(AP Photo)

*U.S. Soccer Monday morning downplayed the lingering effects of the injury U.S. goalkeeper Tim Howard suffered against England:

PRETORIA, South Africa (June 14, 2010) — After a physical examination this morning, the medical staff has determined there is no need to conduct additional testing on Tim Howard. He continues to make substantial improvement and is expected to be available for the match (Friday) against Slovenia.

*Meanwhile, a cool roundup of the way U.S. newspapers have played World Cup stories so far is here. Yes, the Daily Breeze and sister newspapers the Daily News and Long Beach Press-Telegram are all mentioned (and pictured); the Breeze I’m pleased to say had the tournament on the front page for three consecutive days.

*Still, there are shortcomings to World Cup fever here as fellow blogger Jennifer Doyle points out (scroll down). I suspect LA Live-owner Anschutz Entertainment Group doesn’t show screenings free there because the ESPN Sports Zone bar and Conga Room there are both sponsoring viewing parties for several games.

To be fair the AEG-owned Galaxy saw the opportunity to use the World Cup to reach a potentially new audience this weekend at a public viewing party for the U.S.-England game in Hermosa Beach. World Cup soccer at the beach, does it get any more SoCal than that?

Click at top right, BTW, for a list of places to see the World Cup in Los Angeles.

*World Cup thought for the day: if the Africans are so proud hosting the World Cup on the continent, why are there more empty seats at the Japan-Cameroon game I’m watching as I write this than we’ve seen for any game so far?

*Lastly, this isn’t World Cup related per se, but the ongoing rumors surrounding Ronaldinho coming to the Galaxy prompted this item in the Daily Breeze’s Ask Us column today.