Matt Stairs, always unappreciated and the 65th Greatest Royal of All-Time, blasted a mammoth home run off of mythical Dodger closer Jonathan Broxton in the top of the eighth inning tonight, giving the Phillies a 7-5 lead.

The English language is not sufficiently descriptive enough to accurately capture the majesty of Matt's homer. No, it is not still traveling, but it did knock a hole in the Dodger Stadium bleachers.

Pardon us if we rank this home run ahead of Alexis Gomez, who powered the Tigers to a 2-0 series lead back in the 2006 ALCS. Since the '06 postseason, Gomez has yet to appear in a Major League game, and has bounced from the Tiger, to the Rocky, to the Marlins' organization. Sure, Gomez reminded us all he was still alive in 2006, but the events since then have further reinforced his obscurity. The performance of the Tigers hasn't helped either.

No, this was a moment, a swing, a shot, to rival Johnny Damon's Grand Slam in Game Seven of the 2004 ALCS. Stairs's homer swung the series to a decisive 3-1 Phillies advantage and even managed a bit of sentimental flair, thanks to its pinch-hit angle and Stairs's age. According to the WPA data, before Stairs's homer, the Phillies had only a 45% chance of winning the game. When the ball left his bat, that figure went to 83%.

As "RoyalsRetro" has pointed out, the Royals could never quite decide if they wanted Stairs to be a bench-player or a full-time guy during his three seasons in Kansas City. Nevertheless, he was plainly one of the team's best hitters during that period:

Royals Leaders in Walks 2004-2006

Matt Stairs 140
David DeJesus 118
Emil Brown 107
Mike Sweeney 94
Mark Teahen 80

Royals Leaders in Home Runs 2004-2006
Mike Sweeney 51
Matt Stairs 39
John Buck 35
Emil Brown 32
Angel Berroa 28

Stairs is 35th in team history in home runs with those 39, despite just 1223 plate appearances in blue & white. But it wasn't just Kansas City that never really knew what it had in Stairs (who admittedly has his limitations afoot and with the glove). The man didn't see regular playing time until he was 29 years old. In spite of it all, Stairs has hit, to date, 254 career homers, good for 180th all-time. His next regular season bomb will tie him with an odd trio with a Royals-twist: John Olerud, John Mayberry and Kirk Gibson.

Tonight, we lift our glasses to you Matt Stairs. You made up for the struggles of fellow former Royal Chad Durbin. Then, and now.

New Delhi: If statistics and experience alone won cricket matches, world champions Australia would be regarded as no-hopers in the Test series against India starting on Thursday.

At least 12 in the 15-man touring squad have a combined tally of only 130 Tests between them, the same number that India captain Anil Kumble has played and 20 fewer than batting superstar Sachin Tendulkar.

Captain Ricky Ponting, veteran opener Matthew Hayden, and middle-order batsmen Michael Clarke and Simon Katich are the only ones who have experienced a Test match atmosphere in India before.

And the spin options are bare following the retirements of the legendary Shane Warne and his understudy Stuart MacGill, with no one to exploit wickets that traditionally favour slow bowlers.

On paper, the series would appear a cakewalk for the Indians.

In real terms, however, it leaves an enthralling contest on offer for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy between two evenly-matched teams.

"This is the best chance for us to pull it off," said Kumble, determined to overturn the 2-1 defeat at home in 2004 and an identical loss Down Under earlier this year.

"We want to win this one badly. Good for us that the Aussies consider themselves the underdogs. We have to exploit their relative inexperience in our own conditions."

The tussle between India's battle-hardened batting veterans and Australia's pace firepower will provide the backdrop for one of the most eagerly-awaited four-Test series in recent times.

Tendulkar, 35, who needs only 77 more runs to overtake Brian Lara as Test cricket's leading scorer, heads the charge of the senior brigade that includes Rahul Dravid, 35, Sourav Ganguly, 36, and Venkatsai Laxman, 33.

