fun in FIFA world cup 2006

C. Ronaldo’s English Nightmare

2006-07-31T07:35:00.000-07:00

Cristiano Ronaldo has had it rough with English fans since the end of the World Cup. The portuguese sports daily Record reports that Ronaldo continues to receive numerous death threats by phone and mail and that his home in Manchester has been vandalized on several occasions. Not even Ronaldo’s twelve year old niece escaped the inquisition as she was assaulted by English classmates when they discovered her relation to the portuguese international. In an effort to protect his family, Ronaldo has insisted that they remain in Portugal when he returns to England.

This is a sad episode in English football. In my opinion, the situation has been made worse by Manchester United’s failure to defend their star player. It’s clear that, up to now, they have not done enough. It’s fine to insist that Ronaldo is an integral part of the team and not for sale, but what’s really needed is for the club to speak for him in the English media. They should defend his cause not only because he represents an enourmous financial opportunity but also because this entire episode is sick and terribly unfair. He’s a 21 year old kid people. Just imagine if someone did this to your nephew or son?

Ronaldo’s worst critics think he’s getting what he deserves, but the pitiful response from his supporters is what I find most troubling. In a recent interview, Jose Mourinho urged him take it on the chin and move on, suggesting that this type of behaviour was part of the English game. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, I guess. In English football diving is the great sin, while outright hooliganism and violence as part of a very public terror campaign against an athlete is normal.

Zidane and Materazzi given fine and ban

2006-07-22T04:29:00.000-07:00

Former France captain Zinedine Zidane and Italy defender Marco Materazzi were both fined and banned by FIFA on Thursday after the head-butting incident that marred the World Cup final.
Zidane, who has retired as a player, was fined 7,500 Swiss francs (3,260 pounds) and handed a three-match ban by FIFA's five-man disciplinary committee following his red card for head-butting Materazzi in Berlin on July 9.
As he is no longer a player, he offered to undertake three days of community service on FIFA's behalf as part of their humanitarian activities, which the committee accepted.

The Italian defender, who admitted insulting Zidane, provoking the Frenchman's head-butt, was handed a two-match ban and fined 5,000 Swiss francs. He attended a hearing last Friday, but his sentence has been fiercely criticised in Italy.
The bans apply to international competitive matches, even though it is a symbolic ban for Zidane who has confirmed he has no intention of reversing his decision to retire.
Materazzi will miss Italy's opening two Euro 2008 qualifiers against Lithuania on September 2 and, ironically, France on September 6.

'NOT RACIST'
"In their statements, both players stressed that Materazzi's comments had been defamatory but not of a racist nature," a FIFA statement said.
"During the course of their hearings both players also apologised to FIFA for their inappropriate behaviour and expressed their regret at the incident."
FIFA spokesman Andreas Herren told around 50 reporters at FIFA's headquarters: "Both players have a congruent separate account of what was said. The words will remain private, but they were of an insulting nature, not a racist nature."
Paolo Maldini, captain of AC Milan and former captain of Italy's national team said FIFA's ruling was scandalous.
"It's scandalous to suspend a player for having said something. It's the first time it's been done and it's only because Materazzi is Italian and because they wanted to justify the action of a great champion (Zidane) but who was in the wrong."

Maurizio Lupi, a deputy of Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia party, also condemned the ruling.
"It's a disgraceful sentence that shows yet again how Italy's football federation carries no weight at FIFA."
French Football Federation president Jean-Pierre Escalettes, on the other hand, said he was satisfied with the verdict.
"It is intelligent, measured and reasonable. It shows knowledge of the world of football...The provoker of the incident has been punished," he told a news conference.
"It's a penalty that hits the one who, in my opinion was responsible. Zidane wasn't the guilty one. You have to keep control but the responsible one is the one who provokes, the one who decides to destabilise a player by means other than sporting means."

SENT OFF
Zidane head-butted Materazzi in the chest in the 110th minute of the final and was sent off by Argentine referee Horacio Elizondo.
There was considerable debate immediately after the incident whether the referee had seen it or not, or whether Elizondo only acted after the fourth official had seen the incident on a TV replay which is against FIFA's regulations.
Several minutes elapsed before Elizondo dealt with the matter and he did so only after Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon drew the assistant referee's attention to what had happened.
FIFA said the incident had been "directly observed" by the fourth official Luis Medina Cantalejo (Spain) from his position at the side of the pitch without the use of a monitor.
In their statement FIFA said that Cantalejo informed the referee and his assistants through the communications system.

Coach's Fate

2006-07-19T01:51:00.000-07:00

Lippi quits as Italy coach
Italy's FIFA World Cup™-winning coach Marcello Lippi has resigned, a press officer for the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) said on Wednesday.
The 58-year-old Lippi led the Azzurri to their first FIFA World Cup title since 1982 on Sunday when they beat France on penalties in the final in Berlin.
Lippi took over from Giovanni Trapattoni in July 2004 after Italy's disappointing exit in the group stages of UEFA EURO 2004. In two years under Lippi's guidance, Italy lost only twice - a 2-0 defeat on his debut against Iceland and a 1-0 loss to Slovenia, both in 2004.

Domenech to remain France coach
Raymond Domenech will stay on as coach after leading France to the 2006 FIFA World Cup™ final, the French Football Federation (FFF) said on Tuesday.
Domenech, who took over from Jacques Santini after UEFA EURO 2004, was offered an extension to his two-year contract and he accepted it, the FFF said on their website.
"Taking into account the excellent performance of France during the World Cup, the federal committee unanimously offered Raymond Domenech the chance to carry on his mission as national coach," a statement said.
The contract details of the extension will be discussed between federation chairman Jean-Pierre Escalettes and Domenech before the next meeting of the FFF's board.
France lost the FIFA World Cup final on penalties to Italy. They play a friendly against Bosnia-Herzegovina in Sarajevo on 16 August.
They will start their qualifying campaign for the UEFA EURO 2008 championship with a game in Georgia on 2 September before they host the Italians at the Stade de France four days later.
Domenech, 54, wore the colours of Olympique Lyon, Strasbourg, Paris St Germain, Bordeaux and Mulhouse as a player between 1970 and 1988.
He helped Strasbourg to the league title in 1979 and Bordeaux in 1984, and won the French Cup with Lyon in 1973.
Considered a tough defender, he earned eight caps for France.
Domenech began coaching the France U21 squad in 1993 and led the team to the final of the UEFA EURO 2002 championship in Switzerland.
He took over from Santini after France's failure at the UEFA EURO 2004 championship in Portugal and helped the 1998 world champions finish top of their group and qualify directly for the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

Klinsmann steps down as Germany coach

Germany coach Jurgen Klinsmann, who led his young team to a surprise third-place finish at the FIFA World Cup™, has decided not to extend his contract, which expired at the end of the tournament.
A German soccer federation (DFB) official confirmed local media reports that Klinsmann would step aside and that a news conference was planned for later on Wednesday. "The reports are not incorrect," the official told Reuters.
Klinsmann, who lives in southern California, had been urged to stay on after Germany beat Portugal in the third place match on Saturday, but he said he needed to consult with his family before making a decision.
All 23 players in Germany's squad, 93 per cent of the public, according to opinion polls, and even some of his harshest critics had said they wanted him to continue.
Earlier, newspapers Bild and Sueddeutsche Zeitung and German sports news agency SID reported that the former Germany striker, who won the FIFA World Cup as a player in 1990, had decided to step down.
A news conference will take place in Frankfurt at 0930 GMT, with media reports saying assistant coach Joachim Low will be offered the job.
Germany have a friendly against Sweden on 16 August before their 2008 UEFA European Championship qualifying campaign starts in September. DFB co-president Theo Zwanziger has said a decision must be made before the match with the Swedes.
Klinsmann has dismissed reports he received a lucrative offer to coach the United States and has said he is not interested in managing another national team such as England or Italy.

The award winners of Germany 2006

2006-07-17T23:02:00.000-07:00

At the FIFA World Cup™, the greatest, most-coveted prize is, was and always shall be the Trophy itself. However, every edition of the game’s global showpiece has its heroes in the shape of players and teams whose contributions cry out for some sort of recognition.
After all, some of the most indelible images in the tournament’s history have been provided by the likes of Eusebio, Johan Cruyff and 'Toto' Schillaci, none of whom were ever able to lay their hands on a winner’s medal, and many of the teams who thrilled us over the years won little other than the football public's affection.

This was also true at Germany 2006. The array of awards reflected that it was players such as Lukas Podolski and Zinedine Zidane who captured the imagination and that, while Spain and Brazil left without the Trophy, they returned home with plenty of new friends.

adidas Golden Ball : Zinedine ZIDANE (FRA)

Arguably the greatest trophy available to an individual footballer went to one of the game’s most spectacular players of the past decade. Fabio Cannavaro and Andrea Pirlo, Silver and Bronze Ball winners respectively, certainly ran him close, but despite that Final red card, Zidane undoubtedly provided some of Germany 2006’s most memorable moments, and the accredited media at the FIFA World Cup Final recognised this in their voting.

adidas Golden Shoe : Miroslav KLOSE (GER)

His winning tally might have been the lowest since Chile 1962, but Klose undoubtedly deserved this award having finished two clear of Hernan Crespo, Ronaldo and Thierry Henry with a tally of five goals that saw him move into third place in the list of top German goalscorers at FIFA World Cup finals.

The Most Entertaining Team presented by Yahoo! : PORTUGAL

The winners of this particular award were decided upon by FIFAworldcup.com's users, who declared that Luiz Felipe Scolari's Portugal had set their pulses racing more than any other team.

Gillette Best Young Player : Lukas PODOLSKI (GER)

Emerging at the head of a 40-strong field of candidates, Lukas Podolski was named the inaugural Gillette Best Young Player by FIFA’s TSG after scoring three goals and contributing boundless energy to Germany’s enthralling FIFA World Cup campaign. “This is a big motivation for myself to keep on improving in my career and to play a even better World Cup in four years' time,” said the 21-year-old after collecting his award.

Lev Yashin Award : Gianluigi BUFFON (ITA)

No surprises here. Gianluigi Buffon produced as close to a perfect tournament as can be humanly possible, conceding just twice during Italy’s triumphant campaign, once from a Christian Zaccardo own goal and then from Zidane’s audacious penalty in the Final. The FIFA TSG members were responsible for this decision, and so faultless was Buffon throughout the tournament that it cannot have taken them long to arrive at it.

FIFA Fair Play award :BRAZIL & SPAIN

They might have seen their hopes of lifting the Trophy dashed at a premature stage, but Brazil and Spain did not return home empty-handed, with each of their players picking up medals for their record of sportsmanship and good conduct during Germany 2006. This particular award is decided using a points system established by the FIFA Committee for Ethics and Fair Play, and the FIFA Technical Study Group (TSG) named Carlos Alberto Parreira and Luis Aragones's sides as joint-winners after they picked up a shared total of 886 from the 1,000 available.

Italy hold their nerve to claim fourth crown

2006-07-16T23:28:00.000-07:00

Fabio Cannavaro, a player who has belied his diminutive stature with some giant performances this past month, fittingly closed the 2006 FIFA World Cup™ by holding the biggest prize in football aloft. Fireworks proclaiming a fourth FIFA World Cup for Italy exploded into the black skies above the Olympiastadion as the Azzurri party began, leaving France – and a disconsolate Zinedine Zidane – to their own thoughts.
What an occasion the 18th Final produced with excitement at the start and incredible drama at the end as Zidane, on his farewell to the game he has dignified for so long with his graceful skill, was shown the red card. On it went to a penalty showdown and five unerring Italian spot-kicks delivered them the title of world champions, with David Trezeguet the luckless player to miss. With Fabio Grosso converting, his country edged one Trophy behind Brazil in the pantheon of FIFA World Cup winners.

Zidane will remember this night for as long as he lives. France had promised to repeat their success of 1998 for their retiring captain and only he will know what possessed him when he thrust his forehead into the chest of Marco Materazzi. Zidane had to go, accompanied down the tunnel by the glare of thousands and thousands of flash bulbs and the tears of the legions of French supporters.
“Allez les Blues” they had chorused again and again. The Blues came through all right but it was the blue of Italy that held sway. France were wearing white but what colour they added to the occasion with their stirring comeback after Marcello Lippi’s side had threatened to put a stranglehold on the game.

Moment of the Day:

Mauro Camoranesi consoles David Trezeguet

There was irony in the failure of Trezeguet whose penalty – France's second - crashed against the crossbar and refused to cross the line. It was Trezeguet who struck the Golden Goal when the sides met in the final of UEFA EURO 2000 and left a scar that Italy had waited six long years to heal.

Trezeguet's pain now mirrored that of the famed Italians, Franco Baresi and Roberto Baggio, who had missed in 1994 and handed the FIFA World Cup to Brazil in the first, and hitherto only, penalty shoot-out in the Final. At the end his Juventus team-mate Mauro Camoranesi went to him and hugged him in sympathy.
What a start we had with Thierry Henry’s first touch resulting in a heavy collision with Cannavaro. As he lay prostrate France wondered if their hopes were about to be stilled as well. The stretcher was called but their three-goal marksman was able to continue.
Henry’s next involvement was to head on Fabien Barthez’s long kick, prompting Florent Malouda to accelerate into the heart of the Italian rearguard where Materazzi brought him down. Zidane’s seventh-minute penalty was nonchalant, a featherweight chip coming down off the underside bar and only just over the line.
At a stroke Zidane joined the list of players to have scored in more than one FIFA World Cup Final - a list that also includes Pele, Vava and Paul Breitner.

Player of the Day:

Andrea Pirlo - such cultured skills emanating from midfield

It caused barely a ripple in Italy’s assured stride. Their passes were sticking, their tackles hitting home. Andrea Pirlo and Gennaro Gattuso had established command of midfield while down the right Gianluca Zambrotta and Camoranesi combined impressively.
It was Camoranesi’s persistence and tight control near the touchline that forced the corner that yielded the 19th-minute equaliser. Pirlo’s delivery was inch-perfect and Materazzi powered his header home.
Just at that moment the sun had reappeared from behind a cloud to throw light on Italy’s spirited recovery and stoke up the temperatures inside the arena. Henry began to emerge as a key performer, seemingly impossible to shrug off the ball, and that also brought the best out of the dynamic newcomer Frank Ribery.
France came close on several occasions and in extra time Zidane would have scored with a header had Buffon not denied him. The night was soon to take an even more devastating turn for Zizou, a moment of madness ensuring that his retirement began at least nine minutes earlier than it should have done.

Goal of the Day:

Fabio Grosso - such coolness under pressure
Trezeguet’s miss meant that as Grosso stepped up for the long walk from the half-way line the world was in his hands. A no-nonsense left-foot strike into the right-hand corner of the net underlined the contribution the Palermo defender has made to the Italian cause this past month. After a gap of 24 years they were world champions once more.

Marcello LIPPI (ITA):

The further we progressed in this tournament, the more we realised we could win it. Our confidence grew from match to match, especially when we beat Germany in a stadium that couldn't have been more perfect for them.
It was a special game, starting with that penalty, then an equaliser and a general drop in tension. We always had hope, even though we were up against great players. We stayed cool, and I would also like to thank the Italian supporters for their support. I'm a fan of (Zinedine) Zidane, but the fourth official saw what happened. It's bizarre to end your career like that, if it is the end of his career.
I knew if we scored our first penalty, we could score them all. Life hands you gifts sometimes and that's how I think of (Fabio) Cannavaro, the best defender in the world, and (Gianluigi) Buffon, who caused (David) Trezeguet to miss his spot-kick. But I was sure we were going to win because the players were very motivated by the idea of taking penalties.
(Francesco) Totti was feeling the effects of playing 120 minutes against Germany and perhaps he didn't recover in time. Now we'll enjoy this fantastic moment and later on we'll find out what's going to happen in the Italian championship. How do I feel right now? I'm a world champion and I've never experienced that before.

Raymond DOMENECH (FRA):

It's a huge disappointment. We prepared ourselves to be at our best, the team got stronger and that was all part of the plan. You could see that in how we were a notch above our opponents in extra time. The players now have to remember what they've achieved.
Zidane's red card was one of the turning-points of the match, as was Vieira coming off (with an injury). We found ourselves with ten men at a time when we were controlling the game. As for the incident itself, the fourth official saw what happened and informed the referee. The assistant referee saw nothing. I don't know what (Marco) Materazzi said, but he's the Man of the Match, not (Andrea) Pirlo. It's Materazzi who equalised and provoked Zidane's sending-off. It's sad, but I think the Italian player made a meal out of what happened.
Zidane would normally take one of the first penalties in a shoot-out but his not being there didn't change much. I can't fault the players, they did their best. Was it enough? No. All I can think about now is the disappointment. My own future is not important at the moment. I'm sad for Zidane because he was always there for us during this competition. I'd have preferred substituting him five minutes before the end so he could have received a different ovation from the crowd to the one he got.

Last gasp Italy through to final

2006-07-04T23:25:00.000-07:00

Last gasp Italy through to final of Worldcup
Two goals in the closing minutes of injury time sent Italy through to the World Cup final, after a thrilling encounter with Germany in Dortmund.
The win was fully deserved as Marcello Lippi's team took the game to the hosts from the off, and only an inspired performance from Jens Lehmann kept Germany in the game.
The dream is over for Jurgen Klinsmann's Germany team, but they can be proud of their efforts over the course of the last four weeks. Even in this enthralling semi-final encounter they gave their all and restored a lot of credibility to their battered reputation.
For Italy, a team whose campaign looked at one point like it might be overshadowed by the corruption scandal sweeping through their national game, this match was a reminder of certain core Italian values. Their defensive security in this tournament has been peerless, but in Dortmund they allied this to a ferocious work rate and not a little flair - a combination that ultimately proved too much for Germany.
Lippi's side will now face the winners of the Portugal-France encounter in Sunday's final, and on the evidence of a wonderfully vibrant display against the hosts, they will approach that match with great confidence.
Germany coach Jurgen Klinsmann sprung a surprise before kick-off by dropping Bastian Schweinsteiger and bringing in Sebastian Kehl. Tim Borowski came in for Torsten Frings who was suspended.
Italy welcomed Marco Materazzi for Andrea Barzagli after the Inter man's one-match suspension following a red card against Australia.
The best opportunity in the early stages fell to Perrotta who was put through on goal by delightful pass from Totti. However, the midfielder's first touch betrayed him allowing German keeper Lehmann to snuffle out the chance.
Totti was involved again shortly afterwards when he received a neatly-worked free-kick just inside the area, but his finishing let him down and his scuffed shot was blocked. Italy were on top and Luca Toni was the next to be denied after good work from Grosso.

At the other end Schneider should have done better when he was set up by Klose but with only Buffon to beat the winger blazed over. It was the best opportunity of the half and one of the few occasions that Germany had managed to stretch the watertight Italian defence.

It turning out to be an entertaining semi-final, and the referee was doing his best to let the game flow, frequently waving play on when players threw themselves to the ground. His approach did not endear him to the huge majority of the crowd, who felt that Italy were chief beneficiaries of his liberal style.

Shortly after the interval, Buffon showed why he is regarded by many as the best goalkeeper in the world, when he dived bravely at the feet of Klose to deny the striker at point blank range. Just after the hour mark, the Juventus stopper had to be alert to block Podolski's effort and when the ball fell to Friedrich the full-back could only blast his effort over the bar.

As the game progressed and tiredness became a factor, the chances were hard to come by. There was no shortage of effort and although there were no goals in normal time it was not for a lack of adventure on the part of both teams.

Gilardino almost broke the deadlock in the first minute of extra-time when he broke down the right, cut inside Ballack, but his left foot shot hit the post and rolled agonisingly across the line. Moments later Zambrotta struck a firm shot against the bar as Italy looked to ensure that the game was settled without recourse to the lottery of penalties.

At the end of the first period of extra-time Podolski had a wonderful chance to put Germany ahead when eluded his marker to meet Odonkor's cross, but his header flashed wide. In a frantic finale, Lehman was again Germany's saviour when he saved from del Piero from close range.

The ball was swept to the other end where Podolski brought an acrobatic save from Buffon. In the closing minutes del Piero's shot flashed past the post from the edge of the area, as Italy pressed for a winner. It was end-to-end stuff and before long the ball was swept forward to Odonkor but he sliced his effort wide.

Pirlo was then denied by a fine save from Lehman and from the resulting corner the Milan midfielder threaded a clever pass through to Grosso who produced a wonderful curling effort to finally beat the valiant Leman. The winner in stoppage time was the icing on the cake. With Germany pushing forward for an equaliser, Italy broke through Gilardino who fed del Piero on the overlap and the Juventus striker produced the sweetest of finishes to send Italy through to the final.

Coaches' Quotes:

Jurgen KLINSMANN (GER)

We’re obviously very, very disappointed, no question about it, and that is to be expected when there is so much emotion involved and when it turns out that a dream has died. It really hurts when the other side delivers a knockout punch right before the final whistle – that takes some coming to terms with. Even we coaches need a moment to get over it. But I told the team straight after the match that they can be proud of themselves, that they've done so much and that they always pushed themselves to their limits. We showed that we can compete with the best teams in the world. We almost managed to score, and both teams had their chances, but we came up against an opponent who realised just before the end how to make the most of their opportunities and put the match out of our reach.
Congratulations to Italy and to Marcello Lippi. All the best to them for the Final. What we now want to do is give a fantastic performance for our fans in the match for third place and play some good football. In any case, the tournament has already been a real success for us and we can feel very proud of ourselves. There are players in the squad who have incredible potential and who are getting noticed on an international level. In a short space of time, they have made incredible progress. We can look to the future with a lot of optimism, and many of our squad have made a name for themselves on the international scene during the tournament.

Marcello LIPPI (ITA)

It would have been unfair if we hadn't won or if it had gone to penalties. Our game was on a higher level to Germany's tonight – we hit the post and the bar, and we had the better of the play. The hosts can have no complaints. We are incredibly happy to have played here in Germany and won despite the fact that there were 60,000 supporters against us. That shows the true character of my team. They played with a lot of confidence and kept possession very well. I’m extremely satisfied and am sure that all Italian fans will be just as pleased today.
It was clear that the end of the extra time would be decisive, which is why I brought on another attacker. As the game wore on, our quality began to shine through more and more, but nevertheless, we would still have been ready for penalties. We had a lot more of the possession overall and that gave us a certain confidence, even if we didn't manage to create that many chances. I’m pleased that Alessandro Del Piero was one of the players who helped to turn the match in our favour. That's not the end of it, though. Now we have to see who we will play in the Final, but we'll take whoever comes – we don't have any preferences.

Players' Quotes:

Andrea PIRLO (ITA), Man of the Match:

It was a fantastic game, absolutely overflowing with emotions. It was a childhood dream for me to play in a semi-final. I think that we earned our win today. We created a lot of chances, and we also definitely had the luck we needed.

Miroslav KLOSE (GER)

We are obviously incredibly disappointed. It was an even contest and both teams had their chances. Well done to the Italians. They were clever on the break and scored two lovely goals. We can still be proud of what we have achieved.

Gianluigi BUFFON (ITA)

We wanted to reach the Final and we’ve done it. (Marcello) Lippi made sure we were really up for it. I thank my team-mates for having scored two wonderful goals. I started to think about penalties from the beginning of the second half. All our wins are down to team spirit. They say Italy reach the Final every 12 years, and we’ve done it this time as well. Now we hope to go on and win.

Lukas PODOLSKI (GER)

We were just two minutes away from penalties. We created the better chances over the course of the match, and in the second half, we had three absolutely clear-cut chances. I'm not making any accusations or complaints, though. That's just the way football is.

Alessandro DEL PIERO (ITA)

You could all see how happy I was when I scored. We were desperate to win. The quality of this team lies in the strength of the squad. I’m not thinking about Sunday yet, I’m going to enjoy this moment and reflect on what we’ve done up to now. The job isn’t finished yet though.

Philippe LAHM (GER)

I don't think that we played worse than Italy today. It's a bitter pill for us to swallow. We concentrated on one thing and kept our focus right until the end, except for that one attack of theirs. We definitely want to win the Third Place match though.

Gianluca ZAMBROTTA (ITA)

We’re happy, it’s what we wanted and it’s a great feeling knowing we’re in the Final. They put us under pressure but we also created lots of chances. At the end of the day, we’re a great team and deserved to win.

Luca TONI (ITA)

We played a great game even though they did put us under lots of pressure. Our team spirit brought us victory. To win in front of such a partisan crowd is something to tell your grandchildren about. We’ll concentrate on the Final now. We want to win it!

Bernd SCHNEIDER (GER)

We ended up being punished right at the death. It's really disappointing, because we only made that one mistake. I've no doubt that it'll be tough to pick ourselves up again now, but it was great, the way the crowd still cheered us on when we went one down. I don't know, it's difficult to say whether we can really be proud of ourselves.

Per MERTESACKER (GER)

We could have won today. Of course we knew that Italy would be even tougher than the teams we'd played before, but I still think that we did what we set out to do. We weren't looking beyond this match.

World Cup preview - Germany v Italy

2006-07-04T06:42:00.000-07:00

World Cup preview - Germany v Italy
Germany face Italy in Tuesday's semi-final of 2006 Worldcup, with the hosts looking to avenge the 4-1 drubbing they were given by the Italians in a friendly international in March.
Jurgen Klinsmann's side came into this tournament on the back of a series of unconvincing performances, but they have been unrecognizable since the World Cup kicked off on June 9.
Their quarter-final win over Argentina provided the ultimate proof that Klinsmann's team were genuine contenders and their form has undergone such a transformation that they go into tonight's encounter as favourites to reach Sunday's final.

Following that friendly defeat in March and there were calls for Klinsmann's to stand down, but the coach was always confident his side would perform once the tournament got underway.

"You are always going to get hammered when you lose 4-1," Klinsmann admitted.

"But friendlies are not that important and I always believed we could make it happen and go far in this tournament."

Klinsmann believes his side's record at Dortmund's Westfalenstadion could prove crucial tonight. The World Cup hosts have won 13 and drawn one game 13 from 14 matches, played at the ground.

"It's good to know we'll be playing there,” said Klinsmann.

"There is nothing like the atmosphere in Dortmund. It is like a volcano which will hopefully erupt.

“I feel proud of our team, and how they have done in this tournament.

"But we also know that we still have the two biggest hurdles in front of us, and we will go for it.

"Italy are one of the best teams in the world, and that's why they are in the final four.

"They deserve a lot of respect - they have a long and proud footballing history.

"But we must think about our own game - and if we play our own game in our own style, we are able to beat them.

"I believe the confidence that we have built over the last six weeks is enough to win the next two games and become world champions," Klinsmann added.

"We know we have the two biggest hurdles in front of us. But we want to go for it and hopefully make it to Sunday's final."

Defensive midfielder Torsten Frings has been suspended for his part in the brawl which followed the victory over Argentina, and will most likely be replaced by Werder Bremen team-mate Tim Borowski.

Tournament top-scorer Miroslav Klose and Michael Ballack have both overcome minor knocks and look set to start in Germany's record 11th semi-final.

