BERLIN (AP) – A look at Day 11 of the 2006 World Cup on Monday:
RESULTS
Switzerland 2, Togo 0
Ukraine 4, Saudi Arabia 0
Spain 3, Tunisia 1
HIGHLIGHTS
Ukraine turned the tables after its opening 4-0 loss to Spain by defeating Saudi Arabia 4-0 on Monday. Three of the four goals Ukraine scored came from set pieces, a problem for the Saudis in their embarrassing 8-0 loss to Germany in 2002.
Spain conceded an early goal to Tunisia, but the Carthage Eagles couldn’t hold on. Spain scored twice in six minutes in the second half, then added a penalty kick in the 90th minute to become the eighth team to clinch a spot in the round of 16. Spain’s victory was only the third in 32 games thus far in the World Cup by a team that conceded the first goal in a match.
Switzerland eliminated Togo behind goals from Tranquillo Barnetta and Alexander Frei.
STARS
n Maxim Kalinichenko, Ukraine, set up two goals for his teammates with well-placed free kicks, then scored one for himself in the 84th in a 4-0 rout of Saudi Arabia.
n Tranquillo Barnetta, Switzerland, made the key pass on his team’s first goal, then scored in the 88th in a 2-0 win over Togo.
IN and OUT
Spain, Brazil, Portugal, Argentina, the Netherlands, Ecuador, Germany and England have clinched spots in the second round.
Togo, Iran, Ivory Coast, Serbia-Montenegro, Poland, Costa Rica and Paraguay have been eliminated.
HISTORY
Once again, Oleh Blokhin got to celebrate a World Cup victory on June 19. On Monday, as Ukraine’s coach, Blokhin watched his team defeat Saudi Arabia 4-0 for the nation’s first World Cup win. After defender Andriy Rusol scored the first goal, Blokhin screamed his approval and violently whipped the grass with his towel. The victory over the Saudis came on the anniversary of Blokhin’s first World Cup goal. On June 19, 1982, Blokhin scored in the Soviet Union’s 3-0 victory over New Zealand.
Ukraine is the second former Soviet republic to qualify for the World Cup; Russia played in 1994 and 2002.
GOAL OF THE DAY
Switzerland’s first goal against Togo was the best of Day 11. In the 16th minute, Ludovic Magnin went down the left wing with a defender nearby. He sent a high cross deep into the penalty area that passed over three Togolese defenders. Tranquillo Barnetta volleyed the pass from the top-right corner of the 6-yard box to the front of the goalmouth, where Alexander Frei redirected it into the net.
LOOK AHEAD
The last phase of the first round begins as all the teams in Group A and Group B determine matchups for the second round. Only one berth in the second round is still open among the teams playing Tuesday, and that’s in Group B, where England has already advanced. Sweden is in good position for the other spot, while Trinidad and Tobago has an outside chance to pass the Swedes.
All Sweden needs in its match against England is a tie to advance. The Swedes have not lost to England in their last 11 meetings. England last beat Sweden in 1968.
Trinidad faces already-eliminated Paraguay and needs a win, a Sweden loss, and the combined margin of victory in the two games to be at least three to have a chance of advancing.
QUOTABLE
“Listen, I’m rooting Italy for the rest of the week. I couldn’t care less. As far as I’m concerned, they’re the nicest guys in the world.” – U.S. player Landon Donovan. The Americans, who played a contentious match against Italy on Saturday night in which three players were ejected, would advance to the second round if the Italians beat the Czech Republic and if the Americans beat Ghana.
Comments are no longer available on this story