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International round-up

Ronaldo scored twice as Brazil warmed up for the World Cup with a 4-1 win over the countryés reserves in Weggis, Switzerland.

The veteran team expected to line up against Croatia in Brazilés first match took the field, with the 2002 World Cupés leading scorer Ronaldo and the likes of Ronaldinho, Roberto Carlos and Cafu all playing.

Ze Roberto and Adriano netted the other goals in the victory against the reserves, whose lone strike was notched by Lyon defender Cris.

éIt was the first time that the squad played together after seven months,é coach Carlos Alberto Parreira said. éI saw good and bad things, which I will try to correct.é

Parreira was named the best coach of 2005 by the International Football Historic and Statistics Federation over the weekend.

Argentina star Lionel Messi is happy with his ongoing recovery from a thigh injury although doubt still remains over whether he will be fit for their World Cup opener against Ivory Coast.

The 18-year-old Barcelona striker has not played a competitive match since the Champions League encounter against Chelsea in March, but insists he will do all he can to be fit for the Group C clash on June 10.

éI want to have more football activity because I have not played for quite some time,é Messi said.

éBut the doctors are taking care of me. I want to play, although the more experienced players always tell me that I can only do my best.é

France playmaker Zinedine Zidane has hit out at the Stade de France crowd for booing Fabien Barthez and Vikash Dhorasoo during Les Bleusé 1-0 win over Mexico.

The home fans jeered Marseilleés former United keeper Barthez throughout the encounter, while Dhorasoo was given the same treatment when he came on as a 52nd-minute replacement for national captain Zidane.

Playmaker Zidane, who has often had a frosty relationship with the Stade de France public, had been marking his 100th cap and final appearance at the arena when he made way for Dhorasoo.

éThis is scandalous to boo any player from the team,é Zidane said.

Germany goalkeeper Jens Lehmann is desperate for another shot at glory after his sending off in the Champions League final with Arsenal.

Lehmann, sent off in the Gunnersé 2-1 defeat against Barcelona in Paris for a professional foul, played the first 45 minutes in Germanyés 7-0 friendly thrashing of lowly Luxembourg é his first international since pipping Oliver Kahn for the number one shirt é but conceded he needs more time to get over the fiasco in Paris.

éI need to get it out of my mind,é Lehmann said.

éRight now I am still trying to forget about it. But I hope that at some point of my career I will get another chance to play in a final.é

Joan Capdevila and Mariano Pernia have been put on standby in the event of Asier Del Horno having to withdraw from Spainés World Cup squad with injury.

Del Horno, 25, injured a tendon in his lower leg on May 24 and the Chelsea player is racing against time to be fit.

Del Horno is due to have a scan today, where more could be revealed, but the Spanish medical team treating him are pessimistic about his chances of recovering.

Getafeés Pernia and Deportivo La Corunaés Capdevila are now standing by with Pernia having put his honeymoon on hold in case he gets the nod.

Italy defender Gianluca Zambrotta is still hoping to be fit for the start of the World Cup after suffering an injury during a match between the Azzurri and some local amateurs.

Zambrotta, 29, pulled a muscle in his thigh and the extent of his injury is not immediately clear although there are no suggestions yet that it will compromise his chances of playing in the World Cup.

Italy doctor Enrico Castellacci said the Juventus player had felt a pull in the muscle of his right leg.

Zambrotta, who was having treatment on the injury at the Coverciano training base on the outskirts of Florence, told reporters: éI hope ités nothing serious.é

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