Italy, after starting the competition slowly, are now looking a formidable outfit and they are unbeaten in their last 23, dating back to October 2004.

Italy have conceded just one goal in the tournament against USA, and that was an own goal, and coasted through to the last four with a comfortable 3-0 win over Ukraine.

They will again be without defensive lynchpin Alessandro Nesta who has not receovered from a groin injury, so Marco Materazzi, suspended for the Ukraine victory, is likely to return alongside Fabio Cannavaro in the centre of defence, as Andre Barzagli steps down.

Mauro Camoranesi has recovered from a knee problem and is available for selection.

Italy coach Marcello Lippi does not expect Germany to be significantly weakened by the absence of Torsten Frings in the World Cup semi-final.

Frings will serve a one-match ban for punching Argentina forward Julio Cruz in the melee that followed the hosts quarter-final win over Argentina.

"I think teams in a semi-final have certain quality and organisation. So they don't suffer when they don't have one player available," he said.

"We have had to do without several players during this tournament.

"Frings is an important player but I don't think it will affect Germany's play or their determination." Italy are not expecting a repeat of their 4-1 thrashing of Germany in Dortmund.

"It will be a completely different game," defender Gianluca Zambrotta said.

"That was a friendly played in the middle of the league season. Now everyone's focusing only on the World Cup."

After that defeat in March in Florence, Jurgen Klinsmann's reputation plummeted. Now his team is two wins away from what would be its fourth World Cup title.

"I said then and I'll say it again now. That score does not reflect the German team's gap with Italy and it doesn't reflect that Italy is that much better than Germany," Italy coach Marcello Lippi said.

Probable teams:

Germany:

Lehmann, Friedrich, Metzelder, Mertesacker, Lahm, Schneider, Borowski, Ballack, Schweinsteiger, Podolski, Klose

Italy:

Buffon, Zambrotta, Materazzi, Cannavaro, Grosso, Perrotta, Pirlo, Gattuso, Totti, Toni, Gilardino

Referee::

Benito Archundia (Mexico)

Before Semi-Final

2006-07-03T09:49:00.000-07:00

Before Semi-Final matchs of FIFA Worldcup,opinions of each team is attractive. we gathered some of this opinions.
Klinsmann seeks home advantage
Germany coach Jurgen Klinsmann believes his side's record at Dortmund's Westfalenstadion will give them the edge in Tuesday's semi-final meeting with Italy.
Italy wary of Klose threat
Italy striker Luca Toni has highlighted the threat posed by Germany striker Miroslav Klose as the man to watch when the two countries meet in Tuesday's semi-final.
Ronaldo plays down Rooney rift
Cristiano Ronaldo has played down reports claiming that there is bad blood between himself and Wayne Rooney.
Media exalt magic France and imperious Zidane
The French press on Sunday rose as one to hail the team's stunning dismissal of favourites and holders Brazil in the FIFA World Cup™ quarter-finals the night before.

Klinsmann seeks home advantage

Germany coach Jurgen Klinsmann believes his side's record at Dortmund's Westfalenstadion will give them the edge in Tuesday's semi-final meeting with Italy.The World Cup hosts face Italy at a ground where they have won 13 and drawn one in 14 matches.

"It's good to know we'll be playing there," said Eriksson. "There is nothing like the atmosphere in Dortmund. It is like a volcano which will hopefully erupt."

Italy routed Germany 4-1 in a friendly game in May, but assistant coach Joachim Low believes that performance will act as an incentive for Germany. "Not a single second we have thought about it," he said. That view was repeated by defender Christoph Metzelder, who said: "We know there is a different kind of team on the pitch these days.

"The Italians are aware of that, too, and I think they have a lot of respect for us. "Our motivation must not be to avenge a loss in March but to reach the final. But all four teams in the semi-finals have the same chance now."

Italy wary of Klose threat

Italy striker Luca Toni has highlighted the threat posed by Germany striker Miroslav Klose as the man to watch when the two countries meet in Tuesday's semi-final."Klose has proved how great he is as a striker - not just here but in previous tournaments," said Toni.

"I think our defenders will have to be extremely careful with him because if he gets a chance he will punish you." Klose currently the leading scorer at the finals with five goals, while he also scored five times in Japan and South Korea in 2002. "He has scored so many goals and he is very strong physically and mentally," Toni added.

"In some games he may go unnoticed for much of the game and then suddenly he finds the target as we saw against Argentina." However, the striker remains upbeat about Italy's chances of reaching the final.

"This is the semi-final of the World Cup," he said. "If Germany are in the last four it is for a reason. "They are difficult side to beat, they have the advantage of playing at home. "We'll have to play at our best to knock them out, but we know what to expect and what we have to do."

Ronaldo plays down Rooney rift

Cristiano Ronaldo has played down reports claiming that there is bad blood between himself and Wayne Rooney.Rooney was upset with Ronaldo after being sent off during England's World Cup quarter final defeat to Portugal on Saturday. The Manhcester United striker was seen shoving Ronaldo after the Portugal winger appeared to urge the referee to discipline the England forward following his stamp on Ricardo Carvalho.

"The things that have been said regarding me and my team-mate and friend Rooney are incredible," said Ronaldo told gestifute website. "Between me and Rooney, there is absolutely no problem. "I reiterate, no problem.

"At the end of the game, we sent each other some text messages and also today. Between the two of us everything has been cleared. "He wished me the best of luck in the World Cup. He told me we had a great team and that if we continued to play like this, we would go far.

"He wasn't angry with me and moreover, he told me to completely ignore what the English press has said, that all they wanted was to create confusion but we are already used to that. "I am not a referee and I don't have the power to send off a player," added Ronaldo. "I had nothing to do with the fact that the referee showed the red card.

" The flying winger also played down reports claiming he would leave United for Real Madrid this summer. "There have been comments published in which I reportedly said that I didn't want to go back to Manchester United," noted Ronaldo. "That is completely false, of course I want to go back.

"It's just typical of the English press but I don't lose any sleep." Ronaldo also revealed that he asked Portugal boss Luiz Felipe Scolari if he could take the final penalty in the shoot-out against England. "When the decision was going to be taken on who will take the penalties, I asked Scolari if I could take the last one," Ronaldo said. "I like to take penalties and to score them. "Why did I ask to be last? Because I like to take responsibility and because I had a strong feeling that I was going to be the one to resolve the game."

Media exalt magic France and imperious Zidane

The French press on Sunday rose as one to hail the team's stunning dismissal of favourites and holders Brazil in the FIFA World Cup™ quarter-finals the night before.
Thierry Henry's second half volley from a Zinedine Zidane free-kick was enough to see France through in the battle between the teams that have dominated the FIFA World Cup since 1994.
"Magic!" screamed L'Equipe on its front page - a line mirrored in Lyon's Le Progres newspaper - "It was like a dream," continued L'Equipe on the inside.
"Monumental!" was the headline in Marseille's La Provence with a picture of Henry swamped by jubilant team-mates.
"Fantastic!" exclaimed Grenoble newspaper Dauphine Libere, "France is better than Brazil."
In the west of the country Dimanche Ouest-France proclaimed: "Brilliant, into the semi-finals."
Under a picture of a grinning Henry on the front page, it continued: "They've done it! Les Blues eliminated Brazil last night (Saturday). A historic victory.
"A generation that refuses to give back their jerseys. They will not be stopped. The museum awaits."
And in a reference to the stars worn on the shirts of teams that have previously won the FIFA World Cup, it added: "(Zinedine) Zidane, (Fabian) Barthez and (Lillian) Thuram can continue to dream of a second star."
Nice Matin for their part revelled in the performance of the French team, claiming: "The samba (Brazil's national dance) is blue."
And for everyone the real hero was Zidane, much maligned and criticised before the tournament began and even more so after the first two matches, in which he was ineffectual and booked twice, missing France's crucial third and final group game.
Deemed too old, past his peak and no longer a match-winning force, Zidane returned in the knock-out stages a reinvigorated character and France's footballing icon is back where he belongs, revered by one and all.
"Zidane is in seventh heaven," said the Dauphine Libere, while Nice Matin drooled over the captain's every movement.
"Zidane played his greatest match in blue. A festival of technique, extraordinary control, omnipresence and decisive passes."
For La Provence, it was all about Zidane, who outshone the samba stars Ronaldinho, Ronaldo and Kaka.
"A master without equal," it said. "In aggressiveness, in work-rate, in action or in beautiful gestures. He was more Brazilian than the Brazilians."
L'Equipe remembered Zidane's last masterclass against Brazil, eight years ago when he scored two goals against the Selecao in the FIFA World Cup final.
"The match of his life," it said, before continuing: "Eight years after his triumph of July 12, 1998, Zinedine Zidane reached a new summit against the Brazilians."
It dedicates two whole articles to gush over the national star.
"The master splattered the match with his class and genius with irreplacable persistence."
As expected, politicians jumped on the celebratory bandwagon.
President Jacques Chirac said: "I feel immense joy. The French team played admirably."
Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin applauded coach Raymond Domenech in a message sent Saturday night.
"You have achieved something formidable," said de Villepin.

After 1 July

2006-07-02T08:25:00.000-07:00

After 1 july quarter-finals of 2006 FIFA WorldCup, we saw different reactions from players & coachs. In below some of them are followed:

Consequences of France-Brazil Match:

Parreira takes blame for defeat
Brazil coach Carlos Alberto Parreira has taken responsibility for the holders' 1-0 defeat to France in Saturday's quarter-final encounter.
Parreira said: "I would like to thank the players. I didn't do my job as my job was to get to the final. "In Brazil when the national team loses the coach is to blame so I believe we will follow this script once again. "We never prepared for this moment.

This is a very difficult moment for all of us," he added. Parreira lavished praise on France's performance. "We were beaten by a very strong team who played an impeccable match," said Parreira. "There should have been at least one South American team in the semi-finals, its a shame for world football. "We made some silly mistakes and that cost us. "We had not expected to go out so early. Henry and Zidane were very dangerous. "I am not worried about my contract - it's something to sort out in Brazil when we get back after the World Cup." Ronaldinho, who endured a disappointing tournament, added: "It's always sad when a team that's used to winning suffers a letdown like this. "Now is the time to settle down and start thinking about what's next, and Brazil's future."

Zidane hails beautiful victory French playmaker Zinedine Zidane has described the 1-0 quarter-final win over Brazil as "beautiful". Zidane, who was inspirational on the night, said: "We needed a great match and we delivered. We knew we would have to be fit physically and we were. "
We fought closely together for a well-deserved victory. Now we'll try to win a place in the final. "This is so beautiful, we want it to carry on," added Zidane, who retires after the World Cup. Coach Raymond Domenech, whose side now face Portugal in the semi-finals, was ovberwhelmed by the performanc of his ageing team. Of course this is fantastic, exciting and everything but this is just a step forward," said Domenech. "What we want is the final and we have another match to win to get there."
"It was extraordinary. Sometimes there aren't any words to describe what you're experiencing,” said Domenech.
"I tackled with them, I shot with them. The old men are still around. "Portugal won't be easy but for the moment, let me enjoy this. There's only football to offer you great moments like this." Domenech said, his players should follow Zidane's example.
"He's playing so well because he realises the end of his career is near and he is giving it all he has," the coach said. "I would like all the players to play the next match as if it were their last." Goalscorer Henry said the game had gone according to plan. "We played well. We didn't steal anything from anybody. We had a tactical plan and it worked perfectly," he said. "We wanted to prove after what happened in 2002 that we were not rubbish," he added, referring to France's humiliating exit four years ago.

Consequences of England-Portugal Match:

Scolari praises England
Portugal coach Luiz Felipe Scolari praised England's courage after their dramatic World Cup quarter-final. England lost on penalties after holding on for almost an hour with 10 men following Wayne Rooney's dismissal.
"Congratulations to England, with 10 players they were incredible - it was an electrifying match," said Scolari. "We didn't take advantage, we shot too much from outside the area. England closed the way to goal very well and it was like playing against 11."
"I think it was a wonderful match, a really fine match. everything that we want from a football match in a good sense," Scolari said.
"There was passion, there were opportunities, the players were happy to play match like this and only penalties could decide who was the winner," he added.
"We have a possibility of victory in the next game as well and we get to the final," Scolari told Portugal's SIC television.
"But in principle, we are taking things step by step. We would be happy with any adversary." For the second successive tournament Portugal keeper Ricardo emerged as their saviour after stopping three of England's four penalties in the shoot-out.
He said: "It was great. I managed to stop three of them. I'm really happy." Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo scored the winning penalty and added: "I'm full of confidence and I shoot strong. "I was tired in the second half but I haven't played for a week so it was OK." Portugal will now face France on Wednesday for a place in the final. "We have four days to recover now so I think everyone's going to be ready," Ronaldo said.

Beckham stands down as captain
David Beckham has decided to resign as England captain after holding the position for six years. But the 31-year-old midfielder player wants to continue his international career.
"I feel the time is right to pass on the armband as we enter a new era under new coach Steve McClaren," said Beckham.
It was England caretaker manager Peter Taylor who made Beckham captain in 2000. "On 15 November 2000 Peter Taylor gave me the greatest honour of my career in making me the captain of England, fulfilling my childhood dream,” he continued.
"It has been an honour and a privilege to have captained our country and I want to stress that I wish to continue to play for England and look forward to helping both the new captain and Steve McClaren in any way I can. "
I came to this decision some time ago but I had hoped to announce it on the back of a successful World Cup. Sadly that wasn't to be. "This decision has been the most difficult of my career to date. But after discussing it with my family and those closest to me I feel the time is right. "Our performance during this World Cup has not been enough to progress further and both myself and all the players regret that and are hurt by that more than people realise.
"I wish to thank all the players for their support during my time as captain, as well as Peter Taylor, Sven and all the coaches. "I would also like to thank the press and, of course, all the England supporters who have both been great to me and my team-mates. I want them to know for me it has been an absolute honour. "
Finally, I have lived the dream, I am extremely proud to have worn the armband and been captain of England and for that I will always be grateful." Sevn Goran Eriksson said of Beckham's decision: "He's been a very good captain and very proud to do the job. "I was a bit surprised when he told me but you have to respect his decision. "It is now Steve McClaren's job to decide on Beckham's successor. He has a lot of choices that are more than capable of doing the job. It is very much up to him."

France knock out Brazil: EURO 2006

2006-07-02T00:19:00.000-07:00

France knock out Brazil: EURO 2006
France have booked their place in the 2006 FIFA World Cup semi-finals at the expense of holders Brazil, this after a Zinedine Zidane-inspired 1-0 win for Les Bleus in Frankfurt set up a last-four clash with Portugal.
Thierry Henry’s 57th-minute volley was the game’s solitary, all-important goal, and with Raymond Domenech’s side inspired by a vintage showing from Zidane, Brazil could have few complaints at the final whistle.
France now complete an all-European line-up in the tournament’s semi-finals, with their clash against England’s conquerors Portugal scheduled for 5 July in Munich, a day after Germany and Italy do battle in Dortmund.

Coaches' quotes:

Carlos Alberto PARREIRA (BRA)

I’m very sad, and so are the team. Getting knocked out was a situation that we hadn’t prepared for. We started the game well, and our passing was sharp. But our attackers always found it difficult, because France, just like the other teams that we have played, got all of their men behind the ball. But we tried and we had a few chances.
The French team played with a lot of spirit. (Zinedine) Zidane is a player that we know well, one of the great players of the last decade. But our defence marked tightly, so much so that their goal came from a set-piece.
Technically, we have a very good team, very experienced, but when you don’t win the title, it’s because there has been something missing. We had some problems, and we needed a little more preparation, probably in terms of fitness and getting the team to play as a unit. I’m not worried about whether or not I’m going to carry on as coach of the Seleção.

Raymond DOMENECH (FRA)

We had an overall strategy for playing against Brazil, as well as individual plans for dealing with their players. Against a team like that, you can’t take the game to them throughout the 90 minutes, but if you sit back too much, you allow them to exert their stranglehold. So the idea was to find the right balance, which we managed to do by retaining control of the game. I wouldn’t say that we dominated, but we did keep the necessary control. That said, we suffered quite a bit late on.

In football, there’s no such thing as a team having to play against 11 reigning world champions. We went out onto the pitch tonight on equal terms. I don’t want to single out any of my lads in particular. You all seem surprised by how well Zinedine Zidane played, but that’s just what you get with Zizou! I could mention any of the 14 players who did a job for us tonight, and even those who stayed on the bench made contributions. As against Spain, this victory belongs to the whole squad. It wasn’t so much Zidane followed by the others, but rather Zidane together with the others.
As I’ve been telling you for quite some time now, our target is to be in Berlin on 9 July. But rather than taking the next game for granted, I’m just saying that we’ve reached another stage this evening, an exciting stage, but nothing more. We are happy, but we won’t be telling ourselves that the semi-final is enough and we’ve done what we set out to do at the World Cup. We’re going to fight until the end and see where that takes us. Two years ago, we set out with the aim of putting the smile back on the faces of our supporters. I believe we’ve done a pretty good job of that, but I can assure you that there’s more to come!

Players' Quotes:

Zinedine Zidane (FRA), Man of the match

We kept things tight and closed ranks. Physically, we were able to keep going until the end and we've come away with a deserved victory once again. Now, we're going to try and win that Trophy. I've got no intention of stopping now. It's just so amazing!

RONALDO (BRA)

I’m very sad, very disappointed with this defeat. We had plans to go much further, but it didn’t happen. France were the better team, and when all’s said and done, that’s football. We are proud of how we battled and what we sacrificed in order to get this far. France didn’t surprise us. We knew that they were a great team, and they showed that. They played great football, intelligent football that got the better of us.

Thierry HENRY (FRA)

We deserved to win. Our tactics came off. It’s risky to say that we are the favourites against Portugal. The most important thing is to take one step at a time. As regards the goal, it was just a case of being in the right place at the right time. My job was just to put the ball in the back of the net. But the goal isn’t the most important thing for me. The most important thing is that we showed that we can play as a team. To play against Brazil, you mustn’t respect them too much, otherwise they can finish you off.

JUNINHO (BRA)

There’s no point looking around for excuses. France played better than us. They didn’t have a lot of chances, and their goal came from a set-piece, but once they scored it was very difficult for us to turn it round. I think that the team as a whole didn’t play well tonight. Robinho made a difference when he came on, and he tried to give us a lift, but now we have to accept the criticism and start to get the young players ready for the next World Cup. We didn’t play as Brazil can.

Patrick VIEIRA (FRA)

Our players were well spread out across the pitch, and we filled every gap. We played very well. The game was testament to the hard work we have put in up to now. We’re getting better with each match, just as in 1998. Now we are really up for it. Portugal will be difficult opponents, but we know that we can beat them.

EMERSON (BRA)

I’m just lost in the moment. I don’t like making plans for the future. I’m sad because we made a lot of people cry, including my family. Now it’s time to think about our club teams again in order to carry on doing well for the national team. I don’t think that there was any problem with our preparation. France were the better team, end of story. It hurts more when you don’t play. I’m much more nervous than when I’m playing.

In conclusion:

France fully merited this victory, orchestrated by the superb Zidane, whose performance was well worthy of the Budweiser Man of the Match Award. The 34-year-old was simply sensational in this match, supplying an inch-perfect cross for Henry’s goal and showing a superb range of passing and skills throughout the 90 minutes.

Portugal through on penalties

2006-07-01T11:18:00.000-07:00

Portugal through on penalties
Portugal advanced to the semifinals of the World Cup by beating England 3-1 in a penalty shootout after a 0-0 draw.Portugal are through to the last four of the World Cup after winning a penalty shootout against England in Gelsenkirchen.
Portugal march on to a semi-final date with either Brazil or France after defeating England 3-1 on penalties following a last eight clash that ended goalless in Gelsenkirchen on Saturday, 1 July.
Neither of these sides could find a way through during 120 minutes of entertaining and closely-contested action, with Portugal unable to translate into goals a numerical advantage they had held for almost an hour thanks to Wayne Rooney’s 62nd-minute dismissal.

The match therefore became the second 2006 FIFA World Cup™ quarter-final to be settled on penalty kicks and, just as Jens Lehmann was Germany’s hero yesterday, so Ricardo was Portugal’s today, saving from Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher to leave Cristiano Ronaldo to stroke home the decisive penalty.

Match Report:

After both teams had failed to score in 120 minutes of absorbing football, the match was eventually settled by penalties, and not for the first time England came up short in the ultimate test of nerve.

The result was somewhat harsh on Sven Goran Eriksson's men, who had fought bravely for the best part of an hour with only ten men following the second half dismissal of Wayne Rooney for stamping on Ricardo Carvalho.

For England Gary Neville came in at right-back, with Owen Hargreaves returning to the holding midfield role and Michael Carrick dropped to the bench. Frank Lampard started despite recent concern over an ankle injury.

Portugal were forced to bring in Tiago and Petit for the suspended forced Deco and Costinha, while Cristiano Ronaldo was passed fit to play.

The first chance of the game fell to Rooney in the second minute after a sloppy pass by Carvalho, but the England striker's effort was blocked. Rooney was again at the heart of the action when he brought a good save from Ricardo. The ball was switched to the other end and Cristiano Ronaldo, showing no ill effects from the injury he picked up in the second round game against Holland, drew a comfortable save from Robinson.

England had a scare moments later when they failed to clear a free-kick and Robinson had to be alert to deny the advancing Tiago.

In the opening twenty minutes England were looking the more dangerous team going forward, although Ronaldo was a constant threat on the break for Portugal.

As the half progressed Portugal gradually began to get a grip on possession and their patient passing game was beginning to cause problems for an England side that had reverted to hitting the ball long to the isolated Rooney. Lampard did manage to produce a long range shot on target, but as the half-time whistle sounded, it was Portugal who will have been the happier team.

England had a good shout for a penalty when Nuno Valente appeared to handle a David Beckham cross but the referee waved play on. It was Beckham's final act before he was replaced by Aaron Lennon after picking up a knock in the opening moments of the second half.

Lennon made an immediate impact dribbling past three defenders and setting up Joe Cole, but the midfielder scooped his shot over the bar from ten yards.

Rooney, who appeared to be frustrated by the limitations of role saw his role up front, saw his temper boil over when he came under pressure from Carvalho and reacted by stamping on the defender. The referee showed the striker the red card and England had to play the remainder of the game with ten men.

Rooney's dismissal forced Eriksson to remove Joe Cole and bring on Peter Crouch up front. Despite their numerical disadvantage England initially seemed comfortable containing Portugal. Scolari's withdrawal of Pauletta, their sole striker, appeared a strange decision, given that their attack now lacked a focal point.

Figo came close for Portugal with 15 minutes remaining but his chipped effort was tipped away by Robinson. The England keeper had to be alert to deny Viana shortly afterwards as Portugal were finally gaining the ascendancy.

At the other end Ricardo did well to deny a Lampard free-kick, as England launched a rare counter-attack. Lennon was first to the rebound but he scuffed his shot and the Portuguese keeper had no trouble gathering his shot. The ten-men held on until the end of full-time, and could even have nicked the game at the death when Terry's effort was deflected over the bar.

Inevitably Portugal dominated possession in extra-time, but they were mainly restricted to long range efforts. At the other end, England, on their occasional forays forward looked as likely to score with Crouch coming close from a Neville cross.

Portugal did have the ball in the back of the net when Postiga peeled off at the far post and planted a firm header past Robinson, but the linesman had flagged for offside.

England deserved to take the game to penalties given their magnificent rearguard battle with only ten men, but given their history of defeats at shootouts, then they must have approached the denouement with trepidation.

Simao scored Portugal's opening penalty, while Lampard's effort was saved by Ricardo. Viana then hit the post to give England a glimmer of hope, and when Hargreaves scored it was all square. Petit then struck his penalty wide but Gerrard was unable to give England the advantage, seeing his effort saved by the outstanding Ricardo. Postiga then stepped up to send Robinson the wrong way to give Portugal a 2-1 advantage which was maintained by another fine save from Ricardo from Carragher. That meant that Ronaldo could win the game if he scored and the winger made no mistake to send Portugal into the semi-finals.

Portugal are through to the last four where they will met Brazil or France, but on the evidence of this performance, they will have to raise their game significantly if they are to progress any further.

Match Analysis:

This was a heroic England performance, especially with ten men following the sending-off of Wayne Rooney in the 62nd minute. Despite this disadvantage Sven-Goran Eriksson's team continued to both defend and attack intelligently, creating more goal chances than their opponents.
Owen Hargreaves was the best player on the pitch the whole of the back four did extremely well. If you pick out one it would be Hargreaves, who encapsulated the England performance. His work rate was incredible with the number of balls he won in midfield and he still found the time to get forward.
It was a pity such a game had to be decided by penalties but once the game goes to penalties, it becomes a question of which team can handle their nerve and once again England were found lacking in a shoot-out. But over the 120 minutes they were the better team and Portugal can consider themselves quite fortunate to have survived this one.

Teams:

England: Robinson, Neville, Ferdinand, Terry, A Cole, Beckham, Lampard, Hargreaves, Gerrard, J Cole, Rooney.

Subs used: Lennon 51 (for Beckham), Crouch 64 (for J Cole), Carragher 119 (for Lennon).

Bookings: Terry 30, Hargreaves 107, Sent-off: Rooney 63

Portugal: Ricardo, Miguel, Carvalho, Meira, Valente, Petit, Maniche, Tiago, Figo, Ronaldo, Pauleta.

Subs used: Simao 63 (for Pauletta), Viana 74 (for Tiago), Postiga 86 (for Figo)

Bookings: Petit 44, Carvalho 111

Referee: Horacio Elizondo (Argentina).

Penalties:

Portugal: Simao (Scored) Viana (Missed) Petit (Missed) Postiga (Scored) Ronaldo (Scored)

England: Lampard (Missed) Hargreaves (Scored) Gerrard (Missed) Carragher (Missed)

Italy advances to World Cup semifinals

2006-07-01T01:45:00.000-07:00

Italy advances to World Cup semifinals
Italy was only supposed to advance as far as its spectacular defense could take it. Add some opportunistic offense and the Azzurri are one game away from playing for the World Cup title.

Defender Gianluca Zambrotta scored an early goal, assisted on one and saved another, and Luca Toni added goals nine minutes apart Friday as Italy beat newcomer Ukraine 3-0 to set up a Tuesday semifinal match against host Germany.
The match was only in the sixth minute when Zambrotta ran down the right side, played a one-two with Francesco Totti and finished it off with a searing 20-yard left foot drive that was too much for goalkeeper Oleksandr Shovkosvskyi to stop.
In the 58th, Zambrotta kicked a ball off his own goal line to quash Ukraine's last hope of an upset. A minute later, Toni sealed the victory with his first World Cup goal, and he added insurance in the 69th minute when he slid in Zambrotta's goalmouth pass.

