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Mixed fortunes for World Cup hopefuls
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 WEDNESDAY,
MAY 31, 2006
On a busy evening of warm-up games for World Cup finalists, the
oldest soccer nation, England, used its youngest- ever player as
it beat Hungary.
In matches Tuesday between teams going to the World Cup, Germany
and Japan drew, 2-2; Argentina beat Angola, 2-0; and the Czech Republic
beat Costa Rica, 1-0.
Other qualifiers had a mixed night against teams not going to Germany.
Tunisia beat Belarus, 3-0; Ivory Coast was held to a 1-1 tie by
Chile; and Poland lost to Colombia, 2-1. The defending world champion,
Brazil, routed the Swiss club Lucerne 8-0, with Ronaldo and Adriano
scoring two goals each.
In Manchester, England did not create a chance for 40 minutes. Then
in the five minutes before halftime, Michael Owen came close with
a header from a pass by David Beckham. Joe Cole hit the post from
another Beckham cross. Then Frank Lampard missed a penalty kick.
In the first five minutes of the second half, Steven Gerrard and
John Terry scored with headers from crosses by Beckham. Pal Dardai
replied for Hungary in the 55th minute. After another 30 minutes
of mediocrity, Peter Crouch scored with a neat turn and shot with
five minutes to go.
Theo Walcott replaced Owen in the 68th minute to become England's
youngest player at 17 years, 75 days, breaking Wayne Rooney's record.
He looked quick and neat on occasions when he was able to run at
goal, but otherwise the 5-foot-8, or 1.72-meter, striker, looked
rather like a lost child.
Walcott will be the youngest player at this World Cup. If he scores,
he will beat the record set by Pelé, who was 17 years and
239 days old when he scored for Brazil in its 1-0 quarterfinal win
over Wales on June 19, 1958 in Sweden.
In Salerno, Italy, Maxi Rodríguez gave Argentina the lead
in the 28th minute from a pass by Juan Pablo Sorín. Sorín
then scored in the 36th minute. Lionel Messi, the Barcelona teenager
who missed the latter stages of the European season with a thigh
injury, came on as a substitute in the 63rd minute.
After a scoreless first half in Leverkusen, Germany, Atsushi Yanagisawa
scored twice to give Japan the lead. Miroslav Klose then scored
on a header from close range in the 76th and Bastian Schweinsteiger
tied it in the 80th minute with another header.
"It was hard, we are in the middle of preparations and it showed,"
said the German captain, Michael Ballack. "The main thing is
we came back."
In Jablonec Nad Nisou, Czech Republic, Jan Koller started his first
international since injuring a knee in September. Substitute Vratislav
Lokvenc headed in the only goal in the 82nd minute.
Hamed Namouchi, Francileudo Santos and Issam Jomaa each scored as
Tunisia beat Belarus in Rades, Tunisia.
In Chorzow, Poland, Colombia's goalkeeper, Luis Enrique Martínez,
scored with a punt in the 64th minute. Tomasz Kuszczak, Poland's
substitute goalkeeper, misjudged the bouncing ball, and it dropped
over his outstretched arms.
Ivory Coast and Chile each scored on a penalty kick in a draw in
Vittell, France.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/05/31/sports/SOCCER.php
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