Kapil Dev was commissioned into the Territorial Army (TA), the part-time citizen's force which functions as a 'vital adjunct' to the regular Army, as an honorary lieutenant colonel.

Indian Army chief General Deepak Kapoor piped the badges of the rank on the shoulders of Dev, at a ceremony at the Army Headquarters here this afternoon.

He was later felicitated at the Territorial Army headquarters mess in the evening in the presence of host of dignitaries who been members of the Territorial Army for years and achieved major milestones in other careers. They included Major (retired) Subir Saha, the former Chairman and Managing Director of the ONGC, and Brigadier K. P. Singh Deo, a former Cabinet Minister, besides others.

"This is my second innings. Earlier I fought for the country in my white uniform. Now, I will do the same in my olive green army uniform," Kapil said proudly.

Kapil, 50, was commissioned into the 150 TA (Infantry) battalion of the Punjab Regiment.

"I am proud I have been given this rank. It took six months for the things to materialise, with the file moving from the home ministry to the defence ministry," said Kapil, as his wife and daughter looked on.

Kapil will also be the brand ambassador of the Territorial Army and help train golfers of the army.

Territorial Army sources said that his induction would help in attracting talent as the army is facing a major officer crunch. (ANI)

Everton	v	Liverpool	12:45
Aston Villa	v	Sunderland	15:00
Fulham	v	West Ham Utd	15:00
Man Utd	v	Bolton	15:00
Middlesbrough	v	WBA	15:00
Newcastle	v	Blackburn	15:00
Stoke City	v	Chelsea	15:00
Arsenal	v	Hull City	17:30

Harambee Stars have already earned enough points to join the final round of qualifying matches next year for the 2010 African Cup in Angola and 2010 Fifa World Cup in South Africa.

With the victory over Namibia last Saturday and the 0-0 draw between Zimbabwe and Guinea last Sunday, Harambee Stars will finish in either the first or second position in Group 2.

top ranked

Starting in March, the top ranked team in each of the present 12 groups plus the eight best second placed teams will play a final qualification round in five groups with four teams each. The winners of each of the five groups will qualify for the 2010 Fifa World Cup and the top three teams in each group also qualify for the 2010 African Cup of Nations.

If Harambee Stars earn a victory or a draw against Guinea in Conakry on October 12 then they will remain as the top team in Group Two and qualify for the final round next year. But even if defeated by Guinea in their last match, Harambee Stars have already earned enough points to be one of the eight best second placed teams which also qualify for the final round next year.

second placed

As a result of the withdrawal of Eritrea which left only three teams in Group 11, Fifa decided that the results between the second placed and the fourth placed teams in the other 11 groups will be cancelled before comparing the records of the second placed teams.

Under that Fifa ruling, Harambee Stars have already earned at least seven points with their victories over Guinea (2-0) and Zimbabwe (2-0) and their draw with Zimbabwe (0-0).

As a result of the matches in the other 11 groups last weekend, there are already four second-placed teams who cannot earn more than six points under the Fifa ruling even if they win their final matches in early October.

For example, Cape Verde is second in Group One with nine points. If they win their match against Tanzania on October 11, Cape Verde will end with a total of 12 points. But Cape Verde beat the fourth-placed team, Mauritius, on June 15 (1-0) and June 22 (3-1).

In accordance with the Fifa ruling for comparing the second placed teams, six points will then be deducted from the 12 points earned by Cape Verde leaving a balance of only six points. The same situation prevails for Gabon, the second-placed team in Group Five, and for Congo DR, the second placed team in Group 12. For the contenders for second place in Group Seven, under the Fifa ruling the most they can get is 5 points.

final round

In addition to qualifying already for the final round next year, Harambee Stars are likely the fastest rising team in world football. In just one year the Harambee Stars rose an astonishing 51 places in the Fifa World Rankings, from 137th in July 2007 to 86th in August 2008.

