England supporters outnumbered Sweden fans by about two-to-one in the center of this German city famed for its carnival-like atmosphere. Opposing sets of supporters sang and had photographs taken with each other at cafes near the cathedral and near the central railway station.

German riot police detain an unidentified man from a cafe before violence broke out following the World Cup soccer match between Sweden and England in Cologne June 20, 2006.[Reuters]

Authorities have expressed concerns over soccer hooligans from both countries. Shortly after Germany beat Ecuador to win Group A, police moved to separate several German fans from a group of 100 to 200 England fans. The two groups had started to taunt each other by singing songs.

Police moved through the street to divide them, part of a strategy that was used before in Nuremberg and Frankfurt in a bid to quell any problems before they got worse.

Early Tuesday morning, 13 England fans were arrested in Cologne after skirmishing with officers or fighting with each other, police said. Sixteen officers were injured, but none seriously.

And more fans were coming. At Cologne-Bonn Airport, more than 100 fan-filled charter flights from both England and Sweden were scheduled to land throughout Tuesday.

"It's going to be the most challenging day of the tournament" to date, said Stephen Thomas, a British constable working with German and Swedish police in Cologne.

Page:

1

2