Live Ticker: Argentina 2 : 1 Ivory Coast

Final match of Day 2 at the World Cup
Argentina may be heavily favored in their match against the Ivory Coast, but anyone who just saw Trinidad & Tobago hold Sweden to a scoreless draw will know better than to underestimate any World Cup team. Stay with DW-WORLD.DE to see if the Ivory Coast can pull off an upset similar to T&T. There's plenty of news from today's two other World Cup matches waiting for you at www.dw-world.de/worldcup

The teams are on the pitch at the FIFA World Cup Stadium Hamburg and the line-ups are:

Argentina: 1. ABBONDANZIERI Roberto 2. AYALA Roberto 3. SORIN Juan (C) 5. CAMBIASSO Esteban 6. HEINZE Gabriel 7. SAVIOLA Javier 8. MASCHERANO Javier 9. CRESPO Hernan 10. RIQUELME Juan 18. RODRIGUEZ Maxi 21. BURDISSO Nicolas

Ivory Coast: 1. TIZIE Jean-Jacques 2. AKALE Kanga 3. BOKA Arthur 4. TOURE Kolo 5. ZOKORA Didier 8. KALOU Bonaventure (C)11. DROGBA Didier 12. MEITE Abdoulaye 18. KEITA Kader 19. TOURE Yaya 21. EBOUE Emmanuel

1. min.
The opening Group C match is underway
Didier Drogba gets the game underway and Ivory Coast begin their first ever World Cup match.

1. min.
Argentina are fully aware that failure at this stage of the World Cup again is not an option. Ivory Coast's Toure commits the first foul and Argentina have their first chance.

2. min.
Free kick from Riquleme floats wide
Juan Roman Riquelme goes to place the free-kick from 20 meters out rather than smack it at Tizie in the Ivory Coast goal. The ball floats wide.

2. min.
Akale robs Mascherano on the left wing and gallops down the sideline. His cross evades the diving Drogba abd Argentina breathe a sigh of relief.

4. min.
Ivory Coast are showing few nerves and it is the South American team which looks more tentative as the Elephants' midfield stroke the ball around with Argentina in pursuit.

5. min.
Riquleme gets free on the left flank but Toure and then Boka hassle him into reversing towards his own goal and the danger is neutralized.

6. min.
Akale enjoys space and gets a shot in
Akale stretches his long legs again and gets free of his marker to pick up a Drogba pass. He bears down on the goal and unleashes a long shot that flies just high and wide.

7. min.
If anyone thought that the Ivory Coast team were in Germany to make up the numbers, the opening five minutes of this match should change that opinion. They are fast, direct and unafraid of their opponents.

8. min.
Drogba fires wide under pressure
Didier Drogba looks to be a constant threat to the Argentina defense. Again he gets just a sniff of goal and skews a shot wide under pressure.

11. min.
The Elephants are stampeding all over the pitch and the Argentina team have no answer at the moment.

12. min.
Ivory Coast win a corner. The ball is hit long; the header back in finds Drogba who tries to head it down but Esteban Cambiasso clears for Argentina.

14. min.
Argentina break and get their first attempt on goal. Crespo is denied at the near post by Zokora and Argentina gets a corner.

14. min.
Argentina claim a goal!
The corner comes in and Roberto Ayala heads the ball at the goal. Tizie fumbles the ball and collects at the second attempt. Argentina claim a goal. The replay shows the ball crossed the line.

17. min.
Argentina fuelled by "goal"
The "goal that never was" has enlivened Argentina who are now looking like they have woken up from a bad dream. Still Drogba looks to keep the current nightmare going but cannot get on the end of Toure's cross.

20. min.
The set-up of both teams allows for a lot of space to be created which is making it a very fast game. Ivory Coast again stream forward and Keita is denied. His shot is forced out for a corner.

21. min.
The corner is well held by Abbondanzeiri who clears to start an Argentina counter attack with a long kick up field.

22. min.
Cambiasso, Sorin and Riquelme are starting to have some joy on the left wing, by-passing Kolo Toure with triangular passes but the trio have yet to manaufacture a shot on goal or chance for Hernan Crespo.

23. min.
GOAL ARGENTINA

23. min.
Crespo hits the opener from close range!
Crespo earns a free-kick which Riquelme floats into the box; the ball drops for Crespo who appears from nowhere to poke the ball past Tizie from a meter out. Diego Maradona, watching from the stands, goes crazy!

25. min.
Argentina take the lead against the run of play
Ivory Coast were enjoying a lot of possession before Argentina scored. Now they have to fight to get back into the game again.

27. min.
Argentina are growing in confidence. The ball drops for Saviola some 25 meters out on the right flank. The little striker doesn't hesitate and fizzes a first time shot low at goal. It whips through the defense but flies wide.

29. min.
Jose Pekerman's team has shored up their defense and midfield and the Elephanst are finding less space than they had before the goal. They are resorting to high balls over the top for Drogba and Kalou.

30. min.
Kalou gets a good shot on goal but it goes wide after drifting inside and sharing a one-two pass with Drogba. If the Ivory Coast are going to get a goal back before half-time, they need to attack on the floor at speed. High balls are being dealt with easily.