Most of that rise occurred since May 2008 when the joint KFF-KPL Harambee Stars Management Board started managing the team. Since then the Harambee Stars rose 34 places worldwide (from 120th to 86th) and 16 places in Africa (from 37th to 21st).

That is the fastest rise ever in Kenyan football history. Moreover, the latest Fifa World Ranking does not yet include the Harambee Stars victory over Namibia last Saturday.

The highest rank ever achieved by Harambee Stars was in February 2004 when they were ranked 70th worldwide and 12th in Africa.

Gianfranco Zola said he wanted to excite West Ham United's fans with attacking football, as he prepared to be named manager of the east London club. "This is an opportunity in the Premier League, and an opportunity I didn't expect, but it's an opportunity I can't turn down," the Italian told the Daily Mail.

The 42-year-old former Chelsea and Italy forward is expected to be appointed by West Ham on Wednesday, according to British media reports. "I only know one way to play: on the floor, attacking football, the way things should be done," said the Italian. "I want to excite people, that's why we play, isn't it? This is a new era, a new chapter for me. I was an offensive player who only knew one way to play. That's how my teams will always play."

NEW YORK (AP) - The handwritten letters and the e-mails, the care packages and — get this — the instructional DVDs began reaching Roger Federer early in the season, after a bout of mononucleosis precipitated the end of his streak of 10 consecutive Grand Slam finals.

The volume increased after Federer lost the French Open and Wimbledon finals. From all around the world they arrived, some to his parents' house in Switzerland, some to his agent, some to his hotels. They came from retired players and from current coaches, from doctors, from fans. They offered good wishes, medical advice, even tennis advice.

Everyone figured Federer needed help, and everyone figured they knew how to help.

Turns out Federer was just fine. Turns out he still knew how to win a major tournament. He proved that Monday night, easily beating Andy Murray 6-2, 7-5, 6-2 to win a fifth consecutive U.S. Open championship and 13th Grand Slam title overall.

"I felt like I was invincible for a while again," said Federer, the only man in tennis history to win five straight titles at two major events.

He moved within one Grand Slam title of tying Pete Sampras' record of 14.

"I always knew that if I were to get one Slam under my belt, especially the last one, things weren't looking that bad, like everybody was talking about," Federer said. "I didn't feel I was under pressure to prove myself in trying to win here, but this definitely feels very sweet."

Nothing like the bitter taste left by his lopsided loss to nemesis Rafael Nadal in the French Open final. Or by his heartbreakingly narrow loss to Nadal — 9-7 in the fifth set in fading light — in the Wimbledon final, denying Federer a sixth straight title there. Those, plus a semifinal loss at the Australian Open, were among Federer's 12 defeats by August in 2008, more than he had in any entire season from 2004-07. He also arrived in New York with only two titles from minor events, and allowed Nadal to end Federer's record 4½-year reign at No. 1 last month.

"Maybe you can't win everything," said his father, Robert Federer. "After the French Open, you could see many (negative) comments saying, 'Federer is gone,' 'Federer will never win another Grand Slam.' And Federer proved the opposite."

His son heard those comments and thought about them.

"I was aware of it. I mean, I'm a bit disappointed. Sometimes, to a point, a bit annoyed," Federer said, mentioning the letters he received.

"People come out of the closet and think they can start helping me now. It's just a pain," he continued. "For me, this sort of puts them to rest a little bit, and calms down the phones at my parents' (home) a little bit."

Whatever motivation he might have derived from perceived slights, Federer was absolutely superb against Murray, stretching his winning streak at Flushing Meadows to 34 matches.

The sixth-seeded Murray upset Nadal in the semifinals to reach his first Grand Slam final, and entered Monday with a 2-1 record against Federer. But Murray never really had a chance.

"I came up against, in my opinion, the best player ever to play the game," said Murray, who tried to give Britain its first men's major champion in 72 years. "He definitely set the record straight today."

At 21, here's how young Murray is: Back when Federer was winning his first U.S. Open title in 2004, Murray was taking the U.S. Open junior trophy.

