SRIVATSAN

Portugal vs Iran

2006-07-21T02:44:00.000-07:00

The 24th match of FIFA world cup was held between Portugal and Iran on june 17 at 13:00 hrs GMT, in Frankfurt,Germany.
The first goal of the match was scored by Deco(Portugal) in the 63rd minute.
The second goal of the match was scored by Ronaldo(Portugal) in the 80th minute.
The Portugal won Iran by 2-0.

Photo above:Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal hurdles the challenge of Mohammad Nosrati of Iran

Photo above:Portuguese midfielder Deco (foreground) celebrates scoring the opening goal next to Portuguese midfielder Maniche.(Photo source:www.msn.foxsports.com)

Mexico vs Angola

2006-07-21T02:04:00.000-07:00

The 23rd match of the FIFA world cup 2006 was held between Mexico and Angola on june 16 at 19:00 hrs GMT at Hanover,Germany.
There was no goal score in this match.
The match between Mexico and Angola ended in draw with goal score of 0-0.

Photo above:Angolan goalkeeper Joao Ricardo catches the ball.

Netherlands vs Ivory coast

2006-07-21T01:40:00.000-07:00

The 22nd match of FIFA world cup 2006 was held between Netherlands and Ivory coast on june 16 at 16:00 hrs GMT in Stuttgart,Germany.
The first goal of the match was scored by Van Persie of Netherland in the 23rd minute of the game.
The second goal of the match was scored by van Nistelrooy of Netherland in the 27th minute ,taking the score to 2-0.
The first goal of Ivory coast came at the 39th minute ,when Kone(Ivory coast) scored the goal,which lead to the final score of 2-1(Netherland-Ivory coast).
Netherlands won the match by 2-1 over Ivory coast.

Photo above:Dutch goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar dives in vain as he cannot stop a shot by Ivorian forward Bakary Kone (not pictured) for the Ivory Coast's first goal.(Photo source:www.msn.foxsports.com)
Photo above:Robin Van Persie of the Netherlands celebrates after scoring the opening goal from a free kick. (Photo source:www.msn.foxsports.com)

Argentina vs Serbia-montenegro

2006-06-19T01:10:00.000-07:00

The 21st match of FIFA world cup was held between Argentina and Serbia-montenegro on june 16(13:00hrs GMT) at Gelserkirchen,Germany.
The first goal of the match was scored by Maxi rodriguez at the 6th minute.
The second goal was scored by Cambiaso at the 31st minute.This goal is a classic goal by Cambiasso, who entered in the 17th minute for injured Luis Gonzalez. Argentina held possession with a string of two dozen passes. At the finish, Saviola found Cambiasso, who passed to Hernan Crespo, who back-heeled the ball for Cambiasso's left-footed finish.
The third goal was scored by Maxi rodriguez at the 41st minute.
The fourth goal for argentina was scored by Crespo in the 78th minute.
The fifth goal was scored by Tevez in the 84th minute
The sixth amd final goal was scored by Messi in the 88th minute.
Argentina won Serbia-montengero by a crushing victory of 6-0.

Photo above:Serbia and Montenegro's goalkeeper Dragoslav Jevric (left) misses a kick from Argentinian midfielder Esteban Cambiasso (5).(Photo source:www.msn.foxsports.com)

Sweden vs Paraguay

2006-06-18T02:58:00.000-07:00

The 20th match of FIFA world cup 2006 was between Sweden and Paraguay held on Berlin in 15 june at 19:00 hrs GMT.Sweden won Paraguay by 1-0.

Fredrik Ljungberg striked the first goal of the match with an 89th-minute header for a 1-0 win Thursday night that put the Swedes in position to move into the second round.

Marcus Allback headed a pass from the top-left corner of the 6-yard box to a charging Ljungberg on the opposite side of the goalmouth. Ljungberg jumped and powerfully headed the ball down to the far side to win it.

When the ball passed goalkeeper Aldo Bobadilla's outstretched hand, the players and coaches on the Swedish bench jumped to their feet. And the overwhelmingly pro-Sweden crowd roared its approval.

Photo above:Swedish midfielder Freddie Ljungberg celebrates after scoring the game's only goal.(Photo source:www.msn.foxsports.com)

England vs Trinidad-tobago

2006-06-17T04:05:00.000-07:00

The 19th match of FIFA world cup was held between England and Trinidad-tobago on june 15(16:00 hrs GMT) on Nuremberg,Germany.
Crouch headed in a cross by David Beckham in the 83rd minute and made the first goal of the match for England.
Steven Gerrard added a goal for England in injury time.
And the England made a smooth victory over Trinidad-Tobago by goal score of 2-0.
It was Rooney's entrance in the 58th minute that turned the tide. The 20-year-old forward broke a bone in his right foot on April 29 playing for Manchester United and wasn't expected back this soon.
Photo above:Peter Crouch of England rises above Brent Sancho to score the game's first goal(Photosource:www.msn.foxsports.com)
Photo above:Steven Gerrard of England strikes his second goal.

