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Brazil defended their Confedera-tions Cup title on Sunday with a crushing come-from-behind 3-2 victory to inflict a cruel loss on tenacious underdogs the United States.
   The five-time world champions looked out for the count after Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan put the Americans two up at half-time but they bounced back with a Luis Fabiano brace drawing them level with 16 minutes left.
   It set the scene for an exciting finale and captain Lucio made it a memorable night with a powerful header from an Elano corner with six minutes remaining.
   The victory sparked wild celebrations on the bench with Brazil now having won a gruelling seven games over the past 20 days – five at the Confederations Cup and two in World Cup qualifying.
   It was their third Confederations Cup crown following triumphs in 1997 and 2005 and coach Dunga was a happy man.
   ‘All the players were very concentrated on what needed to be done. I told them at half-time that we needed an early goal and to play the game we play. We wanted to win. We were very determined,’ said Dunga, the World Cup winning captain from 1994.
   ‘It is difficult to overcome a 2-0 deficit but if you have committed players who always want to win then it is possible.
   ‘If we can win this we can do much more in the future. I believe in these players.’
   Brazil had won 14 of their 15 previous encounters with the US and beaten Bob Bradley’s men 3-0 in the group stages. But since that match the US fortunes changed dramatically.
   After trouncing Egypt 3-0 to sneak into the knockout rounds on goals scored after finishing equal of points and goal difference with Italy, they shocked European champions Spain 2-0 in the semi-finals.
   But their luck ran out against Brazil. ‘That defeat really hurt,’ said Bradley.
   ‘I’m extremely proud of my players, but it still feels pretty lousy to let this one get away.
   ‘I hope though that people around the world see we have good team and great players and it is a big step forward.’
   On a cold winter’s night, his giantkillers began in an attacking mood with Fulham’s Dempsey making the first attempt on goal with a long distance strike that fizzed wide.
   Brazil started feeding the ball to Maicon on the right and he lofted several crosses into the box that put the US under pressure before Real Madrid’s new signing Kaka, the man-of-the-match, glanced a header wide. But it was the US who stunned Brazil after 10 minutes.
   West Ham’s Jonathan Spector fed Dempsey with a defence-splitting through ball and the number eight cleverly put his shot under the diving Julio Cesar.
   Brazil immediately charged back with Robinho attempting to angle a side-footed shot past Everton stopper Tim Howard but the United States kept up the pressure and Dempsey went close once again.
   It was end to end stuff and Felipe Melo forced a fine save from Howard before the US pounced again with a lightening quick counter-attack.
   The dangerous Landon Donovan picked the ball up in his own half and found the sprinting Charlie Davies on the left.
   It was two against two and the US came off better with Davies returning the ball to Donovan who crashed it into the net after 27 minutes.
   Brazil looked hard for a way back but Howard was a rock and they went to the break needing something special.
   Fabinao provided it seconds after the restart when he caught the US napping, turning well from 17 yards to beat Howard and get his team back in the match.
   Maicon had two good opportunities to draw them level as Brazil pressed with searching passes into the US box, while Kaka saw a header go agonisingly close when Howard pushed the ball onto the bar.
   The US had lost composure and it was a desperate rearguard action with the equalisier inevitable. It came when Kaka crossed from the left and Robinho’s shot hit the bar only for Fabiano to meet the rebound.
   Brazil were on a mission and it was no surprise when Lucio bagged the winner to break American hearts.
   Earlier, Spain clinched the third-place playoff 3-2 in an extra-time thriller against South Africa with unsettled Liverpool star Xabi Alonso netting the winner.

Hosts West Indies levelled their four-match one-day international series with India here on Sunday with an emphatic eight-wicket victory, despite a magnificent 95 runs by Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
   Dhoni struck six fours and two sixes from 130 balls, as he almost single-handedly led an Indian revival, but West Indies’ final target of 189 in 50 overs was never going to be treacherous.
   India bowled steadily, but West Indies reached the target with 95 balls to spare, following a workmanlike 85 from 102 balls from Runako Morton, and a typically robust 64 from 46 balls from Chris Gayle.
   India had won the high-scoring, opening match last Friday by 20 runs at the same venue.
   The series concludes with a pair of ODIs – this coming Friday and Sunday – at the Beausejour Cricket Ground in St. Lucia.
   India have only themselves to blame for their defeat, after they plunged to 82 for eight in the 22nd over after choosing to bat.
   But Dhoni staged a rearguard action in the form of a 101-run, ninth-wicket stand with Rudra Pratap Singh before they both fell in the space of six balls as India were dismissed for 188 in 48.2 overs.
   Singh made 23, and left-hander Yuvraj Singh, a century-maker in the opening ODI two days earlier, got 35, and was the only other batsman to reach double figures.
   When Yuvraj square drove Ravi Rampaul for the last of his five fours, he became the fifth Indian batsman to score 7,000 runs in ODIs
   But India were undermined by Rampaul. He snared a career-best four wickets for 37 runs from 10 overs.
   India’s demolition was completed by Dwayne Bravo with three for 26 from nine overs, and Jerome Taylor with three for 35 from 9.2 overs.
   Denesh Ramdin also became the latest wicketkeeper to snare five catches in an ODI innings.
   India were in trouble from the outset in defending their total, when Gayle and Morton put on 101 for the first wicket inside the first 16 overs.
   Rohit Sharma made the breakthrough, when he had Gayle caught at long-off, and gave India a boost, when Ramnaresh Sarwan was stumped for 15 to leave West Indies 132 for two.
   But India failed to make further headway, and an unbroken stand of 60 between Morton and Chanderpaul carried West Indies over the threshold.
   The West Indies achieved the victory, when Harbhajan Singh was clattered over long-on for Morton’s second six.
   Earlier, India were on the back-foot from early on, when Dinesh Karthik was caught behind for four off Taylor in the first over.
   Gautam Gambhir was also caught behind for a duck off Rampaul, who also had Rohit Sharma caught at second slip for the same score in the space of three balls in the second over.
   India were seven for three, when Dhoni joined Yuvraj, and they breathed life into the innings with a stand of 47 for the fourth wicket. But Yuvraj became the first of five wickets which fell for 28 in the space of 56 balls, and by the halfway stage, India had lost the majority of its batting.
   Dhoni reached his 50 from 87 balls, when he worked Dave Bernard Jr into square leg for two, and with RP Singh frustrated West Indies until the 48th over when Bravo struck.
   Singh was caught at mid-wicket before Taylor brought the innings to a close in the next over when he bowled Dhoni with a slower ball.

