CUIABA, Brazil ― As Korea heads into its first World Cup match, it has just one focus: defense.The squad arrived in Cuiaba on Sunday morning from its Foz do Igaucu training camp, two days ahead of its premiere showdown at Arena Pantanal on Tuesday (7 a.m. Wednesday, Korean time) against Russia for the final opener in Brazil.Come kickoff, the team will be entirely committed to supporting the defense. Park Chu-young, Korea’s main striker, said before the training session on Sunday that he feels in

BELO HORIZONTE, Brazil (AP) ― Belgium returns to its first World Cup in 12 years brimming with confidence and determination before the Group H opener against Algeria.Belgium’s best cluster of players in a generation is in fierce competition for a starting place Tuesday at Estadio Mineirao. It’s so fierce that a couple of players have picked up knocks in aggressive training sessions.Coach Marc Wilmots hopes the competitiveness will produce a strong fighting spirit against the Algerians, who have

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) ― Lionel Messi scored a stunning second-half goal to push Argentina to a 2-1 victory over World Cup debutant Bosnia at the Maracana stadium on Sunday in the Group F opener for both teams.Messi lifted Argentina in the 65th minute, moving in from the right and striking a low left-footed shot off the inside of the post behind Bosnian keeper Asmir Begovic. It was just the second World Cup goal for Messi, adding to one he scored eight years ago in Germany.Vedad Ibisevic scored a c

CUIABA, Brazil (Yonhap) ― South Korea will have to dig deep and stay mentally strong when it opens its 2014 FIFA World Cup campaign against Russia, a South Korean defender said Sunday.South Korea, coached by Hong Myung-bo, on Sunday arrived in Cuiaba in the central-west region of Brazil, the site of its first Group H match against Russia. The match will kick off at 6 p.m. at Arena Pantanal.Ahead of the team’s first practice here, defensive back Lee Yong said it will take more than just a physica

German rises to No. 11 in the world rankings

Lionel Messi scored a trademark individual goal as Argentina opened their World Cup campaign with a narrow 2-1 win over Bosnia-Hercegovina at Rio de Janeiro's renovated Maracana on Sunday.The Barcelona superstar created the third-minute own goal by Sead Kolasinac with which Argentina went ahead, but it took a mid-match tactical shift for him to really start influencing proceedings. (AP-Yonhap)In the 65th minute he scored a goal befitting of the iconic 78,800-seater stadium, collecting the ball d

Haris Seferovic scored in the last minute of injury time to grab Switzerland a dramatic 2-1 win over Ecuador in their Group E game at the World Cup finals in Brasilia on Sunday.Seferovic's winner capped a remarkable comeback by the top seeds in the group as fellow substitute Admer Mehmidi had taken just 121 seconds to make his mark as he levelled the game in the 48th minute. (AP-Yonhap)Enner Valencia had given Ecuador the lead midway through the first-half as he scored for the fifth successive g

Karim Benzema scored twice and created a third that was confirmed by goal-line technology as France beat Honduras 3-0 Sunday in its first World Cup match.The dominant win was a relief for France, whose team of highly paid players failed to win in South Africa and was sent home in a disgrace after going on a training strike. ``Winning 3-0 at a World Cup isn't easy,'' France coach Didier Deschamps said. ``(The players should) savor the moment, there's nothing more wonderful.'' France's forward Kar

Japan’s football supporters, watching at the Tokyo Dome stadium in Tokyo on Sunday, are disappointed after Japan is defeated by Ivory Coast in the World Cup. Japan was defeated by Ivory Coast 1-2.(AFP-Yonhap)

PITTSBURGH (AP) ― Chuck Noll, the Hall of Fame coach who won a record four Super Bowl titles with the Pittsburgh Steelers, died Friday night at his home. He was 82.The Allegheny County Medical Examiner said Noll died of natural causes.Noll transformed the Steelers from a long-standing joke into one of the NFL’s preeminent powers, becoming the only coach to win four Super Bowls. He was a demanding figure who did not make close friends with his players, yet was a successful and motivating leader.T

LOS ANGELES (AP) ― Dan Haren pitched into the seventh inning and hit a tiebreaking three-run double, leading the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 6-4 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday night.Dee Gordon hit a rare home run for the Dodgers, who are 10-3 against the Diamondbacks and 27-30 against everyone else. With six games left between the NL West rivals, this is the earliest the Dodgers have ever clinched a season series with Arizona. They began the year by sweeping a two-game set in Aus