What a difference a week makes. Following his disastrous trip to Moscow, John Terry managed to stop piping his eye long enough to set England on their way to victory against the USA.

"Tearific" said the Sun, "Captain Courageous" trumpeted the Express - although most of the papers agreed they'd rather have been watching the ink on Jose Mourinho's Inter Milan contract dry.

Several suggested the England players' minds were already on the beach (Trinidad and Tobago is nice this time of year apparently) but over in Fabio Capello's old stomping ground, the Italians were firmly focused on the job in hand.

The Azzurri were being gently put through their paces ahead of Friday's glamour friendly with Belgium when, from out of nowhere, two well-endowed women wearing little more than a smile skipped across the training pitch. (See video link below.)

Security took an incredibly long time to intervene (funny that), giving the players plenty of opportunity to take in the sights before the girls were finally ushered away, leaving the reigning world champions with smiles as wide as the proverbial fat lady.

Back in Blighty and Fabio took on the might of Her Majesty's press by conducting his press conference ahead of the USA game in English.

By all accounts he did pretty well, apart from the reference to a mysterious John Lampard, who surely would not have been any less anonymous than his more famous relative on Wednesday.

Up in Scotland, St Mirren midfielder Stephen O'Donnell had mixed feelings when cousin and team-mate David Clarkson earned a call- up to the Scotland squad for the game against the Czech Republic.

Clarkson was meant to be best man at O'Donnell's wedding on Saturday but instead of reading a speech he'll be hoping his feet do the talking in Prague.

O'Donnell said: "I'll only let David off for causing this hassle if he scores a goal. He's left me in the lurch. My fiancee has been in tears for days because he's let us down at such short notice....but I'm buzzing for him."

One person who will be getting to the church on time is BBC pundit Gavin Peacock, who is swapping his comfy sofa for a hassock as he heads to Canada to beome a man of the cloth.

The former QPR and Chelsea midfielder is studying a course in divinity after Euro 2008, with the intention of becoming a vicar. Maybe he can ask the big man upstairs how to accommodate Lampard and Gerrard in the same team.

And finally, God bless the Currant Bun for giving us the story of the week.

Liverpool builders Brian and Gary Greer revealed they included an added extra while putting the finishing touches to a swimming pool for Man Utd stalwart Gary 'He hates Scousers' Neville.

The brothers say they stuffed a Liverpool scarf, programme and fanzine into a plastic tube and buried it at the bottom.

Brian said: "We went to Neville-Neville Land and while we were there we created a Scouse time capsule under the pool and tiled over the top of it. When the house is dug up in the future, archaeologists will see what a passion he had for the Reds."

Neville was unavailable for comment but you can be pretty sure he'll go off the deep end when he finds out.

OTHER STUFF
Italy streakers www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIQp...
Beckham 70-yarder www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgjW...
Beckham half-way line goal for Man Utd www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwiT...