Japan shock Spain, favorites Brazil win

MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) - Japan produced the first upset of the Olympic Games when they beat potential gold medalistsSpain 1-0 while favorites Brazil survived a scare before beatingEgypt 3-2 on the opening day of the men's soccer competition on Thursday.

Hosts Britain, making their first appearance at the Games for 52 years, were denied a win in front of a 72,000 crowd at Old Traffordwhen Senegal scored a late equalizer in a 1-1 draw.

Uruguay, back in the Games after an 84-year absence, came from behind to beat a lively United Arab Emirates side 2-1 in the earlier game at Old Trafford.

On a day when all 16 teams were in action, there was also a win for Belarus, playing in their first major international tournament, beating New Zealand 1-0 at Coventry.

The real upset though was at Hampden Park where Japan stunned Spain, looking to become the first country to hold the World Cup, European crown and Olympic title at the same time.

The Spaniards finished the Group D match with 10 men after midfielder Inigo Martinez was sent off just before halftime having found no answer to Yuki Otsu's 34th minute goal.

Asked if this was Japan's best ever win coach Takashi Sekizuka said: "We looked forward to the match very much and showing how much we have to offer was the main point.

"Now we have to prepare for winning the games against Morocco and Honduras but I am very pleased with the result today."

Despite Spain's hopes of winning the title, Brazil are favorites to take their first Olympic soccer gold.

They began with an ultimately nervy 3-2 win over Egypt in Cardiff after goals from Rafael, Leandro Damiao and Neymar had put them 3-0 ahead after only 30 minutes.

Egypt rallied in the second half with goals by Mohamed Aboutrika and Mohamed Salah with 14 minutes to play.

Neymar, who scored from a header, told reporters: "We need to improve, but it is always better to improve for the next match after a win."

Britain, playing in the finals for the first time since Rome 1960 were held to a 1-1 draw by debutants Senegal at Old Trafford after leading for more than an hour.

Craig Bellamy put them ahead in the 20th minute but Moussa Konate equalized for Senegal eight minutes from time.

Uruguay, back at the Games for the first time since winning the second of their two golds in 1928, preserved their record of never losing in the Olympics, coming from behind to beat the United Arab Emirates 2-1 in the opening match at Old Trafford.

ALWAYS BOOED

Substitute Nicolas Lodeiro scored Uruguay's winner while captain Luis Suarez was booed every time he touched the ball by a Manchester crowd unforgiving of the Liverpool player's racial spat with United's Patrice Evra last season that earned him a lengthy ban.

Suarez said: "This is just one more match. I'm used to playing in stadiums where I'm booed. It doesn't worry me in the least. They boo me at almost every stadium in England, it's normal. I'd rather highlight the support from the Uruguayan fans."

In Thursday's other matches, Morocco and Honduras drew 2-2 at Hampden while Mexico and South Korea finished 0-0 at St James' Park, the venue for Switzerland's 1-1 draw with Gabon.

The Swiss finished with 10 men after defender Oliver Buff was red carded for diving having earlier been booked.

Morocco also finished with 10 men after defender Zakarya Bergdich was sent off 19 minutes from time against Honduras.

Man United fever in S.Africa despite missing stars

Manchester United fever is sweeping South Africa with tickets selling fast for a two-match tour despite the absence of England star Wayne Rooney and many other first choices.

The Rio Ferdinand-skippered Red Devils were scheduled to arrive in Indian Ocean city Durban late Monday ahead of a midweek friendly with AmaZulu and another against Ajax Cape Town this weekend.

Rooney, Phil Jones, Ashley Young, Danny Welbeck (England), Patrice Evra (France) and Nani (Portugal) are resting after starting their close-season breaks late because of Euro 2012 commitments.

Veteran Ryan Giggs and Tom Cleverly (Great Britain) and David De Gea (Spain) are also absent as they prepare for the football tournament at the London Olympic Games.

Injuries and sickness rule out Nemanja Vidic, Chris Smalling and Darren Fletcher, leaving legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson with just a few instantly recognisable names like Ferdinand, Paul Scholes and Javier 'Chicharito' Hernandez on tour.

