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Reyna's injury called minor

By TIMES WIRES
Published May 25, 2006

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - A day after straining his right hamstring in a lackluster 1-0 loss to Morocco, U.S. captain Claudio Reyna said the injury was minor.

Reyna had an MRI exam Wednesday before the Americans left for Cleveland, where they play Venezuela on Friday night, and the scan showed no damage.

"Good news, definitely," he said. "I'm happy, more relieved today."

Reyna was injured about 11 minutes in Tuesday night when he tried to intercept a pass. Four years ago, he missed the opening 3-2 win over Portugal because of a strained right quadriceps, then returned for the final four games as the Americans advanced to the quarterfinals in their best showing since 1930.

The 32-year-old midfielder is among only seven players in this year's tournament appearing on a World Cup roster for the fourth time. In 1994, he missed the entire tournament because of a right hamstring injury.

Because of the injury, he won't play Friday or Sunday, when the Americans face Latvia at East Hartford, Conn., in their last game before their World Cup opener against the Czech Republic on June 12. The World Cup begins June 9 in Germany.

"There's no alarm bells going off that he's going to be out for a long time," U.S. assistant coach Glenn Myernick said.

Wayne Rooney, England's star striker, is recovering from a broken foot, and a scan at Manchester United's training center today should decide whether he will be fit to play at the World Cup.

England's first game against Paraguay is June 10, exactly six weeks after Rooney broke a metatarsal bone in his right foot playing for United against Chelsea.

Although Rooney may miss the group games against Paraguay, Trinidad and Tobago and Sweden, England hopes he will be fit to play in the knockout stages - provided the team qualifies.

"The whole nation, everyone is willing him better and to have Wayne Rooney in our team not only as a player but as a person," England captain David Beckham said. "We need the world to see Wayne Rooney on a stage like the World Cup."

In a related development, Mike Stone, the Manchester United doctor treating Rooney, left the club over what the team described as a "difference of opinion."

Meanwhile, Michael Owen will make his first start in nearly six months when England plays Belarus in a World Cup warmup today. Owen, who played only 30 minutes for Newcastle after breaking his foot on Dec. 31, will be up front alongside Peter Crouch in the unofficial "B" international in Reading.

Diego Maradona said he dreams of coaching Argentina in the future, and believes both Spain and his native country will provide Brazil with tough competition at the World Cup. "I dream of being the coach of the Argentine squad," said Maradona, who will comment on World Cup matches for Spanish TV broadcaster Cuatro. "It's something that I would really like and I will fight to become the national coach. "It's something that I owe to myself. It would be the icing on the cake for my career," he added. "It would be great."

Chinese customs agents have confiscated 600 soccer balls illegally stamped with World Cup logo. The balls were impounded Tuesday in the eastern port of Ningbo after being found in a shipment traced to a travel agency in the northern city of Baotou, a Ningbo customs agent said.

Goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon left Italy's World Cup squad Wednesday to face questioning in the country's wide-ranging soccer scandal. Buffon was questioned for a little more than 11/2 hours at Parma's courthouse by prosecutors investigating alleged illegal betting. Buffon's lawyer, Mario Valerio Corini, said the player wasn't under investigation. Buffon made no comment as he left the courthouse Wednesday evening.

Major League Soccer is heading back to the Bay Area. The league announced it has agreed to a deal with the owners of the Oakland A's that will bring a team back to the area, following last year's departure of the San Jose Earthquakes.

[Last modified May 25, 2006, 00:55:15]