Germany, England reach quarterfinals

Posted 8:27AM on Sunday 16th June 2002 ( 23 years ago )

YOKOHAMA, JAPAN - Germany is back in familiar elite territory. England used a blitz of goals to get to the same level. The two former World Cup champions moved into the quarterfinals Saturday in contrasting styles. Germany, a three-time winner, needed Oliver Neuville's 88th-minute goal to beat Paraguay 1-0 at Seogwipo, South Korea. England piled up three goals early against befuddled Denmark and reached the final eight for the first time in 12 years. With its victory over Paraguay, Germany has reached the last eight for the 14th time, including 13 straight since 1954. It is two matches away from its fifth final in eight World Cups. ``The belief of the players was decisive,'' said Kahn, whose team came in with low expectations because of injuries and recent lackluster play. ``Now everything is possible. When you are on a roll, it's possible to keep rolling until the end.'' England's 3-0 win at Niigata, Japan, was its best World Cup offensive effort since 1990, stoking hopes for its first championship since 1966. ``The whole team came in for a bit of stick after the last game,'' captain David Beckham said, referring to a first-round, 0-0 tie with Nigeria. ``One person described it as awful, but we have done a good job today.'' Germany could play the United States on Friday. The Americans, who lost defender Jeff Agoos for the rest of the tournament with a calf injury, play Mexico on Monday in Daejeon, South Korea. Forward Joe Max-Moore has a strained right hamstring and is day to day. ``I think Mexico is a bit more dangerous than the United States,'' midfielder Marco Bode said. ``But any team that qualifies for the quarterfinals will be a good team.'' On his 33rd birthday, Kahn had a present from his defense - he only had to face three shots. But he had to make two good saves against Jorge Campos. ``It would have been fatal and very stupid to have gone out on my birthday,'' Kahn said. ``We decided to stay calm and be patient. But the first half was hard and we didn't play any football. After the break, we came together.'' When it looked like the match was headed for overtime, Neuville put home Bernd Schneider's perfect cross. ``We went down like heroes,'' said Paraguay goalkeeper Jose Luis Chilavert. ``The Germans didn't outplay us, we played them equally. We leave having made our country proud.'' Paraguay's Italian coach Cesare Maldini resigned after the game. He is returning as a scout to AC Milan, to the club where he won renown as a player and coach. Rio Ferdinand headed in England's first goal in the fifth minute, off a corner kick from Beckham. Danish goalkeeper Thomas Soerensen bobbled the ball and dropped it across the goal line. By the 22nd minute, the English already had matched their first-round total of two goals when Michael Owen connected. Emile Heskey made it 3-0 just before halftime with a skidding shot from 18 yards a Beckham pass. ``Maybe 3-0 is too much, but anyhow, we won it and we are in the quarterfinals,'' said England's Swedish coach, Sven-Goran Eriksson. Owen was rested in the second half after a groin injury, but it wasn't serious. ``Now we have six days before the next game. We're trying to rest, recover,'' Eriksson said. Brazil could be the next one if it beats Belgium on Monday. Riot police restored peace in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, 145 miles north of London, after more than 100 people went on a violent rampage following England's victory. Sixteen people who hurled bottles and beer glasses at police were arrested. In other second-round matches, Spain played Ireland and Sweden met Senegal on Sunday. Three-time winner Italy faces South Korea, and Turkey plays Japan on Tuesday. Meanwhile, 13 players missed out on one of the South Korean team's rewards for reaching the second round for the first time in six World Cups. The Defense Ministry said Saturday it will exempt the World Cup squad from mandatory 26-month military service. But the 13 already have done their service. The measure will allow 10 players to continue playing soccer for their professional clubs after four weeks of basic military training. Officials in Japan counted more than 600 people who celebrated Japan's first advance to the second round by jumping into a river in Osaka, where the Japanese beat Tunisia 2-0 Friday. Police said they arrested six Japanese men: two naked river jumpers for obscenity, and four others on suspicion of obstructing police on streets jammed with excited soccer fans. In Bangkok, a 20-year old Thai man killed his wife after the two quarreled over the TV remote control during the Mexico-Italy game. The 18-year-old woman was found lying in a pool of blood in the apartment where she was shot by her husband the morning after the game. The husband confessed to the shooting, but claimed it was an accident. A British man who fractured his skull when he fell from the upper tier of the World Cup stadium in Jeonju is improving. He was in a coma when taken to a local hospital, but is now alert.

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