The lack of many first-choice Red Devils has had no effect at the box office with the organisers saying only a few thousand higher-price tickets are available for the AmaZulu match at Moses Mabhida Stadium Wednesday.

A spokesman said all 11,000 tickets for a Tuesday training session have also been snapped up in a country where English Premier League football enjoys a passionate following with many games broadcast live.

Before leaving England centre-back Ferdinand dismissed suggestions that depleted United might struggle: "We do not want to lose a game -- it is as simple as that. At United we want to win every game."

A lot of attention will focus on major close-season signing Shinji Kagawa from Japan, who arrived at Old Trafford last month after several successful seasons with Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund, who he helped win the domestic double last season and the title the season before.

South Africa-born former United goalkeeper Gary Bailey, who analyses Premier League matches for the Johannesburg-based SuperSport channel, is not surprised by the buzz surrounding the visit.

"The country always becomes very excited when United come on a pre-season tour," Bailey told the Manchester club website. "There is a sense of pride about the club.

"The AmaZulu game is on Nelson Mandela Day, which is an enormous day on the South African calendar. It is great that United are playing on such a special day."

Mandela, the first democratically elected president of South Africa, turns 94 Wednesday. He used to attend major football fixtures, but frail health has prevented him doing so for some time.

AmaZulu are the most popular South African Premiership club in Durban with Swede Roger Palmgren the coach and Zimbabwe goalkeeper Tapuwa Kapini the captain of a side that finished seventh in the 16-club national league last season.

After facing Ajax Saturday at Cape Town Stadium, United head for China and a game against Shanghai Shenhua before returning to Europe for warm-ups fixtures with Valerenga in Olso, Barcelona in Gothenburg and Hanover 96 in Germany.

I'm not the man to light Olympic flame, says Beckham

(Reuters) - David Beckham has suggested he is not the right man to light the Olympic flame to officially open the London Games, saying on Thursday the honor should go to an Olympian who has won gold medals.

Admitting his disappointment at failing to make Britain's Olympic soccer squad, Beckham took himself out of the running for one of the greatest honors that can be bestowed on a sportsman or woman but offered no hint as to who should have the job of lighting the cauldron on July 27.

"I've always said, lighting the torch in the stadium is something that should be done by an Olympian... who has done incredible things for our country and won gold medals," Beckham told reporters during an interview in Los Angeles.

After the decision to leave Beckham out of the Team GB soccer squad was announced, the odds on the Los Angeles Galaxy player lighting the Olympic cauldron were slashed with British bookmakers Ladbrokes quoting 5/1 at the time.

While Beckham has politely tried to remove himself from consideration as the athlete to open the Games, the former England captain had made no secret of his hopes of landing one of the three over-age spots in Stuart Pearce's Under-23 squad.

The world famous trend-setter, who is England's most capped outfield player with 115 appearances, has not featured for the national team since 2009 and instead of playing at the Games he will continue to perform his role as an Olympic ambassador.

"Obviously, all the talk of me possibly performing in the Olympics, it would have been a very proud moment for me," said Beckham, who was part of the bid team that helped win the Games.
BIG STAGE
"Everyone knows how proud I am of representing my country and to do it in my home town on such a big stage would have been incredible so, of course, I'm disappointed, but life goes on.
"My family are healthy, I'm pretty healthy, so at the end of the day, I'll be there to support the GB team.
"It's going to be a proud moment to be there and know that I was part of bringing the Olympics to the East End of London."
Beckham said support from family, friends and fans around the world had helped him get over the disappointment of missing out on the chance to march into the stadium as an athlete.

"The support has been incredible, the letters that I've got, phone calls that I've got," said Beckham. "Of course, I've had support from my family and friends, they are the ones that care and know how disappointed I am and I was at the time.

"Like I said, life moves on and I hope the GB team go to the Olympics and win as many medals, as many gold medals as possible."

Former FIFA boss Havelange named in bribe case

LONDON (Reuters) - Ex-FIFA President Joao Havelange and his former son-in-law Ricardo Teixeira took multi-million dollar bribes on World Cup deals, Swiss prosecutors said in a legal document released on Wednesday, dealing a fresh blow to world soccer's ruling body.

