Wednesday, November 04, 2009 LAHORE: Pakistan downed hosts France in the World Cup qualifying round match at Lillie, France on Tuesday, Geo news reported on Tuesday.After having beaten Russia and Italy, it was being tipped as one of the toughest match for Pakistan and in this test the green shirts came out with a thumping 4-2 win. According to reports received here, Pakistan enjoyed upper hand right from the start and they went into 2-1 lead by the close of the first half. Though Pakistan was dominated most of the time, France displayed a bit of aggression after conceding the first goal. Sohail Abbas struck twice through penalty corner pushes while Akhtar Ali and Rehan Butt converted two field goals. FrTdTric Soyez and Arnaud Becuwe reduced the margin from France. Pakistan’s goals came in the 8th, 26th, 37th and 55th minutes of the match while France struck 23rd and 67th minutes. Earlier in the day, Japan beat Italy by three goals to nil. The led the match 1-0 at half time. Poland had to fight full throttle to beat Russia 2-1. Poland delivered all it has in store in the first session to go two-nil up but faced tough resistance in the second half in which Russia managed to convert one goal. Pakistan has now moved to the points table having nine points which are equal to Japan but its goal standing in much stronger than the latter. Pakistan will now face Japan today in an another tough match of the qualifying round and later tomorrow they will play Poland.
BAGHDAD: Nearly 500 U.S. Army combat engineers who specialize in clearing roads of explosives started shifting to southern Afghanistan."We are probably going to be the beginning of the influx you are going to see to Afghanistan," Lt. Col. Kevin Landers, commander of the Fort Carson, Colo.-based 4th Engineer Battalion, said as crews packed crates and cleaned vehicles for the flight to Kandahar.Obama has ordered 17,000 more U.S. soldiers and Marines to Afghanistan to bolster the 38,000 American troops already battling the resurgent Taliban."We are going to take this footprint out of Iraq," said Landers, whose battalion received word of its reassignment last month just after taking command of clearing roads in Baghdad of bombs and debris.
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