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Third shutout sends France home

Too cocky or just too unlucky?

Dismayed fans in Paris offered an array of opinions Tuesday about why France foundered in the first round of the World Cup, eliminated without scoring after losing 2-0 to Denmark in Incheon, South Korea.

"We've been cursed. This isn't possible," said Guillaume Alexandre, a 29-year-old hotel manager. "We've had no luck at all."

Added architect Alain Goust: "I'm disgusted. They are the defending champions, and for four years, they bragged and did nothing. When they arrive back ... they're going to have tomatoes thrown at them."

Even Zinedine Zidane, the star midfielder of the 1998 title team, couldn't stop his team's slide.

Not only is France the first defending champion to get knocked out in the first round since Brazil in 1966, it is the first to bow out without scoring.

"It's the end of a beautiful story," striker David Trezeguet said. "It started in 1998, and it ends today. That's the law of soccer."

Coach Roger Lemerre, heavily criticized for sticking with a starting lineup with eight players 30 or older, made no excuses. In the shakeup bound to come, he's expected to be fired and several players will retire.

"It is obvious we didn't deserve to progress to the second round," he said. "The punishment of sport is here, and we have to accept it."

The Danes, meanwhile, won Group A and play Saturday against the Group F runner-up, Sweden, England or Argentina.

"We had a good day," coach Morten Olsen said. "The team played with a lot of confidence and, especially, a lot of discipline."

Dennis Rommedahl scored in the 22nd minute, and Jon Dahl Tomasson got his fourth goal in the 67th.

In Copenhagen, fans cheered and motorists honked horns throughout the Danish capital. Some Danes mingled good-naturedly with rival fans in a French cafe.

As the end neared, a French fan at the cafe shouted, "We're still the world champions ... for two more minutes," causing laughs and applause from both sides.

SENEGAL 3, URUGUAY 3: Senegal reached the second round by the slimmest of margins in Suwon, South Korea.

Two first-half goals by Papa Bouba Diop and Khalilou Fadiga's penalty kick gave Senegal a 3-0 halftime lead.

But Richard Morales scored in the 46th minute and Diego Forlan in the 69th. A penalty kick by Alvaro Recoba in the 88th tied it.

Uruguay nearly earned the victory and a spot in Round 2 before Senegal's Lamine Diatta headed a shot off the goal line with keeper Tony Sylva out of position.

"We showed the world that Senegal is a very small country, but we are a very big people," Fadiga said.

"We're bitter," Forlan said. "One goal could have made the difference, and we should have had it at the end."

Senegal plays the winner of Group F, Sweden, England or Argentina, on Sunday.

IRELAND 3, SAUDI ARABIA 0: Robbie Keane, Gary Breen and Damien Duff scored, and Ireland got more than one goal for the first time in 11 World Cup games to reach the second round.

It plays the winner of Group B, Spain or South Africa, on Sunday.

"The lads responded really well," coach Mick McCarthy said. "Whoever we'll be facing won't be relishing the thought."

Keane's goal in the seventh minute came on an acrobatic play set up by Gary Kelly's cross. Keane swung his left leg around his body before connecting on a hard shot.

Breen volleyed home a free kick by Steve Staunton in the 61st, and Duff finished the scoring in the 87th.

Saudi Arabia was outscored 12-0 in three games and probably will finish last among the 32 teams.

"In the first half, we missed a lot of chances that made a big difference in the result," coach Nasser al-Johar said.

"I would like to apologize to everybody in Saudi Arabia, especially the officials and fans, for these results. I promise I will do my best in the future."

GERMANY 2, CAMEROON 0: Miroslav Klose set up one goal and scored another to lead Germany to the Group E title in Shizuoka, Japan.

Klose gave himself a late birthday present just in time to keep the title hopes alive for Germany, which could have been eliminated with a tie or loss.

"The coach told me that I would have to earn my own present, so I did," said Klose, who turned 24 on Sunday.

Germany played one man short after the 40th minute, when Carsten Ramelow received his second yellow card. Cameroon also finished with 10 after Patrick Suffo was red-carded in the 77th.

Antonio Lopez Nieto handed out 16 yellow cards, evenly split, and there were 53 fouls, 31 by Germany.

Germany faces the Group B runner-up, South Africa, Spain or Paraguay, on Saturday.

Playing in its fifth World Cup, Cameroon has advanced only once. It could have advanced with a victory over Germany.

"It's a big disappointment because there were such high hopes," striker Patrick Mboma said.

"And we didn't do better than last time ... again."

PELE UPDATE: Pele was released from a hospital a day after having an allergic reaction.

"It was a routine, prescheduled examination of his heart and lungs, and at no time did he have any chest pains," Sao Paulo (Brazil) Heart Hospital spokesman William Parron said.

"When the contrast dyes were injected, he developed a rash, and the test was immediately suspended."

VIOLENCE: Dozens of Bangladeshi fans fought with stones and iron rods in Dhaka, a remote village. At least 10 were injured.

The clash occurred after rival fans tried to hoist the flags of Brazil and Argentina on the same coconut tree, the tallest in the village.

RATINGS: About 1.36-million households watched the United States' game against South Korea early Monday, setting another record for the sport on ESPN2.

The high was 1.26-million for a U.S. Women's World Cup game June27, 1999.

The England-Argentina game Friday was seen by 1.025-million households, outdrawing 998,000 that watched the Americans' 3-2 victory over Portugal.

ESPN2's first 25 broadcasts are averaging 540,000 households, and ESPN's five broadcasts have averaged 547,000.

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