"I wanted to score one. I managed two," Toni said. "It's a wonderful feeling."
Toni led the Italian league with 31 goals for Fiorentina last season, and Italy coach Marcello Lippi said, "We couldn't understand why he hadn't scored until now, so it's great news."
Zambrotta flew home early in the week to visit former Juventus teammate Gianluca Pessotto, who is fighting for his life after falling from a window at the Italian club team's headquarters in Turin.
"Tonight our strength came from Gianluca, who we hope is able to come back from what he's gone through," Zambrotta said.
After the match, Italy's players unfurled an Italian tricolor flag with the inscription "Pessotto we are with you."
"We're standing by Gianluca and his family and we want him to return and celebrate with us soon," Lippi said.
Zambrotta's goal, only his second in 56 games for Italy, put the Azzurri in the situation they have perfected over decades of World Cup success: defending a slender lead. Toni made sure there would be nothing to worry about this time. Led by Totti, the Azzurri sparkled with little backheels and clean, crisp passing combinations that Ukraine could never match. After seven seasons in Italy's Serie A, Ukraine's lone star, Andriy Shevchenko, no longer held any secrets for Italy's expert defense and could not give his president, Victor Yushchenko, any reason to cheer in the stands. Afterward, the Chelsea-bound player went up to the Italian fans, applauded them and bowed in respect.
In the end, Ukraine - the surprise team to make the quarterfinals in its maiden World Cup run - was finally exposed as a team which had too little to offer beyond a robust defense.
"I am disappointed that we are out, but this World Cup has been a great achievement for us," Ukraine coach Oleh Blokhin said. "The class of the Italian team was just greater. They have better players."
And even when the Italian defense made a rare fumble, goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon slapped a header from Andriy Gusin onto the post in the 49th minute. World Cups are not only won on talent, though, and Italy was lucky when a header from Gusin crashed onto the bar in the 62nd.
Qualification for the semifinals offered a welcome reprieve for Italy, which has been embroiled in a sensational match-fixing scandal at home. Pessotto - appointed Juventus team manager after much of its front office resigned - was in a drug-induced coma Friday when Zambrotta scored.
In the stands was a banner which read "Italy Again 1982." That year was also marked by a match-fixing scandal, but Italy nevertheless went on to win its third World Cup.
Totti regained his place on Italy's starting lineup for the quarterfinals against Ukraine, which fielded Artem Milevskiy in place of injured striker Andriy Voronin.
Italy went with a likely 4-4-1-1 lineup, with Totti behind Toni as the lone striker and Alberto Gilardino on the bench. Andrea Barzagli started his first World Cup game in defense, filling in for injured Alessandro Nesta and suspended Marco Materazzi.
Totti came on as a substitute late in the second-round game against Australia and scored the only goal in the final minute of the match. Coach Marcello Lippi had sidelined him because he looked fatigued in the last first-round match against the Czech Republic.
On Friday, he provided two assists.

Germany through after shootout win

2006-06-30T11:26:00.000-07:00

Germany through after shootout win
Hosts Germany are through to the semi-finals of the World Cup after a penalty shootout victory over Argentina.
Germany advance to the 2006 FIFA World Cup semi-finals after triumphing 4-2 over Argentina in a penalty shoot-out following a tight, tense match in Berlin’s Olympiastadion on Friday, 30 July 2006 that had ended locked at 1-1.
It proved impossible to separate these sides during normal time, with 120 minutes only able to conjure up a couple of goals, Miroslav Klose’s 80th-minute equaliser cancelling out a 49th-minute opening goal from Roberto Ayala.
That left the match to be settled by penalties, and it was Jens Lehmann who proved the hosts’ hero, saving from both Ayala and Esteban Cambiasso, while Oliver Neuville, Michael Ballack, Lukas Podolski and Tim Borowski all successfully dispatched their spot kicks past Argentina’s substitute goalkeeper Leo Franco.

Match Report
Argentina took the lead early in the second half through a Roberto Ayala header, but they paid the price for some defensive substitutions by coach Jose Pekerman, and with ten minutes remaining Miroslav Klose brought the scores level.
The match ended with both teams out on their feet and it was Jens Lehmann who emerged as the hero of the day, saving two Argentinian spot-kicks to send Jurgen Klinsmann's side into the last four.
Argentina's Javier Saviola was dropped by Pekerman, replaced by Carlos Tevez up front while Fabricio Coloccini came in for Lionel Scaloni.
Luis Gonzalez recovered from a groin injury and took his place in midfield, while Lionel Messi remained on the bench.
Germany named an unchanged team as skipper Michael Ballack and striker Miroslav Klose both passed fitness tests after shaking off injuries. Klinsmann was able to name the same team which started in the 2-0 second-round win over Sweden.
In the opening minutes, Germany, roared on by a huge majority in Berlin's Olympiastadion, looked the brighter of the two teams. The first save of the game was made by Abbondanzieri from a Podolski free-kick, and although the shot was tame, the Argentinian required two attempts to gather the ball. The best chance early on fell to Ballack who was picked out by Schneider but the new Chelsea signing headed just wide from 12 yards.

Argentina were playing their patient, probing game but Germany were succeeding at keeping them at bay and despite enjoying an abundance of possession, the South American side were unable to test Jens Lehmann in the opening stages.

Riquelme, Argentina's playmaker, was shadowed throughout by Frings, and with his contribution limited, Argentina were struggling to make inroads up front. With the hosts appearing to lack the imagination to penetrate their opponents' defence, the first half was absorbing, rather than the enthralling affair that had been anticipated; the kind of game to be admired but not a match to set the pulses racing.

Sorin was cautioned in the first minute after the break, meaning the Argentinian skipper would miss the semi-final should Pekerman's side prevail. Moments later Argentina took the lead through Roberto Ayala who rose highest at a Riquelme corner to power home a header from close range.

It was the first time Germany had been behind at the tournament and a real test of the newly-discovered self-belief that had characterised their progress over the last three weeks.

Germany's response was immediate, forcing a series of corners with their best chance falling to Ballack after Abbondanzieri went walkabout, but the skipper's volleyed effort was blocked by Ayala. Shortly afterwards, the keeper had to be replaced having failed to recover from a clash with Klose.

Pekerman's thoughts were evident with 20 minutes remaining when he replaced his playmaker Riquelme with the more pragmatic midfielder Cambiasso, as the South Americans looked content to hold their lead. However, Argentina almost extended their advantage when Tevez took advantage of a loose pass across the face of the Germany defence, before slotting the ball through to Maxi who fired into the side netting.

With Crespo removed for Cruz, and no place for the mercurial talents of Messi or Saviola, Pekerman was gambling on his team holding on for the last ten minutes. It was a gamble that backfired immediately when Michael Ballack's cross was flicked on by Borowski to Klose who powered home a header past the substitute keeper Franco for his fifth goal of the tournament.

With extra-time beckoning, Germany, buoyed by their equaliser, were in the ascendancy, although their attacking impetus was hindered by an injury to Michael Ballack, whose movement appeared to be restricted. Argentina, lacking the influence of Riquelme, and without the option of introducing an attacking substitution, looked content to hear the final whistle.

The first period of extra-time tended to support the suspicion that penalties were the only way these sides would be separated. Both teams appeared to be suffering from fatigue and, in keeping with the game as a whole, clear cut chances were conspicuous by their absence.

In the second period of extra-time, Argentina looked like they least wanted penalties as they took the game the game to Germany. However, by this stage, both sets of players looked exhausted and penalties looked increasingly inevitable. What had started as a game of chess had ended in stalemate.

Neuville blasted his first penalty past Abbondanzieri, while Cruz gave Lehmann no chance with Argentina's initial effort. Ballack drove his effort home, but Argentina's next effort was a tame spot-kick from Ayala which Lehmann saved with ease. Podolski slotted home Germany's third, and his effort was matched by Maxi. Borowski sent the keeper the wrong way for Germany's fourth, meaning Cambiasso had to score to keep Argentina alive, but his effort was stopped by Lehmann.

The match ended on a sour note when both sets of players were involved in an ugly brawl. It was difficult to deduce the cause of the initial bust-up, but it was a sad end to what had been a compelling contest.

After this result, Germany must be regarded as the team to beat. On home soil and having overcome the team many predicted to win the World Cup, it is certainly hard to see them not reaching the final.

Penalties:

Jens Lehmann was the hero for Germany as his saves from Ayala and Esteban Cambiasso were crucial in the Nationalmannschaft’s progression to the semi-finals. The hosts had a 100 per cent success rate from the penalty spot, with Neuville, Ballack, Podolski and Borowski all converting.

In conclusion:

Jurgen Klinsmann’s decision to elect Lehmann as his number one for this FIFA World Cup appears to be justified by this result alone. His two saves have given Germany a place in the semi-finals, where they will meet Italy or Ukraine. For Argentina, who took the lead in this game, it will be a long journey home for a team which performed so well in the early stages of this tournament.

World Cup preview - Italy v Ukraine

2006-06-30T04:04:00.000-07:00

World Cup preview - Italy v Ukraine
After the Italy-Australia match, the international press engaged in a veritable festival of Azzurri-bashing, painting the Italians as ruthless opportunists who only know one way to play. That could all change against Ukraine. The last few days have been filled with the usual debate between advocates of an open attacking game on the one hand and hard-nosed realists on the other, with various shades of opinion in between.
It is the same old story, Italy have once again reached the quarter-final stage of the FIFA World Cup, and were it not for the dramatic incident involving Gianluca Pessotto (the former Juventus and Italy defender hospitalised after a fall of nearly ten metres), the atmosphere in the Azzurri camp could be described as top-class.

There is clearly a great feeling of togetherness within the camp, while the players are determined to respond to external criticism in the best possible way – out on the pitch. All in all, concentration should not be a problem for Lippi's men, as they attempt to take another step along the road to Berlin.
The Ukraine match promises to be a difficult one, but it is also an opportunity for Italy to show that a leopard can indeed change its spots. After an expansive, attacking game against Ghana, three matches followed (against USA, Czech Republic and Australia) in which Lippi's side allowed their opponents the run of midfield, relying on fast counter-attacking. Despite ceding the initiative to their rivals, Italy conceded just once, an own goal against USA, and always scored first. The match against the eastern Europeans promises to be a different affair entirely.

Italy and Ukraine meet in Hamburg on Friday with a place in the last four of the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany™ at stake. Ukrainian target man Andriy Shevchenko’s close ties with Italy mean a night of close scrutiny beckons for the lethal forward.
Italy, one of the powerhouses of European and world football, have failed to live up to expectations at big tournaments in recent years. The Azzurri are keen to give a good account of themselves this time around to cement what they feel is their rightful place at the top of the international football pecking order.
Ukraine, on the other hand, are participating at their first ever major international event. That is not to say the eastern Europeans are without pedigree. Ukrainians often formed the backbone of the former Soviet Union teams and Dynamo Kiev are an ever-present fixture in the UEFA Champions League. The tactical know-how of coach Oleg Blokhin and the goalscoring exploits of Shevchenko have been the springboard for success at Germany 2006.

The story so far

Italy qualified as winners of Group E, one of the most difficult at the tournament, by beating Ghana in their opening match, drawing a tough encounter with the USA and then overcoming the Czech Republic. In their second-round match the ten-man Azzurri came up against a physically imposing Australia led by experienced Dutch coach Guus Hiddink. Francesco Totti struck the only goal from the penalty spot deep into injury time to seal a dramatic victory in a tightly fought match.
Following a disastrous 4-0 defeat by Spain in their opening game, Ukraine restored some pride and belief with an equally resounding win over Saudi Arabia. Blokhin’s men then booked their ticket for the second round with a 1-0 triumph over Tunisia. The first knockout round saw Ukraine overcome Kobi Kuhn’s Switzerland in Cologne in a goalless match decided by penalties. Following Shevchenko's opening miss, goalkeeper Oleksandr Shovkovskyi saved two spot-kicks in a 3-0 shoot-out success, the highlight of which was the cheekily chipped penalty scored by Artem Milevskiy.

Suspended players

Daniele De Rossi (ITA)

Marco Materazzi (ITA)

Past meetings

Friday’s will be the fourth meeting between the sides. Two of those matches came during qualifying for the 1996 UEFA European Championship with Italy winning 2-0 in Kiev in March 1995 through goals from Attilio Lombardo and Gianfranco Zola, and 3-1 in Bari in November of the same year. Fabrizio Ravanelli (2), Paolo Maldini netted for the Italians and Andriy Polunin for Ukraine. The most recent encounter was a 0-0 draw in a friendly match in Lausanne as part of the build-up to Germany 2006.

The duel

Shevchenko v his old Milan team-mates

All eyes will be on the former AC Milan striker Andriy Shevchenko as he comes face to face with Gennaro Gattuso, Andrea Pirlo and Alberto Gilardino, men the new Chelsea striker counted as team-mates until four weeks ago. The absence of Alessandro Nesta from the heart of the Italy defence will be welcome news for Shevchenko. Perhaps the key battle will be between two sublimely gifted playmakers if Blokhin decides to select Artem Milevskiy (in place of the injured Andriy Voronin) and Lippi gives the nod to Francesco Totti.
What they're saying

Angelo Peruzzi, Italy goalkeeper:

We are not dependent on Totti, but of course he is very important for us and the manager. His match fitness is improving all the time and soon he’ll be 100 per cent. If you ask any manager in Germany I’m sure they’d all like a Totti in their squad. He’s not a problem at all - if only we had more players like him.

Andriy Shevchenko, Ukraine forward:

Italy are favourites. We must try and play as a team, summing up all our reserves of fighting spirit to make up for our lack of technical ability.

World Cup preview - Germany v Argentina

2006-06-30T03:41:00.000-07:00

World Cup preview - Germany v Argentina
Germany meet Argentina in the World Cup's first quarter final in Berlin today in what promises to be the match of the tournament so far.
FIFA World Cup powerhouses Germany and Argentina are the best of enemies, their rich footballing histories punctuated by some classic and decisive encounters.
Friday's mouth-watering clash in Berlin promises to be no exception, as two of the most enterprising teams in the Germany showpiece come into direct opposition.

The story so far
After a convincing last-16 win over Sweden, there has been nothing but good vibes emanating from the German camp. The players have enjoyed spending some well-deserved time with their families and friends, while several squad members took up the offer of archery lessons for a bit of additional target practice. As for the team, all the indications are that coach Jurgen Klinsmann will start with the same 11 players who earned the hosts their place in the quarter-finals last Saturday.
As for Argentina, Jose Pekerman has also declined to confirm his starting XI ahead of the game, though he too is unlikely to make unforced changes to the side that saw off Mexico in their Round of 16 tie. Pekerman’s only doubts concern the right side of his defence and midfield. At the back, it is not yet clear whether Nicolas Burdisso, who started in the team’s first two games, will line up on Friday. If not, then either Lionel Scaloni, Fabricio Coloccini or Leandro Cufre will be ready to step in. As for midfield, Porto’s Luis Gonzalez looks likely to return on the right side, although it is conceivable he could yet lose out to the in-form Esteban Cambiasso.
Past meetings
Although this will be the teams’ fifth encounter at a FIFA World Cup, it is the last two games – the Finals of Mexico 86 and Italia 90 – that cemented the fierce rivalry between the sides. In the first of these, the inspiration for the South Americans’ 3-2 win came from one Diego Maradona, who will doubtless settle for a repeat of that scoreline as he roars his compatriots on from the stands. Four years later, the Nationalmannschaft exacted immediate revenge, when Andreas Brehme's 84th-minute penalty handed them a 1-0 victory and the world title in the decider in Rome.
Two interesting facts add even more spice to Friday’s showdown. The first is that at Italia 90, the Albiceleste reached the Final after eliminating the hosts in the previous round. The second is that since Germany’s victory over the South Americans in that year’s decider, they have not beaten their old foes once.

The duels

Not one, but two spring to mind for Friday’s showdown: Michael Ballack v Juan Riquelme and Miroslav Klose v Hernan Crespo.

Ballack and Riquelme are both intelligent midfielders with great vision and shooting skills, although the pair have their differences. The German is more direct than the Argentine playmaker, who prefers to vary the tempo of the game and cut swathes through defences with his long and short-range passing. No one has any doubt that the effectiveness of both teams’ play, and thus the outcome of the game itself, will depend a great deal on how the pair perform.
The second battle will be fought in front of goal and pits Klose, scorer of four goals already at Germany 2006, against Crespo, who has three strikes thus far. Both are leading candidates for the adidas Golden Shoe. The German sharpshooter has picked up where he left off four years ago in Korea/Japan and now has an impressive nine FIFA World Cup goals to his name. Not to be outdone, the Argentine front-runner has found the net in his last four FIFA World Cup games – his team’s final game of Korea/Japan 2002 against Sweden followed by his three appearances for the Albiceleste here in Germany: against Côte d'Ivoire, Serbia and Montenegro and Mexico (he did not play against the Netherlands). It seems almost certain that one of the lethal pair will have a say in the final outcome tomorrow.

What they're saying

Miroslav Klose, Germany striker:

We’re not particularly nervous about facing Argentina, even though they’re a strong side and one of the favourites for the title. Now that they have had the misfortune to come up against us, we hope we can send them home.

Carlos Tevez, Argentina forward:

The key to beating Germany? Fight to the death. As well as that we have to play football and keep the ball on the ground, but first and foremost we have to fight.

Lehmann and Riquelme face to face again

Lehmann keeps dream alive

In Lehmann's case, he has already triumphed in one critical contest: the duel with his long-standing adversary Oliver Kahn for the Nationalmannschaft's number one jersey. Jurgen Klinsmann handed Lehmann a huge confidence boost in naming him as his first-choice keeper, and the experienced shot-stopper is determined to repay his coach’s faith.
It is so far, so good as well for Lehmann. Germany’s defence, often criticised in the run-up to the finals, has not shipped a single goal in their last three games, and Lehmann’s composure and authority have had much to do with that. However, as the 36-year-old admits, he is now looking for much more against Argentina: "It's true that Argentina are a dangerous outfit and probably the strongest we've seen in the tournament so far. They are on another level, but we have a lot of faith in ourselves."
At this stage in proceedings, as Lehmann freely admits, pressure becomes a telling factor and can be the difference between glory and despair. For all that, the keeper’s confidence in his team-mates is unwavering. “As the tournament progresses, it’s obvious that the pressure is going to increase," he said. "But we don’t feel it because we’re playing well. We’ve got what it takes to get through to the next round and we’ve got the whole country behind us. We can make a difference.”

Riquelme’s revival

Meanwhile, in the Argentinian camp, expectation is growing by the day. The gifted Riquelme is the standard-bearer for his team, the creative fulcrum around which the Albiceleste’s star-studded attack revolves and he is quite likely to take the spot-kick against his old adversary Lehmann should Argentina be awarded a penalty during the game.
The talented number ten has been quietly effective in the tournament so far, although a little way short of his brilliant best. Many pundits had him down as the player to watch, and while he has not disappointed, there can be no doubt that the Villarreal man has more to give. According to media reports, Jose Pekerman made clear to Riquelme just hours before the two-time champions’ Round of 16 clash with Mexico that his country now needs him more than ever.
For his part, just days after his 28th birthday, the former Boca Juniors player remains quietly content with his team’s performances. “The most important thing is that the team wins and that we play as we can. We’ve done it up to now, and we want to carry on like that. Personally speaking, every time I go out onto the pitch, I’m happy,” explained the midfield maestro.
What is certain, however, is that he will be determined to redress the balance after that critical penalty miss in Villarreal. As the shy and retiring Riquelme has shown on so many occasions, actions speak louder than words.

Wish You Were Here

2006-06-29T03:08:00.000-07:00

Wish You Were Here
During this brief World Cup hiatus, why not spare a thought for absent nations?
The following seven teams would all have brought something to the party, if only they’d qualified.
Still, there’s always next time…
Cameroon would have brought: Samuel Eto’o
Cameroon were the first African team to make the quarter finals in 1990, an achievement matched by Senegal in 2002. They then successfully qualified for the 1994, 1998 and 2002 tournaments, though never made it past the first round. They might have had a chance this year with Barcelona’s Samuel Eto’o leading the forward line, but finished a solitary point behind Ivory Coast in qualifying.

Greece would have brought: their Euro 2004 trophy
An unfancied Greece team shocked a continent in 2004, beating Portugal, France, Czech Republic and Portugal (again) to win Euro 2004 via some robust defending and mounumental team effort. They wouldn’t have made Germany 2006 any prettier but it would have been great to see the current European Champions continue kicking ass on the world stage. Hellas yeah!

Ireland would have brought: their fans
Ireland will never be dubbed “the Brazil of Europe” but talents like Robbie Keane and Damien Duff would have been welcome additions to this World Cup (Keane’s questionable “forward roll then fire an imaginary arrow” goal celebration would have been confiscated at customs though). The real reason we miss Ireland is their good natured supporters. Imagine England fans just happy to be there, dressed in green and without the violent downside.

Nigeria would have brought: Jay-Jay
The Nigerians were becoming semi-regulars at the World Cup, qualifying for three straight tournaments from 1994-2002 and twice making the second round. They were agonizingly close to a fourth consecutive appearance, finishing level on points with Angola, but having an inferior head to head record. Obafemi Martins pace would have given World Cup defences something to worry about, and Jay-Jay Okacha’s bag of tricks makes David Blaine look amateur.

Turkey would have brought: flares (the firework things, not the ’70s fashion things)
Their passionate, passionate fans would have created some serious atmosphere. With Germany’s sizeable Turkish population, they would have been well represented too. Not sure what this years policy on flares was (Budweiser approved flares only?) but Turkish fans would have found a way to light up the stadiums.

Uruguay would have brought: more stars
The only former champions not present, Uruguay’s light blue jerseys have two stars - count ‘em - proudly on display. Urugauy came closest of all the absent teams, narrowly losing the CONMEBOL-OFC play-off to Australia on penalties.

Wales would have brought: Giggsy
Germany 2006 was probably Ryan Giggs’ last chance to play on the world’s biggest stage, but the Welsh team never looked like qualifying. Also would have been fun to see how World Cup referees dealt with tough tackling, mouthy midfielder Robbie Savage (though he’s currently in enforced retirement from international football after a spat with John Toshack).
Who do you wish were here?

For the Record

2006-06-29T02:49:00.000-07:00

For the Record
In the past week, Marcus Allbäck of Sweden scored the 2,000th World Cup goal, and Ronaldo scored his fifteenth to set a new record for the most by a single player in World Cup history. But there have been many more records set throughout this year’s tournament, both by single players and by entire teams. Here’s a quick look at some new standards to beat after this year.

Current Portuguese coach, Luiz Felipe Scolari, set a record for most consecutive wins. Conveniently, the fact that his first seven wins came when he was coach of his native Brazilian national team for their 2002 World Cup victory is as irrelevant as the 80’s-era Bruce Reynolds-style mustache he insists on sporting.
And the neutral Swiss put on a fine display of defense in the tournament, becoming the first team ever not to concede a single goal in a World Cup. Except, of course, in the shoot out with Ukraine when they allowed three. Due to some linguistic trickery, these goals, apparently, were not “conceded,” but counted nonetheless, as Ukraine advances to the quarter-finals in its first World Cup appearance.
Also of note is Togo’s unfortunate induction into the collection of twelve teams who lost every game of their World Cup. But even more dismal is Paraguay’s current number one ranking in the categories of quickest own-goal and substitution of a goalkeeper, as well as being the only team ever to have been defeated in a match with only an own goal.
And, of course, there are the cards, a topic of much dispute for this year’s tournament. There should be little surprise that the number of cards, both red and yellow, which have been doled out thus far have set an all-time record with 310 yellows and 25 reds making their appearance as of Tuesday.
The most colorful match of this year has been the infamous game between Portugal and the Netherlands, which tied the record for most yellow cards (16) in a single match , and set a new high for most total (and the most possible) red cards (4). Thanks to referee Valentin Ivanov, Portugal now holds claim to being the recipient of the most yellow cards assessed to a single team, having received nine in the match.
But a set of statistics would certainly not be complete without the most embarrassing record for most yellow cards given to a player in a single match when Croatia’s Josip Šimunić somehow managed to accumulate three yellow warnings in the game against Australia.
This mark is likely not to be surpassed for a long time to come. But if what’s past is prologue, I have little doubt that this year’s referees will find some way to outdo even that blunder.

France stuns Spain, will face Brazil in quarters

2006-06-28T00:32:00.000-07:00

France came from behind to beat Spain 3-1 in an absorbing encounter in Hanover.
Spain had taken the lead through a David Villa penalty, but France levelled before the break through Franck Ribery. The game appeared to be heading for extra-time until Patrick Vieira broke the deadlock in the closing minutes, and Zinedine Zidane sealed the win with a wonderful goal in stoppage time.

Spain included Cesc Fabregas and Raul at the expense of Marcos Senna and Luis Garcia in what was an attacking formation for Luis Aragones' side. For France, suspended French duo Eric Abidal and Zinedine Zidane returned for Mikael Silvestre and David Trezeguet in an experienced line-up that contained five survivors from the 1998 World Cup winning side. Spain enjoyed more of the possession in the early stages but they were unable to carve out any chances and France looked relatively comfortable at the back. At the other end, Henry shot weakly at Casillas in what was a cagey opening to the game. Midway through the half France created a fine opening when Zidane found Henry on the right wing and his low cross eluded Ribery, and although Vieira got a foot to the ball, he was unable to steer his effort on target.

Spain finally broke the deadlock on 27 minutes when Lilian Thuram made a rash challenge on Pablo Ibanez in the area and the referee pointed straight to the penalty spot. David Villa stepped up and slotted a perfect spot-kick just beyond Barthez's reach and Aragones's side were ahead. Zinedine Zidane playing what could be his last ever match was struggling to impose himself on the game. Whenever he received possession he was harried by Xavi and Fabregas who were doing a wonderful job denying him space and curbing his effectiveness. France's other key player, Thierry Henry, was also struggling to make an impact, frequently being caught offside as the Spanish defence pushed up whenever France were in possession. However, five minutes before the break it was a member of the younger generation who hauled them back into the game. Put through on goal by Patrick Vieira, Franck Ribery timed his run to perfection, sprinted through on goal, before skipping past Casillas and sliding the ball into the empty net. It was the last meaningful action in what had been an absorbing opening half. Spain, by virtue of their territorial supremacy, looked the better team, but they must have been concerned at their failure to translate that domination into goalscoring chances. France, meanwhile, infused with self-belief after Ribery's equaliser, will have fancied their chances of pulling off an upset.

The first chance of the second half fell to Malouda who was picked out by Zidane on the edge of the Spanish penalty area, but his delicate chip was acrobatically saved by Casillas. With France beginning to take the game to Spain, Aragones introduced Luis Garcia and Joaquin for Villa and Raul, in an attempt to regain the initiative. The changes did not produce an immediate response from his team, and indeed it was France who appeared to have a renewed appetite for the battle. Unfortunately, the second half lacked the fluency and tempo of the opening period and the game was frequently interrupted by a series of niggling fouls. Chances were few and far between although Joaquin went close with a left foot drive for France, while France's best player Ribery set up Govou but the substitute blazed over. However, just when the game looked like it was meandering towards extra-time, France went ahead through Patrick Vieira. A Zidane free-kick glanced off Alonso and Vieira was waiting at the far post to head home from close range. France's third goal came as Spanish went in search of an equaliser. Zidane, who had worked hard but had been a peripheral influence going forward, was put through and after cutting inside Puyol, the French skipper buried his shot past Casillas.

