Playing without injured star striker Dennis Bergkamp, the Netherlands dominated but could only manage a 0-0 draw against Cameroon in a World Cup warm-up on Wednesday. Bergkamp was not even in uniform as coach Guus Hiddink tries to ensure that the Arsenal striker does not aggravate a hamstring injury. Cameroon started without star midfielder Marc Vivien Foe who broke his left leg in a training accident in Italy on Saturday and will miss the finals. The Dutch lacked cohesion but still had the best chances to take the lead before the break. In the 13th minute Patrick Kluivert was set free by a Phillip Cocu pass but his left footer zoomed across the face of thegoal.

OWEN'S KAYOED: In London Michael Owen was a real knockout. The history-making youngest player to play for England netted his first international in a 1-0 victory at Morocco on Wednesday, even after he was flattened in a collision with Moroccan goalkeeper Driss Benzekri and temporarily concussed. ``I was knocked out. I don't remember anything about the first half when I got to the changing rooms,'' said Owen, who netted the only goal in the 58th minute in a break from deep from Steve McManaman's pass.

FRANCE UNIMPRESSIVE: France were unimpressive in their 1-0 win over Belgium in the Hassan II tournament in Casablanca, and the Germans were lucky to get away with a 0-0 draw against Finland in Helsinki. But South Korea has something to rejoice as they fought back to a 2-2 draw against Czech Republic. Saudi Arabia impressive in their 0-0 draw against England lst week crashed to a 0-6 defeat against Norway, whose coach did not want to make much of the win as Saudis played with nine menafter the first 35 minutes.

Austria ended their poor run of warm-up games with a 2-0 win over Tunisia and the biggest disappointment of the evening came for Mexico who were humiliated 1-4 by a Germany club VFL Wolfsburg and promptly the Moroccan coach Henri Michel was at the receiving end of brickbats from all around.

The French Cuppa Quicksips
French chefs in a stew over McDonalds
France's top chefs are incensed at the decision to grant McDonalds the title of `Official Caterers' for France '98. A statement issued by their Union, the UFCT, claimed that in choosing McDonalds as the official World Cup restaurant the organisers have sparked a huge outcry in French kitchens. It adds that France's `legitimate reputation as the gourmet capital of the world' has been sacrificed by being thrown together with a fast food chain, `no matter how decent.'

Web touch for Nakata
Even while he is away in France, fans can keep intouch with Japan's midfielder Hidetoshi Nakata. The cover boy'sofficial home page recorded more than 1 million hits last Thursday, the day it was set up, says Junko Takahashi, who oversees the home page. "Please send in your views, questions and complaints although I'D Rather not have too many of those,'' the Asian Player of Year for 1997 wrote to his fans. Nakata, 21, before leaving Tokyo promised to take his laptop along to check regularly on messages. With the world cup craze reaching a fevered pitch in Japan, Nakata's trademark oval armani glasses are a new teen fad. "The sayings of Nakata,'' a book that juxtaposes 40 photographs of the orange-haired star with his words of wisdom "There's no future if you can't win'' has sold 180,000 copies since going on sale three weeks ago.

Rivaldo is Brazil's No. 10
Former Brazil great Zico, Zagallo's right-hand man, said Barcelona playmaker Rivaldo would wear the mythical number 10 shirt he and Pele wore before, while Ronaldo would don the number nine. Zico asked Brazilian reporters to be easy on Rivaldo because ofthe extra weight of responsibility wearing the number 10 means. Rai was number 10 in the United States in 1994 but ended up losing his first-team place in the side that won Brazil's fourth world title.

Selection in camera
England coach Glenn Hoddle is considering a closed practice match for his 22-man squad two days before its World Cup opener against Tunisia on June 15. Hoddle, who will cut seven players before announcing the final squad on monday, is contemplating an unscheduled run-out for the squad against French league side cannes after this week's matches against Morocco and Belgium in Casablanca.

Reporter on trial
In Khartoum, a reporter is on trial for allegedly obstructing police while interviewing World Cup soccer fans thronging the French embassy for visas, the defendant's newspaper reported yesterday. Safaa Osman's trial began on Tuesday but the hearing was postponed until June 1 as the officer who made the complaint was not present in court.

South Africa for2006
In Capetown, the cabinet approved South Africa's bid to host the 2006 soccer World Cup, pending a final submission by the South African Football Association, said spokesman Joel Netshitenzhe. England, Brazil and Germany also want to host the 2006 tournament.

Baggio to take World Cup final penalty
Italy would let Roberto Baggio take another World Cup final penalty despite his famous miss against Brazil at USA94. Baggio turned from hero to villain at the Pasadena Rosebowl four years ago, when after scoring a string of goals that took Italy to the final he skied his spot-kick and handed the World Cup to the Brazilians. And this season he has converted 11 out of 11. Coach Cesare Maldini revealed: "I would have Baggio take another decisive penalty." Baggio added: "And I'm ready to take any.'

The perfect spy for Romania
Chelsea `Spy' Dan Petrescu is ready to betray all England's World Cup secrets in order to give Romania the edge overtheir Group G opponents in France. "I don't know what Hoddle's (England coach Glenn) first eleven will be, but I know how to play against an English team," the Romanian international said at the National squad's mountain training camp North of Bucharest. "Hoddle was my manager (at Chelsea) for a year and I also know my Chelsea team mate Graeme le Saux. I know all about England's squad. You can't keep too many secrets when you play week after week against them."

Teaching Soccer
Zico's life in soccer
Brazil's technical coordinator is turning English teacher. Zico's essay, "My life in soccer,'' will appear next year in a high school English textbook for some 80,000 Japanese youngsters, Masatake Hondo, Editor at Tokyo publisher bun-eido, said yesterday. Credited with helping build one of the best teams in professional Japanese soccer, the Kashima Antlers, Zico, 45, is idolized in Japan.

The essay, penned by Zico especiallyfor the textbook, tells the story of how the young Zico overcame his despair after being dropped from the Brazilian Olympic team. Zico, then 18, was so demoralized, he wanted to quit after the first half of a junior championship final, he says in the essay, which was translated into English from Portuguese. "You can do it. Be a champion,'' Zico recalls his brother Edu telling him.