us that we're at the World Cup," said Tamada. "But we'll be ready."

[JulesK]

Eurosport

Mexico's first-choice goalkeeper Oswaldo Sanchez has been forced to return home from the World Cup, following the death of his father on Wednesday, a spokesman for the Mexican FA said.

"We received the call late yesterday and he has left for Mexico." Juan Jose Kochen told Reuters on Thursday morning. "We are all shocked and our thoughts are with him."

Kochen said his association are in contact with World Cup organisers, FIFA, and will make a statement regarding their plans later on Thursday.

[JulesK]

Eurosport - BH - 10/06/2006 07:48
TOGO BOSS RESIGNS

Togo boss Otto Pfister has quit his job with World Cup debutants Togo due to an unresolved dispute over bonus payments among the squad. "Otto Pfister left the hotel with his co-trainer Piet Hamberg at 22:00 (local time)," team doctor Joachim Schubert said early on Saturday.

Togo coach Otto Pfister has quit his job with the World Cup debutants due to an unresolved dispute over bonus payments among the squad. "Otto Pfister left the hotel with his co-trainer Piet Hamberg at 2220 (local time)," team doctor Joachim Schubert said early on Saturday.

"It is too bad he's left because it worked well, Togo and Otto Pfister. But the situation was no longer sustainable for the coach," he said of the 68-year-old German.

Togo, playing at their first ever world Cup finals are based in the city of Wangen as they prepare for their tournament debut against South Korea in Frankfurt on Tuesday.

This will be followed by matches against Switzerland on June 19 and France just four days later.

The players had demanded 155,000 euros each to play in the tournament plus 30,000 each per win and 15,000 per draw. Officials from the small West African country said it was too much money.

DISPUTE

Even Prime Minister Edem Kodjo has been called in to help try to end the dispute.

Pfister, who has previously coached the national sides of Zaire and Ghana, was bought in to replace Stephen Keshi on a short-term contract after Togo's dismal showing at the African Nations Cup in Egypt.

The team left that tournament having failed to register a goal, leaving Keshi without a job despite having guided Togo to a first World Cup.

Pfister is originally from Cologne and had been due to return to his home town for the match against former world champions France.

He has spent much of his life globetrotting, coaching eight different countries before Togo after a playing and early coaching career based in Switzerland, having maintained a base in Zurich since 1959.

[JulesK]

Eurosport - JS - 10/06/2006 22:16

Captain Andriy Shevchenko has cast doubt on his participation in Ukraine's opening World Cup match against Spain in Leipzig on Wednesday.

"I'm working with the squad and I'm feeling quite good," he told reporters after training on Saturday.

"This period is important for me as I have to work to get in better shape. Possibly not for the first match but for the ones after."

Chelsea's record signing is recovering from a knee injury he picked up playing for previous club AC Milan. He was used as a second-half substitute in last Thursday's 3-0 warm-up victory over Luxembourg.

"It's difficult after half an hour of a friendly match to know exactly what my physical state is," Shevchenko, 29, said. "We still have time to assess things and decide together."

Coach Oleg Blokhin was just as cagey about his chances. "I can't say anything. I want Shevchenko to be the star of the World Cup but we'll just have to see in the next few days what his physical state is."

[ruqayyah]

Well I think that Saudi Arabia will go out in the first round!! and Iran will stay on till the second round, hopefully even make the next round. Who knows?

[Antonio117]

Originally Posted by ruqayyah

Well I think that Saudi Arabia will go out in the first round!! and Iran will stay on till the second round, hopefully even make the next round. Who knows?

Hehe

From today's match ...we cant be sure at all.....

Maybe next two games it"ll be better ..they may win on Angola but Portugal is a Great competetor..