Ins and outs of the cup

By Inas Mazhar

Group A:

Scotland vs Norway
A goal from Craig Burley kept Scotland's World Cup hopes alive when he rescued a 1-1 draw against Norway to leave the group finely balanced. Havard Flo scored just after the break and a Norway win would have put Scotland out of the tournament. But Scotland, with their wealth of World Cup experience and in their eighth finals, were able to pull themselves back into the match.

Brazil vs Morocco
Ronaldo scored his first World Cup goal and Brazil became the first team to go into the second round by cruising to a 3-0 victory over Morocco. The Inter Milan striker, who was on the Brazilian squad which won a record fourth World Cup title in 1994, drove the ball from the edge of the penalty area for a simple strike in the ninth minute after taking a pass from Rivaldo. It was Rivaldo who made it 2-0 in first-half injury time with a close-range tap-in from Cafu's right wing cross. Ronaldo set up the third for Bebeto four minutes into the second-half.

Group B:

Chile vs Austria
Chile were left broken-hearted when Austria snatched a last-gasp equaliser to draw in their group match 1-1. Second-half substitute Ivica Vastic, who was granted Austrian nationality two years ago, flashed in a right foot-shot before goalkeeper Nelson Tapia could move. It was a bitter blow for Chile who looked like scoring their first win in their last 11 World Cup final matches. They had gone ahead in the 70th minute when Salas struck.

Italy vs Cameroon
Two late goals from Christian Vieri saved Italy's blushes as they went top of the group after struggling to beat 10-man Cameroon 3-0. Luigi Di Biagio opened the scoring in the eighth minute, connecting with Roberto Baggio's floated cross to net home his first international goal. Cameroon, struggling to live with the fast-moving Italians, suffered another major setback when Raymond Kalla was sent off in the 43rd minute after a feet-first collision with Di Biago. Vieri delivered the coup de grace in injury time, pouncing on a mix-up between Songo'o and defender Pierre Wome to knock the ball home, and record Italy's biggest World Cup win in 28 years.

Group C:

South Africa vs Denmark
Denmark got a first-half goal by Allan Nielsen and survived a card-strewn battle with South Africa to get a 1-1 draw. Denmark ended the match playing nine-on-10 after Colombian referee Johm Jairo Toro ejected Danish substitutes Miklos Molner in the 67th minute and Morten Wieghorst in the 85th -- only three minutes after the latter had entered the game.

France vs Saudi Arabia
France strolled to a comfortable 4-0 win over a 10-man Saudi Arabia. The Saudis, who fired Brazilian coach Carlos Alberto Parreira following the loss, were reduced to 10 men when Mexican referee Arturo Brizo Carter gave Mohamed Al-Khilaiwi his marching orders after a late tackle on full-back Bixente Lizarazu as he broke down the left wing. But despite the advantage, France squandered a host of chances until mid-field wizard Zinedine Zidane set up a goal for Thierry Henry in the 36th minute. Zidane himself was shown the red card in the second half, but that didn't stop the hosts from scoring two more.

Group D:

Spain vs Paraguay
Favourites Spain were held to a goalless draw by Paraguay. After a first half in which Paraguay had looked the more likely to score, Spain, pre-tournament dark horses favoured to win the World Cup, were on top for the bulk of the second period but failed to find the decisive opening. It was Benitez who had Paraguay's best effort on goal in the second-half when his long-range shot was pushed wide by Andoni Zubizarreta, playing his 125th game for Spain. Paraguay goalkeeper Jose

Nigeria vs Bulgaria
Nigeria joined France and Brazil in the second round. African Footballer of the Year Victor Ikpeba's impetuous dummy wrong-footed experienced Bulgarian captain Trifon Ivanov in the 27th minute, giving Nigeria a 1-0 win. It was the second time in successive World Cups that Nigeria had beaten Bulgaria to reach the second round. There was a special cheer at the Parc des Princes Stadium when midfielder Nwankwo Kanu came on as a substitute in a World Cup debut that would have been unthinkable 18 months ago when he underwent heart surgery that threatened his career.

Group E:

Mexico vs Belgium
All that pain, sweat and agony -- only to find out that in five days even more will be demanded. In searing heat, Mexico and Belgium played to a 2-2 draw that had weathered veterans begging for early substitution and the fittest men gasping for air.

Holland vs Korea
Holland took a giant step towards the last 16 after shattering South Korea's World Cup dream with a crushing 5-0 win at the Stade Velodrome. A reshuffled Dutch side powered to an emphatic victory with goals from Philip Cocu, Marc Overmars, Dennis Bergkamp, Pierre Van Hooijdonk and Ronald de Boer. Guus Hiddink's side were simply too strong in attack for Korea, which slumped to their worst World Cup defeat since 1954.

Group F:

Germany vs Yugoslavia
Oliver Bierhoff headed a goal in the 80th minute as Germany came back from a two-goal deficit to steal a 2-2 draw against Yugoslavia. In a match between the two group favourites, Yugoslavia looked on course for three points just after half-time when Dragan Stojkovic made the score 2-0. But Germany benefited from a fortunate deflection in the 74th minute and 10 minutes from time Bierhoff levelled the score.

US vs Iran
Hamid Estili's 40th-minute header gave Iran the lead and Mehdi Mahdavikia's breakaway in the 86th secured it, giving the Iranians a 2-1 victory over its avowed political enemy. The loss made the US the third team to be eliminated from the 32-team competition.

Group G:

Colombia vs Tunisia
Substitute Leider Preciado scored an 83rd minute goal to give Colombia a 1-0 victory over Tunisia and keep their World Cup hopes alive. Preciado seized on a pass from the previously ineffective Carlos Valderrama to slot home, just as a lively but scrappy match appeared to be heading for a stalemate. Colombia have three points. Not even a miracle can save Tunisia even though they played most of the attractive soccer in the second half.

Romania vs England
Romania secured their place in the second round with a last-minute 2-1 victory over England in a thrilling clash. A goal in the 90th minute by Dan Petrescu ensured Romania reached the second round for the third successive finals. After Petrescu had scored, England substitute Michael Owen, who had scrambled an equaliser six minutes earlier following Viorel Moldovan's 47th minute opener, hit the post. England's clash with Colombia will decide the second-place berth.

Group H:

Argentina vs Jamaica
Ariel Ortega scored the first two goals and Batistuta topped him with a late, 11-minute hat-trick as Argentina trounced Jamaica 5-0 to roll into round 16.

Japan vs Croatia
Croatia may have triumphed by a single goal over 90 minutes but Japan emerged as the moral victors of their clash. The Japanese outclassed Croatia in team-work, spirit and invention, but lacked the killer instinct in front of goal which would have brought them a victory few could have begrudged them. Too often they were let down by the final pass into the box and whenever they did make that last ball tell, the tougher physical presence of the taller Croatian defenders thwarted the danger. The real victory was Croatia's, certain of a place in the second round. But the long-term future, with 2002 over the horizon, looks like turning Japanese.