Trinidad & Tobago Surprises Sweden With World Cup Tie/WC Recap

Early in the search for the darling Cinderella story of the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Trinidad & Tobago has thrown its hat in the ring.

Thanks largely to goalie Shaka Hislop, the Soca Warriors made their presence on the world stage felt Saturday, pulling to a 0-0 draw with heavily favoured Sweden.

Hislop made a long list of stops against a dangerous Swedish side, and veteran striker Dwight Yorke led a constant barrage against the Scandinavian opponent’s weary defence.

As the final whistle blew the T & T players mobbed Hislop in net, his efforts made all the more incredible considering his club played much of the game one man down after Avery John was sent off in the 46th minute.

Meanwhile Sweden, with more players on its current squad from the previous World Cup than any other in Germany, is winless in seven opening matches since 1958.

Trinidad and Tobago, a Caribbean nation with a population of just 1.3 million, is the smallest ever to reach the World Cup. They’re next game is Thursday against former colonial ruler England.

Speaking of which.

In their first match of the 2006 FIFA World Cup, England dodged a bullet.

Up against an underdog Paraguay side in the Group B opener, David Beckham and company escaped with a 1-0 victory and didn’t even score.

Paraguay’s Carlos Gamarra headed in an own-goal in the fourth minute Saturday, and the accidental strike stood the rest of the way as the game’s only marker.

The score came when Gamarra’s head met a Beckham free kick curling in toward Paraguay goalkeeper Justo Villar. The Paraguay captain was trying to deflect the ball out of the box, but instead sent it directly backwards.

Things went from bad to worse for the South American side just minutes later when Villar injured his right leg while sliding to clear a ball. He was replaced by backup keeper Aldo Bobadilla.

Paraguay put together some decent scoring chances, but couldn’t convert any and missed an opportunity to tie or beat one of the tournament favourites, who for their part displayed some lacklustre play in the second half.

And in the final match of the day, Argentina tangled with Ivory Coast in what’s being called “The Group of Death.” Alongside Serbia & Montenegro and the Netherlands, the prospect of qualifying for the knockout stage from Group C is a daunting one indeed.

Eager to avoid a major upset, Argentina jumped out to a 2-0 lead over the Elephants thanks to first half goals from Hernan Crespo and Javier Saviola.

Despite a flurry of opportunities for the African side early on, Ivory Coast couldn’t convert until Didier Drogba bulged the twine in the 82nd minute.

The opening game victory marks the fourth straight for Argentina, who will play Serbia-Montenegro next on Friday while Ivory Coast, playing in their first ever World Cup, will take on the Dutch.

Looking ahead to Sunday’s action, Serbia & Montenegro meet the Netherlands, while play in Group D gets underway when Mexico takes on Iran and Angola faces Portugal.