But the 2006 winners Italy crashed out of the top-10 and the runners up from four ago, France, even out of the top 20 after both went out in the group stage of the tournament in South Africa.

Spain, who had lost first place to Brazil a few months ago, returned to the top with 1,883 points with the World Cup triumph on Sunday, 1-0 over the Netherlands. The Dutch moved from fourth to second with 1,659 points while quarter-final victims Brazil dropped from first to third with 1,536 points.

Semi-finalists Uruguay shot from 16th to a ranking best sixth place, Egypt moved from 14th to ninth even though they did not play at the World Cup, and Chile climbed from 18th to 10th.

The other top 10 teams are Germany (fourth), Argentina (fifth) and England (seventh) and Portugal (eighth).

On the other side of the spectrum, Italy plunged from sixth to 11th, non-World Cup team Croatia dropped from 10th to 15th place and France even crashed 12 places, from ninth to 21st.

Source: timeslive.co.za

They were left off the list of 19 referees announced by FIFA on Tuesday to take part in the rest of the competition although football’s world governing body gave no explanation.

Larrionda and his linesman failed to see an England shot clearly cross the line in a 4-1 loss to Germany in a second round game on Sunday.

Frank Lampard’s shot hit the bar and bounced down behind the line before spinning back into play. It would have made the score 2-2.

Rosetti wrongly awarded a goal to Argentina’s Carlos Tevez against Mexico when he took Lionel’s Messi’s pass in a clearly offside position. It was Argentina’s first in a 3-1 victory which put the team into the last eight.

Check out the two videos on Sport24.co.za:

VIDEO: Frank Lampard’s disallowed goal

VIDEO: Carlos Tevez’s offside goal

The mistakes prompted FIFA president Sepp Blatter to announce that he had apologised to England and Mexico after the errors helped eliminate their teams from the World Cup.

“Naturally, we deplore when you see the evidence of referees’ mistakes,” said Blatter, adding it would be “a nonsense” for FIFA not to look again at goal-line technology with its rule-making panel.

“After having witnessed such a situation,” Blatter said, “we have to open again this file, definitely. Naturally, we will take on board again the discussion about technology. Something has to be changed.”

Two more left out for the remainder of the competition were Koman Coulibaly of Mali, who disallowed a third United States goal in a 2-2 draw with Slovenia, and French ref Stephane Lannoy who harshly sent off Brazil’s Kaka for a second yellow after Ivory Coast’s Kader Keita ran into him while going for the ball.

Those left on the list include some from countries no longer involved in the competition.

England’s Howard Webb has become one of the favourites to referee the final and so has Frank De Bleekere of Belgium, who didn’t qualify.

The amended list includes six from Europe, four from South America, three from Asia, three from North, Central America and the Caribbean (CONCACAF), two from Africa and one from Oceania.

From these, FIFA will select the officials for the last eight games from the quarter-finals onwards.

Source + Pic: sport24.co.za

Ghana, the continent’s last real hope, lost 1-0 to Germany after a thundering 60th minute strike by Mesut Ozil, but finished second in Group D thanks to the Socceroos convincing 2-1 victory over Serbia.

Two half brothers faced each other for the first time at a World Cup when Kevin-Prince Boateng played for Ghana and Jerome Boateng for Germany.

England finally found some of their form to beat a feisty Slovenia, who saw their chance of qualification from Group C agonisingly stolen at the last moment by a USA goal by Landon Donovan in injury time against Algeria.

The last gasp USA victory sparked scenes of joy in Pretoria among American fans and gave them first place in the group over England.

“I’m just shocked and so proud of our guys… unbelievable,” midfielder Donovan said. He broke down in tears in the post-match press conference and former President Bill Clinton went to the changing room to congratulate the players, telling them they had shown the American spirit.

The result put Algeria out — another disappointment in Africa’s poor showing at the continent’s first World Cup.

Donovan’s late goal was also a tragedy for Slovenia, the tournament’s smallest nation with a population of just over two million, who would otherwise have gone through.

As fellow European power France flew home after a shameful first-round exit, England finally played with determination against a feisty Slovenia after two dismal draws from their opening matches. The players expressed relief and said their World Cup ambition had been revived.