Ecuador vs Costarica

2006-06-16T21:41:00.000-07:00

The 18th match of the FIFA world cup 2006 was between Ecuador and Costa rica on June 15(13:00hrs GMT) at Hamburg stadium,Hamburg,Germany.
The first goal of the match was scored by C.Tenorio(Ecuador) in the 6th minute of the game.
The second goal of the match was scored by Delgado(Ecuador) in the 54th minute .
The third and winning goal was scored by Kaviedes(Ecuador) in the 92nd minute.
The Ecuador made a huge victory of 3-0 over Costarica.
While the vanquished Costa Ricans hung their heads in bewilderment, Ivan Kaviedes pulled a Spider-Man mask from his shorts - in Ecuador's team color of yellow, of course - stretched it over his head and ran around like a schoolboy.His masked-man stunt was a tribute to Otilino Tenorio, a teammate killed in a May 2005 car crash in Ecuador, just three days after he played for his country in an exhibition game at New Jersey's Giants Stadium.Tenorio, whose nickname was "Spiderman," used to pull the mask from his shorts during his goal celebrations.
Photo above:Ecuadorian forward Ivan Kaviedes celebrates wearing spiderman mask , after scoring goal.(Photo source:www.msn.foxsports.com)

Germany vs Poland.

2006-06-16T01:38:00.000-07:00

The 17th match of FIFA world cup was held between Germany and Poland on june 14 at 19:00 hrs GMT in Dortmund,Germany.This match turned to be a great celebrations for the host nation,Germany.
Shot after shot was turned away by Poland's goalkeeper and the crossbar. Germany kept firing and got the payoff just in time - injury time.
Substitute Oliver Neuville scored on a sliding kick off a brilliant cross from another sub, David Odonkor.
The only goal of the match was scored by Neuville of Germany in the additional time of the match after 90 minutes.
The Germany won over Poland by 1-0.

Photo above:Oliver Neuville of Germany scores the winning goal as Artur Boruc of Poland fails to make a save in the 91st minute.(Photo source:www.msn.foxsports.com)

Saudi arabia vs Tunisia

2006-06-15T09:18:00.000-07:00

The 16th match of FIFA world cup was between Tunisia and Saudi arabia held at munchen stadium in Munich,Germany at 14th june 16:00 hrs GMT.
The first goal of match was scored by Jaziri(Tunisia) in 23rd minute.
The second goal by Saudi arabian player Al Qahtani at the 57th minute equalised the goal score to 1-1.
The third goal was scored by Al Jaber of Saudi Arabia at the 84th minute which raised the score of saudi arabia to 2-1 over tunisia.
The final goal which lead to the draw of match was scored by Jaidi of Tunisia at the injury time(additional time).
The match between Saudi arabia and Tunisia ended in draw with goal score of 2-2.

Rahdi Jaidi's powerful header in injury time gave Tunisia a 2-2 tie with Saudi Arabia in a Group H game .It was the first point earned by one of five African teams at this tournament. Ivory Coast, Angola, Ghana and Togo all lost their opening games.
Photo above:Sami Al Jaber of Saudi Arabia celebrates after scoring his team's second goal during.(Photo source:www.msn.foxsports.com)

Photo above:Tunisian defender Radhi Jaidi (R) scores against Saudi Arabia in extra time to tie the game. The match ended in a 2-2 draw.(Photo source:www.msn.foxsports.com)

Spain vs Ukraine

2006-06-15T01:01:00.000-07:00

The 15th match in FIFA world cup between Spain and Ukraine held on 14 june at 13:00 hrs GMT in Leipzig,Germany.The Spain made a huge victory of 4-0 over Ukraine.
David Villa scored twice and Fernando Torres capped the romp with a sensational goal off a series of passes.
Alonso made the first goal in the 13th minute.
David villa scored two more goals in 17th and 48th minute,the 48th minute goal which is by a free kick.Villa scored the 48th minute goal deflecting the ball off the Ukrainian wall on a free kick after a late challenge by Andriy Rusol on Torres that drew a yellow card for Rusol
Torres scored the final goal of the match at 81st minute,making the spain goal score to 4.

