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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (June 12, 2002)
Sports The Battalion Page 3 • Wednesday, June 12, 2002 NEWS IN BRIEF Sharks recommend Ming be available HOUSTON (AP) - The Shanghai Sharks have told the Houston Rockets they will rec ommend the China Basketball Association grant its approval for the nation's star player, Yao Ming, to participate in this month's NBA draft, the Houston Chronicle reported Tuesday in its online editions. Rockets general counsel Michael Goldberg told the newspaper from Shanghai that Sharks gen eral manager Li Yaomin and owner Bai Li pledged their recom mendation following two days of and negotia- MING social meetings tions. Rockets officials in China did not immediately return phone messages left by The Associated Press. Houston, which won the No. 1 draft selection in the NBA's lottery last month, hopes to select Yao June 26 in New York. "I believe based on our meet ings that they don't have any objections," Goldberg told the paper. "In the very short time we've been here, we've devel oped very good relationships." Goldberg, general manager Carroll Dawson, coach Rudy Tomjanovich and director of media relations Nelson Luis are in China to meet with Chinese representatives who will decide whether the 7-foot- 5 center is allowed to play in the United States. France eliminated after second loss Denmark knocks out defending champs, 2-0 2002 WORLD CUP STANDINGS YOKOHAMA, Japan (AP) — No goals, no glory. No more World Cup for France. The defending champions needed to beat Denmark by two goals Tuesday to reach the World Cup’s second round. Instead, the Danes won 2-0 in Incheon, South Korea, and Les Bleus became the first champions to go scoreless through a first round. They are also the first defending titlist to exit after the opening round since Brazil in 1966. “It’s the end of a beautiful story,” said French striker David Trezeguet. “That’s the law of soccer, you have to accept it. “We had lots of ambition and we want ed to do a lot better. It’s a real pity.” While the Danes won Group A, tournament new comer Senegal rode three first-half goals into the next round. The Africans took a 3-0 lead and barely held on for a 3-3 tie against Uruguay in Suwon, South Korea. Denmark plays Saturday in Niigata, Japan against either England, Sweden or Argentina. Senegal plays Sunday in Oita, Japan against one of those teams. “I believe a small team can be big,” said Senegal’s El Hadji Diouf. “Today is a historic day for African countries.” Those two joined four-time winner Brazil, Spain, three-time winner Germany and Ireland in the round of 16. Germany, despite playing the final 50 minutes a man down when Carsten Ramelow was ejected at Shizuoka, Japan, knocked out Cameroon 2-0 on goals by Marco Bode and Miroslav Kohse, who now has five goals. The Germans will play Saturday at Seogwipo, South Korea against either Spain, South Africa or Paraguay. “We showed our dedication and commitment and deserved to win,” Christoph Metzelder said. “Our min imum target was to get to the final 16.” Ireland defeated already-eliminated Saudi Arabia 3- 0 in Yokohama to finish second to Germany in Group E. The Irish, who had never scored more than one goal in a World Cup game, will oppose either Spain or South Africa in Suwon, South Korea on Sunday. The Irish went through even though their best player, Roy Keane, was sent home after a feud with coach Mick McCarthy before the tournament began. “We fight against doubters all the time, we fight against critics all the time,” coach Mick McCarthy said. “We do it very well.” With 1998 World Cup hero Zinedine Zidane on the sideline with a thigh injury, France opened with a stunning 1-0 loss to Senegal and then tied Uruguay 0-0. Zidane returned for the Denmark game, but nothing helped the French, who saw two shots rebound off the crossbar. At the end, Zidane walked off the field with his head hanging down, followed by the rest of the French team. “I didn’t expect to go back home like that after the first round,” Zidane said. “We’re all very, very disap pointed, but we won’t stop here. We will have to turn the page, turn over a new leaf.” Thousands of traveling Les Bleus fans fell silent. Next games - Wednesday, June 12 Argentina vs. Sweden at Miyagi, Japan Nigeria vs. England at Osaka, Japan Spain vs. South Africa at Daejeon, South Korea Slovenia vs. Paraguay at Seogwipo, South Korea x-dinched spot in second round Group A W L T GF GA Pts x-Denmark 2 0 1 5 2 7 x-Senegai 1 0 2 5 4 5 Uruguay 0 1 2 4 5 2 France 0 2 1 0 3 1 Group B W L T GF GA Pts x-Spaln 2 0 0 6 2 6 South Africa 10 13 2 4 Paraguay 0 113 5 1 Slovenia 0 2 0 Group C W L T GF GA Pts x-Brazil 2 0 0 6 1 6 Costa Rica 10 13 1 4 Turkey 0 112 3 1 China 0 2 0 0 6 0 Group D W L T GF GA Pts South Korea 10 13 14 United States 10 1 4 3 4 Portugal 1 1 0 6 3 3 Poland 0 2 0 0 6 0 Group E W L T GF GA Pts x-Germany 2 0 1 11 1 7 x-lreland 1 0 2 5 2 5 Cameroon 1112 3 4 Saudi Arabia 0 3 0 0 12 0 Group F Sweden England Argentina Nigeria Group G Mexico Italy Croatia Ecuador Group H Japan Russia Belgium Tunisia W L T GF GA Pts 10 13 2 4 10 12 14 110 1 13 0 2 0 1 3 0 W L T GF GA Pts 2 0 0 3 1 6 1 1 0 3 2 3 1 1 0 2 2 3 0 2 0 1 4 0 W L T GF GA Pts 10 13 2 4 110 2 1 3 0 0 2 3 3 2 0 1113 1 SOURCE: Associated Press while Danish fans in the opposite comer of the stadium beat on drums and sang “Ole, Ole, Ole.” “We had a good day,” coach Morten Olsen said. Bode and Miroslav Kohse, who now has five goals. The Thousands of traveling Les Bleus fans fell silent. See Upset on page 4 Sorry Ringling Brothers, the World Cup is the greatest show on earth T'ith all due respect to showcase event fans in Daegu, households tuned in to watch the only time fans there stand W ith all due respect to the Ringling Brothers, someone else has the greatest show on earth these days. The real greatest show on earth does not have tigers, can nons or trapeze artists. There are certainly not any baseballs, basketballs, hockey pucks or pigskins. The greatest show on earth is the pinnacle of the sport of the world, no matter what most Americans might tell you. There is a reason soccer’s showcase event is called the World Cup. No other event gets fans across the globe into as much of a frenzy as the once-every-four-years tournament. For a one sport event, there is no comparison. Not the World Series, not the NBA Finals, not even the Super Bowl. Don’t think so? You must have missed the 66,000-plus TRUE BROWN fans in Daegu, South Korea, early Monday morning when the United States played South Korea to a 1-1 draw. Korea’s fans did their best to make a marooned out Kyle Field look like a play ground, singing, cheering and chanting from the opening kickoff to the final whistle. In addition to the crowd in attendance, 1.36 million U.S. households tuned in to watch the game, more than doubling the average amount of viewers for the previous 2002 Cup games. Monday’s game was not just a case of fans being loud because the match was in their country. America’s fans do it, as do Brazil’s, Germany’s, France’s and every country in between. The biggest sporting events in America pale in comparison. The World Series? About the only time fans there stand up is for the National Anthem. The NBA Finals? Watching paint dry is about as much fun as watching the most overpaid players on the planet throw a ball in a hoop. The Super Bowl? 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