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U.S. personnel visit tension-filled border

PANMUNJOM, Korea -- They walked in a line, as if walking out onto the soccer field. Only this time, the U.S. team was heading to the last vestige of the Cold War.

Just feet from the line of demarcation, the Americans saw North Korean soldiers, weapons at the ready. Behind them were soldiers from the United States and South Korea in camouflage with guns at their sides.

"I was so clueless until today," said DaMarcus Beasley, at 20 the youngest U.S. player. "People take for granted what goes on in the world. You forget how much people do for our country. This is a way of seeing what they do day in and day out."

Eleven players and 12 staff members traveled Friday to the 2,000-meter-wide, 151-mile-long strip that divides North and South Korea.

"We're too often in the limelight," coach Bruce Arena said. "What we do in the big picture is not that important."

Some of the players visited in December, when they came to South Korea for a friendly.

"I wanted to experience it again," Landon Donovan said. "I'd come back tomorrow if I had the chance."

RESHUFFLED ODDS: Italy and Argentina were made the favorites by British bookmakers after France lost.

The odds of France, a 3-1 favorite to win the tournament before its 1-0 loss to Senegal, were doubled to 6-1 by Ladbrokes. Italy's odds were cut from 5-1 to 3-1.

Rival bookmaker William Hill slashed Senegal's odds from 150-1 to 66-1. Ladbrokes had offered 8-1 odds against a Senegal victory.

PRANK GONE BAD: Senegal's Khalilou Fadiga said he regretted stealing a necklace.

Fadiga said the gold necklace, worth $250, was taken from a jewelry store in Daegu, South Korea, Sunday as part of a prank involving teammates.

"It was a stupid joke, but for me, the matter is closed," he said. "I didn't spend the night in a police cell, and I took it back myself."

South Korean police are investigating Fadiga, but World Cup organizers said the player wasn't under threat of arrest and would be allowed to stay with his team.

INJURY UPDATE: England's Kieron Dyer might play Sunday against Sweden. The midfielder has convinced coach Sven-Goran Eriksson he has recovered from a knee ligament injured at the end of the English Premier League season.

LAST RUN: Argentina's Gabriel Batistuta will retire from international soccer after the World Cup.

The 33-year-old is Argentina's career leading scorer with 55 goals in 75 matches. He also has nine World Cup goals (four in 1994 and five in 1998), five behind Germany's Gerd Mueller's record set in 1970 and 1974.

PINKY SCARE: Paraguay goalkeeper Ricardo Tavarelli injured his pinky during practice but should be able to play Monday against South Africa.

FUTURE HALL: FIFA chose Valencia, Spain, for the site of its Hall of Fame, scheduled to open in November 2004.

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