Roger Federer thrived in 35-degree temperatures to clinch an 11th win in 11 meetings against big-serving Swede Robin Soderling on Monday and reach the Wimbldon quarter-finals.
   In a repeat of the French Open final, where the great Swiss clinched a record-equalling 14th Grand Slam title, Federer won 6-4, 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (7/5) over the man who dramatically ended Rafael Nadal’s Roland Garros reign.
   Federer, chasing a sixth Wimbledon title, will be appearing in his 25th Grand Slam quarter-final where he’ll face Croatia’s Ivo Karlovic, who has fired 102 aces in three rounds, or Spanish left-hander Fernando Verdasco.
   ‘Today was really a serving contest, there weren’t many rallies so it’s hard to judge these kind of matches,’ said Federer.
   ‘But my form was great, I was moving well. He served a double fault in the third set tie-break otherwise it could have gone four sets.’
   Soderling, who also lost in straight sets in the second round here in 2008 to Federer, paid heavily for a sloppy service game when he cracked to trail 4-5 courtesy of a netted forehand.
   Federer clinched the opener when the Swede went long with a second service return. The Swede dropped just three points on serve in the second set, but Federer was the more composed in the tie-breaker, refusing to give Soderling the pace on which he thrives.
   Soderling finally carved out his first break points of the match in the ninth game of the third set, but Federer stood firm to lead 5-4.
   The Swede 13th seed glanced a chance at 5/4 in the tie-breaker, but Federer went to 5/5 and then match point when his opponent served a third double fault.
   The match was Federer’s when the Swede went wide with a dispirited drive.
   Germany’s rejuvenated Tommy Haas, the oldest man left in the draw at 31, reached his first Wimbledon quarter-final with a 7-6 (10/8), 6-4, 6-4 win over Russian 29th seed Igor Andreev. Haas, seeded 24, and who saved two match points in his third round marathon victory over Croatia’s Marin Cilic, next faces either Serbian fourth seed Novak Djokovic or Israel’s Dudi Sela.
   Djokovic was a semi-finalist in 2007 while Sela is the first Israeli in the last 16 here in 20 years.
   A win for the world number 46 would make him the first Israeli man or woman to make a Grand Slam quarter-final in the Open era.
   Later Monday, third seed Andy Murray faces Swiss Olympic doubles gold medallist Stanislas Wawrinka as he continues his bid to become the first British men’s champion since Fred Perry in 1936.
   Lleyton Hewitt, the 2002 champion, takes on Czech Radek Stepanek while two-time runner-up Andy Roddick meets Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic.
   Hewitt was the only Australian man in the main draw. Former world number one Juan Carlos Ferrero takes on Gilles Simon of France.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni admitted that his side literally took their eyes off the ball in the second One-day International against West Indies on Sunday at Sabina Park.
   India allowed West Indies to draw level in their four-match ODI series with an eight-wicket victory, after Dhoni almost single-handedly led an Indian revival with 95 to help them set their rivals a respectable target of 189.
   Dhoni struck six fours and two sixes from 130 balls, but the target was never going to be treacherous for West Indies, and the Indian captain felt his side took things for granted.
   ‘We could have done a bit better,’ Dhoni said. ‘We could have given the respect to the balls that really needed or demanded that respect, and by the time we realised, we had already lost three wickets.
   He added: ‘I think it was a good pitch, but the batsmen just went with their strokes and before we knew it we had three down. Once you are in that situation, you are just playing catch-up.
   ‘R.P. [Singh] and I had a partnership, otherwise it would have been quite embarrassing.’
   India had only themselves to blame for their defeat, after they plunged to 82 for eight in the 22nd over after choosing to bat.
   But Dhoni staged a rearguard action in the form of a 101-run, ninth-wicket stand with Singh before they both fell in the space of six balls as India were dismissed for 188 in 48.2 overs.
   ‘I don’t think there was that much in it for the bowlers, they bowled really well, they were swinging the ball well, and when it stopped swinging, they were able to get reverse swing,’ the India captain said.
   ‘I think we made a mistake in our approach to batting rather than the decision of whether to bat or field.’
   He continued: ‘Later on, the pitch became better for batting. When you are batting first, initially you expect the pitch to do a bit, and after that you can capitalise if you get a good start.’
   At the same time, West Indies captain Chris Gayle praised Ravi Rampaul and Jerome Taylor for setting his side up for the victory.
   ‘It’s nice to square the series,’ he said.
   ‘There were some good performances from the guys. Rampaul and Taylor set the game for us and from now we will look to go from strength to strength.
   ‘There was moisture in the pitch early, and Taylor and Ravi utilised it well, and the catching was also good, so we just need to keep working on our game.’
   The series is now tied 1-1, after India won the high-scoring, opening match last Friday by 20 runs at the same venue.
   The series concludes with a pair of ODIs - this coming Friday and Sunday - at the Beausejour Cricket Ground in St. Lucia.

Mastering English conditions and not fitness issues pose a challenge to Australian paceman Brett Lee ahead of the Ashes series with England, former Test fast bowler Jason Gillespie said Monday.
   Lee’s new-ball potency is under scrutiny after he did not get a wicket in his opening spell in either innings of Australia’s tour warm-up match against Sussex at Hove over the weekend.
   Lee played the last of his 76 Tests back in December before undergoing foot and ankle surgery and is working his way back to full fitness.
   Despite a month in England for the World Twenty20, Lee has failed to make an impact as he battles for a new-ball bowling spot in the Australian team for the Ashes opener in Cardiff, starting on July 8.
   Gillespie, who was dropped at the age of 30 after just three wickets at an average of 100 in the first three Ashes Tests of the 2005 series in England, said Lee had yet to prove himself in English conditions.
   He said Lee has struggled on his two previous Ashes tours, claiming 29 wickets in 10 Tests at an average of more than 45 while conceding well above four runs an over.
   ‘There’s no fitness issues with Brett,’ Gillespie told The Australian.
   ‘Brett’s got to learn to master English conditions. That’s going to be his biggest challenge, not so much his fitness.
   ‘It’s going to be the slower wickets so his pace doesn’t have the same impact.
   ‘He’s not bowling as fast anymore. We know that.’
   Lee is one of three Australian pacemen to taken 300 wickets (310) behind Glenn McGrath (563) and Dennis Lillee (355) but he is 32, an age when few Australian fast bowlers have continued to make an impact, the newspaper said.
   Australian bowlers sent down 38 no-balls for the Sussex match, with Lee (3-53 and 1-51) the worst offender as he overstepped 14 times including taking a wicket off a no-ball.
   The pressure increased on Lee after the match when Australian coach Tim Nielsen endorsed pace bowling rival Peter Siddle for the first Ashes Test.
   Lee is competing for a spot with Ben Hilfenhaus, Stuart Clark and Siddle in a pace attack where only Mitchell Johnson seems assured of a place.