32. min.
Again, the Ivory Coast run at the defense and cause chaos. Kalou chips a ball into Drogba but his shot in the area is charged down from two meters out. The following corner is wasted, however.

34. min.
Yaya Toure robs Mascerano and hammers down the left flank; his cut back is half hit by Kalou with no-one around him on the edge of the area. The shot spins disappointingly away.

35. min.
Best chance for Ivory Coast
A great chance goes begging! A high ball to the far post finds Didier Drogba; his header is perfectly placed behind the defense and Keita chooses a diving header rather than a shot with only the keeper to beat from a meter out. The ball is saved.

37. min.
This game has pace, skill, chances and commitment: Are you watching England?

38. min.
GOAL ARGENTINA

38. min.
Saviola nets the second!
Riquelme again is provider. He lifts the ball effortlessly through the Ivory Coast defense, splitting the center-halves. Crespo is offside but inactive as Saviola picks up the pass and strokes it past Tizie as the keeper advances.

41. min.
A bitter blow for Ivory Coast
Again, just as the Ivory Coast look to be getting back on terms, Argentina hit them on the break.

41. min.
Saviola booked for late challenge

43. min.
The sting has been taken out of the game as the clock ticks down to half-time. Argentina are in the driving seat but the Ivory Coast obviously don't know the meaning of submission.

45. min.
Half-time: Argentina lead into the break

45. min.
Second-Half: Argentina kick-off

45. min.
No substitutions at half-time. The two sides start the second period as they finished the first.

47. min.
Rodriguez gets on the end of a lovely flowing move but his first touch lets him down in the box and his shot skewers wide.

49. min.
Gabriel Heinze gets the yellow card
The Argentina central defender goes through Kalou without touching the ball and gets a yellow card for his troubles.

50. min.
Argentina make it look effortless. The ball is stroked around and their latest attack earns a corner.

51. min.
The corner is cleared but Argentina regain possession and build the next patient attack.

53. min.
Riquelme whips in another free-kick and it flies past the far post by milimeters without anyone touching it. For a man who has been criticized for not living up to his reputation in big games, he's running this show.

55. min.
Ivory Coast: Kalou off for Dindane

59. min.
Despite Argentina setting the pace, it is a very open game and you get the feeling that there are more goals and that the Ivory Coast are far from out of this match.

61. min.
Emmanuel Eboue gets the next card


61. min.
Ivory Coast: Akale makes way for Kone

63. min.
Hernan Crespo comes off for Rodrigo Palacio

65. min.
The pace of the game has dropped, broken by the substitutions and yellow cards. It will suit Argentina but the Ivory Coast will want to find their speed again.

67. min.
Sorin looks to have given away a penalty but the referee waves play on...until the Argentina captian is scythed down by Meite.

70. min.
Ivory Coast threaten again
Didier Drogba gets the ball with his back to goal 2 meters out; he stays on his feet and hits a shot on the turn. It is deflected to Meite who hits it back into the penalty area but Kone blazes high over the bar.

71. min.
Drogba misses gilt-edged chance!
Yaya Toure floats a free-kick into the area and Didier Drogba, with more time than he even realizes, pokes the ball agonizingly wide from less than a meter out.

75. min.
Drogba is dragged to the floor by Sorin on the edge of the area. Free-kick in a dangerous position.

75. min.
Argentina: Saviola off for Luis Gonzalez

76. min.
Drogba wastes the free-kick.

80. min.
Kone barges through the Argentina defense on the edge of the area and lets rips witrh a rising shot that just flies high and wide of the right-hand post. Good chance. Ivory Coast are not giving this game up.

81. min.
Gonzalez gets booked for felling Zokora

81. min.
GOAL IVORY COAST

81. min.
Drogba gets the goal he's been threatening
The free-kick finds its way to the left hand side of the penalty box; Kone fires a cross too high for Drogba but the ball comes back the Ivory Coast captain who spins on the turn and whips the ball into the bottom corner past Abbondanzieri.

84. min.
Argentina play possession soccer. The crowd whistles, wanting more of the Ivory Coast's marauding attacks. With six minutes left, Argentina are living on their wits.

85. min.
Goal disallowed!
Just when it looked like Argentina had killed the game with a third goal, the referee disallows it for offside. Riquelme's shot is parried and Gonzalez scores from an offside position.

87. min.
Ivory Coast are pressing for the equalizer with everything they have.

90. min.
Drogba sees yellow for dissent
We're into added time here in Hamburg and the Ivory Coast have three minutes to get the goal they need. Drogba gets booked for complaining about a free-kick going the other way.

90+2. min.
Riquleme makes way for Pablo Aimar

90+3. min.
Full-time: Argentina beat Ivory Coast 2-1

90+3. min.
Argentina and the Ivory Coast put on a great show in Hamburg and it's a shame that both teams cannot take something from it. Argentina look like a team capable of justifying the hype around them while the Ivory Coast can feel aggrieved that their debut didn't end with at least a point.