Call to duty

Sport shows its friendly side on international night

LONDON (Reuters) -- From Guangzhou to Quito and Tallinn to Luanda, almost 70 countries are involved in soccer's first big international night of the year on Wednesday.

The most intriguing of more than 30 friendlies taking place around the globe is in Guangzhou where world champions Brazil will field a full-strength side against China in their first meeting since Brazil's 4-0 win at the World Cup last June.

But the game is not without controversy and emphasizes again the difficulty of fitting high profile friendlies into the crowded soccer calendar.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is upset his midfielder Gilberto Silva is travelling some 8,000 miles from London -- although tens of thousands of Chinese fans are delighted to see him and his other high-profile teammates such as Ronaldo.

Just over a year ago Wenger was also upset his French players had to travel to Australia in mid-season for a friendly, but they do not have to travel too far this week -- just 300kms to Paris to play the Czech Republic.

France coach Jacques Santini said on Tuesday goalkeeper Ulrich Rame will play after Fabian Barthez and Gregory Coupet were ruled out with injuries. It will be Rame's first appearance for France since Santini took over.

"We will have at least two or three of the old guys who are returning from the start of the match," said Santini who will play with Bixente Lizarazu on the left with Robert Pires and Zinedine Zidane in the midfield.

International fixtures LONDON (AP) -- List of the international soccer games scheduled for Wednesday (all are friendly matches unless stated): • PODGORICA, Serbia-Montenegro -- Serbia-Mont. vs. Azer., (Euro 2004 qualifier) • ANNABA, Algeria -- Algeria v. Belgium • LARNACA, Cyprus -- Bulgaria v. Hung. • GUANGZHOU, China -- China v. Brazil • SPLIT, Croatia -- Croatia v. Poland • LIMASSOL, Cyprus -- Cyprus v. Russia • QUITO, Equador -- Ecuador v. Estonia • CAIRO -- Egypt v. Denmark • LONDON -- England v. Australia • PARIS -- France v. Czech Republic • TBILISI, Georgia -- Georgia v. Moldova • HERAKLION, Greece -- Greece v. Nor. • GENOA, Italy -- Italy v. Portugal • KINGSTON, Jamaica -- Jamaica v. U.S. • TRIPOLI, Libya -- Libya v. Canada • VALLETTA, Malta -- Malta v. Kazakstan • TBA -- Mexico v. Colombia • PARIS -- Morocco v. Senegal • AMSTERDAM -- Netherlands v. Argentina • BELFAST -- N. Ireland v. Finland • LARNACA, Cyprus -- Rom. v. Slovakia • GLASGOW -- Scotland v. Ireland • NOVA GORICA, Slovenia - Slov. v. Switz. • PALMA DE MALLORCA -- Spain v. Ger. • TUNIS, Tunisia -- Tunisia v. Sweden • IZMIR, Turkey -- Turkey v. Ukraine • CARDIFF -- Wales v. Bosnia-Herz. • TEL-AVIV, Israel -- Israel v. Armenia

Pires, who missed the World Cup because of injury, will be playing his first international for a year and said on Tuesday: "I'm just happy to be back and aiming to be a first choice player again."

Captain Marcel Desailly will earn his 103rd cap equaling Didier Deschamps French record.

Italy depleted

Italy, who face Euro 2004 hosts Portugal in Genoa, will be without coach Giovanni Trapattoni's entire first-choice frontline, with Christian Vieri, Alessandro Del Piero and Francesco Totti all missing with injuries.

The losses though, allow Trapattoni to take a look at some new faces ahead of March's Euro 2004 qualifier against Finland -- Argentine-born winger Mauro Camoranesi of Juventus is set to make his debut on the right flank and Perugia's in-form striker Fabrizio Miccoli and Lazio forward Bernardo Corradi will also be given first run-outs for the Azzurri.