The 3-1 scoreline was harsh on Spain in what had been a close game throughout. However, France probably deserved their win for the way in which they had controlled the game in the second half. One again Spain have flattered to deceive and will go home disappointed that they have failed to deliver on the biggest stage. To dismiss them as chokers would be a slight on France, who had rolled back the years to earn the right to face Brazil in the quarter-finals.

Brazil cruise through

2006-06-27T11:10:00.000-07:00

Brazil cruise through
Brazil are through to the quarter-finals of the World Cup, after a comfortable 3-0 win over Ghana in Dortmund.
It is four wins and counting for holders Brazil at the 2006 FIFA World Cup™ after they beat Ghana 3-0 in Dortmund to book their place in the quarter-finals on Tuesday, 27 June 2006.
While Brazil advanced to a quarter-final against Spain or France in Frankfurt on Saturday, the talking point of this Round of 16 tie was the opening goal by Ronaldo with which the Brazil marksman wrote his name in the record books. Ronaldo's fifth-minute strike was his 15th in the FIFA World Cup, taking him past Germany's Gerd Muller as the most prolific scorer in the 76-year history of the tournament...

Ghana, the only African side to advance to the knockout rounds, pushed Brazil all the way in the opening period but after missing several chances to score, they conceded a second goal right on the stroke of half-time from Adriano. After losing Asamoah Gyan to a red card following a second bookable offence in the 81st minute, their fate was sealed when Ze Roberto added a third for Brazil three minutes later.

Match Report:

The result was just about deserved although for long periods of the match, Ghana controlled possession and but for some terrible finishing from their erratic forwards, could possibly have got something out of the game. However, overall, the holders simply had too much nous for the African side, who didn't help themselves by employing a risky offside trap that Brazil exploited for two of their three goals. Ultimately, the match is likely to be remembered for Ronaldo's achievement in breaking Gerd Muller's World Cup scoring record, when he opened the scoring in the fifth minute of the game. It was the Brazilian's 15th goal at the finals and a timely reminder to all those who had written him off earlier in the competition. For the biggest match in their history Ghana coach Ratomir Dujkovic recalled Eric Addo for the suspended Michael Essien. Sulley Muntari returned from suspension while Asamoah Gyan returned to partner Matthew Amoah in attack. Emmanuel Pappoe returned at the expense of Habib Mohamed in defence. Brazil reverted to their first-choice line-up, with Jose Ze Roberto, Adriano, Emerson, Roberto Carlos and Cafu returning. Cafu was playing his 19th World Cup finals match, a new Brazilian record, while Ronaldo was looking to score the goal that would give him the World Cup scoring record.

The Brazilian wasted little time overtaking Muller's tally, when he broke Ghana's sloppy offside trap before performing a shimmy that took him past Kingson, to score his 15th goal at the finals. More importantly, the goal gave Brazil a one-goal lead within five minutes of the kick-off. Ghana's tactic of defening high up the pitch was looking suicidal in the opening quarter of the game. Brazil repeated their earlier move on 13 minutes, this time it was Adriano bursting through but his finishing could not match that of his striker partner and although the Inter striker skipped past the keeper, he fell to the ground appealing for a penalty. The referee was having none of it and showed the Brazilian a yellow card for diving. Ghana took their time to get going but they gradually began to gain a foothold in the game and after a neat passing move, Muntari received the ball on the edge of the area, but he dragged his shot wide. As the half progressed the balance of play had shifted and it was Brazil who had to defend as Ghana dominated possession. Amoah came close when Brazil failed to clear an Appiah cross, but Amoah's shot was straight at Dida. At the other end Kingson flapped at a couple of Ronaldinho crosses but on each occasion the ball dropped to safety. Muntari was unlucky not to equalise five minutes before half-time when Mensah rose unmarked at a corner but his downward header was straight at Dida and although he knew little about it, the ball cannoned off his foot and away to safety. However, on the stroke of half-time Brazil made Ghana pay for their profligacy when they broke in numbers and Cafu crossed for Adrinao to bundle the ball over with his thigh. It was a swift, incisive counter-attack, but a more alert linesman would have spotted that Adriano was offside when the final pass was made.

After the break, Ghana again took the game to Brazil, but for all their intricate approach play, their finishing continued to let them down. Meanwhile, Brazil were content to soak up the pressure and hit their opponents on the counter attack. On one such break Ronaldinho picked out Robert Carlos, but the full-back poked his shot straight at Kingson. Ghana's best chance came midway through the half when Amoah was put through on goal by a clever pass from Appiah, but his curling right foot shot was well saved by Dida. Ghana's hopes were hit further with ten minutes remaining when striker Gyan was given a second yellow card. However, given his finishing throughout the tournament Shortly after Gyan's departure, Ze Roberto added a third for Brazil, when he sprung the offside trap before chipping over Kingson and rolling the ball into the empty net. In construction the goal was almost identical to Ronaldo's effort and Adriano's earlier miss, and it confirmed that for all their flair going forward, Ghana had ultimately been undone by their failings at the back. There could have been more goals from Brazil in the closing minutes but Kingson repeatedly denied the holders to ensure the scoreline retained an air of respectability that Ghana's overall play deserved.

Man of the Match: ZE ROBERTO (BRA):

Midfielder Ze Roberto was instrumental in slowing the powerful Ghana attack and pushing forward to support Brazil’s ‘Magic Quartet’, even scoring a late goal to help Brazil obtain a 3-0 win on Tuesday.
The reigning world champions had a number of strong performances in this Round of 16 encounter, including from fellow goalscorers Ronaldo and Adriano, but it was the Bayern Munich man with his gritty play in all areas of the pitch who was named Budweiser Man of the Match, the second time he has received the honour at Germany 2006.
With Brazil 2-0 up in the closing minutes of the match, Ze Roberto made a perfectly timed run down the middle of the pitch, tipped the ball around goalkeeper Richard Kingson and coolly finished into the empty net. The team’s third goal confirmed that the Brazilians were well and truly through to the quarter-finals.
"There were many outstanding performances, but Ze Roberto was chosen as the Budweiser Man of the Match because apart from the brilliant individual performance he was a great team player," said FIFA Technical Study Group member Gyorgy Mezey. "He was outstanding in attack and defence.
"In defence he was very good with the clean tackles - an example of fair play. He contributed a lot in the attack as well, as he was always well positioned and moved a lot. His goal was a tactical play, he scored from a tactical move. In fact, he infiltrated the Ghana defence extremely well."

In conclusion:

Ghana failed to pull off the shock that the romantics may have been hoping for but they can be well satisfied with their performance at their first ever FIFA World Cup. Brazil, as most perhaps expected, won through on an afternoon where the world champions' finishing power was the difference between the teams.
Teams

Brazil: Dida, Cafu, Lucio, Juan, Carlos, Emerson, Ze Roberto, Kaka, Ronaldinho, Adriano, Ronaldo.

Subs used: Gilberto Silva 45 (for Emerson), Juninho 61 (for Adriano), Ricardino 83 (for Kaka). Bookings: Adriano 13, Juan 44

Ghana: Kingson, Pantsil, Shilla, Mensah, Pappoe, Draman, Eric Addo, Appiah, Muntari, Amoah, Gyan.

Subs used: Boateng 70 (for E Addo), Tachie-Mensah 69 (for Amoah).

Bookings: Muntari 7, Muntari 11, Pantsil 29, Addo 38, Gyan 48

Sent-off: Gyan 81

Referee: Lubos Michel (Slovakia).

Scorers: Brazil: Ronaldo 5, Adriano 46, Ze Roberto 86.

SWITZERLAND 0-0 a.e.t. 0-3 PSO UKRAINE

2006-06-26T23:55:00.000-07:00

SWITZERLAND 0-0 a.e.t. 0-3 PSO UKRAINE
Ukraine won through to a FIFA World Cup™ quarter-final against Italy after beating Switzerland on penalties after a goalless draw in Cologne on Monday, 26 June 2006.
None of Switzerland's three penalty-takers - Marco Streller, Tranquillo Barnetta and Ricardo Cabanas - were able to convert their kicks meaning that despite Andriy Shevchenko's miss for Ukraine, Oleg Blokhin's side won the shoot-out 3-0. Artem Milevskiy, Serhiy Rebrov and Oleg Gusev all put the ball past Pascal Zuberbuehler to leave the Ukrainians looking forward to a tie with Italy in Hamburg on Friday.

Chances were at a premium during the opening 90 minutes of this Round of 16 match, but both teams at least managed to hit the woodwork. Shevchenko headed against the crossbar at one end while Alexander Frei's free-kick curled on to the crossbar at the other.
In extra time both Johann Vogel and Philipp Degen went close for the Swiss, but as the 120 minutes ended scoreless, penalties were required for the first time in this edition of the FIFA World Cup.

Penalties: Switzerland had a disastrous shoot-out, missing all three kicks after gaining an early advantage when Shevchenko went first and Zuberbuehler saved. Shovkovskyi kept out Swiss attempts by Streller and Cabanas, while Barnetta smashed against the bar and it was left to Gusev to win it for Ukraine.

After a game where penalties provided the only real drama of the night, Ukraine moved through to the quarter-finals on their first visit to the FIFA World Cup. Switzerland were left to contemplate whether a more adventurous approach would have kept them in the competition.

Last gasp winner sends Italy through

2006-06-26T12:22:00.000-07:00

Last gasp winner sends Italy through
Italy 1-0 Australia,Italy are through to the World Cup quarter-finals after overcoming Australia courtesy of a penalty in the last minute of the game.
An injury-time penalty from substitute Francesco Totti took ten-man Italy past Australia and into the last eight of the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Kaiserslautern on Monday, 26 June 2006.
Totti, a 75th-minute replacement for Alessandro Del Piero, drove the spot-kick high into the net after Fabio Grosso had gone down under a Lucas Neill challenge just seconds before the final whistle...

Italy had been reduced to ten men following Marco Materazzi's red card five minutes into the second half and at that stage their followers might have feared a repeat of their loss to Guus Hiddink's Korea Republic at this stage four years ago. Instead, Totti's strike leaves the Azzurri looking forward to a quarter-final tie against either Switzerland or Ukraine in Hamburg on Friday.
As for Hiddink's Australia team, they can head for home proud of their performance in Germany, having reached the Round of 16 on their first outing on the world stage in 32 years.

Match Report:

The much-vilified Francesco Totti stepped up and hammered an unstoppable penalty past Mark Schwarzer, to earn the victory for an Italian side that had been reduced to ten men early in the second half following the dismissal of Marco Materazzi.

Australia winger Harry Kewell arrived on crutches – and missed the match with a groin strain. Marco Bresciano took his place, while Luke Wilkshire came in for the suspended Brett Emerton. Unsurprisingly, Mark Schwarzer replaced Zeljko Kalac, who had a shocker against Croatia in their final group game.

Italy coach Marcello Lippi sprung a surprise by dropping Francesco Totti and bringing in Alessandro del Piero. Despite reports that Filippo Inzaghi would start, Lippi persevered with Luca Toni alongside Alberto Gilardino up front.

Del Piero's first contribution to the game almost led to a goal after just three minutes. He teased the defender on the left before delivering a wonderful curling cross that Luca Toni headed just wide. Italy went close again shortly afterwards when the ball fell to Perrotta but his goal-bound shot was well blocked by Chipperfield.

Although the match was relatively even possession-wise, Italy looked the more dangerous side and they looked a threat every time they went forward. Midway through the half Australia were grateful to Mark Schwarzer who cleared with his foot after Toni turned Grella with ease and fired in a low shot on target.

Australia's best chance fell to Chipperfield after Italy failed to clear a free-kick. The ball fell to the advancing defender who connected cleanly with his shot, but hit it straight at Buffon.

At the other end, Toni missed his third good chance after good play by Italy. Pirlo found Perrotta who headed across the face of the goal to find Toni, but the striker, who arrived here with a reputation as a prolific goalscorer after a wonderful season with Fiorentina, headed over the bar from close range.

Lippi introduced Iaquinta at the interval for the relatively ineffective Gilardino. However, on the evidence of the opening 45 minutes, it was his partner Toni who should have been replaced. The Fiorentina forward added to his collection of bad misses just after the break when he fired over when under no pressure at all.

Spanish referee Luis Medina Cantalejo, gave Australia a huge boost five minutes into the second half when he dismissed Marco Materazzi for a crude lunge on Bresciano. Although cynical, the foul did not deny an obvious goal scoring opportunity and it was difficult to imagine why the official considered the challenge worthy of a red card.

Italy were forced to reshuffle with Barzagli coming in for the disappointing Toni. He was called into action almost immediately as Australia sensed that this was their moment. Chipperfield, nominally playing centre back, appeared in the opposition penalty area and his stinging shot was palmed away by Buffon.

Lippi also brought on Totti for the anonymous del Piero with fifteen minutes remaining, and the Roma man's first contribution was to set up Perrotta from the edge of the area, but Neill blocked his effort. Indeed, despite playing with only ten men, Italy still looked as likely to break the deadlock as their opponents.

With the referee looking at his watch and with extra-time looking inevitable, Italy were extremely fortunate to be awared a penalty. Grosso burst into the penalty area and fell over the prostrate body of Lucas Neill. It looked an innocuous challenge but the referee had no hesitation in pointing to the penalty spot. Totti, having a World Cup to forget, stepped up and smashed home the spot-kick to redeem his somewhat tainted reputation.

It was cruel on Australia who had done enough over the course of the 90 minutes to earn an additional half an hour. Their World Cup campaign is over, and so too is Guus Hiddink's hope of becoming the first man to reach the semi-finals with three different countries.

Italy march on, although their performance here was not one to instill fear in any of the teams remaining in the competition. However, with a match against the winner of the Switzerland-Ukraine tie to come, a place in the last four looks a distinct possibility for Lippi's team.

Coaches' quotes:

Marcello LIPPI (ITA)

We were concerned about their high-tempo game and their tireless running, and because of that, we treated them with a lot of respect. We contained them very well in the first half and carved out three clear chances for ourselves. They had no chances to speak of. After the break, I brought on (Vincenzo) Iaquinta to speed things up a bit, but then we went down to ten men.
After that, the quality of our organisation and our spirit saw us through. We passed the ball well out of defence. Then at the end (Fabio) Grosso was superb and (Francesco) Totti perfect in tucking away the penalty. Let's hope that gives him a lift. He had trouble lasting the distance against the Czechs, and that's why I gave him a breather today. I intended bringing him on when the match had settled down and that's what I did.

Guus HIDDINK (AUS)

I’m very disappointed with the loss, coming as it did as a result of a last-gasp goal, but I'm very proud of the way my players performed throughout the tournament and particularly against Italy. We started off saying to ourselves that we wanted to avoid penalty-kicks, but as things unfolded we would have taken them.
We wanted to play attractive, spectacular football, and we did. But in contrast to the Italians, we weren’t lethal enough in front of goal. The team tried their hardest and we can have no regrets.
In conclusion:

Heartbreak for an Australia side who produced one of their best performances on the international stage. But credit to Italy who for standing firm when down to ten men for the majority of the second half.
Teams

Italy: Gianluigi Buffon, Gianluca Zambrotta, Fabio Cannavaro, Marco Materazzi, Fabio Grosso, Gennaro Gattuso, Andrea Pirlo, Simone Perrotta, Alessandro Del Piero, Luca Toni, Alberto Gilardino. Subs used: Iaquinta 45 (for Gilardino), Barzagli 56 (for Toni), Totti 75 (for del Piero). Bookings: Grosso 29, Gattuso 89, Zambrotta 91 Sent-off: Materazzi 51

Australia: Mark Schwarzer, Lucas Neill, Craig Moore, Tim Cahill, Jason Culina, Mark Viduka, Vince Grella, Scott Chipperfield, Luke Wilkshire, Mile Sterjovski, Marco Bresciano. Subs used: Aloisi 81 (for Sterjovski)

Bookings: Grella 23, Cahill 49, Wilkshire 61

Referee: Luis Medina Cantalejo (Spain).

Scorers: Italy: Totti 93 (pen)

Four off as Portugal send Dutch home

2006-06-26T01:40:00.000-07:00

Portugal moved into the quarter finals on Sunday after a Maniche goal settled a tempestuous match with the Dutch which saw four sent off. The former Porto midfielder rounded off a superb first-half passing move to sink Marco van Basten's side in a game ruined by a festival of cards in Nuremberg.
Russian referee Valentin Ivanov produced his first yellow after just two minutes and raced to a World Cup record as he reduced both sides to nine men by the final whistle, showing a total 16 yellow cards in a game which threatened to explode into chaos.

Portugal midfielder Costinha was the first to go - a stupid deliberate handball in first-half injury time earning him a needless second yellow.
By that time, Portugal were already one to the good.
Cristiano Ronaldo held the ball up on the right before feeding Deco down the flank - the Barcelona player's hard low ball into the box taken under Pauleta's wing before he teed up Maniche who - with a neat sidestep - fired past Edwin van der Sar.
"Falling a goal behind was no problem but then you have to score the first chance you get and that one we missed," said Van der Sar, who won a Dutch record 113th cap in the game.
The culprit was Robin van Persie.
With Ruud van Nistelrooy dropped in favour of Dirk Kuijt, Van Persie and Arjen Robben on the opposite flank were expected to find the goals to avenge the Netherland's Euro 2004 semi-final defeat to the Portuguese.
And the Arsenal midfielder should have grabbed a leveller eight minutes before the interval after bamboozling Nuno Valente and Ricardo Carvalho with an outrageous feint only to bend his shot wide of the far post.
But in a hot-tempered second half, Ivanov risked losing total control as players contested every decision, rushing in whenever a team-mate was fouled to demand retribution.

HEADBUTTED
The spark was provided just before the hour mark by the habitually cool Luis Figo, who - unseen by Ivanov - headbutted Mark van Bommel following a foul by Giovanni van Bronckhorst on Barcelona team-mate Deco.
Simao - on for Cristiano Ronaldo, who suffered a thigh injury which looked serious enough to threaten his participation against England - went close with the free-kick, but that was a mere footnote as collisions, cards and mass melees became the order of the day.

DESPERATION
It was Figo's reaction to what appeared an innocent stray Khalid Boulahrouz arm just three minutes later which saw the Dutch defender sent off for elbowing, before Deco picked up two bookings in six minutes to join him on the sidelines.
In desperation, Marco van Basten threw on Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink - leaving Van Nistelrooy rooted to the bench - and Kuijt twice came close to finding a dramatic late leveller.
But it was left to Van Bronckhorst and the increasingly hapless Mr Ivanov to even things up for the Dutch.
Van Bronckhorst clipped the heels of Tiago, Mr Ivanov providing the customary second yellow card and giving the Dutch left-back the right to slip in alongside club-mate Deco on the sidelines to discuss the fiasco.

"It was an extremely difficult game," admitted Figo. "We were good in the first half, but after we started playing with nine men it was a lot of work.
"The team should be congratulated for demonstrating such character."

Beckham the difference

2006-06-25T10:36:00.000-07:00

Beckham the difference
England have secured their place in the World Cup quarter-finals following a laboured 1-0 win over a disappointing Ecuador side.
David Beckham bent the ball over the wall and squeezed England into the World Cup quarterfinals...

In a poor match of few chances, England were thankful to a second-half David Beckham free-kick which ended the stalemate. However, once again Sven Goran Eriksson's team showed nothing to indicate that they were serious contenders to win the competition.
Eriksson opted for a novel 4-5-1 system, which saw Wayne Rooney playing on his own up front, with Michael Carrick drafted into the midfield holding role. The changes improved England's passing, although the paucity of clear cut chances created suggested the new system was not an unqualified success.

England enjoyed the bulk of the early possession but they were unable to test Mora in what was a cagey opening to the game. Ecuador should have taken the lead on 11 minutes when Carlos Tenorio pounced on a terrible header by John Terry. With only Robinson to beat, the striker dwelled long enough to allow Ashley Cole to make a terrific diving challenge which deflected the shot on to the bar. It was a lucky escape for England and a warning that they weren't going to get things all their own way. Lampard brought the first save from Mora, when he fired from the edge of the area after neat interplay from England. However, the chance was a rarity in a game that lacked cohesion and was beset by numerous stoppages caused by both sides committing countless niggly fouls. The heat was undoubtedly a factor in a lacklustre encounter, although the conditions alone couldn't explain the sheer number of misplaced passes. The deadlock was eventually broken when the otherwise anonymous David Beckham produced one of his trademark free-kicks. The curling effort from 25 yards was tipped onto the post by Mora but the ball rolled into the net.
Shortly afterwards, Lampard had a good chance to extend the lead, but he snatched at his shot from the edge of the penalty area. The midfielder was then presented with a wonderful chance moments later when a stray Ecuador pass found him in space, but rather than shoot he tried to find Rooney, only to underhit his pass and allow the Ecuadorian defence to clear the danger.

England were beginning to force the pace but their finally pass was invariably lamentable and when they did carve open the Ecuador defence, Lampard could usually be relied upon to scuff his shot. The Chelsea player's work rate was admirable but his shooting in this tournament has belied his reputation as a fine striker of the ball. Ecuador, with their World Cup hopes hanging by a thread, seemed unable to mount any pressure on the England goal.

Their best chance fell to Valencia who fired wide from the edge of the area, but otherwise the England defence was rarely troubled. England just about deserved their win against a curiously uninspired Paraguay side.

One bonus for Eriksson will have been the performance of Rooney, who not only lasted the full 90 minutes, but also appeared to be regaining his sharpness as the game progressed. If England are to have any chance of living up to their pre-tournament hype, then much will depend on Rooney's renaissance.

Man of the Match: John TERRY (ENG)

Defender John Terry was named the Budweiser Man of the Match after he anchored an England back line that completely smothered Ecuador's forwards on the way to a 1-0 victory.
Ecuador striker Agustin Delgado may be known for his prowess in the air but he did not have an attempt on goal during his 90 minutes on the pitch thanks to the solid work of Terry and fellow England centre-half Rio Ferdinand. In all, Ecuador only managed three shots on goal, none of them truly testing goalkeeper Paul Robinson.
The Chelsea captain, who took the armband from David Beckham when he was substituted, also contributed with his leadership, rallying his team-mates as Ecuador pushed for a late equaliser in the intense heat in Stuttgart.
"He is the Budweiser Man of the Match because he made few errors and had a perfect game in defence," said FIFA Technical Study Group member Alvin Corneal. "He made up for his team-mates' mistakes and he was the one who stopped most of Ecuador's best chances."

In conclusion:

It was a controlled performance from England which took them to the quarter-finals of the FIFA World Cup. Beckham's strike proved enough to settle a game of few chances against an Ecuador team who seldom threatened the opposition goal.

Analysis of Match

It was a game of contrasting styles. Ecuador were prepared to put the ball down and keep possession, making slow but positive penetration.
England were trying to make a positive approach with the long ball, but it was unproductive. In most cases they were dispossessed too easily and Ecuador were well organised but probably more nonchalant in their approach.
The South Americans did not seem to have the aggressive intent that would have got them behind the back of England’s defence. On the other hand, England banked too heavily on Wayne Rooney, who did not have the support going forward.
Because of this, very few opportunities were created. The difference in the game was the David Beckham free-kick and Ecuador's failure to attack with any real conviction.

ARGENTINA 2-1 MEXICO

2006-06-25T06:27:00.000-07:00

ARGENTINA 2-1 MEXICO
Argentina needed extra time and a wonder strike from Maxi Rodriguez to give them a 2-1 victory over Mexico and a place in the quarter-finals of Germany 2006 in Leipzig on Saturday, 24 June 2006.
After a fast and furious start, Mexico took the lead with just five minutes on the clock. Pavel Pardo's free-kick from the right was flicked on by Jared Borgetti and Rafael Marquez swept the ball home at the far post.

It took just four minutes for the Albiceleste to draw level. Juan Riquelme’s corner from the right was touched in by Hernan Crespo and despite a series of chances for both sides, 1-1 was how it stayed for the remaining 80 minutes of normal time.
In the 98th minute, Juan Sorin’s fine cross-field pass was chested down by Rodriguez and the Atletico Madrid man fired home a left-footed volley to book his side a date with Germany in Berlin’s Olympiastadion on 30 June.
6': But Mexico had certainly started the better of the two sides and emphasised that with the game’s opening goal. Pardo swung over a fine free-kick, Borgetti back-headed across the six-yard box and captain Marquez drove it home at the back post. (0-1)
10': The lead lasted just four minutes. Riquelme, celebrating his 28th birthday, saw a 22-yard free-kick deflected for a corner which he himself took and Crespo flicked the ball into the net under pressure from Borgetti. (1-1)
98':Argentina put together a move which ended with a goal worthy of winning any game. Messi, from a central position midway inside Mexico’s half, played the ball out wide to Sorin. A left-footed delivery picked out Rodriguez on the left-hand edge of the penalty area, he took the ball under control on his chest and on the volley thundered a shot into the top right-hand corner of Sanchez’s net. (2-1)
It took a world-class goal to separate these two in an otherwise evenly balanced game. The win sets up a mouth-watering clash between the South Americans and Germany in Berlin on Friday.

Germany stroll into the last 8

2006-06-24T10:39:00.000-07:00

Germany stroll into the last 8
Germany advanced to the FIFA World Cup quarter-finals after two early goals from Lukas Podolski secured a comfortable 2-0 victory over Sweden on Saturday, 24 June 2006.
Jurgen Klinsmann's team did not look back once Podolski had fired them in front in the fourth minute and after the same player doubled their lead eight minutes later, only the excellence of Sweden goalkeeper Andreas Isaksson denied Germany further goals.
Sweden lost defender Teddy Lucic to a second yellow card after 35 minutes and their faint hopes of a comeback all but evaporated when Henrik Larsson blazed a penalty over the crossbar eight minutes into the second half.
Germany can now look forward to a quarter-final tie in Berlin next Friday against the winners of the Argentina-Mexico game...

Easy win pleases Klinsmann

Germany coach Jurgen Klinsmann hailed the performance of his side after the host nation cruised into the quarter-finals following a 2-0 victory over Sweden.
"It could not be better," said Klinsmann. "We went in highly concentrated but strangely enough the red card (for Sweden defender Teddy Lucic) took our rhythm away.
"The penalty could also have been a turning point but we are excited by the team and how they played.
"We were very prepared and we respected them, especially the attacking trio. We did not want to concede a goal. We did not want to give them any breathing space."
Sweden coach Lars Lagerback praised the performance of his side despite their elimination from the tournament.
He said: "It is difficult to beat anyone with 10 men, especially a team like Germany but my players showed a lot of character.
"I'm very proud of the way they played in the second half but we let in two easy goals at the beginning."

Teams:

Germany: Lehmann, Friedrich, Metzelder, Mertesacker, Lahm, Schweinsteiger, Frings, Ballack, Schneider, Podolski, Klose.

Subs used: Borowski 72 (for Schweinsteiger), Neuville 74 (for Podolski), Kehl 85 (for Frings). Bookings: Frings 27

Sweden: Isaksson, Alexandersson, Mellberg, Lucic, Edman, Ljungberg, Linderoth, Kallstrom, Jonson, Ibrahimovic, Larsson.

