Defoe called up

LONDON: Jermain Defoe has been asked to travel to Germany with the England team for the World Cup finals in case Wayne Rooney will not be able to play. The BBC reported that England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson confirmed that Defoe would be travelling with the team to Germany on Monday.

$6m for Polish team

BARINGSHAUSEN: The Polish national team players would receive collectively a cool six million dollars if they manage to win the World Cup, a senior Polish football official said. “In this way we have joined together the team,” said Michal Listkiewicz, president of the Polish football federation (PZF) Sunday. Listkiewicz declined to give further details.

Portuguese feel at home

HAMBURG: Portugal appeared to be arriving for a home game when the squad’s plane touched down at Munster airport on Sunday. More than 1,000 Portuguese fans jammed into the small airport, waving flags and honking horns as the aircraft landed. The team bus squeezed slowly through the cheering crowd, which was coloured red and green by dozens of Portuguese flags and national team soccer jerseys.

Dreams come true

HAMBURG: Carlos Salcido was washing cars in the streets of Guadalajara about 10 years ago and, like many young Mexicans, dreamed of playing for Mexico’s national soccer team at the World Cup. The defender is on the verge of making his dream come true in Germany. “I worked washing cars, in ironworks and stores, but soccer changed my life completely,” said Salcido, who is expected to start in Mexico’s opening World Cup match against Iran next Sunday. “My immediate goal has been fulfilled: to play for my country at a World Cup.”