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World Cup brief
(AP)
Updated: 2006-06-01 08:51
BERLIN (AP) — FIFA and Germany plan an anti-racism action before the start of the World Cup quarterfinal matches.

The quarterfinals will be played on June 30 and July 1. The captains of the teams that reach that stage of the soccer tournament will make a plea in the stadiums under the motto "Say no to racism."

In Europe, some dark-skinned players have been subjected to racial taunts during matches for their clubs, even at the first-division level.

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BELGRADE, Serbia-Montenegro (AP) — Serbia-Montenegro coach Ilija Petkovic has defended his decision to call up his son to the World Cup squad despite widespread criticism.

Dusan Petkovic, 32, was called as a replacement for injured striker Mirko Vucinic. The central defender has not had an impact in the national team and did not take part in World Cup qualification.

"We need a central defender who can also play as a left back," Petkovic said late Tuesday from the team's preparation camp in Austria. "Dusan is the right player for both positions."

Belgrade media and officials called Petkovic's decision a "scandal" and "an own goal."

Serbia-Montenegro is in Group C with Argentina, the Netherlands and Ivory Coast. It opens its World Cup campaign against the Dutch on June 11.

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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Saudi officials have been upbeat about the team's preparations ahead of the World Cup, insisting that several warmup matches and training camps were beneficial.

"I'm very happy with the preparations and the players have reached a high standard technically," said Saudi Arabia coach Marcos Paqueta, a Brazilian.

Despite the upbeat comments, the Greens have won only one of the nine international exhibition matches they've played since the beginning of the year — losing five and tying three.

The head of the Saudi Soccer Federation, Prince Sultan bin Fahd, said Tuesday that Paqueta would remain in charge for the next two years, regardless of the team's results in the World Cup.

The federation leader said the disappointing campaign at the 2002 tournament in South Korea and Japan, when Saudi Arabia failed to score a single goal and was routed 8-0 by Germany, would not be repeated.