World Cup notebook

 Injured Italian defender returns home
 PARIS (AP) -- Italian defender Alessandro Nesta, his World Cup abruptly ended by torn knee ligaments, flew home on Wednesday heartbroken at missing matches but confident about returning to soccer fields before the end of the year.
 "It's difficult to accept the idea that the World Cup is over for me," the 22-year-old player of Lazio said shortly before boarding a Rome-bound plane.
 "Doctors told me I can recover by Christmas. For my part I'll work hard to meet that date. I want to return to action as soon as possible," Nesta said.
 Italian doctors said that Nesta will need up to six months to heal and rehabilitate.
 The Italian defender tore his right knee ligaments in the fourth minute of the Italy-Austria Group B match at St. Denis on Tuesday. Italy advanced to the second round on a 2-1 victory.
 Nesta explained he tripped before colliding with an Austrian defender.
 "I'm leaving a great team, which can do great things," Nesta said. "I hope to return to Paris on July 12 to support my teammates from the stands, in the World Cup final."
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 Bitter soccer fans target white expatriates in Cameroon
 YAOUNDE, Cameroon (AP) -- Throngs of Cameroon soccer fans attacked vehicles and businesses owned by white expatriates Wednesday in retaliation for what they described as a racist anti-African plot by World Cup officials.
 No injuries were reported.
 The attacks accompanied Cameroonian government condemnation of officiating in the World Cup after Cameroon was ousted from the tournament on Tuesday in a 1-1 draw with Chile that hinged on a questionable call.
 "What we saw is not a World Cup competition. It has been a festival of scandal," Youth and Sports Minister Joseph Owona was quoted as saying by the African Nation newspaper. "It was not the round ball that eliminated us."
 Cameroon's coach Claude Le Roy and his players insisted they were robbed by Hungarian referee Laszlo Vagner's refusal to allow a second-half goal by Francois Omam Biyick that gave Cameroon the lead.
 A victory would have propelled the Indomitable Lions into the second round.
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 Eight-time losers limp home again
 SAINT-ETIENNE, France (AP) -- Scotland missed the cut again.
 It's a familiar story. Thousands of noisy but friendly and popular Scottish fans follow their team to the World Cup but go home halfway through because their team wasn't as good as their support.
 A 3-0 loss to Morocco on Tuesday sentenced Scotland to be a first-round loser for the eighth time in a row. The Scots have never been into the second round and have the worst record of any team to have made it to soccer's biggest event.
 "We're a small country that keeps qualifying," coach Craig Brown said as the Scots prepared to return home early once again. "You've got to give us credit for that."
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 Croatian defender injured
 VITTEL, France (AP) -- Croatia has lost a major player before Friday's pivotal game against Argentina.
 Igor Stimac of England's Derby County, arguably Croatia's toughest defender, dropped out with blisters on both heels from Saturday's 1-0 victory over Japan.
 Silvio Maric, who normally plays midfield at Croatia Zagreb, will replace Stimac against Argentina.
 Two-time world champion Argentina and World Cup newcomer Croatia have both qualified for the second round after beating Japan and Jamaica. Friday's game will decide the Group H winner.
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 Even parliament takes break to watch Italy play
 ROME (AP) -- As the players strode onto the field for the Italy-Austria World Cup match, Italy came to a standstill. Even a heated debate in the Chamber of Deputies was put on hold until after the game.
 Deputies passionately exchanged insults Tuesday morning over a bill on NATO's eastward expansion. Then as things appeared to reach a climax and the vote neared, the speaker of the Chamber, Luciano Violante, declared the session suspended.
 Violante said the recess, which coincided perfectly with game time, was necessary to allow politicians to consult with each other.
 According to news reports, 90 per cent of TV owners had their screens turned on to catch Italy's 2-1 victory, despite the match's falling during afternoon work hours.
 Italy's streets, piazzas and restaurants, which were all but deserted during the match, exploded into chaos within instants of the referee's final whistle.