Subs used: Hansson 39 (for Kallstrom), Wilhelmsson 52 (for Jonson), Allback 72 (for Ibrahimovic).

Bookings: Lucic 28, Jonson 48, Allback 78

Sent-off: Lucic 35

Referee: Carlos Eugenio Simon (Brazil).

In conclusion:

Helped by a lightning start, the hosts produced a magnificent display of attacking football to brush past a disappointing Sweden team. After conceding those early goals to Podolski, the Scandinavians' cause was not helped by a first-half sending off and Larsson's missed penalty and the two-goal margin could have been greater.
Man of the Match: Miroslav KLOSE (GER):

Miroslav Klose showed that he is more than just a pure goalscorer on Saturday, as his outstanding creative work led to two goals for strike partner Lukas Podolski in Germany’s 2-0 win over Sweden in the Round of 16.
Klose’s five goals at Korea/Japan 2002 were second only to adidas Golden Shoe winner Ronaldo, and after leading the Bundesliga scoring charts last season and finishing the group stage of Germany 2006 as the tournament's leading scorer, the big centre-forward showed that he is more than a great target for high balls in the box, as his skill and vision were critical elements of the build-ups to both goals against Sweden.
With the match in only four minutes old, the Werder Breman man played a wonderful touch to split two defenders and burst into the box. Goalkeeper Andreas Isaksson did well to come off his line and break up Klose’s attempt to shoot, but the ball spilled out perfectly for Podolski, who finished with the keeper still on the ground and the net exposed.
Klose needed just eight more minutes to create Germany’s second goal. This time he dribbled along the edge of the penalty area and drew a crowd of Swedish defenders before cleverly playing a reverse ball for Podolski, who found himself in acres of space to fire a shot past Isaksson.
"Klose did a great job and had the assists for the goals,” said FIFA Technical Study Group member Rodrigo Kenton. “He played well with Podolski and he was always positive in his efforts. He was offensively very important throughout the game."

Group G Final Games

2006-06-23T23:54:00.000-07:00

Group G Final Games
Friday night's all right for France in World cup: Every Frenchman remembers where they were on 11 June 2002 and the sick feeling they felt in the pit of their stomach. The FIFA World Cup™ holders had just limped out of the tournament in Korea/Japan, their second defeat in three games hammering them to the basement of their group. They did not even have a goal to show for 12 days in purgatory.
A similar scenario haunted them again today as the spectre of another first-round exit loomed. For 50-odd minutes they struggled to exert their authority over Togo who were motivated by the promise of their first FIFA World Cup points. A 2-0 win eventually saw France safely through but they had to work extremely hard for it.
In the Round of 16 they will face Spain in what promises to be a fascinating all-European confrontation. It was Switzerland who had the honour of winning Group H after easing to a 2-0 victory over Korea Republic which put them in the last 16 for the first time since 1994. That result, coupled with France's win, sends the 2002 semi-finalists home. The Swiss will now face Ukraine who beat Tunisia 1-0.
France had to win - something they had not managed in five FIFA World Cup games since that memorable summer's night in Paris at the climax of their own 1998 tournament when they put three goals into Brazil's net. And if the Koreans and the Swiss drew they would have to win by at least two.
The action, in both arenas, was fast and furious. There were three sets of players desperate to win to continue their stay in Germany and one more wanting their first visit to a FIFA World Cup to be remembered for a first victory and not three defeats.
France laboured in the first half to find a way through. Franck Ribery - in for the suspended Zinedine Zidane, whose retirement will now be postponed for a few more days - was a menace to Togo with his darting runs and close control. And a menace to his own team with his wayward finishing.
He skied one opening midway through the first half and when he did the same again – only worse – in the 53rd minute it was fair to ask if this was going to be another French nadir. Up high in the Alps before the tournament – down low in a pit of despair once the serious business began.

SWITZERLAND-KOREA REPUBLIC: Players' Quotes

Alexander FREI (SUI), Budweiser Man of the Match

(On winning the award a second time) Well, the first thing I'm going to do is fill them up tonight and empty them in celebration. Kidding aside, it's a tremendous honour and achievement to have won these two Man of the Match awards, but it's not just me out there, it's the whole team playing together. I’m proud to be part of one of the best 16 teams in the world. The Swiss fans can be proud tonight as well. As a team we can show the world what ambition we have and what we can do. We’re not little Switzerland any more. There have been times when the Swiss national team hasn’t been that good. It’s very important that the national team leads the nation’s teams and we’re taking the first steps in doing that. We are proud of the way we got here, proud of the fact we are unbeaten and first in the group. The goal we had was to reach the Round of 16, from now on we need luck.
Ricardo CABANAS (SUI)

It’s a dream that we are allowed to get where we have and we’ll do anything to make sure it can go on. It was our goal to qualify. Ukraine will be dangerous, but we’re confident we can win and I just feel fantastic. I was happy for the victory, but we’re already thinking about the next game

LEE Chun-Soo (KOR)

We worked really hard to be successful. I thought we had a lot of chances and I think we wanted win too much maybe. I cried a lot after the game. I think we played very well, but in the future we have to be more prepared. I would like to play in Europe, I think it will make me a better player. I know the fans are disappointed, but the fans were excellent. We had a very short time to prepare, the coaches say the time was too short, next time we will be better prepared. We must improve, we showed we had a good team.

LEE Young-Pyo (KOR)

I’m very upset about the game and I think the second goal was very strange. We all stopped playing because we thought the linesman had flagged. We have to go and prepare for the 2010 World Cup.

TOGO-FRANCE: Coaches' Quotes

Otto PFISTER (TOG)

You have to remember we were playing against the former world champions. There are players with a lot of class in that side, like Claude Makelele, Patrick Vieira and Thierry Henry. It was the immense talent of those players that made the difference.
We defended our goal well and even created two great chances, but it got tougher as time went on. In the second half, we kept going forward and I made an attacking substitution as well. We came here to win, but the French were highly motivated and, after a lot of criticism, had a few things to prove.
The French aren't at their best yet, but they were still able to raise their game a lot in the second half. Franck Ribery was very good and a real pain for us. You never know what will happen in the Round of 16, but little by little, their play is steadily improving.

Raymond DOMENECH (FRA)

We were able to create a lot of openings in the first half and Kossi Agassa was kept very busy. We were just a little bit more successful after the break, because we played to a consistent level from start to finish. At half-time, we told ourselves one thing: push forward, keep pushing and push even more. We couldn't afford to relax.
We knew it wouldn't be easy and they made it hard for us, as they did for the Swiss and the Koreans. It must have been hard for them following their elimination, so we decided to get right in amongst them.
No one stood out in particular. I have a list of 23 players who need to feel involved in every match. Everyone has to be at their best. For now, we'll savour this win, but it'll soon be time to think about our next game. I'm happy for the players. They never gave up and fought hard in adversity. We had to get past this obstacle, and now we've done that we can afford to breathe a little. That doesn't mean the pressure has gone away though. Every single World Cup game brings its own pressure.
We played without Zinedine Zidane, we won and that's all. You can go back and reflect on what might have been, but what's the point? We had to win 2-0 with the players that were available and we did that. I don't like talking about individuals but I'll make an exception: I've always said Patrick Vieira would be one of the stars of this World Cup and he confirmed that tonight.

TOGO-FRANCE: Players' Quotes

Patrick VIEIRA (FRA), Budweiser Man of the Match

There will be no celebrations because we need to focus on the next game. We won an important game and I’m happy but the team will first rest and we’ll think about Spain tomorrow. It’s a great evening for France. I’m satisfied with the way I played especially as it’s my birthday but the team performance is more important and we’re getting better match by match. We kept calm and stayed focused today - it’s been a long time since France scored two goals. I hope we’ve liberated ourselves now. We have huge potential though we still have a lot of work to do. I’m confident we can now beat Spain.There is an excellent atmosphere in the camp but what we do on the pitch is all that counts. It made no difference playing without (Zinedine) Zidane. Of course he is important but we won deservedly tonight and that is what counts.

Thierry HENRY (FRA)

We tried everything to get ahead before half-time. We created good chances but didn’t drop our heads when they didn’t go in. Vieira was huge. It’s been a long time since France have played as well as this. We took risks, played down the wings but the Togo goalkeeper played a blinder and I despaired that the ball would never go in. We didn’t want to know the score in the Switzerland-Korea game. I think it will be an exciting match against Spain as they won’t just defend.

Moustapha SALIFOU (TOG)

There was chaos in the camp at times and maybe we could have done better without these problems, but it was a special match tonight. Togo was a French colony. We played like brothers, so the atmosphere was a bit different.

Kossi AGASSA (TOG)

We didn’t get overrun though we had few chances tonight. We played well but it just wasn’t enough. Looking back on the tournament, we learned a lot of things.

Group H Final Games

2006-06-23T09:44:00.000-07:00

Group H Final Games

Saudi Arabia 0 : 1 Spain: Spain fielded a team of reserves Friday and still beat Saudi Arabia 1-0 to top Group H at the World Cup...

Ukraine 1 : 0 Tunisia : Ukraine made history at its first World Cup...

Saudi Arabia -Spain Match Report
Coach Luis Aragones told his fringe players to try and earn a spot on the team for the second round and several impressed.
Central defender Juanito Gutierrez headed in Spain's goal from a free-kick by Jose Antonio Reyes in the 36th minute.
Spain won the with a maximum nine points and extended its unbeaten streak under Aragones to 25 matches. It will play its second round game in Hanover on Tuesday against the runner-up from Group G, which contains 1998 champion France and 2002 semifinalist South Korea.
Saudi Arabia exited its fourth consecutive World Cup with only one point from its opening draw with Tunisia.
With Spain already through to the knockout stage after wins against Ukraine and Tunisia, Aragones decided to rest his regular starters against the Saudis and give his backup players a chance. Seven had never played a World Cup match before.

Spain got its goal when Reyes sent a curling free kick from the left and Juanito, outsmarting his marker, connected with a perfectly timed header past goalkeeper Mabrouk Zayed. It was the Real Betis defender's second goal for Spain.
Zayed stopped Spain from taking a bigger lead before halftime, saving a barrage of shots from Reyes, David Albelda, and Joaquin Sanchez.

Spain's all-time leading scorer Raul Gonzalez had a fairly uneventful first half and was replaced by Valencia striker David Villa after the break.
The "Red Fury" nearly found their second goal when Villa, inside the penalty box, dropped the ball back to fullback Antonio Lopez, who angled a dangerous shot to the far post. Zayed tipped the ball to corner.
But Saudi Arabia came out with more ambition in the second half and broke Spain's dominance.

Spanish keeper Santiago Canizares, filling in for Iker Casillas, was tested for the first time 12 minutes into the second half when he saved Hussein Abdul-Ghani's outside shot.
Striker Saad al-Harthi had Saudi Arabia's best chance to equalize when he was set up in the penalty box in the 89th by Mohammed Noor, but his shot sailed over the crossbar.
Spain's top scorer in the tournament, Fernando Torres came on with 25 minutes to go, and managed a few dangerous runs but couldn't get past Zayed.
Spain crushed Ukraine 4-0 in its opener and then rallied to beat Tunisia 3-1.
Winning the group boosted Spain's hopes of shaking off its tag as an international underachiever. Despite being a powerhouse at the club level, Spain has never gotten past a World Cup quarterfinal since finishing fourth in 1950.
Saudi Arabia looked strong in its 2-2 opener against Tunisia, but then slumped 4-0 against Ukraine.
Ukraine - Tunisia Match Report

Andriy Shevchenko scored on a penalty kick in the 70th minute to lead the Eastern Europeans to a 1-0 victory over Tunisia on Friday, making Ukraine the first former-Soviet republic to advance past the tournament's group stage.
Ukraine needed only a draw to advance, barring a freakishly large victory by Saudi Arabia over Spain in the other Group H match. Tunisia needed to win to reach the second round, but had its hopes dented when its only fit striker, Ziad Jaziri, was sent off in the last minute of a scoreless first half with his second yellow card.
Shevchenko scored his second goal of the tournament after going down on light contact as he ran between Tunisia goalkeeper Ali Boumnijel and defender Karim Hagui. He had called for and received a long ball then sprinted toward the goal.
Ukraine joins Ghana as the only two of six newcomers in Germany to reach the second round. The Ukrainians will play their second-round match on Monday in Cologne against the Group G winner, which will be decided later Friday.

Ukraine, which bounced back with two wins after losing its opener 4-0 to Spain, became just the third team since the tournament expanded to 32 teams in 1998 to make it to the second round after losing its first game. Ghana also did it this year and Turkey went all the way to the semifinals after losing its opener in 2002.
Tunisia's best scoring chance came in the 19th minute, when Hamed Namouchi curled a shot in but Ukraine goalkeeper Olexandr Shovkovskiy caught it comfortably under his crossbar.
Jaziri received his second yellow of the match for a sliding tackle on Tymoschuk in injury time. Blokhin and several Ukraine players clapped when referee Carlos Amarilla pulled out the yellow card. And as the match went into halftime, Tunisian officials went onto the field to usher their furious players away from Amarilla and his assistants.

Ukraine kept control, especially in the second half, but was not as convincing as it was in its 4-0 victory over Saudi Arabia on Monday.
Ukraine, which gained its independence in 1991, was the second former-Soviet republic to qualify for the tournament. Russia was knocked out in the group stage in 1994 and 2002.
Ukraine had already proved it was a threat to challenge for the title when it became the first European team to qualify for the final tournament, losing only once in the preliminaries.
Ukraine is home to 1999 Champions League semifinalist Dynamo Kiev, but the country has been slow to make its mark internationally. Many of the key players in the Soviet national team hailed from Ukraine, but with the 1991 breakup of the Soviet Union, they chose to play for Russia.
Since its independence, Ukraine had its hopes of entering the World Cup dashed twice at the last stage.

Group F Final Games

2006-06-22T14:20:00.000-07:00

Group F Final Games
Japan 1 : 4 Brazil : A truly professional performance in world cup.Ronaldo found his goal-scoring touch to finally give Brazil the kind of convincing victory many expected to be routine in this World Cup...
Croatia 2 : 2 Australia : It took the Socceroos 32 years to get back to the World Cup. No wonder they wanted to prolong their stay...

Japan -Brazil Match Report
First of all, we have to acknowledge the effort of the Japanese team. They fought hard and played to the top of their ability for large portions of the match. In the end the Brazilians proved a little too powerful, but the Japanese team played with good attacking ability and strength throughout and showed great technical ability.
Early on, the Japanese had the better of the play, but Brazil began to uncoil their springs and press and press and by the time the second half rolled around they had worn the Japanese team out and taken control of the game.
Even though the Asians played a good game, the Brazilians played a superb game and gave a superlative performance. They were a wonderful combination of collective and individual ability and a true celebration of modern football at its best.
One of the things that impressed me most about Brazil’s performance was the fact that at the end of the game, when the score was 4-1 and the result settled, they played with the same discipline in defence as they did when the score was 0-0. This is a truly professional performance we have seen tonight.
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Ronaldo scored twice to tie the all-time record with 14 career World Cup goals and Brazil clinched Group F with a 4-1 victory that eliminated Japan from the tournament Thursday night.
With its second-round berth already secured, Brazil fielded five reserve players and got goals from two of them, Juninho and Gilberto. But it was Ronaldo who was the star in Brazil's record 10th straight World Cup win.
Ronaldo faced questions about his fitness and form after struggling in the first two games but once again showed off the talent that has made him one of the game's great players.
He tied the game at 1 with a header a minute into first-half injury time. He was set up by Real Madrid teammate Cicinho, who sent him the ball with a header across the area. Ronaldo scored his second goal in the 81st, with a right-footer from 20 yards after a set up by defender Juan.
The first goal moved him past Pele as Brazil's all-time scoring leader in the competition and the second tied the record held by Gerd Mueller of Germany.
Brazil will play Ghana in the second round on Tuesday back in Dortmund.

Japan is headed back home after finishing last in the group with one point, failing to repeat its second-round appearance from when it co-hosted the 2002 tournament. The Japanese, coached by former Brazilian all-star Zico, needed to defeat the five-time champions to have any chance to advance.

Zico changed both his starting strikers to try to boost the attack, and it seemed to work when the Japanese surprisingly took the lead despite being outplayed by Brazil.
Keiji Tamada, one of the new forwards, put Japan ahead in the 34th minute with a powerful left-footer from inside the area, completing a through pass by Alessandro Santos. Tamada received the ball unmarked, then quickly fired into the left-upper corner of the net.
After Ronaldo tied it at the end of the half, Brazil took the game over in the second half. Juninho, replacing regular starter Ze Roberto, scored in the 53rd minute with a shot from about 25 yards that appeared to change directions at the last minute and fool Japan goalkeeper Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi.
Gilberto, replacing Roberto Carlos, got Brazil's third goal in the 59th after a neat through pass from Ronaldinho. Gilberto entered the area unmarked and sent a low left-footer past Kawaguchi.
The goal by Japan ended Brazil's string of four straight World Cup shutouts since beating England 2-1 in the quarterfinals of the 2002 tournament. Brazil could have equaled Italy's record of five straight shutouts in the 1990 World Cup.
Coach Carlos Alberto Parreira's changes to the lineup - leaving out veteran wingers Cafu and Roberto Carlos, midfielders Emerson and Ze Roberto and striker Adriano - worked from the beginning.

Cicinho, Gilberto, Gilberto Silva, Juninho and Robinho all played well and contributed to Brazil's victory.
Robinho, who had substituted for Ronaldo in the first two matches, added speed to Brazil's attack from the start, creating several scoring opportunities and setting up his teammates in several occasions.
Despite the goal allowed, Brazil controlled possession and dominated most of the match, only failing to get more goals because of saves by Kawaguchi.
Brazil had struggled in its first victories over Croatia and Australia. The defending champions, who entered the tournament heavily favored to win a record sixth title, performed well below expectations, being heavily challenged and failing to impress.

Croatia - Australia Match Report

Australia made history by twice coming from behind against Croatia to earn the point they needed to claim a place in the Round of 16 of the FIFA World Cup™.
The Socceroos lost all three games in their one previous appearance on the world stage in 1974 but a 2-2 draw with Croatia in Stuttgart was enough to secure second place in Group F and a second-round tie against Italy in Kaiserslautern on 26 June. Australia finished with four points from three matches, two clear of third-placed Croatia.
On a nervy night, Croatia opened the scoring through Darijo Srna’s second-minute free-kick. Craig Moore drew Australia level from the penalty spot on 38 minutes but the balance swung back Croatia’s way when Niko Kovac’s shot was fumbled by Zeljko Zalac in the 56th minute. However, Harry Kewell struck the decisive second Australian goal 11 minutes from time.

Harry Kewell scored from close range to give Australia a 2-2 draw with Croatia and send the Aussies into the second round alongside defending champion Brazil from Group F.
Croatia took the lead in the second minute on a dipping free kick by Dario Srna. Craig Moore equalized for Australia with a penalty kick in the 39th minute after Stjepan Tomas handled the ball in the box.
Croatia went up again in the 79th minute on a goalkeeping blunder by Zeljko Kalac, who started for regular goalie Mark Schwarzer. Croatia captain Niko Kovac shot from about 20 yards and the ball rolled over Kalac's hands.
But Kewell put home a short shot off a scramble in the area, and Australia was headed for a matchup with Italy in Kaiserslautern on Monday.
Instead of galvanizing the Croatians, Srna's goal awoke the Australians and prompted a series of attacks. The pressure was rewarded with the penalty kick, and Moore sent the goalkeeper one way, the ball the other.
The match was billed as a clash of loyalties. Seven players of Croatian descent play for Australia, while three of Croatia's grew up Down Under.
Dario Simic got sent off for Croatia and Brett Emerton also received a red card for Australia in the second half.
In conclusion:

Stuttgart played host to a night of unforgettable drama, where both sides could have progressed to the second round at different stages, but at the end it was Australia who were celebrating and heading to Kaiserslautern to face Italy on Monday.

Group E Final Games

2006-06-22T09:39:00.000-07:00

Group E Final Games:
Italy 2 : 0 Czech :Italy wins, likely avoids date with Brazil in next Round of Worldcup.Italy took care of its own business this time and knocked the Czech Republic out of the World Cup...
Ghana 2: 1 U.S : Ghana eliminates U.S. from World Cup.There was no glory for the United States at this year's World Cup, only frustration and failure...

Italy,Czech Match report:
Substitute Marco Materazzi headed in a corner kick in the 26th minute to help Italy win Group E with a 2-0 victory over the Czechs on Thursday and likely avoid a second-round matchup with Brazil.
Materazzi scored his first goal in 29 appearances with the national team and Filippo Inzaghi added a score on a breakaway in the 87th minute for Italy, which won the group with seven points.
"We played some good games and then also with the Czech Republic, which is also a good team that did not want to go home," Italy coach Marcello Lippi said.

The Czechs, ranked second in the world, were eliminated from the tournament, finishing with only the three points they earned in its opening 3-0 win over the United States. Ghana finished second with six points.
The Czechs fell behind early when the 6-foot-5 Materazzi outleaped Jan Polak and Radoslav Kovac to head in a corner kick by Francesco Totti less than 10 minutes after replacing an injured Alessandro Nesta.
They were reduced to 10 men when midfielder Jan Polak picked up his second yellow card in first-half injury time and were unable to penetrate Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, who made several strong saves.
At the European Championship two years ago, Italy was eliminated despite winning its final group game after Denmark and Sweden drew 2-2.
Italy will face the second-place team from Group F on Monday in Kaiserslautern. Brazil leads the group with six points and can clinch first place with a draw Thursday night against Japan.
The Czechs pressed early on and Milan Baros, returning from a left foot injury, nearly connected on an excellent crossfield setup from Pavel Nedved in the ninth minute.
Buffon had to lunge to his left to stop an 18-yard shot by Nedved in the 12th. A few minutes later, Nedved intercepted a pass and sent the ball upfield to Baros, who earned a corner kick after a physical battle with Nesta, who rarely loses such duels.
Nedved sent another shot on goal from just outside the area in the 16th minute that Buffon stopped but couldn't quite gather, and the goalkeeper also had to block an attempt on the rebound from AC Milan's Marek Jankulovski.
Gennaro Gattuso's long header landed on top of the net for Italy's first shot in the 25th minute and Italy took the lead with its first shot on goal a minute later.
Polak received his first yellow for a foul on Mauro Camoranesi in the 35th minute, then fouled Totti from behind for his second card.
Italy took the initiative at the start of the second half, with two shots early by Totti. Nedved then got the ball on the counterattack and put a powerful shot on goal that Buffon punched away.
In the 56th minute, Italy showed off its skill on a free kick. Totti lofted the ball to Andrea Pirlo, who volleyed it to Fabio Cannavaro, who shot high.
Inzaghi got his first playing time of this World Cup when he replaced Alberto Gilardino in the 60th.
Buffon had to punch away another long attempt by Nedved in the 70th.
Ghana,USA Match report:
The Americans were eliminated in the first round, losing to Ghana 2-1 Thursday in a game they had to win to advance to the tournament's knockout phase.
With thousands of red, white and blue-clad fans cheering them on in Franken-Stadion, the Americans fell flat against a Black Stars team that was stronger and faster. Surprising Ghana advanced along with Italy from Group E.
It was a bitter ending for the United States, which carried high hopes - and a No. 5 world ranking from FIFA - onto soccer's biggest stage. Four years ago, the Americans made the quarterfinals of the World Cup.
Haminu Draman put the Africans ahead in the 22nd minute, breaking in alone on goalkeeper Kasey Keller after colliding with Claudio Reyna, who crumpled to the ground in pain.
The United States, which has never won a World Cup game in which it trailed, tied it when Clint Dempsey scored in the 43rd minute with a smashing 10-yard shot off a perfect feed from DaMarcus Beasley. But Ghana captain Stephen Appiah converted a penalty kick in the second minute of first-half injury time after American defender Oguchi Onyewu was called for a foul in the penalty area.
The Black Stars outfouled the Americans 32-16.
Eddie Johnson entered in the 61st minute as the United States pressed, and Brian McBride nearly tied it again in the 66th, but his diving header inside the 6-yard box clanked off the near post. A minute later, Onyewu sent a header off Landon Donovan's corner kick just over the crossbar.
In order to advance, the Americans needed a victory and some help. They got the needed assistance when Italy defeated the Czech Republic 2-0 in a game played simultaneous in Hamburg. But the United States (0-2-1) didn't come through and finished the tournament with one point - its first in a World Cup played in Europe, but not enough to escape the basement in Group E.
Italy (2-0-1) won the group with seven points and Ghana (2-1), making its first World Cup appearance, advanced with six points.
Four years ago, the Americans became heroes with their best showing since 1930. But this time, in what probably marked the final World Cup appearances of Reyna, McBride and perhaps Keller, they reverted to their form of 1998 in France, when they finished last overall.

U.S. fans outnumbered the Ghanaians dressed in red, yellow and green, both in the cobblestone streets of Nuremberg's old town before the game and in the historic ballpark where Hitler Youth marched seven decades ago.
With Eddie Pope and Pablo Mastroeni suspended, the Americans used Jimmy Conrad to replace Pope at central defender and Reyna shifted back to Mastroeni's defensive midfield role. Beasley joined Donovan in the center of the midfield and Eddie Lewis, who started the opener at left back, took over in left midfield - his more familiar position - from Bobby Convey.
Draman scored after Dempsey played a back pass to Reyna, and the U.S. captain collided with the Ghanaian left knee to left knee. As Reyna fell, Draman took possession and rushed in one-on-one against Keller, putting the ball onto his right foot and sending it into the corner of the net beyond the diving goalkeeper from 10 yards.
Reyna was taken off the field on a stretcher, grimacing, but returned in the 26th minute, just about the time Italy went ahead of the Czechs. Still looking pained, he was replaced by Ben Olsen in the 40th minute and went to the bench, where the knee was wrapped.
Donovan, who failed to score after getting two World Cup goals as a 20 year old in 2002, had a great chance to tie it in the 35th. He had an open shot after Brian McBride dropped a header for him, but got under the ball and his volley attempt went way high - with U.S. coach Bruce Arena looking disgusted in front of the bench.
Dempsey then tied it.
Beasley, along the left flank just past midfield, battled Derek Boateng and John Pantsil and stole the ball. After a short run, Beasley sent a pinpoint left-footed cross in front of the goal. Racing ahead of Habib Mohamed, Dempsey one-timed the ball with his right foot from about 12 yards.
It was the first goal by a U.S. player in the World Cup in 338 minutes. Dempsey did his rap dance as Americans celebrated.
But moments later, the Americans fell behind again. For good.
Onyewu pushed down Razak Pimpong in the penalty area battling for a header, and Germany's Markus Merk - one of the world's top-rated officials - immediately pointed to the penalty spot as Arena buried his face in his hands. Keller dived left, but Appiah put the ball high to the goalkeeper's right.
Arena kept on talking in the referee's direction until an assistant coach pulled him away.

