For Thursday PMs

For Thursday PMs
The supervisor is Barry Wilner. The World Cup desk in Berlin can be reached at 011 49 303008160 or 8143. Reruns of stories and agate available from http://yourap.org, from the Service Desk (1-800-838-4616) or your local AP bureau.
All times EDT.
As the World Cup turns: Making the globe spin like a soccer ball
UNDATED -- The ball has stopped wars and started them, whipsawed financial markets and sent shivers of ineluctable joy and cardiac arrest rippling across entire countries at the exact same moment. And the way it rolls at the World Cup means everything.
BC-SOC--WCup-The World Cup. Moved previously for AMs.
By AP Columnist Jim Litke.
Handicapping the field heading into the tournament
FRANKFURT, Germany -- If an out-of-form Ronaldo is scoring goals with blistered feet, what chance does any of Brazil's World Cup rivals have? Despite Ronaldo's ailing feet and shaky performances, the five-time winner appears to be peaking at just the right time as the World Cup opener looms Friday. Don't bet against the Brazilians being in a fourth consecutive final, with Cafu becoming the first captain to hoist the trophy twice.
BC-SOC--WCup-On Soccer. Moved previously for AMs.
By Soccer Writer Robert Millward.
Great memories of Clockwork Orange clear for Dutch players
FREIBURG, Germany -- It's been 32 years, not nearly enough time for Dutch fans to forget the 1974 World Cup and the Clockwork Orange.
BC-SOC--WCup-Netherlands Memories.
By Raf Casert.
Serbia-Montenegro in World Cup despite split
BILLERBECK, Germany -- Serbia-Montenegro's blue, white and red national flags that will flutter at World Cup stadiums in Germany will no longer be valid -- the country they represented has ceased to exist.
BC-SOC--WCup-Serbia-Montenegro.
By Dusan Stojanovic.
Togo Town welcomes African visitors
WANGEN, Germany -- Togo has turned this historic spa town into the Africa of the Alps. The Togolese flag is a more common sight than the national one these days as this community of 27,000 sheds its staid conservative image and embraces its African World Cup visitors with very un-Germanic gusto.
BC-SOC--WCup-Togo Town.
By Clare Nullis
BERLIN -- BC-SOC--WCup-Germany-Lehmann. By Nesha Starcevic.
KOENIGSTEIN, Germany -- BC-SOc--WCup-Brazil Anxiety. By Tales Azzoni.
UNDATED -- BC-SOC--WCup Notebook.
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ALSO PREVIOUSLY MOVED:
FRANKFURT, Germany -- BC-SOC--WCup-Security. By Matt Moore.
HAMBURG, Germany -- BC-SOC--WCup-US-Johnson. By Ronald Blum.
HAMBURG, Germany -- BC-SOC--WCup-MLS Picks. By Ronald Blum.
HAMBURG, Germany -- BC-SOC--WCup-US Welcome. By Ronald Blum.
MUNICH, Germany -- BC-SOC--WCup-Rothenberg. By Brian Trusdell.
GOETTINGEN, Germany --BC-SOC--WCup-Mexico-Marquez. By Steve Brisendine.
BERLIN, Germany -- BC-SOC--WCup Stadiums. By Roy Kammerer.
CELLE, Germany -- BC-SOC--WCup-Almost Angolan. By Zoe Eisenstein.
LOME, Togo -- BC-SOC--WCup-Togo Spirits. By Ebow Godwin.
BEIRUT, Lebanon -- BC-SOC--WCup-Arab Broadcasts. By Zeina Karam.
MUNICH, Germany -- BC-SOC--WCup-FIFA. By John Pye.
ROTENBURG, Germany -- BC-SOC--WCup-Trinidad-Remembering '89. By Josh Dubow.
FRIEDRICHSHAFEN, Germany -- BC-SOC--WCup-Mini Yugoslavia. By Slobodan Lekic.
Copyright 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.