The two Brazilian soccer administrators were named for the first time in a case which has its roots in the 1990s but will add to the pressure on FIFA to show it is cleaning up its act.

The document, issued by the prosecutor's office in the Swiss region of Zug, noted that both Teixeira and FIFA's legal representative had denied any criminal conduct. Havelange did not comment on the accusation of criminal conduct, it added.

Havelange, a Brazilian who was head of FIFA from 1974 to 1998, received a payment of 1.5 million Swiss francs ($1.53 million) in March 1997 from now-defunct sports marketing body ISL, the Swiss prosecutors said.

ISL sold the commercial rights to broadcast World Cup competitions on behalf of FIFA. It collapsed with debts of around $300 million in 2001.

Teixeira, who led the Brazilian Football Confederation from 1989 until stepping down earlier this year, took 12.7 million francs between 1992 and 1997, the prosecutors said.
Released after pressure from a number of media groups, the document gave details of a Swiss criminal case which was dropped in May 2010 after Havelange and Teixeira agreed to pay reparations.
Havelange, who is 96 and has been suffering from poor health, and Teixeira have been two of the leading figures in Brazilian sports administration for decades.

The two men could not immediately be reached for comment on Wednesday.

FIFA ROLE
FIFA issued a statement welcoming the release of the documents and noting that Havelange's successor, Sepp Blatter, was not involved in the case.
However, the documents raise questions over how FIFA handled corruption in its ranks, saying the organization was aware its officials had taken bribes.
"The finding that FIFA had knowledge of the bribery payments to persons within its organs is not questioned," said the 42-page document.

FIFA had been rocked by a series of corruption allegations in recent years which have led to the departure of five of its executive committee members including Teixeira.

Brazil are the only country to have won the World Cup five times and will host the tournament in 2014, while Rio stages the Summer Olympics two years later.

"With the constant feeding that took place over several years, the services of not just Joao Havelange but also those of Ricardo Terra Teixeira were bought," the prosecutors said.

"The latter was the son-in-law of Joao Havelange - a circumstance from which the ISMM/ISL Group hoped, without doubt, to achieve appropriate benefits," it added.

Teixeira, who has had a series of disputes with Brazilian soccer idol Pele, stepped down in March from his role as head of the organizing committee for the 2014 World Cup and his role as head of the soccer federation.

Havelange resigned from the International Olympic Committee last December, days before an ethics hearing into his conduct in the ISL affair.

FIFA names Havelange, Teixeira in kickbacks case

GENEVA (AP) — Former FIFA president Joao Havelange and one-time Brazilian soccer leader Ricardo Teixeira received millions of dollars in a World Cup kickbacks scandal, soccer's world governing body confirmed on Wednesday.

FIFA finally published a Swiss court dossier which detailed that Teixeira received at $13 million from 1992-97 in payments from World Cup marketing partner ISL. The Swiss-based agency's collapse into bankruptcy in 2001 sparked a criminal probe and exposed the routine practice of buying influence from top sports officials.

The 41-page document showed Havelange received a payment of about $1 million in 1997, one year before he was succeeded as FIFA president by Sepp Blatter.

Payments "attributed" to accounts connected to the two Brazilians totaled almost $22 million from 1992-2000.

The scale of kickbacks tied to World Cup broadcasting and marketing deals was revealed in a report by a prosecutor in the Swiss canton (state) of Zug who investigated Havelange and Teixeira for "embezzlement, or alternatively disloyal management."
The document had been blocked from publication since June 2010, soon after prosecutors, FIFA and two of the most powerful men in world soccer reached a settlement deal to close the criminal investigation.
FIFA, Havelange and Teixeira repaid $6.1 million to end prosecutor Thomas Hildbrand's probe on condition that their identities remain secret.
Teixeira, who repaid $2.5 million, denied criminal conduct. Havelange, who paid $500,000, "did not comment on the accusation of criminal conduct," the report said.

Before agreeing to repay $2.5 million, FIFA made its "consent conditional" upon dropping proceedings against its former president and then-serving member of its executive committee, the report showed.

