World Cup report

LITTLE ROCK — Brazilians favorites in final 16.

With the final 16 set at the World Cup, Brazil has been installed as a 7-2 favorite to win its sixth title by BetUS.

The Brazilians won Group G and will play Chile on Monday in the knockout round. Chile is 30-1.

Spain and Argentina both are 4-1 as second favorites.

The European champion Spaniards won Group H and face Iberian neighbor Portugal (12-1) on Tuesday, while Argentina has a Sunday game against Mexico (50-1).

The United States, which faces Ghana today, is 40-1, the same as the Africans, the only team from the continent to advance.

The Netherlands (6-1) meets Slovakia (80-1) on Monday. Germany (8-1) plays England (9-1) on Sunday.

Uruguay (10-1) takes on South Korea (125-1) today.

Paraguay (20-1) faces Japan (50-1) on Tuesday.

World Cup betting has been brisk in the United States, according to BetUS spokesman Reed Richards.

“The World Cup has exhibited some really heart-stopping action so far - particularly in the case of the U.S. squad,” Richards said. “It was apparent that this World Cup showing was a big one for the sport of soccer in the U.S. before the tournament started, but has been backed up by the amount of interest peoplehave shown in our site long before and even more so since the tournament has begun.”

Ready for more

Cameroon striker Samuel Eto’o pledges to continue playing for the west African nation despite its poor performance at the World Cup.

The 29-year-old striker scored twice in Cameroon’s three group defeats in South Africa. Early elimination was a massive disappointment for a player so prominent in promotional material for the first World Cup in Africa.

It also was a letdown by the country that put Africa on the soccer map with its stunning run to the quarterfinals in 1990, beating defending champion Argentina and Diego Maradona along the way.

Two decades later, it was the first team to leave the tournament and went out without a single point.

“There’s no point blaming one person or another,” Eto’osaid. “We have to focus on the future, and we don’t have much time to build it.”

The captain was one of the few who acquitted himself well in South Africa.

He gave Cameroon the lead against Denmark before the team succumbed to a 2-1 defeat, and equalized the match against the Netherlands with a penalty kick.

Still, there were missed opportunities.

Eto’o’s touch betrayed him on a couple of occasions against the Dutch, and he hung his head after moments when he was a step short of catching up to the ball.

Eto’o urged Cameroon’s federation to focus immediately on the future.

“Everyone has to join together on this project, and we shouldn’t have to do everything last minute,” Eto’o said. “It’s not good for our people, for our team or for our football.”

Eto’o said he would remain a part of the team, regardless of personnel decisions.

“I’m ready to continue with whatever coach we get,” he said.

Coming up short

South Africa failed to justify the money pumped into the team with its opening-round exit from the first World Cup to be held in Africa, former national coach Jomo Sono said Friday.

Sono said it’s a real lossto the tournament that South Africa exited the World Cup stage at the first hurdle.

South Africa was the first host not to get out of the group round.

“I strongly believe we could have done better with the preparations we put in, with the money we put in, with a highly qualified coach as well,” Sono said. “For any tournament ... the host country must not go out too early because it can affect the competition.”

Sono ruled himself out for a return as South Africa coach now that Brazilian Carlos Alberto Parreira has resigned, saying it’s time for someone younger to take the reins.

“I wouldn’t consider going back. I think I had my time ... it would be advisable to get somebody younger,” the 54-year-old Sono said.

Sono, who couldn’t lead South Africa out of the group stage at the 2002 World Cup, noted it’s been a disappointing tournament for Africa as a whole. Ghana is the only African team to land a berth in the round of 16.

The biggest African disappointments were Cameroon, which lost all three games, and Nigeria, which managed one point.

“If you look at Ghana, Ghana don’t have big-name players, they don’t have television players ... it’s a unit, they’re working as a unit, they’re working for each other, they’re fighting for each other, same as Algeria,” Sono said..

“Sometimes, we Africans tend to be more individual than being collective,” Sono said. “I think we should learn from this World Cup that collective is more important than relying on the individuals.”