Group C Final Games

2006-06-22T07:58:00.000-07:00

Group C Final Games
Argentina secured first place in Group C and a Round of 16 meeting with Mexico after a 0-0 draw with the Netherlands in Frankfurt on Wednesday, 21 June 2006.
The stalemate between two sides already assured of qualification left them tied on seven points at the top of the group, with Argentina finishing first virtue of their better goal difference. While Jose Pekerman's team move on to face Mexico in Leipzig on Saturday, the Dutch will play Portugal in Nuremberg 24 hours later.
Players' Quotes
Carlos TEVEZ (ARG), Budweiser Man of the Match:
We’re happy with the result although it would have been nicer to take the three points. We were the better side, but we couldn’t quite take our chances. I felt comfortable out there but you could see we lacked a little co-ordination with (Lionel) Messi and (Juan) Riquelme. They left the odd gap in defence, but we couldn't make the most of it. Even so, it's great to finish top of such a difficult group.
Mark VAN BOMMEL (NED):
We've just played a team capable of winning the World Cup, so we can be perfectly satisfied with the result. Both teams were already through to the second round, so the pattern of the match was hardly a surprise. We have two scores to settle with our next opponents Portugal, one from EURO 2004 and one from 2002 World Cup qualifying.

Roberto ABBONDANZIERI (ARG):

We were solid and secure, and played a great game against an excellent team. I thought we created clearer chances than they did and deserved to win. It was a useful night for us in terms of our next game. We know where we have to improve, but we’re in a relaxed frame of mind ahead of the big match against Mexico. They will be really difficult, but you expect that in the knockout stages.

Ruud VAN NISTELROOIJ (NED):

We're running into form. We didn't create many chances today, but we played well as a team. It was a good result in that respect. Portugal beat us two years ago, but the next game is something completely different. This is a new, young team, and we have new ideas. We'll do what needs to be done to win. We're feeling great, because we've taken seven points from this extremely difficult group. We've had tough opponents already, and we know we only have tough opponents ahead. So we know we have to improve if we're to go a long way.

Lionel MESSI (ARG):

It was a difficult game. There wasn’t much space and you have to remember that Holland have a lot of skilful players. Next up are Mexico, who are a strong team and play good football. There are no easy opponents at this stage of the tournament, though. As for me, well I feel fit enough to get through 90 minutes, but I was tired at the end because I haven’t played for a while. Now is when the real World Cup begins.

Phillip COCU (NED):

A goalless draw against opponents of this quality is a good result. We were much better than we were against Côte d'Ivoire, when they bossed us for long spells. The new players all made a good start. They'll be confident now.

In conclusion:

The Netherlands have not lost in normal time to Argentina in four meetings in the FIFA World Cup™, but it is the South Americans who finish the group stage marginally happier having secured first place. The unbeaten records of both should ensure they look ahead to the Round of 16 with confidence.

CÔTE D'IVOIRE-SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO

Coaches' Quotes

Henri MICHEL (CIV):

I’m satisfied that we finally won our first match after all our efforts. Once again we were up against the same problems tonight as we had in previous matches, except that instead of conceding two goals within 20 minutes, this time it was within ten minutes. That makes things very complicated. Despite that, we tried to rebuild.
There is a weakness in this team. We need a lot of opportunities to get one or two goals and at this level that’s not good enough. If Côte d’Ivoire want to rise to the highest level, they will have to iron out these problems. I think they have a lot of potential, but that’s nothing new. Unfortunately, some our players were not in the best shape at this World Cup.
They have a good future ahead of them but they have to work hard and not listen to people who would have them believe that they are the best team in the world. They need to go back to work quickly to qualify for the next World Cup in 2010. If the team go on working hard, they can be there.
My contract stops tonight and my future destination is Qatar. I will be going to a club and that will be another interesting challenge. I haven't received a real proposal yet but we will see. This was the first time Côte d’Ivoire have played against major football nations and not only teams from Africa and that is precious experience for the team. I am proud and satisfied of my work, despite all the criticism I have had to stomach.

Ilija PETKOVIC (SCG):

As national coach, I regret what happened to Mladen Krstajic. It was difficult for me to see one of my players sustain such an injury. It was quite a shock to us so early in the game. We think he has broken his left arm and he will require surgery.
Hopefully we will come back and leave a better impression than we have here. I will need more time to take stock. At this World Cup there has been considerable progress by all teams. Football keeps getting better and it will continue to improve until the last match. Everyone has a final match to play, big or small, but we played a small one. We need to reflect and prepare for the future. Everyone will remember this World Cup and so will we.
Côte d’Ivoire were outstanding, but they were also unfortunate because they could have finished second in this group. I'm very proud of my team for the way they qualified for this World Cup and also proud that they scored two goals. I'm pleased we have improved on the bad impression we left in the first two matches. We will come back and find new talent.

Group D Final Games

2006-06-21T09:48:00.000-07:00

Iran 1 : 1 Angola,Angola's first World Cup goal wasn't nearly enough to send the Black Antelopes into the second round of the tournament...
Portugal 2 : 1 Mexico,Portugal fielded its ''B" team and still won...
Iran-Angola Match Report:
Sohrab Bakhtiarizadeh scored the tying goal in the 75th minute Wednesday to give Iran a 1-1 draw and end Angola's hopes of advancing at its first World Cup ever.
Needing a win, a Mexico loss to Portugal and help on goal differential to move on, the Angolans couldn't deliver the one part they controlled. They finished in third place in Group D with two points, one ahead of Iran.
Substitute Flavio gave Angola its first goal of the tournament when he broke free from Kaabi Hossein in the penalty box to head a cross from Ze Kalanga over goalkeeper Ebrahim Mirzapour and into the net.
Angola lost 1-0 to Portugal in its opener before playing Mexico to a 0-0 draw.
Iran tied it 15 minutes later when Bakhtiarizadeh jumped over Love and headed a corner kick from Mehdi Mahdavikia just inside the post with no defenders guarding the area. Goalkeeper Joao Ricardo yelled at his defenders after the score in apparent frustration.

With Mexico losing 2-1 to Portugal, Angola would have needed three goals in the closing minutes to advance. But the Black Antelopes showed little urgency, apparently satisfied with their second draw of the tournament.
"When we arrived with the team, the first idea that we would suffer many goals didn't happen," Angola coach Luis Oliveira Goncalves said. "With two draws ... the people of Angola can be very, very proud."
It was an outcome that neither side had wished for.
The Iranians, who generated security headaches for the hosts because of protests against the government in Tehran, had already been eliminated after losing their two matches in the group. But they remained hopeful they could return home "honorably" by beating Angola.
"Today we tried to say goodbye to the World Cup with a win," Iran coach Branko Ivankovic said. "But this is soccer, and it is not possible always to score. We dominated during 90 minutes and we deserved to win."
After a scrappy beginning, Iran generally dominated the first half, mounting a series of ineffective attacks which tested Angola's solid defense.
Still, the Black Antelopes had the first real opportunity in the 12th minute with Mateus shooting over the crossbar from inside the penalty area.
Iran replied two minutes later when Ricardo smothered a low shot from Kaiserslautern's Ferydoon Zandi. Ricardo stopped a free kick by Ali Daei in the 24th from the edge of the area, whose return header from close in went over the bar.
Iran's best chance came in the 27th minute, when defender Mendonca stopped Zandi's header in the goalmouth.
Goncalves made only one change in the team that had displayed a strong and disciplined defense in its two previous Group D matches but had scored no goals. Still, the Africans played much more openly than in the first two games and mounted repeated forays toward Mirzapour's goal.
Ivankovic dropped the team's biggest star, Bayern Munich playmaker Ali Karimi, from the squad because of his poor form and erratic behavior. He was replaced by the 37-year old Daei, who had likely played his last match for the national team.
Ivankovic had hoped for a "home advantage" at the match, counting on the 200,000 Iranian residents in Germany to turn out in force. But Iran's fans appeared to be outnumbered by Angola's supporters waving their red-and-black banners.

Portugal - Mexico Match Report:

Mexico also won, in a way. Its 2-1 loss to the Portuguese didn't hurt when Angola couldn't beat Iran on Wednesday, allowing the Mexicans to advance to the second round of the World Cup.
Portugal won all three first-round games in Group D. It got goals by Maniche and Simao Sabrosa in the first 25 minutes, and Mexico's Omar Bravo missed a chance to tie on a second-half penalty kick that soared over the net.
Kikin headed in a corner kick to put Mexico back in the game before halftime.
But Bravo's goof and a second yellow card for Luis Perez with 30 minutes to play stymied the Mexicans.
Portugal will play the second-place team from Group C, either the Netherlands or Argentina. Mexico gets the Group C winner; the Dutch and Argentines met Wednesday night.
Having already qualified for the knockout round, Portugal coach Luiz Felipe Scolari spared five key players for this match. The absences included playmaker Deco, winger Cristiano Ronaldo, and all-time top scorer Pauleta.
Even so, the Portuguese extended their unbeaten run to 17 international games, during which they have allowed just six goals.
"Things couldn't be better," Scolari said. "This was as tough a game as we had expected, but I asked my players today to make it hard for me to pick my team for the next round, and they did that."
Mexico had lost just two of its last 12 games against European opposition in World Cup matches. It couldn't handle Portugal's water-down lineup, though.
"There are three games to go till the final, and they're the hardest," Scolari said. "We just have to keep working hard each day."
Ricardo Lavolpe's team, which needed just a draw to advance to the second phase, started out cautiously with six defenders. Even so, Mexico was full of spirit.
"We started very well," Lavolpe said. "We had control for long periods, but when you have the ball you have to score, and we even missed a penalty."
Kikin slalomed past three defenders to get into the Portuguese area before shooting straight at the goalkeeper in early action.

But Portugal replied with a clinical attack as Simao charged down the wing and pulled the ball back for Maniche to beat keeper Oswaldo Sanchez.
When Mexico captain Rafael Marquez used his hand to prevent Fernando Meira heading a shot toward goal, Sabrosa hit his spot kick just beyond the goalie's reach.
Scolari spent most of the match standing on the touchline shouting instructions to his makeshift team. Two players, defender Marco Caneira and striker Helder Postiga, were playing in their first World Cup.
Bravo, alone at the back post, fired a shot from close range that ricocheted off the goalie and then bounced against the crossbar. And just before halftime, Pavel Pardo forced a spectacular save from Ricardo Pereira with a thundering shot from outside the area.
Antonio Naelson (also known as Zinha) who assisted once and scored another in Mexico's win over Iran, came on at halftime as Mexico upped the pressure. He made an immediate difference with his slick dribbling and neat passes, and the lineup change paid off when Mexico was awarded the penalty kick.
A kick that didn't come close, but in the end was not damaging for Mexico.

Group B Final Game

2006-06-20T23:29:00.000-07:00

A result that sends both teams through to the Round of 16 from Group B in FIFA World Cup.
Wayne ROONEY (ENG)
I feel fine from the injury. There were no problems and I was able to keep with the pace of the game. We had a good first half but didn't play so well after half-time. I’m not disappointed I didn't score and I wasn't angry when I was taken off – it's just that I wanted to play. A draw was enough to win the group so we have to be happy. Losing Michael is a blow, of course, as he is an important player who scores goals. I think we can beat Ecuador.

England and Sweden drew 2-2 in Cologne on Tuesday, 20 June 2006 - a result that sends both teams through to the Round of 16 from Group B.
England's prize for topping the section is to play Ecuador in Stuttgart on 25 June, while Sweden must take on hosts Germany in Munich 24 hours earlier. Sven-Goran Eriksson's team had already secured qualification before this match and they were only denied a third successive win by a 90th-minute Henrik Larsson goal.
England had gone in front on 34 minutes through a spectacular strike from Joe Cole. Marcus Allback headed the Swedes level at 1-1 six minutes into the second half but substitute Steven Gerrard restored England's advantage when he headed in their second on 81 minutes.

England have still not beaten Sweden since 1968 but, as group winners, they will be happier to be facing Ecuador and not Germany in the Round of 16. Sweden's performance in the second half here, however, should give them confidence ahead of their meeting with the hosts.

Henrik LARSSON (SWE)

I'm happy about the result and the comeback. It's a good sign and will increase our morale. The last minutes of a game are very important for self-confidence. We scored from aerial positions which is normally England's strong point. I scored a goal today because I was wearing my golden boots. I don't want to think too much about the Germany game just yet. It's important to just enjoy our result. We have a good team and a good captain so I don't fear any opponent – not even the hosts.

Freddie LJUNGBERG (SWE)

At half-time, Lars Lagerback said we should control the ball more so that's what we tried to do and it worked pretty well. Today, we scored with just a few chances while in the other games we had plenty and only scored once, so we're improving our strike-rate. With a bit more luck, we could easily have won the game. I think Germany will be a tough opponent - (Jens) Lehmann is an exceptionally good keeper. The Germans are a tall, strong side but to be honest I haven't checked out many of their games so far. It will be a special match and a bit sad that we have to play them so early in the tournament.

Joe COLE (ENG), Budweiser Man of the Match

Michael Owen's injury is a big blow for us as a team. He's had a difficult 12 months and now it looks like he has another battle on his hands. But I've no doubt he’ll be back scoring goals for England sooner rather than later.
We played very well in the first half and we should have killed the game. Sweden played better after half-time but still didn't create any chances from open play. For my goal, the ball just sat up nicely – it was early on in the game and I thought I'd test the keeper. It was a great start for us.
Ecuador will be a tough game, they've produced two terrific performances in the group stage. Either Germany or Ecuador would have been a tough game. Now the real business starts and we can't afford any more mistakes from set-pieces. John Terry, Rio Ferdinand and Jamie Carragher are all brilliant in those situations – I'm sure it will be the last goal we concede from a set-piece.

Group A Final Games

2006-06-20T10:50:00.000-07:00

Group A Final Games:
Germany 3 : 0 Ecuador:The strikers are scoring, the defense is holding and Germany is off to its best World Cup start in 36 years...

Costa Rica 1 : 2 Poland: Poland's lone World Cup victory came too late, exactly as it did four years ago...
Costa Rica-Poland Match Report:
Bartosz Bosacki scored twice to lead Poland to a 2-1 win over Costa Rica on Tuesday in a Group A game between two teams already eliminated from the tournament.
Poland, which lost its first two games in Germany, also won its last game at the 2002 World Cup, when it beat the United States 3-1 in South Korea after dropping its first two group games.
The winner against Costa Rica came in the 66th minute, when Bosacki rose above Paulo Wanchope to powerfully head Jacek Krzynowek's corner kick into the goal.
"The whole team rose to the challenge today," Bosacki said. "The game cost us a lot of energy, but I'm happy that we can leave the tournament with our heads held high. It's just too bad that we're going home so soon."
Poland coach Pawel Janas was proud of his team's effort, even if it "came too late."
"The team really fought hard today and left a lot on the field," he said.
Costa Rica took a 1-0 lead in the 25th minute when Ronald Gomez's low, left-footed free kick from 19 yards out got past the defensive wall and goalkeeper Artur Boruc.

Gomez then gave the Ticos a chance to go up 2-0 when he skipped clear of two defenders to feed an unmarked Paulo Wanchope at the edge of the penalty area. But Boruc easily smothered Wanchope's weak right-footed shot.
Bosacki tied the score in the 33rd off a corner kick by Maciej Zurawski. Costa Rica goalkeeper Jose Porras ran out in an attempt to punch the corner kick away, but he stumbled and the ball fell to Bosacki, who knocked it in the net.
"We paid dearly for our distractions. They cost us in all three matches," Costa Rica coach Alexandre Guimaraes said. "Today, the goals came on our carelessness on set plays."
Poland had another solid opportunity just before halftime, but Porras pushed midfielder Krzynowek's dipping free kick from 25 yards wide of the goal.
Costa Rica took the initiative early in the second half. Mauricio Solis took a long lob from Walter Centeno into the box. But his flick shot was easily snagged by Boruc.
"We played much better today," Guimaraes said. "We were very good penetrating into the area, but we were not concentrating on their corners."
Poland also had solid chances. In the 53rd minute, Euzebiusz Smolarek dribbled clear for a shot from the top of the box, but knocked it straight at Porras.

The Poles controlled the flow of play after Bosacki's second goal pushed them ahead. Still, with Wanchope testing the Poles' offside trap, the Ticos seemed capable of poaching a goal to earn the draw.
It looked as if Wanchope had done it for them. Costa Rica's all-time leading scorer flicked the ball past Boruc in the game's last moments, but was ruled offside.
Bosacki wasn't originally on coach Janas' 23-man World Cup roster. He joined the team after Damian Gorawski failed his physical due to circulatory and respiratory problems.
But he still wasn't enough to get Poland into the second round.
Thousands of Poles made the short trip to neighboring Germany to support their team. They dominated the crowd, festooning the stadium with red-and-white Polish flags and chanting "Poland! Poland!"
Costa Rica heads home after surrendering nine goals in its three losses.
"Despite the best effort the team gave, it wasn't enough," Guimaraes said.
Germany-Ecuador Match Report:

Miroslav Klose scored twice to help the World Cup host beat Ecuador 3-0 on Tuesday. The victory gave Germany the maximum nine points and first place in Group A. Lukas Podolski also scored for Germany, which last won its first three matches at a World Cup in 1970.
Even better than the prolific offense - eight goals in the first round - is a once-vulnerable defense that has not conceded a goal in two straight games.
"Our goal was to win the group and we achieved this," Germany coach Juergen Klinsmann said. "We are looking forward to the knockout stage. Our strikers are in really good shape, they are working hard and scoring. But it will be more difficult to score in later rounds, so they will have to work even harder."
Both teams were assured of advancing to the second round before the kickoff. Their opponents would be determined after later matches pitting England vs. Sweden and Trinidad and Tobago vs. Paraguay. Germany, a three-time World Cup winner, will play Saturday in Munich, and Ecuador will play Sunday in Stuttgart.
Klose, who now has nine World Cup goals, finished strong German pressure early in the match when he scored in the fourth minute.
After a German corner kick, the Ecuadorean defense could not clear the ball and it was sent back to defender Per Mertesacker, who flicked it over to the far post. Bastian Schweinsteiger crossed it back onto the path of Klose, who drove it inside the far post.
Klose celebrated with his trademark somersault, a gesture he says is reserved for important goals in big games.
"Miro has been in great form for months," Klinsmann said of Klose, who led the Bundesliga last season with 25 goals.
The striker, who also scored twice in Germany's 4-2 opening win over Costa Rica, had several other shots and another attempt stopped by goalkeeper Cristian Mora.
Then, the German team suddenly came alive again.
Captain Michael Ballack chipped a pass to the edge of the Ecuador box, Klose shook off two defenders while playing the ball off his thigh, went around Mora and coolly slotted home.
Edwin Tenorio gave Germany goalkeeper Jens Lehmann his first real test of the match in the 49th with a long-range shot that Lehmann tipped over the crossbar.
Luis Valencia then nearly took the German captain out of the game with a vicious kick that hit Ballack in the left foot. After some treatment, Ballack stayed in.
" We didn't have possesion of the ball," said Ecuador coach Luis Fernando Suarez. "We had problems, especially in the final quarter of the field. It happened all the time, we recovered a ball only to again lose it right away.
"We are going to show (in the second round) that what was said about us in the first two matches was true. I hope we will do nothing of what was seen in this match."
Klose's partner in Germany's attack, Podolski, nearly brushed the post after a quick move in the 54th. And with Ecuador trying to go forward, large gaps left in its defense were exploited by the Germans in the 57th.
Robert Huth blocked a shot outside the Germany penalty area, and Schweinsteiger carried the ball forward. He waited to time his pass to Bernd Schneider perfectly. Schneider then curled a cross into the box, finding the galloping Podolski, whose poke rolled inside the right post.
The Germans walked around the field and waved to the fans giving them a standing ovation. The players then stopped, linked hands and raised their arms in unison to thank the thousands of flag-waving spectators.
It was a memorable scene in a stadium where Jesse Owens won gold medals in front of Adolf Hitler 70 years ago. The German team rarely plays in the Olympic Stadium - but has its sights on another trip to the historic arena, on July 9 in the World Cup final.
"We like returning to the stadiums we know and hopefully we'll be back here," Klinsmann said.

Spain and Ukraine reign, Togo to go

2006-06-19T23:33:00.000-07:00

Spain and Ukraine reign, Togo to go
THE DAY REPLAYED: In a gathering of all the world’s finest international teams, the competition is among individual nations and not confederations. If it were different then Europe would have cause for celebration at the end of a day in which Switzerland, Ukraine and Spain all won to put the so-called 'Old Continent' in charge of Groups G and H.

Today also saw the end of the sparring – if the first 11 days of intense and fascinating football can be so described. Starting tomorrow, and running for the next four days, it is do or die for many of the participants including Ukraine and Switzerland who look handily placed, but can still miss out on the next stage.

Spain are definitely through after their three late goals overturned Tunisia's early advantage while Togo join those heading for home after the group stage. Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, require a victory in their last group game against Spain to progress.
In Group G three teams will battle it out for the two qualifying spots and even leaders Switzerland can still fall by the wayside should they lose to Korea Republic on Friday. Crucially, however, they know that a draw will be enough to put them in the Round of 16.

Moment of the Day: Barnetta hands Swiss vital advantage
Ahead 1-0, Kobi Kuhn’s team were vulnerable and not only because Togo were working desperately hard to force an equaliser and therefore maintain an interest in the competition. With the Koreans holding a superior goal difference, the Swiss knew that Dick Advocaat's men would have held the advantage going into Friday’s key fixture between the two sides in Hanover.
Then Tranquillo Barnetta took the lead, directing a fine angled drive past Kossi Agassa, a goalkeeper who between the 16th and 88th minutes had looked virtually unbeatable. Earlier in the second half he had denied Barnetta while another crucial intervention had stopped Hakan Yakin from putting himself on the scoresheet.

Togo possess a pair of strikers capable of giving the strongest defence problems. Emmanuel Adebayor, tall and strong, was dominant in the air and never stopped working and probing for a goal. Alongside him Mohamed Kader, small and pacy, showed a different form of attacking menace. It is a shame the tournament will not see much more of this dynamic duo.

Player of the Day: Maksym Kalinichenko
At 27, Maksym Kalinichenko might have thought his chance of appearing on the big international stage had gone. First capped by Ukraine four years ago, he was not used at all in the qualification campaign but played a starring role today as his team found just the performance to help them draw a veil over their 4-0 defeat by Spain.
The Spartak Moscow midfielder laid on two goals with free-kicks and corners and then scored the fourth himself. Before that there was a first FIFA World Cup goal for Andriy Shevchenko and it all added up to more disappointment for the Saudis.

The most exciting game was still to come. The predictions were that Spain, so impressive as they comfortably defeated Ukraine in Leipzig, would be far too good for Tunisia. So imagine the reverberations when Jaouhar Mnari gave the African team an eighth-minute lead following sterling work by Zied Jaziri who had held four defenders at bay.

A Spanish siege hemmed Tunisia in their own half. But the equaliser refused to come. Xabi Alonso headed for the corner of the net but Anis Ayari denied him. At the break Raul came on and he made the difference, stabbing home the equaliser with 19 minutes remaining.

Goal of the Day: Fernando Torres 2-1 Spain
Substitute Cesc Fabregas was also influential for Spain as it was his shot that Ali Boumnijel could only parry at Raul’s feet. Five minutes later the Arsenal youngster drove an exquisite pass into the heart of the Tunisia defence where Fernando Torres was already powering through. The goalkeeper was tempted off his line and the tall striker went around him before finding the empty net. Torres' second and Spain's third came from the penalty spot after the Atletico Madrid man was fouled. With three goals to his name he is leading the race for the adidas Golden Shoe. So, a day of goals, the most in one day in this edition of the FIFA World Cup, saw Torres sit comfortably atop the Golden Shoe tree with three to his name.

France frustrated as Brazil advance

2006-06-19T01:57:00.000-07:00

France frustrated as Brazil advance
THE DAY REPLAYED: The world is still waiting for Brazil to catch fire but why should it worry? The statistics show two wins, no goals conceded, six points and a place safely guaranteed in the Round of 16. Ronaldo remains without a goal but against Australia, Adriano put himself on the scoresheet for the first time in a FIFA World Cup™ match, Robinho continued to impress as a second-half substitute and Fred elevated his own status with a late goal.

While Brazil are eyeing the possibilities of who they might meet in the next round, France are fretting over the fact that they might not get there at all. At least they scored – for the first time since they won the Trophy in July 1998 – but Park Ji-Sung's late equaliser leaves France with just two points while Korea Republic have four. To make matters worse, the booking for Zinedine Zidane rules him out of the next game so if France don't progress we have seen the last of the great man. And that would be a source of sadness for every football fan.
JPN 0-0 CRO/BRA 2-0 AUS/FRA 1-1 KOR
It would be dangerous to dismiss Brazil on the evidence of two stop-start performances. They make a habit of improving as the competition goes on and it can be an ominous sign that Ronaldinho and Ronaldo haven't really started to spark yet. For the second game running Carlos Alberto Parreira brought off his star striker. There were moments when Ronaldo's control appeared to have deserted him and moments when he reminded everyone of his quality.
Player of the Day : Ze Roberto – two saving tackles when Australia threatened

It was a good time then for the Seleção's unsung players to steal the limelight and Ze Roberto was not found wanting as he covered a lot of ground in defensive areas and made two saving tackles just when it appeared as though Australia might score.
Much discussion has centred on Ronaldo's poor showing in their tournament opener against Croatia and, not for the first time, all the eyes of the world were on him as he stepped out into the Munich sunshine. One shocking air shot as he attempted a volley seemed to sum up all his problems but at least he laid on the opening goal.
Goal of the Day: Adriano: Brazil 1-0
Ronaldinho played the ball forward, where Ronaldo found three defenders blocking out the sunlight. Unfazed by the close attention, he shovelled the ball across the penalty area where Adriano took a touch to work a shooting position and then directed a fine low shot past Mark Schwarzer's left hand.
The goal seemed to inspire Australia and they nearly scored when Dida left his line carelessly and collided with Mark Viduka but Harry Kewell, newly arrived off the bench, couldn’t take advantage. Kaka headed against the bar, Viduka almost caught Dida off his line and then Fred tapped in for his third goal in four appearances.

There were just as many questions hovering over France going into their game with Korea Republic as there had been with Brazil – probably more so. They had begun with a 0-0 against Switzerland in a game that was long on familiarity and short on excitement.
. The decision to omit the mercurial newcomer Franck Ribery could have indicated a more cautious approach by coach Raymond Domenech but Thierry Henry settled French nerves in the ninth minute with his first FIFA World Cup goal since this very same day eight years ago when he scored twice in a 4-0 win over Saudi Arabia.
Korea Republic had won their first game against Togo so France needed to win. They didn’t look comfortable in front and it was no great surprise when the Koreans drew level. Henry missed a gilt-edged chance soon after and a single point was all they were left with. They have two, compared to the Koreans' four and tomorrow both Switzerland and Togo have the chance to overtake the 1998 champions.

