Ukraine Earns Its Place in Germany
Ukraine became the first European team to win a place in the 2006 World Cup on Saturday -- thanks to some help from Denmark.
Ukraine had a chance to qualify from Group 2 with a victory at Georgia but gave up a goal in the 89th minute at Tbilisi and settled for a 1-1 draw.
Ukraine then waited for news from Istanbul, where Group 2 rival Turkey faced Denmark. If Turkey failed to win, then Ukraine would qualify.
That game also ended in dramatic fashion as Turkey, leading 2-1, gave up a 90th-minute goal by Soren Larsen for a 2-2 tie.
The result clinched Ukraine’s first berth in a major championship, joining host Germany -- an automatic qualifier -- as the first European nation to make the 32-team tournament.
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In other selected European qualifying games: Ruud van Nistelrooy scored a second-half winner to give the visiting Netherlands a 1-0 win over Armenia at Yerevan to remain atop the Group 1 standings with 25 points. Romania moved into second place after Adrian Mutu scored twice in a 2-0 upset over the visiting Czech Republic at Constanta.
In Group 3, Portugal got two goals each from Pedro Pauleta and Simao Sabrosa in a 6-0 victory over visiting Luxembourg at Lisbon. Portugal increased its first-place lead to five points.
Israel kept alive its hopes of playing in its first World Cup since 1970, tying host Switzerland, 1-1, in a Group 4 match at Basel on a goal in the 20th minute by Adoram Keisi.
Israel plays its last two games against the Faeroe Islands, which lost, 3-0, at France as Djibril Cisse scored twice. Switzerland, Ireland and France each have 13 points, one ahead of Israel (2-0-6). Wednesday’s schedule has Israel at the Faeroes, France at Ireland and Switzerland at Cyprus.
In Group 5, Fabio Grosso scored a late goal for Italy to salvage a 1-1 draw with Scotland at Glasgow and keep the Italians atop the standings with 14 points, two ahead of Norway, a 3-2 winner at Slovenia.
Maciej Zurawksi of Poland scored on a rebound of his own penalty kick in the 68th minute as the Poles held on for a 3-2 win over visiting Austria at Chorzow. In Group 6, Poland stayed two points ahead of England, which got a goal from Joe Cole in a 1-0 road win over Wales at Cardiff.
In Group 7, Serbia and Montenegro took over the lead by two points over idle Spain, getting goals from Mateja Kezman and Sasa Ilic in a 2-0 home win over Lithuania at Belgrade.
Croatia kept its one-point lead over Sweden in Group 8 after a 3-1 road win over Iceland. Sweden routed Bulgaria, 3-0.
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In CONCACAF qualifying games: Costa Rica moved into third place alone with 10 points after a 3-1 victory at Panama, getting goals from Alvaro Saborio, Walter Ceteno and Ronald Gomez.
Trinidad and Tobago rallied on goals by Stern John in the 85th and 87th minutes to beat visiting Guatemala, 3-2, leaving both teams with seven points and tied for fourth place at 2-4-1.
The top three teams qualify, and the fourth-place team meets Bahrain or Uzbekistan in a playoff for another berth. In its first-leg game, Uzbekistan held on for a 1-0 home victory at Tashkent.
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In South American qualifying games: Roque Santa Cruz scored in the 15th minute and host Paraguay beat Argentina for the first time in a World Cup qualifier, 1-0, at Asuncion. Argentina had already clinched a spot in next year’s World Cup.
Paraguay solidified its hold on fourth place with 25 points. The top four teams advance to Germany ’06 and the fifth-place team advances to a playoff against the winner in Oceania.
Ecuador also moved closer to a berth after a 2-1 road win over Bolivia at La Paz, getting two goals from Agustin Delgado. Ecuador has 26 points.
In another game, Juan Arango scored the go-ahead goal in the 68th minute and Jose Torrealba scored twice to lead host Venezuela to a 4-1 victory over Peru at Maracaibo.
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In an African qualifying game: South Africa, which will play host to the 2010 World Cup, is in serious danger of missing out on 2006 after a 3-1 upset loss to host Burkina Faso at Ouagadougou.
