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Soccer roundup: Brazil beats Russia
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 Mar.
1, 2006. 06:07 PM
LONDON (AP) — Brazil warmed up for its World Cup defence by
beating Russia 1-0 in dipping temperatures Wednesday.
Playing in temperatures as low as -10 C in Moscow, Ronaldo deflected
a shot from Real Madrid teammate Roberto Carlos as the Brazilians
overcame the absence of the injured Ronaldinho.
"My hands are frozen, my feet are frozen. I've never played
in cold like this," Brazil goalkeeper Rogerio Ceni said in
an interview with Brazilian television.
Real Madrid right back Cicinho, starting in place of Cafu, said
the cold made Brazil almost unrecognizable.
"You can't judge anything by this game," he told Pele's
website. "You try to run and you feel the cold. You try to
talk to teammate, but your mouth freezes. It was very difficult."
If the Brazilians can win in these conditions, however, what chance
to the other teams have?
With the World Cup kickoff 100 days away on June 9, most of the
32 finalists began their buildup to soccer's biggest event by playing
friendlies against the type of sides they will meet in Germany.
The highlight game was Italy-Germany in Florence but other contenders
— Argentina, Spain, England and the Netherlands — also
tested players' form and rising stars.
In a meeting of two teams headed for the World Cup, Iran raced
into a three-goal lead before edging Costa Rica 3-2 in Tehran.
Ali Karimi opened the scoring in the 10th minute. Veteran captain
Ali Daei scored from close range in 16th and Vahid Hashemian made
it 3-0 in the 34th. Costa Rica replied through Carlos Hernandez
and Danny Fonseca but wasted several more chances to equalize.
At the World Cup, Iran will face Mexico, Portugal and Angola, while
Costa Rica kicks off against host Germany before taking on Ecuador
and Poland.
South Korea's Park Chu-young scored against visiting Angola in
another matchup of World Cup teams.
The Koreans, who will play Togo, France and Switzerland at the
World Cup, reached the semifinal on home turf in 2002. Angola will
make its debut.
DENMARK 2 ISRAEL 0
RAMAT GAN, Israel (AP) — Arab players on Israel’s national
soccer team ignored calls to boycott Wednesday’s exhibition
game against Denmark, saying the controversy over Danish newspaper
cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad was not related to sports.
Defender Walid Badir and forward Abas Suan trotted onto the field
with their Jewish teammates, and Denmark defeated Israel 2-0.
Israeli Arab parliamentarian Taleb a-Sana had asked that the match
be canceled, but his request was denied by the Israel Football Association.
“I understand that people are angry,” Suan told Ynetnews.com.
``I’m angry, too, and don’t want our religion or any
other religion to be mocked. But as for the question of whether
or not we should play? It’s unrelated. Walid and I are an
inseparable part of the team. We represent Israel. ... We are obligated
to our team.’’
Muslims around the world staged violent protests after a leading
Danish newspaper published caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed,
including one that showed him wearing a turban shaped like a bomb
with a lit fuse.
There did not appear to be any disturbances in or around the stadium.
Only 1,000 tickets to the 45,000-capacity venue were sold before
Tuesday, and attendance was 15,762 after organizers offered free
passes to soldiers and youth groups.
“It is completely thoughtless that out of all the teams in
the world, they should choose Denmark, the leading country inciting
against Islam and the Prophet Mohammed,” a-Sana told Ynet,
which is owned by the Yediot Ahronot daily. “The association
invited a team whose country symbolizes the extent of the Muslim
world’s rage over the insult to the prophet and our religion.’’
Kenneth Perez scored for Denmark on a free kick that bounced into
the net in the sixth minute, and Morten Skoubo added a goal in the
19th.
U.S. 1 POLAND 0
KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany (AP) — The U.S. team wasn’t
counting on a blizzard in its World Cup tuneup game Wednesday night.
