06/25/26 06:57:00
Printable Page
06/25 18:56 CDT Ivory Coast into World Cup knockout round for 1st time as Pp
scores twice in 2-0 win over Curaao
Ivory Coast into World Cup knockout round for 1st time as Pp scores twice in
2-0 win over Curaao
By DAN GELSTON
AP Sports Writer
PHILADELPHIA (AP) --- Ivory Coast rejoiced as players dropped to their knees on
the pitch for a team photo --- peerless in national team history --- and they
all pointed one finger toward the sky.
One, for the West African team's first-ever trip to the World Cup knockout
round.
Why stop there?
"We aren't setting any limits for ourselves," star forward Nicolas Pp said.
"I think we have huge potential."
Les lphants have crashed the party and made it out of their group for the
first time in four World Cup appearances. Pp scored in each half and Ivory
Coast advanced with a 2-0 victory over Curaao on Thursday.
Players stripped off their jerseys and danced and partied in the locker room
for the well-earned and overdue celebration.
Ivory Coast beat Ecuador 1-0 in its tournament opener --- at the same
Philadelphia stadium as Thursday's game --- and lost to Germany in its Group E
second game.
Ivory Coast will play June 30 against either France or Norway --- whichever is
the runner-up in Group I.
"If we aim to go all the way, it doesn't matter who we play," Pp said.
Curaao needed to win and instead failed to become the smallest nation to
qualify for the knockout stages.
Pp, who plays for the Spanish club Villarreal, wiped out all the suspense in
this one early, scoring in just the seventh minute and the lead held the rest
of the game in front of an enthusiastic crowd that made Les lphants feel at
home. Ivory Coast held its training base in nearby Delaware and practiced at
the Philadelphia suburban home of Major League Soccer's Philadelphia Union.
Throw in a friendly (against the Union's second team), and the thrilling win in
the 90th minute against Ecuador, and Les lphants found their adoptive fans
among the crowd of 68,324 --- about 40% of the population of Curaao --- at the
home of the NFL's Eagles.
The fans in Ivory Coast orange went wild when Pp scored again on a
left-footed shot from the far corner in the 64th minute to seal the win. He was
subbed out three minutes later to earn just a bit more rest for the June 30
game that will serve as the biggest one for the national team in World Cup
history.
Here's one more rivalry reason why new Philly fans might keep an eye on Les
lphants --- the next game is in Dallas.
"It's a little difficult to have to leave Philadelphia," Ivory Coast head coach
Emerse Fa said.
Ivory Coast needed only a draw to advance yet played with a competitive fire
and never let Curaao seem close to getting even in this one.
Senegal and Ivory Coast were added in December by President Donald Trump's
administration to the list of countries with partial restrictions on entry to
the United States, upending World Cup travel plans.
Les lphants still had a loud and proud turnout in Philadelphia and boasted
the home-field edge on Thursday. Ivory Coast fans hugged, danced and chanted in
the stands as the final seconds ticked down and the celebration kicked into
another festive gear.
"We know not everyone could make the trip, and we can see there were quite a
few Ivorian fans in the stadium," Pp said. "So, I think this victory is for
them too, and they richly deserve it."
Ivory Coast pounced when 19-year-old Yan Diomande, who came to America four
years earlier as a soccer prospect who couldn't speak any English, snared the
ball when Curaao failed to clear it and fed it to Pp for the easy goal past
Eloy Room.
The 37-year-old Room had made 15 saves against a relentless Ecuador attack and
helped The Blue Wave earn their first-ever point with a 0-0 draw on Saturday.
Fa, in his casual white polo shirt and black baseball cap, raised his arms in
triumph once Pp scored and punched his fists in the air on the sideline.
"My message would be, enjoy," Fa said. "Now the group has to bask in this
victory and this qualification. We're very proud, very happy."
There was still reason to celebrate for Curaao.
"This was a great experience for us," Room said. "It was a long journey,
started a long time ago. Now we're here. Wanted to show the world what we can
do. We brought a lot of joy to the tournament. Spirit. Fight. And that we can
be proud of. And I think today we also showed we can play on the highest stage."
Curaao is an autonomous territory of about 156,000 people in the Caribbean
within the Netherlands kingdom. The team relies almost entirely on players born
and raised in the Netherlands.
"They've been playing full enthusiasm with a lot of guts," said 78-year-old
Curaao coach Dick Advocaat, in potentially his last international game. "This
is something we have to benefit from."
Ivory Coast striker Elye Wahi, who is under investigation for alleged
betting-related offenses while playing for Nice, came on as a substitute in the
second half after he sat out against Germany.
The historic clincher belonged to Pp, and he received tons of applause after
he was named the player of the game.
"This award is a team achievement, too," he said. "I score the goals, but they
come from perfect setups by my teammates, so I consider this a collective
award."
___
See more of AP's World Cup coverage here
|