Six-time Algerian league champions CR Belouizdad have expressed their keenness to participate in the Bangabandhu Gold Cup International Football Tournament scheduled to be held in Dhaka at the end of the year.
   CR Belouizdad last won the Algerian league title back in 2001 and finished fourth in the last edition. They won the Algerian Cup this year. In a letter sent to the Bangladesh Football Federation recently the Algerian outfit said they were ready to play in the international tournament as they don’t have any commitments in that period.
   However, the federation will decide on which clubs they will invite for the tournament. BFF president Kazi Salahuddin has already got verbal assurances from a number of Asian clubs and their respective federations. But he did not contact any European or African clubs. It was heard that the organisers were thinking of brining a club from Brazil or Argentina.
   Meanwhile, the person, who acted as the interpreter of the Bangladesh team in France in the last edition of Danone Nations Cup, has sent a letter to the BFF seeking permission to talk with the first division clubs of France but it will be hard for the top level teams to play in the tournament as they will be playing the local league. Their second division teams or youth squads may be available.
   The BFF’s executive committee sits at an emergency meeting today to finalise the date and form the organising committee of
   the Bangabandhu Gold Cup. The federation has also sent a letter to the prime minister’s office seeking an appointment with the PM in the first week of July. They BFF will present the detailed plan of the proposed tournament to the prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, who is also the chief patron of the tournament.

As Roger Federer takes aim at a record 15th Grand Slam title, fellow players remain in awe of the great man.
   Some are even in tears.
   ‘It looks so easy when he steps on the court,’ said Serbian women’s star Ana Ivanovic.
   ‘I think he’s such a great champion. I was so thrilled for him when he won the French Open. I actually had little tears in my eyes when he was making the speech. I think he deserves it so much.’
   Australia’s Lleyton Hewitt, who won Wimbledon in 2002, the year before Federer went on his five-title winning streak, described the Swiss star as ‘amazing’.
   Hewitt has won seven but lost 14 of his 21 career meetings with Federer in an epic rivalry stretching back to 1999. The last of his wins was in the Davis Cup in 2003.
   ‘The way that he’s been able to go out and be so consistent in so many Grand Slams back to back is an incredible effort,’ said Hewitt, impressed by Federer’s record of having reached at least the semi-finals of the last 20 majors.
   ‘It’s hard enough just to do it for a couple years. He’s been able to do it for five or six years now in a row. Twenty Grand Slam semi-finals in a row is unheard of.
   ‘Physically you’ve got to be extremely strong, but mentally as well. Not to have lapses in the first week of a Grand Slam, it’s not that easy.’
   World number four Novak Djokovic, who has defeated the Swiss in both of their meetings in 2009 but has a 4-7 overall record, believes Federer is ‘unique’.
   ‘It’s amazing just to see a person who has been so successful. I think after five years of dominance, it’s amazing to see him motivated to play well and win more Grand Slams,’ said the Serbian.
   ‘I think this is really something unique with him.’
   Spain’s seventh seed Fernando Verdasco, his country’s main hope of lifting the Wimbledon title in the absence of injured compatriot, and defending champion, Rafael Nadal, says Federer has the complete game.
   ‘He’s so complete about everything, serve, forehand, volley, touch, slice, and all the Grand Slam titles that he has already,’ said Verdasco.
   ‘He is level with Sampras on 14, but has also won all four Grand Slams.’

Venus and Serena Williams hardly broke sweat in the sizzling Wimbledon heat Monday as they cruised into the quarter-finals.
   Defending champion Venus easily won the first set against former world number one Ana Ivanovic, who retired hurt in floods of tears, as temperatures shot past 30 degrees at the All England Club.
   Serena strolled through against Daniela Hantuchova, while Elena Dementieva also had a comfortable ride into the last eight against Elena Vesnina.
   Five-time champion Venus is bidding to become the first woman to win a hat-trick of Wimbledon singles’ titles since Steffi Graf claimed three in a row from 1991 to 1993.
   The third seed cruised through the first set 6-1 in half an hour, after which Serbia’s Ivanovic had her left thigh strapped up.
   The 2008 French Open champion won the first game of the second set, but the pain was too much and she had no choice but to pull out, leaving Court One in a stream of tears.
   ‘I felt really sad for her actually. She was really upset,’ said Venus who faces Poland’s Agnieszka Radwanska for a place in the semi-finals.
   ‘This is Wimbledon. It’s the last place you want to have an injury that you can’t overcome.
   ‘She didn’t have a lot of opportunities in that first set - and not because she wasn’t playing well; I think I was just on top of the ball,’ the Californian added.
   Younger sister Serena, the second seed, beat Hantuchova 6-3, 6-1 in 56 minutes on Court 2.
   The two-time champion easily brushed aside the unseeded Slovak, who has been suffering with a cold and now tackles Belarusian Victoria Azarenka.
   Fourth seed Dementieva, a semi-finalist last year, beat fellow Russian blonde Vesnina 6-1, 6-3 in 70 minutes.
   Vesnina fended off a set point and took the sixth game but the Russian number two wrapped up the first set inside 29 minutes.
   Vesnina, the world 37, put up a better fight of it in the second set, holding Dementieva at 2-2 before losing serve.
   ‘I was very aggressive in the beginning. I was able to break her a couple of times and just went into a good lead in the beginning of the match and stayed very focused until the end,’ Dementieva said.
   ‘Because of the weather conditions, I was trying to make it as quick as possible.’
   Dementieva, making her 11th Wimbledon appearance, now takes on either France’s Virginie Razzano or Italy’s Francesca Schiavone for a place in the semi-finals.
   Azarenka, the eighth seed, had a tougher time of it to beat 10th-seeded Russian Nadia Petrova.
   Azarenka won the first set 7-6 (7/5) on a tie break, after which Petrova called a medical time-out and was treated with ice on her legs.
   The Russian won the second set 6-2 but lost the final set 6-3.
   Meanwhile, Polish 11th seed Radwanska, a quarter-finalist last year, also went through in straight sets, against American teenager Melanie Oudin.
   World number 124 Oudin, who had to qualify for the main draw, showed plenty of fight but the Wimbledon debutante was eventually overcome 6-4, 7-5.
   Current world number one Dinara Safina, who has yet to win a Grand Slam title, faces 2006 Wimbledon champion Amelie Mauresmo on Centre Court.
   The winner of that match will face either Denmark’s ninth seed Caroline Wozniacki or Germany’s Sabine Lisicki.

