Rooney cleared to play for England
2006-06-15

Nations Ecuador Croatia Costa Rica Paraguay Brazil Poland U.K. Germany Sweden France Event 2006 Soccer World Cup Clubs Manchester United

England striker Wayne Rooney has recovered from his foot injury more quickly than expected and could play as early as Thursday against Trinidad & Tobago.

"It is our professional medical opinion that Wayne Rooney is now available to play in the World Cup," two independent medical experts who assessed Rooney hours before the Group B match said in a joint statement on Thursday.

The 20-year-old Manchester United forward fractured a metatarsal bone in his right foot on April 29 and his recovery has been scrutinized closely ever since.

England struggled to create scoring opportunities in their first match of the World Cup, relying on an own-goal to snare a 1-0 win against Paraguay.

The Caribbean islanders held Sweden to a goalless draw in their opening match in one of the big shocks of the tournament so far.

Group A teams Ecuador and Costa Rica kicked off play in Hamburg on Thursday. England and Trinidad & Tobago will follow at 6 p.m. (1600 GMT), followed by the other Group B encounter between Sweden and Paraguay in Berlin.

Separately, it emerged on Thursday that Brazil striker Ronaldo, jeered off the field after a lackluster World Cup performance on Tuesday against Croatia, has undergone medical examinations after complaining of dizziness.

The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) said the 29-year-old had suffered a dizzy spell on Wednesday when the team had the day off and was taken to a nearby clinic.

"No abnormality was found," the CBF said on its official Web site. "Ronaldo is, therefore, in normal condition for training."

Ronaldo's dismal display on Tuesday, when he appeared to move at half-speed and struggled to control the simplest of passes, recalled his similarly dazed performance in Brazil's 3-0 loss to France in the 1998 World Cup final in Paris.

After that match it was revealed that Ronaldo had been taken ill in the hotel hours before the final, some reports claiming that he suffered a fit. The episode was never fully explained.

GERMAN GIDDINESS

Ronaldo's dizziness was overshadowed somewhat by German giddiness as the host country celebrated its team's stunning stoppage time victory against neighbors Poland in Group A.

The 1-0 win in Dortmund on Wednesday virtually assures Germany of a place in the second round of the month-long tournament and has convinced the nation that Juergen Klinsmann's often-criticized side may have what it takes to go even further.

"Jawollski!" was the headline in German daily Bild.

Taking the shine off the victory was the worst outbreak of fan trouble since the soccer celebration began last Friday.

In the most serious clash German fans pelted police with beer bottles, fireworks and chairs and tables from restaurants near Dortmund's Alter Markt after hundreds of riot police tried to clear a group of drunk hooligans, said a Reuters eyewitness.

Police in Dortmund said on Thursday they had charged 64 people with criminal offences following clashes between German and Polish fans ahead of the match.

A total of 429 fans were detained either because they were known Polish or German hooligans or because their behavior was aggressive and threatening, police said.

FIFA's Director of Communications Markus Siegler described the action of the hooligans as "absolutely disgusting."