Moment of the Day : Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi makes great penalty save
Japan were another side with something to make up to their followers after they conceded three late goals to give Australia their first-ever FIFA World Cup victory. Zico's team were in trouble in the 22nd minute when Tsuneyasu Miyamoto fouled Dado Prso. Darijo Srna struck his attempt reasonably well but Kawaguchi guessed right and flung himself to his left to make the save.
That put more petrol in the Japan engine and although the game faded as a spectacle as the heat of mid-afternoon in Nuremberg took its toll, there were plenty of goalmouth spills and thrills and the draw was probably a fair reflection. With a single point apiece, though, it left both teams with much to do to reach the next phase.

Iranian Farewell

2006-06-18T03:19:00.000-07:00

Iranian Farewell
The Iranian team that played in the second half of this match, could have beaten mexico. They played attacking football, they moved teh ball well, the crossed, they shot, they created chances. The way they played in teh first half was purely defensive, with no creativity, no passing, nothing. Why ? Why could they not open the game the way they opened the second half ?

It is clear now that Brankovic, while a great coach no doubt, failed on the tactical level, in this competition. Let’s take a simple example. Ali Karimi was nearly invisible in teh first half. He’s a midfielder, yet Brankovic usually plays him as the striking partner of Hashemian. In the second half he had clearly dropped back and hashemian was attacking solo. However, until he was subbed for, Karimi started to distribute the ball. Mostly to the Best Iranian on the pitch, Mehdi Mahdavikia. There is a reason that this superb player is a key member of the Hamburg team that finished third in teh Bundesliga. He has pace, he has vision, and he has the ability to make the passes which are necessary, which create scoring chances. In the second half most successful crosses and passes came from Mahdavikia down the right side.

Also, i feel that Khatibi played well in his sub role, with good speed and drive to the net, but he was broght on too late.

What i DID not approve of, was the way iran played in teh first half. They played too rough, with bad dangerous tackles. THat is NOT the iranian style. I Dont’ care how bad it might be, Iran never has played that style of game. Our game is an attacking game, for better or for worse. Nothing wrong with playing strong and physical, but the way we played was almost illegal. The one player which i saw do this a bit too much was Madanchi, and Kaebi.

One thing that became clear was that the Iranians were far from great physical shape. And i’m not talking about injuries (although they did play a big factor) but rather physical fitness. One of the main reasons the South Koreans are successful is that they are in tip top shape physically, and can wear you down.

Red cards on red-letter day for Ghana

2006-06-18T00:23:00.000-07:00

Red cards on red-letter day for Ghana
THE DAY REPLAYED: Three European teams played today but only Portugal took three points, as the Czech Republic fell 2-0 to Ghana and ten-man Italy drew 1-1 with nine-man USA. Ghana, meanwhile, stepped up to represent their continent, scoring the fastest goal of Germany 2006 and notching the first victory for an African side in their win over the Czechs.

The results leave Portugal on top of Group D and qualified for the round of 16 with the maximum six points, while Iran are pointless and eliminated after two matches. Group E is more complicated, with all four teams still alive: Italy sit top with four points, followed by the Czech Republic and Ghana each with three, and the US with one.

Moment of the day

Ghana earn the first win for AfricaThe day began with the African teams in the tournament all winless, Tunisia and Angola each having earned a point and Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana and Togo all having experienced only defeat. But Ghana changed that statistic with their impressive performance against a Czech Republic team that had become fancied after their 3-0 thumping of the US.

Goal of the day

Sulley Muntari: Ghana 2-0With the Czechs pushed forward looking for a late equaliser and goalkeeper Petr Cech having looked unbeatable in the second half, Sulley Muntari finally sealed the win for Ghana in the 82nd minute. Asamoah Gyan kept himself just barely onside to receive the ball deep up the right and played a give-and-go before finding Muntari in space in front of goal. Ghana had failed to convert a number of wonderful opportunities – including a missed penalty – but Muntari made no mistake as he slammed his shot into the back of the net.
The flurry of second-half opportunities were made possible in large part because of an extraordinarily quick start. After failing to score in their 2-0 defeat by Italy, Ghana needed less than 90 seconds to open their account against the Czechs. Stephen Appiah picked out Gyan at the top of the penalty area, and the Modena forward brought it down with his chest and finished clinically inside the Cech's left-hand post.
For the Czechs, the absence of injured strikers Jan Koller and Milan Baros was only too apparent and coach Karel Bruckner's concerns will have been compounded by a booking for Koller's deputy, Vratislav Lokvenc. This leaves him yet another striker short for the showdown with Italy.
While the Czechs were going down 2-0, it was the same score but a different story in Portugal's meeting with Iran. Their only goal against Angola had come in just the fourth minute but Portugal played over two hours of FIFA World Cup™ football before finding the net again in the 63rd minute against Iran – but it was worth the wait as Luis Figo’s square pass found Deco in space at the top of the penalty arc and the Barcelona man drove a powerful shot inside the left post. On the second goal, Figo had a hand in the action again, this time earning a penalty courtesy of Iranian defender Yahya Golmohammadi. Cristiano Ronaldo was trusted to finish matters from the penalty spot, and he did not disappoint.

In the final game of the night, an eventful first half saw two goals and two expulsions. Both goals came from set-pieces and both were scored by Italy, though one went into their own net, with Cristian Zaccardo’s 27th-minute own goal cancelling out Alberto Gilardino's 22nd-minute header.
But the story before the interval was the two red cards. The first was shown to Daniel De Rossi in the 22nd minute for an elbow to the face of Brian McBride, the second to Pablo Mastroeni for a two-footed tackle into the ankle of Andrea Pirlo. That theme continued in the opening minutes of the second half as veteran centre-back Eddie Pope drew his second booking for a tackle from behind. Now playing nine-on-ten, the US somehow managed to keep the score even despite heavy pressure from the Italians over the final ten minutes.

Player of the day

Deco leads the way for PortugalThe only European side that did not disappoint today were Portugal, who had impressive contributions from several players, none more so than Deco, who was the centre-piece of their attack and the scorer of a fantastic goal at a time when his team was surely getting frustrated with their inability to put the ball in the net.

Iran was eliminated

2006-06-17T09:08:00.000-07:00

Portugal 2 : 0 Iran
FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) - Portugal waited 40 years to once again get beyond the first round of the World Cup.
Deco scored with a powerful first-time shot from outside the penalty area in the 63rd minute and Cristiano Ronaldo made a penalty kick 10 minutes from the end to give the Portuguese a 2-0 win over Iran on Saturday. That guaranteed advancement for Portugal, which last got so far in 1966 behind its greatest player, Eusebio.

Portugal finished third that year, but has struggled in soccer's premier event ever since - including four years ago, when an opening loss to the United States led to a first-round elimination.
Portugal has six points in Group D; it beat Angola 1-0 in its opening match.
"This is a historic moment for Portugal, the first time in 40 years it has come so far. We're elated," Portugal's Brazilian coach Luiz Felipe Scolari said. "We played better than against Angola. We showed some of our skill today."
Iran remained winless, having lost its opener against Mexico 3-1, and was eliminated.
Scolari said his team wouldn't sit back for its final group game against Mexico.
"We still want to beat Mexico to ensure first place in the group," Scolari said.
Just as against Angola, the Portuguese failed to keep their usual spark after a bright start, allowing an opponent to stay close. Then came the two second-half goals - and a spot in the second round.
Luis Figo set up both goals.

In an otherwise disappointing display in his 122nd international appearance, the Portuguese captain broke down the left flank and passed inside for an unmarked Deco to fire home. Deco had missed the opener with a strained leg muscle.
On another break down the left, he was brought down in the area by Yahya Golmohammadi for the penalty kick. Ronaldo stepped up to the spot and fired in a hard shot.
Deco's goal came just as the Portuguese were looking ragged. It also revived their ambition and led to the penalty kick.
Portugal coach Luiz Felipe Scolari made three midfield changes after his team failed to impress against Angola. Francisco Costinha, Maniche and Deco came in for Armando Petit, Tiago and Simao Sabrosa.

Ronaldo was also included, even though he skipped two training sessions last week with muscle fatigue.
Iran left top striker Ali Daei out of his starting lineup due to a back strain.
The match featured a raft of close misses for the Portuguese and occasional goalmouth threats from Iran.
Deco forced Ebrahim Mirzapour into a superb reflex save from close range after 12 minutes, the goalie palming the ball away with his outstretched right hand.
Then Ricardo Carvalho's header from Figo's corner kick spun just wide.
Ronaldo started slowly, but threatened the Iranian defense twice in two minutes. The winger had a header chested off the line by Hossein Kaabi and then cut past three defenders from the right and hit a powerful shot just wide of the post.
But the Portuguese weren't firing on all pistons as Iran successfully closed down chief playmakers Deco and Figo for long periods. Still, Iran's attacking efforts often fell short because of sloppy ball control.
In conclusion:
Despite battling bravely all the way and showing much to be proud of, Iran's hopes are crushed with one group game still to go. Portugal, while sure of a spot in the Round of 16, are not yet guaranteed first place in the group with a tough final test against second-placed Mexico still to come. Only pride will be at stake for Iran in their final match against Angola.

Brave Performance

2006-06-17T00:28:00.000-07:00

A brave performance from ten-man Angola saw them hold Mexico to a goalless draw in their Group D meeting in Hanover on Friday, 16 June 2006.
Angola, who lie 53 places below El Tri in the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking, frustrated the Mexicans due to a combination of some resolute defending and some superb goalkeeping from Joao Ricardo.
The Palancas Negras' task was made even harder when they had Andre sent off in the 79th minute, but the African side held firm to register their first ever point in the FIFA World Cup™ finals.

In conclusion:Angola collected their first ever FIFA World Cup point with a courageous display and still have a chance of making the second round. Despite creating few clear chances, Mexico, on four points, are nevertheless well positioned to qualify with the fixture against Portugal still to play.

The Netherlands booked their place in the Round of 16 of the FIFA World Cup™ as goals from Robin van Persie and Ruud van Nistelrooij earned a hard-fought 2-1 win over Côte d'Ivoire in Stuttgart on Friday, 16 June 2006.
Their second win in Group C means the Dutch advanced with a game to spare, along with Argentina who also have six points after beating Serbia and Montenegro 6-0 earlier in the day. Côte d'Ivoire, like the Serbo-Montenegrins, can go no further in this tournament but they certainly pushed the Dutch all the way.
After Van Persie's 23rd-minute free-kick opener, Van Nistelrooij doubled the Dutch lead four minutes later but the Ivorians hit back through a spectacular Bakary Kone effort and threatened an equaliser on more than one occasion.

In conclusion:With this second win by the narrowest of margins, the Netherlands advance to the last 16 alongside Argentina. Debutants Côte d'Ivoire put on another fine show but when they travel home after their final match against Serbia and Montenegro they will reflect on the costly goals conceded early in their first two games.

Fearsome Show

2006-06-16T08:27:00.000-07:00

Argentina gave a fearsome show of attacking strength as they swept aside Group C rivals Serbia and Montenegro 6-0 in Gelsenkirchen on Friday, 16 June 2006.
Jose Pekerman's team equalled their record FIFA World Cup™ win against Peru from 1978 against opponents they had, coincidentally, dismantled by the same score at the 2004 Olympic Football Tournament. More importantly, the victory took them a big step closer to the second round, while leaving Serbia and Montenegro’s hopes hanging by a thread.

The flow of goals began in the sixth minute with Maxi Rodriguez and after Esteban Cambiasso had doubled the lead in the 31st minute, Rodriguez struck again to make it 3-0 ten minutes later. There was no respite for Serbia and Montenegro after the break as, following the dismissal of Mateja Kezman, Hernan Crespo hit Argentina's fourth in the 78th minute. Substitutes Carlos Tevez (84') and Lionel Messi (88') completed the scoring in the final ten minutes.

Three first-half strikes, two by Maxi Rodriguez and another by substitute Esteban Cambiasso, led Argentina to a 6-0 victory Friday over Serbia-Montenegro in Group C. Hernan Crespo made it 4-0 in the 78th, and youngsters Carlos Tevez and Lionel Messi finished off the rout.
Two-time champion Argentina, which opened the World Cup with a 2-1 victory over Ivory Coast, will reach the round of 16 if the Netherlands wins or draws later Friday against the Ivorians.
The loss eliminated the Serbs.
The first two goals were masterpieces.

With former star Diego Maradona cheering in the stands, Argentina got a perfect start with Rodriguez scoring in the sixth minute. He finished off his shot at the end of perfect passes down the left side from captain Juan Pablo Sorin and Javier Saviola. Argentina made it 2-0 in the 31st, a classic goal by Cambiasso, who entered in the 17th minute for injured Luis Gonzalez. Argentina held possession with a string of two dozen passes. At the finish, Saviola found Cambiasso, who passed to Hernan Crespo, who back-heeled the ball for Cambiasso's left-footed finish.

Rodriquez's second involved more grit than guile. Saviola stole the ball in the right corner, then took a shot breaking for the net. Serb keeper Dragoslav Jevric made a sprawling save. The ball rebounded off the goalpost to his right, with Rodriguez slipping the shot home in the 41st. To celebrate, he did a flying somersault. With Serbia down to 10 men after Mateja Kezman was sent off in the 65th for a harsh tackle on Javier Mascherano, Crespo broke through in the 78th off a pass from Messi. It was the 18-year-old Messi's first action of the tournament and he punctuated it with the final goal.

Tevez scored in the 84th, curling the ball into a wide open net as the Serb defense remained leaky. On a clear day, the game was played under a closed roof at FC Schalke's stadium - a move to give TV a shadow-free field.

Ecuador go forward as Rooney comes back

2006-06-15T16:21:00.000-07:00

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.

Neuville breaks Poland's hearts

2006-06-15T02:37:00.000-07:00

Neuville breaks Poland's hearts
A last-gasp goal from substitute Oliver Neuville gave Germany their second successive Group A victory against Poland in Dortmund on Wednesday, 14 June 2006.
Germany, who had been frustrated for the vast majority of the match through a combination of poor finishing and excellent goalkeeping from Artur Boruc, were grateful when the Borussia Monchengladbach man side-footed home in the first minute of added time.
The result does not guarantee the hosts qualification for the Round of 16, but it leaves them with one foot in the knockout stages.

German supersub Neuville breaks Poland's hearts in stoppage time as he slid in to convert Odonkor's killer cross for a late winner to spark relief-charged celebrations in Dortmund and right across the host nation.

Germany left it as late as possible to claim the three points and Poland can count themselves unlucky after holding them at bay for so long as the result matched the score when the teams met in the 1974 FIFA World Cup™ semi-final.

Spanish Fly & Islamic Draw

2006-06-15T00:56:00.000-07:00

'Spain could go a long way'
We saw Spain put in a wonderful performance today. Their players showed superb technical skills, excellent ball control and a lot of pace. They fully deserved the win because they made the most of their opportunities.
The game was largely settled by set-piece plays and Spain's first three goals came from dead-ball situations. There was also a deflection on the second and the third was a penalty. That's why I enjoyed the fourth so much, an absolutely excellent goal that came from open play. It would have been shame if all the goals had been scored from set-pieces.

The match took shape very early on with Spain's first two goals. The Spanish were in complete control, particularly in terms of possession and they scored almost at will. Oleg Blokhin made a few tactical changes at the break but we'll never know if they would have worked because the penalty and the sending-off came right at the start of the second half.
That gave Ukraine a huge mountain to climb, and with only ten men and playing in that heat it was well beyond them. I feel a little sorry for them to be honest, because they're obviously a much better side than such an emphatic scoreline suggests. But Spain were tremendous - all you need to do is take a look at their bench, with the likes of Raul and Cesc Fabregas and you can see them going a long way. Mind you, they always promise great things, so we'd better wait and see.

Luis ARAGONES (ESP)

There is a tremendous amount of quality in our midfield and we’re very strong physically too. The fact is we dominated as soon as we got possession, and their heads went down when we scored the second.
That said, we were a little slack at the back once or twice and could have conceded a couple of goals. I wasn’t happy with that because it’s very important to keep a clean sheet at the World Cup.
I didn’t expect such a convincing result, and I honestly thought they’d make it tougher for us. I have to say, though, we were a little lucky scoring from a corner and then a free-kick, and that hit them very hard psychologically.
We’ve got some very talented players and we’ve made an excellent start.

Oleg BLOKHIN (UKR)

I’m extremely disappointed. We weren’t disciplined at all and the players failed to follow the instructions the coaching team gave them. We’ll have to analyse our mistakes very closely and lift the players for next game. We’ll also need to rebuild the defence completely. After all, though, this is our very first World Cup finals and we need to pick up some experience.
I’m not so much disappointed about the result as the attitude of the players. It’s embarrassing for all of us and I want to apologise to the Ukraine fans for the performance we put in. We can’t play like that again. We just crumbled.
Spain played a very complete game, they were solid and fully deserved to win. Xabi Alonso also had a terrific game. Sadly, we’ve been the worst European team in the competition so far.

Tunisia 2 : 2 Saudi Arabia

With a sudden burst, Saudi Arabia was on the verge of erasing recent World Cup embarrassment. Then Tunisia spoiled the Saudi's celebrations in the final seconds Wednesday.

Rahdi Jaidi's powerful header in injury time gave Tunisia a 2-2 tie with Saudi Arabia in the only all-Arab match of the tournament. Just a few minutes earlier, in the 84th, Sami al-Jaber gave the Saudis a lead.
Al-Jaber, who retired from the national team, then was brought back for qualifying, had entered the game moments before. He has played in four World Cups and now has scored in three after finishing off a 2-on-1 break. It was his first touch of the game.
Saudi Arabia coach Marcos Paqueta had left al-Jaber on the bench because the veteran was struggling with a thigh problem. But the 34-year-old showed his class at the first opportunity.
Tunisia pressed for the tie and got it on Jaidi's header from 6 yards off a feed from the end line by Ziad Jaziri, who scored earlier.
Four years after an 8-0 humiliation against Germany in their opening game, goals from Yasser al-Qahtani and the veteran al-Jaber put the Saudis in position for a victory - and a bonus of $27,000 per player.
Then Tunisia struck for the tie. Jaidi, a hulking defender, pushed up and was unmarked in front of the middle of the goal to head in Jaziri's pinpoint pass.
Each team has one point, behind Group H favorite Spain, which routed Ukraine 4-0 earlier Wednesday.
The Tunisians took the lead in the 23rd minute, when the Saudi defense failed to clear a corner kick and Jaziri thumped the ball hard and high into the top-left corner of the Saudi net.
But Saudi Arabia slowly recovered its poise, with midfielder Nawaf al-Temyat at the center of increasingly dangerous moves.
It earned a string of free kicks and corners, and Tunisia's 40-year-old goalkeeper Ali Boumnijel, the oldest player in the tournament, had to dive sharply to hold a dangerous free kick by Redha Takar in the 37th minute.
The pressure paid off in the 57th at the end of a smooth passing move. Noor Mohammed got behind Tunisia's David Jemmali down the right side and crossed low and hard for al-Qahtani to clip the ball past Boumnijel at the near post.

Babes of the World Cup!!!

2006-06-14T04:47:00.000-07:00

Brazil always brings in the biggest fans.

A Brazil fan in the stands at Berlin's Olympiastadion keeps the fans wondering whether they should be watching the game at all.
South Korean fans watch the public viewing of the World Cup in front of City Hall in Seoul, South Korea.
Supporters of the U.S. national team sit in the stands as they wait for the kickoff.
A Swiss soccer fan wears a funny hat and bikini top in the Swiss national colors.

Fans of the Mexican soccers team celebrate during the Group D match between Iran and Mexico at the 'Fan Mile,' a public viewing zone in Berlin on June 11.
An azzurri fan looking like a work of art.
Did she find that dress at Nordstrom's?
Japanese fans watch the public viewing of the FIFA World Cup at Nakata.net cafe in Tokyo, Japan.
A fan smiles prior to the beginning of the group B match of the soccer World Cup 2006 between England and Paraguay.

Kaka: Man of the Match

2006-06-13T23:32:00.000-07:00

Brazil defeated European challengers Croatia 1-0 in an enthralling Group F encounter in Berlin on Tuesday, 13 June 2006.
The current holders of the FIFA World Cup™ Trophy and their legions of colourful fans provided entertainment both on and off the pitch but they were made to work hard for their victory by a well-organised Croatia side.

After both sides enjoyed a series of half-chances, the goal which proved to be decisive was of the highest order. A minute before the interval, AC Milan midfielder Kaka curled a left-footed shot past Stipe Pletikosa and into the top left-hand corner of the net.
The win gave Brazil their eighth consecutive success in FIFA World Cup™ matches, a new record, and how fitting that it was delivered by the wearer of the Seleção's No.8 shirt.

The match:

1' The Olympic Stadium in Berlin has seen some momentous occasions and again the atmosphere crackled as the world champions took centre stage.
3': Ronaldinho danced his way through three challenges and linked up with Adriano, Ze Roberto and Roberto Carlos but a strong Croatian rearguard refused to be dazed and stood firm.
14': The trademark patient, mesmerising ball play from Brazil was not making a mark on the Croatians, until Roberto Carlos unleashed a drive from distance which forced Stipe Pletikosa into his first save, the goalkeeper palming the ball over the bar.
15': Another save from Pletikosa came a minute later as he dived full length to his left to tip away a low shot from Ronaldinho.
21': Croatia were not in the game just to make up the numbers and captain Niko Kovac thought he had found a way through only to be denied by a timely challenge from Lucio. Less than a minute later Niko Kranjcar found space to shoot, but dragged his effort wide from some 20 metres.
27': Back they came and a low strike from Kranjcar was deflected off Lucio for a corner.

38': Some minutes after Ronaldinho had fired a free-kick into the wall, a dead-ball opportunity at the other end almost brought the opening goal, but Igor Tudor was inches short of making contact with Darijo Srna's delivery.
43': The opening goal was worth the wait as Kaka steadied himself just outside the Croatian penalty area and placed an unstoppable shot out of the reach of Pletikosa. (1-0)

Croatia push forward

50': There was an early scare for Brazil in the second half as Dado Prso burst clear on the left-hand side of the penalty area and shot for goal but Dida blocked and Roberto Carlos tidied up.
53': Dida was back in action quickly, going down well to a sharp snapshot from the edge of the box from Ivan Klasnic.
56': Ronaldo was having a quiet night but served a reminder of his threat as he sent a shot narrowly over. That effort was by and large against the run of play as Croatia, despite having lost captain Niko Kovac to injury just before the break, continued to push forward.
62': Brazil displayed their ability to turn a game in a flash as from a Kaka cross Ronaldinho missed a great chance to add a second, Pletikosa producing smart save to parry his close-range header.
68': Twice in as many minutes Croatia almost drew level. With Croatia finding gaps in Brazil's defence, Dida saved from Klasnic soon after Prso had seen a close-range effort turned behind for a corner.
74': In what was becoming a very open game, Kaka whistled a shot low through a crowded box and just wide.
88': With Croatia's supporters providing a cacophony of noise in the closing stages, they nearly had even more to shout about as Prso crossed for Kranjcar, but the Hadjuk Split midfielder seemed to lack conviction as he headed over the crossbar.

In conclusion:

A winning start for the Seleção, but they were made to fight every inch of the way by a spirited Croatian side who ensured that while Brazil functioned smoothly in parts, they were unable to relax until the final whistle.

Korea come back & French disappointment

2006-06-13T12:59:00.000-07:00

South Korea comes back to beat Togo ...
France still can't score in the World Cup...
"African players take it very easy," said Pfister, who has spent most of his career in Africa. "He thinks he has won before the game is over. Everyone was overconfident before the game. Even myself."

The Black Sparrows were beaten 2-1 by South Korea on Tuesday in their debut on soccer's biggest stage, but the game was merely part of the chaos that has surrounded the team for the last several days.
Who would coach Togo remained a mystery right up until the start of the game, when Otto Pfister appeared on the sideline. Sure, he was wearing jeans and a dark shirt that was buttoned only halfway up instead of the red and black tracksuits favored by the other members of Togo's training staff. But he was there, providing at least temporary stability to a bizarre situation.
And Togo even held a lead at halftime, an almost unthinkable feat considering the off-field turmoil the team has been dealing with, including a dispute between players and the Togo soccer federation over money.
"This situation is definitely very hard," defender Toure Assimiou said. "You're in the World Cup for the first time and then something like this happens."
Togo played with 10 men for the final 37 minutes, too, allowing the more experienced South Koreans to finally to take control of the game. Substitute Ahn Jung-Hwan scored the winner in the 72nd minute, perfectly placing a 25-yard shot to beat Togo goalkeeper Kossi Agassa.
"We had the Koreans under control," Pfister said. "But then after the red card, it was different."
On Monday, Pfister was back at his home in Zurich, Switzerland, after quitting as coach over the weekend in a show of solidarity for his players.

The 68-year-old German stormed out of the team's hotel early Saturday morning, hours after the country's prime minister had come to Germany in an attempt to broke a compromise to the money dispute. The team announced on Monday he was coming back, but when he didn't show up at Togo's hotel on time Monday night, there were more questions on who would be on the sideline for the Black Sparrows.
"No comment," was Pfister's terse reply to repeated questions about the coaching chaos.

The star-studded French were held to a 0-0 tie by Switzerland on Tuesday, bringing back memories of their horrid World Cup 2002 performance, when Les Bleus were knocked out in the first round without finding the net.
The last time the French scored in a World Cup game was when they beat Brazil 3-0 in the 1998 final at Stade de France. They lost 1-0 to Senegal and 2-0 to Denmark at the 2002 championship and were held 0-0 by Uruguay.
The Swiss also held the French to draws in qualifying games and this result could have been even worse for Raymond Domenech's team.
Alexander Frei had a wonderful chance to win it for the Swiss when he leaped to meet a free kick from Ludovic Magnin. Instead of heading the ball, the striker tried to punch it home from 3 yards and was given a yellow card for cheating.
"We knew it would not be easy, but we managed to take two points off a direct rival," Domenech said of the one point the Swiss got instead of three for a win. "I regret that we did not score when had the chance, but we are always at the mercy of these things. The refereeing was not always understandable, even though it is top-level refereeing. It's a shame, but we have to put up with it."
Despite being forced to play as a lone striker, Thierry Henry came close with three shots and a header in the first half, while Zinedine Zidane's deft touches set up the best French moves.
But the Swiss almost went ahead in the 23rd minute when Tranquillo Barnetta fired a free kick into the goal area, Philippe Senderos and Alexander Frei both failed to get a touch in front of goal and the ball struck the post.
Fabien Barthez, one of five current French World Cup players who were on the 1998 winning squad, rescued Les Bleus with a near-post block to keep out a header from Swiss substitute Daniel Gygax in the 65th minute.

France coach Raymond Domenech gave Henry some help by sending on Manchester United striker Louis Saha with 20 minutes to go but, with Zidane fading and Patrick Vieira badly off form, the French remained goalless.
Domenech left Juventus striker David Trezeguet on the bench throughout the game and his other striker, Vikash Dhorasoo, almost snatched victory with two minutes to go.
Zidane and Saha set up the opening and the forward struck a well-timed low shot that flashed past the far post.
Henry was a big disappointment. He headed over the crossbar in the fifth minute and also fired two weak shots at goalkeeper Pascal Zuberbuehler as the French opened up the Swiss defense.