Federer, coincidentally, also was 21 when he played his first Grand Slam final at Wimbledon in 2003. Except Federer beat Mark Philippoussis that day and continues to win major-championship matches against everyone except a certain Spaniard: Federer is 2-4 against Nadal in Grand Slam finals, 11-0 against anyone else.

Against Murray, he accumulated a 36-16 advantage in winners and won the point on 31 of 44 trips to the net. His volleying might have been helped by his work winning a gold medal in doubles at the Beijing Olympics, a result he also credited with boosting his confidence.

Murray — whose ranking rises to No. 4 — stood about 10 feet behind the baseline to return serves, exactly the way he did against Nadal in their two-day, rain-interrupted semifinal. And Murray displayed flashes of the get-to-every-ball defense he used against Nadal, including one pretty flick of a lob by Federer with his back to the net.

But Federer, who had an extra day to rest because his semifinal wasn't affected by Tropical Storm Hanna, was simply too much for Murray.

Too good.

Too smart.

Too experienced.

Too, well, Federeresque.

"Seeing him play like that made me very, very happy for him," said Federer's part-time coach, Jose Higueras, "because he's a great champion and he's gone through some rough times."

Only once did Murray throw a scare into Federer, taking 11 of 12 points to go from 2-0 down in the second set to 2-all and love-40 on Federer's serve.

On the second break chance, a 14-stroke rally ended with Murray missing a backhand. TV replays, however, showed one of Federer's shots should have been called out; had it been, Murray would have led 3-2.

"Not necessarily would have won the match or anything," Murray said, "but it would have given me a bit of confidence."

But there was no call there, and no reprieve, because Federer stayed steady and held serve.

"After that," Federer said, "I began to play freely, the way I usually do."

In the next game, Murray began clutching at his right knee and looking up at his substantial support group in the stands, a gathering that included his mother, two coaches and two trainers. Murray, though, said the knee had no bearing on the outcome.

This is what made the difference: "He made very few mistakes," Murray said.

Federer closed the second set by extending a 10-stroke point with terrific court coverage, and then — shifting from defense to offense in a blink — delivering a forehand passing shot. Federer turned to his guest box — which included his pal, Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour — and bellowed, punching down with his right fist.

This is how he is supposed to play.

This is how these Grand Slam finals are supposed to go.

When Federer broke serve for the seventh time, ending the match, he rolled around with glee on the blue court. Instead of heading into the offseason wondering what went wrong, the 27-year-old Federer can look ahead with optimism.

When the men met at the net, Murray felt compelled to share a thought with Federer.

"I told him that he had, you know, a phenomenal year," Murray said, "regardless of what anyone said."

After finding their route to UEFA EURO 2008 barred by Croatia, England have an early chance for revenge when they travel to Zagreb for an encounter that takes star billing on Matchday 2 of European qualifying for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™.

All the members of the continental elite got off to winning starts at the weekend with the exception of France, who saw their status further undermined by defeat to Austria, and must come up with a response when Serbia come calling on Wednesday.

There has been little to choose between the two sides in their five previous meetings, with both teams claiming a brace of wins and the other game ending in a draw. On this particular occasion, however, the pressure is firmly on Fabio Capello's men. England have been unconvincing in their recent friendly outings, and Saturday's narrow 2-0 win over Andorra did little to reassure their worried fans. And while defeat at this early stage would hardly put an end to their qualification hopes, it could have serious implications. Even so, despite an unbeaten record against the English as a player and coach, Slaven Bilic will be taking nothing for granted, especially with the pragmatic Capello lining up against him.

The other games
4-0 winners against Malta at the weekend, Portugal have the chance to confirm their status as Group 1 favourites and open up an early lead when they entertain Denmark, who were held to a goalless draw in Hungary in their first outing.

Latvia and Greece both won on Saturday to make the early running in Group 2. Israel and Switzerland played out a 2-2 draw, meanwhile, and need wins against Moldova and Luxembourg respectively if they are not to lose touch.

