WORLD CUP NEWS

World Cup Results: Argentina 1-1 Sweden; Los Gauchos Eliminated!!!; Nigeria 0-0 England; Three Lions go through the motions in tie with Africans; Paraguay 3-1 Slovenia; Chilavert and Co. sneak into second round; South Africa 2-3 Spain; Buffana Buffana give valiant effort in losing cause, and more…
June 13, 2002 - STM Stafff

Nigeria 0-0 England
Osaka, Japan

Sven has guided his men into the second round after drawing nil-nil with departing Nigeria, who were eliminated in their previous match against Sweden.

It wasn't pretty, it certainly wasn't end-to-end, but England got the result, Sven never showed emotion, and fountains in London filled with fans. Life is good for the British right about now. But how quickly football fortune's change.

England finished group play looking decent. They survived the Group F - the Group of Death, going 1-0-2 for five points and the second place spot.

The match marked the swan song for Nigerian midfielder Jay Jay Okocha who dazzled defenders and fans with his lighting fast ball skills. Okocha announced before the tournament that this Cup would be his last after serving the national team for the better part of his life.

He played well in the match against England, no doubt looking to impress premier club representatives who will be bidding for his services after the Cup concludes.

The Nigerians join fellow Africans South Africa and Cameroon on the early plane to Lagos, leaving only Senegal to represent Africa. -- England will face Denmark, winner of Group A, in the Round of 16 next week. The match will be closely played with both teams having penchant for the high ball. This one is anybody's call.

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Paraguay 3-1 Slovenia
Seogiwpo, South Korea

Paraguay have found a way to qualify for the second round despite a less than stellar performance in their 3-1 loss to on June 2.

Chilavert and cronies beat-p on a downtrodden Slovenia side 3-1 in a match that featured a bevy of cards and questionable calls.

Nelson Cuevas carried the nation's hopes on his shoulders and came up big for the South Americans with a second half brace that ensured the win for Paraguay.

Paraguay met incredible odds to qualify in a situation where they needed to score more than two goals against Slovenia and win and have South Africa lose to Spain. The later didn't happen, the former did.

Chilavert should not even be playing gin this tournament after the extremely ugly spitting incident during qualification when he looched into Brazilian defender Roberto Carlos' face after a match. The Real Madrid defender had extended his hand in friendship only to receive a saliva rebuff.

To make the feat even more incredible Is the fact that Paraguay played a man-down for 70 minutes after Carlos Paredes received hi second bookable offense in the 10th minute.

It was a disaster campaign for Slovenia who had their star Player sent home due insubordination and their coach red -carded in their second match forcing him to watch the game from the stands. He has already announced that he resign from his position.

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Spain 3-2 South Africa
Daejon, South Korea

The Spanish seem to have shed the curse that has plagued them in just about every major competition. The page has turned for the Spanish…or has it.

The Spaniards qualified to the second round with a 3-2 win over South Africa, eliminating the Buffana Buffana in the process. -- Yes - Spain ran out clear winners in Group B, going 3-0-0, scoring nine goals and only giving up four on the other end. But the Spanish got an easy ride into the second round after being grouped with Slovenia, South Africa, and Paraguay.

Real Madrid forward Raul has shaken his poor international form and is showing the skills that have made him a legend in European football. The Crown Prince of Madrid scored the game-winner in the 56th minute after the South Africans traded two goals with Spain.

Raul scored the game's first goal in the 4th minute of play, capitalizing on an egregious error by the South African goalkeeper.

Former Ajax Benni McCarty scored the equalizer for South Africa in the 31st minute to lock-up the score at 1-1.

Leeds United central defender Lucas Radebe drew Head Coach Jomo Sono's side level at 2-2 with a glancing header off a cross from the left side in the 53rd minute. His strike cancelled out a brilliant free kick strike by Mendieta in first -half stoppage time.

Spain will now play a very plucky Ireland side in the Round of 16 on Sunday and will have their hands full with the Green and White who have not been beaten in ages.

A disappoint end for South Africa who played inspired football, coming back in all three of their group matches. A heartache-finale for what really had been one of the surprise packages of the tournament.

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Argentina 1-1 Sweden
Miyagi, Japan

The unthinkable has happened again with another giant of global soccer going the way of the eight-track, as tournament favorites Argentina were eliminated with a 1-1 draw with Sweden in the last match for both nations in Group F play.

The much-vaunted Argentine attack sputtered and spat, but in the end could not muster more than two goals in three matches, going 1-1-1 in group play.

The economic and political unrest will only build now in Argentina as the country struggles to pull out of a Depression Area-style downturn in the country's economic health.

The story of the match against was just another stanza in the song of the 2002 World Cup for Argentina. Players such as Zanetti and Aimar developed chances, only to see poor finishing, or a poor final pass destroy long builds-ups.

Sweden (1-0-2) scored in the 59th minute on a classic free kick bender from Anders Svensson, leaving no chance for the Argentine goalkeeper. -- Second-half substitute Hernan Crespo tied the game for Argentina in the 88th minute, creating a very tense final five minutes of play. The Argentines threw everything forward in desperation, but Sweden kept their cool (no pun intended) and survived to lock-up the first place spot in Group F and a ticket in the second round.

Sweden, who play Senegal (Group A 2nd place) on Saturday in the Round of 16, has not lost a match in their last 12 games.