ESPN Network:
ESPN.com
ESPN Deportes
Fantasy Games
|
|
|
| Thursday, October 18, 2001 22:04 EST |
England's big goal leads the way
[Associated Press]
David Beckham scored off a free kick in injury time Saturday,
and England qualified for the World Cup with a 2-2 tie against
Greece.
|
Scotland's coach steps down
after failing to advance
|
|
GLASGOW, Scotland -- Craig Brown stepped down as
the coach of the Scotland national team Saturday, ending an eight-year reign,
following his team's failure to reach the World Cup finals.
Brown, who was the longest-serving national manager in
Europe and the last survivor of the 32 coaches at the 1998 World
Cup, confirmed the news after Scotland's 2-1 victory over Latvia
at Hampden Park.
That result left Scotland third in Group Six, behind group
winners Croatia and Belgium, whom they had led until a month
ago, and signaled the end for Brown who was under media and
public pressure to quit.
Brown appeared at a news conference to state that he had
already decided to leave the post at the end of this campaign
whatever the results Saturday.
"I am not going because of pressure," said Brown, whose
contract runs out at the end of the year.
"I took this decision at the start of the competition.
"I had hoped it would end in Japan and South Korea next
summer but that has not worked out."
-- Reuters
|
On a day of 21 World Cup qualifiers, three-time champion Italy
clinched its berth when it beat Hungary 1-0 on Alessandro Del
Piero's goal in the 44th minute. Denmark, Russia, Croatia and
Portugal also qualified for soccer's top event.
The playoffs next month for the final European berths also started
to take shape. Three-time champion Germany plays Ukraine, Belgium
meets Bulgaria or the Czech Republic, Turkey faces Austria or
Israel, Slovenia must get past Italy or Romania, and Ireland plays
the third-place team from Asia.
At Manchester, England (5-1-2) appeared headed for a shocking
defeat and a place in the playoffs until Beckham beat goalkeeper
Antonis Nikopolidis on a 25-yard free kick three minutes into
injury time.
"One had to go in," Beckham said. "I had quite a few
free kicks and was disappointed with most of them. When I got my
last chance Teddy Sheringham said he would have it but I decided
I'd take it."
Germany (5-1-2), which finished a scoreless tie against visiting
Finland minutes earlier in Gelsenkirchen, appeared set to win Group
Nine on goal difference until Beckham's goal.
At Parma, Italy (6-0-2) won Group Eight by defeating Hungary
(2-4-2). Del Piero scored in the 44th minute, curving a free kick
over a defensive wall from just outside the penalty area.
In other games that determined berths, Croatia upset visiting
Belgium 1-0, Denmark defeated Iceland 6-0, Russia beat Switzerland
4-0 and Portugal routed Estonia 5-0.
Coming into Saturday, Sweden, Poland and Spain had clinched
spots and Turkey was assured of a place in the playoffs. The
32-nation field at the tournament next year in Japan and South Korea
also includes the co-hosts and defending champion France along with
Argentina, Cameroon, Costa Rica, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa and
Tunisia.
Group One
At Moscow, Russia (7-1-2) routed Switzerland (4-4-2) as Vladimir
Beschastnykh scored three goals, converting a penalty kick in the
14th minute, heading in a Rolan Gusev's pass in the 19th and
heading in Yegor Titov's pass in the 38th. Titov scored in the
83rd.
At Ljubljana, Slovenia (5-0-5) beat out Yugoslavia (5-1-4) for a
playoff spot as Nastja Ceh scored twice in his debut for the
national team, which defeated the Faeroe Islands 3-0. Senad Tiganj,
also making his international debut, got the final goal over the
Faeroes (2-7-1).
Group Two
At Lisbon, Portugal (7-0-3) beat Estonia (2-6-2) and beat
Ireland on goal difference. Nino Gomes and Luis Figo scored two
goals each and Joao Pinto scored once.
At Dublin, Ian Harte, Niall Quinn, David Connolly and Roy Keane
scored to lead Ireland (7-0-3) over Cyprus (6-0-2).
Group Three
At Copenhagen, Denmark (6-0-4) got four goals in the first half
against Iceland (4-5-1), two by Thomas Gravesen and one each by
Dennis Rommedahl and Ebbe Sand. Sand and Jan Michaelsen scored in
the second half.
At Prague, Tomas Rosicky and Pavel Nedved scored two goals each,
and Milan Baros and Vratislav Lokvenc scored one apiece to lead the
Czech Republic (6-2-2) into the playoffs over Bulgaria (5-3-2).
Group Five
At Chorzow, visiting Ukraine (4-1-5) won a playoff spot with a
1-1 tie. Emmanuel Olisadebe scored for Poland (6-1-3) in the 40th
minute, but Andriy Shevchenko tied it in the 81st after Poland
goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek, under pressure from Sergiy Popov, failed to
hold a pass.
Group Six
At Zagreb, Croatia (5-0-3) -- a semifinalist at the 1998
tournament -- moved past visiting Belgium (5-1-2) into first place
on Alen Boksic's goal off a pass from Bosko Balaban in the 76th
minute.
Group Eight
Romania (5-2-1), which lost out on first place with Italy's victory,
tied Georgia 1-1 when Gheorghe Popescu scored in the 88th minute at
Bucharest. Alexander Iashvili scored in the 54th minute for Georgia
(3-4-1).
|
|
|
|
|
|
