PRETORIA, South Africa - Happy to reach the last 16 of the World Cup, Spainis ready to abandon its attacking playing style if it means going even furtherinto the tournament.Spain labored to a 2-1 win over 10-man Chile on Friday to take top spot inGroup H and set up an elimination match against Portugal in Cape Town onTuesday. The European champion's usually attractive passing was mostly ditched
BLOEMFONTEIN, South Africa - Switzerland coach Ottmar Hitzfeld has calledhis team's win against Spain 'a win for eternity' but it still wasn't enoughfor the Swiss to reach the knockout stages at the World Cup.After a memorable 1-0 triumph over the European champion in its openinggame, Switzerland failed to make the last 16 after a forgettable 0-0 draw withHonduras on Friday. Hitzfeld said of th
JOHANNESBURG - Spain, Chile and Portugal joined Brazil in the last 16 ofthe World Cup on Friday, but the glittering football promised by the world'sleading teams was missing as nerves took their toll on flair.David Villa and Andres Iniesta scored a goal each to help Spain beat 10-manChile 2-1 and send both teams through from Group H.Spain now meet Iberianneighbors Portugal on Tuesday in Cape Tow
France's disastrous World Cup campaign will be the subject of a government enquiry, Patrice Evra has revealed.Striker Thierry Henry held talks with President Nicolas Sarkozy after the Les Bleus arrived home on Thursday.And captain Evra said politicians will quiz the squad over the infighting which overshadowed their tournament.Evra, meanwhile, added the players' training boycott in protest at the
NELSPRUIT, South Africa - Sven-Goran Eriksson has resigned as coach ofIvory Coast after the team was eliminated from the World Cup.Appointed only three months ago, Eriksson says continuing in the post had'never been a discussion' and that he always planned to walk away after IvoryCoast was knocked out of the tournament in South Africa. 'It was clear when I took the job that it was until the end
JOHANNESBURG - The Americans are leading charmed lives these days.England,meanwhile, must be wondering what it did to tick off the soccer gods.The World Cup's knockout rounds start Saturday, and who keeps going has asmuch to do with who you play as how you play.Heavy hitters Argentina, England,Germany, Portugal and maybe Spain are bunched together on one side of the draw,and only three - at most
PRETORIA, South Africa - Goals by David Villa and Andres Iniesta have givenSpain a 2-0 lead over 10-man Chile at halftime of their final Group H match atthe World Cup.Villa put a shot from nearly 40 meters (yards) into the wide-open Chile goalin the 27th minute after he recovered a clearance outside the penalty area byChile goalkeeper Claudio Bravo, who had rushed out to deny Fernando Torres. I
NELSPRUIT, South Africa - When Ivory Coast's name was pulled out of theWorld Cup group draw alongside Brazil and Portugal in December, the team wasentitled to think luck wasn't on its side.In the team's only other appearance at the finals, in 2006, it was alsoplaced in a nightmare group, losing to Argentina and Netherlands before comingfrom two goals behind to beat Serbia and Montenegro in its l