The 42-year-old physical education teacher has been a FIFA referee since 1994 and took charge of his first international 10 years ago.

Elizondo refereed eight matches during the South American qualifying competition for this World Cup.

Hristo doesn't rate Brazil
Reuters, Sofia

Bulgarian coach Hristo Stoichkov tips Ivory Coast to be the surprise package of the World Cup and says Brazil will struggle to retain their title.

"I don't think that Argentina and the Netherlands are better teams than the Ivorians," said the 40-year-old former European Footballer of the Year in an interview in 24 Chasa newspaper on Saturday.

"There are some exellent players in the African team. I think the Ivory Coast will easily get past the group stage."

Group C, which includes Serbia & Montenegro as well as the Ivory Coast, Argentina and the Nether-lands, is regarded as the toughest first-round group.

Stoichkov was not so complimentary about Brazil who are favourites for a sixth World Cup title.

"I can't understand why everyone is afraid of Brazil. It's true that they are a top-class team but just remember what happened with Argentina and France at the previous tournament," he said.

"Anything is possible. They have been drawn among tough opponents. Japan coach Zico knows his compatriots very well while Croatia drew 1-1 with them a few months ago so the Brazilians have to be aware of the easy-looking group.

"However, I think Brazil will reach the knockout stage but then they'll have to play against stronger teams and it'll be difficult for them going all the way."

As a player, Stoichkov guided Bulgaria to the semi-finals of the 1994 World Cup in the United States but they failed to qualify for this year's tournament in Germany.

'Brazil have focus'
Reuters, Weggis

Brazil midfielder Juninho Pernambucano says the world champions are not in a party mood despite the carnival atmosphere which has surrounded their training camp in Switzerland.

The South Americans have trained before near-capacity crowds of around 5,000 at a specially-built arena in the lakeside resort, reached by a party-mile of stands selling caipirinhas (alcoholic cocktails) and playing loud Brazilian music.

"This sort of festive atmosphere is normal for us, it's a small village of 3,000 people and its the first time they've hosted the Brazilian national team," Juninho told reporters.

"But for us, it was not in any way a party.

"I think it was clear on the pitch that everyone was giving total concentration and everyone was training very hard. I think we got a lot out of these two weeks of training and we've got another week in Germany, where it will be a little calmer.

"This will be important for us to start well (against Croatia) on the 13th," he said on Saturday.

Brazil will leave Weggis on Saturday evening for Geneva where they face New Zealand on Sunday in the only international friendly of their warm-up period.

Eriksson slags off Crouch
Reuters, Manchester

Sven-Goran Eriksson gave a rare public rebuke to one of his players on Saturday when he criticised hat-trick scorer Peter Crouch for missing a penalty in the 6-0 World Cup warm-up defeat of Jamaica.

Crouch, looking euphoric after scoring twice, took a particularly sloppy spot kick that flew high over the bar at Old Trafford.

Eriksson and his coaching staff felt he had squandered a precious chance to practise penalty-taking in a match. England have exited after shoot-outs at four major tournaments.

"The only thing I would criticise Peter Crouch a little bit about today is how he took the penalty because it was a golden opportunity to practise for penalty shooutouts and he joked about it," Eriksson said.

"He was sorry about it afterwards ... We told him at once and he knew before we started to talk to him. It happens."

"If it was a penalty shootout, I doubt he will take it in that way. I hope not."

Crouch went on to complete his hat-trick and, despite the miss, Eriksson indicated Crouch would start England's World Cup opener against Paraguay next Saturday in Group B.

Ticket irregularities by Paraguay
Afp, London

Paraguay, England's first opponents in the World Cup, have been accused of selling nearly half of their tickets for Saturday's match to touts who are charging fans up to 645 pounds (1,200 dollars) a seat.

At least 1,500 of the Paraguayan FA's allocation of 3,300 tickets for the Group B opener have disappeared amid claims that they have been passed on to black-market ticket agencies in Britain and Europe.

Four travel companies in the Paraguayan capital of Asuncion were chosen to sell most of the tickets.

But one of the firms Siboney said that while they had received between 200 and 300 tickets for Paraguay's other games, against Sweden and Trinidad et Tobago, it got just 40 for Saturday's fixture in Frankfurt.

"Someone obviously decided that doing something would be good for him without taking anyone else into account," Luis Ullon, Siboney's sales manager, told the Observer on Sunday.

Ester Mendoza, sales manager at Amitour, another of the Asuncion firms, said the Paraguayan FA had offered no explanation for the shortfall of tickets.

"They just told us they were sold out. We have no way of knowing what really happened, but it's strange that with the other two we got all the tickets we wanted but not with the England game."

No one from the Paraguayan FA was available for comment.

'Don't rush Rooney'
Afp, London

Brazilian legend Pele urged England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson not to rush Wayne Rooney into a premature return from injury for the World Cup.

Although the England coach is confident 20-year-old Rooney will play in Germany, Pele believes it could put the entire team's campaign in danger.

"It concerns me to hear that England may take Rooney," Pele told the Daily Telegraph newspaper.

"It's dangerous to take a player whose fitness is in question. It can disturb the way the coach chooses his team."

Three-time World Cup winner Pele compared the dilemma to that Brazil faced in 1998 when Ronaldo played in the World Cup final against France despite not being fit.

"He played in the final even though he had been taken ill on the day of the game and Brazil lost 3-0," he said.

"The World Cup lasts only four weeks. You need players who are at the top of their game, which includes their fitness."

Pele added: "England have plenty of other big-match players such as David Beckham, Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard. They are not a one-man team."

Rooney is recovering from the metatarsal injury he suffered five weeks ago, and a scan next Wednesday will determine whether Eriksson retains him in his squad for the finals.