Pep Guardiola has demanded Barcelona improve if they want to retain their Champions League title after being held to a draw by Stuttgart.

World number two Rafael Nadal said he was pleased to win his sixth title of the year on Sunday when he beat unseeded Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka in 6-4, 7-5 in the Stuttgart final. Despite taking the first set with relative ease, Nadal had to dig deep against the plucky Wawrinka who led 4-1 early in the second set and broke his opponent twice.

Many a motoring fan will swoon at the looks of a Porsche 911 Turbo, Bentley Continental GT or Ferrari F430 which come with performance figures closely matching those of a Formula One racing car. For some owners of such cars, however, a top speed of 300kph is still not enough with some tuning firms specialising in suping-up such supercars.

Fireworks thundered and flashbulbs popped all around the darkened stadium, illuminating the German players' brilliant white shirts and the thousands of flags that waved in their honour. Fans screamed and sang for an hour afterward, savouring the lingering moments as hosts of the World Cup. And that was after the consolation game.

As South Africa takes on the responsibility of organising the next World Cup, exuberance -- and not necessarily efficiency -- appears to be paramount. World soccer governing body Fifa kicks off the journey to the 2010 World Cup at a July 7 ceremony in Berlin. Dubbed Africa's Calling, it will be attended by South African President Thabo Mbeki. But will South Africa be ready?

David Beckham hit back at his critics with a trademark freekick against Ecuador that took England into the World Cup quarterfinals, and he was revelling in his moment of glory. The England captain curled his shot past Cristian Mora in the 60th minute to hand his side a 1-0 win and a showdown with Portugal.

British and German police were aided by heavy rain that had most fans running for cover after a weekend that saw hundreds of arrests. Fears that the fan violence that gripped Stuttgart on Saturday would be repeated on Sunday were erased by England's 1-0 win against Ecuador and the driving rain.

David Beckham scored with a free kick in the 60th minute on Sunday to lead England to a 1-0 win over Ecuador and a spot in the quarterfinals of the World Cup. Beckham sent in a curling free kick from about 25m that beat diving goalkeeper Christian Mora.

France and Switzerland opened their World Cup campaigns with a goalless draw high on endeavour but short on flair on Tuesday. France, the 1998 champions, were out to erase the nightmare they endured at the last World Cup when they never recovered from a first-match defeat to Senegal.

After managing his first victory of the season in the last race in Imola at the San Marino Grand Prix Michael Schumacher is hoping for a repeat performance this Sunday at the European Grand Prix on the Nuerburgring. "Imola should not be a once-only. We are determined to leave the Nuerburgring with a victory," the seven-time world champion said.