SuperShorts: England's smiling

The England soccer team visited an orphanage in Soweto yesterday. "It was great to put smiles on the faces of people without hope," said Mbutto, aged 6.

Silly name alert

If you're a fan of athletes with silly names, be sure to cheer on Chile in tomorrow's 6.30am match against Spain. If you can watch a long-haired Latin defender with "Ponce" written across his back running around for 90 minutes without bursting into laughter then your heart is harder than ours.

The Sveneroos

Australasian fans of balding Swedes whose private shagging affairs get spread across the tabloids are in for a treat. Sven Goran Eriksson - fresh from scuppering the Ivory Coast's chances at the World Cup, muddying the Mexicans waters before that and leaving the English toothless back in 2006 - is putting his hand up for the top job with the Socceroos as Pim Verbeek steps down.

Common ground

Only two teams so far in this competition have conceded two headed goals. That's North and South Korea. The parallels between the two countries just get stronger. Is football going to do what decades of diplomacy couldn't, and make the case for unification?

Sonny's statement

Did anyone else think it was odd that Sonny Bill Williams went to Surfers Paradise to announce his move to Canterbury? He could at least have done it at Bondi.

More beer, more beer

After two years of boot camps and Italian dictatorial discipline, the secret of England's success against Slovenia was a bit more old school. "They were allowed to drink beer before the game, you can ask them," said Capello. "It's true. I changed something and used my imagination."

FREE STUFF!!!

We gave L'Oreal a serve for advertising men's facial products during test matches and they've, er, turned the other cheek sending us samples of their metrosexual, saggy-eye rejuvenating goodness. Of course it's all an insidious attempt to extend the beauty myth across the genders. And anyway, we're all too young and handsome to need this stuff, so if you want to go in the draw for one of the Hydra Energetic Ice Cool Eye Roll-ons then send your name and address to supersport@nzherald.co.nz. And put "Eye eye" in the subject line.

MORE FREE STUFF!!!

The excellent T-shirt manufacturer Mr Vintage has gone World Cup bonkers, churning out attire in homage to Our Boys. They've given us three of these Obamafied Ricky Herbert shirts to share with you, the reader. To go in the draw, send your name, address and shirt size to supersport@nzherald.co.nz. And put "Yes Tees" in the subject line.