ERASMIA: Germany striker Lukas Podolski`s return to scoring form in the 4-0 win over Australia on Sunday was more a result of the national team`s attacking style than his own improvement, he said on Tuesday. Podolski had to endure months of heavy criticism after scoring just two goals

RUSTENBURG, South Africa: New Zealand defender Winston Reid headed an equaliser in the dying seconds to earn a 1-1 draw with Slovakia and secure his country`s first ever World Cup point in their Group F opener on Tuesday. Fullback Reid popped up to glance a header past Jan Mucha that

KNYSNA, South Africa: Florent Malouda has had problems with Raymond Domenech in the past but said on Tuesday that reports he had fallen out with the France coach again since the start of the World Cup were not true. Malouda was left out of the starting lineup for France`s opening 0-0

JOHANNESBURG: South Africa claim they have shrugged off opening day World Cup jitters and will be much more enterprising against Uruguay Wednesday. The players admitted in the wake of their 1-1 draw with Mexico in Friday`s first game of the tournament they were very nervous and fortunate

BLOEMFONTEIN: Japan ended a dismal run of results to record their first World Cup victory on foreign soil on Monday with surprise 1-0 Group E victory over one of Africa`s brightest hopes Cameroon at the Free State stadium. Makeshift striker Keisuke Honda`s 39th minute goal ended a dismal

CAPE TOWN: Shot-shy Italy needed a scrambled second-half equaliser by Daniele De Rossi to snatch a 1-1 draw with Paraguay after the South Americans had looked like pulling off a shock victory in their World Cup opener Monday. Antolin Alcaraz thumped in a header after 39 minutes after the

NELSPRUIT: Chile face Honduras in their opening Group H match on Wednesday on the 48th anniversary of their last World Cup victory with a golden opportunity to rid themselves of an unwanted record. It was on June 16, 1962, that the hosts beat Yugoslavia in the third-place playoff in

JOHANNESBURG: Secretive North Korea make a first return to the World Cup since 1966 on Tuesday but could hardly face a bigger challenge than five-times champions Brazil. Hoping to recapture the form that famously took them to the quarter-finals in England back then, the ultra-defensive

POLOKWANE, South Africa: Slovenia are growing in confidence at the World Cup having beaten Algeria and seen England and the United States take points off each other in the opening round of Group C matches. Their 1-0 win over the Algerians on Sunday was their young nation`s first World

LONDON: Roger Federer said he was not worried by his shock defeat against Lleyton Hewitt on Sunday in Halle even though a disturbing trend is developing for the Swiss. Suddenly, players that he had long held in his pocket are beating him and, with Wimbledon fast approaching, arguably the

DURBAN: South African police fired tear gas and rubber bullets at hundreds of workers protesting over pay in the early hours of Monday outside the stadium where Germany had just trounced Australia in their World Cup opener. Riot police sporting body armour, helmets and guns chased

RUSTENBURG: New Zealand coach Ricki Herbert leads his team into their opening Group F match against Slovakia on Tuesday hoping to spring a surprise and erase painful memories of the 1982 tournament in Spain. As a 21-year-old defender in New Zealand`s only previous World Cup appearance,

DURBAN: Germany began their quest for a fourth World Cup in devastating style Sunday with a thumping 4-0 victory over Australia in their opening Group D match. With a fluent performance fitting for the first match of the tournament at the magnificent Moses Mabhida stadium, the youngest

DURBAN: Germany coach Joachim Loew is confident his team can avoid the fate of France in being frustrated by a defensive-minded opponents when they take on Australia in their opening World Cup encounter on Sunday. France were held to a goalless draw by Uruguay in their tournament opener

DHAKA: Soccer fans ran riot through different areas of the capital city on Saturday night in a violent protest as power outages shut them off from the World Cup match between Argentina and Nigeria. The protestors ransacked vehicles in Jatrabari, Mirpur, Bangshal and Sabujbagh areas after

JOHANNESBURG: Along with Portugal`s Cristiano Ronaldo, Messi`s ball skills are one of the most eagerly awaited sights of this World Cup. Interest in Argentina is equally focused on ever-controversial manager Maradona. The inexperienced and quixotic coach`s questionable decisions were

JOHANNESBURG: Diego Maradona`s Argentina dispelled doubts about their World Cup-winning potential as they put a poor qualifying campaign behind them to beat Nigeria 1-0 with a brilliant performance from Lionel Messi on Saturday. Argentina scored early in the Group B game through defender

RUSTENBURG: England manager Fabio Capello will talk to Robert Green before deciding whether to keep faith with the goalkeeper whose embarrassing gaffe on Saturday handed the United States a 1-1 draw. Green let a simple shot from Clint Dempsey slip through his hands and trickle into the

JOHANNESBURG: Netherlands coach Bert van Marwijk`s side face two dangers when they start their World Cup Group E campaign at Ellis Park on Monday -- opponents Denmark and the possibility of being too confident. The Dutch, who sealed a place in the finals after winning all their

JOHANNESBURG: Lionel Messi answered the key question for Argentina with a display full of artistry and guile in Saturday`s 1-0 win over Nigeria, showing even without scoring himself he can carry the team at this World Cup. While his coach Diego Maradona did his utmost to grab the