Reus bad news for Germany
Berlin: Germany attacking midfielder Marco Reus was ruled out of the World Cup on Saturday with an ankle injury sustained in a 6-1 friendly win over Armenia. The German Football Federation said that Reus suffered a partial ligament tear in his left ankle in the match on Friday and will miss six to seven weeks before he can resume training again. “For him and for us this is extremely regrettable,” Germany coach Joachim loew said. “Marco was in excellent form; he made an outstanding impression in the training camp and in both (friendly) matches against Cameroon and Armenia. He exuded enthusiasm for the game. He played a central role in our planning for Brazil.” Sampdoria defender Shkodran Mustafi was called up as a late replacement. The 25-year-old Reus was one of the few German players to have impressed consistently coming into the World Cup. “A dream is ended from one second to the other. But I have to look forward now, approach my recovery professionally, because I have to keep going. I’ll come back even stronger than before,” Reus was quoted as saying on the website of his club, Borussia Dortmund. “I send my best wishes to the team (and hope) that they can also achieve our aim without me.”
Ronaldo resumes training
Paris: Cristiano Ronaldo resumed training with the Portugal squad on Saturday after recovering from leg injuries that threatened to sideline him from their World Cup opener against Germany. The Portuguese Football Federation said in a statement on its website that the forward was joined by central midfielder Raul Meireles, who had also recovered from injury. Ronaldo has been suffering from tendinitis and a muscle injury, both in his left leg. Portugal plays Germany in nine days, but will also play Ireland in a friendly on Tuesday at New Jersey’s Metlife Stadium before departing for Brazil. At the World Cup, Portugal also plays the United States and Ghana in Group G. The federation also said goalkeeper Beto was receiving treatment for an unspecified problem.
The Netherlands practice
Rio de Janeiro: At Brazilian club Flamengo on Saturday, orange was the new red and black. The Netherlands held its first World Cup training session open to fans and the stand turned — predictably — the national color: orange. There was a sprinkling of red and black too, the colors of Brazilian club Flamengo, whose training complex louis van Gaal’s team is using. The Dutch don’t play their first game until June 13 — a repeat of the 2010 World Cup final against Spain — and it’s in Salvador, hundreds of kilometers (miles) away so the stand overlooking the pitch and Rio’s iconic statue of Christ the Redeemer was not a total orange crush. Instead it was a mixture of ex-pats and Brazilian fans.
WC bonus sparks row
Madrid: lawmakers reacted with anger Saturday over the 720,000-euro ($980,000) bonus each Spain player will get if the national team wins the World Cup in Brazil. Captain Iker Casillas and vice-captain Xavi Hernandez signed the deal with Spain’s football federation June 3 on behalf of the 23 players. It was an increase from the 600,000 euros each player received when Spain won the 2010 tournament. lawmakers Pablo Martin Pere and Susana Ros of the opposition Socialist party criticized the premium as “disproportionate” and “an insult to citizens” given the recent economic crisis. lawmaker Josep Antoni Duran i lleida tweeted that Spain would pay “more than twice” the bonus Germany would if it wins the tournament. “Are we twice as rich as GermanyIJ” his tweet said. Germany’s team will receive 300,000 euros if they win, having kept the same agreement they struck when they participated in Euro 2012. Spain’s economy began to crumble in 2008 with the collapse of its bloated real-estate sector, and unemployment soared to 26.1 percent at the close of 2013. “ Each member will receive a payment of 360,000 euros if the squad reaches the final, and 180,000 euros if it makes the semifinals.
Guess who’s arrived
Messi to raise awareness about crime
Paris: Argentine international and Barca star lionel Messi has joined a global campaign, dubbed (#TurnBackCrime), launched by the Interpol to raise awareness about the dangers of crime. The 26-year-old Argentine player joins action star Jackie Chan, who was announced as the campaign’s first ambassador, in raising people’s awareness, reports EFE. “Messi is known the world over as one of the greatest players of all time and his supports for the INTERPOl Turn Back Crime campaign shows his commitment to fair play both on and off the pitch,” said INTERPOl secretary general Ronald Noble, according to the organisation’s official website. “We hope that his support for the campaign will encourage more people around the world to join us and say, together we can turn back crime,” Noble added.
Officials allow temporary stands
Sao Paolo: Brazilian officials have authorized the use of temporary stands at the stadium hosting the World Cup opener in Sao Paulo next week. Authorities inspected the Itaquerao stadium on Friday and said it will be safe to use the stands during the high-profile opening match between Brazil and Croatia on Thursday. The stands behind one of the goals were not approved for the final test event at the stadium last week because of safety concerns. The installation of the temporary seats was delayed mostly because of an accident earlier this year. The first time the Itaquerao will have a capacity crowd will be in Thursday’s opener. FIFA initially said the stadium would hold 68,000 next week, but it only put about 61,000 tickets on sale for the match because many places will be used by journalists and to accommodate cameras needed to broadcast the match. Football’s governing body denied that the decrease in capacity was caused by delays in stadium construction. It said in a statement that it had to make adjustments to the number of tickets sold for the match because more than 1,500 journalists will be present. “The size of the Arena de Sao Paulo was not reduced, as many people are reporting,” FIFA said. “As in any operation for the World Cup, the stadium’s total capacity is adjusted according to the needs of the media and the television broadcast.”
Snazzy Argentine dogs & No.10
Buenos Aires: In Argentina, even dogs get snazzy for World Cup
Buenos Aires — In some cultures, dressing a dog in the Argentine team jersey with the number 10 on its back could be seen as an insult to lionel Messi. But in Buenos Aires, the “Amores Perros” doggy boutique is celebrating the Argentine star by outfitting pets in official blue and white, just in time for the World Cup. Store owner Karen Reichart says they started this four years ago, but it’s really taking off now in soccer-mad Argentina. The boutique offers shirts, bandanas, hats, skirts, toys and even wool scarves in team colors, priced from about $7 to $30. Owners of toy poodles seem to prefer jerseys carrying Messi’s No. 10.