Italy fight Czechs to survive 'Death Group'

BERLIN, June 22: Italy and the Czech Republic will battle to survive their ''Group of Death'' in an enticing showdown today that will untangle Group E -- where all four teams still have a chance to advance.

The two European powers were not expected to be fighting at this point for supremacy of the group, which emerged as the World Cup's most competitive as none have secured a place in the next round. But now they will be battling to stay alive.

Ghana, on three points, and United States, with one, need to win to hope to overhaul Italy and the Czechs, who are first and second in the group with four and three points respectively.

Only the winner of the Italy-Czech match in Hamburg will be through to the knockout stage if Ghana beat the US to advance. Even the Americans could still grab a spot in the round of 16 if they beat Ghana in Nuremberg and the Czechs lose in Hamburg.

It will all become terribly complicated if either or both matches were to end in a draw, with calculators needed to sort out goal differences and determine the two that go through.

The exercise in mathematics, however, may be easy compared to the challenge looming for the runner-up in Group E -- Brazil.

The world champions sit comfortably atop Group F with six points from two matches and would play the Group E runner-up on June 27 in Dortmund if they get at least a point on Thursday.

Even if Brazil have yet to impress with either their unspectacular 1-0 win over Croatia or their 2-0 victory over Australia, they need just a draw against Japan to take first in the group. They have already booked a place in the last 16.

All four Group F teams are still alive for the second qualifying spot next to Brazil. Australia are second with three points, Croatia third with one and a goal-difference edge over Japan in fourth with one point.

Japan face the Herculean task of having to beat Brazil by at least two goals to have any hope of progressing. Japan have managed only one goal in 180 minutes while Brazil have not conceded a goal in their last six full internationals.

Even if Japan can beat Brazil by two goals, they must hope Australia fail to beat Croatia in the other Group F game.

Japan will at least be able to count on support in numbers at the match in Dortmund from the vast Japanese expatriate community concentrated in the nearby city of Duesseldorf.

Zico, whose Japan team held Brazil 2-2 in last year's Confederations Cup and were only denied a win when Marcos made a superb late save, still believes in what seems an impossibility.

REUTERS

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