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Soccer Shorts

■SOUTH AFRICA

Santana future looks in doubt

Joel Santana’s future as South Africa coach dimmed again after his side lost 1-0 to Iceland in a friendly in Reykjavik on Tuesday. The result, South Africa’s eighth loss in nine matches, came hours after the national soccer association said it would give Santana another month to fix next year’s World Cup host team. Fans and commentators have expressed unhappiness at Santana’s conservative tactics, which were apparent again against Iceland, who finished last in their World Cup qualifying group. Nancy striker Viegar Pall Gunnarsson scored Iceland’s goal in the 51st minute.



■ARGENTINA

Players receive phone threats

River Plate players received threatening phone calls on Tuesday from fans fed up with their poor performances in the Argentine first division, local media said. A humiliating 3-1 defeat at home to Independiente on Monday was the first time in 13 years that River had lost at home to their opponents in one of the Argentine game’s big “classics.” Players canceled their mobile phone contracts and refused to talk to reporters suspecting they had passed the numbers to the fans who made the calls, media said. “We know at what time your wife goes shopping” and “we know your family’s movements” were among the threats made, they reported.



■AUSTRALIA

Farina fired after drink rap

Former Australia player and coach Frank Farina was fired as coach of the A-League’s Brisbane Roar yesterday after being charged with drink driving. Farina was stopped while driving to a Brisbane training run at 7am on Saturday and recorded a blood alcohol reading more than twice the legal limit. He is due to appear in the Brisbane Magistrates’ Court next month. He faced a similar charge in Sydney in 2007. After making 67 appearances for Australia, Farina coached the national team between 1999 and 2005.



■NORTH KOREA

Congo, North Korea draw

North Korea were held to a scoreless draw by the Republic of Congo in a friendly on Tuesday. Playing their second match in Europe in 43 years following a 0-0 draw with French second-division club Nantes last week, North Korea created more chances than Congo. North Korea arrived in France on Oct. 5 as part of preparations for next year’s World Cup. They will play in their second World Cup in South Africa following an epic run at the 1966 tournament in England, where they reached the quarter-finals.



■UNITED STATES

Star in fatal car accident

Forward Charlie Davies is unlikely to play in next year’s World Cup after undergoing several hours of emergency surgery on Tuesday to repair a shattered right leg and ruptured bladder. The 23-year-old suffered multiple fractures in his face, a badly broken right leg, a broken left elbow and a lacerated bladder in a fatal car smash in the early hours of Tuesday morning. Doctors expressed hope that Davies’ high level of fitness would speed up his recovery but they added he would need further surgery and could be looking at up to 12 months or more of recovery and physiotherapy treatment. Davies, who plays for French club Sochaux, was listed in serious but stable condition in a Washington hospital after the emergency surgery. Davies was a passenger in the vehicle in which a 22-year-old woman died. A police officer who was at the scene said the vehicle was ripped in two pieces after crashing into a metal guardrail, the Washington Post reported. Davies has played 17 times for the US.
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