Photo above:Spain's Luis Garcia celebrates scoring the opening goal early in the match against Ukraine(Photo source:www.msn.foxsports.com)
Spain's David Villa sends a free kick over the Ukrainian wall for the second goal of the game for Spain.(Photo source:www.msn.foxsports.com)

France vs Switzerland

2006-06-15T00:04:00.000-07:00

The 14th match was held between France and Switzerland at Gottlieb daimler stadium,Stuttgart,Germany on 13th june(16:00 hrs GMT).The match had no goal score and the match was drawn with neither goals from both sides.
Switzerland almost went ahead in the 23rd minute when Tranquillo Barnetta sent a free kick into the area. Teammates Philippe Senderos and Frei both failed to get a touch and the ball hit the post.
Zidane and Louis Saha set up the opening .The striker, Vikash Dhorasoo, almost scored with two minutes to go,and his effort slipped agonisingly wide of the back post.
The France and Swiss went on for draw with goal score of 0-0.
Photo above:Zinedine Zidane of France is challenged by Ricardo Cabanas of Switzerland. (Photo source:www.msn.foxsports.com)

Brazil vs Croatia

2006-06-14T22:34:00.000-07:00

The 13th match in FIFA world cup held between Brazil and Croatia in Olympic stadium,Berlin,Germany on June 13,2006 at 19:00 hrs GMT.

The only goal of the match was scored by Brazil.
In the 44th minute, Cafu spotted Kaka in the middle and made a perfect pass. Kaka collected it and was past Niko Kranjcar with one quick tap of the ball.As Kranjcar closed in, Kaka drew back and struck hard with his left foot, and it was clear from the minute his boot hit the ball it was going to be good.Kaka scored the goal in the 44th minute of game.
It was the first World Cup goal for Kaka, voted best midfielder in the Champions League in 2005.
But the Croatians also played hard competing Brazil.
Prso(Croatia) gave them their best chance, taking a hard shot from inside the box that went off Dida's(Brazil) hands.
Three minutes later, Ivan Klasnic(Croatia) took a shot from about 15 yards, but it went straight into Dida's hands.
The Brazil won over Croatia by 1-0.

Photo below:Croatian goalkeeper Stipe Pletikosa (C) looks at the ball rolling in the net after the goal of Brazilian midfielder Kaka. (Photo source:www.msn.foxsports.com)

Photo below:Brazilian midfielder Kaka celebrates after scoring a goal.(Photo source:www.msn.foxsports.com)

South korea vs Togo

2006-06-14T06:20:00.000-07:00

Lets take a look at the 12th match held between South korea and Togo on june 13 at 13:00 hrs(GMT) in Frankfurt,Germany.

Togo took a lead in the 31st minute when Mohammed Kader trapped the ball on his thigh and shot home from 15 yards.
The score of south korea came to 1 goal when Lee chun soo made the first goal of the south koreans in the 54th minute.
Ahn jung hwan(South korea) scored the 2nd goal in the 72nd minute.
And the South koreans made a victory of 2-1 over Togo.

Frankfurt's stadium was almost like home to the South Koreans. The chants of thousands of their supporters drowned out the drums of the few dozen that made it from Togo. The ardent supporter known as Mama Togo and other fans were stranded by visa problems in the capital Lome

Photo above:Jung-Hwan Ahn of South Korea shoots and scores the second goal for his team past Kossi Agassa of Togo.(Photo source:www.msn.foxsports.com)

Italy vs Ghana

2006-06-14T01:00:00.000-07:00

Lets see what happened at the the 11th match of the 2006 FIFA world cup between Italy and Ghana at Hanover,Germany on 12TH JUNE AT 19:00 GMT.

Andrea Pirlo of Italy scored in the 40th minute of the match ,the first goal of match.
Vincenzo Iaquinta (Italy) added a goal in the 83rd minute,giving Italy 2-0 victory over Ghana.

Key playmaker Francesco Totti(Italy) exited the game after apparently reinjuring his surgically repaired left leg in the second half. His status for Saturday's game with the United States is uncertain.

Photo above:Italy's Vincenzo Iaquinta (L) scores the second goal against Ghana's goalkeeper Richard Kingston.(Photo source:www.msn.foxsports.com)

Italy's Andrea Pirlo (unseen) is congratulated by his teammates after he scored the first goal for his team.Photo source:www.msn.foxsports.com

U.S.A vs Czech republic

2006-06-13T23:54:00.000-07:00

Lets take a quick look at the 10th match held between United states of america and Czhech republic at Gelserkirchen,Germany on june 12 at 16:00 GMT.

