Germany top group after draw with Argentina

Germany and Argentina drew 2-2 in their final Confederations Cup group match last night, putting Germany into the semi-finals as Group A winners and their opponents through as runners-up.

The outcome was a relative disappointment for the hosts, who led twice and were set to end a 13-match, five-year run without a victory against top-level opposition until Esteban Cambiasso hit Argentina's second equaliser with 16 minutes remaining.

The two sides will now face opponents from Group B, where Mexico are already qualified with six points and Brazil can join them by avoiding defeat to Japan in Cologne tonight.

Germany, whose last win against a top-ranked nation was against England in October 2000, went ahead through Kevin Kuranyi after 29 minutes, before man of the match Juan Roman Riquelme equalised for Argentina with a blistering free-kick four minutes later.

Gerald Asamoah restored Germany's lead with a well-taken goal under pressure in the 51st minute before Cambiasso levelled with a superb shot from outside the box that took a slight deflection.

Second bookings for German midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger and Argentine defender Walter Samuel mean both will be suspended from their semi-finals at the weekend.

Germany topped the group on goal difference from Argentina after both finished with seven points. Tunisia, who beat Australia in Leipzig, were third on three points and Australia finished bottom with none.

Little could be read into Tuesday's result, the second time the teams have drawn 2-2 in Germany this year after a friendly ended with the same scoreline in Dusseldorf in February.

Germany coach Juergen Klinsmann changed his side from the one that beat Tunisia 3-0 on Saturday, while Argentina's Jose Pekerman also re-shuffled his pack for a game in which the hosts made a better start and the South Americans a stronger finish.

In Leipzig, Francileudo dos Santos scored twice to give Tunisia a 2-0 win over Australia in the final match for both teams who will now head home after failing to reach the semi-finals.

Santos put Tunisia ahead in the 26th minute, tapping in when Australia keeper Michael Petkovic dropped the ball in front of goal after colliding with his own defender, Lucas Neill, following a cross from Mehdi Nafti.

Santos, a Brazilian with Tunisian citizenship whose goals fired his adopted country to African Nations Cup success last year, doubled their lead with his second goal in the 70th to wrap up the victory in their Group A encounter.

That put an abrupt end to Australia's attempted fightback after they had come to life in the second half when Mark Viduka, making his first start of the tournament, was replaced by Archie Thompson, who just missed in the 56th minute.

A 67th-minute cross by Jason Culina, who had also come off the bench after the break, then found midfielder Tim Cahill unmarked on the left but his volley also went narrowly wide.

Tunisia finished the tournament with one win and two losses - against semi-finalists Argentina and Germany - while Australia were beaten by all three opponents.

Group A

Results: Argentina vs Tunisia 2-1; Ger-many vs Australia 4-3; Germany vs Tunisia 3-0; Australia vs Argentina 2-3.

Played Yesterday

Argentina 2
Germany 2

Argentina: Lux; Zanetti, Coloccini, Samuel (Santana 62), Heinze; Cambiasso, Bernardi (Aimar 53), Riquelme, Sorin; Tevez (Delgado 80), Figueroa.

Germany: Hildebrand; Hinkel, Huth, Mertesacker, Hitzlsperger; Deisler, Schneider (Frings 46), Ernst, Schweinsteiger (Engelhardt 70); Asamoah (Hanke 59), Kuranyi.

Referee: Lubos Michel (Slovakia).

Attendance: 43,000.

Australia 0
Tunisia 2

Australia: Petkovic; Neill, Moore, Vidmar, Colosimo; Culina, Skoko (Cahill 61), McKain, Chipperfield (Milicevic 38); Viduka (Thompson 46), Aloisi.

Tunisia: Kasraoui; Trabelsi, Saidi, Mnari, Ayari; Namouchi, Nafti, Ben Saada (Ghodhbane 69), Chedli (Jomaa 55); Santos (Jaziri 89), Guemamdia.

Referee: Carlos Chandia (Chile).

Attendance: 20,000.

Group B

Results: Japan vs Mexico 1-2; Brazil vs Greece 3-0; Greece vs Japan 0-1; Mexico vs Brazil 1-0.

Next Matches: (Today) 8.45 p.m. Greece vs Mexico; 8.45 p.m. Japan vs Brazil.

Knockout Stage

June 25
Semi-final: Germany vs Runner-up Group B (6 p.m. - Nuremberg).

June 26
Semi-final: Winner Group B vs Argentina (6 p.m. - Hanover).

June 29
Third-place match: (5.45 p.m. - Leipzig).
Final: (8.45 p.m. - Frankfurt).