Slovenia are third on 10 points.Turkey, who beat Azerbaijan 3-0, and Sweden, who defeated Slovakia 2-0, now share top place in Group Four with 14 points each. Their 5 September match looks set to decide who will be at next year’s finals.Italy moved 10 points clear at the top of Group Eight but were made to battle against Georgia. Goals from the Roma pair Marco Delvecchio and Francesco Totti were enough for the Italians, who are yet to be beaten in their qualifying campaign. Meanwhile, Marius Niculae scored twice to boost Romania’s hopes of a play-off place from the group thanks to a 2-0 home win against Hungary.

This was only the second time they had beaten their arch rivals in 65 years.Dinamo Bucharest’s Niculae scored after just three minutes, converting a great pass from Adrian Ilie, before heading home his second eight minutes after the break when he latched on to an Ilie cross.. Mikael Forssell scored two first-half goals to help Finland to a draw with runaway Group Nine leaders Germany. Following this match, which saw Rudi V?r’s men drop their first points of the qualifying campaign, England are now six points behind their German rivals with one game in hand. Mikael Forssell scored two first-half goals to help Finland to a draw with runaway Group Nine leaders Germany. Following this match, which saw Rudi V?r’s men drop their first points of the qualifying campaign, England are now six points behind their German rivals with one game in hand.
There had been early signs that all was not well in the German camp when V?r dropped his captain, Oliver Bierhoff. The Milan striker was left out because he failed to impress in last Tuesday’s 2-0 friendly win over Slovakia. Oliver Neuville and Carsten Jancker were chosen to spearhead the attack.One player who is in favour with V?r at the moment is the Schalke 04 winger Gerald Asamoah, and he kept his place in the side after netting on his debut against Slovakia.

In fact, the winger should have scored his second within three minutes yesterday, but he hit the post from only two yards out.In the 10th minute, Germany thought they had a penalty when Neuville was tripped by Ville Nylund, but referee Dick Nol, who was criticised by the German media after his handling of the Champions’ League final between Bayern Munich and Valencia, turned away the appeals.Finland’s only chance in the opening exchanges came when Forssell surged forward, only to see his shot from the edge of the area rise harmlessly over the bar.Germany seemed to be in control, but were stunned in the 29th minute when Forssell put the home side in front. The Chelsea striker caught the German defence napping as he latched on to a through-ball before taking it around Oliver Kahn and slotting it home.Only Asamoah seemed capable of responding, and he proved to be Germany’s most dangerous player. Determined to make up for his earlier miss, his speed continued to trouble the Finland left-back, Nylund. The Ghana-born winger found space in the 31st minute before being denied by the faintest of touches from Neimi.Then, just as Germany seemed to be finding a way back into the match, Forssell grabbed his second, after good interplay between Jari Litmanen and Mika Nurmela. Kahn first denied Forssell as he was put clear on the edge of the area, but the ball fell favourably for Finland and Nurmela crossed for the unmarked Forssell to tap home from two yards out at the far post.V?r clearly had his say during the interval, because his players came out in very different mood for the second half.

They had to wait until the 68th minute, however, before being thrown a lifeline. The Finland defender Hannu Tihinen was adjudged to have held back Jancker, and Michael Ballack stepped up to reduce the deficit from the spot.Three minutes later, Germany were level and out of jail. Jancker received the ball 20 yards out before dispatching a fierce shot into Niemi’s net.Finland 2Forssell 29 42Germany 2Ballack pen 68, Jancker 72Half-time: 2-0 Attendance: 35,774. Irritated by his country’s reputation for joyful irresponsibility, the coach of Colombia, Luis Augusto Garcia, saw dour defence as the surest route to the World Cup finals. But with the team lying fifth in their qualifying group, Garcia was forced out a month ago, leaving the Colombian FA with a headache. Irritated by his country’s reputation for joyful irresponsibility, the coach of Colombia, Luis Augusto Garcia, saw dour defence as the surest route to the World Cup finals. But with the team lying fifth in their qualifying group, Garcia was forced out a month ago, leaving the Colombian FA with a headache.
His replacement would not only have to get the World Cup campaign back on track.

He would also have to cope with the pressures of July’s Copa America, South America’s Championship, to be held on Colombian soil for the first time. With few high-calibre domestic candidates, almost by default the job fell back into the hands of Francisco Maturana.A qualified dentist, Maturana cut his coaching teeth by taking Atletico Nacional to the 1989 Copa Libertadores title, the only time a Colombian side have won the event. He then helped Colombia qualify for the next two World Cups with a team built around attractive, if often aimless, midfield interplay orchestrated by the frizzy-haired Carlos Valderrama.Foolishly installed among the favourites for the 1994 World Cup, Colombia were the first team eliminated, and Maturana stepped down Since then he has travelled much, and won little. His last job was a disastrous spell with Peru, where the press carped that he was more interested in horse-racing than World Cup qualification. Whether history judges him as a thoroughbred or an also-ran could depend on how he faces the latest challenge.His load could be lightened this week if the Copa America is switched to another venue.