Mexico: About that quake ...

Mexico’s National Seismological Service says there was seismic activity around the country’s capital Sunday, but it wasn’t linked to soccer fans celebrating their country’s game-winning goal against Germany at the World Cup.

The service says in a report that there were two small earthquakes at 10:24 a.m. and 12:01 p.m. The goal came around 11:35 a.m. local time.

A geological institute reported Sunday that seismic detectors had registered a false earthquake that may have been generated by “massive jumps” by fans.

Mexico’s Seismological Service explained Monday that the city’s normal bustle of traffic and other movement causes vibrations that are detected by sensitive instruments.

It says those vibrations notably quieted during the match as people gathered in front of TVs to watch, and rose after the goal.

Only one black coach: The only black coach at this year’s World Cup says there is a need for more in soccer.

“In European countries, in major clubs, you see lots of African players. Now we need African coaches for our continent to go ahead,” Senegal’s Aliou Cisse said through a translator on Monday, a day ahead of his nation’s World Cup opener against Poland.

Of the five African nations at this year’s World Cup, three have foreign coaches who are white: Nigeria’s Gernot Rohr of Germany, Morocco’s Herve Renard of France and Egypt’s Hector Cuper of Argentina. Tunisia is coached by Nabil Maaloul, a white former midfielder for that nation’s team.

Cisse was captain of Senegal when it reached the 2002 quarterfinals in the nation’s only previous World Cup appearance. That tied the best World Cup performance by an African country, matching Cameroon’s appearance in the quarterfinals in 1990 and Ghana’s in 2010.

Tough day for Japan: Word of a deadly earthquake in Japan and an early-morning false alarm at a team hotel have given the country’s World Cup squad some unsettling moments.

The 6.1 magnitude earthquake struck near Osaka, Japan’s second-largest city, and killed at least four people and injured hundreds.

Japan coach Akira Nishino, who built his professional reputation coaching Gamba Osaka, said he and a number of his players have acquaintances or loved ones affected by Monday’s quake, making for an unwelcome distraction on the eve of the team’s Group H opener against Colombia in Saransk.

“The psychological impact is something I’m slightly worried about at this point,” Nishino said before Monday afternoon’s training session. “As staff members, we are consulting with them and I’d like them to be settled down as soon as possible.”

Nishino said he and players found out about the earthquake shortly after it happened because the hotel had a false alarm — which blared for about 15 minutes — around the same time the earthquake struck.

Slur investigated: FIFA has opened disciplinary proceedings against Mexico after its fans used an anti-gay slur during the team’s 1-0 win over Germany.

Some Mexican supporters chanted the slur when Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer prepared to take a goal kick in the 24th minute of Sunday’s game at Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium.

Fans in Mexico use the chant to insult opposing goalkeepers as they take a goal kick. Widely considered a slur, some argue there is no discriminatory intent.