P	W	D	L	F	A	PTS
Germany	3	2	1	0	11	1	7
Ireland		3	1	2	0	5	2	5
Cameroon	3	1	1	1	2	3	4
Saudi Arabia	3	0	0	3	0	12	0

Qualify For The Second Round


11 JUNE 2002

CAMEROON			0-2		GERMANY
						Bode 50
						Klose 78

Olembe bottled a one on one with Kahn. Kahn punched out a vicious Wome
free kick straight against Metzelder and the ball rolled out for a corner. Song
headed wide when unmarked in the box, terrible miss. Alioum made a
fantastic save from a Ziege free kick. Eto'o got Ramelow sent off for running
into his outstretched leg, he should have went past as he was clean through
on goal. Klose intercepted a loose pass, held off two defenders and slipped
in Bode with a fantastic pass, Bode slotted into the corner. Lauren headed
a Geremi free kick against a post. Suffo got a sent yellow for an awful foul on
Ballack. Klose headed in his fifth goal of the World Cup from another brilliant
Ballack cross. An excellent save by Alioum denied Ballack a third for Germany.

Geremi's dead ball delivery is World Class. Shame Cameroon have no one in
attack to match. An ugly, scrappy match but one that did not merit a World
Cup record 14 yellow cards and two reds. The referee, Lopez Nieto, was beyond
awful.

"At the beginning we had serious problems because they put tremendous
pressure on us and as we went into the match as favourites, we just couldn't
deal with that but strangely enough when we went a man down, and changed
our tactical formation, things changed for us." - Rudi Voeller

"There was a major chance for us to score, but Salomon Olembe didn't and
it's always very difficult to beat Oliver Kahn, that's the greatest problem.
I think the decisive moment was the red card." - Winnie Schaeffer

Assists : Klose, Ballack


SAUDI ARABIA			0-3		IRELAND
						Keane 7
						Breen 62
						Duff 87

Kelly hooked a Staunton long ball into the box, Keane turned and volleyed
past Al-Deayea. Breen gave Ireland the goal they needed to ensure
qualification to the second round with a deft volley from Staunton's free
kick. A shocking goalkeeping error from Al-Deayea literally handed Duff
Ireland's third.

"It was a dream start. They then tried to slow the game down, and that
didn't suit us. They played well in the first half but in the second half we
were excellent." - Mick McCarthy

"Our team played better football. We received the ball more than the Irish.
In the second half, we could not score. And then, there were more mistakes.
I believe we played very good football against Cameroon and the Irish, but
we did not score, and that's football." - Nasser Al Johar

Assists : Kelly, Staunton (free kick), Holland


6 JUNE 2002

CAMEROON			1-0		SAUDI ARABIA
Eto'o 65

Al-Shahrani picked out Al-Dossary with a great deep cross, the striker should
have headed the Arabs into the lead. Al Temyat missed an equally good
chance late in the first half as Al Yami slipped him in with a great pass and
shot wide again after Cameroon had a goal ruled out for offside.

Eto'o blazed over from 6yds after a tremendous run by Olembe. Al Hassan
booked for diving over Cameroon goalkeeper Alioum. Olembe was guilty
of more poor finishing. Eto'o finally beat the offside trap to give Cameroon
lead and the points. Al Temyat wasted another chance.

The Saudi's were unrecognisable from the team that was ravaged by the
Germans. Full credit to the coach and his team. The finishing from both
teams was awful. Cameroon need to defeat Germany to secure a place
in the second round unless Ireland fail to beat the Saudi's by two goals in
which case Cameroon go through alongside Germany.

"It was important that we won but we have one problem, we can't score in
front of goal. If we could have scored in the first few minutes then it would
have been a different story but what was important was that my team kept
going. Our last 15 minutes and the goal were very positive for our mental
belief."- Winnie Schaefer

"The team has recovered in this match to reflect a real picture of Saudi
football. In the first match we were all shocked by the Saudi performance."
Nasser Al Johar

Assist : Olembe


5 JUNE 2002

GERMANY			1-1		IRELAND
Klose 19						Keane 92

Klose stole a yard on Ian Harte to head in Ballack's cross. Holland almost
scored a replica of his goal against Cameroon after Linke failed to clear a
cross. Given made a great save from a Hamann drive. Keane flashed an
overhead kick wide following another defensive blunder. Kahn made a
phenomenal block at the feet of Duff after Kilbane headed on Finnan's
cross. Ballack released Jancker with a great pass but he lobbed wide of
Given's goal, terrible finish. Klose headed over after great work by Frings.
Kahn made another excellent save from the feet of Keane. Quinn flicked
on a long ball to Keane, he controlled it on his mid-riff and smashed over 
Kahn, once again the 'keeper got a touch but this time it wasn't enough.