Iran boss rues defensive blunders

2006-06-13T00:01:00.000-07:00

Iran boss rues defensive blunders
Coach Branko Ivankovic said Iran paid dearly for poor defending as they lost their World Cup Group D opener to Mexico 3-1 in Nuremburg.
Rahman Rezaei's dithering on the ball led to Mexico's Omar Bravo scoring an easy second for Mexico and Ivankovic said: "It was a terrible mistake.
"Of course after that it was much harder. We really thought had a chance to do something in this match.
"But we played well in the first half and could have scored more than once."

Ivankovic said, overall, he was satisfied with his team's performance in the first half, which ended 1-1.
"At half-time, I insisted that they start playing more offensively and I was happy with the way they did that."

Italy kick off with win

2006-06-12T23:27:00.000-07:00

Italy kick off with win
Andrea Pirlo and Vincenzo Iaquinta both found the net as Italy began their Group E campaign with a 2-0 win over Ghana. Milan midfielder Pirlo bent a fierce low shot into the bottom corner six minutes before the interval, before sub Iaquinta sealed the win with a late strike.

Ratomir Dujkovic's African first-time qualifiers gave a fine account of themselves, with captain Stephen Appiah and Michael Essien energetic presences in midfield.
But while Marcello Lippi's line-up struggled with the Ghanaians' athleticism, the talent in the feet of Pirlo and Francesco Totti, and the presence of Luca Toni in the final third provided the Azzurri with the edge.

Serie A top scorer Toni answered questions whether he could bring his domestic form onto the international stage with a bullying performance that had everything but a goal.

The Fiorentina forward crashed a fine effort off the underside of the bar in a sparky first half, while playmaker Totti twice stung the hands of erratic Ghana keeper Richard Kingston with fierce long-range efforts.
But it was a touch of Pirlo class that provided the breakthrough.
Totti's quickly-taken short corner caught Ghana sleeping - their failure to close down Pirlo criminally negligent and they were made to pay as the ball pierced a packed penalty area to arrow into the net.
TOTTI SCARE

Alberto Gilardino - a disappointingly peripheral figure - burst into life and almost added a second five minutes after the break only for Kingston to make a fine stop with his feet.
Essien then forced Azzurri stopper Gigi Buffon into a plunging save with a dipping half-volley, and Lippi's heart will have skipped a beat as Totti crumpled under a challenge before the hour.
The Roma captain - recently back to form after a leg break - was immediately withdrawn, but his presence on the bench until the end of the game suggests it was caution rather than the severity of any injury which forced Lippi's hand.
Kingston again kept his side in the game as he parried Simone Perrotta's close-range blast, while at the other end, Italy survived two penalty shouts as the livewire Asamoah Gyan wreaked havoc.
But class finally told and Kingston was left exposed after experienced defender Sammy Kuffour left a backpass short to allow Iaquinta in to round the keeper and slot the ball into the empty net.
"I'm delighted with the result. Our opponents showed themselves to be as strong as we thought they would be," said Lippi. "Under certain aspects they were better than us. But I think overall we deserved to win."

American Scandal & Japanese Shame

2006-06-12T11:32:00.000-07:00

Rosicky stars as Czechs roll over the USA...
Cahill brace stuns Japan...

A pulsating performance from the Czech Republic saw them run out 3-0 winners against a capable USA team. Arsenal signing Tomas Rosicky starred with two goals.
The Czechs took the lead in only the fifth minute when right back Zdenek Grygera found space down the left side and crossed perfectly for 6' 7" Jan Koller to thump home a powerful header.
On 27 minutes Claudio Reyna of the US picked up the ball in midfield and unleashed a ferocious shot that cannoned off the inside of the post.
The USA cursed that luck on 35 minutes when Pavel Nedved's cross was headed straight to Tomas Rosicky. The midfielder coolly set himself and cracked a shot straight into the top corner.
In the second period Rosicky hit the crossbar with a hard drive and then combined with Nedved to add a third, lifting the ball over a despairing Kasey Keller.

In conclusion

The US team displayed several nice combinations in midfield throughout the match, but they struggled to translate them into clear scoring opportunities. Czech Republic, meanwhile, did not create a host of chances but they had the quality to capatilise on the ones they did make for themselves. Things will not get easier for the States, as they will face Italy next in another difficult Group E clash, while the Czechs will play Ghana.

Two goals from Tim Cahill in five minutes helped Australia come from behind to stun Japan 3-1 in Kaiserslautern on Monday. Japan had earlier taken a controversial lead when a Shunsuke Nakamura cross flew over Mark Schwarzer - impeded by Atsushi Yanagisuwa - and into the net. But Cahill - brought on by Australia coach Guus Hiddink early into the second half - equalised with six minutes to go after Japan goalkeeper Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi had fumbled a long throw-in.
And the Australia playmaker completed the sensational turnaround with just a minute to go, taking John Aloisi's pass and smashing an unstoppable drive off the post and in from outside the box.
Aloisi scored a third deep into stoppage time to wrap up the Socceroos' first World Cup win and put them well on their way in Group F.
With the Kaiserslautern crowd a sea of yellow and green, the Australia fans were almost rewarded in just the fifth minute of the match when Mark Viduka saw two efforts saved by Kawaguchi.
And the Middlesbrough striker almost set up an opener, his delightful backheeled pass putting Marco Bresciano clean through, whose shot was saved by Kawaguchi.
Kawaguchi continued to defy the Australian attack, saving well from a Viduka free-kick and an Aloisi strike.
But the Japan goalkeeper was to make the mistake that turned the match around, flapping at a long throw-in with just six minutes left, allowing Cahill to gather the ball and slot it into the empty net.
Cahill almost went from hero to villain when he pulled down Naohiro Takahashi in the box moments later, but no penalty was given and Australia went on to snatch it in the dying moments.
"In the end justice was done in this game," Hiddink said. "I'm not saying this out of arrogance, but we were sure that we were capable of (coming back).
"This team is nice to work with because they never give up, and this team tried to play good football."

MEXICO-IRAN: Players' Quotes

2006-06-12T00:01:00.000-07:00

Ali DAEI (IRN)
Mexico were not a superior team. We were equal to them. The most disappointing thing was that we made two mistakes that led to goals. On the other hand, Mexico made two good substitutions in the second half which made them stronger going forward. The game against Portugal is vital. We have to play better than today and we need to win.

Vahid HASHEMIAN (IRN)
We played two different games today. The first half was very good but we played too defensively in the second, mainly due to the fact that Ali Karimi went off injured. But if Angola win or draw against Portugal, it will be still wide open. Anything is possible in football.
Ferydoon ZANDI (IRN)
It was a superb atmosphere in Nuremberg. You have to enjoy playing in front of a crowd like that. To make three mistakes for one goal is extremely annoying. We have to play better as a whole and play further up the field. Our biggest error was that we sat too deep in defence.

Omar BRAVO (MEX)
Budweiser Man of the Match I thank God, the coach and most of all my team-mates for making this victory possible. But more important than this award is the win for the team which keeps us nicely in the running. This is one of the most emotional days of my career, and what better way to round it off than with two goals. Iran are a great team. They battled and never gave up. The atmosphere in the stadium was fantastic.

Jose FONSECA (MEX)
It was a great match and felt like a home game. We feel very at home and welcome in Germany and hope things continue to go as well as this. The team spirit is very good and we're delighted to have won the game.

Oswaldo SANCHEZ(MEX)
I know my father was watching me from heaven during the game. I thank the team for the flowers before the game. It’s a nice feeling when you know that the team is thinking of you. Right now I’m thinking about my family a lot, and I’m here because I’m sure it’s what my father would have wanted.

Rafael MARQUEZ (MEX)
It was a very important win and I’m very happy with it. We kept the ball better in the second half which settled us. The two changes in the second half were the key to victory. Iran were a very strong opponent. We have to stay calmer in the next games and make fewer mistakes. It was a dream for us that Oswaldo (Sanchez) played. That gave us more stability. It was like a home game for us today.

Carlos SALCIDO (MEX)
I’m delighted that we won. We’ve made a good start to the tournament. It was a fascinating game. Iran were good opponents and the win means a lot to us. We definitely want to reach the second round and we don’t care who we play.

SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO 0-1 NETHERLANDS

2006-06-11T12:35:00.001-07:00

SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO 0-1 NETHERLANDS
A first-half goal from Arjen Robben was enough to earn the Netherlands a 1-0 win over Serbia and Montenegro in their opening match of the 2006 FIFA World Cup™ in Leipzig on Sunday, 11 June 2006.
Robben struck the only goal of an absorbing contest in the 18th minute, finishing confidently after his speed carried him clear of the Serbia and Montenegro back line. The victory puts Marco van Basten's Dutch team level on three points with Argentina at the top of Group C.
The match:
2': A lively opening from the Netherlands and a half-chance for Arjen Robben, but his looping back-header was grabbed from under the crossbar by Dragoslav Jevric.
6': With the backing of terrific support from the Oranje fans on a warm afternoon in Leipzig the Netherlands did the early pressing, albeit without making any real inroads against the famously tight Plavi defence.
10': A foul ten yards from the right-hand edge of the Netherlands penalty area brought a free-kick for Serbia and Montenegro. But a curling effort from Savo Milosevic was saved comfortably by Edwin van der Sar.
13': A chance for Serbia and Montenegro but Milosevic and Dejan Stankovic got in each other's way.
17': The opening goal. Serbia and Montenegro attempted to play a high offside line but it did not work as Robin van Persie sent Arjen Robben clear ten yards inside the Serbia and Montenegro half. After bursting into the box, he struck a low shot past Jevric. (0-1)

21': Another chance for the lively Robben, this time a left-footed drive from some 20 yards which was palmed away by Jevric.
29': After being rocked by the goal, Serbia and Montenegro settled and Mateja Kezman went close with a header from the edge of the six-yard box.

36': Robben, a constant threat, cut in from the left and shot just wide of Jevric's left-hand post with a curling effort from the edge of the penalty area.
45': Serbia and Montenegro showed they were still in the game as Van der Sar stretched to catch a dangerous left-wing cross, and Ognjen Koroman was then inches wide with a powerful shot from the edge of the penalty area with Van der Sar well beaten.

Second half under way 46': Early pressure from Serbia and Montenegro brought a left-wing corner but the Netherlands scrambled the ball clear.
54': The first real chance of the second period came at the other end from a well-worked free-kick. Wesley Sneijder put the ball into the box but Robben missed with an attempted overhead kick when unmarked ten yards out.
60': Sneijder's shot from 17 yards was blocked close to goal and Jevric just got to the loose ball ahead of Ruud van Nistelrooij.
71': Serbia and Montenegro enjoyed a spell of possession and nearly drew level with a low shot from Koroman, which Van der Sar saves with his knees.
74': The Dutch were struggled to break Serbia and Montenegro's stranglehold on the game. Substitute Nikola Zigic was not far away when stretching for a left-wing cross inside the Netherlands penalty area.
81': Some respite for the Netherlands defence as the Dutch win a free-kick by the left-hand edge of the Serbia and Montenegro penalty area. A low drive from Van Persie whistled through the box untouched and went just wide.
88': A chance for a second goal for Robben but his low left-footed shot from 16 yards missed by a whisker.
In conclusion:

Serbia and Montenegro fought all the way but the Dutch did enough to secure a narrow and important win in this keenly contested game. Van Basten can celebrate his first victory in a FIFA World Cup game, either as a player or coach. The Oranje can look ahead with confidence to facing Côte d'Ivoire on Friday while Serbia and Montenegro next face another daunting assigment against Argentina.

Argentina edge Ivory Coast

2006-06-10T23:20:00.000-07:00

Argentina held on for a 2-1 win over World Cup debutants Ivory Coast in the first World Cup Group C match in Hamburg on Saturday. Goals by Hernan Crespo and Javier Saviola gave them a 2-0 lead at half-time but a late Didier Drogba strike tested Argentinian nerves to the final whistle.

Argentina captain Juan Pablo Sorin praised his team's mentality during the win.
"I liked our attitude, always looking for good results but quiet," the defender told reporters. "A good attitude.
"We lacked some depth, we felt tired, but the team worked fine. The first match was a key one."
Ivory Coast coach Henri Michel urged his team to stay positive.
"The players are disappointed but we should not focus on the negative," said the Frenchman.
"We should try to look at this match and analyse things and continue to work with confidence so our goalscoring gets better.
"Now we have to work on our strengths and hope we can do better against Netherlands (on Friday)."
Ivory Coast created plently of chances when taking the game to Argentina in a tantalising contest but a combination of excellent defending by Roberto Ayala and goalkeeping by Roberto Abbondanzieri kept the African Nations runners-up at bay.
Argentina were unlucky not to open the scoring before Hernan Crespo's finish during a goalmouth scramble following a 24th minute corner. A Roberto Ayala header looked to have crossed the line after being fumbled by Ivorian 'keeper Jean-Jacques Tizié, but play was waved on.
Argentina had another goal disallowed later on, although Maxi Rodriguez was just offside when he latched onto a loose ball after Juan Roman Riquelme's original shot.

Ivory Coast had actually created more of the chances in the first half, Bonaventure Kalou missing a gilt-edged chance when heading straight at Abbondanzieri from close range, but good possession play and super running was unfortunately not matched by the final ball or finish, and could have counted themselves unfortunate to go two down when a superbly crafted move and Riquelme through ball was stroked home by Saviola on 38 minutes.
The second period actually saw Argentina dominate the game for much of the half, Riquelme majestically pulling the strings with Esteban Cambiasso impressive holding alongside Javier Mascherano, who was similarly disciplined in the role he occupies for Brazilian club Corinthians.
Argentina had a scare when Drogba turned and finished on 83 minutes after a late period of incessant Ivorian pressure, but they held out for the win and set the standard for a tournament that they surely feel they can win.

Man of the match: Juan Roman Riquelme - one of the men to watch in this tournament, his guile and eye for a pass gave Argentina the edge in midfield.

TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO 0-0 SWEDEN

2006-06-10T10:59:00.000-07:00

TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO 0-0 SWEDEN
An amazing match in Dortmund saw FIFA World Cup™ debutants Trinidad and Tobago hold Sweden to a goalless draw.

An injury to the Soca Warriors' first-choice goalkeeper Kelvin Jack shortly before kick-off gave West Ham United's Shaka Hislop a chance to shine on the world's biggest stage. Hislop did that - and more - as the 37-year-old pulled off a string of superb saves to deny Ibrahimovic, Larsson and Co.
The final scoreline was made all the more incredible as Trinidad and Tobago, ranked 47th in the world, compared to Sweden's 16, had Avery John sent-off in the 46th minute for two bookable offences.
At full-time, the Caribbean side's players and supporters danced for joy, while Lars Lagerback's men slumped to the turf in disappointment. The match may not have produced any goals, but the drama was there for all to see.
The Match:

5‘:Roared on by thousands of supporters clad in yellow, Sweden began the match on the attack. Freddie Ljungberg was brought down by Dwight Yorke on the edge of the box and Henrik Larsson crashed the resulting free kick narrowly wide.
15‘:Trinidad and Tobago’s Dutch coach Leo Beenhakker had told his players to perform with a smile on their faces but it was the Scandinavians who looked amused as they watched Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s acrobatic effort sail inches over.

22‘:The elegant Juventus player was in the thick of the action and after being sent clear by Larsson, he just failed to pick out his fellow forward with a delicate centre.
34‘:The smallest nation in the finals, with a population of just 1.1m, Trinidad and Tobago were certainly not being overawed on their debut. Fearless in defence, they were not afraid to throw men forward and from one fast counter-attack Carlos Edwards forced Rami Shabaan into a good save with a powerful strike from fully 30 yards.
38‘:The game was opening up and back at the other end, Ljungberg found space down the right to cross, but Larsson, leaping at the back post, could not quite guide his header on target.
40‘:Shaka Hislop, who had replaced Kelvin Jack in the starting line-up moments before kick-off, was twice called into action inside two minutes as Sweden pressed before the break. First he tipped over a fierce drive from Christian Wilhelmsson struck with the outside of the boot. Then the West Ham United keeper flung himself to his left to parry a half-volley from Ibrahimovic after the tall forward had brought the ball down superbly on the edge of the area.
Seeing red:

46‘:Avery John became the first player to be sent off in the finals after he received a second yellow a minute into the second period for a two-footed challenge on the lively Wilhelmsson.
58’:Playing against 10 men, Sweden were still struggling to find gaps in the Caribbean islanders’ solid defence. Erik Edman bent in a teasing cross but Ibrahimovic, rising six yards out, could not keep his header down.
59’:Lars Lagerback’s men were given a scare moments later. Finding himself without support on the edge of the box, substitute Glenn Cornell decided to try his luck and watched his rasping drive crash off the crossbar.
59’:Back at the other end, Ibrahimovic, who was moving well across the line, bought some space at the back post with a feint but could find no way past Hislop.
76’: Thrown on to grab the elusive goal, substitute Markus Allback found the ball was rolling equally unkindly. The Copenhagen striker had four chances in as many minutes. With one, he shot tamely at Hislop from the edge of the box and after latching onto Larsson’s pass with another, he could only poke the ball against Hislop’s body from 10 yards.

82’: Sweden were pouring forward now but there was no-one on the end of an enticing centre from another substitute, Mattias Jonson.
88’: Heroically, Trinidad and Tobago were chasing and charging down everything. Ibrahimovic, picking up the ball on the right-side of the area, found some space late on but he, like the droves of Swedish supporters, watched agonisingly as the final shot whistled over.
In conclusion:

Competing in their first finals, Trinidad and Tobago pulled off a famous result, showing tenacity and no lack of tactical discipline to hold the more favoured Sweden to a goalless draw. Playing against 10 men for virtually the entire second half, Scandinavia’s sole representatives were unable to break through and will now have to regroup for their next match against Paraguay.

ENGLAND 1-0 PARAGUAY

2006-06-10T08:34:00.000-07:00

England got their FIFA World Cup™ campaign off to a winning start in Frankfurt with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Paraguay on Saturday, 11 June 2006.
However, they did not have their own way against the South Americans, who gave Sven-Goran Eriksson’s men some nervous moments during the 90 minutes.
The only goal of the game came in the fourth minute when David Beckham’s free-kick skimmed off the head of Carlos Gamarra and into the net.
Paraguay pushed for an equaliser in the second half, but despite their best efforts, a goal was not forthcoming and most now turn their attentions to their next Group B game against Sweden in Berlin next Thursday.

The match:
4’: England took an early lead, courtesy of an own goal by Carlos Gamarra. David Beckham curled in a free-kick from the left flank and the Paraguay captain inadvertently flicked the ball into the net with his head, beating the despairing dive of goalkeeper Justo Villar (1-0).
8’: Villar’s unhappy start to the tournament was compounded when he raced out to clear an England attack, but in kicking the ball away from Michael Owen he injured himself and Aldo Bobadilla came off the bench to replace him in goal.
10‘: Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard, passed fit for the match after struggling with a hip injury in the build-up, tried his luck with a right-footed volley but the effort flashed over.
13‘: Bobadilla conceded an indirect free-kick on the edge of his area but Frank Lampard failed to make the most of the chance.
17‘: Carlos Paredes tried to inject some life into Paraguay with a drive from 20 yards, but it passed harmlessly wide of England goalkeeper Paul Robinson’s post.
19‘: Cristian Riveros had a shot on target for Paraguay, but Robinson dived low to his left to smother it well. Gerrard picked up the game’s first yellow card for the challenge he made in trying to close Riveros down.
22‘: Lampard played a neat one-two with Crouch and forced Bobadilla into a save with a fierce drive.
43‘: After a relatively quiet passage of the game, Beckham tried to find his range from open play with a curling shot from 18 metres, but it flashed just past the post and out for a goal kick.
47+‘: Nelson Valdez had Paraguay’s best chance of the first half in stoppage time after picking up a loose ball inside the penalty area and firing in a right-foot shot, although he failed to hit the target. 53‘: The second half began at a much slower pace, with the heat in Frankfurt having taken its toll on the players. Roberto Acuna tried to catch the England defence off-guard with a quick free-kick for , but it rolled through to Robinson without troubling him at all.
58‘: Joe Cole brought Bobadilla into action with a low drive, but the Paraguayan was equal to it with a smart stop.
59‘: An anxious moment came for Robinson when he failed to gather Carlos Bonet’s cross at the first attempt. Paredes tried to hook the ball over the onrushing keeper but could not keep the ball down.

64‘: Valdez turned inside Gerrard and sent in a decent shot with his left foot, but the effort went straight into Robinson’s arms. The Tottenham keeper brought a collective smile to the crowd when his towering clearance bounced back off the giant video screen hanging over the centre circle in Frankfurt.
73‘: With England struggling to find the rhythm they managed in the early part of the game, Lampard injected some dynamism back into their play with a stinging attempt which brought the best out of Bobadilla, who palmed the ball over the bar.
88‘: Lampard once again tested Bobadilla with a powerful shot, but the Paraguay keeper denied him by tipping the ball round the post for a corner.
In conclusion:

England got the opening win they were looking for, but the performance in the second half was less than convincing. Paraguay can take heart from their battling display, though they had no reward for their efforts.

POLAND 0-2 ECUADOR

2006-06-10T00:20:00.000-07:00

POLAND 0-2 ECUADOR
Luis Suarez’s Ecuador side began their 2006 FIFA World Cup™ campaign with a convincing 2-0 win over Poland in Gelsenkirchen on Friday, 9 June 2006.
A hard-fought encounter witnessed goals either side of half-time for La Tri. Carlos Tenorio profited from Agustin Delgado’s flicked header in the 24th minute to give the South Americans the lead.
With ten minutes of normal time remaining, the provider turned goalscorer as Delgado side-footed home from close range to put Ecuador second in the Group A table behind Germany on goal difference.

The match:

5': The balmy late spring conditions in Gelsenkirchen contrasted with those in Barcelona where the teams met in a friendly last year just ahead of the Final Draw for Germany 2006. On that evening, a torrential downpour did not prevent Poland from scoring a convincing 3-0 victory. However, Ecuador began this first competitive fixture between the nations brightly and Luis Valencia had the first attempt, screwing a 20 yarder wide of the target.

11': It was a fast opening with the excitement generated by the teams' colourful and boisterous followings adding to the tempo. While Ecuador goalkeeper Cristian Mora's painted face caught the eye, Artur Boruc was the busier of the two keepers. The Celtic custodian had to be alert to stop a speculative 30-yard volley from Segundo Castillo.
24': Chances were few and far between but just as it appeared the game would become a midfield battle, the South Americans struck in a straightforward fashion. Ulises de la Cruz hurled in a long throw from the right, Agustin Delgado provided the flick-on and Tenorio, reading the move to perfection, raced in to guide his header into the far corner of the net. (0-1)
29': On top now, Ecuador almost doubled their lead with a copycat move. De la Cruz threw the ball in, Tenorio, this time at the near post, muscled his way to the goal-line and cut the ball back but Delgado, six yards out, could not keep his effort down.
38': Boruc was called into action twice in four minutes as Ecuador refused to sit on their lead. He kept out a thunderous 35-yard free-kick from Edison Mendez before holding on well to Valencia's effort from the right-hand side of the box.

Plenty of spirit:

46' The legions of Polish supporters that had travelled across Germany for the game saw their team dominate possession at the beginning of the second half but they were getting no joy from an Ecuadorian defence prepared to throw their bodies into every challenge.
62’:Now playing on the break, La Tri almost grabbed the second goal. Delgado turned neatly on the edge of the box, raced towards goal before tumbling under the challenge of Mariusz Jop. The referee waved play on as the hearts of Polish fans skipped a beat.
73’: Pawel Janas' men were unable to create a clear-cut opening while the sights of Ecuador’s forwards were set firmly between the goalposts. Another Mendez effort from distance forced Boruc into more action as the game became increasingly stretched.
80’:The South Americans doubled their advantage with a devastating move. Mendez split the Polish defence with an inch-perfect pass, substitute Ivan Kaviedes, unselfishly, drew Boruc before squaring to Delgado, who, completely unmarked, side-footed the ball into the empty net.
86’: With the clock ticking down, Poland twice came within a whisker of halving the deficit. First Ireneusz Jelen saw his left-foot snapshot strike the bar, then another substitute, Pawel Brozek, watched agonisingly as his curling effort from the right edge of the box crashed off the post to safety.

In conclusion:

Learning from their debut at the FIFA World Cup four years ago, Ecuador produced a highly efficient team performance to deservedly take the three points in their opening game. Poland, more direct and anxious, will need to improve if they are to take something from their eagerly awaited fixture against hosts Germany.

Flaying Start

2006-06-09T23:38:00.000-07:00

Two goals from Miroslav Klose helped hosts Germany to a 4-2 win in the opening game of the World Cup in Munich on Friday. Philipp Lahm opening the scoring with a sixth-minute rocket before Klose's brace and a stunning strike from Torsten Frings five minutes from time.

Paulo Wanchope kept the Costa Ricans in the match with two strikes either side of half-time.
"It is always important to start off with a win," Lahm told reporters after the match. "You could see what euphoria there was in the stadium.
"Part of the victory should be credited to the fans. They were the 12th man on the pitch."
With Michael Ballack being left out of the starting line-up by coach Juergen Klinsmann, many feared Germany would be left open in midfield.
But any worries subsided after just six minutes, Lahm cutting inside from the left to fire an unstoppable shot into Costa Rica goalkeeper's Jose Francisco Porras' top left-hand corner.
And with the Germans pushing forward for a second, their defensive frailties were there for all to see as Wanchope beat the offside trap to slot the ball past Jens Lehmann and into the German net.
But just five minutes later, the Germans moved back into the lead. Frings played Bernd Schneider in down the right, and the right winger cut the ball inside to Bastian Schweinsteiger, who cut the ball across the face of the goal for Klose to tap in.

DODGY DEFENCE
But the Germans' defending was as bad as their attacking good, with Costa Rica missing a golden opportunity to equalise just after the break, Danny Fonseca turning a free header wide after being found unmarked by Walter Centeno.
And the Germans punished Alexandre Guimaraes' side in the 61st minute. Borowski found Lahm on the left, and the Bayern Munich wing-back found Klose at the back-post, who struck the ball home after seeing his intial effort saved by Porras.

But 12 minutes later, Lehmann was beaten again. Centeno left the defence static with an outrageous flick through to Wanchope, who flicked the ball past the German goalkeeper.
And it was only when Frings took a Schweinsteiger pass and rifled the ball into the top corner from 30 yards that the home fans could breathe a sigh of relief.
"At such a mega event like the World Cup, we've got to put this behind us quickly," Germany coach Juergen Klinsmann told ZDF television.
"The players can have a little glass of beer tonight if they want but our focus has to turn right away to the next match (against Poland on Wednesday). We're happy with this start."

Man of the match: Torsten Frings (GER) - With Ballack out, Frings didn't put a foot wrong in midfield, capping off a fine match with a stunning goal.