Striker Jermain Defoe, brought in as part of a team shakeup by manager Fabio Capello, connected with a James Milner cross in the 23rd minute to notch a goal and give some relief to the hordes of English supporters in Port Elizabeth.

But although England looked better, they never seemed as slick as the Latin American teams who have dominated the tournament, led by Brazil and Argentina.

Capello, whose habitual frown finally turned to a smile, said the result should lift the pressure on his players.

“The mind now is free, without fear,” he said.

The first World Cup in Africa has so far been a struggle for Europe with former champions France heading home after a demoralising player revolt, over the expulsion of striker Nicolas Anelka, that has shocked their nation.

Hosts South Africa beat France on Tuesday night to leave them bottom of their group with just one point.

“In 11 days of competition, Raymond Domenech’s gang has succeeded in becoming the laughing stock of the entire world, a mix of arrogance, incompetence, a lack of talent and professionalism,” said France Soir newspaper.

President Nicolas Sarkozy called for a total shake-up of French soccer after a special government meeting on Wednesday and said no player should receive bonuses. He hinted that there should be resignations among French soccer officials.

South Africa were the first hosts to be eliminated in the first round but at least held their heads high, garnering four points, losing out only on goal difference, and ending with their best ever international victory.

Bafana Bafana’s elimination has quietened the vuvuzela trumpets a little but the nation remains proud of the achievements of its underdog team and even more of its success in organising a successful tournament, despite years of gloomy predictions from critics that it would be a disaster.

Argentina have led Latin American dominance of the World Cup so far, Diego Maradona’s team brimming with confidence after a perfect first round record of three wins.

The artistry of Argentina, Brazil and even smaller Latin American teams too has been in sharp contrast to the pedestrian European performances.

Chile’s players, who have won two games out of two, say a ripped and muddy flag rescued from the debris of February’s massive earthquake has helped inspire them.

They have hung it on a flagpole by their training pitch.

“We’re trying to bring a little happiness to all those people who suffered,” said centre back Waldo Ponce.

With a young squad and without injured Michael Ballack, the Germans went on a scoring rampage. Lukas Podolski opened their account in the eighth minute before veteran Miroslav Klose doubled the lead before the half-hour mark.

Cheered by the green and gold fans at the Durban Stadium, the Socceroos showed more determination after the re-start but saw their challenge take a fatal hit when Tim Cahill was shown a straight red card in the 56th minute following a late tackle on Bastian Schweinsteiger.

Thomas Muller added Germany’s third in the 68th minute before substitute Cacau got an easy tap-in less than two minutes after coming on as a substitute. The result lifted Joachim Low’s side top of Group D above Ghana, who beat Serbia 1-0 earlier in the day.

The Germans, who have not lost a group game since 1994, made Australia pay for their sloppy defending. Low handed out-of-form Klose the lone striker’s role and it proved a wise move.

Australia had the better of the opening stages and came close to taking the lead in the third minute. During a scramble in the area, Richard Garcia’s close-range shot was blocked by Philipp Lahm.

The Germans responded shortly after, with an unmarked Klose surging inside the area and hitting a right-footed strike towards the centre of goal which the Australia goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer parried away.

Podolski made no mistake seconds later. He got behind Muller’s pull back from the right and drove the ball in from 15 yards. Schwarzer managed to get a touch on the ball but it went in.

Jason Culina could have restored parity in the 17th minute but he nodded high from Brett Emerton’s cross. Midway through the first half, Klose missed a glorious chance to make it 2-0. The veteran got behind Podolski’s cross and struck the ball wide from the heart of the area.

Klose made amends shortly after as he extended his team’s lead in the 26th minute after sloppy defending by Australia. Schwarzer came off his line and got to Klose just as the striker headed home from Lahm’s cross from the right.

On the half-hour mark, captain Lucas Neill managed to clear Mesut Ozil’s goalbound shot with Schwarzer already beaten. Germany’s Sami Khedira headed high over the crossbar as Germany went into the break after a near-perfect first half.

Australia coach Pim Verbeek brought in Brett Holman at half time in the hope of sparking his team into life. Holman tried to make an immediate impact but his diagonal shot went wide of Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer’s far post.

Australia’s hopes then nose-dived when Cahill was shown a straight red card for a tackle from behind on Schweinsteiger.

