On the pitch
22 Jun 2006Fearless Ghana in World Cup heaven
Ghana's coach and players were in raptures after qualifying for the last-16 and have promised to inflict the pain the USA felt after their 2-1 defeat Thursday on their next opponents, Brazil or otherwise.
"Any team who will face the Black Stars will have to suffer," said Ghana coach Ratomir Drujkovic. His side look set to take on Brazil in the next round.
"We're happy we're going to face Brazil," Ghana captain Stephen Appiah said. "No fear. No fear."
"It's very difficult with Brazil. But we will try. We have nothing to lose," and we will not be afraid of them."
"This is for us a historic moment," Drujkovic said. "In Ghana, I can imagine what's happening in the streets, in the restaurants, everywhere they are celebrating.
"I'm proud to make all the Ghanians, 20 million Ghanians, happy now."
Lippi singles out his heroes
After guiding his side to the last 16 by winning Group E Thursday with a final 2-0 win over the Czech Republic Italy coach Marcello Lippi sang the praises of his players.
"This is a very good result for us and it is important for the team. We needed to have patience, but overall we worked very well.
"(Gigi) Buffon kept us in it with some great saves, but everybody contributed, not just him," said lippi in praise of two world class stops from the Juventus man.
"Gennaro Gattuso pressured everybody for 90 minutes, Andrea Pirlo ran like crazy, Francesco Totti was able to play the whole game, all of them deserve praise," he added.
Italy will now play in Kaiserslautern on Monday against the second-placed team in Brazil's Group F. The final matches in that group were taking place later on Thursday.
Ronaldo record as Brazil beat Japan 4-1
Brazil topped Group F with a 3-1 win over Japan giving them a maximum nine points on a night Ronaldo equalled Gerd Muller's record of 14 all time World Cup goals with a strike in either half.
Brazil now face Ghana in the last-16.
The defeat eliminates Japan, who ended bottom of the group with a single point.
Ronaldo's opener levelled the scores after Keiji Tamada had given Japan a shock 1-0 lead on 34 minutes and also took his goals tally one clear of Pele's 12 all time strikes.
Second half goals from Juninho and Gilberto made it 3-1 for Brazil before the biggest cheer of the night was reserved for Ronaldo's second, Brazil's fourth, which saw him join the great German striker Muller on 14 goals in World Cup finals
Australia make last-16 after thrilling draw
Australia are through to the last-16 where they will face Italy after drawing 2-2 with Croatia in a full-blooded dog-fight for second place in Group F in Stuttgart on Thursday.
Croatia are eliminated.
Croatia opened the scores in the second minute with a 25 yard free-lick before Craig Moore converted a 38th minute penalty to make it 1-1.
Niko Kovac gave Croatia the lead again when Australia 'keeper Zeljko Kalack inexplicably allowed a lame Niko Kovac strike from 25 yards to slip over his body and across the line.
But Harry Kewell again levelled the scores as Australia poured forward in wave after wave of attacks.
Croatia had Dario Simic (85) and Josip Simunic (90) sent off and Australia's Brett Emerton also took a late red card.
Eriksson talks up threadbare attack
Defiant England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson insisted on Thursday he has no regrets about selecting just four strikers in his squad, and hinted at using Steven Gerrard as a second forward.
England now have only three dedicated strikers - a not yet fully-fit Wayne Rooney, Liverpool's Peter Crouch and untested Arsenal teenager Theo Walcott.
"I think we are covered very well. Rooney is getting better and better and fitter, so that is a positive thing. Of course losing Michael (Owen) is sad.
"It depends on what formation we use," he said on Walcott's chances of a World Cup debut.
"Gerrard can play the midfield role or he can play the second striker, no problem. He's fantastic in every role.
"I'm quite sure I've picked the best squad," he added.
"Of course, you can never know that you are going to get hit by injuries, whether a centre half or a midfielder. But today the situation is good, despite Michael being gone. I'm not worried about the situation."
Ghana living the dream with place in last-16
African outsiders Ghana made history on Thursday when they qualified for the second round of the World Cup on their first ever appearance at the tournament hanging on grimly for a 2-1 win over the United States in Nuremburg.
They went through with second place in the group behind Italy who saw off the Czech Republic 2-0.
The match swung on the stroke of half-time when a controversial penalty put the western African minnows in front and they then held on bravely during the second half to deny a strong American onslaught.
Just minutes after the US had equalised to make it 1-1, the controversial German referee Markus Merk awarded a Ghana penalty for what appeared on tv replays to be a perfectly fair challenge by Oguchi Onyewu on Razak Pingpong.
Regardless, Stephen Appiah made no mistake from the spot and Ratomir Dujkovic's boys were on their way to a likely dream meeting with Brazil in the last-16.
Ghana took the lead slightly against the run of play when Haminu Dramani stripped the US captain Claudio Reyna on 22 minutes and broke in alone before curling a shot round Kasey Keller who had no chance.
Damarcus Beasley then won a loose ball with Ghana trying to clear their lines and knocked a inch-perfect cross for Clint Dempsey to smash into the back of the net from close range.
Appiah made the difference with his penalty which proved a bridge to far for the American's who could have advanced with a victory.
Italy win Group E, Czechs going home
Italy beat the Czech Republic 2-O Thursday to top Group E and condem the Czech Republic to elimination on Thursday.