Jan Koller of Czech Republic scored just at the 5th minute of the game.
Rosicky (Czech) scored on a soaring 25-yard shot in the 36th minute, and the Americans never got back into the game against the Czechs.
Rosicky added a goal in the 76th minute, getting past the U.S. defense .
And the Czechs made huge victory of 3-0 over U.S.A.

Koller injured his right leg battling Onyewu for a ball on the flank in the 43rd minute, and was taken off on a stretcher, one hand behind his head, the other covering his face. He was taken to a hospital to be examined.His coach, Karel Bruckner said the injury was "quite serious."

Photo above:Jan Koller of Czech Republic scores a goal with a header as Kasey Keller of USA fails to save it early in the match.(Photo source:www.msn.foxsports.com)Photo above:Tomas Rosicky of Czech Republic (out of frame) scores a goal as Kasey Keller, goalkeeper of USA fails to save. (Photo source:www.msn.foxsports.com)

Australia vs Japan

2006-06-13T22:02:00.000-07:00

Lets take a look at the 9th match between Australia and Japan held in Fritz walter stadium,Keiselslautern,Germany.The match started with a goal for Japan.

Shunsuke Nakamura gave Japan a lead in the 26th minute, floating a cross from 25 yards that sailed in over the head of Australian goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer.
The goals came in a flurry in the Aussies' stunning rally for a 3-1 victory over Japan on Monday.
Tim Cahill of Australia scored in the 84th minute and again five minutes later,in the 89th minute.
John Aloisi of Australia added one in injury time.
The Australians won Japan by 3-1.

Photo above:Shunsuke Nakamura (C) of Japan celebrates with teammates after scoring the opening goal against Australia.(Photo source:www.msn.foxsports.com)Photo above:Japan's goal keeper Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi looks back as Australia's Tim Cahill's second goal hits the back of the net.(Photo source:www.msn.foxsports.com)

Portugal vs Angola

2006-06-13T21:45:00.000-07:00

(Photo above:Portugal's Pauleta (right) celebrates with his teammate Cristiano Ronaldo after Pauleta scored the opening goal during the Group D match between Angola and Portugal.Photo source:www.msn.foxsports.com)

Lets take look at the 8th match between Angola and Portugal on 11th june at Cologne,Germany.
The first and only goal of the match was scored by Pauleta in the 4th minute.
Portugal dominated the early stages of the match, and Pauleta nearly gave the European team the lead after a few seconds. About three minutes later he did score, giving his team a 1-0 lead that it held on to despite Angola's increasingly strong play.
Portugal won Angola by 1-0.
Some local fans even began cheering for the African team as Angola proved its defense had improved significantly since it lost all three of its World Cup warmups

Mexico vs Iran

2006-06-13T07:49:00.000-07:00

Lets take a look at the 7th match between Mexico and Iran,held in Numberg,on 11th june(18:00 GMT)
The first goal of the match was scored by Bravo of Mexico in the 28th minute of the game.
The second goal of the match was scored by Golmohammadi of Iran in the 36th minute of the game.This is the only goal of Iran in this match.
The score of Mexico was raised by Bravo in the 76th minute of the match,followed by another goal by the Mexican player Zinha in the 79th minute.
Mexico won Iran by 3-1.
But,its the sadest moment in the life of goalkeeper Oswaldo Sanchez of Mexico,because his father had died on last thursday.His father Felipe Sanchez died of a heart attack on Wednesday while preparing to come to Germany to watch his son play.Oswaldo flew home on thursday to bury his father and returned on saturday.
"It was my dad's dream for me to be here, playing in the World Cup, and I am happy," Sanchez said through a translator.After the match,Mexico's crowd left the stadium singing and chanting in red, green and white waves of unbridled joy. Oswaldo Sanchez, still mourning the death of a father who dreamed of watching him play in the World Cup, left the field with a smile.(source for this news:www.msn.foxsports.com)

Photo above:Mexico's Omar Bravo (center) reacts after he scored his side's first goal during their World Cup Group D soccer match against Iran.(photo source:www.msn.foxsports.com)Photo above:Iran's players celebrate after Iran's Yahya Golmohammadi scored a goal on Mexico's goal keeper Oswaldo Sanchez (bottom left) during the first half.(photo source:www.msn.foxsports.com)

