Football: The Global Game

The World Cup Around the World

The Tartan Army - famous for drinking dry host towns and cities - appears to have drained Scotland of French francs. An estimated pounds 5m worth of French currency has been snapped up in the last few days, promising a bonanza for bar owners across the channel. A spokeswoman for Thomas Cook said Scotland broke all the records when francs were sold commission- free at the weekend. The Herald, Glasgow.

George Vecsey, a veteran sports columnist with the New York Times, reports that the US team have a special problem ahead of Sunday's match in Paris against Germany. Billeted in a chateau in the Beaujolais region, they are battling boredom. "The Yanks are grumbling here out in the countryside," Vecsey writes. "Our lads do not like being quartered in the boonies." Although they are in deepest wine country, US team members are allowed only one beer at dinner by coach Steve Sampson. Other distractions on offer to them: a darts board, late night card games and, says Vecsey, exciting volumes of the `pages jaune' in every room.

Bild Zeitung, Germany's leading tabloid, remarks on the transformation of Berti Vogts, the national team coach. "In France he wants to achieve as manager what he pulled off as player in 1974 - winning the World Cup In England two years ago, he was the fatherly friend of players, who would even interpose in disputes between Klinsmann and Sammer. They thanked him with their triumph at Wembley. Now the boss is acting tough. He plays one off against the other, even with the help of the media."