WORLD CUP : England, Portugal, Czech look strong
Berlin, June 4 :
England, Switzerland, the Czech Republic and Portugal earned big wins on Saturday, six days before the start of the World Cup.
Peter Crouch led England with three goals and Michael Owen added another in the team’s 6-0 win over Jamaica. The Czechs got two goals from Jan Koller in a 3-0 win over Trinidad and Tobago.
Alexander Frei and Marco Streller scored two goals each to lead Switzerland over China 4-1. Portugal beat Luxembourg by getting two goals from Simao Sabrosa and one from Luis Figo. Also, Poland beat Croatia 1-0 with Euzebiusz Smolarek heading in the lone goal. Both of those teams have also qualified for the World Cup.
Spain beat Egypt 2-0 as Raul Gonzalez ended a seven-month goal drought, striking from close range in the 14th minute at Martinez Valero Stadium after Egypt goalkeeper Essam Al Hadari fumbled a low shot by Antonio Lopez.
Substitute Jose Antonio Reyes added the second goal in a victory that extended Spain’s undefeated run to 21 matches — 13 wins and eight draws — since coach Luis Aragones took charge after the team flopped in the European Championship two years ago.
At Old Trafford, Owen scored his first goal in 2006 in the 32nd minute, and Crouch completed his first hat trick for England when he took Owen’s cross from the edge of the box in the 89th — six minutes after sending a penalty kick over the bar. Frank Lampard also scored, while Jamaica’s Jermaine Taylor contributed with an own-goal. Owen’s goal was his 36th in 77 appearances, and his first since he broke his foot on December 31. Saturday’s game was only his fourth this year and the first where he played the full 90 minutes.
Koller, the Czech Republic’s all-time leading scorer, scored his 41st and 42nd international goals, both in the first half. Pavel Nedved added the other at the match in Prague. Koller returned to the national team on Tuesday against Costa Rica after missing almost the entire season due to a knee injury. “I was very satisfied with Jan Koller,” Czech Republic coach Karel Bruckner said. “His play is exactly what we need. I feel very good about him.” It was Trinidad’s third straight defeat after losses to Wales and Slovenia.
In Zurich, Frei tapped in Raphael Wicky’s pass from close range in the 40th minute, and Streller doubled the lead just after halftime for Switzerland. Frei then scored from the penalty spot two minutes later — his 25th goal in 45 matches — after Ludovic Magnin was fouled in the box. Streller added the fourth in the 73rd. China substitute Dong Fangzhuo scored a late consolation goal for the visitors.
Smolarek scored in the 54th minute in Wolfsburg, but Croatia dominated much of the match.
Poland goalkeeper Artur Boruc spilled a 21st-minute free kick by Croatia midfielder Niko Kranjcar and scrambled to punch the rebound out of play. Croatia’s Darijo Srna then drew a foul in the 43rd, but put the ensuing free kick onto the crossbar.
Simao scored his first goal in the 46th minute off a rebound after Helder Postiga’s shot was stopped by Luxembourg goalkeeper Jonathan Joubert. He added another in the 72nd when Alphonse Leweck tripped Figo in the box to earn Portugal a penalty. Figo later slipped in a third in the 85th in Metz, France.