Czech Republic's new coach Petr Rada will attempt to continue Karel Bruckner's good work when he makes his competitive debut in an awkward trip to Northern Ireland. Neighbours Slovakia, the early pace-setters in Group 3, have an away day of their own in Slovenia.

After kicking off their Group 4 campaign with an emphatic 6-0 defeat of Liechtenstein, Germany, still deprived of Michael Ballack's services, should have a far tougher assignment when they travel to Finland. Russia, the team most likely to challenge the Germans, entertain Wales in their opening fixture.

Over in Group 5 Vicente del Bosque made a successful start to his tenure as Spain coach when the reigning European champions overcame Bosnia-Herzegovina 1-0. And even without the injured David Silva and Fernando Torres, the men in red should have too much for Armenia. With a record of 35 wins, 17 draws and 47 defeats, Turkey will be aiming to stay in touch with the Spanish when they play their 100th FIFA World Cup qualifier at home to an improving Belgium side.

While England and Croatia battle it out in Zagreb, Group 6 rivals Ukraine will have an excellent chance to move to the top of the section when they take on Kazakhstan.

Lithuania and Austria face off in a surprise Group 7 summit meeting following respective shock wins over Romania and France. Those unexpected reverses have increased the pressure on Les Bleus boss Raymond Domenech and his Romanian counterpart Victor Piturca. Even without a host of injured first-choice players, among them Adrian Mutu, the Eastern Europeans should open their account against the Faroe Islands, while the French, who have yet to emerge from an extended transitional phase, play host to Serbia in a crucial encounter.

Italy's last-minute 2-1 win away to Group 8 rivals Cyprus came at a price. Gennaro Gattuso, Alessandro Gamberini and Fabio Grosso will all be missing with injury when they welcome Georgia, although the world champions should have little problem in pocketing the points.

Finally, in Group 9 Macedonia will be out to build on their narrow defeat of Scotland when they square off at home to the Netherlands in Bert van Marwijk's first competitive game in charge.

Player to watch
Having struggled to contain lanky Austrian striker Marc Janko on Saturday, France will have to find a solution to the problems Serbia's beanpole forward Nikola Zigic is sure to cause. The 27-year-old Valencia front man has a fine international record, scoring 13 goals in 30 appearances.

The stat
0 - The number of defeats Croatia have suffered at home in 30 FIFA World Cup and UEFA European Championship qualifiers. The Croats have won 21 of those games, drawing the other nine.

What they said
"Judge the team after Wednesday's game, because Croatia are ranked fifth in the world. Tonight's game and Wednesday's game will be two completely different animals." England midfielder Joe Cole, after Saturday's 2-0 win over Andorra.

Have your say
Can Russia mount a challenge to Germany in Group 4? Can Fabio Capello get England playing the way he wants? Should France be playing with two men up front? Click on ‘Add your comment' and give us your thoughts.

Theo Walcott may forever be remembered as the 17-year-old called up from nowhere to join England's 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany™ squad. But two years on, and with England facing a crucial qualifier against Croatia on Wednesday, he finally feels ready to make an impact on international football.

The Arsenal striker admits he was star-struck when Sven-Goran Eriksson made one of the most unexpected selections of all time by taking him to Germany, and many critics believe the decision hampered his progress. His selection, ahead of players such as Jermain Defoe, caused instant controversy which only intensified when England's little-boy-lost failed to play a single minute of football during the tournament.

Walcott was quickly jettisoned to the U-21s when Eriksson was replaced by Steve McClaren after the finals but now, under his third England manager, things are looking up. Fabio Capello produced his own selection shock by handing Walcott his first senior international start in Saturday's 2-0 victory over Andorra, preferring him to David Beckham.

And now the 19-year-old, used mostly on the wing these days by both club and country, is in contention to continue his belated comeback against Croatia in Zagreb on Wednesday - and has enough self-confidence to feel he deserves it.

