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England to meet Portugal in quarter-finals
Portuguese midfielder Maniche (L) celebrates after scoring a goal during the World Cup 2006 round of 16 football game Portugal vs. Netherlands, 25 June 2006 at Nuremberg stadium. AFP PHOTO MARTIN BUREAU
Portugal hung on for dear life to edge Holland 1-0 in a match that featured four red cards and will meet England in the quarter-finals who in turn saw off the challenge of Ecuador thanks to a piece of magic from their captain David Beckham.
Maniche was the star man for Portugal as he scored for the second straight match blasting home on 23 minutes before a series of brutal challenges and poor sportsmanship led to Russian referee Valentin Ivanov being the talking point.
England who played poorly will benefit from card fest as Portugal will now be without key playmaker Deco and midfielder Costinha who were both sent-off against the Dutch.
Dutch and Portuguese players argue during the World Cup 2006 round of 16 football game Portugal vs. Netherlands, 25 June 2006 at Nuremberg stadium. AFP PHOTO / ARIS MESSINIS
Luiz Felipe Scolari may also have to field a side without Manchester United wizard Cristiano Ronaldo who limped off injured in the first-half not long after helping set up the winner from Maniche.
Earlier Sunday, a trademark free-kick from Beckham carried England into the last eight but it was another disappointing performance from Sven Goran Eriksson' side.
The Real Madrid star became the first Englishman to score at three World Cups when he fired a 25 yard dipping drive over the wall with 'keeper Cristian Mora only able to palm it in at the near post with an hour on the clock.
Beckham said: "To be honest I haven't scored from a free-kick for a while. I've not got many this season anyway.
"Wazza (Wayne Rooney) said to me 'you've been terrible with your free-kicks, are you going to score one today'. And I got a text from Roberto Carlos saying score a free-kick for me".
But it had been a dull, lacklustre match until then.
Ecuador had had a single chance when John Terry let Carlos Tenorio past him and only Ashley Cole's speed in getting back to deflect his shot over the bar saved England's bacon.
But gone was the free flowing menace Ecuador showed in their opening two ties and England were hardly better on a sultry afternoon in Stuttgart.
But on the bright side for England was the emergence of Rooney as a menace as he constantly harried the defence, showing touch, guile and pace. He even set up a sitter for Frank Lampard to blast over the bar. He seemed to get livelier as the game went on and gave England shape and purpose.
Some 300 England troublemakers had been arrested overnight in Stuttgart where the match was held, mostly released this morning under a banning order from the city centre.