Punter's Guide Mon, Jun 19, 2006

Punter's Guide Mon, Jun 19, 2006   
Argentina look to finish Group C with a win   

 

Associated Press

 

HERZOGENAURACH, Germany -- Coming off a lopsided 6-0 victory over Serbia & Montenegro, two-time champion Argentina will try to maintain the momentum against the Netherlands - its toughest rival in Group C. It may be difficult.

 

Coach Jose Pekerman is expected to make up to a half-dozen changes - Dutch coach Marco Van Basten will do the same for the Wednesday match - with both teams already through to the second round.

 

"Nobody can take out what we have in our heads," midfielder Javier Mascherano said. "We`ve set a goal and we`re not going to stop until we achieve it."

 

Mascherano, speaking before Monday`s closed practice, echoed midfield teammate Juan Roman Riquelme after Friday`s game: Argentina can still improve.

 

"I`m sure we can play better," he said. "Perfection doesn`t exist in soccer and all the time we try to keep improving."

 

Three players on yellow cards are likely to sit out against the Dutch - strikers Hernan Crespo and Javier Saviola, and defender Gabriel Heinze. Midfielder Luis Gonzalez also has one, but will miss the game in Frankfurt anyway with a left thigh injury.

 

Mascherano could also be held out with a toe injury.

 

Pekerman hasn`t revealed his changes, but 6-foot-2 Julio Cruz is likely to replace Crespo up front. Carlos Tevez could come in for Saviola in the small striker spot, and Gabriel Milito is almost certain to replace Heinze at central defender.

 

Again, Barcelona`s 18-year-old striker Lionel Messi would be available off the bench after scoring against Serbia in his World Cup debut.

 

If Pekerman wants to rest playmaking midfielder Riquelme, Valencia`s Pablo Aimar could fill in. Leandro Cufre may also play at right back, giving Nicolas Burdisso a rest.

 

With a superior goal difference, Argentina can win the group with just a draw. The top team is likely to play Mexico, with the second-place team facing Portugal in the knockout round of 16. Looming in the quarterfinals could be host Germany, Ecuador, England or Sweden. Powerful teams like Italy, the Czech Republic, Brazil and Spain can`t face Argentina until the semifinals.

 

In their last meeting, the Netherlands defeated Argentina 2-1 in the `98 World Cup quarterfinals - Dennis Bergkamp scored in the 89th minute. Argentina defeated the Netherlands 3-1 in the 1978 World Cup championship game, giving the country its first of two World Cup titles.

 

Only four players remain on Argentina`s team from the disappointing 2002 World Cup, with 17 of the 23 having played for Pekerman in his decade as the youth-team coach.

 

Ditto the Dutch.

 

"We know the Netherlands is a great team, and they`ve had an influx of young players," said Mascherano. "They played very well to already reach the second round. It should be a beautiful game because these are two teams that try to play attacking soccer."

Punter's Guide Mon, Jun 19, 2006

Punter's Guide Mon, Jun 19, 2006   
Czech striker Milan Baros back in training   

 

Associated Press

 

WESTERBURG, Germany -- Striker Milan Baros resumed light training Monday, giving the team hope he might return for the Czech Republic`s last World Cup Group E match against Italy.

 

Baros strained a tendon in his left foot in a friendly on June 3.

 

Since the team arrived in Germany a few days later, he has trained once under painkillers and could only watch as his team surprisingly lost 2-0 to Ghana after an opening 3-0 win over the United States.

 

With a number of players injured or suspended, Baros` presence in the Czech lineup on Thursday in Hamburg would boost the Czechs` chances of beating Italy and advancing to the second round.

 

Baros was the team`s leading scorer at the 2004 European Championship with five goals and has a total 27 in 49 internationals. He also scored five goals in the Czech World Cup qualifying campaign.

 

The Aston Villa striker, who so far was able only to walk and ride a bicycle without pain, was cleared by doctors to start running.

 

Baros was running and doing stretching exercises on Monday on a practice field by the team`s hotel by the Wiesensee lake in central Germany. He was accompanied only by team physician Petr Krejci and assistant coach Jaroslav Silhavy.

 

The other players had a day off practice, allowed by coach Karel Bruckner ahead of the crucial encounter with an opponent the Czechs considered favorite to top the group, and win the tournament.

