Luis Fabiano scored a pair of goals and Elano added another as Brazil beat Ivory Coast 3-1 Sunday to secure a spot in the second round of the World Cup with one match to spare in Group G.
Referee Stephane Lannoy of France, center, shows a yellow card to Brazil's Kaka, right, during the World Cup group G soccer match between Brazil and Ivory Coast at Soccer City in Johannesburg, South Africa, Sunday, June 20, 2010. (AP Photo/Ivan Sekretarev)JOHANNESBURG - Luis Fabiano scored a pair of goals and Elano added another as Brazil beat Ivory Coast 3-1 Sunday to secure a spot in the second round of the World Cup with one match to spare in Group G.
Luis Fabiano scored his first goal in six matches for Brazil with a powerful right-footed shot in the 25th minute after a perfect pass by Kaka between defenders. He jumped over defender Kolo Toure before firing into the top of the net from a difficult angle.
Luis Fabiano added to the lead in the 50th with his left foot from near the penalty spot after beating two defenders inside the area. Replays appeared to show him handling the ball before scoring.
Elano scored Brazil's third goal in the 62nd after another setup by Kaka. Elano hurt his right shin a little later and left the field on a stretcher.
Kaka received two yellow cards late in the game and will be suspended for Brazil's next match, against Portugal. Kaka got into an altercation with Kader Keita near the end of the match.
Didier Drogba, playing from the start for the first time after breaking his right arm in a warmup game, scored the lone goal for Ivory Coast with a header in the 79th.
The victory gives Brazil six points from two matches, and left the Africans with one point and in difficult position to advance from the group stage. Portugal and North Korea play Monday in Cape Town.
Italy 1, New Zealand 1
NELSPRUIT, South Africa (AP) — Defending champion Italy was held to a second 1-1 draw, this time by lowly New Zealand in the latest World Cup stunner.
The 78th-ranked All Whites took the lead after only seven minutes of the Group F match when Italy's 36-year-old captain Fabio Cannavaro made a horrendous error, handing a goal to Shane Smeltz. A long free kick from Simon Elliott sailed deep into Italy's area, off Cannavaro's hip as he fell and directly toward the waiting Smeltz for the tap-in.
It was New Zealand's only shot on goal the entire match.
Riccardo Montolivo hit the goalpost for Italy in the 27th, then Vincenzo Iaquinta equalized two minutes later with a penalty kick. Tommy Smith was given a yellow card for tugging down Daniele De Rossi inside the area on a corner kick.
Iaquinta appeared to celebrate as if he were blowing a vuvuzela, the plastic trumpets that have become a symbol of this World Cup.
At the final whistle, however, the celebration was located in one corner of the Mbombela Stadium, where a small section of New Zealand fans marked their country's historic result by taking off their shirts and waving them around deliriously.
Paraguay leads the group with four points, Italy and New Zealand have two points each and Slovakia is last with one point.
Italy meets Slovakia in its final group match Thursday and New Zealand faces Paraguay. All four teams could still advance.
Paraguay 2, Slovakia 0
BLOEMFONTEIN, South Africa (AP) — Enrique Vera and Cristian Riveros scored and Paraguay beat Slovakia 2-0 to move closer to advancing at the World Cup.
Playing with a three-man front line spearheaded by Roque Santa Cruz, Paraguay controlled the tempo from the start at Free State Stadium.
Vera broke through for La Albirroja in the 27th when forward Lucas Barrios slipped a pass into the box and Vera angled it past Slovakia goalkeeper Jan Mucha with a one-time shot.
Riveros added a goal in the 86th minute, a left-footed blast from the edge of the penalty area.
Playing in its first major tournament since the former Czechoslovakia divided in 1993, Slovakia looked outclassed and unsure of itself facing a big, physical Paraguayan team that beat both Argentina and Brazil in World Cup qualifying matches.