On the pitch

15 Jun 2006

Al Jaber joins clan of 12

Saudi Arabia striker Sami Al Jaber has joined Pele and Diego Maradona in the small elite of players to have scored at World Cups 12 years apart after his substitutes goal in the 2-2 draw with Tunisia on Wednesday.

Pele scored 6 in 1958, 1 in 1962, 1 in 1966 and 4 in 1970, while Maradona got 2 in 1982, 5 in 1986 and 1 in 1994.

Al Jaber, 33 scored his debut World Cup goal in 1994, his second in 1998 and on Thursday to give the Sons of the Desert a 2-1 lead against Tunisia.

"I'm very proud and happy," said Al Jaber. "To be able to help the team and still show my touch at the end of my career."

Ecuador make history with qualification

Ecuador turned on the swagger to dispatch Costa Rica 3-0 and qualify for the second round of the World Cup for the first time in their history on Thursday.

The result also means that hosts Germany are also through while Costa Rica and Poland are eliminated.

Ecuador went ahead when Carlos Tenorio notched his second goal of the tournament, heading in a curling cross from the right by Luis Valencia with eight minutes gone.

Augustin Delgado then guaranteed the party would be long and hard for the tiny South American nation when he blasted home the second from a sharp angle on 54 minutes.

To cap a completely dominating performance, Ivan Kaviedes scored a glorious third goal in injury time when he steered home a wonderful Edison Mendez cross from the right.

Ecuador who will win the group if they draw with Germany next Tuesday as they have a better goal difference while England, Sweden, Paraguay and Trinidad and Tobago are potential second round opponents.

England held by Trinidad at half-time

England were being held 0-0 by Trinidad and Tobago in their World Cup Group B match here Thursday.

Despite dominating possession for most of the half England failed to find the target and were fortunate not to go in a goal down after the Caribbean minnows created the best chance of the half.

Coventry striker Stern John leapt to meet a hanging ball into the box on the stroke of half-time and John Terry was forced to hook a desperate goal-line clearance away to safety.

England, who began with Wayne Rooney on the bench, had themselves squandered two gilt-edged chances in the minutes before half-time.

First Frank Lampard saw his close range shot fly over the bar in the 41st minute, and then an unmarked Peter Crouch sent a volley embarrassingly wide of the target after being found unmarked in the centre of the box by a pinpoint David Beckham cross.

Boos were heard from sections of England's supporters as the half-time whistle sounded.

Hosts in the last-16

Ecuador's win over Costa Rica Thursday ensured they and World Cup hosts Germany would qualify for the last-16 of the World Cup with only question mark remaining being who would win the group.

Germany now face Ecuador to decide that question and goal difference means the hosts need a win to top Group A.

Germany coach Jurgen Klinsman explained one reason why he wanted to win the group.

"We want to finish top of this group and play in stadiums we have got used to."

While Ecuador are upbeat about their chances.

"I think we can win that game and win the group," said Ecuador striker Augustin Delgado.

"It is going to be a really great game against Germany because we have both already qualified."

Rooney passed fit to face Trinidad

England's World Cup campaign received a huge boost on Thursday when star striker Wayne Rooney was passed fit to play in the Group B clash with Trinidad and Tobago later in the day.

The 20-year-old, who broke his foot in April, underwent an examination by medical experts Angus Wallace and Chris Moran from the Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham who flew out to Germany.

"Due to his positive attitude and approach and the care he has received, Wayne has made a more rapid recovery than initially anticipated. The injury has healed and we are satisfied that he is as fit as he can be," they said in a joint statement.

Togo's Assemoassa out of World Cup

Togo defender Ludovic Assemoassa will play no further part in the World Cup after being stretchered off in his country's opening match against South Korea.

The 25-year-old, who plays in the Spanish second division, will be out of action for six months after sustaining knee ligament damage in the 2-1 defeat.

His absence reduces the already crisis-hit Togo squad to just 22 players ahead of their second Group G match against Swizerland in Dortmund on Monday, a match the African qualifiers must win to retan any hope of reaching the last 16.

Lemerre defends Tunisia switches

Coach Roger Lemerre defended his decision to take off key players against Saudi Arabia after his Tunisia team slumped from being a goal up to scrambling a 2-2 draw in injury time.

Lemerre said he had removed captain Riadh Bouazizi and midfielder Adel Chedli because they were carrying yellow cards.

"You can't afford to have a player sent off," he said.

"On the bench you have to deal with yellow cards, you can't risk a player being sent off because that changes the situation radically."

Bouazizi was taken off in the 55th minute -- two minutes before Yasser al-Qahtani's equaliser. Fifteen minutes after Chedli was replaced, Saudi Arabia took the lead for the first time before Radhi Jaidi saved Tunisia's blushes deep into injury time.

Arena sings praises of Italy strikers

US coach Bruce Arena paid hommage to Italy's striking talents ahead of their clash Sunday marking out Fiorentina's Luca Toni and AC Milan forward Alberto Gilardino for special attention.

"The guys we're most concerned about are their two strikers, who are probably among the best tandem of strikers in the World Cup," Arena said.

"Both are tremendous finishers. Gilardino is a lethal finisher inside the box and he is in position all the time."

Arena was also impressed with 22-year-old Roma midfielder Daniele De Rossi in Italy's 2-0 opening victory over Ghana.

"I thought De Rossi was very good. He has got a great future," Arena said.

Ecuador 1 Costa Rica 0 at half-time

Ecuador were leading Costa Rica 1-0 at half-time in their World Cup Group A match in Hamburg on Thursday after an 8th minute headed goal from Carlos Tenorio.

Should Ecuador win the match both they and Germany would qualify from the group for the last-16 knock-out round.

Tenorio notched his second goal of the tournament, heading in a curling cross from the right by Luis Valencia.

It was the start of an almost unbroken spell of domination from the Ecuadoreans and Agustin Delgado could have made it 2-0 on the stroke of half-time, but he failed to connect properly just a few feet from the goal.

Ronaldo fine say Brazil

Brazil insist that troubled striker Ronaldo, who has been dogged by injury and fitness problems, still has a future at the World Cup despite being taken to hospital complaining of dizzy spells.

"Ronaldo is fine," said team spokesman Rodrigo Paiva.

"He will train normally this afternoon. He feels fine, there is no Ronaldo mystery. This is nothing like 1998."

The 29-year-old was examined in hospital in Frankfurt in a worrying repeat of the drama that hit the player on the eve of the 1998 World Cup final when Ronaldo suffered a fit in the dressing room just before kick-off.