2006 FIFA World Cup Group C

Play in Group C of the 2006 FIFA World Cup began on 10 June 2006 and ended on 21 June. Argentina won the group and advanced to the round of 16, along with the Netherlands. The two sides tied on points in the standings, but Argentina won the tie-break on goal difference and ended the group in first with the Netherlands in second place. The Ivory Coast and Serbia and Montenegro failed to advance.

Upon completion of the draw for the tournament, many football pundits remarked that this group appeared to be the "group of death", despite the fact that only Argentina had qualified for the previous World Cup.

Standings

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification
1	Argentina	3	2	1	0	8	1	+7	7	Advance to knockout stage
2	Netherlands	3	2	1	0	3	1	+2	7
3	Ivory Coast	3	1	0	2	5	6	−1	3
4	Serbia and Montenegro	3	0	0	3	2	10	−8	0

Source: FIFA
Rules for classification: Tie-breaking criteria

• Argentina advanced to play Mexico (runners-up of Group D) in the round of 16.
• The Netherlands advanced to play Portugal (winners of Group D) in the round of 16.

Matches

All times local (CEST/UTC+2)

Argentina vs Ivory Coast

10 June 2006

21:00 CET (UTC+1)

Argentina	2–1	Ivory Coast
Crespo 24' Saviola 38'	Report	Drogba 82'

FIFA WM Stadion Hamburg, Hamburg

Attendance: 49,480

Referee: Frank De Bleeckere (Belgium)

Argentina

Ivory Coast

GK 1 Roberto Abbondanzieri RB 21 Nicolás Burdisso CB 2 Roberto Ayala CB 6 Gabriel Heinze  48' LB 3 Juan Pablo Sorín (c) RM 18 Maxi Rodríguez CM 8 Javier Mascherano LM 5 Esteban Cambiasso AM 10 Juan Román Riquelme  90+3' CF 7 Javier Saviola  41'  75' CF 9 Hernán Crespo  64' Substitutions: FW 14 Rodrigo Palacio  64' MF 22 Lucho González  81'  75' MF 16 Pablo Aimar  90+3' Manager: José Pékerman

GK 1 Jean-Jacques Tizié RB 21 Emmanuel Eboué  62' CB 4 Kolo Touré CB 12 Abdoulaye Méïté LB 3 Arthur Boka CM 19 Yaya Touré CM 5 Didier Zokora RW 18 Abdul Kader Keïta  77' AM 8 Bonaventure Kalou  55' LW 2 Kanga Akalé  62' CF 11 Didier Drogba (c)  90+1' Substitutions: FW 15 Aruna Dindane  55' FW 14 Bakari Koné  62' FW 9 Arouna Koné  77' Manager: Henri Michel

Man of the Match: Javier Saviola (Argentina) Assistant referees: Peter Hermans (Belgium) Walter Vromans (Belgium) Fourth official: Éric Poulat (France) Fifth official: Vincent Texier (France)

Serbia and Montenegro vs Netherlands

11 June 2006

15:00 CET (UTC+1)

Serbia and Montenegro	0–1	Netherlands
	Report	Robben 18'

Zentralstadion, Leipzig

Attendance: 43,000

Referee: Markus Merk (Germany)

Serbia and Montenegro

Netherlands

GK 1 Dragoslav Jevrić RB 14 Nenad Đorđević  43' CB 6 Goran Gavrančić  90' CB 20 Mladen Krstajić LB 3 Ivica Dragutinović  81' RM 10 Dejan Stanković  34' CM 4 Igor Duljaj CM 17 Albert Nađ LM 11 Predrag Đorđević CF 9 Savo Milošević (c)  46' CF 8 Mateja Kežman  67' Substitutions: MF 7 Ognjen Koroman  64'  43' FW 19 Nikola Žigić  46' FW 21 Danijel Ljuboja  67' Manager: Ilija Petković

