World Cup Roundup: Germany is on Swiss horizon

Youth prevailed over experience as Arsenal defender Philippe Senderos (41st) and substitute Valon Behrami (86th), both aged 20, connected late in each half to put the Swiss in the driver’s seat.
Surprise semi-finalists in the 2002 World Cup finals in Japan/Korea, Turkey now face an uphill battle to survive the playoffs. They need to overwhelm a Swiss side that was undefeated in the qualifiers (4-0-6, 18) by a three-goal margin to pull through.
The Turks lost just once against six wins and five draws (23 pts.) to claim the runners-up spot behind Group 2 winners Ukraine (25).
Switzerland, meanwhile, beat out Israel and Ireland for the playoff berth in Group 4 after holding the Republic to a goalless tie in their final qualifier at Lansdowne Road last month.
France won Group 4.

SPAIN HIT FIVE
Luis Garcia, Steve Finnan’s Liverpool teammate, scored a hat trick in Spain’s 5-1 massacre of 10-man Slovakia in Madrid that all but assured the Group 7 runners-up a ticket to Germany ’06 ahead of today’s return match in Bratislava. Fernando Torres and another Liverpool man, Fernando Morientes, accounted for the Spaniards’ other goals, while Szilard Nemeth was on target for Slovakia, who collapsed when defender Marian Had was ejected for dissent with the hosts 2-1 up.
Slovakia finished seven points behind unbeaten Group 3 winners Portugal in the qualifiers.

CZECHS WIN AWAY
The Czech Republic, Slovakia’s former partners in the defunct Czechoslovakia, also had a Liverpool connection to thank for their seemingly decisive 1-0 road win in Oslo that put them in command against Norway.
Erstwhile Anfield ace Vladimir Smicer struck on the half hour. The Czechs played second fiddle to Holland in Group 1, while Norway finished five points ahead of Scotland in Group 5 to reach the playoffs after Italy had won the group.

OZ TO GO ALL OUT
In the South America-Oceania playoff, Australia should go for broke in Sydney today in a bid to erase a 1-0 deficit incurred in last Saturday’s first leg against Uruguay in Montevideo.
A Dario Rodriguez header was the difference between the two sides in the Uruguayan capital. Drilled by Dutchman Guus Hiddink and fielding a raft of players from the English Premiership, including Mark Viduka, Mark Schwarzer and Brett Emerton, the Aussies ought to fancy their chances of overhauling the South Americans and advancing to the finals for the first time since 1974.
In the other continental playoff played last weekend, Bahrain came away from Port of Spain favorites to reach their first finals after a 1-1 draw with Trinidad and Tobago.
Port Vale’s Christoper Birchall (77th) canceled out Salman Husein’s opener (72nd) for the visitors who should close out the West Indians in Manama today.

U.S. TIE
Scotland held the World Cup-bound U.S. squad to a 1-1 tie in a friendly at Hampden Park.
Josh Wolff (9th) gave the Americans an early lead from the spot that Andy Webster (37th) canceled before half time.

NORTH vs. PORTUGAL
And Northern Ireland were at press time playing Portugal in a friendly at Windsor Park.
Notably missing from Lawrie Sanchez’ squad were all-time leading scorer David Healy, goalkeeper Roy Carroll, skipper Aaron Hughes, Damien Johnson and Chris Baird. They are all injured. Called up as replacements were a trio of 20 year-olds: Dean Shiels (Hibernian), Brian McLean (Motherwell) and Peter Thompson (Linfield), who makes a living as a postman.