2006 FIFA World Cup Group C explained

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

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


GK	1	Roberto Abbondanzieri
RB	21	Nicolás Burdisso
CB	2	Roberto Ayala
CB	6
LB	3	Juan Pablo Sorín (c)
RM	18	Maxi Rodríguez
CM	8	Javier Mascherano
LM	5	Esteban Cambiasso
AM	10
CF	7
CF	9
Substitutions:
FW	14
MF	22
MF	16
Manager:
José Pékerman


GK	1	Jean-Jacques Tizié
RB	21
CB	4	Kolo Touré
CB	12	Abdoulaye Méïté
LB	3	Arthur Boka
CM	19	Yaya Touré
CM	5	Didier Zokora
RW	18
AM	8
LW	2
CF	11	Didier Drogba (c)
Substitutions:
FW	15
FW	14
FW	9
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


GK	1	Dragoslav Jevrić
RB	14
CB	6
CB	20	Mladen Krstajić
LB	3
RM	10
CM	4	Igor Duljaj
CM	17	Albert Nađ
LM	11	Predrag Đorđević
CF	9	Savo Milošević (c)
CF	8
Substitutions:
MF	7
FW	19
FW	21
Manager:
Ilija Petković


GK	1	Edwin van der Sar (c)
RB	14
CB	13	André Ooijer
CB	4
LB	5
RM	18
CM	20	Wesley Sneijder
LM	8	Phillip Cocu
RF	17	Robin van Persie
CF	9
LF	11	Arjen Robben
Substitutions:
MF	6
FW	7
DF	3
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


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
AM	10	Juan Román Riquelme
LW	18
CF	7
CF	9
Substitutions:
MF	5
FW	11
FW	19
Manager:
José Pékerman


GK	1	Dragoslav Jevrić
RB	4	Igor Duljaj
CB	6	Goran Gavrančić
CB	15	Milan Dudić
LB	20
RM	7
CM	17
CM	11	Predrag Đorđević
LM	10	Dejan Stanković
CF	9	Savo Milošević (c)
CF	8
Substitutions:
MF	2
FW	21
MF	18
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


GK	1	Edwin van der Sar (c)
RB	14
CB	13	André Ooijer
CB	4
LB	5	Giovanni van Bronckhorst
RM	18
CM	20
LM	8	Phillip Cocu
RF	11
CF	9
LF	17	Robin van Persie
Substitutions:
DF	3
MF	10
MF	6
Manager:
Marco van Basten


GK	1	Jean-Jacques Tizié
RB	21	Emmanuel Eboué
CB	4	Kolo Touré
CB	12	Abdoulaye Méïté
LB	3
CM	19	Yaya Touré
CM	5
CM	22
RF	14
CF	11	Didier Drogba (c)
LF	9
Substitutions:
MF	10
FW	15
MF	2
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


GK	1	Edwin van der Sar (c)
RB	2	Kew Jaliens
CB	3	Khalid Boulahrouz
CB	13
LB	15
RM	10	Rafael van der Vaart
CM	20
LM	8	Phillip Cocu
RF	17
CF	9
LF	7
Substitutions:
FW	21
MF	6
MF	16
Manager:
Marco van Basten


GK	1	Roberto Abbondanzieri
RB	21
CB	2	Roberto Ayala (c)
CB	15	Gabriel Milito
LB	17	Leandro Cufré
RM	18	Maxi Rodríguez
CM	8
LM	5
AM	10
CF	19
CF	11	Carlos Tevez
Substitutions:
DF	4
FW	20
MF	16
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


GK	23	Boubacar Barry
RB	21	Emmanuel Eboué
CB	6	Blaise Kouassi
CB	17	Cyril Domoraud (c)
LB	3	Arthur Boka
RM	18
CM	5	Didier Zokora
CM	19	Yaya Touré
LM	2
CF	15
CF	9	Arouna Koné
Substitutions:
FW	14
FW	8
Manager:
Henri Michel


GK	1	Dragoslav Jevrić
RB	14	Nenad Đorđević
CB	6
CB	15
LB	20
RM	10	Dejan Stanković (c)
CM	4
CM	22	Saša Ilić
CM	11	Predrag Đorđević
LM	2	Ivan Ergić
CF	19
Substitutions:
MF	17
FW	9
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)