World Cup - Wanna bet on it?

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Italy won their fourth World Cup title with a 5-3 penalty shoot-out victory over France after the match finished 1-1 with Zinedine Zidane sent off in his final game.
The line-ups:
Italy: Buffon; Zambrotta, Grosso, Cannavaro, Materazzi; Gattuso, Camoranesi, Pirlo, Perrotta; Totti; Toni.
France: Barthez; Sagnol, Abidal, Thuram, Gallas; Makelele, Vieira, Malouda, Ribery, Zidane; Henry.
Referee: Horacio Elizondo (Argentina)

Germany 3 : 1 Portugal

Germany took the third place at the 2006 World Cup, beating Portugal 3-1 with two excellent strikes from Bastian Schweinsteiger in the 56th and 78th minutes and an own goal from Petit in the 61st minute. The 37-year-old Bayern Munich goalkeeper Oliver Kahn who replaced Jens Lehmann for this game announced that this was his last cap for his country. "That was my last international match. It was a beautiful time but you have to know when it's all over."

France 1 : 0 Portugal

France will face Italy in Sunday's final in Berlin after a 1-0 win over Portugal in Munich. The match will be a replay of the Euro 2000 final. Zinedine Zidane scored the only goal of the game from the penalty spot in the 32nd minute after a foul by Ricardo Carvalho on Thierry Henry. France's magic run continues and Zidane's career will end in the World Cup final.

Arrivederci Germania!

Italy are through to the final after a dramatic 2-0 extra-time victory over hosts Germany in Dortmund. Alessandro Del Piero and Fabio Grosso scored late goals right at the end of the extra 30 minutes. It was a thrilling encounter in which both teams played equally well, but Italy dominated the territory. It looked like the game will end goalless, but defender Fabio Grosso scored the first goal in the 119th minute after a through ball from Pirlo and Alessandro Del Piero added another in the next minute to end Jurgen Klinsmann's team dreams of glory.

Terry to replace Beckham

David Beckham announced at a press release that he had decided to resign as England captain after almost six years, but he wanted to continue his international career. Chelsea's John Terry is the first favourite to become the new England captain, but Liverpool's skipper Steven Gerrard might take the role, too. Beckham was assigned captain by manager Peter Taylor in 2000.

England 0 : 0 Portugal

Portugal are through to the last four of the World Cup for the first time since 1966 after winning the penalty shootout against England in Gelsenkirchen. The game had ended goalless after extra-time with Eriksson's side reduced to ten men by the sending-off of Wayne Rooney in the second half. Misses from Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher ended England's hopes of glory and sent Scolari's team to the semi-finals where they will face France.

France 1 : 0 Brazil

The defending champions Brazil were knocked out by France with a goal from Thierry Henry in the second half. The crucial goal came in the 57th minute when inspirational playmaker Zidane floated in a free-kick and unmarked Henry succeded to volley the ball into the net. The goal rewarded France's dominance in this game in which Zidane, Patrick Vieira and Thierry Henry were outstanding. The five-times champions Brazil were unable to gain revenge for their 1998' World Cup Final defeat as they looked outfit and psychologicaly weak. The World Cup is now an all-European affair, as the semi-finals are France vs. Portugal and Italy vs. Germany.

Pekerman quits after Argentina defeat

Jose Pekerman has resigned as Argentina's coach after the quarter-final defeat to Germany on penalties. "This has come to an end and I will certainly not go on". "I'm very sorry for the fans and the players, this team deserves to go further but we couldn't make it," said the 56-year-old Pekerman. It seemed that the South Americans would qualify for the semi finals, but Miroslav Klose's late equaliser sent the game into extra-time. The decision to replace Juan Riquelme was uninspired and Argentina looked vulnerable. As the game went to the penalty shoot-out Germany's Lehmann denied both Ayala's and Cambiasso's kicks to secure the hosts qualification in the semi finals.

Germany : Argentina

The first half was less entertaining and there were only few scoring chances as the game was played mostly in the midfield, but Argentina changed the rhythm in the begining of the second half (49th min) when Roberto Ayala scored from a Riquelme corner kick to put his team in the lead. It seemed that the South Americans would qualify for the semi finals, but the Germans did not give up and ten minutes before the end of the game, Klose evened the score with his fifth goal at this World Cup. New chances showed up sporadically, but the game ended after the penalty shoot-out. Germany's newest hero, Lehmann, denied both Ayala's and Cambiasso's kicks. The hosts will now face Italy in the semi finals, in what surely promises to be another epic struggle between two great teams.

Voronin is out

Ukraine's striker Andriy Voronin has been ruled out of the rest of the World Cup after suffering a thigh injury in the match against Switzerland. The 26-year-old Bayer Leverkusen player will remain at the Ukraine base as they prepare for Friday's quarter-final against Italy in Hamburg.

news No. 1-10 (out of 81 news hit)

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