HIGHLIGHTS

Ronaldo tied Gerd Mueller's record of 14 career World Cup goals with two scores against Japan on Thursday night. Ronaldo scored his 13th goal on a header in first-half injury time, and added another on a hard shot in the 81st minute.
Ronaldo entered the game tied with Pele with 12 goals. He also passed France's Just Fontaine, who had 13 goals in a single tournament in 1958. Mueller scored 14 goals for West Germany in 1970 and 1974.

Australia qualified for the second round for the first time, rallying to tie Croatia in a heated match. Italy advanced to the second round of the World Cup for seventh straight time, with a 2-0 win over the Czechs.

STARS

• Ronaldo, Brazil, scored twice to tie Gerd Mueller's all-time record of 14 career World Cup goals, and help his team rout Japan 4-1.
• Gianluigi Buffon, Italy, made several key saves to preserve the Azzuri's lead in a 2-0 win over the Czech Republic.

• Harry Kewell, Australia, scored in the 79th minute to pull the Socceroos into a 2-2 tie with Croatia, which was enough to put them into the second round for the first time.

IN and OUT

Australia, Ghana, Italy, Mexico, Sweden, Spain, Brazil, Portugal, Argentina, the Netherlands, Ecuador, Germany and England have clinched spots in the second round.
Japan, Croatia, United States, Czech Republic, Angola, Trinidad and Tobago, Togo, Iran, Ivory Coast, Serbia-Montenegro, Poland, Costa Rica and Paraguay have been eliminated.

GOAL OF THE DAY

Clint Dempsey became the first – and only – American to actually score a goal in this tournament in the 43rd minute of a 2-1 loss to Ghana on Thursday.

LOOK AHEAD

France is the only seeded team that has not yet qualified for the second round. Les Bleus will try to rectify that when they play Togo on Friday. France must win by two goals to guarantee a spot in the second round, though a one-goal win could be enough, depending on the result in the Switzerland-South Korea game. A loss or tie would eliminate the French.
The Swiss, making their first appearance in the World Cup since 1994, can advance to the second round with a tie.

GROUP ETEAM W-L-T POINTS

ITALY 2-0-1 7

GHANA 2-1-0 6

CZECH REPUBLIC 1-2-0 3

UNITED STATES 0-1-1 1

UP NEXT – ROUND OF 16

Italy vs. Australia, 10 a.m., Monday

Ghana vs. Brazil, 10 a.m., Tuesday

EZ Scores, the Md. based company that provides live sports scores and statistics via voice activated technology, is proud to announce the addition of World Cup and Major League Soccer scores to its sports lineup.

EZ Scores addition of soccer comes just as the 2006 World Cup gets underway in Germany. EZ Scores is delivering up to the minute scores for all of the World Cup Games. Eric Mindte, VP of content development for EZ Scores said "the ability to deliver World Cup scores to the EZ Scores user is something we are excited about. We are always looking for ways to keep EZ Scores at the top of the list of the many sports information systems available today. The addition of World Cup scores to our lineup improves our system even more. Being able to offer soccer fans the chance to keep up on World Cup action with just a single phone call is something we are proud to do."

Since the start of the World Cup, the system has been accurate in offering up game times within a minute of the actual broadcast and scores immediately after they occur. By the end of 2006, scores for as many as 22 foreign soccer leagues will be added. Fans will be able to keep up with all their favorite teams, including hard to find scores for leagues like the English Premiership.

EZ Scores cards will be given out at various locations nationwide during the month of June while the World Cup is being played. Currently, EZ Scores is involved in a promotion with Men's Health Magazine at Bloomingdales across the country. From now until June 18th, when a customer at a participating store buys $75 dollars worth of men's underwear, they receive a gift basket which features a ready to use $50 dollar value EZ Scores card. This card is good for 400 unlimited calls.

EZ Scores will also have a presence at this month's College Baseball World Series in Omaha, Nebraska. Just like last year, EZ Scores cards will be given to all customers who purchase officially licensed merchandise from a J.E.B. Enterprises location in Omaha. As always, customers can purchase cards online at www.ezscores.com or from one of the many EZ Scores distribution locations.