The organising committee said it was always the plan to sell beer at the 12 World Cup stadia, although police have the right to order alcohol bans for matches they consider to be at risk from hooligans.

"Only the police can decide whether to ban the sale of alcohol for any particular game," Jens Grittner, a spokesman for the World Cup organising committee, told AFP.

Football's world governing body FIFA sparked outrage in Germany when they ruled that Budweiser would be the only beer on sale to fans at the stadiums.

A compromise deal was struck to allow German brewer Bitburger to also sell its products.

The 64-match World Cup begins on June 9 and concludes on July 9.

Eusebio warns Portugal
Afp, Lisbon

Legendary striker Eusebio has warned Portugal's squad against complacency during the group stage at the World Cup which it will begin with a match against debutants Angola in Germany on June 11.

"Be humble. Think that the first game is the final. And be careful with Angola. If they are at the World Cup it is because they are tops in Africa," he said in comments published Tuesday in sports daily A Bola.

"Our adversaries in the group stage are all difficult. Today there are no easy matches," he added.

Portugal are in Group D which pits them against Iran and Mexico as well as its former colony Angola.

Eusebio blamed overconfidence for Portugal's first-round exit from the 2002 World Cup held in Japan and South Korea which included a shock 3-2 defeat to rank outsiders the United States during their first match of the tournament.

"When we left Lisbon in 2002 we were all convinced that we would be world champions, that the game against the United States was already won and then...it was a lesson, just like Euro 2004," he said.

At Euro 2004 hosts Portugal beat Spain, England and Holland but ended up losing twice to eventual winners, lowly-ranked Greece.

Striking worry for Zico
Reuters, Tokyo

Japan coach Zico has often struggled to explain why his trigger-shy strikers seem to vanish into thin air during matches.

Frequently in the Brazilian's four years in charge, it has appeared as if his strike force had been sucked into another vortex or the victims of a body-snatching raid from space.

Zico was cursing his misfortune again after Tuesday's 2-1 defeat by Bulgaria in a friendly in Osaka, but he could hardly put the blame on supernatural forces.

Japan's forwards, Keiji Tamada and Seiichiro Maki, both had solid games.

Maki scored a second-half equaliser to boost his claims for inclusion in the World Cup squad while Tamada's lightning pace was a constant threat.

But Japan's lack of a cutting edge in front of goal will be giving Zico serious concern just over a month before they take on Australia in their World Cup opener on June 12.

Substitute Hristo Yanev's injury-time free kick gave the Bulgarians all three points in the first game of the three-team Kirin Cup tournament.

"That was a slap in the face right at the end," said Zico. "We didn't deserve that. But we didn't take our chances and they punished us."

The Asian champions play Scotland on Saturday in their last home game before leaving for Germany May 26. Another defeat could seriously damage morale.

Though Zico is a keen tinkerer, keeping faith with Maki and Tamada in Saitama looks the best option.

Maki celebrated his third goal in eight Japan appearances with a sheepish grin after substitute Alex's shot had ricocheted in off his calf but it may have earned him a ticket to Germany.

Japan are drawn alongside holders Brazil, Croatia and Australia in Group F at the World Cup and Maki's height and physical presence could offer Zico something different.

With former Sampdoria striker Atsushi Yanagisawa recovering from a broken metatarsal and Yokohama's Tatsuhiko Kubo another worry, Maki's emergence could be a real silver lining.

175,000 for Scholl inclusion
Afp, Frankfurt

The clamour to include Bayern Munich midfielder Mehmet Scholl in Germany's final World Cup squad continues to grow with 175,000 Germans signing a petition for his inclusion.

The petition is entitled 'Scholl for Germany' and the two students behind the idea, Frank Enders and Sebastian Glemser will hand the list of 175,000 signatures over to national coach Jurgen Klinsmann on Friday.

Klinsmann will name his final 23-man World Cup squad three days later on May 15 - the FIFA deadline for all squads.

The 35-year-old Scholl is not expected to be included as just a month ago Klinsmann said there was no place for the Bayern playmaker.

Scholl, the first player of Turkish descent to represent Germany, won 36 caps for the national team before retiring in 2002.

This season he has turned back the clock with some stellar substitute displays to win a record eighth Bundesliga title with Bayern.

However, last month Scholl was omitted from a provisional 30-man squad named by Klinsmann and the German team boss said at the time: "We are delighted by Mehmet's performances at Bayern over the last few weeks.

"But our main focus is the tight group of 28 to 30 players. These have the priority."