FIFA released the document hours after Switzerland's Supreme Court threw out an appeal by Havelange and Teixeira to suppress the dossier, and announced its ruling that media organizations should receive details of the ISL case.

"FIFA is pleased that the ISL non-prosecution order can now be made public," soccer's world governing body said in a statement.

Still, Hildbrand's report criticized FIFA as "a deficient organization in its enterprise" prior to ISL's collapse.
Havelange and his former son-in-law Teixeira "unlawfully used assets entrusted to (them) for (their) own enrichment several times. FIFA suffered an equivalent loss."
After helping broker the anonymity deal, FIFA was also a party to earlier appeals to block publication until dropping out of the case last December.

Calls Wednesday to the Brazilian Football Confederation, which Teixeira headed for 23 years until March, rang unanswered.

Blatter — who was Havelange's secretary general for 17 years — said in October that he wanted to release the ISL dossier despite his organization seeking to deny reporters access to its contents at the same time.

Though Blatter has not been accused of accepting unethical payments, the ISL affair has clouded much of his 14-year FIFA presidency. Seeking closure has become central in his promised mission to improve FIFA's image and governance.

Blatter was not specifically named in the redacted document, though he appeared to be represented several times as "P1".
Hildbrand's report said it was "not questioned" that FIFA personnel knew about kickback payments.

The prosecutor wrote of FIFA witnesses confirming that a $1 million payment to Havelange "was mistakenly transferred to a FIFA account.

"Not only the CFO (chief financial officer) had knowledge of this, but also, among others, P1 would also have known about it," the report said.

Havelange was FIFA president for 24 years and remains honorary president. The 96-year-old Brazilian has been treated extensively in a Rio de Janeiro hospital this year for a bacterial infection.

He resigned his 48-year IOC membership in December, citing health reasons, days before the Olympic body was due to sanction him following its own investigation into wrongdoing connected to ISL.

Teixeira resigned this year as head of Brazil's soccer federation and the 2014 World Cup organizing committee, and gave up his FIFA executive committee seat after 18 years, citing unspecified health and personal reasons.

The ISL scandal stemmed from alleged payments of tens of millions of dollars to sports officials made by the agency before its collapse with debts of $300 million. Commercial bribery was not a crime in Switzerland at the time.

ISL was created in the 1970s and helped fuel the boom in sports marketing, while also working closely with the International Olympic Committee.
Hildbrand's report said the agency funneled money through Liechtenstein to pay commissions to officials "favored in order to promote sports policies and economic goals."

Six former ISL executives stood trial in 2008 and were cleared of charges relating to fraud.

In court evidence, FIFA executive committee member Nicolas Leoz, a Paraguayan who still heads the South American soccer confederation, was identified for receiving two ISL payments totaling $130,000 in 2000.

Newest nation South Sudan proud after debut draw

A day after celebrating its country's first birthday, South Sudan's national football team played its first international game on Tuesday and made their fans proud by drawing 2-2 with Uganda.

Noses and fingers pressed to any bit of wire mesh, squeezed onto any stadium wall or balanced precariously atop huge billboard signs overlooking the pitch, the crowd went wild at seeing their nation play its first official game.

"I like it because we have a national team and we have a country," said Margaret Igali, a singer in the national choir who hooted, hugged her fellow singers and made vigorous lasso moves with her hands every time her side advanced.

"The match is very good. It is the first match, and maybe the next one we will win," said South Sudan player Simon James, as he jogged off a pitch where fans clamoured to get through gaps between riot police to embrace players.
"It's a promising first step," said South Sudan coach Zoran Dordevic.

The Serbian said it was very difficult to prepare his players to take on Uganda, a strong east African side that has played many international games together, while his players were still trickling in from teams in Sudan and east Africa just weeks ago.

South Sudan seceded from Sudan on July 9, 2011, after five decades of civil war that killed an estimated 2 million people and scattered the rest into the bush or abroad.

"These days South Sudan celebrated its first anniversary, and still there's a lot of painful stories here, a lot of sadness, a lot of people are missing mothers, fathers brothers and sisters. For this reason, this game was like the final of the revolution," Dordevic said.

"The game --- it was very difficult for us as our players are still young and they don't have experience but we just thank God as we drew, and I think the next game will be bigger, and we have our freedom," said striker James Joseph Morgan.

