Teammate backs embattled England goalkeeper

England defender Jamie Carragher said Robert Green should remain in goal in Friday's World Cup match against Algeria despite his blunder against the United States.

Green fumbled Clint Dempsey's 25-yard shot into the goal, giving the U.S. an equalizer Saturday in a 1-1 draw in Group C.

"He will have no problem and will come back," Carragher said yesterday.

England coach Fabio Capello said he will assess Green "psychologically" before deciding whether the 30-year-old West Ham keeper will start Friday in Cape Town.

"He seems fine, no problem," Carragher said. "Every player in the squad has made a big mistake in a big game. But the reason that you are playing for England and you get to this level is that you have a certain amount of mental strength.''

Footballs for soccer

Bad bounces plaguing the goalkeepers? Try an NFL ball. That's part of Mexico's solution for the unpredictable way the Jabulani ball has acted in the World Cup.

At yesterday's practice, Mexico goalkeeping coach Alberto Aguilar used NFL footballs in a drill. Numerous World Cup players, especially keepers, have complained about the official ball, saying its flight is difficult to judge. So during yesterday's workout, Guillermo Ochoa, Luis Michel and starter Oscar Perez practiced for a stretch with the oblong-shaped NFL ball.

Gripes about the Jabulani ball are not new, but none of the 32 World Cup teams has made an official complaint to FIFA.

Security issues

Police took over responsibility for security at World Cup stadiums in Cape Town and Durban after a wage dispute escalated between stewards and a security contractor. World Cup organizers said they called in police after stadium staff left their posts in a wage dispute with Stallion Security Consortium.

In Durban, police used force late Sunday to break up a protest by stadium workers who said they had been underpaid.

Officials in cities hosting matches today said they expected no security problems.