Netherland vs Serbia-montenegro

2006-06-12T23:47:00.000-07:00

Lets take a look at the 6th match(Group C) held between Netherlands and Serbia-Montenegro.The match took place in zentralstadion in Leipzig,Germany.The first and only goal of match was scored by netherland's Arjen Robben in the 18th miunute of the game.
Robben coolly slipped the ball under goalkeeper Dragoslav Jevric in the 18th minute.
The Netherlands relied on the lightning speed of winger Arjen Robben for a 1-0 win over Serbia-Montenegro on Sunday to join favorite Argentina at the top of Group C, considered the toughest of the first round.
The Netherlands, one of the few nations playing a 4-3-3 alignment at the World Cup, kept its attack open through its excellent wingers and quickly regrouped once the Serbs had the ball. At times, wingers Van Persie and Robben just switched sides to dumbfound the opposition.
Photo above:Serbia and Montenegro goalie Dragoslav Jevric (1) makes a save in the first half of the Netherlands vs. Serbia and Montenegro Group C soccer match(Photo source:www.msn.foxsports.com)

Photo above:Arjen Robben of the Netherlands celebrates scoring his team's first goal(Photo source:www.msn.foxsports.com)

Argentina vs Ivory coast

2006-06-12T02:29:00.000-07:00

(THE Argentinian wall.photo source:www.foxsports.com)
The 5th match of the 2006 world cup held in Hamburg,Germany at 19:00 GMT between Argentina and Ivory coast.As the expected team Argentina went on the ground,there were loud cheers and among the crowd was also the Legendary argentinian player Diego Maradona.
The first goal of match came to Argentina at the 24th minute by Argentinian player Crespo.
The second goal of the match also came to Argentina,when Argentinian player Saviola scored the goal in the 38th minute of the game.
(PHOTO BELOW:argentinian player Saviola kisses his shirt after scoring the second goal to his country-photo source:www.msn.foxsports.com) The final goal of the match was made by Ivory Coast player Drogba at the 82nd minute of the match making the final score 2-1,Argentina 2 goals and Ivory coast-1 goal.
And the Argentina made their victory in their first match of the World cup 2006.

4th match-Sweden vs Trinidad-Tobago

2006-06-12T01:36:00.000-07:00

Lets take a look on the next match between Sweden and Trinidad & Tobago which held on june 10 at 18:00 hrs GMT in the group B match of FIFA World cup 2006 in the Signal Iduna Park ,Dortmund,Germany.This signal iduna is the largest stadium in Germany with a capacity of 82,932(source : www.wikipedia.org) spectators.(ABOVE:a trinidad player kicks ball as sweden player tries to block it.PHOTO source:www.FIFAworldcup.com)
This match had no goals and ended in draw.There was thrill until the 90th minute whether who will win ,but the match ended in draw .

Paraguayan own goal

2006-06-11T08:31:00.000-07:00

Own goal: Paraguayan skipper Carlos Gamarra gave England the lead after just three minutes in sweltering Frankfurt.(PHOTO source:www.dailymail.co.uk)
The third match between England and Paraguay went as a surprise win for England as Paraguayan skippe Carlos Gamarra made a own goal in the 3rd minute of the game.It is said that this own goal by Gamarra is the fastes own goal in world cup history.
The England captain,David Beckham, was instrumental in the only goal when his free-kick was headed by Carlos Gamarra into his own net after only two minutes and 45 seconds of the match.
And the England made a smooth victory,1-0 over Paraguay.

2nd match-ecuador vs poland

2006-06-11T07:21:00.000-07:00

Then lets take a look at the second match between Ecuador and Poland that took place in 9th june on 19:00 GMT.
The Ecuador made a clear win of 2-0 against Poland leaving poland lag in the points.
The first goal came from Ecuador player Carlos tenorio in the 24th minute.
The score remained 1-0 until the first half.
At the 80 th minute of the game,Delgado made 2nd goal making Ecuador to have bright chance of winning
And,Ecuador won the match 2-0 against Poland.

Ecuador's Ulises de la Cruz, No. 4, and goalkeeper Cristian Mora fight for the ball with Poland's Maciej Zurawski, No. 9, and Mariusz Jop, No. 2, during the Group A World Cup match between Poland and Ecuador in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, on Friday.
PHOTO source: EPA
The Poland face Germany in their next game on Wednesday

First framed laws for football game(1863)

2006-06-10T22:10:00.000-07:00

These laws were the first laws established for the football game.The latest law was accepted by IFAB in 1997.
The Football Association Laws of 1863 as published in the press (in Bell's Life) for approval on Saturday, December 5th 1863:

1. The maximum length of the ground shall be 200 yards, the maximum breadth shall be 100 yards, the length and breadth shall be marked off with flags; and the goal shall be defined by two upright posts, eight yards apart, without any tape or bar across them.