Duncan Fletcher believes Michael Vaughan will be doing the right thing if, as widely anticipated, the former England captain announces his retirement from all senior cricket today.
   Ex-England coach Fletcher gave Vaughan his Test debut in 1999, after singling him out as a ‘classy batsman’ despite a modest county record, and then made the Yorkshire right-hander captain of the national side in 2003.
   Together the two men masterminded England’s 2005 Ashes triumph and Fletcher told Monday’s edition of the Guardian that the world of cricket was losing a ‘gutsy fighter’.
   Fletcher said: ‘Vaughan was a classy batsman, but he became a marvellous captain and a good friend. English cricket can be very proud of him.
   ‘The public saw one side only: a batsman who could cover-drive and pull like a dream, and a tactically astute leader who brought the best out of his players.
   ‘What they didn’t see was the gutsy fighter who could score 177 with a busted knee, as he did in Adelaide in 2002-03, or the burning desire which once made him furious with me when I told him he couldn’t play in a one-dayer at Bristol against the Aussies because of a serious finger injury.’
   Fletcher added: ‘It’s sad that he’s going to announce his retirement, but reluctantly I have to say he’s made the right decision.
   ‘Cricket, and not just English cricket, will miss him.’
   Vaughan’s future has been the subject of speculation ever since he was left out of England’s Ashes training squad last week.
   British newspaper reports on Sunday said his retirement was imminent and the England and Wales Cricket Board subsequently announced the 34-year-old Vaughan would hold a press conference at Edgbaston on Tuesday.
   England’s Ashes triumph four years ago was the high point of Vaughan’s time in charge of England, with a persistent knee injury leaving him on the sidelines for months at a time.
   Unsurprisingly, his form as a batsman - which had seen touch the realms of greatness during the 2002-03 tour of Australia when he made three hundreds - also began to decline.
   He resigned the England captaincy in tears in August last year after the home series against South Africa was lost and has not played for England since.
   Vaughan, England’s most successful Test captain in terms of overall wins, with 26 victories, 11 defeats and 14 draws in his five-year spell in charge, vowed to force his way back into the team through sheer weight of runs.
   But never the most prolific of run-getters in county cricket, he has managed just 147 runs in seven County Championship innings this season for Yorkshire.
   Meanwhile any hopes Vaughan had of regaining a place in England’s side have been blunted by the emergence of Ravi Bopara, who this year has scored hundreds in three successive Tests against the West Indies, at No 3.
   However, Marcus Trescothick, who opened the batting for England four years ago, said former first-wicket partner Vaughan could still have played a key role in this season’s Ashes series, which starts in Cardiff on July 8.

Australia fast bowler Peter Siddle believes the competition for places among the touring squad’s quicks bodes well for the upcoming Ashes series against England.
   Siddle took three wickets for 68 runs from his 30 overs in the drawn tour opener against Sussex last week to press his claims for a spot in the team to play England in the first Ashes Test at Cardiff starting on July 8.
   With left-arm quick Mitchell Johnson seemingly assured of a place and Siddle cementing his hopes, it leaves the likes of veteran quick Brett Lee, the reliable Stuart Clark, Tasmania’s Ben Hilfenhaus and spinner Nathan Hauritz all batting for spots in Australia’s attack.
   Australia’s chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch, the former Test batsman, is due to arrive in England ahead of the squad’s final warm-up match, against the England Lions at Worcester.
   And Siddle said of the fight for an Ashes spot: ‘I think Andrew Hilditch gets in today (Monday) and obviously it’s got to be cut down.
   ‘It’s going to be tough, but everyone is looking fit and strong and bowling well,’ added the 24-year-old Victorian, who has taken 29 wickets at 27.65 in seven Tests since making his debut against India in Mohali in October.
   ‘The competition is good for the team, it makes everyone try that little bit harder and put in that little bit extra so it’s great for the team.’

The Mercantile Bank 35th National Chess Championship started at the NSC auditorium on Monday.
   A total of 14 players including four Grand Masters are participating in the meet. They are Mahtabuddin Ahmed Robin, Golam Mostafa Bhuiyan, Jamaluddin, GM Niaz Murshed, GM Reefat Bin Sattar, reigning champion GM Ziaur Rahman, FM Abu Sufian Shakil, GM Enamul Hossain Razib, Aminul Islam Palash, Debaraj Chatterjee, FM Mohammad Javed, FM Taibur Rahman, Mohammad Hasan Emam and Mohammad Ali.
   Md Abdul Jalil, the chairman of Mercantile Bank Limited, inaugurated the championship as the chief guest. Dewan Mujibur Rahman, managing director and CEO of the Mercantile Bank Limited, was present as the special guest.

Kushtia, Jessore and Narail registered victories in the Grameen Danone Nation’s Cup Football at the Kushtia Stadium on Monday.
   At Satkhira, hosts Satkhira, Khulna, Barguna and Patuakhali were the winners while Munshiganj, Magura and Narayanganj beat their respective rivals at Rajbari. At Sirajganj, hosts Sirajganj, Joypurhat and Chapainawabganj recorded victories. Gaibandha, Lalmonirhat and hosts Nilphamari won their matches of Nilphamari zone. At Feni, Chittagong and Moulvibazar and at Gazipur, Kishoreganj, Netrakona, Mymensingh and hosts Gazipur won their respective matches.

New South Wales have Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara in their sights to play in Australia’s domestic Twenty20 competition early next year, officials said on Monday.
   Cricket NSW is yet to finalise its playing roster for the Champions League Twenty20 tournament in India in October and the domestic T20 competition in the new year.
   Two NSW players, opening batsman David Warner and paceman Nathan Bracken, have the option of playing for NSW or Delhi Daredevils and Bangalore Royal Challengers respectively in the Champions League tournament.

Brazil have already turned their attention to winning the World Cup after defending the Confederations Cup, with coach Dunga saying his players are capable of anything.
   The five-time world champions came from behind to crush the underdog United States 3-2 at Ellis Park on Sunday for their seventh win in 20 days – five at the tournament and two World Cup qualifiers..
   They looked out for the count after Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan put the Americans two up at half-time but bounced back with a Luis Fabiano brace drawing them level with 16 minutes left.
   It set the scene for an exciting finale and captain Lucio made it a memorable day with a powerful header from an Elano corner with six minutes remaining.
   Brazil are not yet certain of being at the 2010 World Cup but top South American qualifying and hope to get over the line after their next two games, with Dunga already fighting to play down their early favourites tag.
   He said the key was not to get carried away with their victory on Sunday, having also clinched the Confederations Cup four years ago in Germany and then failing to translate their form at the World Cup a year later.
   ‘The dangers are always there,’ said Dunga, the World Cup winning captain from 1994, in looking ahead to the World Cup.
   ‘I have to find players in form this coming year and deal with this issue of being a favourite team.
   ‘What’s important is that we carry on working in a calm way and learn from our past mistakes and also from what went well.
   ‘Any squad approaching the 2010 World Cup has a lot of interest in it but the national squad must be focused and not be distracted.’
   Sunday’s victory was Brazil’s third Confederations Cup crown following triumphs in 1997 and 2005 – something no other team has achieved.
   But they did it the hard way.
   ‘All the players were very concentrated on what needed to be done. I told them at half-time that we needed an early goal and to play the game we play. We wanted to win. We were very determined,’ said Dunga.
   ‘It is difficult to overcome a 2-0 deficit but if you have committed players who always want to win then it is possible.
   ‘If we can win this we can do much more in the future. I believe in these players.’
   Dunga has a young and hugely talented squad, epitomised by Real Madrid’s new recruit Kaka who was voted man-of-the-match in the final and player of the tournament.
   He said the team was overjoyed at winning on Sunday but said they knew it was just a step on the long road to the bigger prize next year back in South Africa.
   ‘We have to qualify first. We have four games left,’ said Kaka.
   ‘We must avoid any euphoria because that sort of thing hindered our preparations at the last World Cup. So here we are trying to be calm.
   ‘But we hope our favouritism will be justified.’
   Dunga said the squad was one of the most motivated he had ever worked with and paid tribute to their attributes.
   ‘Even when I played I never saw a team together for 30 days—like this one has been—with no problems,’ he said.
   ‘No one could write anything controversial or negative.
   ‘We have a very committed team, players of a high quality. They are professionals, very capable and they are true men who have been in South Africa for a long time without vacation and without their families.
   ‘Yet they always give their utmost.’

