FIFA Updates

By Mike Collett

WATFORD, England, Aug 9 (Reuters) – England manager Fabio
Capello admitted on Monday that he was struggling to find a way
of rebuilding his players confidence after their disappointing
early exit at the World Cup finals in South Africa.

He also made a public apology to the fans for England’s poor
performances which ended with them losing 4-1 to Germany in the
second round of the tournament after being ranked among the
pre-tournament favourites to win the trophy.

“I think what is really important is the mind of the players
but I don’t know what we have to do to improve it,” the Italian
told a news conference as England prepared to face Hungary in a
friendly on Wednesday which will be their first match since the
World Cup debacle.

“At the moment I do not know. We did not play with
confidence, we played with fear and that must change. I have a
few ideas in mind, but I do not know.”

He reiterated his view that things might have turned out
very differently for England if Frank Lampard’s legitimate goal
against Germany had stood rather than not been given after the
ball clearly crossed the line. That would have made the score
2-2 against the Germans who benefited from the reprieve and went
on to dominate the rest of the match and ruthlessly expose
England’s failings.

But even though the World Cup ended so badly, he said he had
learnt a lot and improved as a manager which would help him
prepare England for his next challenge: winning a place in the
finals of Euro 2012 in Poland and Ukraine.

PUBLIC APOLOGY

However, he expected England’s fans to boo him and his team
at the start of Wednesday’s match.

“I expect that yes,” he said. “I have to say sorry to the
fans because our performance was not good. We know the fans
spent a lot of money and time to support us in South Africa and
I am really sorry.

“We did not play at the same level in South Africa as we did
in the qualifying.

“In the World Cup you have to arrive in a really good
physical situation. The level was not high.”

Wednesday’s match is England’s only warm-up before the start
of their qualifiers in which they face Bulgaria, Switzerland,
Montenegro and Wales, but Capello’s plans for the game were
disrupted when goalkeeper Paul Robinson and defender Wes Brown
announced their international retirements after being selected
for the squad.

“I respect their decisions,” he said.

Capello has called up just 10 of his 23-man World Cup for
this squad, including youngsters Jack Wilshere and Kieran Gibbs
of Arsenal, even though they have only a handful of first team
appearances between them.

Wilshere made seven appearances for Arsenal last season and
14 appearances on loan at Bolton Wanderers. Gibbs played six
times for Arsenal.

He has also selected 29-year-old striker Bobby Zamora of
Fulham after leaving him out of the World Cup squad.

“He is not young, but he is a good player. At the moment I
have to change something but who knows what will happen in the
future.”

(Editing by Pritha Sarkar; To query or comment on this story
email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

JOHANNESBURG(AP) —Franz Beckenbauer believes Germany’s young team can reach the World Cup semifinals.

The absence of injured captain Michael Ballack does not have to be a drawback, Beckenbauer said, adding that the star-free squad is very balanced.

“I am positive. The Germans are among the favorites,” Beckenbauer said after visiting the team’s base outside Pretoria on Wednesday. “With a bit of luck I expect them in the semifinals.”

Beckenbauer won the World Cup as captain and player in 1974 and was the coach of the German team when it won the last of its three world titles in 1990.

The Germans, who were runners-up in 2002 and semifinalists four years ago at home, have arrived with their second youngest World Cup team ever, with the average age just under 25. Ballack and four other players have been ruled out with injuries.

“Ballack was the leader, captain, the head of the team and Germany will be missing him. But the team is very balanced and it doesn’t have to be a disadvantage. If they go on as they have so far, they don’t need a big star,” Beckenbauer said.

Beckenbauer said he was encouraged by Germany’s last two tuneup games, a 3-0 win in Hungary and a 3-1 victory over Bosnia-Herzegovina.

“They showed a lot of joy on the field; everybody wanted the ball,” he said.

Traditionally a strong tournament team, Germany’s potential this time is somewhat of a mystery because of its inexperience.

Coach Joachim Loew said the team was well prepared and looking forward to facing Australia in its Group D opener on Sunday in Durban.

“We are full of enthusiasm and anticipation. We’ve done everything that we could and we have a good feeling,” Loew said. “After the injury setbacks, we put them behind us and looked ahead. I can see a lot of enthusiasm in training and that the team has been together for a while.

“We can play at high pace, we have more movement. Maybe the players have not much experience, but they are willing to learn.”

A LOOK AT 2014: Brazilians will be able to check a website to see if building projects for the 2014 World Cup are on schedule.

Officials said Wednesday the website run by Brazil’s sports ministry would be available by the second half of this year.

Building delays in many of the 12 cities that are to host games are already worrying FIFA. The Brazilian government initally has called for spending $12.4 billion on preparations. That includes building new stadiums and remodeling old ones, updating airports and transportation links, and enhancing other infrastructure, including hotels.

—-=

FRENCH DONATION: The French soccer federation will donate $120,100 for the renovation of a field when it visits a South African township in Knysna.

France team director Jean-Louis Valentin says the donation “is a strong show of solidarity” toward the development of soccer in South Africa and that more money could be invested in the future.

Although the France team is not obliged to visit the township Sunday, Arsenal defender Bacary Sagna said he wants to go. Valentin said Wednesday that France also plans to have a public training session.

“I think it’s a duty for everyone, and I think everyone will be there,” Sagna said Wednesday. “Everyone wants to look behind the scenes, to go and meet South African people and see how they live.”

France plays its opening World Cup match against Uruguay in Cape Town on Friday.

—-=

UNCLE SAM’S ARMY GENERAL: General David Petraeus, the commander of United States’ military operations in the Middle East, has a jovial suggestion for England coach Fabio Capello ahead of the World Cup match against the Americans.

Petraeus says Capello should “rest Wayne Rooney on Saturday night so he is refreshed for those other games.”

The general was speaking Wednesday at a conference in London organized by the Royal United Services Institute. British troops are currently fighting with U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan’s Helmand Province.

Petraeus praised the delegates at the event for their attendance, “given that any self-respecting British citizen should be checking their satellite reception and reserving their seats” for the game in Rustenburg, South Africa.