Sydney: Experienced Australia defender Tony Vidmar has lost his battle to get fit for next month’s World Cup, Football Federation Australia said on Tuesday. Vidmar, who plays for Dutch club NAC Breda, suffered a rib injury last season and further tests revealed an irregular heart beat.

“It’s something that has come as a real shock but due to the seriousness of the situation I had no other choice in the interests of my own health and the team but withdraw from being considered for the World Cup squad,” Vidmar said in an FFA statement.

“Of course I would love to play in the World Cup, it’s been a dream of mine and I have been in four campaigns but until I am fully aware of my health situation I can’t risk playing.”

Vidmar, 35, made his international debut in 1991 and has played 75 times for his country. He has also played for English Premier League side Middlesbrough and spent five years with Scottish club Rangers.

Germans want a 'bit' of beer

Berlin: Budweiser may be the “King of Beers” in the US, but it’s often laughed at in Germany, where it will be one of only two beers available in football stadiums during the World Cup. An official sponsor of the tournament, Budweiser originally won the rights to a monopoly on beer sales at the World Cup. But the decision outraged Germany’s fiercely proud beer drinkers, many of whom dislike the taste of weaker US beers.

The St Louis-based firm noted the furore and relented. It agreed to give 30 per cent of beer sales rights to the family-run German brewery Bitburger to sell its popular Bitburger Pils, better known as “Bit”.

World's best 'English' stars

London: More evidence that the Premiership is home to the world’s best footballers, some would say to the detriment of domestic talent, comes courtesy a football magazine, which has named its top ten World Cup stars. Half of them play in the Premiership, but none of them is English.

The “Ten for Germany” list includes Didier Drogba and Michael Essien, of Chelsea, Harry Kewell, of Liverpool, Philippe Senderos, of Arsenal, and Park Ji-sung, of Manchester United. It is headed by Andriy Shevchenko, the Ukraine and AC Milan striker.

Japan lose to bulgaria

Osaka: Bulgaria struck in the opening and dying seconds to beat World Cup-bound Japan 2-1 in a Kirin Cup friendly on Tuesday. Portsmouth’s Svetoslav Todorov stunned Japan just 53 seconds into the opening game of the three-team tournament, while Seiichiro Maki equalised after 76 minutes to boost his claims for a World Cup place after his third goal in eight games. Substitute Hristo Yanev, however, snatched the winner for Bulgaria.

New threat

Berlin: The risk of hooliganism is hanging over the World Cup with a new threat from eastern European troublemakers heading the list of concerns. The fact that the World Cup is returning to Europe after a turn in Asia, the wide availability of cheap beer in Germany and the country’s many shared borders make the tournament potentially high-risk.

“This World Cup is a challenge for the hooligans. The Germans will want to show what they are capable of doing, the others will want to cut loose in a foreign country,” said Andreas Morbach, the deputy head of the German police’s central sport intelligence unit (ZIS).