With one man short, Australia struggled to stop Germany’s advances and conceded shortly after the hour mark.

Muller got away from his marker before lashing home a shot in off the post. Australia had little time to react as Germany struck again two minutes later. Ozil surged down the left and cut it back for the Brazilian-born striker to hit it past Schwarzer.

Source + Pic: soccernet.espn.go.com

Any England goalkeeper guilty of a clanger is given merciless treatment by the national newspapers, with international careers usually then brought to a shuddering halt.

David Seaman, David James, Paul Robinson and Scott Carson can all testify to that.

“Cock-up keeper Green wrecks dream start,” said the News of the World, adding: “Stars and tripe”.

“It’s back to the drawing board after this, with Capello forced to reconsider his options after Green’s mistake.”

“Tainted Glove”, said the Sunday Mirror. “Worst Howler Ever”, said another headline.

“Calamity keeper Robert Green gifted one of the all-time blunder goals last night as the jinx of the England goalies struck again.

“Hapless Green somehow managed to parry the softest of soft strikes into the goal behind him. It was agonising to watch.”

The editorial said: “Poor Robert Green will take a long, long time to live down the goal.”

The Sunday Express meanwhile said of Green that “for all our sakes, he’s got to go – now.”

The Sunday Telegraph said Green’s howler had “cost England dear”.

Former England defender Graeme Le Saux wrote that if England manager Fabio Capello was to axe Green, “he may as well send him straight home.

“He will certainly not play again in this tournament, and that could even be the death knell for his international career”.

The Mail on Sunday said it was a “nightmare start”.

“There was endeavour aplenty and flashes of quality but a fragility remains at the core of the side,” it added.

“The calamitous goal which will threaten the international future of goalkeeper Robert Green was a catastrophe.”

The Independent on Sunday said it was “one of those frustrating opening games the country often produces after all the build-up to a major tournament”.

“An improvement will be required in the second game in Cape Town on Friday against Algeria.”

The Sunday Times referenced the Deepwater Horizon oil rig, saying Green’s error was “one disastrous spill the Yanks won’t complain about”.

It was a “howler that will haunt him for the rest of his career”.

The broadsheet compared Green to a “pub cricketer misfielding on the boundary.

“A scrappy, uncomfortable draw against the second-ranked side in Group C may not stop Capello’s men topping it but it is hard to see England going too far in the knockout rounds if they fail to improve.”

Source: sport24.co.za
Video: youtube.com

The striker looked to be near full fitness in training at Spain’s base in Potchefstroom on Sunday as he continued his recovery from the knee surgery he had in April but caution seems to be the priority for the coach.

“I don’t think he’ll play the first match, although he is not ruled out either,” Del Bosque said in an interview with Spanish television broadcaster Telecinco late on Saturday.

The former Real Madrid coach was more upbeat about Andres Iniesta, who tweaked a thigh muscle in Tuesday’s crushing 6-0 win over Poland in a friendly in Murcia.

Creative midfielder Iniesta, a key member of the side, spent about half of Sunday’s training session playing one-touch with his team mates before continuing his recuperation apart from the group as they practised attacking on one half of the pitch.

“I think he (Iniesta) could be available for the Switzerland match,” Del Bosque told Telecinco.

Another Spain injury concern, midfielder Cesc Fabregas, told a post-training news conference on Sunday his recovery from a cracked bone in his leg was proceeding well.

“Every day I’m getting better and stronger,” said the Arsenal captain, who missed the end of the Premier League season.

“I am feeling really confident and I can almost say that I am 100 percent,” he added. “The good thing is that I am training with the team, I have not lost anything due to the physical problems and that’s the best thing that can happpen.”

Source + Pic: supersport.co.za

Blatter told reporters at Durban’s Moses Mabhida World Cup stadium on Tuesday that Fifa had never questioned South Africa’s ability to organise the tournament.

The first African country to host the soccer World Cup marked 100 days until the tournament kicks off with a ceremony in the east coast city.

Helicopters with South African flags flew overhead and a man bungee jumped from the roof of the eye-catching new stadium.

Blatter said that at times Fifa had to put pressure on the World Cup organisers and that the journey was “paved with trust and confidence, but with patience as well”.