Walcott said: "I have a lot of experience at England and Arsenal now. Obviously I have not played as much as I wanted to, but I deal with the pressure. I just play with no fear, and this match is not going to bother me at all. I will treat it like any other game. I will just concentrate on my performance - it is the only thing I can do.

"I have been here for a long time; well, it feels like that even though I am only 19! So I am just going to take every game as it comes and perform well. I give the England team a different aspect by getting behind defenders. There are some world-class players who can also play on the right wing, but I give them a different option. I am always trying to go behind defenders because the pace is there."

Walcott admits his early arrival into the international fold under Eriksson was a shock to the system, but he sees his experience in Germany in 2006 as something positive rather than negative. "I was star-struck at first," he remembers. "Only 17 and being at the World Cup. It was a brilliant experience for me - so for the next World Cup I will know what it's all about.

Learning the trade
"I am still learning my trade, my position and where I am going to play. But it has been a good start to the season at Arsenal this year, and I have played most of the games. The main thing Arsene Wenger told me was to be more aggressive on the pitch, win the ball back and get at defenders and not to have any fear. That's what I'm doing.

"I've always been a striker, but virtually every match I have played right wing for Arsenal this season, and it is starting to come naturally to me - I am starting to learn the position a bit more. With England in training I have been playing on the right, and that suggests I will play on the right in matches. Who knows, with more games for Arsenal I might be moved up front, but we will see."

Walcott certainly comes over as a confident young man these days, calmly and jovially dealing with questions in a press conference and deftly swerving the occasional curve-ball thrown by mischievous journalists. He has faced criticism over his own final ball at Arsenal this season, but believes experience and opportunity will turn him into a player to match even the most celebrated in the Premier League.

"Sometimes at the Emirates some people are negative about my final ball; sometimes it's not too bad. But I am learning and I do practise in training every day," he said. "I have had quite a few assists as well. The boss knows I'll do it. It is like Cristiano Ronaldo, he came to Manchester United in his first year, showed some brilliant tricks and he is 23 and the best player in the world now. I am not saying I will be like Ronaldo, I will be myself. I will take the positives out of my game."

If England can take the positives out of Walcott's game and make it count in Zagreb then Fabio Capello may finally have discovered a long-term replacement for David Beckham. Although even he will have to admit that a certain Mr Eriksson saw him first.

Arch-rivals Korea DPR and Korea Republic go head-to-head on Wednesday, with the North Koreans on a high after winning their opening game in the fourth round of Asian FIFA World Cup™ qualifying.

The two Koreas have drawn three times in three meetings this year, including two 0-0 stalemates when they met in the previous qualifying round. But the North Koreans go into the match with an edge, after upsetting United Arab Emirates 2-1 in their opening game last weekend.

"Obviously we are happy with the result. We would have been happy with one point, but to return with full points was really, really good. We still have a long way to go but it's a good start," said Korea DPR coach Kim Jong-Hun.

Attack has been a problem for both sides. The South Koreans managed ten goals in six games in the previous round, but seven came against minnows Turkmenistan. Their northern neighbours scored just four.

Korea Republic coach Huh Jung-Moo said his side was ready, despite missing Manchester United's Park Ji-Sung and recent AS Monaco acquisition Park Chu-Young. "Winning the opening match is always important," Huh said. "We've already played the North three times this year. We know they are an opportunistic team that pounces on fast breaks."

The Koreas are grouped with Iran, Saudi Arabia and UAE with the top two teams from the group advancing to the FIFA World Cup in 2010. The South Koreans are seeking to make its seventh consecutive FIFA World Cup appearance, while Korea DPR are aiming for their first since 1966.

England and France will both have recent failures in mind when they face their respective FIFA World Cup™ qualifying challenges this Wednesday.

Memories of England's sole triumph in 1966 are sepia-tinted, but at least they picked up three points, albeit at the expense of little Andorra, in their opening game, while a directionless France capitulated 3-1 in Austria.

