For many in Nuremberg, it was deeply unfortunate when the World Cup draw placed Iran's first game in their city - a cruel coincidence that the team from the Islamic republic, whose leader, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has caused worldwide offence with his anti-Semitic pronouncements, should kick-off their campaign in one of the cradles of Nazism. But their dismay was compounded yesterday by the presence at last night's match against Mexico of Mr Ahmadinejad's deputy, Mohammed Aliabadi, so much so that hundreds of people, drawn mainly from Nuremberg's small Jewish community, staged a demonstration in the city centre against the representative of the "21st century Hitler". A mood of celebration among Mexican fans in giant sombreros milling around the stadium was in stark contrast to the scenes several miles away at Jakobsplatz, near where the infamous Nuremberg laws clamping down on German Jews were signed in 1935. Hundreds of blue-and-white Israeli flags flapped as speakers condemning the Iranian leadership were met with roars of approval from the crowd. "Now the deputy is at this game, the World Cup has become political" said Michel Friedman, one of Germany's most influential Jews. "He is a man who has never challenged the words of his [President], a 21st century Hitler. It is our business to tell him that he is not welcome. The German government should have banned this man from Germany."
But their dismay was compounded yesterday by the presence at last night's match against Mexico of Mr Ahmadinejad's deputy, Mohammed Aliabadi, so much so that hundreds of people, drawn mainly from Nuremberg's small Jewish community, staged a demonstration in the city centre against the representative of the "21st century Hitler".
A mood of celebration among Mexican fans in giant sombreros milling around the stadium was in stark contrast to the scenes several miles away at Jakobsplatz, near where the infamous Nuremberg laws clamping down on German Jews were signed in 1935.
Hundreds of blue-and-white Israeli flags flapped as speakers condemning the Iranian leadership were met with roars of approval from the crowd. "Now the deputy is at this game, the World Cup has become political" said Michel Friedman, one of Germany's most influential Jews. "He is a man who has never challenged the words of his [President], a 21st century Hitler. It is our business to tell him that he is not welcome. The German government should have banned this man from Germany."
Long unknown at home and ridiculed abroad, the United States isn't being written off in the soccer world anymore. But the Americans will need to pull together as team to get past their tough World Cup group. A motorcade of police cars with flashing blue lights and a massive, unmarked FIFA bus has announced the arrival and often rapid departure of the US soccer team in Hamburg over the past week. But when the American players are on their own, it's a different story. On Friday, star midfielder DaMarcus Beasley sat, blissfully anonymous, at a sidewalk café outside the Americans' well-guarded hotel in downtown Hamburg. A group night out by some of the team early in the week warranted only brief mention in the local paper. The contrast is typical of the US soccer story. Individually, the players are unknowns, their limited impact on the top European leagues ensuring them the sort of privacy their opponents in their World Cup group matches can only dream of. But as a team, the US is slowly making the rest of the world sit up and take notice. "We're not expecting to take anyone by surprise this time around," said Brian McBride, the team¹s go-to goal-scorer who will be playing in his third World Cup.
A motorcade of police cars with flashing blue lights and a massive, unmarked FIFA bus has announced the arrival and often rapid departure of the US soccer team in Hamburg over the past week. But when the American players are on their own, it's a different story.
On Friday, star midfielder DaMarcus Beasley sat, blissfully anonymous, at a sidewalk café outside the Americans' well-guarded hotel in downtown Hamburg. A group night out by some of the team early in the week warranted only brief mention in the local paper.
The contrast is typical of the US soccer story. Individually, the players are unknowns, their limited impact on the top European leagues ensuring them the sort of privacy their opponents in their World Cup group matches can only dream of. But as a team, the US is slowly making the rest of the world sit up and take notice.
"We're not expecting to take anyone by surprise this time around," said Brian McBride, the team¹s go-to goal-scorer who will be playing in his third World Cup.
Berlin - With the start of the World Cup, the controversy surrounding a possible visit by Iranian head of state Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has flared up again. CDU parliamentary whip Wolfgang Bosbach told the Berlin newspaper "Tagesspiegel" that it would be extremely difficult to refuse Ahmadinejad entry as a head of state should he choose to visit. Among other reasons, he noted that contracts with FIFA made it difficult to refuse entry to the controversial Iranian leader. In the contracts pertaining to the World Cup, Germany has extended certain government guarantees.
Ribéry (the future Zidane II) will start France's game against Switzerland next to Zidane, and attackers will be Henry and Wiltord. This implies that Malouda will be missing this game due to an unknown injury.
Team composition will apparently be: Barthez, Sagnol, Thuram, Gallas, Abidal, Vieira, Makelele - Wiltord, Zidane, Ribéry, Henry.
Which means that Vieira will retake his normal position, and that France may have a chance after all to beat the Swiss.