Source: supersport.co.za

Experts at a media workshop in Johannesburg agreed that a number of standout players will have to be carefully managed in the next two years.

Springbok fitness and conditioning coach Neels Liebel and sports scientist Tim Noakes said this would be vital to ensure top players were are fit and in peak condition for the World Cup in New Zealand September 9 in 2011.

Noakes showed a series of graphs on how players used excessively in a season tended to either get injured or under-perform the following year.

Liebel agreed senior players like Victor Matfield, 32, Bakkies Botha, 30, and John Smit, 31, should still be available for the 2011 World Cup – but on condition that they were properly managed.

Noakes warned that John Smit collapsed in 2008 after a strenuous season.

Fourie du Preez, he pointed out, played 1 835 minutes of rugby this season – the equivalent of 24 matches. Du Preez still had three Tests on this year’s outgoing tour ahead of him.

“It is highly unlikely that he won’t be injured next season,” said Noakes.

He pointed out that the form of former Springbok centre Marius Joubert, after a season of 38 matches, went downhill to the extent that he never played for South Africa again.

“Heinrich Brüssow has to be watched,” Noakes said, as had Morné Steyn.

All the players needed a single continuous break of at least eight weeks to recharge.

“Jake White was prepared, on our advice, to rest players for the away Tri-Nations series before the World Cup in 2007,” said Noakes.

“The Springboks lost both the away Tri-Nations Tests against Australia and New Zealand, but that gave our players the chance to go into the World Cup rested, motivated, uninjured and in peak physical condition.

“In fact, Jake had 30 completely fit players he could pick from for the final against England.”

Noakes said the Boks in 2006 had a poor year – so much so that White’s head as coach was called for. But it was necessary to give some players a break from the game.

“The saving grace of the Springboks is that they have [lately] cut down on training, but that is to a large extent offset by the players being trained into the ground by their provinces,” said Noakes.

He warned that there would be a price to pay: for the player, the country and also in the psychological plane where it will give opponents the confidence that the Boks were on their way out.

Liebel said the Springbok management were in constant discussions with the unions, but had to accept that the provincial and franchise coaches were measured by their results and would often opt for their best selections.

How to counter that?

Noakes agreed with a suggestion that the only way to really monitor and control the game as well as the training time of players was for them to be contracted by SA Rugby.

Liebel said teams managing their players the best were also at the top of the tree in the provincial and Super 14 competitions.

The Bulls, who used only 28 players in their 15 Super 14 matches, were a prime example of good management of players.

The Springboks’ success this year could also be contributed to good management of the players, with the injuries this year coming down significantly.

The recovery time of injuries within seven days was also much improved, and a cut-down on training time coupled with more attention to recovery were instrumental in that, Liebel said.

Source: rugby365.com

Pic: scrum.com

England surprised the rugby world on Saturday evening when they beat France in their semi-final clash. England started the game like a house on fire, scoring the only try of the game after just two minutes when Josh Lewsey gathered a lucky bounce to crash over in the corner. France recovered from this early setback and took the lead through 3 penalties by flyhalf, Lionel Beauxis. This secured France a 9-5 lead at half time. England defended well the entire game and with their dominant pack of forwards providing good ball, Jonny Wilkinson kicked them into good field position. Two penalties saw England sneak into the lead with 8 minutes left on the clock. Wilkinson then sealed the victory when he slotted his 5th drop goal of the 2007 RWC. Final score: England 14 France 9

England now have the chance to become the first team to win back to back RWC titles when they defend their title next week Saturday.

Cape Town – The Springboks have moved into second place in the latest IRB rankings following their RWC semi-final win over Argentina. New Zealand remain atop the standings on 89.63 points, closely followed by South Africa on 89.32. England have jumped from sixth to third in the rankings following their shock 14-9 victory over France, who in turn drop from second to fourth. Argentina, beaten comprehensively by the Boks 37-13, have slipped from fourth to sixth.

Top 10:

1. New Zealand 89.63
2. South Africa 89.32
3. England 87.18
4. France 84.83
5. Australia 84.21
6. Argentina 83.16
7. Ireland 78.66
8. Scotland 76.83
9. Fiji 75.82
10. Wales 74.08

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