Access to the stadium is normally blocked for animals but in this case it appears there is an exception which proves the rule.

"I don't know how he managed to get through the controls - the cockerel must have been considered some kind of toy," said Horst Schmidt, co-chairman of the organising committee.

In Pirlo's eyes
Italy star Andrea Pirlo says Czech rival Pavel Nedved of Juventus is "an excellent footballer" but also "a good actor."

Says Pirlo: "He goes down a lot and exaggerates fouls against him."

Nedved will get the chance to defend -- or enhance -- his standing in Pirlo's eyes when the two meet Thursday in a match both sides need to win to assure qualification from Group E.

No friend of journos
Mexico coach Ricardo Lavolpe has on occasion had strained relations with the media -- as well as with the organisers for initially smoking on the bench.

As if to douse the flames he brought relations with the press to a low point on Tuesday after throwing a water bottle towards reporters hoping to squeeze a few words out of players following a closed-doors training session.

Gassed
Eight drunken fans, most of them English, but also one German and one Swiss, were arrested in Cologne for throwing gas bottles off the top of a monument. Fourteen policemen were slightly hurt as they moved in to arrest them. Police are meanwhile telling fans to watch out for theft with 420 bag snatches in Berlin in the past week, compared with 250 normally.

Awards
Social Democratic and Liberal politicians in Germany are proposing to make special civic awards to police and emergency services workers involved in making the World Cup go with a swing. "They will receive a medal for their commitment and friendliness," said Peter Danckert, chairman of the German parliament's sports affairs commission.

Father's Day special
Brazil striker Adriano, whose wife Daniele gave birth to Adriano junior on Friday, marked Father's Day on Sunday by shelling out on a new computer for himself so he could see e-mailed pictures of the infant as his old computer had given up the ghost. An additional gift to himself as well as the team was the forward's opening goal in the 2-0 win against Australia.

No rainbow for Zico
The rainbow may be a universal symbol of hope. But Japan coach Zico is too focused on their next must-win match against five-time champions Brazil on Thursday to wish upon a colourful arc.

Zico's substitute players resumed training in Bonn in pouring rain on Monday after a goalless draw against Croatia left them winless in Group F.

As the rain stopped, a rainbow appeared over the training ground but Zico said: "I do love to see rainbows. But I didn't notice one today because I was so concentrated on training."

Pitch repairs
Parts of the turf at the Hamburg World Cup stadium requires patching up after hosting three matches but will not need to be totally replaced, the organisers said on Wednesday.

"There are some points which are being looked at, such as in the goalmouths," organising committee spokesman Gerd Graus said at the daily press briefing in Berlin.

Two more matches in the tournament are being played in Hamburg - Italy's final Group E match against the Czech Republic on Thursday and a quarterfinal match on June 30.

The pitches at all 12 of the World Cup stadiums were laid in May, weeks before the World Cup kicked off on June 9.