Euro 2004 hosts Portugal have no such concerns about qualification but the game opens a new era with Luiz Felipe Scolari, coach of the World Cup winning Brazilian side, taking charge for the first time.

Scolari has lost Porto midfielder Costinha to injury but is expected to start with Real Madrid's Luis Figo and AC Milan's Rui Costa in midfield

Majorca meeting

Spain coach Inaki Saez wants to see a sharper edge from his attack when they take on a weakened Germany in Palma de Mallorca.

Saez's side are unbeaten in five games since the former under-21 coach stepped up to the top job following a painful World Cup defeat to South Korea -- a result that denied the Spanish a date with the Germans in the semi-finals.

Two of those matches have been emphatic victories over Greece and Northern Ireland to take Spain top of qualifying group six for Euro 2004. Another win away to Ukraine next month would make them all but certain of a place in the finals.

The side have managed just one goal, though, in their last two friendlies -- a goalless draw with Paraguay and a 1-0 win over Bulgaria -- and Saez is anxious to see an improvement on Wednesday.

"I am concerned about our forward line," Saez said. "We have a lot of quality up front but in the last few games we haven't taken our chances."

Raul was rested for those friendlies but the Real Madrid striker should be back to lead the attack, probably alongside Diego Tristan.

Mallorca has a huge German population and Saez is aware that home advantage will not be such a factor in this game.

"There are a lot of Germans living here and that's part of the reason why we're playing in Mallorca. It's important that there's a good atmosphere in the stands."

The Germans will be without midfielder Michael Ballack (flu).

"It's a shame that he has had to drop out. It would have been good to be able to use all the players," German coach Rudi Voeller said.

Voeller will also have to make do without Hertha Berlin defender Marko Rehmer (torn leg muscle), and Borussia Dortmund defensive midfielder Sebastian Kehl (ankle) from his original 20-man squad.

Voeller has called up Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Hanno Balitsch as cover. Also out injured are Carsten Jancker, Jens Nowotny, Christian Ziege and Gerald Asamoah. Dietmar Hamann is required for his club Liverpool.

Still, the squad gives Voeller a balance of experience and youth, with TSV 1860 Munich striker Benjamin Lauth and Vfl Wolfsburg defender Tobias Rau expected to win their first caps.

Upton farce?

England's friendly at Upton Park against Australia risks degenerating into farce after manager Sven-Goran Eriksson unveiled plans to field a team of players aged 25 and under for the second half.

Under pressure from the top premier league managers not to use their players for more than 45 minutes, the main focus after the break will be the much-awaited debut of 17-year-old Everton forward Wayne Rooney, the youngest player ever to wear an England shirt.

Eriksson will also try out Southampton striker James Beattie, the second leading scorer in the premier league this season with 16 goals, and Newcastle United's highly promising 19-year-old midfielder Jermaine Jenas.

For first-team regulars like skipper David Beckham and striker Michael Owen, experiencing his second goal drought of the season, the game will be a warm-up for their trip to Liechtenstein for a Euro 2004 qualifier on March 29.

Four days after that game, England face a home qualifier against Group Seven leaders and World Cup semi-finalists Turkey -- a match which nearly all of those who play in Wednesday's second half will watch on television.

Old rivals

There could be more of a treat in store for Dutch fans in Amsterdam where Argentina, who beat the Netherlands in the 1978 World Cup final, are the visitors.

Dutch coach Dick Advocaat has come been criticised for leaving Barcelona's Marc Overmars out of his squad, but said on Tuesday: "I spoke to Marc on the phone, and I made clear that there was no reason for me to change the composition of the selection.

"He still is a candidate as a winger, but he has to prove that he is better than the others in my selection."

Andy Van der Meijde and Jaap Stam skipped Monday's training sessions with Van der Meijde complaining of dizziness after he clashed with Feyenoord' Patrick Paauwe in the dying seconds of the workout. Stam has a calf niggle, but according to Advocaat will be able to play on Wednesday.

 

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