Hiddink, Troussier invited to party with Kim, Koizumi: report
Hiddink, Troussier invited to party with Kim, Koizumi: report
TOKYO: Japan's premier has invited South Korean soccer coach Guus Hiddink and Japan coach Philippe Troussier to a dinner party in honor of South Korean President Kim Dae-jung on Monday, a report said.
"As I understand, coach Hiddink was invited along with Chung Mong-joon and Lee Yun-yaek, co-chairmen of the Korean World Cup organizing committee," a South Korean government source told Yonhap-Kyodo news Sunday.
"Japan's World Cup organizing committee chairman Shoh Nasu and outgoing Japan coach Philippe Troussier also received (an) invitation," the source was quoted as saying.
Also attending the match are Japan's Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko, Germany's Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and President Johannes Rau, and Jordan's King Abdullah II, who is also on a three-day visit to Japan. -- AFP
;AFP; ANPAs..r.. Extra-Belgia-fairplay Belgium win World Cup Fair Play award JP/12/EXTRA
Belgium win World Cup Fair Play award
YOKOHAMA, Japan: Belgium has won the award for the World Cup's fairest team, FIFA announced on Sunday.
Belgium was beaten by Brazil in the second round of the tournament but was awarded the Fair Play Award after picking up relatively few yellow cards and making sporting gestures during its four matches.
The Belgians will receive a trophy and a US$50,000 prize to be used on sporting equipment for youth team development.
Only Brazil has won the award three times since its inception in 1978, taking home the prize in 1982, 1986 and 1994.
Argentina is the only host nation ever to have claimed the prize, in 1978, and England has won the prize twice, once in 1990 and then shared the honor with France in 1998. -- AFP
;REUTERS; ANPAs..r.. Extra-Korea-Navy South Korean navy dead had wished team well JP/12/EXTRA
S.Korean navy dead had wished team well
SEOUL: The crew of a frigate sunk in a battle with North Korea's navy were filmed two weeks ago cheering South Korea in a World Cup match against Portugal.
Four South Korean sailors, including the captain, were killed in the battle, which took place off the west coast in disputed waters just hours before South Korea's 3-2 third-place play-off defeat against Turkey in Taegu.
"Like we in the navy have done our best to prepare for (the security of) this World Cup, I think our players will do their best at their last game today," Yoon Young-ha, the commander of the 125-tonne frigate, said in comments broadcast on June 14.
Two weeks ago, the ship's crew were shown cheering as they watched the co-hosts on a widescreen television set up on deck.-- Reuters
;REUTERS; ANPAs..r.. Bhutan-Montserrat-lowlies Bhutan whips Monsterrat in clash of lowest JP/12/EXTRA
Bhutan whips Monsterrat in clash of lowest
THIMPU: Bhutan routed Montserrat 4-0 in "the other final", played between the two lowest ranked soccer countries in the world on Sunday, just hours before the World Cup final in Japan between Brazil and Germany.
Captain Wangyel Dorji struck a hat-trick to clinch it for the Himalayan country at the Changlimithang stadium, located at an altitude of 2250 metres (7500 ft) in the Bhutan capital.
Dorji, who recovered from an eye infection to lead his side, scored in the third minute to put Bhutan 1-0 ahead at halftime.
He added the second in the 67th minute and completed Bhutan's domination over their Caribbean rivals in the 77th, two minutes after striker Dinesh Chhetri had made it 3-0.
Bhutan, the youngest members of world soccer's governing body FIFA, is ranked 202nd and only ahead of the tiny Caribbean island of Montserrat.
The game, recognized by FIFA as an official international, was played in a festive atmosphere before a cheering audience of around 15,000 fans as a romantic prelude to the World Cup final. -- Reuters