Round of 16 play continued in Germany 2006 with two very different football matches. In a game that would later seem subdued, England edged Costa Rica 1-0. In the second soccer game of the day Portugal edged the Netherlands 1-0 in a fiery game that included 16 cautions, four expulsions, and a heat butt.
World Cup Action on June 25, 2006
World Cup Match 51: England (1) vs Costa Rica (0)
After a scoreless first half, David Beckham’s curving free-kick went over the wall and dipped just under the crossbar and into the net. It would prove to be the lone goal of the soccer match.
This was the first full game that Wayne Rooney has played since breaking a bone in his foot just weeks prior to the start of the World Cup. World Cup Match Summary
World Cup Match 52: Portugal (1) vs the Netherlands (0)
It’s unlikely that either of these teams will win the Fair Play award after this soccer match. On a few occassions it appeared as if a brawl and punches were about to be thrown.
The match was very even with both teams creating scoring opportunities for themselves. The Netherlands had 9 of 20 shots on net while Portugal had 6 of 10.
Christiane Ronaldo, the tricky Portugeuese winger, was injured within the first 10 minutes of the game as a result of a tackle from Dutchman Boulahrouz. Despite a handful of attempts to repair or ease the damage to Ronaldo’s thigh, he left the game, near tears, in the 33rd minute.
Maniche put Portugal up by one in the 23rd minute when he collected a pass from Pauleta, took a couple steps to the right and blasted the ball into the top corner inches above the outstretched hands of the diving Van der Sar.
Van Persie had a brilliant chance to score when his footwork and fakes caused the two Portugal defenders to fall and his shot curved away from the far post in the 37th minute. Teammate Sneijder pounded the goal post in frustration.
Costinha of Portugal received his second yellow card of the game in extra time in the first half and was sent off. After the half-time break his team would have to play with 10 men. But it was only to be for 18 minutes as Dutchman Boulahrouz was sent off after receiving his second yellow card of the game.
The best scoring chance for the Dutch came in the 49th minute when Cocu’s thundering shot hit the crossbar.
A melee almost broke out in the 59th minute when Van Bronckhorst of the Oranje received a rather heated yellow card. Figo of Portugal then received a yellow card as he knocked a Dutch player down. The linesman spotted that foul as the referee didn’t see it as he was issuing the first yellow card. Had Figo’s head butt been seen, he likely would have received a red card and been ejected from the game.
Six yellow cards were issued in a 5 minute span starting in the 73rd minute of the soccer match. A foul by Deco started a second pushing and shoving match. Sneijder, of the Netherlands, actually stepped over his teammate, who was laying on the ground, to come after and shove one of the Portugal players. Deco of Portugal received two of them and was sent off. In extra time, the second Dutch player, Van Bronckhorst, received a second yellow card and was sent off. Twelve players received a total of sixteen yellow cards. Soccer Game Summary
England will play Portugal in the quarterfinals of World Cup Soccer 2006 on July 1st in Gelsenkirchen (17:00 local time). Portugal will be without the players who received red cards in the game (Costinha and Deco) and Ronaldo is questionable. If FIFA officials watch footage of the World Cup game, the TV commentators said there was a possibility that Figo could be suspended for the head butt.