Memories of France's 1998 triumph are a little fresher, but in footballing terms they were far away from that level in Vienna, conceding a trio of soft goals which render a win over Serbia at the Stade de France on Wednesday imperative.

But it is England's ghosts which are chronologically the closest as they head for Zagreb to take on a Croatian side which did the double over them in the UEFA EURO 2008 qualifiers.

Those defeats exposed the gulf which has opened up between the undeniable kudos of a domestic game crammed with foreigners, and a national team described as comprising a "golden generation" which stubbornly refused to glitter under Sven-Goran Eriksson and Steve McClaren.

England know another failure for a major tournament is just not acceptable, and Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard recognises as much. "I think we've under-achieved as a group over the past couple of years - that's a fact," acknowledged Lampard.

"Technically they are very good," said Lampard of the Croatians. "Everyone was up in arms that they beat us twice in the EURO 2008 qualifiers, but they ended up being the dark horses of the EUROs. They aren't to be taken lightly. Having three points already in the bag certainly helps."

For manager Fabio Capello, "Croatia will be another game, not like Andorra." But with the potential banana skin of Andorra safely negotiated, the Italian said he believed his squad would now show their mettle. "Are England good enough to get a result? Yes, I think so. I am confident in my team," he insisted.

With only the group winner guaranteed a place in the finals in South Africa - the best runners up face playoffs - a draw would appear a minimum requirement against their main rivals.

The Croatians, since bolstered by the news that Slaven Bilic will stay in the hotseat and not return to former club West Ham, brushed aside Kazakhstan, whom England host on 11 October, in their opener.

Defiant mood
France, meanwhile, appeared still shell-shocked from their dismal EURO showing as they collapsed in Austria, a loss which ramped up the pressure on beleaguered coach Raymond Domenech, who nonetheless remains in defiant mood.

"This event is not based on one game. Of course I'd rather have taken the points - but who said we were going to win every match? We'll be ready to take on Serbia on Wednesday," insisted Domenech, adding he believed the will to win burned strongly within a squad in a period of transition. "This is a young team but I am not worried about it," Domenech concluded.

Even so, the French group looks an open one with the Serbs having seen off the Faroes, and a gifted but unpredictable Romania having failed to benefit from the French setback in sliding to a 3-0 home loss to Lithuania.

Lithuania now face the Austrians, while Domenech will hope that a visit to the French camp of world champion keeper Fabien Barthez will boost morale. "He has the requisite qualities and can pass on his experience," says Domenech.

Germany, meanwhile, are seemingly on the up once more having reached the final of EURO 2008 and begun their FIFA World Cup road to South Africa with a 6-0 swatting of Liechtenstein. Joachim Low now takes his charges to Finland promising more of the same before group rivals Russia, who Wednesday host Wales, come calling next month.

"We will go for the win and will try to play attacking football in Finland as we did in Liechtenstein - though the Finns are a much better side," said Loew. Schalke defender Christian Pander will sit out the game with a virus for the Germans, who will be wary after drawing home and away with the Finns in the FIFA World Cup qualifiers seven years ago.

World champions Italy host Georgia without midfield stalwart Gennaro Gattuso, who injured his wrist in training, while defenders Fabio Grosso and Alessandro Gamberini are also out, having suffered injuries in the 2-1 weekend win in Cyprus.

Coach Marcello Lippi, however, who will hope Saturday brace scorer Antonio Di Natale dons his shooting boots once more, has eschewed the possibility of calling up replacements.

Argentina forward Carlos Tevez apologised on Monday after being sent off in the first half for the second time in three international appearances. Tevez was booked in the 16th minute of Saturday's 1-1 FIFA World Cup™ qualifying draw with Paraguay for a tackle from behind, and received a direct red in the 31st for a studs-up challenge on Dario Veron.

Argentina were losing 1-0 at the time, but managed to salvage a draw with a Sergio Aguero equaliser. "I'm sad because I left my teammates with ten players again," said the Manchester United player, adding that the first tackle should have been a straight red.