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France snatch World Cup berth
(China Daily)
Updated: 2005-10-14 06:11
The Swedes, who ensured qualification as a best runner-up, had to come from a
goal down to beat Iceland 3-1 in Stockholm to finish Group Eight in second place
behind Croatia who drew 0-0 with Hungary in Budapest.
Sweden finished level on 24 points but the Croatians topped the group because
of their two victories over the Swedes in head-to-head meetings.
Turkey and the Czech Republic both secured playoff places.
Turkey, who finished third at the last World Cup in 2002, needed a
57th-minute goal from Tumer Metin to win in Tirana against Albania and secure
second place in Group Two, which had already been won by Ukraine.
Greece defeated Georgia 1-0 in Athens thanks to a 17th-minute strike from
Dimitrios Papadopoulos, while Michael Gravgaard (46 minutes) and Jon Dahl
Tomasson (49) put Denmark on the way to a 2-1 victory over Kazakhstan in Almaty.
But Fatih Terim's Turks did enough to take second place, finishing with 23
points, one point ahead of the Danes and two in front of Greece.
The Czechs' 3-0 victory over Finland in Helsinki lifted them above Romania,
who had already played their last game, and into second place in Group One
behind the Netherlands.
Tomas Jun (6 minutes), Tomas Rosicky (51) and Marek Heinz (58) got the goals
as the Czechs achieved their ninth win in 12 qualifiers.
The Netherlands finished their campaign in Amsterdam with
a lacklustre 0-0 draw against Macedonia, but the result stretched Dutch coach
Marco Van Basten's unbeaten record to 16 matches since taking charge of the
national team.
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