 France's
Zinedine Zidane (L) celebrates with team mate Franck Ribery after scoring
his team's third goal against Spain during their second round World Cup
2006 soccer match in Hanover June 27, 2006.
[Reuters] |
France defeated Spain 3-1 at the World Cup on Tuesday to set up a
quarter-final clash with champions Brazil, whose striker Ronaldo became the
tournament's all-time top scorer in a victory over Ghana.
France, branded too old by some critics, hit back in style after going behind
to a David Villa penalty in the first half of their second round match with a
young Spain side in Hanover.
 A Spain
soccer fan reacts at a fan-festival in Hanover as France wins their World
Cup 2006 match against Spain June 27, 2006.
[Reuters] |
Midfielder Franck Ribery canceled out
Spain's advantage before the break, Patrick Vieira gave France the lead in the
83rd minute and captain Zinedine Zidane made sure of the victory with a classy
strike in stoppage time.
"We may have a team of old men but we know how to be patient," said France
coach Raymond Domenech.
"Younger people run out of breath."
France's match with Brazil, who defeated debutants Ghana 3-0 in Dortmund,
will reunite the two sides who contested the 1998 final in Paris, won by the
home nation.
"France versus Brazil -- that's a nice memory," said Zidane, the 34-year-old
midfielder who inspired France eight years ago and scored two goals in the
final.
"The adventure continues. We are all delighted to go through," said Zidane,
who retires after this World Cup.
Ronaldo was also the center of attention eight years ago, when he was hit by
a mystery illness hours before the final. He played poorly and the episode was
never fully explained.
Brilliant Best
Despite accusations that he is overweight and another illness scare earlier
in this tournament, he was at his brilliant best when he scored his
record-breaking 15th World Cup goal in the match against Ghana.
He latched on to a through pass from midfielder Kaka, stepped over the ball
as he bore down on Ghana goalkeeper Richard Kingston and finished off with his
right foot.
The fifth minute strike broke German Gerd Mueller's
record of 14 World Cup goals, which Ronaldo equaled earlier in the tournament.
Mueller scored his World Cup goals in 1970 and 1974.
 A combination image shows the 15 World Cup goals
scored by Brazil's Ronaldo and a second celebration image from his 15th
goal (bottom R). The images are chronological from top left to bottom
right. Ronaldo broke a World Cup record by scoring his 15th finals goal in
Brazil's 3-0 second-round defeat of Ghana on June 27, 2006. The goal
eclipsed Gerd Mueller's mark of 14 set during West Germany's World Cup win
of 1974. [Reuters]
|
"I'm happy to have broken this record, for seven World Cups it has not been
broken," Ronaldo said.
"But let's not forget our main objective is to reach the final."
Ronaldo's strike partner Adriano added a second in first-half injury time
amid protests from Ghana who claimed he was offside. Midfielder Ze Roberto
scored the last in the 84th minute when he raced through a static Ghanian
defense.
Despite being classed as rank outsiders and missing suspended midfielder
Michael Essien, Ghana gave Brazil a real run for their money and were unlucky
not to score.
Ghana's Serbian coach Ratomir Dujkovic was sent from the dug-out after the
first half for protesting to Slovakian referee Lubos Michel about Adriano's
close-range strike.
"I said it would be better for us if he put on a yellow
jersey," he told reporters after the game.
![Brazil's Ronaldo (R) scores his team's first goal past Ghana's John Painstil during their second round World Cup 2006 soccer match in Dortmund June 27, 2006. [Reuters]](xin_48060328084753019104.jpg) Brazil's
Ronaldo (R) scores his team's first goal past Ghana's John Painstil during
their second round World Cup 2006 soccer match in Dortmund June 27, 2006.
[Reuters] |
"I'm very proud of our players, they fought from first minute of the first
match to last minute today."
Ghana also had striker Asamoah Gyan sent off in the 81st minute when he
collected his second yellow card for a dive.
The defeat prompted bitter complaints about the referee in the West African
nation, where people gathered to watch the match waving flags, blowing whistles
and wearing hats, shirts and dresses in the national colors of red, yellow and
green.
"They have done well but we expected more than this. We play better than
Brazil. They have totally robbed us," Abdul Aziz, a 28-year-old architect, said
in the capital Accra.