Like the football team, the war-ravaged nation is starting from scratch.

"Our people have got a lot of problems but they will improve," said Elias Gideon, who hopes the new nation will play in the 2018 World Cup and one day beat the United States.

"Football is a very important game that unites people -- they come and socialise. You see South Sudan and Uganda coming together -- it's a very good game," he said.

"The mood is very vibrant. The people are very happy as they've gained their freedom, and this is one of the new things to come," said Roy Lokungu as crowds screamed, jumped and hugged one another after the first goal, while a line of people following an excited flagbearer sprinted past.

"I'm very proud because we are a country and it's the first time that we have a national team.
"That's a very patriotic thing -- that a newborn country has a strong team like that," said Igali, who like many others said the team was a symbol of freedom and results were of secondary importance.
"A baby child will not grow within one day. I would support them even if they lost," she said with pride.
"It's a new team, and we're not disappointed as Uganda has been playing tough matches for years," Lokungu said.

"Genetically, these boys are godly gifted," Dordevic said of the South Sudanese.

He said they only need motivation and support, and especially a football academy for "hundreds and hundreds of talented children."

"I'm sure that very soon, we can show the world that we can play against any top world class team," he said.
George Opiyo, a striker for the Ugandan side, agreed.

"They have something in this country. I can see they are also competitive. If you play football for your country you have to play with your heart and they are doing that," he said.

"Maybe you give them some years to come, they will be the best team in east Africa", he said

Liverpool's Suarez named in Uruguay Olympic squad

Liverpool striker Luis Suarez was one of three over-age players included in the 18-man Uruguay squad for the Olympic Games that was announced here on Monday.

Coach Oscar Washington Tabarez has also named prolific Napoli striker Edinson Cavani and Palermo's Egidio Arevalo Rios as players over the age of 23 in the squad that will compete in Group A alongside Great Britain, Senegal and the United Arab Emirates.

Other familiar faces include Liverpool defender Sebastian Coates, Ajax midfielder Nicolas Lodeiro and Palermo attacker Abel Hernandez.

Uruguay, who won last year's Copa America and finished fourth at the 2010 World Cup, will face the United Arab Emirates in their opening game on July 26.
Uruguay famously won football gold at the 1924 Summer Games in Paris and again four years later in Amsterdam.
Uruguay squad

Goalkeepers: Martin Campana (Cerro Largo), Leandro Gelpi (Penarol)

Defenders: Sebastian Coates (Liverpool/ENG), Diego Polenta (Genoa/ITA), Ramon Arias (Defensor Sporting), Alexis Rolin (Nacional), Emiliano Albin (Penarol).

Midfielders: Egidio Arevalo Rios (Palermo/ITA), Nicolas Lodeiro (Ajax/NED), Matias Aguirregaray (Palermo/ITA), Gaston Ramirez (Bologna/ITA), Maximiliano Calzada (Nacional), Diego Rodriguez (Defensor Sporting)

Forwards: Luis Suarez (Liverpool/ENG), Edinson Cavani (Napoli/ITA), Abel Hernandez (Palermo/ITA), Jonathan Urretaviscaya (Vitoria Guimaraes/POR), Tabare Viudez (Nacional)

Stand-by: Alejandro Silva (Fenix), Marcelo Silva (Penarol), Federico Pintos (Defensor Sporting), Martin Rodriguez (Wanderers)

Liverpool's Suarez named in Uruguay Olympic squad

Liverpool striker Luis Suarez was one of three over-age players included in the 18-man Uruguay squad for the Olympic Games that was announced here on Monday.

Coach Oscar Washington Tabarez has also named prolific Napoli striker Edinson Cavani and Palermo's Egidio Arevalo Rios as players over the age of 23 in the squad that will compete in Group A alongside Great Britain, Senegal and the United Arab Emirates.

Other familiar faces include Liverpool defender Sebastian Coates, Ajax midfielder Nicolas Lodeiro and Palermo attacker Abel Hernandez.

