Wives Welcome, for a Price

Bora Milutinovic, who led the United States to the second round of the 1994 World Cup and who now is in charge of China’s national team, said Chinese players would be welcome to bring wives or girlfriends to the World Cup, but only if they pay their own way.

“As an old person, I am obviously not suitable to answer this question,” Milutinovic, 58, jokingly told Chinese reporters when asked about conjugal arrangements for China’s team.

“I do not smoke, drink, and I don’t indulge in women.”

According to Agence France-Presse, Milutinovic denied having said that the Chinese Football Assn. would pick up the expense for wives or girlfriends to travel to South Korea, where China will play Costa Rica, Brazil and Turkey in the first round.

“Although I am old, I have a good memory, and I did not say that,” he said.

“Of course, if their families are willing to go to Korea at their own expense, it is another matter.”

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Police in the northern Japanese city of Sapporo are urging the Japan World Cup Organizing Committee (JAWOC) to ban the sale of alcohol at the Sapporo Dome when Argentina and England play there on May 7.

Japanese organizers have previously said that fans will be restricted to one beer each at World Cup stadiums, but because the rule is unenforceable, Sapporo police fear there will be fan violence when the former World Cup winners meet.

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No World Cup matches will be played in Tokyo--although the adjoining port city of Yokohama will host four games, including the final--but all of Japan’s matches, including first-round encounters with Belgium, Russia and Tunisia, will be shown live on a wide screen at the National Stadium in Tokyo, a JAWOC spokesman said Thursday.

The stadium seats 55,000, and tickets to see games there will cost just under $18.

Latin America

Uruguay midfielder Gustavo Varela suffered a broken hand and cuts on his head Thursday when he was involved in an early morning automobile collision with national team teammate Ricardo Morales, who escaped without injury.

Details of the accident in Montevideo were sketchy. “Fortunately, we are both fine,” said Morales, who came off the bench to score twice in a playoff victory over Australia that clinched Uruguay’s World Cup berth.

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The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) has sent physiotherapist Renato Carvalho to Spain to help Barcelona forward Rivaldo recover from a string of injuries that have hampered him all season, according to the Spanish newspaper Sport.

“This year has been a really unlucky one for Rivaldo,” Barcelona’s club doctor, Ricard Pruna, told the same newspaper last month.

“In the space of seven months, he has had five different injuries.”

Rivaldo’s fitness is a major concern for Brazil Coach Luiz Felipe Scolari just one month ahead of the World Cup.

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Argentina midfielder Ariel Ortega limped off the field after aggravating a thigh injury 12 minutes into River Plate’s 2-1 loss to Gremio of Brazil in the Copa Libertadores. The injury is not expected to prevent Ortega from playing in his third World Cup.