On the pitch
20 Jun 2006Forget ZZ and think about winning says Barthez
France keeper Fabien Barthez has urged his teammates to forget the suspended Zinedine Zidane and get on with the job of beating Togo on Friday and booking their passage to the next round.
"We can't let his absence get us down, we've got to think about getting a result, think about our game with or without him," said 35-year-old Barthez.
"There's no room for feelings like that - it's up to us to adapt.
"We're still on target to win the World Cup," a bullish Barthez insisted.
"There are so many examples over the last 30 or 40 years, it's not over yet.
"We knew we were going to have three cup-like matches. On Friday we've got the third of those and like all cup matches you've got to win it."
Germany crush Ecuador to win Group A
Miroslav Klose became the tournament's top scorer with a brace and Lukas Podolski broke his duck as Germany won Group A in flambouyant style with a 3-0 thrashing of weakened Ecuador on Tuesday in Berlin.
Klose took his tally to four for the competition and nine career World Cup goals with two pieces of clincial finishing in the first half.
Some fine build-up work from Christoph Metzelder and Bastian Schweinsteiger allowed Klose room at the far post after just 4 minutes to drive home a low shot for the ideal start.
Then on the stroke of half-time he latched onto a Michael Ballack chip, rounded the keeper and rolled the ball into an empty goal to put the hosts firmly in the driving seat at the break.
Another Polish-born striker, Podolski, helped to silence his recent critics when he stroked the ball home in brilliant fashion from another Schweinsteiger assist and the German's were home and dry.
Admittedly, Ecuador were playing with a weakened line-up and rarely troubled Jens Lehmann in the German goal but they could now face England in the next round if Sven Goran Eriksson's side can pick up at least a draw against Sweden later Tuesday.
Klose is now top scorer at the World Cup with four goals going one better than Spain's Fernando Torres.
Larsson saves Sweden again but England win group
Evergreen striker Henrik Larsson scrambled home a 90th minute equaliser to prevent England putting an end to a 38 year winless streak as the two teams finished 2-2 in Cologne meaning England will play Ecuador in the last-16 while Sweden take on Germany.
Steven Gerrard appeared to have scored the winner after heading home a cross from the lively Joe Cole on 85 minutes but England failed to defend the lead when a ball into the box was fluffed by Sol Campbell and poked home by Larsson.
Earlier, a wonderstrike from Cole has put England in front after 34 minutes when he controlled a loose ball and unleashed a long looping volley from 35 yards that Andreas Isaksson could only touch on its way in off the post.
The 1-0 scoreline was a deserved advantage for Sven-Goran Eriksson's side who dominated possession and created a host of chances only for some wayward finishing to prevent England extending their lead.
However Marcus Allback flicked in a corner on 51 minutes to level the scores before the late dramatics with Gerrard and Larsson scoring in quick succession.
On a negative side for England, Michael Owen went off injured with what looked like a serious knee injury after just four minutes forcing Eriksson to throw on Peter Crouch.
Nedved pesimistic ahead of Italy match
Czech Republic star Pavel Nedved, 33, is worried their Group E game with Italy on Thursday may be his international swansong and was downbeat about his depleted side's last-16 chances.
Italy need just a draw to qualify, while the Czechs need a win to be certain with Ghana and the US breathing down their necks.
"We have too many bookings, too many players suspended and too many injured," sighed the shaggy-haired Juventus and former Lazio star.
"It is going to be a real uphill battle but I am determined to not leave the international stage in disappointing fashion. I need to at least make the knockout phase," added the 2003 European player of the year.
"The Italians only need a draw but their confidence must have been rocked by the American match and that with all the normal expectations and pressure they have gives us that window of opportunity we need," Nedved said.
"It is only perhaps a chink of light but it could be enough."
Paraguay finish campaign with 2-0 victory
Eliminated South American outfit Paraguay finished their disappointing campaign with a 2-0 win over Trinidad and Tobago but needed a Brent Sancho own-goal to help them on their way.
Earlier 1-0 defeats to England and Sweden ended their competition even before Tuesday's encounter in Kaiserslautern although a lack of firepower was always the Achilles heel of a team that were reached the second round at the last two World Cups.
Nelson Cuevas made the result safe with a goal in the 86th minute to give the scoreline a flattering look.
Trinidad meanwhile go home with heads held high after holding Sweden to a 0-0 draw in their opener and then pushing England all the way before going down to two late goals on their World Cup debut.
Polish beat Costa Rica 2-1 in pride tie
Poland restored a little pride while Costa Rica will slink home pointless after the Europeans won the 'meaningless' Group A tie 2-1 in Hannover on Tuesday.
Both teams had lost their previous two Group A matches.
A Roland Gomez free-kick after 25 minutes gave Costa Rica the lead when their players infiltrated a defensive wall and jumped over the bullet-like, low drive that clipped the 'keepers foot as he tried to close his legs and stop the ball going through them to no avail.
Poland evened things up when Bartosz Bosacki side-footed an inswinging corner into the roof of the Ticos' goal in the 33rd minute. Bosacki, a central defender, was again on target after 66 minutes when he thundered home another corner with a towering header, giving their massed ranks of fans something to cheer about at last.
Van Basten not looking ahead
The Dutch team is not looking ahead to the possible match-ups for the last 16 but is focused on beating Argentina here Wednesday in a contest to decide who finishes first in Group C, coach Marco van Basten said.
"We did a good job to win against Ivory Coast and Serbia, two good teams, but we have to make progress," he said.
"If we want to continue in the tournament, we have to eradicate the periods when we don't play well."
"On Wednesday, we will be thinking about ourselves and playing our own game," he said, adding that Argentina were a "very good, organised team with some great players, even on the bench, such as (Lionel) Messi".
Asked about a likely run-in with either Portugal or Mexico, the Dutch coach admitted that both would prove stiff opposition.
"Both teams are very good and you have to respect them.
"Portugal are very experienced. We played them in the semi-finals of Euro 2004 and lost, and they've got pretty much the same team. That can be a very difficult game.
We need fear nobody: Klinsmann
German coach Jurgen Klinsmann said his team need fear nobody after wrapping up Group A with a 3-0 romp over Ecuador in Berlin on Tuesday.
"The team knows if it plays to its full potential it need fear no one," Klinsmann said after two goals from Miroslav Klose and another from Lukas Podolski saw off the Ecuadoreans, who had already qualified for the last 16.
"But we must keep our feet on the ground," added 41-year-old Klinsmann, warning that maxmimum points and two goals conceded in three group games are no guarantee of success.
"The goal of group winner is achieved. The team knows the tournament is up and running in earnest now.
"I am happy to sample the great atmosphere and with the points we have racked up but we must keep our feet on the ground," He added he was "not in the least bit bothered" whether his side next face either England or Sweden, who were facing off later Tuesday in Cologne.
World Cup could be over for Owen
Michael Owen's World Cup could be over after the striker was stretchered off after just one minute of the 2-2 draw against Sweden on Tuesday.
he Newcastle player, appearing in his 80th game for England, injured his knee and immediately rolled himself off the pitch when he hit the ground, knowing something was badly wrong.
He was carried away minutes later with his arm over his face to gasps from the tens of thousands of England fans packing the stadium.
England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson admitted after the match that the outlook was not good for Owen.
"Maybe he's out of the tournament, I'm not sure. It doesn't look good," said Eriksson.
Skipper David Beckham admitted the injury to his teammate looked like a bad one.
"I think it's bad," said Beckham.
"We are going to have to wait to see what the doctors say on Wednesday. It's really sad."