■AUSTRALIA
Man lives in soccer ball
An Australian man is being paid thousands of dollars to watch the World Cup inside a giant soccer ball equipped with a well-stocked fridge, a games console and a bunk bed. Adam Santarossa, 23, says his friends are jealous after he was selected by Adidas to spend the month-long tournament watching soccer, tweeting and writing blogs inside the 6m diameter Jabulani ball. “Other people have work commitments and family commitments. My only problem is getting my blog done on time,” he said. “It’s an easy life I’m living. I’m sure people will be quite jealous.” Santarossa has a cleaner, free laundry, a PlayStation 3 and a laptop, and will get US$2,600 for his trouble, along with the contents of the ball and three bags full of sports gear. “It’s a pretty easy life,” he said. “I’m going to be seeing if they can extend my lease.”
■PORTUGAL
Amorim out for six days
Midfielder Ruben Amorim, who was flown in to replace injured winger Nani in the Portugal World Cup squad, will be out of action for at least six days after damaging his left thigh. “A scan has confirmed the injury. A period of six days of complete rest is expected, with treatment and a gradual integration of training sessions from next week,” the Portuguese Football Federation said in a statement on Tuesday. The federation added Amorim picked up the injury in training before Portugal’s 7-0 thrashing of North Korea on Monday. He will miss Friday’s Group G match with Brazil in Durban. Midfielder Deco, who was ruled out of the North Korea game with a hip injury, is still receiving treated and is training separately from his team mates.
■IRELAND
No sympathy for France
As France crashed out of the World Cup on Tuesday seven months after a disputed Thierry Henry handball dashed the Republic of Ireland’s hopes of getting to the championship, there was no sympathy from Ireland’s former assistant manager. Liam Brad, said he was not sad that the troubled Les Bleus are going home after losing 2-1 to hosts South Africa. “I am very pleased it has ended up that way. I thought they got there in the wrong fashion. The circumstances in which they beat us ... well, it has all been well documented hasn’t it? They really, really performed badly,” Brady told RTE state radio. “As well as playing badly, they’ve behaved badly and they come home in disgrace really. And the French Federation, it is a huge embarrassment to them.” Ireland was furious last November after a clear handball by striker Henry, which set up what turned out to be the decisive goal in their play-off, went unpunished.
■SOUTH KOREA
Man drowns in celebration
A South Korean man has drowned after jumping into a river to celebrate the country advancing to the second round of the World Cup. Police said the 20-year-old university student, surnamed Lee, leaped into Seoul’s Han River with three friends on Wednesday morning after South Korea held Nigeria to a 2-2 draw in their final group game and made it to the knockout phase. Lee’s friends quickly got out of the water but he failed to do so. Police say they later rescued Lee and took him to a nearby hospital, but he died. Police said one of Lee’s friends told investigators they jumped to celebrate South Korea’s advance.
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