Kaka might steal all the headlines but Luis Fabiano has emerged from the Confederations Cup as one of Brazil’s new golden boys.
   The Sevilla striker was the tournament’s top scorer with five goals, including his crucial brace in the final on Sunday that helped Brazil recover from two down to beat the United States 3-2.
   With his team in trouble, the athletic, lithe and technically gifted striker rose irresistibly to the challenge to underline his status as the undisputed number one goal-getter for the South American champions.
   But it hasn’t always been so easy for Fabiano, who has battled with several other players, including injury-plagued star striker Ronaldo, for the coveted number nine shirt.
   ‘He scores goals, he’s always doing it,’ said his coach Dunga.
   ‘I’m extremely happy with him. He is very hungry to play and get goals.’
   The 28-year-old joins Romario, Ronaldinho and Adriano as the fourth Brazilian to go home from the Confederations Cup with the Golden Shoe.
   He was also voted the tournament’s second best player, after new Real Madrid signing Kaka.
   ‘I’m delighted that everything worked out as planned in the final,’ he told FIFA.com.
   ‘I hadn’t scored in my two previous games but as it turned out there was no better way for me to reach that target of five goals in as many games.’
   With a successful Confederations Cup defence under their belt, Brazil are now looking towards the World Cup and the possibility of a sixth title.
   Fabiano is excited at the prospect and has set his own personal goal of scoring a goal a game if Brazil qualify and make it back to South Africa next year.
   ‘It would be nice to keep the average going at the World Cup here next year. I’ll be working hard to do just that,’ he vowed.
   Despite his prolific performances, the man they call O Fabuloso is taking nothing for granted as far as his and Brazil’s participation in next year’s showpiece tournament is concerned.
   ‘We still haven’t made sure of qualification yet and there’s still a year to go before the finals. All I know is that in a country like Brazil nothing is ever certain and that you always have to fight for your place.’
   With Ronaldo making a successful comeback at Corinthians, and fellow veterans Adriano and Fred also still playing well, Fabiano is taking nothing for granted.
   He said the best way to keep his place was to keep the goals flowing.
   ‘Scoring goals is my life. It’s my job,’ he said.
   ‘It’s what I’m expected to do. And if my goals can help us achieve more wins like today, then I’ll be a happy man.’

Africa met South America on Sunday at the final match of the FIFA Confederations Cup, as local fans rallied behind Brazil in their exhilarating come from behind 3-2 win over United States.
   Despite local team Bafana Bafana – the boys – earlier bowing out to Spain in the third place play-off, a final with the five time world champions was some consolation ahead of the continent’s first World Cup in 2010.
   ‘The US played well but they were totally outclassed by Brazil,’ said Sizwe Ndaba, one of the 52,291 fans who watched the 2005 Confeds champions defend their title in a nail-biting finish. ‘I can’t wait to see them in 2010.’
   Fans waved both the South African and the Brazil flags shouted ‘Brazil are the champions’ and ‘Viva Brazil’ as they tried to dance the Samba between the narrow stands of Ellis Park stadium before kick-off.
   ‘Bafana Bafana may not have reached the final, but I am here to shout for Brazil. I like their football,’ said James Chungu who travelled from Nelspruit, some 330 kilometres from Johannesburg.
   ‘Being here is all about celebrating the game of football. The Samba boys will take it, they were the best team in this tournament,’ predicted Chungu who still has vivid memories of Brazil’s last World Cup victory in 2002.
   ‘This could have been a great moment if Bafana was playing here tonight, but what can we say, they need to polish their skills ahead of the World Cup next year.’
   The high school teacher was among thousands of fans who painted their faces blue and yellow, the colours of the Brazil national team and blew the popular plastic airhorn vuvuzela trumpets.
   Arnold Nkosi said he had saved for two months to buy a ticket for the final, played in a wintry 10 degrees Celsius.
   ‘I knew that Brazil was going to be in the final. I have supported Brazil since I was a kid, this is a fantastic opportunity to them do their thing,’ said the 18-year-old unemployed youth waving the Brazilian flag.
   The popular team had wowed fans across the country as they won all their games in the two-week tournament.
   ‘I have watched all the games on TV, but this one was worth spending
   all
   my savings on it. I couldn’t afford to go and see them in other cities,’ said Nkosi.
   Neil Simmons, an exchange student from Arizona in the US came with a group of his varsity friends to see his home team play live for the first time.
   The group made use of the park-and-ride transport system used to ferry fans from designated parking lots to the stadium which was aimed at minimising traffic volumes, but hit by reports of confusion and congestion.
   ‘The system wasn’t perfect, but it worked, there was no order especially when people had to be taken back to their cars,’ said Simmons amid the deafening roar of vuvuzelas.
   ‘There should have been more crowd control to ensure that the systems works smoothly,’ he added.
   But Cedric Mackay who attended four games at Ellis Park said he was impressed with the overall organisation.
   ‘People need to be taught about how to behave at such big events,’ said Mackay, adding that bottlenecks had been caused by spectators.
   The pre-match closing ceremony set the tone for Africa’s first World Cup next year with a giant human map of Africa wrapping up the show before the match which saw Brazil claw their way back from 2-0 at half-time.
   ‘I’m overjoyed. What a game,’ said elated Brazil fan Antonio Moses.

The Confederations Cup tournament of continental champions ended on Sunday with Brazil beating the United States 3-2. AFP selects its team of the tournament:
   
   Tim Howard (Goalkeeper - United States/Everton)
   The consistent Howard gets the nod for his match-winning display that helped the United States stun Spain 2-0 and put his team in the final, and a tenacious performance in their crushing 3-2 loss to Brazil in the decider.
   
   Maicon (Defender - Brazil/Inter Milan)
   The lightning quick Maicon has made Brazil’s No.2 shirt his own and reinforced his reputation with his speedy runs down the right and accurate crossing into the box.
   
   Lucio (Defender - Brazil/Bayern Munich)
   Renowned for his intelligent reading of the game and dribbling of the ball out of defence, he was a rock at the heart of the Brazilian defence and scored the goal that won them the title.
   
   Jay Demerit (Defender - United States/Watford)
   Not a glamorous choice, but the sturdy Watford centre-back was the epitome of consistency in the American back four.
   
   Gerard Pique (Defender - Spain/Barcelona)
   Still only 22, Pique has started to establish himself in the Spain side and showed he has an impressive aerial game and fine positional sense.
   
   Steven Pienaar (Midfield - South Africa/Everton)
   The experienced Everton star earns his place as the backbone of a South African team who exceeded expectations with their run to the semi-finals and agonising extra-time loss to Spain in the play-off.
   
   Xavi (Midfield - Spain/Barcelona)
   Barcelona’s industrious midfielder was his usual effective self, with his penetrating balls and hard work a vital cog in Vicente del Bosque’s record-breaking team.
   