 

"It`s an experienced team, with a number of great players and perfect defense," Bruckner said of Italy. "It`s one of the favorites of the tournament."

 

"We don`t have enough points and have to face the strongest team in our group," Juventus midfielder Pavel Nedved said. "We still have a small chance and we`ll fight to advance."

 

All four teams still have a chance to advance from the group after Italy beat Ghana 2-0 and drew with the United States 1-1. Ghana and the Czechs have three points each and the United States has one.

 

Ghana faces the United States in its final match also Thursday.

 

Although Czechoslovakia - which split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia in 1993 - played in the World Cup eight times, the new Czech Republic was appearing in the World Cup for the first time.

 

Czechoslovakia reached the World Cup final twice, losing to Italy in 1934 and Brazil in 1962. Italy also beat Czechoslovakia in their 1990 World Cup clash 2-0, while the Czech Republic won 2-1 at the 1996 European Championship.

 

With first-choice striker Jan Koller ruled out after injuring a hamstring in the opening 3-0 win over the United States, the Czechs will also miss Vratislav Lokvenc, who replaced Koller and was upfront alone against Ghana. He is suspended for Thursday`s game after picking up a second yellow card.

 

Hannover striker Jiri Stajner was likely to make the starting lineup against Italy alongside Baros, if Baros is selected.

 

The Czechs will also be missing central defender Tomas Ujfalusi, who was sent off against Ghana and is suspended. Spartak Moscow defender Radoslav Kovac was a likely replacement.

 

Adding to Bruckner`s selection headache, Left-back Marek Jankulovski sat out practice Sunday with an ankle injury.

 

"We won`t be the favorite (against Italy) and we could take them by surprise as Ghana surprised us," captain Tomas Galasek said.

Punter's Guide Mon, Jun 19, 2006

Punter's Guide Mon, Jun 19, 2006   
Switzerland see off Togo to top their Group   

 

Associated Press 

 

DORTMUND, Germany -- Alexander Frei and Tranquillo Barnetta scored a goal each Monday to lead Switzerland to a 2-0 win over Togo in Group G at the World Cup.

 

Frei gave the Swiss team the lead in the 16th minute, heading in a pass from Barnetta. In the 88th, Barnetta added another with a 17-meter (yard) shot off a pass from Mauro Lustrinelli.

 

Frei missed a chance to score another goal in front of an open net early in the second half.

 

The win boosted Switzerland`s chances of reaching the second round. The team is tied with South Korea at the top of Group G with four points each. France is next with two sports while Togo, which has been eliminated, has zero.

 

Switzerland is playing at the World Cup for the first time in 12 years. Togo is making its first appearance at the tournament.

 

The Swiss staged a much faster, more attacking game than their 0-0 draw against France and could have won by a bigger margin.

 

Togo struggled without suspended captain Jean-Paul Abalo, who got two yellow cards in the first match, and injured defender Ludovic Assemoassa.

 

Still, forwards Emmanuel Adebayor and Mohamed Kader launched repeated surprise attacks against the Swiss defense but failed to finish when it mattered.

 

Westfalen Stadium resembled a mini-Switzerland, echoing to roars of "Hopp Schweiz." The sea of red and white at the sold-out 65,000 seat stadium was punctuated by a tiny corner of drumming Togolese fans clad in the yellow and green of the national flag.

 

The African team came into the match after a bruising row over pay. Togo had threatened to boycott over player bonuses, but finally settled its dispute with the soccer federation a day before the match.

 

Earlier, Togo coach Otto Pfister had quit but returned hours before his team played South Korea in its opening match.

 

Lineups:

 

Togo: Kossi Agassa, Richmond Forson, Dare Nibombe, Massamasso Tchangai, Assimiou Toure, Kuami Agboh (Moustapha Salifou, 25th), Alaixys Romao, Cherif Toure Mamam (Robert Malm, 88th), Thomas Dossevi (Yao Junior Senaya, 69th), Emmanuel Adebayor, Mohamed Kader.

 

Switzerland: Pascal Zuberbuehler, Ludovic Magnin, Philippe Senderos, Patrick Mueller, Philipp Degen, Johann Vogel, Raphael Wicky, Tranquillo Barnetta, Ricardo Cabanas (Marco Streller, 77th), Alexander Frei (Mauro Lustrinelli, 87th), Daniel Gygax (Hakan Yakin, 46th).