SEOUL, May 21: World Cup co-hosts South Korea forced a 1-1 draw with England in a pre-tournament friendly in Sogwipo on Tuesday, equalising after a first-half goal by England captain Michael Owen.

Owen, standing in for the injured David Beckham, struck after 25 minutes as England with an unfamiliar 4-3-3 formation controlled the first half.

But after seven halftime substitutions England lost their shape and Park Ji-Sung scored the only other goal of the match with a 52nd minute header.

Germany, like England former world champions, suffered another injury blow when midfielder Joerg Heinrich pulled out of their squad after a series of leg injuries.

Heinrich, 32, was out for 3-1/2 months after an operation to repair ligament damage in October and tore leg muscles three times after the winter break.

“I have had many bad injuries in the past season and now just need a long rest,” he said.

Heinrich’s announcement came less than 24 hours after playmaker Sebastian Deisler withdrew because of an injury to his right knee. Deisler was scheduled to fly to Vail, Colorado, on Tuesday for treatment for blood clots on the knee.

Coach Rudi Voeller had already lost central defenders Christian Woerns and Jens Nowotny as well as midfielder Mehmet Scholl.

Defending champions France will not play their 1998 World Cup star Zinedine Zidane in a practice match against J-league side Urawa Reds on Wednesday in the southern Japanese sea resort of Ibusuki.

Zidane, who missed the upset 2-1 loss to Belgium last Saturday, is not expected in the country until Wednesday after attending the birth of his third child.

“Not having him with the squad has made things much more tricky,” coach Roger Lemerre told a news conference. “If you add that (striker) Thierry Henry is injured, I have been deprived of two crucial options in my strategy.”

SOGWIPO: Kieron Dyer was included in England’s final 23-man squad for the World Cup finals Tuesday, completing an injury-hit midfield including captain David Beckham and Nicky Butt.

Dyer injured his knee while playing in Newcastle United’s last game of the season against Southampton on May 11.

He had been given until Tuesday, FIFA’s deadline for the naming of squads, by England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson to prove his fitness for the finals starting on May 31.

Dyer’s agent Jonathan Barnett said Dyer was still not fully fit.

“It’s a calculated risk, he’s got an injury and it’s getting better every day. I think the doctors think it’s a risk worth taking,” Barnett told Sky Sports television.

Dyer should play on the right side of midfield where his pace and skill on the ball gives England an extra dimension.

SINGAPORE: Uruguay, missing 10 of their World Cup squad, laboured to a 2-1 win over Singapore in a warm-up friendly Tuesday.

Richard Morales scored Uruguay’s two goals in the National Stadium, the first after a flash of individual brilliance by Diego Forlan of English Premier League Manchester United.

Forlan’s hard work from the right set up a simple tap-in for Morales in the 27th minute. Morales headed in the second from a corner in the 77th minute.

Indra Sahdan Daud pulled a goal back for Singapore in the 82nd minute when he scored a penalty after he had been brought down by substitute Uruguay goalkeeper

The Uruguayans, who open their World Cup group A campaign against Denmark in Ulsan, South Korea, on June 1, played at half pace, suffering in the heat and stifling humidity.

Forlan and Morales worked hard but received little support. They broke through the Singapore defence time and again but their finishing let them down.

Ten members of the Uruguayan squad did not make the trip to Singapore from their temporary base in Japan, many of their European-based players feeling the effects of their club seasons which ended only two weeks ago.

Regular goalkeeper Fabian Carini injured his knee just before halftime and, although the injury was not said to be serious, was substituted after the interval.

Coach Victor Pua gave his other substitutes a run in the second half but the combination looked anything but impressive as players struggled to find any kind of rhythm.

TOKYO: Paraguay warmed up for the World Cup with a comfortable 3-1 victory over J-League club Jubilo Iwata in Nagano Tuesday.

Roque Santacruz, Jose Cardozo and Nelson Cuevas scored the goals against an Iwata side missing their three Japanese World Cup squad members at the Paraguayan training camp.

Paraguay, who beat Sweden 2-1 in Stockholm on Friday, are in Group B along with Spain, Slovenia and South Africa and play their first-round matches in South Korea. The World Cup begins on May 31.

In another World Cup warm-up, Costa Rica were on the receiving end of a 2-0 loss to Nagoya Grampus Eight but at least had the consolation of seeing Manchester City striker Paulo Wanchope return after five months out with a knee injury.

Costa Rica play Brazil, Turkey and China in Group C, also in South Korea.

Meanwhile, Argentina officials said at their “J-Village” base camp that their team will play Japanese champions Kashima Antlers on Thursday.—Reuters