   Kaka (Midfield - Brazil/Real Madrid)
   The unassuming Kaka lived up to his status as one of the finest players in the world with some gliding runs that caused havoc for Brazil’s opponents, capped by two goals and a man-of-the-match performance in the final.
   
   Landon Donovan (Midfield - USA/LA Galaxy)
   The LA Galaxy man played all five matches for Bob Bradley’s United States, scoring two goals, with his wide experience crucial to helping his side keep their feet on the ground in their run to the final.
   
   Fernando Torres (Striker - Spain/Liverpool)
   A hat-trick in Spain’s opening game against New Zealand got his tournament off to a flyer and while he failed to add to his tally, the Liverpool forward’s vision and hard work assure him of a place.
   
   Luis Fabiano (Striker - Brazil/Sevilla)
   The Sevilla striker scored five goals, including a brace in the final, and was an ever present threat to the opposition defence, reinforcing his growing reputation as a deadly hitman.

Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso scored off a free-kick to give Spain a dramatic 3-2 extra-time victory over South Africa on Sunday in the Confederations Cup third place play-off.
   A largely incident-less game sprang to life late in the second half when Bafana Bafana (The Boys) striker Katlego Mphela scored only for another substitute, Daniel Guiza, to strike twice for Spain within 60 seconds.
   Mphela struck again three minutes into stoppage time to add 30 minutes on to the match and Spain took the lead again to defeat the host nation for the second time in nine days after a 2-0 group win.
   The host nation made one change from the team that held Brazil until two minutes from full-time in the semi-finals with suspended midfield ‘enforcer’ MacBeth Sibaya back in place of Benson Mhlongo.
   Spain reacted to a shock defeat by the United States in the first semi-final with four changes as Raul Albiol, Sergio Busquets, Alvaro Arbeloa and Santi Cazorla came in and Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas was among those rested.
   FIFA president Sepp Blatter was present on a sunny winter afternoon in the north-west mining town and Spain were first to threaten with David Villa forcing a spectacular one-hand save from Itumeleng Khune.
   South Africa crowd favourite Matthew Booth, whose every touch triggers chants of Booooooooth, let his ‘fan club’ down on 14 minutes after getting behind the Spanish defence.
   Instead of heading to the right of goalkeeper Iker Casillas, the giant central defender could only nod the ball forward and harmlessly wide to the relief of the Euro 2008 champions.
   A superb tackle from full-back Tsepo Masilela – a find of the two-week 2010 World Cup dress rehearsal – foiled Liverpool striker Fernando Torres midway through a cagey opening half.
   Although South Africa lie 71 places below top ranked Spain they held their own before a crowd packed with vuvuzela-blowing spectators and when Casillas parried a Siphiwe Tshabalala drive, Booth fired the rebound wide.
   Brazil-born Bafana coach Joel Santana is a hard man to satisfy and he arose from his touchline chair a couple of minutes before half-time and unleashed a verbal rant at his hard-working, organised team.
   Spain midfielder Sergio Busquets was the only player cautioned in the first half and Everton star Steven Pienaar joined him in the notebook of Australian referee Matthew Breeze just after half-time.
   Busquets had a goal correctly disallowed with three Spaniards offside and Khune did well to hold an Albert Riera shot as the visitors lifted their game and looked more likely to break the deadlock.
   But it was South Africa who took the lead thanks to a brilliant off-the-ball run by Tshabalala, who latched on to a cross and pushed it across the goalmouth for Mphela to control before firing into the roof of the net.
   It appeared enough to give South Africa victory until a remarkable end to regular time saw Spain score twice within 60 seconds through Guiza before Mphela levelled.
   Guiza fired the ball through a forest of legs and past Khune into the corner for an 88th-minute equaliser and then saw his cross dip behind the goalkeeper into the net.
   South Africa may have been stunned but their spirit remained strong and when awarded a free-kick well outside the penalty area, Mphela stopped up and drove an unstoppable shot past Casillas.
   Spain had a claim for handball inside the penalty area by Mhlongo late in the first period ignored before Alonso curled his free-kick around the wall and over Fernando Llorente and Booth into the corner of the net for the winner.

Spanish giants Real Madrid’s recent signing Brazil midfielder Kaka was awarded the Golden Ball on Sunday after being voted best footballer at the Confederations Cup.
   Striker Luis Fabiano, a team-mate in the side that came from two goals behind to defeat the United States 3-2 in the final, finished second and American midfielder Clint Dempsey third.
   Fabiano collected the Golden Boot for being leading scorer with five goals and USA goalkeeper Tim Howard received the Golden Glove as the best in his position at the dress rehearsal for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
   Kaka paid tribute to his team-mates for taking Brazil to the title and allowing him to win the player of the tournament.
   ‘I’m very happy to be player of the final and championship,’ said the former AC Milan man whose transfer to Madrid becomes official on Tuesday.
   ‘Most important, as I’ve said before, I can only be player of the tournament because Brazil are the champions and if they weren’t then I wouldn’t get this award, so I would like to thank my teammates.’
   Asked about his new start at Real Madrid, Kaka said: ‘With respect to my new life at Madrid, I will talk about it on Tuesday when I’m officially their player.
   ‘I’ve managed to get my first cup and I hope the winning ways will continue in future in this new phase of my life.’

Manchester United might have lost forward pair Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez this summer, but Wayne Rooney is vowing to step up and fulfil his attacking potential next season in an effort to lessen the blow.
   After admitting he has not been given the chance to shine so far at Old Trafford, Rooney believes he can compensate for the summer exodus of attacking talent from Manchester United and ensure the reigning Premier League Champions retain their title.
   ‘We’ve lost two key players and obviously I hope we can get a few players in,’ Rooney told The Times.
   ‘Between them Cristiano and Carlos scored a lot of goals for us last season and the season before, but I would like to think I’m capable of filling that gap.
   ‘I’ve said before that, if I can play in my right position, I’m capable of doing that.’
   Rooney has often been asked to operate out wide by manager Sir Alex Ferguson since joining from Everton.
   The 23-year-old is adamant that has prevented him from showing his best form on a consistent basis, and believes the time is right to make a permanent switch to the centre.
   ‘I want to play in the position where I feel I’m best,’ he said. ‘A lot of people think I’m best as a centre forward.
   ‘To play in a Champions League final and to play week in, week out for Manchester United is a privilege and it’s something I’m very lucky to be doing, but I don’t think playing on the wing I can express myself as much as I like to.’

