Irish Coach Dismisses Captain From Team

Ireland’s World Cup hopes imploded in spectacular fashion Thursday when Roy Keane, the team’s captain and most influential player, was dismissed from the squad by Coach Mick McCarthy.

The Manchester United player had blasted training camp conditions in Saipan and criticized the team’s World Cup preparations in an interview with the Irish Times. Asked to explain his actions, he got into an ugly shouting match with McCarthy.

“I cannot and will not tolerate being spoken to with that level of abuse being thrown at me, so I sent him home,” McCarthy told the British Broadcasting Corp.

“This is a huge decision, but I am happy to go to the World Cup one man down rather than with a man who shows utter disregard and disrespect for me.”

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Argentina underlined its status as World Cup favorite by routing the Kashima Antlers of Japan’s J-League, 5-1, in Nahara, Japan. Gabriel Batistuta, a second-half substitute, scored four goals.

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Germany midfielder Michael Ballack missed the team’s first training session in Miyazaki, Japan, on Thursday because of a bruised foot, but Coach Rudi Voeller dismissed the injury as “nothing serious” and said Ballack would be training again in a day or two. Meanwhile, midfielder Sebastian Deisler underwent knee surgery in Colorado and will not be on the team.

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Two goals by Benedict McCarthy gave South Africa a morale-boosting 2-0 victory over fellow World Cup team Turkey in a warmup game in Hong Kong, where Scotland defeated Hong Kong, 4-0, in an unrelated match to give former Germany coach Berti Vogts his first victory in five games as Scotland’s coach.

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An own goal by Ecuador defender Raul Guerron gave Senegal a 1-0 win over the South Americans in a warmup game between the World Cup teams.

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Tunisia’s rapidly unraveling World Cup fortunes were dealt another blow when the North Africans were soundly beaten, 3-0, in Osaka, Japan, by Gamba Osaka of the J-League.

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Pre-tournament nerves and tension are beginning to take their toll. Two of Sweden’s English-based players, Fredrik Ljungberg of Arsenal and Olof Mellberg of Aston Villa, brawled after Ljungberg threw a few punches at Mellberg for making several late and potentially dangerous tackles during training.