When the internet is still not connected. And the wind is blowing a gale, there are some things to cheer me up. Our builder and architect like each other and work has started. The kitchen is moving to the courtyard while the work begins. The sun is warm, the plumber is fixing the hammam and then there is the football. Substitute Mohamed Madihi scored in the 90th minute to give Morocco a 1-0 win over the United States on Tuesday. Yay Morocco!
The Atlas Lions won a disappointing game in Nashville, Tennessee, as the World Cup-bound Americans struggled to find their rhythm.
It was the first match for the US since coach Bruce Arena announced his squad for next month's finals in Germany.
But a hamstring injury to captain Claudio Reyna will have done little to temper Arena's mood.
The goal came when Bouchaib El Moubarki won the ball off Steve Cherundolo and released fellow substitute Madihi who ran unchallenged into the area before beating Kasey Keller with a clinical finish.
"I took a bad touch, and they took advantage of it," Cherundolo said. "Mistakes are a big part of this game."
The US nearly grabbed a stoppage-time equaliser but a blistering free-kick from Bobby Convey went inches wide.
Minus a player or two, Arena fielded what is projected to be his first team for the World Cup with Keller, Eddie Pope, Reyna, Landon Donovan and Brian McBride all starting.
But the US did not produce a shot on target until the 52nd minute when second-half substitute Convey tested goalkeeper Tarek El Jarmouni with a shot from outside the box.
A minute later the home side survived a scare when Talal El Karkouri saw his header off a Zakaria Aboub free-kick go over the bar with Keller clearly beaten.
Morocco, one of Africa's strongest teams, did not qualify for the 32-nation World Cup finals.
Tags: Morocco Fes, Maghreb news
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The Socceroos have been boosted by good news on the injury front, as they fly out of Australia to play in next month's World Cup in Germany.
The Australian team left for Holland today after last night's 1-0 win over European champions Greece at the MCG.
The match was the first of three practice games before their opening World Cup clash against Japan on June 12.
Harry Kewell, John Aloisi and Tim Cahill missed the match but assistant coach Graham Arnold says the trio should be fit for the tournament.
"Timmy Chaill is fine," he said.
"[He] trained fully on the last day with the other group that didn't play. He'll be training fully when we get [there].
"Aloisi is probably a day or two after that."
Kewell stayed in England for treatment on a groin injury, but will join the squad soon.
"Harry's coming along quite fine," Arnold said
"We'll have to see that when we get there because he hasn't done anything physically with the team for the five or six days that he missed here, so when we get there we'll know more."
Australias next matches:
Japan, June 12 - Kaiserslautern
Brazil, June 19 - Munich
Croatia, June 22 - Stuttgart
Come on Samir, I remember the feeling of loss you had the night that Australia lost to Iran!! Show your colours...(with Morocco out of the Cup, who are you going to support???
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