The Break/2010 FIFA World Cup 2010 Report #1 For 6/4/10 (Updated): Both Drogba And Ferdinand Are Out Of The World Cup

(This is Sports Thread #1 For 6/4/10)

(AP Photo/Keystone, Jean-Christophe Bott)

It seems that if you are from Chelsea, you are just meant to get hurt for this cup:

Ivory Coast lost captain Didier Drogba to injury during its 2-0 win over Japan in a warmup for the World Cup on Friday.

Drogba limped off with pain in his groin and right hip after a high 15th-minute challenge by Japan defender Marcus Tulio Tanaka.

Two minutes earlier, Ivory Coast scored when Drogba's 24-yard free kick was deflected by Tulio into his own net.

Drogba's shot took two deflections, the second off Tulio, to deceive Japanese goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima and bounce slowly into the bottom right-hand corner.

Two minutes later, Drogba and Tulio clashed feet high in the air as the Ivorian captain flicked the ball over the defender's head. Drogba refused a stretcher and limped off to be replaced by Seydou Doumbia.

Now the Ivory Coast have good depth at forward from Kalou to Kone to Dindane. But to lose a player of Drogba's caliber, when you have placed your whole team around this man, is indeed a massive blow if that is the case with this (or these) injuries.

Note: Seriously, if I were John Terry, Ashley Cole, Ricardo Carvalho, Joe Cole, Kalou, John Obi Mikel, or anyone else playing for Chelsea at the World Cup, I would send a few prayers extra to make sure I don't get snack bitten here and miss out on the World Cup. Carlo Ancelotti, Roman Abramovich, and everyone else at Chelsea need to do the same.

Note 2: And fate would have it:

Update: And here is video of Tanaka's reckless challenge. Gosh, what an idiot is this defender:


This picture says it painfully all for Cote d'Ivore fans and everyone else basically:

Photo from AFP

Report 2 : Rio Ferdinand may also be out of the World Cup on this day .

Ferdinand went down in agony and was sent for a scan by manager Fabio Capello amid fears he had suffered ligament damage.

The Football Association have still to make an official comment on the Manchester United defender's injury but at this stage it looks possible he has suffered a major injury and Tottenham's Michael Dawson has been placed on stand-by.

Ferdinand had been optimistic of enjoying an injury-free FIFA World Cup™ after a season dogged by problems at Manchester United.

Even David James has picked up a knock:

Goalkeeper David James also missed training today but Capello is less concerned with that situation and insisted the 39-year-old had "only a slight knee problem".

Woe indeed for fans of the Premier League today.

And it seems that Emile Heskey was the one that caused Ferdinand's injury? I guess bringing an out of form striker who won't even start up front with Wayne Rooney is looking very disastrous now for England, isn't it?

Report 3: And now, if there needed to be another big injury, now Andrea Pirlo is a World Cup doubt for Italy:

MILAN -- Italy midfielder Andrea Pirlo is resting at home following a calf injury that could force him to miss the World Cup in South Africa.

The AC Milan midfielder injured his left calf muscle in the friendly loss to Mexico on Wednesday and will now sit out the exhibition against Switzerland on Saturday.

Report 4: Continuing their nervy futility under Raymond Domenech, France has lost to China of all teams 1-0 in their last tuneup before their Group A opener next Friday against Uruguay.

It was a total disaster for Les Blues yet again, especially up front with the capricious pair of Nicolas Anelka and Djibril Cisse giving them nothing up front yet again.

Maybe the only real good news for France, especially on this day of big injuries, is the fact that none of their players got injured.

Report 5: Now Sven-Goran Eriksson, one who definitely familiar with late fitness tests going into a World Cup with David Beckham and Wayne Rooney the last few years, is ruling that Drogba still could play in the World Cup.

With how much pain he was in today, and how much physical his game in, it is going to take a miracle and a half for Drogba to be on the field. Even if they somehow get past Brazil, Portugal and now even North Korea in that group and into the knockout rounds.