Koller Out for at Least One Game

Czech Republic striker Jan Koller will sit out at least one game because of an injured thigh, team officials announced Monday.

The sight of their teammate being carried off the field on a stretcher tempered the Czechs’ mood after their 3-0 victory over the U.S.

After the game, Coach Karel Bruckner said the injury was “serious” and “a disaster.” Tomas Rosicky, who scored twice for the Czechs, added: “We paid dearly for the victory.” Concern diminished when a scan of Koller’s leg was negative.

“It looks good,” team doctor Petr Krejci said. “The muscle is not torn as it looked at the beginning, and there’s no bleeding in the muscle.

“It’s painful for him and he can’t walk properly. But we have a chance, it’s not hopeless. He’ll undergo intensive treatment, and he’ll have absolute rest for at least three days.”

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After sitting out Germany’s opening match on Friday, captain Michael Ballack resumed training in Berlin and will return to the lineup Wednesday for a match against Poland.

Even before Germany’s opener, Ballack said he had recovered from a right calf injury and was ready to play, but Coach Juergen Klinsmann thought it too risky to use his top player without any practice for five days.

Klinsmann and Ballack both denied there was friction between them, but questions remained.

“It would have been nice to have played in the opening game, but it’s time to look ahead. I hope to have more important games coming up in this tournament than the opening game,” Ballack said.

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Three days after he resigned, Coach Otto Pfister will rejoin Togo for its opening match today against South Korea.

“He will be there,” said Togo soccer federation spokesman Messan Attolou, adding that the decision had boosted team morale.

Pfister stormed out of the team hotel early Saturday morning in disgust at the federation’s failure to agree to pay bonuses to the players. The 68-year-old German initially refused requests from the players to return. Pfister’s son and agent, Mike, told FIFAworldcup.com that Pfister had agreed to rejoin the team as “a matter of the heart.”

The players, most of whom are with smaller European clubs, have been holding out for $200,000 each to play in the tournament, plus $39,000 each per win and $20,000 per draw.

Togo officials said their government on Friday sent about $730,000 in cash to Germany as part of a deal worth about $40,000 per player.

Togolese Minister for Sport Agouta Ouyenga said players also would each get a check worth about $10,000.