Brazil beats Ivory Coast 3-1 to reach 2nd round

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Luis Fabiano scored a pair of goals and Elano added another as Brazil beat Ivory Coast 3-1 Sunday to secure a spot in the second round of the World Cup with one match to spare in Group G.

Luis Fabiano scored his first goal in six matches for Brazil with a powerful right-footer from inside the penalty area in the 25th minute after a perfect pass by Kaka, firing into the top of the net from a difficult angle.

Luis Fabiano added to the lead in the 50th with a left-footer from near the penalty spot after beating two defenders inside the area, and Elano closed the scoring in the 62nd after another setup by Kaka, who later was ejected with two yellow cards.

Didier Drogba, playing from the start for the first time after breaking his right arm, scored the lone goal for Ivory Coast with a header in the 79th.

Italy held to stunning 1-1 draw by N. Zealand

NELSPRUIT, South Africa (AP) — Defending champion Italy was held to a second 1-1 draw, this time by lowly New Zealand in the latest World Cup stunner.

The 78th-ranked All Whites took the lead after only seven minutes of Sunday’s Group F match, when Italy’s 36-year-old captain Fabio Cannavaro made a horrendous error, handing a goal to Shane Smeltz.

Riccardo Montolivo hit the goalpost for Italy in the 27th, then Vincenzo Iaquinta equalized two minutes later with a penalty kick. Tommy Smith was given a yellow card for tugging down Daniele De Rossi inside the area on a corner kick.

Paraguay leads the group with four points, Italy and New Zealand have two points each and Slovakia is last with one point.

Italy meets Slovakia in its final group match Thursday and New Zealand faces Paraguay.

Paraguay beats Slovakia 2-0 at the World Cup

BLOEMFONTEIN, South Africa (AP) — At a World Cup lacking offense, Paraguay showed some punch.

Enrique Vera and Cristian Riveros each scored Sunday as Paraguay took a big step toward the round of 16 with a 2-0 win over Slovakia.

The win puts Paraguay atop Group F with four points after two matches. Defending champion Italy and New Zealand tied 1-1 later Sunday, leaving each with two points. Slovakia has one.

“We played a good match and we are getting closer to the round of 16,” Vera said. “Our intention now is to be first in the group.”

Playing with a three-man front line spearheaded by Roque Santa Cruz, Paraguay controlled the tempo from the start at Free State Stadium.

Vera broke through for La Albirroja in the 27th when forward Lucas Barrios slipped a pass into the box and Vera angled it past Slovakia goalkeeper Jan Mucha with a one-time shot.

Riveros added a goal in the 86th minute, a left-footed blast from the edge of the penalty area.

“We did very well in the first half and we got a goal, but that didn’t mean we could relax in the second (half), and I don’t believe we did,” Vera said.

Playing in its first major tournament since the former Czechoslovakia divided in 1993, Slovakia looked outclassed and unsure of itself facing a big, physical Paraguayan team that beat both Argentina and Brazil in World Cup qualifying.

“We made two mistakes and conceded two goals,” Slovakia coach Vladimir Weiss said. “There was always a punishment for our mistakes. Our opponent was a really high quality opponent and their victory was deserved.”

After Paraguay tied Italy 1-1 in its World Cup opener, national coach Gerardo Martino opted to switch from a 4-4-2 formation to an attacking 4-3-3 against Slovakia, with Santa Cruz, Nelson Valdez and Lucas Barrios up front.

The trio of powerful strikers proved a handful for the Slovakia defense, outjumping, outmuscling and outrunning the Slovaks.

Forced to focus on defending, Slovakia never mounted a serious challenge to Paraguay goalkeeper Justo Villar. Slovakia’s first and only shot on goal came with Robert Vittek’s drive in injury time.

“We played better today because we made some corrections from the first game, and we got the early goal, which we were looking to get,” Martino said.

“We barely gave Slovakia any chances to score early in the match, and that made a difference. And yes, it is a good thing we have gotten a lead against both of our opponents so far.”

Santa Cruz, who plays for Manchester City, was a welcome addition to Paraguay’s starting lineup. The striker has been hampered by a leg injury, and only came on as a second-half substitute against Italy.

He made his presence felt almost immediately Sunday, collecting a ball at the top of the box in the 3rd minute and hitting a right-footed shot that forced a diving save from Mucha.

He also came close to scoring in the 39th, when he broke free for a low right-footed drive that Mucha kicked wide – and Vera headed his cross just wide of the left post in the 72nd.

“This is a result that will put us in a good position, but the result of the next game will decide,” Martino said. “This is a very significant win for us, of course, but the math shows that we are not through yet.”

France players refuse to train in protest at WCup

KNYSNA, South Africa (AP) — France’s World Cup team refused to train Sunday in protest of Nicolas Anelka’s expulsion from the squad.

Anelka was kicked off the team a day earlier for a profanity-laced tirade against coach Raymond Domenech, whose tactics and management skills have been called into question.

“The French Football Federation did not at any time try to protect the group. They took a decision uniquely based on facts reported by the press,” Domenech said, reading from a statement written by the players explaining their protest.

“As a consequence and to show our opposition to the decision taken by officials of the federation, all the players decided not to take part in today’s training session.”

The latest chaotic scene also led to the resignation of France team director Jean-Louis Valentin.

“It’s a scandal for the French, for the young people here. It’s a scandal for the federation and the French team,” Valentin said. “They don’t want to train. It’s unacceptable.

“As for me, it’s over. I’m leaving the federation. I’m sickened and disgusted,” said Valentin, who walked away from the training field, got into a car and drove off.

The team arrived at training as usual Sunday and got off the bus to greet fans, but Domenech and France captain Patrice Evra stayed on the bus to talk.

When Domenech and Evra finally disembarked, fitness coach Robert Duverne was on the field putting down training cones. Evra and Duverne began to argue and Domenech walked over to intervene. Duverne then stormed off, throwing his accreditation badge to the ground.

Evra then handed a letter to the press officer, and the players, en masse, boarded the team bus and drew the curtains.

In their first two matches at the World Cup, France drew 0-0 with Uruguay and then lost 2-0 to Mexico. France can still advance to the round of 16 with a win over host South Africa, as long as Uruguay and Mexico don’t draw in the other Group A match.

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AP

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