May 23, 2002

YOKOHAMA, Japan (AP) - Striker Gabriel Batistuta's four second-half goals in a warm-up game showed why Argentina is one of the most feared teams in the World Cup.

And "Batigol's" offensive show was just part of an effort to win a starting position on the team.

Defending champion France, meanwhile, gained the services of Zinedine Zidane, a hero of its 1998 World Cup triumph.

On his first full day of practice with the team Thursday, Zidane referred to his spectacular goal in Real Madrid's victory in the European Champions Cup May 15 and the birth of his third son.

"I'm really fired up after a week like I've had," he said.

"A second World Cup title isn't out of the question," said Zidane. "But the competition will be tough."

French coach Roger Lemerre said Thursday he may have to call up Nicolas Anelka if top striker Thierry Henry continues to have knee problems.

France plays the very first match of the World Cup, against Senegal May 31 in Seoul, South Korea.

In Argentina's 3-3-1-3 formation, Batistuta is vying with Hernan Crespo for the starting central striker position, with coach Marcelo Bielsa resisting pressure to use the two stars side-by-side.

Batistuta came on as a substitute for Crespo in Thursday's 5-1 training camp victory over Japanese champion Kashima Antlers, and scored in four goals in a 35-minute span.

Crespo started the game despite Bielsa saying Wednesday that Batistuta would wear the No. 9 shirt, which fueled speculation that "Batigol" had the edge. Argentina is trying to add to the World Cups it won in 1978 and 1986.

Another prominent team, England, was hoping time would be on its side as yet another injury struck the squad 11 days before its World Cup opener against Sweden.

Midfielder Danny Murphy landed awkwardly on his left foot in a training session in South Korea, and coach Sven-Goran Eriksson said Thursday he would assess the seriousness of his injury before deciding whether to send out for a replacement.

A bone scan was planned Friday.

Italy, on the other hand, seemed to be at full strength as it started serious World Cup training in fresh mountain air.

At their camp in northeastern Japan, the Italians spent much of their 90-minute morning session jogging.

Attention focused on Francesco Totti of AS Roma, the axis of the Italian attack. He has suffered from a minor strain over the past month and, without him, Italy lost 1-0 in a friendly against the Czech Republic on Saturday.

"I'm not worried about Totti's condition. But he's at a point where he needs attention," said coach Giovanni Trapattoni. "He's very, very important."

Italy, which faces Ecuador, Croatia and Mexico in Group G, last won the World Cup in 1982, but was a finalist in 1994, semifinalist in 1990 and quarterfinalist in 1998. On all three occasions, it lost in penalty shootouts.

England last won in 1966, but is considered a contender despite its injury worries. Britain's Sports Minister Richard Caborn bet 500 pounds (dlrs 700) on Thursday, at 9-1 odds, that the team would win.

Eriksson is hoping team captain David Beckham, fellow Manchester United midfielder Nicky Butt and Newcastle's Kieron Dyer will be fit for the June 2 opener against Sweden - which hasn't lost to England in 33 years.

In Sweden's training camp, Fredrik Ljungberg and defender Olof Mellberg engaged in an unfriendly wrestling match after Mellberg tackled the midfield star hard during a scrimmage. Fellow players separated the two.

"Such things happen when you play," Ljungberg said. "If one (player) has been making tackles like that you have to respond. It happened a few times that he was a bit late tackling me. You can't tolerate that. But it's forgotten now."

The German team, a three-time champion, arrived Thursday at its southern Japanese World Cup base after an 11-hour flight and went straight to practice.

"We have to get the tiredness out of the legs," coach Rudi Voeller said.

Off the pitch, attention focused on FIFA president Sepp Blatter, who arrived in South Korea ahead of next week's election for the top job in soccer.

Blatter, who faced allegations of mismanagement by other executives at FIFA, is seeking a second four-year term as president in the May 29 vote.

"I am very confident that I will have the support of the majority of the federation because of the work we have done not only in the past four years, but for the work we have done in the 20 years," Blatter said upon arrival.