2. A toss for goals shall take place, and the game shall be commenced by a place kick from the centre of the ground by the side losing the toss for goals; the other side shall not approach within 10 yards of the ball until it is kicked off.

3. After a goal is won, the losing side shall be entitled to kick off, and the two sides shall change goals after each goal is won.

4. A goal shall be won when the ball passes between the goal-posts or over the space between the goal-posts (at whatever height), not being thrown, knocked on, or carried.

5. When the ball is in touch, the first player who touches it shall throw it from the point on the boundary line where it left the ground in a direction at right angles with the boundary line, and the ball shall not be in play until it has touched the ground.

6. When a player has kicked the ball, any one of the same side who is nearer to the opponent's goal line is out of play, and may not touch the ball himself, nor in any way whatever prevent any other player from doing so, until he is in play; but no player is out of play when the ball is kicked off from behind the goal line.

7. In case the ball goes behind the goal line, if a player on the side to whom the goal belongs first touches the ball, one of his side shall he entitled to a free kick from the goal line at the point opposite the place where the ball shall be touched. If a player of the opposite side first touches the ball, one of his side shall be entitled to a free kick at the goal only from a point 15 yards outside the goal line, opposite the place where the ball is touched, the opposing side standing within their goal line until he has had his kick.

8. If a player makes a fair catch, he shall be entitled to a free kick, providing he claims it by making a mark with his heel at once; and in order to take such kick he may go back as far as he pleases, and no player on the opposite side shall advance beyond his mark until he has kicked.

9. No player shall run with the ball.

10. Neither tripping nor hacking shall be allowed, and no player shall use his hands to hold or push his adversary.

11. A player shall not be allowed to throw the ball or pass it to another with his hands.

12. No player shall be allowed to take the ball from the ground with his hands under any pretence whatever while it is in play.

13. No player shall be allowed to wear projecting nails, iron plates, or gutta percha on the soles or heels of his boots.

At its meeting on 8th December the F.A. agreed (as reported in Bell's Life) John Lillywhite should publish the Laws, which he said he could do at a cost of a shilling for the pocket size and 1s 6d for the larger size for club rooms.

1 gutta-percha is an inelastic natural latex, produced from the resin of the Isonandra Gutta tree of Malaya. It was used for many purposes (e.g. the core of golf balls; the insulation of telegraph cables) before the discovery of superior synthetic materials.
(SOURCE for these laws:WWW.Wikipedia.org)

SOME FACTS OF WORLD CUP 2006

2006-06-10T21:33:00.000-07:00

(Source for these facts:www.wikipedia.org)

The opening match of the 2006 FIFA World Cup had the most goals of any opening match in FIFA history, with 6 goals (Germany 4; Costa Rica 2) compared to the next-best 1930 opening match with 5 goals (France 4; Mexico 1). Italy's 7:1 victory over the USA in 1934 was one of 8 simultaneous first round matches on the opening day and as such cannot be considered an opening match.
The 2006 tournament will feature the most national teams, eight, making their first appearance in the World Cup finals since there were ten first-time participants in the second competition in 1934. The eight national teams making their debut are Angola, Cote d'Ivoire, Czech Republic, Ghana, Serbia & Montenegro^[9], Togo, Trinidad & Tobago and Ukraine.^[10]
This will be the first World Cup with a team representing a country that has ceased to exist prior to the start of the tournament. Serbia and Montenegro split into Serbia and Montenegro in June 2006. The Serbia and Montenegro footballers will play under a flag no longer displayed in their countries. The team contains only one player born in Montenegro, Dragoslav Jevrić (another Montenegrin, Mirko Vučinić, was forced to return home as a result of an injury.) ^[11] In 1938, the Austrian team qualified for the World Cup finals, but withdrew prior to the tournament when Austria ceased to exist following their annexation by Germany in March of that year.
Carlos Gamarra's own goal in the match between Paraguay and England was the fastest own goal in World Cup history, and the 1-0 final is the only 1-0 final in world cup history to be decided by an own goal.
The vocal group, Il Divo, and R&B singer, Toni Braxton, will sing the official song "A Time of Our Lives" ^[12]. The official album was released in May 2006 which also included a special version of Shakira's newest hit "Hips Don't Lie".
The mascots for the competition are the lion Goleo VI and Pille, a talking football.
The official logo design, The Smiling Faces, incorporates the logo of the 2002 FIFA World Cup: a stylised version of the FIFA World Cup Trophy.
Adidas will supply a personalized match ball for every match of the tournament. On each of these "Teamgeist" balls the date of the match and the names of the national teams involved will appear. The ball used for the final match will be a special gold colour
The official Adidas Teamgeist ball made for the World Cup(shown in pic above)

World Cup Schedule&Matches won

2006-06-10T20:59:00.000-07:00

Hi friends,this is the schedule of world cup 2006 in germany.I will try to update the match result as much as possible.

