German striker Miroslav Klose has been much praised -- and rightly so -- for his recent act of sportsmanship.

Well, that didn't take long. A mere three days after Chelsea's young Brazilian Oscar was being lauded to the heavens by the English media for scoring a "wonder goal" against Juventus he finds himself being tarred as a cheat.

So here we have two coaches devoted to offense. Roberto Mancini and Jose Mourinho. I know that to be the case, because that's what they've told us.

That soccer's television commentators should get things wrong from time to time is not to be wondered at -- they have to work at high speed, giving instant opinions on incidents they may not have been able to see too clearly.

Is it possible -- after all these years -- that foreign-born coaches in U.S. pro leagues still can see no further than the end of their ethnic noses? Can it be that, deep down, they really have faith only in their countrymen? You bet it can.

Be careful what you wish for. That's what we're told. And as a slice of folk wisdom (if that's what it is), it's not bad, not bad at all. The implication being that what you get might not, after all, be to your liking.