United States’ winger Clint Dempsey has enjoyed a momentous Confederations Cup with two man-of-the-match awards and a starring role in Sunday’s final against Brazil.
   The Fulham forward conjured up his side’s first goal after ten minutes at Ellis Park with Landon Donovan adding a second only for Brazil to roar back in the second half and win 3-2.
   Raised in a trailer park on a border town in Texas the 26-year-old cut a distraught figure in the immediate aftermath of the Ellis Park loss but after gaining his composure he told AFP: ‘It didn’t work out as we wanted it to but we’ve still accomplished a lot and it was great to be part of it.’
   The Americans looked set for an early flight home after a wretched start saw the CONCACAF Gold Cup winners suffer heavy losses to Brazil and Italy in the group stage, those defeats compounded by two successive red cards.
   But a turnaround in their fortunes led to momentous wins against Egypt, 3-0, and then against Spain, 2-0, in the semi-finals.
   Dempsey, who first honed his footballing skills with the immigrant Mexican population in his home town of Nacogdoches, scored the third goal in the Egyptian match and the decider in the semi-final after setting up Jozy Altidore for the first.
   Those displays from the sharp shooter earned him two man-of-the-match awards.
   Reflecting on the remarkable US run in South Africa he said: ‘You know we were out of it in the Egypt game and showed a lot of character to come back.
   ‘We got a result against them and a result against Spain and in the first half here we thought we’d get a result in the final.
   ‘But that’s what people come to see, it was exciting.’
   Off the pitch the tough winger, whose life has been touched by tragedy after his sister suffered a fatal brain aneurysm at the age of 16, is better known as a hip hop rapper under the alias ‘Deuce’.
   He was named MLS Rookie of the Year in 2004 and in 2006 was signed for an American league record fee of four million dollars to his west London Premier League side.
   Dempsey perfectly embodies the United States’ never-say-die spirit, having once played two games with a broken jaw.
   Sunday’s goal, which came about after a pass from another London-based team-mate, West Ham’s Jonathan Spector, was his 16th on his 56th appearance for his country. A true battler he was once suspended for a fortnight after a fist fight with a New England Revolution teammate.
   With the Confed Cup over he and his colleagues have their sights set on a return to South Africa in 2010 for the World Cup.
   ‘We’ll see what happens but hopefully we’ll qualify, we’re in a good position and we’ve got to stay on top of things and get the right results.’

Luiz Felipe Scolari claims a number of Chelsea players did not respect him and his training methods during his ill-fated eight-month stint at Stamford Bridge.
   The 60-year-old Brazilian, who is currently coaching Bunyodkor in Uzbekistan, singled out the behaviour of Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba, Germany midfielder Michael Ballack and Czech Republic goalkeeper Petr Cech as unacceptable.
   Scolari, who took over the Blues hot-seat last July and was sacked in February, told O Globo newspaper: ‘The real owners of football at the moment are the players. The coach, in most European clubs, has no strength to contradict them. ‘The people sacked are always the coaches. The main players already know this. That was my problem at Chelsea. Drogba, Ballack and Cech did not accept my training methods or my demands.’
   The former Brazil and Portugal boss, meanwhile, believes Cristiano Ronaldo will get on well with fellow Real Madrid new boy Kaka but reckons Raul is still the main man at the Bernabeu.
   ‘Kaka is a strange player because of what he does both on and off the field,’ Scolari said of his countryman. ‘That guy is a strange jewel. Despite having gained big fame and money, he keeps doing his best on the pitch like a youngster.
   ‘I am sure Cristiano Ronaldo and he will get on very well with each other. Cristiano has nothing to do with the conceited image everybody has of him. I think both of them will be big friends. ‘The problem Real Madrid have is Raul. He is a veteran and is still the boss in the dressing room, so woe betide anyone he doesn’t like - including the coach.’
   Scolari wants to return to Brazil after the end of his Bunyodkor contract in December 2010. He plans to coach there for a while before retiring, and claims he has already had interest from his homeland.
   ‘My contract lasts one year and a half, but every six months we’ll sit down and discuss things,’ he said of his deal with the Uzbek outfit.
   ‘I’ll be back (in Brazil) in one year and a half. I will work there as a coach for two more years and that’s it. I’ll change job or retire.

South Africa is on track for the continent’s first football World Cup after a successful Confederations Cup showed the 2010 host’s readiness, the country’s newspapers said Monday.
   But, amid gushing praise, was caution that South Africa has a year to iron out challenges of public transport, 2010 accommodation shortages and a handful of crime incidents reported during the two-week soccer showcase.
   ‘TAKE A BOW SA. Detractors of Mzansi (South Africa) said we’ll mess it up. How wrong. Besides SA’s hospitality, we hosted a Confed Cup second to none,’ said the front page of popular daily The Sowetan.
   In an editorial, the tabloid declared South Africa ready for 2010 while the sports pages lauded Brazil’s second-half 3-2 come-back over the United States in front of 52,291 fans on Sunday simply as ‘Braziliant’.
   ‘The tournament had it all, great individual players, shock results, new heroes who could possibly go on to become global icons,’ said the paper’s editorial.
   ‘Our appetite has been whetted. We cannot wait for the full menu that is the FIFA World Cup.’
   The Star front page said local team Bafana Bafana – the ‘boys’ – walked away with a hard-fought fourth place with heads held high, but South Africa as a host nation deserved gold.
   ‘Yes, there were and are some teething problems,’ said the paper. ‘But when you stand back and look at it in its entirety, and spare the whole project a moment’s thought, this country’s achievements are nothing short of stunning.’
   The Times newspaper front page said in Zulu: ‘Siyabonga (We thank you) - see you next year.’
   ‘The success of the Confeds Cup – which is regarded as a dress rehearsal for the main tournament – proved beyond any doubt that South Africa is on track to deliver a memorable event next year,’ said the newspaper.
   ‘However, plenty of work remains to be done,’ it added, pointing to transport hitches, 2010 bed shortages, and the highly publicised thefts from the Egyptian and Brazilian team hotels and the mugging of touring British Lion fans.
   Business Day, in an article headlined ‘SA passes Confed test: now for 2010’, said the country’s hosting 2010 capability was no longer in doubt but that challenges have to be addressed before next June’s kick-off.
   ‘But even the most cynical among the foreign visitors have slowly come to accept that SA will host a world-class Soccer World Cup next year after successfully staging the Confederations Cup.’

