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Last gasp goal keeps Greece alive
ALMATY, Kazakhstan -- European champions Greece kept their World Cup qualifications hopes alive with an injury time goal to defeat nine-man Kazakhstan 2-1 in Almaty. Nikos Liberopoulos scored the winner after Kazakhstan's Andrey Karpovich and Denis Rodionov had been sent off in a frenetic finale. But Greece's hopes of taking second in Group Two were later dented when arch-rivals Turkey beat Ukraine 1-0 in Kiev. Ukraine have already qualified. Turkey went ahead in the 55th minute with a goal from Besiktas midfielder Tumer Metin. Ukraine went into the game in party mood, the players having small national flags painted on their faces knowing they had already booked their tickets to next year's finals in Germany. Earlier, Kazakhstan had shocked the Greeks by taking a shock 53rd minute lead through Nurbol Zhumaskaliev before Stelios Giannakopoulos leveled in the 79th minute. Giannakopoulos, who plays for Bolton in the Premier League, netted with a powerful header from close range as he outjumped his marker. The home side, who have now lost 10 successive World Cup qualifiers, saw Karpovic (86) and Rodionov (90) shown red before conceding a goal four minute into added time. The 20,000 crowd in Almaty's Central Stadium came to life just after half-time as Rodionov's curling cross into Greece's penalty area rebounded off Angelos Bassinas and the ball fell to Zhumaskaliev, whose point-blank shot left Greek 'keeper Antonis Nikopolidis no chance. "Only after we allowed a goal in did our team wake up," Greece coach Otto Rehhagel. Giannakopoulos set the scene for the last gasp victory with his equalizer before substitute Liberopoulos secured a precious three points. "We played our best in the end and made successful substitutes," Rehhagel said. "Step by step we are making our way to the finals -- but I do not want to anticipate that." Crushing winDenmark crushed Georgia 6-1 in another key Group Two game on Wednesday to stay in the race for a playoff place for next year's finals in Germany. To secure a playoff spot, Denmark need to win their last two matches -- against Greece in Copenhagen on October 8 and in Kazakhstan four days later -- and hope Albania can draw or win against Turkey. "We must now hope that Albania can make a sensation against Turkey," Denmark coach Morten Olsen told TV2. "And we have to win our last two games and prove that this team belongs in the finals." Denmark are fourth in Group Two with 16 points from 10 games. Greece are third with 18 points from 10 games behind Turkey who have 20 points from 11 matches. Ukraine have already qualified as group winners. Claus Jensen opened the party after 10 minutes with a superb freekick. Georgia's Zurab Knizanishvili was sent off in the 19th minute and 11 minutes later Christian Poulsen's header gave the hosts a 2-0 lead. Georgi Demetradze got one back for the visitors from the penalty spot in the 37th but Daniel Agger's header restored Denmark's advantage two minutes before the break. Jon Dahl Tomasson made it 4-1 in the 55th minute before Soren Larsen headed home the last two goals to complete the rout in the 79th and 84th minutes. Denmark could easily have scored 10 goals but missed a number of good chances in front the Georgian goal. "It was a fantastic match. It could have been double figures if we had converted all of our chances," Olsen said. 
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