Jancker is useless.

Assists : Ballack, Quinn

"We wanted to counter-attack. We had resolved to try and push through
their very compact defence which had opened up in a way. Our fast forwards
and wingers wanted to move forward and get crosses in but it didn't work
out." - Rudi Voeller

"I think we thoroughly deserved something out of it. We battered the
Germans. I think we've given them a good doing to be honest. I said at
half-time, 'don't come off beating them at football and lose, come off with
a result' and we've done it." - Mick McCarthy


1 JUNE 2002

IRELAND				1-1		CAMEROON
Holland 52					Mboma 39

Eto'o played a one two with Mboma before bursting into space and seemed
certain to score but Given was fast off his line and blocked. Keane headed
wide from an Ian Harte cross. An excellent passing move by Cameroon for
the opening goal. They switched play from one wing to the next, Geremi
passed to Eto'o whose brilliant first touch took him away from Staunton,
Staunton followed him as he ran into the box, Eto'o stuck the ball under his
legs sending the him crashing to the ground and pulled the ball back for
Mboma, one touch to control, one touch to shoot, 0-1.

The turning point of the game arrived on 50 minutes. Geremi caught Harte
dithering with the ball on the edge of his box and pressed him into loosing
but lashed wide. Seconds later Ireland were level through a Jack Charlton
special. Given punted the ball up to Kilbane, Kalla made a mess of his cross
and Holland volleyed the ball into the bottom corner. Song almost put the
ball past his own 'keeper. Foe? flicked on Alioum's goal kick, Eto'o left the
standing but dragged his shot wide. Keane smashed a shot against the
outside of a post following another poor clearance from Kalla.

Cameroon should have killed the game off in the first half. They couldn't
get their rapid passing game going in the second against a determined
Ireland side.

Assist : Eto'o

"I didn't think we did as well as we could individually, in one versus ones,
in the first half. I just felt we could do better. If we had played like that in
the second half we would have had regrets because we didn't do as well
as we could. In the second half the players were excellent." - Mick McCarthy


GERMANY			8-0		SAUDI ARABIA
Klose 20, 25, 70
Ballack 40
Jancker 46
Linke 73
Bierhoff 84
Schneider 92

Klose scored two headed goals from Ballack crosses. Ziege supplied the
cross for Ballack to head in  Germany's third. Klose flicked on a Frings cross
and Jancker screwed the ball past Al-Deayea.

The Germans took a 20 minute rest at the start of second half. Klose
completed a hat-trick of headers from Schneider's cross. Linke headed
in a Ziege corner. Bierhoff punished Al-Deayea's poor positioning with an
excellent first time finish from 25  yards. Schneider won himself a free kick
on the edge of the box, he took one step and nonchalantly curled the ball
over the wall inside the post.

Someone forgot to tell the Germans the World Cup had started. They thought
this was a practice match. Someone forgot to teach the Saudi's how to tackle.
If this group is close then Germany's goal difference will be worth a point.

Assists : Ballack (x2), Ziege, Klose, Schneider, Ziege (corner), Schneider,
Schneider (won free kick)

"It is a fantastic start and it is and great to win by that margin but we have to
keep our feet on the ground because we know our opponents were not that
strong today. We have to make sure we prepare well for the next match."
Rudi Voller

"It feels brilliant to have got three goals and an assist in a World Cup match.
I am glad I have proved to everyone that I can handle the pressure at a big
tournament and score goals at this level not just in the 1. Bundesliga. I never
dreamed we would get eight goals but I watched the Cameroon-Ireland game
earlier and I can tell you that it will be a different ball game against the Irish."
Miroslav Klose