select a team ---------- Europe: Belgium Croatia Denmark England France Germany Ireland Italy Poland Portugal Russia Slovenia Spain Sweden Turkey ---------- South America: Argentina Brazil Ecuador Paraguay Uruguay ---------- Africa: Cameroon Nigeria Senegal South Africa Tunisia ---------- Asia: China Japan Saudi Arabia South Korea ---------- CONCACAF: Costa Rica Mexico United States     Main page    Schedule    Stadiums

Korea on alert ahead of soccer showdown

Riot policemen patrol near the U.S. Embassy in Seoul

SEOUL, South Korea -- Millions of people are expected to take to the streets of South Korea's major cities on Monday, adding to the burden on security forces safeguarding the crucial World Cup showdown between the host nation and the United States.

Security worries are so high that South Korean President Kim Dae-jung will skip the game at soccer's biggest tournament.

Fearing anti-American protests and terrorism, South Korea has deployed about 10,000 police in and around the stadium in the southern city of Daegu.

Surface-to-air missiles and fighter jets -- commanded by South Korea's air force chief of staff in an F-4 Phantom -- will guard skies above.

The security will be "much tougher than all the matches before," said Walter Gagg, in charge of stadiums and security for FIFA, the sport's world governing body.

WORLD CUP SPECIAL News and views from South Korea and Japan

The teams meet in a crucial Group D match after each scored surprise wins in their openers last week: the United States over Portugal and South Korea over Poland. The winner will be virtually assured a berth in the 16-nation second round.

At Daegu stadium, where the match will be played, Koreans queued up over the weekend for tickets, with lines stretching more than half a mile the night before the game.

Police were caught off guard during the Korea-Poland match on June 4 when 150,000 people, three times more than expected, congregated in front of the giant screen in Gwanghwamum.

The surging crowd broke police lines and officers were forced to call for back-up. Six thousand police will contend with the crowds during Monday's game.

Fearing that some supporters might attempt to break into the U.S. Embassy compound, police will also man a heavy cordon around the U.S. embassy. The embassy will be closed this afternoon as a precaution

In matches Sunday, Mexico defeated Ecuador, 2-1; Costa Rica and Turkey tied, 1-1; and Japan beat Russia, 1-0.

Russian riots serve as warning

Russian fans angered by the loss overturned cars and set them on fire in Moscow. At least one man was killed, and the Interfax news agency said five music students from Japan were beaten. An Associated Press photographer saw a mutilated corpse lying on the street during the chaos, which erupted across a square from the Kremlin walls.

The scene was vastly different on the streets of Yokohoma, Japan, where the Japanese peacefully celebrated their first win at the World Cup, which is played every four years. Japan was cheered on at the game by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi.

More than 5,000 soccer fans spent two nights waiting to buy tickets for the South Korea- U.S. match

FIFA tried to play down the absence at Monday's game of South Korean President Kim Dae-jung, saying it was the result of security concerns.

"I think in the history of the World Cup it's very unusual for the president or the head of state to attend all the matches, even of his own team," spokesman Keith Cooper said. "I don't think anything should be read into that whatsoever."

Park No-hyun, an official at the National Police Agency, said officials are confident fans will behave, "but we are beefing up security just in case something happens."

Terrorism has been a major concern for World Cup co-hosts South Korea and Japan following the September 11 attacks in the United States. The military and police have been placed on increased alert for the tournament, defense officials said Sunday.

Police said activists may use the U.S.-South Korea match to provoke anti-American sentiments.

Flag-burning

On Saturday, activists burned an American flag during a protest in a provincial town to demand compensation for a South Korean man who died Thursday after being electrocuted last July by power wires set up by the U.S. military.

The 150 activists, who gathered near the U.S. military base in Paju, 25 miles northeast of Seoul, also demanded the withdrawal of the 37,000 American military personnel stationed in South Korea as a deterrent against North Korea.

Sports has become a source of anti-American sentiment in South Korea following a dispute over the Olympic short track speedskating race where a South Korean disqualification let American Apolo Anton Ohno win gold.

"My impression is that we're allies with the South Koreans," U.S. coach Bruce Arena said Sunday. "We're not aware of any political issues. We consider the South Koreans our friends."