GK 1 Edwin van der Sar (c) RB 14 John Heitinga  85' CB 13 André Ooijer CB 4 Joris Mathijsen  86' LB 5 Giovanni van Bronckhorst  56' RM 18 Mark van Bommel  60' CM 20 Wesley Sneijder LM 8 Phillip Cocu RF 17 Robin van Persie CF 9 Ruud van Nistelrooy  69' LF 11 Arjen Robben Substitutions: MF 6 Denny Landzaat  60' FW 7 Dirk Kuyt  69' DF 3 Khalid Boulahrouz  86' Manager: Marco van Basten

Man of the Match: Arjen Robben (Netherlands) Assistant referees: Christian Schräer (Germany) Jan-Hendrik Salver (Germany) Fourth official: Mohamed Guezzaz (Morocco) Fifth official: Brahim Djezzar (Algeria)

Argentina vs Serbia and Montenegro

16 June 2006

15:00 CET (UTC+1)

Argentina	6–0	Serbia and Montenegro
Rodríguez 6', 41' Cambiasso 31' Crespo 78' Tevez 84' Messi 88'	Report

FIFA WM Stadion Gelsenkirchen, Gelsenkirchen

Attendance: 52,000

Referee: Roberto Rosetti (Italy)

Argentina

Serbia and Montenegro

GK 1 Roberto Abbondanzieri RB 21 Nicolás Burdisso CB 2 Roberto Ayala CB 6 Gabriel Heinze LB 3 Juan Pablo Sorín (c) DM 8 Javier Mascherano RW 22 Lucho González  17' AM 10 Juan Román Riquelme LW 18 Maxi Rodríguez  75' CF 7 Javier Saviola  59' CF 9 Hernán Crespo  36' Substitutions: MF 5 Esteban Cambiasso  17' FW 11 Carlos Tevez  59' FW 19 Lionel Messi  75' Manager: José Pékerman

GK 1 Dragoslav Jevrić RB 4 Igor Duljaj CB 6 Goran Gavrančić CB 15 Milan Dudić LB 20 Mladen Krstajić  42' RM 7 Ognjen Koroman  7'  50' CM 17 Albert Nađ  27'  46' CM 11 Predrag Đorđević LM 10 Dejan Stanković CF 9 Savo Milošević (c)  70' CF 8 Mateja Kežman  65' Substitutions: MF 2 Ivan Ergić  46' FW 21 Danijel Ljuboja  50' MF 18 Zvonimir Vukić  70' Manager: Ilija Petković

Man of the Match: Juan Román Riquelme (Argentina) Assistant referees: Cristiano Copelli (Italy) Alessandro Stagnoli (Italy) Fourth official: Essam Abd El Fatah (Egypt) Fifth official: Dramane Danté (Mali)

Netherlands vs Ivory Coast

16 June 2006

18:00 CET (UTC+1)

Netherlands	2–1	Ivory Coast
Van Persie 23' Van Nistelrooy 27'	Report	B. Koné 38'

Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion, Stuttgart

Attendance: 52,000

Referee: Óscar Ruiz (Colombia)

Netherlands

Ivory Coast

GK 1 Edwin van der Sar (c) RB 14 John Heitinga  46' CB 13 André Ooijer CB 4 Joris Mathijsen  35' LB 5 Giovanni van Bronckhorst RM 18 Mark van Bommel  58' CM 20 Wesley Sneijder  50' LM 8 Phillip Cocu RF 11 Arjen Robben  34' CF 9 Ruud van Nistelrooy  73' LF 17 Robin van Persie Substitutions: DF 3 Khalid Boulahrouz  46' MF 10 Rafael van der Vaart  50' MF 6 Denny Landzaat  90+4'  73' Manager: Marco van Basten

GK 1 Jean-Jacques Tizié RB 21 Emmanuel Eboué CB 4 Kolo Touré CB 12 Abdoulaye Méïté LB 3 Arthur Boka  66' CM 19 Yaya Touré CM 5 Didier Zokora  25' CM 22 Romaric  62' RF 14 Bakari Koné  62' CF 11 Didier Drogba (c)  41' LF 9 Arouna Koné  73' Substitutions: MF 10 Gilles Yapi Yapo  62' FW 15 Aruna Dindane  62' MF 2 Kanga Akalé  73' Manager: Henri Michel

