World Cup Update #1: Laser pointers

In just three days, there has already been a lot of complaining about the ball, the quasi-artificial pitch at some stadiums, and the vuvuzelas. Not much has been made, however, of the fact that Lionel Messi and others were menaced with a laser pointer in yesterday's Argentina-Nigeria match.

Match report: Milan 2 - Parma 0

• Goals scored: Borriello 12', Borriello 90+3'
• What happened: Milan scored early. I spent the rest of the game dreading a repeat of Wednesday's blown lead against Napoli. Then Milan scored again.
• Who set up Borriello's goals: Ronaldinho made nice passes on both plays.
• About Parma: This is their first year back in Serie A, and they are doing quite well. Prior to yesterday's match, they were in fourth place. One of their strikers is Alberto Paloschi, whose contract is co-owned by Milan and Parma.
• Dida's game: Dida played quite well, with an excellent save on a long shot and another on a close header.
• Milan players who have returned from injury: Gattuso
• Milan players who were injured during the match: Antonini
• Strangest yellow card I have ever seen: Ronaldinho received a yellow card in the 42nd minute. The ball had gone out for a Milan throw-in. Ronaldinho went to take it. Before he could get the ball, another Milan player got a different ball from the ball person and threw it in. When Ronaldinho looked up to throw his ball in, he saw that there already was a ball on the pitch. He dropped his ball in such a way that it also rolled onto the field. The referee had to stop play due to there being two balls on the pitch, and he gave Ronaldinho a yellow card for delay of game.
• What this match teaches us: Always score more goals, especially late in the game.

Below are highlights--

Soccer can be Dangerous

A 6.5 foot long catfish was found dead in a Bavarian canal on Monday. It choked to death after trying to eat a blue-and-white soccer ball, which was found in its mouth. According to police spokesman, Karl-Heinz Kuberlein , "He tried to eat the ball and it got stuck."