In a scene more befitting Lambeau Field than a soccer field, Clint
Dempsey scored the only goal off a misplay by Poland’s goalie,
and the American survived the elements in a 1-0 victory. The next
time the United States plays at Fritz-Walter-Stadion, it will probably
be 50 degrees warmer, with no sign of snow and a frosty wind.
By the midpoint of the second half, the swirling snow made heading
the ball an adventure and trying to make cuts a dangerous proposition.
In the final minutes, referee Thorsten Kinhofer even went to a yellow
ball so it would contrast against the white blanket on the field.
“I’m not sure the snow was an advantage for anybody,”
U.S. coach Bruce Arena said. “We have been training in California,
our domestic players, for seven weeks.’’
And they certainly didn’t see any California weather out
there.
Dempsey’s fortuitous goal came after Eddie Lewis made a superb
long pass from the left wing into the penalty area. Goalkeeper Artur
Boruc, who entered to start the second half, tried to punch it away.
Instead, the ball deflected off the head of U.S. forward Taylor
Twellman directly to Dempsey.
All Twellman’s teammate with the New England Revolution had
to do was head it into a gaping net.
From there, the weather controlled play more than either team.
A frozen crowd of 13,395 saw the Americans improve to 4-0-1 this
year and 6-7-2 against Poland, which beat the United States 3-1
during the first round of the 2002 World Cup.
The Americans return to Kaiserslautern on June 17 to face Italy
in their second World Cup game. They improved to 2-7-2 in Europe
under Arena, with both wins coming over Poland.
“We beat a good team in difficult conditions,” said
Kasey Keller, who played the first half in goal. “I’m
sure the pitch and the weather will be better in June.
“Good teams win 1-0, and that’s what we managed to
do.’’
It was the only time prior to May when all European clubs were
required to release their players to national teams, and the Americans
inserted many of their Europe-based regulars. Their only other scheduled
World Cup warmup game in Europe is March 22 against Germany in Dortmund.
Neither team warmed up early, then Poland had the best opportunities
through 30 minutes. Kasey Keller, the career leader in victories
and shutouts for the United States, had to be sharp to punch out
a high ball and dived to his right to foil Michal Zewlakow moments
after Keller also cleared a loose ball in the box.
Defender Oguchi Onyewu made a timely block of Miroslaw Szymkowiak’s
15-yard attempt with Keller out of position.
The Americans began possessing the ball more late in the opening
half without any results. The best chance came on Kerry Zavagnin’s
free kick that sailed just wide left.
But three minutes into the second period, the U.S. team struck.
It was enough, thanks in part to the snowy conditions.
ENGLAND 2 URAGUAY 1
LIVERPOOL, England (AP) — Joe Cole scored in the second minute
of injury time Wednesday night as England rallied to beat Uruguay
2-1 in a World Cup warmup game.
Uruguay, which failed to qualify for the World Cup, went head in
the 26th minute on one of its few attacks in the first half. Mario
Regueiro’s corner kick was headed out by defender John Terry,
but the ball fell to Omar Pouso, who volleyed past goalkeeper Paul
Robinson from outside the penalty area.
Peter Crouch tied the game when he scored off Cole’s cross
in the 75th minute. It was the first international goal for the
6-foot-7 forward, who was playing before his home fans at Anfield.
Cole got winner when he curled an angled, first-time shot from
Shaun Wright-Phillips’ cross from the right wing.
England left back Wayne Bridge injured an ankle in the 30th minute
tumbling over Robinson. Bridge was carried off the field and was
replaced by Jamie Carragher. It was England’s first game since
coach Sven-Goran Eriksson said he will resign after the World Cup.
A moment of silence was held before the game for Peter Osgood and
Ron Greenwood. Osgood, a former England and Chelsea forward, died
Wednesday after collapsing at a funeral. Greenwood, who was England’s
manager from 1977-82, died last month. England’s players also
wore black armbands.
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