FRIDAY 9 JUNE:

Group A

Germany v Costa Rica (1600 GMT), Munich(Germany won)

( Above pic:Allianz arena,Munich,Germany{Opening match was held here between Germany and Costarica} )

Poland v Ecuador (1900 GMT), Gelsenkirchen(Ecuador won)

SATURDAY 10 JUNE

Group B

England v Paraguay (1300 GMT), Frankfurt (England won)

Trinidad & Tobago v Sweden (1600 GMT), Dortmund(match draw)

Group C

Argentina v Ivory Coast (1900 GMT), Hamburg(Argentina won)

SUNDAY 11 JUNE

Group C

Serbia & Montenegro v Netherlands (1300 GMT), Leipzig(Netherland won)

Group D

Mexico v Iran (1600 GMT), Nuremberg

Angola v Portugal (1900 GMT), Cologne

MONDAY 12 JUNE

Group F

Australia v Japan (1300 GMT), Kaiserslautern

Group E

USA v Czech Republic (1600 GMT), Gelsenkirchen

Italy v Ghana (1900 GMT), Hanover

TUESDAY 13 JUNE

Group G

South Korea v Togo (1300 GMT), Frankfurt

France v Switzerland (1600 GMT), Stuttgart

Group F

Brazil v Croatia (1900 GMT), Berlin

WEDNESDAY 14 JUNE

Group H

Spain v Ukraine (1300 GMT), Leipzig

Tunisia v Saudi Arabia (1600 GMT), Munich

Group A

Germany v Poland (1900 GMT), Dortmund

THURSDAY 15 JUNE

Group A

Ecuador v Costa Rica (1300 GMT), Hamburg

Group B

England v Trinidad & Tobago (1600 GMT), Nuremberg

Sweden v Paraguay (1900 GMT), Berlin

FRIDAY 16 JUNE

Group C

Argentina v Serbia & Montenegro (1300 GMT), Gelsenkirchen

Netherlands v Ivory Coast (1600 GMT), Stuttgart

Group D

Mexico v Angola (1900 GMT), Hanover

SATURDAY 17 JUNE

Group D

Portugal v Iran (1300 GMT), Frankfurt

Group E

Italy v USA (1900 GMT), Kaiserslautern

Czech Republic v Ghana (1600 GMT), Cologne

SUNDAY 18 JUNE

Group F

Japan v Croatia (1300 GMT), Nuremberg

Brazil v Australia (1600 GMT), Munich

Group G

France v South Korea (1900 GMT), Leipzig

MONDAY 19 JUNE

Group G

Togo v Switzerland (1300 GMT), Dortmund

Group H

Saudi Arabia v Ukraine (1600 GMT), Hamburg

Spain v Tunisia (1900 GMT), Stuttgart

TUESDAY 20 JUNE

Group A

Ecuador v Germany (1400 GMT), Berlin

Costa Rica v Poland (1400 GMT), Hanover

Group B

Sweden v England (1900 GMT), Cologne

Paraguay v Trinidad & Tobago(1900 GMT), Kaiserslautern

WEDNESDAY 21 JUNE

Group D

Portugal v Mexico (1400 GMT), Gelsenkirchen

Iran v Angola (1400 GMT), Leipzig

Group C

Netherlands v Argentina (1900 GMT), Frankfurt
Ivory Coast v Serbia & Montenegro (1900 GMT), Munich

THURSDAY 22 JUNE

Group E

Czech Republic v Italy (1400 GMT), Hamburg

Ghana v USA (1400 GMT), Nuremberg

Group F

Japan v Brazil (1900 GMT), Dortmund

Croatia v Australia (1900 GMT), Stuttgart

FRIDAY 23 JUNE

Group H

Saudi Arabia v Spain (1400 GMT), Kaiserslautern

Ukraine v Tunisia (1400 GMT), Berlin

Group G

Togo v France (1900 GMT), Cologne
Switzerland v South Korea (1900 GMT), Hanover

SATURDAY 24 JUNE
Game One Winner Group A v Runner-up Group B
(1500 GMT), Munich
Game Two Winner Group C v Runner-up Group D
(1900 GMT), Leipzig

