Seventh Heaven

-Portugal slams magnificent seven past hapless North Korea
JOHANNESBURG, (Reuters) – Portugal thrashed North  Korea 7-0 yesterday in the World Cup’s highest score so far,  restoring some bruised pride for Europe’s stuttering soccer  powers and dashing the Asians’ chances of progress.

Chile kept up Latin America’s fantastic run at the  tournament, squeezing one goal past Switzerland’s stingy  defence, while off the field a rebellion in the French camp  remained the tournament’s main talking point.

Little-known North Korea were back at a World Cup for the  first time since they stunned the world in England 44 years ago.

But there was no repeat of that fairy-tale run when they  took a three-goal lead against Portugal in the 1966  quarter-finals before Eusebio scored four to inspire a 5-3  comeback for the Europeans in one of the all-time great games.

Portugal’s modern generation made an easier job of it.  Watched by Eusebio in Cape Town, they pierced the Koreans’  much-vaunted defence with ease time-and-time again.

Man of the match Cristiano Ronaldo notched the sixth goal,  his first for Portugal in a competitive match in two years, in a  rout that left North Korea on zero points after two games and  unable to qualify for the second round despite having a match  left.

Portugual’s beaming coach Carlos Queiroz praised his team  for “the wonderful way in which they played, their great  attitude, reverence for the game, the beautiful football, the  beautiful goals.”

QUAKE VICTIMS ENJOY

CHILE’S TRIUMPH
Despite having Valon Behrami sent off, Switzerland still  managed to break Italy’s World Cup record of 550 minutes without  conceding a goal in Monday’s second game.

But their defence was breached in the second half during a  wave of fluent Chilean attacks. A header by the South Americans’  second half substitute Mark Gonzalez with 15 minutes to go won  the game 1-0 and kept Chile on top of Group H with six points.

President Sebastian Pinera, an ardent soccer fan, watched  the match from the ravaged city of Constitucion with survivors  of a massive Feb. 27 earthquake. “The World Cup is for everyone  and we wanted to share,” he  said from the quake-zone.

SPAIN SEEK TURNAROUND

V HONDURAS

As well as France, Italy and England are also licking their  wounds after a fairly shocking World Cup so far for Europe’s  traditional powers.

English vice-captain Frank Lampard denied reports the team  had confronted coach Fabio Capello in crisis talks, but clearly  all is not well after two dire performances brought two draws  for the nation that invented soccer.

The English need to reproduce their domestic league form,  Lampard said. “We play in the best league in the world, the  Premier League, and we have to play with that pace and passion  that we have every week at home,” he said.

Spain hope to turn the tide for Europe’s struggling soccer  aristocrats and justify their pre-tournament favourites’ status  against Honduras on Monday night.

Spain, who looked shadows of their best in a 1-0 defeat by  Switzerland in their first match, play what should be an easy  game — if they can regain their touch.

Honduras have three brothers in a World Cup squad for the  first time. The presence of Jerry, Wilson and Jhony Palacios has  an emotional edge because the body of their kidnapped fourth  brother, Edwin, was discovered a little over a year ago.