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Argentina & Netherlands advance to 2nd round

Article Published: Friday 16 June 2006

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Argentina and the Netherlands made the World Cup's toughest group look easy. The Argentines crushed Serbia-Montenegro 6-0 Friday in the most dominating display so far at this year's tournament. Rising stars Lionel Messi and Carlos Tevez each made their World Cup debuts and scored late goals.

The Dutch had a harder time against Ivory Coast in the other Group C match and still managed a 2-1 win, sending both Argentina and themselves into the second round. Both are expected to go far this year despite getting the toughest draw.

"This is a very good group," Argentina midfielder Esteban Cambiasso said. "The team is solid, and we have a lot of confidence. ... It couldn't have gone better." Germany, England and Ecuador had already also qualified for the knockout stage.

Later Friday, Mexico played Angola in Hanover in Group D.

Argentina has won the World Cup twice, with Diego Maradona leading the way in 1986. The former striker was again in attendance in Gelsenkirchen, cheering on the team as it dominated the Serbs.

Maxi Rodriguez scored two goals in the first half and Cambiasso added a third. Hernan Crespo made it 4-0 in the 78th before Tevez and Messi finished off the scoring.

"This was an incredible performance," Rodriguez said.

Seventeen players on the 23-man team played for Argentina coach Jose Pekerman when he coached his country to world youth titles in 1995, '97 and 2001.

"When everyone does it together, it's like that," Tevez said.

Cambiasso, who entered in the 17th for the injured Luis Gonzalez, scored the classic goal as Argentina held possession with a string of two dozen passes. At the finish, Saviola found Cambiasso, who found Crespo, who back-heeled the ball for Cambiasso's left-footed finish.

"It couldn't have gone any better," Cambiasso said. "The moment I came in, one of the first balls I touch is a goal." Ruud van Nistelrooy and Robin van Persie scored a goal each in Stuttgart for the Dutch team, a two-time finalist looking for its first title.

Van Persie made a run from the right and was floored on the edge of the area by Kolo Toure in the 23rd minute. He then lined up a free kick that clattered into the upper right corner before goalkeeper Jean-Jacques Tizie could get a hand up in time.

The Dutch finished off their opponents with a six-pass move from defense four minutes later. In the end, Arjen Robben sent Van Nistelrooy through to score.

Late in the match, Van Persie chested a ball off the line in a goalmouth scramble and was putting in blocks in defense even in injury time.

"We pinned them down far back," Van Nistelrooy said. "It was what won the match." Ivory Coast forward Bakary Kone later used his pace to score with a cross-angled drive well outside the reach of Netherlands goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar.

Also, Brazil's physical trainer said Ronaldo is not far from his ideal form, despite the striker's labored performance in the team's opening World Cup game.

"He has improved a lot since arriving for the World Cup ... he's not far from his ideal form," Moraci Sant'Anna said a day after the striker was cleared to play against Australia on Sunday.

Off the field, police said they expected several protests by Jewish groups angry about Iran's presence at the World Cup, but were confident that a far-right party wouldn't get legal approval to take to the streets in support of the hardline Iranian regime.




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