The United States’ roller coaster Confedera-tions Cup ride may have come to an end here on Sunday with defeat to Brazil but Bob Bradley’s men leave South Africa with their stock having risen sharply.
   In the week that America lost its ‘King of Pop’ – Michael Jackson – the Stars and Stripes have given the country something to cheer about with their first ever appearance in a major final.
   Yet their 3-2 defeat left Landon Donovan, the scorer of the second goal, with mixed feelings.
   The US’s all time top marker told AFP: ‘We’re proud but disappointed.
   ‘We put so much into getting the lead but Brazil are never going to lie down and let you win the game and at the end it was just too much.
   ‘We can take a lot of positives from our time here but also some negatives – we need to learn from today – if we get in a similar position next year (at the World Cup) we need to know how to finish it off.’
   The CONCACAF Gold Cup winners had gotten off to a wretched start with lopsided losses compounded by two successive red cards against the Brazilians and world champions Italy and looked destined for an early trip home.
   Then they produced miracle number one - a crushing 3-0 victory over African champions Egypt which lifted them into the semi-finals on goal difference.
   Gone was the hesitancy of their first two games and in its place Bradley produced a tenacious well coordinated aggressive unit that floored the Pharaohs.
   With rising confidence they then approached Euro 2008 winners Spain looking for miracle number two.
   And remarkably Donovan, Clint Dempsey and colleagues pulled it off with a little help from a flawless effort from Everton keeper Tim Howard.
   Villarreal’s teenage striker Jozy Altidore got the ball rolling against Vicente del Bosque’s record breakers with Dempsey sealing a historic victory that was in large part down to Bradley’s brilliant tactics centring on closing down Spain dangerman Xavi.
   The only sour note from that game in Bloemfontain was the sending off, the States’ third of the tournament, in the 86th minute of influential midfielder Michael Bradley, the coach’s son.
   ‘It’s like having your heart ripped out’ was how Bradley senior described his son’s enforced absence from a final that he had done so much to secure.
   Miracle number three may have proved beyond them but only narrowly after Dempsey and Donovan gave them a two goal lead only for Brazil to prevail with three second half goals.
   For two of the US team playing on African soil was a little like being on home turf as team-mates Oguchi Onyewu and Freddy Adu have strong links with the continent.
   Standard Liege defender Onyewu, nicknamed ‘Gooch’, was born in Washington of Nigerian parents while Adu left Ghana at the age of eight after his family won the green card lottery.
   The States’ buoyant showing in this World Cup warm-up has produced three interesting spin-offs.
   The first and potentially most crucial is that should they qualify for the World Cup which looks highly probable FIFA could bump up their seeding before the World Cup draw in Cape Town on December 4.
   Their success has also sparked renewed interest in ‘soccer’ in a country where it has to compete with basketball and baseball.
   And last but not least the Yanks have won the hearts and minds of the public with their never say die spirit and polished technique.
   The South African public have really fallen for them, something that was a pleasant surprise for Donovan.
   ‘I think we’ve shown a spirit and competitiveness that people love and find infectious,’ said the Los Angeles Galaxy playmaker.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter gave South Africa 7.5 out of ten for its hosting of the Confederations Cup adding he hoped that mark would rise to a perfect ten by next year’s World Cup.
   ‘If you get a five mark you have to repeat class, a six and you go to middle school,’ Blatter told a post-Confed Cup press conference.
   ‘South Africa are definitely in college and on their way to university. They’re just missing half a point which they may pick up by the time of the World Cup draw in December.
   ‘I want to give you a ten by the World Cup and then you are in masters.’
   Blatter identified transport and accommodation as areas that needed improvement before 450,000 fans descend on the country for the 2010 World Cup.
   ‘One item in question beforehand was security but the organising committee headed by Danny Jordaan has done a very good job – the hospitality and reception by the (local) population has been really remarkable.
   ‘So I am satisfied with the way the competition went but there are still challenges which will have to be dealt with in terms of transport and accommodation.
   ‘Next year there will be 450,000 fans for the World Cup and they need to get to and from matches and back to where they are staying. Camps are not really an option as it will be winter here.’
   On the pitch Blatter said he had been impressed with the level of play climaxing with an exciting final day’s action which saw Spain overcome hosts South Africa 3-2 in the third place play-off and Brazil beating the United States by the same scoreline in the final.
   ‘We have seen good football, specifically on the last day when the third place play-off and final produced very attractive and passionate football.
   ‘This shows the teams enjoyed playing in the ambiance of Africa. The football was faster too as the games were played at altitude with less air resistance.’
   He had little time for those like Brazil who had complained of playing matches in the chill winter evenings.
   ‘We’ve seen that football can be played here, even if it’s a little bit cold.
   ‘Most Brazilians play in Europe with sub-zero temperatures, it’s never been below zero here and don’t forget they ended up the winners. Why are they afraid of the cold, you run faster!’
   He praised the performance of the South Africa team in going so far in the competition, suggesting Bafana Bafana’s progress augured well for 2010.
   ‘South Africa have improved, they have good qualities, technically they are brilliant, they are very athletic.
   ‘They run and run and run, they are well prepared physically, they’re not tall, what they need now is to bring all these qualities into a tactic that goes for goal.
   ‘South Africa President Jacob Zuma said to me yesterday “if we are in the same position next year I will be the happiest man around”.’
   In conclusion he said: ‘I am happy with what we and Danny Jordaan’s organising committee have realised and we’re looking forward to an exciting World Cup next year.’

‘FIFA is committed to Africa’
   Sepp Blatter’s assurance to 48,837 fans at Ellis Park before the opening match between South Africa and Iraq
   ‘This indeed is a great day for Africa, for South Africa’
   South African President Jacob Zuma appearing alongside Blatter at opening ceremony
   ‘I was certainly happy tonight Giuseppe was Italian and not American!’
   Italy coach Marcello Lippi on New York-born Giuseppe Rossi who scored in the world champion’s 3-1 win over his land of birth the United States
   ‘Hookers 5 Egypt 0’
   Local headline after the alleged theft by prostitutes of cash from some of the Egyptian players in their hotel bedrooms
   ‘Let’s bring an end to this theory that we’re all too old, I’m getting tired of it’
   The near 36-year-old Italy captain Fabio Cannavaro taking a swipe at suggestions the world champions should be put out to grass
   ‘I think they should be banned’
   Anti-vuvuzela protestor Xabi Alonso’s verdict on the noisy plastic trumpet
   ‘It was a historic moment, Nelson Mandela is a worldwide symbol. We all got goose bumps when we met him’
   South Africa coach Joel Santana recalling his team’s meeting with ‘the old man’ before the hosts’ semi-final loss against Brazil
   ‘A dose of humility’
   Spanish sports paper Marca’s summing up of the European champion’s shock semi-final loss to the United States which ended their record-equalling run of 35 matches without defeat
   ‘The Confederations Cup has achieved what no other sporting code has achieved. This was the greatest achievement of this tournament’
   Irvin Khoza, chairman of the local organising committee, reflecting on how the Confed Cup, for the first time, has brought whites to watch a hitherto predominantly black-supported sport
   ‘For any player to be three minutes from your first big final and to have that opportunity taken away is like ripping your heart out. But it’s out of moments like this that players grow. You must stand strong when you are disappointed, that’s what it is to be a man.’
   Coach Bob Bradley eloquently describing his son and USA midfielder Michael’s semi-final red card which robbed the Borussia Moenchengla-dbach player of a place in the final.

The Confederations Cup final here on Sunday was dedicated to Marc-Vivien Foe, the Cameroon international who died playing for his country in the 2003 edition in France.
   A tribute was read out before the kick-off between the United States and Brazil by his son, Marc Scott.
   ‘Life’s not the same without dad,’ said his son in a moving tribute in which he thanked FIFA for the support it has provided to his family since his father’s death.
   Foe, the former Manchester City and Lyon player, collapsed in the centre circle during the Confed Cup semi-final six years ago in Lyon and died soon after arriving in hospital.
   He was later found to have suffered from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a heart-related disease. He was 28.
   Foe was given a state funeral in Cameroon and he also has a memorial at Manchester City.