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<font size=+2><b>
<span class="vitstoryheadline">World Cup notebook</span>
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<font size=-1><b>
<span class="vitstorydate">06/17/2002</span>
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<span class="vitstorybyline">Associated Press</span>
</b></font><span class="vitstorybody"><p>

    <b><font size="3" face="geneva,arial,helvetica">Report on Pinto's punch 
    submitted to FIFA</font></b>

    <p>
      SEOUL, South Korea &#8211; A referee's report regarding the ejection of 
      Portugal's Joao Pinto against South Korea was submitted, but FIFA 
      officials would not say if it included charges he punched the referee.
    </p>
    <p>
      Argentine referee Angel Sanchez told an Argentine radio station Saturday 
      that Pinto punched him after the player was shown a red card for a 
      tackle from behind. South Korea won the game, 1-0, eliminating Portugal.
    </p>
    <p>
      &quot;Joao Pinto was sent off for a foul, and he punched me,&quot; Sanchez told 
      Argentine radio station Del Plata. &quot;It was the first time that a player 
      has attacked me.&quot;
    </p>
    <p>
      Pinto was ejected in the 27th minute despite protests from most of the 
      Portuguese players after the rough tackle on Park Ji-sung.
    </p>
    <p>
      <b><font size="3" face="geneva,arial,helvetica">Rain, cloudy days 
      expected for two weeks</font></b>
    </p>
    <p>
      Japan's Meteorological Agency said to expect cloudy or rainy weather for 
      the rest of the World Cup.
    </p>
    <p>
      Most of Japan has a rainy season from mid-June to mid-July.
    </p>
    <p>
      The inclement weather is a contrast to much of the first 10 days of the 
      tournament, which were mostly sunny and pleasant.
    </p>
    <p>
      <b><font size="3" face="geneva,arial,helvetica">FIFA explains empty seats</font></b>

    </p>
    <p>
      FIFA is blaming the low attendance at the second-round match between 
      Paraguay and Germany on the location of the stadium and poor ticket 
      sales.
    </p>
    <p>
      The match at Seogwipo, South Korea, on Saturday saw the smallest crowd 
      at the World Cup so far, 25,176 spectators in a stadium that seats 
      52,256.
    </p>
    <p>
      It was the lowest attendance in the knockout stages since Czechoslovakia 
      played Costa Rica in the second round in 1990.
    </p>
    <p>
      <b><font size="3" face="geneva,arial,helvetica">Brazilian enjoys seeing 
      upsets</font></b>
    </p>
    <p>
      Brazilian midfielder Roberto Carlos says the surprise results of this 
      year's World Cup are breathing some fresh air into the world's greatest 
      soccer event.
    </p>
    <p>
      &quot;I'm sorry for the favorites that have lost,&quot; he said. &quot;But those that 
      have advanced are giving some freshness to the tournament that is very 
      interesting. There are surprises in every World Cup, but there seems to 
      be a particularly large number this year.
    </p>
    <p>
      The Real Madrid star agreed with many World Cup watchers, saying few 
      would have predicted the first-round ousters of Argentina, France, and 
      Portugal.
    </p>
    <p>
      &quot;But the credit goes to those who win,&quot; he said.
    </p>
    <p>
      
    </p>
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