Saturday, June 1 in Niigata (2:30 am ET) Group D: IRELAND (0-0-0, 0 pts.) vs. CAMEROON (0-0-0, 0 pts.) (TV: Live, Univision, 2:30 am ET; Delay, ABC, 3:30 pm ET/PT; Tape, Telefutura, 10 am ET/PT) The pressure will be on Irish coach Mick McCarthy, who kicked star Roy Keane off the team on the eve of the tournament. Matt Holland takes over for Keane in the Irish midfield alongside Jason McAteer, Mark Kinsella and Kevin Kilbane, who have been nursing injuries. The loss of Keane is a big one. Ireland has potentially it's best team in history with youngsters Robbie …

According to World Cup tradition, the opening game of the 2002 tournament featured the defending champion. Senegal's 1-0 win over France resembled the 1990 opener. At Italy 90, title-holder Argentina also faced an African opponent, Cameroon, and fell 1-0. Cameroon went on to the best World Cup showing by an Africa nation, reaching the quarterfinals, where it lost to England. Senegal joins the list of outsiders who shocked the world by knocking off a giant: 1950: USA 1 England 0 Joe Gaetjens scored in the 38th minute. 1966 North Korea 1 Italy 0 Park Doo Ik scored in the 42nd …

The 2002 World Cup kicked off in Seoul with a result that will go down as one of the greatest upsets in the World Cup history. Senegal, a World Cup debutant and a 300-1 shot to lift the trophy, beat title holder France, 1-0. After nearly a half hour of play, El Hadji Diouf beat French defender Frank Lebouf on the left wing. His low pass met teammate Pape Bouba Diop and France's Emmanuel Petit, who both got a touch on the ball, which deflected off keeper Fabian Barthez. While on the ground, Diop kicked the ball into the open …

May 31 in Seoul Senegal 1 France 0. Goal: Diop 29. Senegal -- Sylva, Daf, Diatta, A.Cisse, Coly, Diop, Fadiga, Diao, Diop, Ndiaye, Diouf. France -- Barthez, Thuram, Desailly, Leboeuf, Lizarazu, Vieira, Petit, Djorkaeff (Dugarry, 58), Wiltord (D.Cisse, 80), Trezeguet, Henry. Referee: Ali Mohamed Bujsaim (United Arab Emirates)

Group A: URUGUAY (0-0-0, 0 pts.) vs. DENMARK (0-0-0, 0 pts.) (TV: Live, ESPN2, Univision, 5 am ET; Tape, Telefutura, 12:30 pm ET/PT) Sixteen years ago, Denmark crushed Uruguay, 6-1. It was the high point of an exciting debut tournament for the Danes. This time, the game should be much closer. Neither Denmark, a quarterfinalist four years ago, nor Uruguay, World Cup champion in 1930 and 1950, figure among the favorites, but both teams feature potent attacks. Uruguayan Alvaro Recoba has one of the best left foots in the tournament. Mexican-based Sebastian Abreu could emerge as one of the surprises. …

Saturday, June 1 in Sapporo (8:30 pm ET) Group E: GERMANY (0-0-0, 0 pts.) vs. SAUDI ARABIA (0-0-0, 0 pts.) (TV: Live, ESPN2, Univision, 7:30 am ET; Tape, Telefutura, 3 pm ET/PT) Not much is expected of Germany in this World Cup. The Germans have struggled in recent years -- two losses to the United States in 1999, a humiliating first-round exit from Euro 2000, a 5-1 loss to England at home in World Cup qualifying last year -- and enter the finals with all kinds of injury problems. It will be very much a makeshift team that opens against …

Saturday, June 1 (4:00 pm ET) LOS ANGELES (4-3-2, 14 points) at COLORADO (5-3-1, 16 points) (TV: ESPN2) Key Players Out: Los Angeles - M Cobi Jones (U.S. National Team), F Chris Albright (broken foot-R), F Isaias Bardales (knee sprain-R); F John Spencer (knee arthroscopy-L), M Pablo Mastroeni (U.S. National Team). Saturday, June 1 (6:30 pm ET) SAN JOSE (5-3-2, 17 points) at NEW ENGLAND (3-4-1, 10 points) (TV: Fox Sports New England, Fox Sports Bay Area; DIRECTV: 794; DISHNET: 464) Key Players Out: San Jose - M Scott Bower (partial peroneal nerve palsy-R), F Landon Donovan (U.S. National Team), …

As World Cup openers go, the France-Senegal match lacked in terms of notable dignitaries. There was the Korean President Kim Dae Jung and the president of East Timor. There were prime ministers from Japan, Namibia, the Dominican Republic and St. Kitts & Nevis. Those pushing for a harmonization of Korean-Japanese relations hoped that Japan's Emperor Akihito would attend the opener. They had to settle for Emperor Akihito's cousin, Prince Takamado. The visit by Prince Takamado and his wife, Princess Hisako, marked the first ''official'' visit by Japanese royalty since Japan's occupation of Korea ended in 1945.