The goals came from a Marco Materazzi header on 26 minutes while on a break Filippo Inzaghi went round 'keeper Petr Cech in the closing minutes with the Czechs running out of steam and struggling to get back from a mass attack having had Jan Polak sent off at the end of the first half.
Lehmann warns against complacency
Germany goalkeeper Jens Lehmann admits he has been a virtual spectator at the group stage but does not want to get caught cold in the last 16 match against Sweden in Munich on Saturday.
"The fact that I am not making spectacular saves all the time shows the team is doing well," Lehmann said. "I hope it continues that way."
"We are under pressure against Sweden and have to be wary because all of a sudden we could be surprised by a good opponent," Lehmann declared. "That is the danger."
Arsenal teammate Freddie Ljungberg is certainly one of Sweden's key players and has said he wants to get one over on Lehmann by firing a goal past him.
"I do not have a bet with Freddie," said Lehmann. "I know he wants to score against me but I will do everything to stop that.
"He is a top player but our coaching team know a lot about him. I don't think they need to ask me about him because I think they know more."
Mexico can oust Argentina says La Volpe
Mexico's coach talked up their chances against Argentina after booking a second-round meeting with the World Cup favourites.
Ricardo La Volpe, a member of Argentina's World Cup-winning squad in 1978, said a different Mexico would take the field on Saturday than the one that scrambled into the second round after defeat by Portugal.
"On Saturday I'm going to have a different team. They're going to be much more at ease and that will help them to score goals," Lavolpe said.
"We start with a clean sheet, it's 0-0 with no advantage to either side and we play for 90 minutes."
"Our main problem is scoring -- we even had a penalty which we missed," Lavolpe said.
"We've got the forwards, we put the opposition goal under pressure but we need to persist and see if we can get more positive results."
Neville back in training for England
Veteran defender Gary Neville resumed light training on Thursday, hoping to prove his fitness ahead of England's knockout game against Ecuador on Sunday.
The 31-year-old, who won his 80th cap in England's opening 1-0 victory over Paraguay, has been struggling to recover from a torn calf muscle which has kept him out of the last two games.
But a scan on Wednesday gave him the all clear to train again and he went through a light session.
Liverpool's Jamie Carragher filled in for the Manchester United star, who missed the 2002 edition also because of injury, against Trinidad and Tobago and Sweden and is expected to take the role again if Neville is not fit.
Neville's fellow Manchester United team-mate Rio Ferdinand sat out the session with a groin problem but is expected to be fit for Sunday.
Van Basten looks ahead to Portugal
Dutch coach Marco van Basten said he was satisified with his team's goalless draw with Argentina that saw them line up a game against Group D winners Portugal in the last 16 of the World Cup.
The Dutch play the Portuguese in Nuremburg on Sunday, and Argentina, as Group C winners on goal difference, will face Group D runners-up Mexico in Leipzig on Saturday.
"Argentina are certainly a high-quality squad. We were able to get a draw. At the end we had a few chances and also could have won the game," said van Basten.
"It was a good game considering the players who stayed on the bench," he said in reference to Arjen Robben, Mark van Bommel and Giovanni van Bronkhorst, three of the squad's most creative players.
"Sunday's game is more important than the game against Argentina. Either you win on Sunday or you go back to the Netherlands.
Ballack fears Sweden
Michael Ballack has had a long hard look at Germany's second round opponents Sweden and does not like what he has seen.
"Sweden are our first really difficult opponents," said Germany captain Ballack, whose team banged in eight goals in their first three ties.
"They are tough and anyone who watched them in action against England knows that. They are robust in midfield and good in the tackle. They move well and that is typical of Sweden.
"They are an unpleasant team to play," said the former Bayern Munci midfielder.
Germany v Sweden is the first of eight second round matches and takes place in Munich at five in the afternoon local time.
Carragher backs Crouch to replace Owen
Liverpool's James Carragher believes gangling Peter Crouch is capable of filling Michael Owen's boots and should start up front for England with Wayne Rooney.
With Owen out of the tournament with a knee injury, coach Sven-Goran Eriksson may revert to a 4-5-1 formation against Ecuador in the knockout round on Sunday with Steven Gerrard playing as a second striker behind Rooney.
That would likely mean Crouch on the bench.
"His current goal record matches any striker in the world," said 28-year-old Carragher.
"I am devastated for Michael. He is a good friend of mine and he thinks it might be a long-term injury but Crouchy is up to the task of stepping in.
"His record for England proves that over the last six or seven games. He has got a goal a game in that time. His record stands up with any striker in the world over the last few games.
'Catastrophe' to lose says Klinsmann
Germany manager Jurgen Klinsmann says it would be a catastrophe if the three-time winners crashed out to Sweden in the last 16 of the World Cup.
Hosts Germany duel with Sweden on Saturday in their second round match in Munich and Klinsmann acknowleges the demanding 80 million German fans will not stomach an early exit.
"I have participated in six tournaments as a player and know that in a crazy football nation such as Germany or England, you can not go out in the last 16 or quarter-finals. It is not that simple," said 41-year-old Klinsmann.
"My expectations are the same. I want to be there at the end. Everything will by analysed but for a nation such as ours, playing at home, the minimum has to be the last four," Klinsmann declared.
"We can not go out now. If we went out in the last 16 it would be a catastrophe."