SUNDAY 25 JUNE
Game Three Winner Group B v Runner-up Group A
(1500 GMT), Stuttgart

Game Four Winner Group D v Runner-up Group C
(1900 GMT), Nuremberg

MONDAY 26 JUNE
Game Five Winner Group E v Runner-up Group F
(1500 GMT), Kaiserslautern
Game Six Winner Group G v Runner-up Group H
(1900 GMT), Cologne

TUESDAY 27 JUNE

Game Seven Winner Group F v Runner-up Group E
(1500 GMT), Dortmund

Game Eight Winner Group H v Runner-up Group G
(1900 GMT), Hanover

FRIDAY 30 JUNE

Quarter-Final One Winner Game One v Winner Game Two
(1500 GMT), Berlin

Quarter-Final Two Winner Game Five v Winner Game Six
(1900 GMT), Hamburg

SATURDAY 1 JULY

Quarter-Final Three Winner Game Three v Winner Game Four
(1500 GMT),Gelsenkirchen
Quarter-Final Four Winner Game Seven v Winner Game Eight
(1900 GMT), Frankfurt

TUESDAY 4 JULY
Semi-Final One Winner Quarter-Final One v Winner Quarter-Final Two (1900 GMT), Dortmund

WEDNESDAY 5 JULY
Semi-Final Two Winner Quarter-Final Three v Winner Quarter-Final Four (1900 GMT), Munich

SATURDAY 8 JULY
Third/Fourth place play-off Loser Semi-Final One v Loser Semi-Final Two (1900 GMT), Stuttgart

SUNDAY 9 JULY

Final Winner Semi-Final One v Winner Semi-Final Two (1800 GMT), Berlin
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WORLD CUP 2006-Germany vs Costarica.

2006-06-10T09:41:00.000-07:00

Hi friends and to all who are reading this blog.
The most expected event of this year 2006 started in festive mood in germany.Germany has been the theatre for all football fans and a exam hall for all football teams.
The 2006 FIFA WORLD CUP finals (officially titled 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany™) began on june 9 when the hosts(Germany) won the first match against Costa Rica and will end on July 9, 2006 when the final match will determine the champion In June 2000, Germany won the right to host the event, beating the bids of England, Brazil, Morocco and South Africa (source :wikipedia.org)This is the logo of FIFA World Cup 2006 which is now being held in Germany.Lets take a look at the first match between Germany and Costa rica.

Lahm(Germany) scored the first goal of match in the 6th minute of the start of game.
Then , Wanchope(Costa rica) equalled the goal score by his goal at 12th minute.
Klose(Germany) increased the goal score of germany to 3 from 1 by scoring two goals at 17th and 61st minute.
Wanchope(costa rica) tried to catch germans by scoring goal at 73rd minute.but the germans were ahead of costarica that time.germany3- costarica 2.
At the 87th minute of match,Frings of germany scored the 4th goal to germany,making the germans march to victory in their first match.

Germany won costa rica 4-2.The opening match is great win to Host nation,Germany.

Thambi - a view.

2006-06-07T20:59:00.000-07:00

i want to make comment on a tamil film named "THAMBI".actually,i had desire to see the film when i saw the reviews in the television.they said that the film is having a revolutionary concept.so,i went to see the film.the film is beautifully taken.
Hero madhavan has done a splendid performance.his rolling eyes when threatening the rowdys had made a special addition to his acting performance.He changes his voice according to situation.This film is really a milestone in his career.
But the main thing which attracted me is the main concept- one has to feel the pain of murder and particularly,if the muderer feels the pain of death while killing someone,he will not take the weapon anymore."the pain of death is same for all"- director seeman has used thambi to tell us these points.thambi is picturized as blend of fire and non-violence.his dialogues " yenga sonna kekkaranga,adicha thaan kekkaranga"-and before villian-"enakku thevai ellam amaithi".saving villian's family,making him recognise what violence is ?.these places are new to film.
The main thing to note in this film is the song "ennama jagamma".some of the lines indeed is true.
"sandana bhooomi kandagam aachhu,kaatthukkum ippo thenarudhu moochu" "nathaikku kooda thalayila veedu,nadaipaathai thaane ezhainga koodu"
The above lines are true and perfect in this world.
Totally,thambi is film not to be seen for entartainment ,but to be seen for change in ourselves and change in society and ultimately for the change in our nation,a good change in this nation.
I appreciate and welcome director seeman to make more thought provoking movies like thambi.all the best to Mr.Madhavan &Mr. Seeman