U.S. coach Bruce Arena and defender Eddie Pope met the press on Thursday in Seoul, Korea -- six days before the USA meets Portugal in its World Cup 2002 opener. BRUCE ARENA, U.S. coach On the injury of status Kasey Keller, listed as day-to-day after suffering a bruised left elbow: ''I have not spoken to our medical staff today, but our understanding is that it is just a bruise. The X-rays that were taken were negative.'' On whether the injury might affect his decision in choosing a starting goalkeeper: ''If one is injured and less than 100 percent, and the …

MERCY. Senegal winger Khalilou Fadiga admitted shoplifting a $500 gold necklace from a Korean jewelry store, according to Nikkan Sports, which reported that the store owner asked police not to arrest the player. Fadiga is scheduled to start in the opener against France. ''I want our players to have much more discipline,'' said Senegal coach Bruno Metsu. THWARTED. A 37-year-old Englishman identified as hooligan was stopped at the Tokyo International Airport and sent home. He was carrying 175 tickets, mostly for the England-Argentina match, according to Asahi News. FINGER FOOD. The popular ''Tokyo Sports Cafe'' has switched from glass to …

The elbow injury suffered by Kasey Keller in WednesdayÆs practice during non-contact training drill kept him out of training on Thursday. ''He suffered a contusion on his left elbow and he is day-to-day,'' said U.S. Soccer spokesman Jim Moorhouse. The Federation said tests conducted at a Korean hospital on Wednesday night came back negative and his condition will be evaluated on a day-to-day basis. ''Kasey's injury, from what I understand at the moment, is nothing that we need to be concerned about in the long term,'' U.S. coach Bruce Arena said. ''It's something of the short term and whether that …

By Paul Kennedy In Seoul France's hopes of repeating as World Cup champion may depend on the magic hands of 44-year-old osteopath Philippe Boixel. Boixel's job is to get star Zinedine Zidane back in shape after the French playmaker suffered a thigh injury in last Sunday's friendly with South Korea in Suwon. Boixel was a celebrity in French soccer long before Zidane was injured. Boixel resides in Laval, works for English club Arsenal -- he goes back with Gunner manager Arsene Wenger to Wenger's days at Monaco -- but spends much of his time in a hotel room near Charles …

Friday, May 31 in Seoul (7:30 am ET) Group A: FRANCE (0-0-0, 0 pts.) vs. SENEGAL (0-0-0, 0 pts.) (TV: Live, ESPN2, Univision, 7:30 am ET; Tape, Telefutura, 10 am ET/PT, Galavision, 7:30 p.m. ET/PT) First, Robert Pires. Now, Zinedine Zidane. France opens its defense of the World Cup without its two playmakers. Pires was lost for the tournament with a knee injury in April; Zidane is out for the first two games with a thigh injury. Thierry Henry was moved back into midfield when Pires went down. Three months ago, 34-year-old Youri Djorkaeff wasn't assured of making the French …

The World Cup is supposed to be a time of celebration. However the United States fares in Korea, we should celebrate the continued progress of American soccer and the ongoing effort by U.S. Soccer and MLS to bolster player development. The last two World Cups have been better than the tournaments that preceded them ù and Euro 2000 was the best European Championship ever ù offering hope that weÆll celebrate an exciting World Cup when it concludes June 30. Unfortunately, soccer will wake up to a major hangover on July 1. Whoever wins the FIFA presidential …

- All times Eastern Time. - Times for live broadcasts reflect kickoff and do not account for pregame shows. - Games live unless otherwise indicated. - W=winner Date Game Time Channel Friday, May 31 France-Senegal 7:30 am Univision Friday, May 31 France-Senegal (tape) 10 am Telefutura Friday, May 31 France-Senegal (tape) 7:30 pm Galavision Saturday, June 1 Ireland-Cameroon 2:30 am Univision Saturday, June 1 Ireland-Cameroon (tape) 10 am Telefutura Saturday, June 1 Uruguay-Denmark 5 am Univision Saturday, June 1 Uruguay-Denmark (tape) 12:30 pm Telefutura Saturday, June 1 Germany-Saudi Arabia 7:30 am Univision Saturday, June 1 Germany-Saudi Arabia (tape) 3 …