Never before has England traveled to a World Cup better prepared — for the post-tournament inquest.

The search for answers to England's long-standing struggles began while the team coached by Roy Hodgson was still qualifying for its fifth straight World Cup.

Diego Forlan recorded a television commercial recently wearing a T-shirt that read: "We're not the favorites, nor will we be a surprise. We are the team that no one wants to draw."

That sums up Uruguay, the small South American country that finished fourth at the 2010 World Cup.

When hiring Alberto Zaccheroni, the Japan Football Association was convinced the Italian coach's calm demeanor and European know-how was the perfect combination to take the national team to the next level at the World Cup.

Under coach Takeshi Okada, Japan advanced beyond most expectations in 2010 with wins over Cameroon and Denmark before losing on penalties to Paraguay in the knockout stage. Japan also reached the second stage when it co-hosted the World Cup in 2002.

Oscar Pistorius testified at his murder trial on Wednesday that girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp died in his arms after he shot her in his home last year.

The double-amputee runner was testifying for a third day, returning to the witness stand after weeping and wailing a day earlier while describing the moments he said he realized he had fatally shot his girlfriend by mistake. He said he thought an intruder was in the house.

Growing up, Demba Ba dreamed about scoring big goals for Paris Saint-Germain. With the team he supported as a child on the verge of reaching the Champions League semifinals for the first time in 19 years, Ba instead scored the goal that knocked them out.

Now it is Chelsea joining European football's elite in the last four for the seventh time in 11 years.

Brazil striker Fred warns there could be "another tragedy" in Brazilian football if fan groups follow through with their threats against his club this week.

In a lengthy letter posted on his Facebook and Twitter accounts, Fred said he is concerned about what could happen to him and his teammates if Fluminense doesn't advance to the second round of the Brazilian Cup on Thursday.

Real Madrid failed to score without the injured Cristiano Ronaldo and only just hung on to advance to its fourth straight Champions League semifinal after losing 2-0 at Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday.

With its star striker on the bench because of a left-knee injury, Madrid could afford to miss an early penalty and still go through 3-2 on aggregate.

Stephanie Rice, who retired Wednesday at the age of 25, managed some golden Olympic moments in an eight-year swimming career cut short by continuing shoulder problems.

Along the way, there was also some controversy.

Lazio forward Miroslav Klose has been ruled out for a month with a left thigh muscle tear, damaging his chances of selection for Germany's World Cup squad.

Lazio announced the injury details Tuesday following exams.

Champions League title holder Bayern Munich has not won a match since lifting the Bundesliga title with seven games to spare. That run includes the 1-1 draw at Manchester United in the first quarterfinal leg and Bayern's first Bundesliga defeat this season, a 1-0 loss at Augsburg.

Bayern is seeking its third consecutive semifinal appearance, while United has not been in the last four since 2011.