Uruguay, who won last year's Copa America and finished fourth at the 2010 World Cup, will face the United Arab Emirates in their opening game on July 26.
Uruguay famously won football gold at the 1924 Summer Games in Paris and again four years later in Amsterdam.
Uruguay squad

Goalkeepers: Martin Campana (Cerro Largo), Leandro Gelpi (Penarol)

Defenders: Sebastian Coates (Liverpool/ENG), Diego Polenta (Genoa/ITA), Ramon Arias (Defensor Sporting), Alexis Rolin (Nacional), Emiliano Albin (Penarol).

Midfielders: Egidio Arevalo Rios (Palermo/ITA), Nicolas Lodeiro (Ajax/NED), Matias Aguirregaray (Palermo/ITA), Gaston Ramirez (Bologna/ITA), Maximiliano Calzada (Nacional), Diego Rodriguez (Defensor Sporting)

Forwards: Luis Suarez (Liverpool/ENG), Edinson Cavani (Napoli/ITA), Abel Hernandez (Palermo/ITA), Jonathan Urretaviscaya (Vitoria Guimaraes/POR), Tabare Viudez (Nacional)

Stand-by: Alejandro Silva (Fenix), Marcelo Silva (Penarol), Federico Pintos (Defensor Sporting), Martin Rodriguez (Wanderers)

Spain fans rejoice in Euro win; Italians silenced

Decked in red and yellow, Spanish fans burst into chants of "Champions!", detonated bangers and danced in fountains as an historic Euro 2012 win swept away the clouds of crisis.

Young and old revelled in their unprecedented third straight international title, blaring car horns and flying the national flag in their hands, through car windows and off the back of motorbikes.

Spain's red-and-yellow colours were everywhere: painted on faces, decorating wigs, on banners draped over fans' shoulders, wrapped around hips, and hanging from balconies and outside bars.

In the streets they banged drums, blared horns, or just waved two-euro ($2.50) flags sold on street corners.

In the central square Madrid of Puerta del Sol a dozen people leapt into the fountain and slashed water over scores of others dancing in joy.

It was a world away from Rome, where a rock concert atmosphere at the ancient Circus Maximus arena evaporated and tens of thousands made a gloomy run for the exits.

"I feel defeated. The will was there but they were tired," said 23-year-old Fabio in a blue Italy shirt as he walked away with a group of friends. "We did our best but I was hoping for better."

The press echoed the sentiment.

"Thanks anyway, Italy," the online edition of la Repubblica said.

In Spain, there was no surpressing the joy.

Tens of thousands of people were glued to giant screens in an official fanzone outside Real Madrid's Bernabeu stadium as Spain snatched an historic third victory after the Euro 2008 and World Cup of 2010.

Others swilled beers, cheering and gasping in bars across the nation as the thriller unfolded.
"Today the whole country is united as one and everyone is in the Euro. And the crisis? No-one is thinking about the crisis," said 23-year-old business student Miguel Revert outside a central Madrid sports bar.

Cries of "Champions, Champions," and "I am Spanish" echoed through Madrid's streets, as people poured out of bars and homes for a party that began in half time when Spain were already 2-0 up.

In Madrid's fanzone, crowds joined in an uproar of delight as Spain took their first goal, and the celebrations grew as the score board kept notching up the victory tally.

"We're going to win this game," they cried as each goal swept the defending champions nearer to the title.

By the city centre's famed Cibeles stone fountain, depicting the goddess of nature on a chariot being hauled by lions, workers finished erecting a massive stage to welcome the team with a victory party on Monday.
On their return home, the heroes will be greeted by King Juan Carlos before being hailed by fans in an open-top bus that will travel through the capital's streets.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" cried the headline on the home page of the biggest-selling sports daily Marca, above a photo of the cheering team with captain Iker Casillas holding the trophy aloft.

Conservative daily El Mundo's home page declared the team as "Champions of Legend" and described their victory as "Spain's masterpiece".

"Football as an opiate of the people in suffocating times. Football as a metaphor of the courage of collective effort and the definitive loss of those complexes that hobble dreams," the paper said.

"A handful of sportsmen without equal, moulded from a winning gene and led by a coach of firm convictions... showed in the Kiev Olympic Stadium that Spain, too, can be an example," it said.