Ecuador go forward as Rooney comes back

Ecuador go forward as Rooney comes back
THE DAY REPLAYED: He’s a player once more and no longer the sporting world’s most famous patient. And the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany™ is all the better for his presence. Wayne Rooney’s first touches as a FIFA World Cup footballer helped shake England out of a fitful performance and the two goals that followed his arrival as a second-half substitute in Nuremberg broke the brave hearts of Trinidad and Tobago to install Sven-Goran Eriksson's team in the Round of 16.

England already know two of the other 15 teams who will progress with them with ambitions sharpened. The qualification of the host nation and Ecuador from Group A was confirmed by the South Americans' 3-0 defeat of Costa Rica. Back in Quito they will be celebrating loudly the sight of their team stepping into the last 16 for the first time but for Poland and Costa Rica it will be a case of catching the earliest plane home.

Moment of the Day

Wayne Rooney comes on and sparks England into life
How England needed some inspiration. They were toiling to knock over Trinidad and Tobago, the surprise packet of the tournament so far, a Caribbean ensemble who will fight to the bitter end while displaying the assurance and poise of seasoned FIFA World Cup campaigners rather than the debutants they are. Indeed there were times when T&T were not so much hanging on as looking in danger of creating one of the biggest shocks of all time.
Enter young Rooney, at 20 already an instantly recognisable figure on the world stage and on whose broad shoulders rest an entire nation's hopes of ending 40 years of hurt. He will obviously need more involvement than these 32 minutes to rediscover his full fitness after a broken metatarsal but crucially for England’s chances, there seemed no inhibition in his movement. His touch, moreover, was as instant and clean as always.
No one should underestimate, though, the contribution of fellow substitute Aaron Lennon whose pace exposed the tiring limbs of those doughty West Indian defenders. They had reached one lofty peak with the 0-0 draw achieved with ten men on their FIFA World Cup debut against Sweden and now they looked to go one step higher.
Lennon constantly had the beating of his man and widened England’s options significantly. Leo Beenhakker’s men tried to take advantage on the counter as England’s desperation grew. But there was more purpose to their play now and with seven minutes remaining David Beckham hit a diagonal cross to tempt Peter Crouch and a firm header gave them the lead.
Goal of the Day br Steven Gerrard – never a scorer of routine goals

In added time Steven Gerrard cut back onto his left foot and let fly. The ball thundered past Shaka Hislop, just as did another bullet from that same player in the FA Cup final last month, and England were home and dry. If they avoid defeat in Cologne against Sweden in five days' time England will finish as Group B winners.

Player of the Day br Agustin Delgado – goals and the Man of the Match award at the double

Ecuador impressed with their speedy fluency in beating Poland 2-0 on Day One and today they went one better, putting three goals without reply past a Costa Rica side who have conceded seven in their two games. Once again it was the lethal combination of Carlos Tenorio and Agustin Delgado that did the trick. Both men scoring for the second game running, with the first goal arriving from the head of Tenorio. Then Delgado exploded a shot off his right boot between goalkeeper and his near post to seal his Man of the Match award for the second time. Ivan Kaviedes added a third for the happy Ecuadorians who have gone further than four years ago when they were FIFA World Cup newcomers.
Sweden had some pride to restore after their failure to break T&T's resistance. This time they had to negotiate another awkward customer in a Paraguay team desperate for points themselves having lost to a soft own goal against England. There were chances for both teams, principally for Sweden who had the backing of a noisy and colourful following in the magnificent FIFA World Cup Stadium Berlin.
It didn’t look as if it was going to come and then with two minutes remaining Marcus Allback knocked the ball across and Freddie Ljungberg stayed calm to steer his header into the far corner. It will be an interesting twist if his fellow countrymen now deny Eriksson the chance to finish as winners of the section but that's of no interest to Paraguay who exit having suffered two 1-0 defeats.