Man of the Match: Arjen Robben (Netherlands) Assistant referees: José Navia (Colombia) Fernando Tamayo (Ecuador) Fourth official: Marco Rodríguez (Mexico) Fifth official: José Luis Camargo (Mexico)

Netherlands vs Argentina

See also: Argentina–Netherlands football rivalry

21 June 2006

21:00 CET (UTC+1)

Netherlands	0–0	Argentina
	Report

FIFA WM Stadion Frankfurt, Frankfurt

Attendance: 48,000

Referee: Luis Medina Cantalejo (Spain)

Netherlands

Argentina

GK 1 Edwin van der Sar (c) RB 2 Kew Jaliens CB 3 Khalid Boulahrouz CB 13 André Ooijer  42' LB 15 Tim de Cler  48' RM 10 Rafael van der Vaart CM 20 Wesley Sneijder  86' LM 8 Phillip Cocu RF 17 Robin van Persie  67' CF 9 Ruud van Nistelrooy  56' LF 7 Dirk Kuyt  28' Substitutions: FW 21 Ryan Babel  56' MF 6 Denny Landzaat  67' MF 16 Hedwiges Maduro  86' Manager: Marco van Basten

GK 1 Roberto Abbondanzieri RB 21 Nicolás Burdisso  24' CB 2 Roberto Ayala (c) CB 15 Gabriel Milito LB 17 Leandro Cufré RM 18 Maxi Rodríguez CM 8 Javier Mascherano  90' LM 5 Esteban Cambiasso  57' AM 10 Juan Román Riquelme  80' CF 19 Lionel Messi  70' CF 11 Carlos Tevez Substitutions: DF 4 Fabricio Coloccini  24' FW 20 Julio Cruz  70' MF 16 Pablo Aimar  80' Manager: José Pékerman

Man of the Match: Carlos Tevez (Argentina) Assistant referees: Victoriano Giráldez Carrasco (Spain) Pedro Medina Hernández (Spain) Fourth official: Carlos Chandía (Chile) Fifth official: Rodrigo González (Chile)

Ivory Coast vs Serbia and Montenegro

Bonaventure Kalou scored the winning goal for the Ivory Coast with a penalty kick in the 86th minute.

21 June 2006

21:00 CET (UTC+1)

Ivory Coast	3–2	Serbia and Montenegro
Dindane 37' (pen.), 67' Kalou 86' (pen.)	Report	Žigić 10' Ilić 20'

FIFA WM Stadion München, Munich

Attendance: 66,000

Referee: Marco Rodríguez (Mexico)

Ivory Coast

Serbia and Montenegro

GK 23 Boubacar Barry RB 21 Emmanuel Eboué CB 6 Blaise Kouassi CB 17 Cyril Domoraud (c)  41'  90+2' LB 3 Arthur Boka RM 18 Abdul Kader Keïta  33'  73' CM 5 Didier Zokora CM 19 Yaya Touré LM 2 Kanga Akalé  60' CF 15 Aruna Dindane  43' CF 9 Arouna Koné Substitutions: FW 14 Bakari Koné  60' FW 8 Bonaventure Kalou  73' Manager: Henri Michel

GK 1 Dragoslav Jevrić RB 14 Nenad Đorđević CB 6 Goran Gavrančić  57' CB 15 Milan Dudić  35' LB 20 Mladen Krstajić  16' RM 10 Dejan Stanković (c) CM 4 Igor Duljaj  37' CM 22 Saša Ilić CM 11 Predrag Đorđević LM 2 Ivan Ergić CF 19 Nikola Žigić  67' Substitutions: MF 17 Albert Nađ  17'  45+1'  16' FW 9 Savo Milošević  67' Manager: Ilija Petković

Man of the Match: Aruna Dindane (Ivory Coast) Assistant referees: José Luis Camargo (Mexico) Leonel Leal (Costa Rica) Fourth official: Mohamed Guezzaz (Morocco) Fifth official: Brahim Djezzar (Algeria)

See also

• Argentina at the FIFA World Cup
• Ivory Coast at the FIFA World Cup
• Netherlands at the FIFA World Cup
• Serbia and Montenegro at the FIFA World Cup