Football / FIFA Coco-Cola World Youth Championship: England set to qualify

England Under-19. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

United States Under-19. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0

ENGLAND'S victory over the United States via a 69th-minute goal from Chris Bart-Williams here yesterday virtually guarantees them a place in the World Youth Championship quarter-finals.

With three points from their first two games, and Korea sharing a 1-1 draw with Turkey in the other Group C match, England now need just one point against Turkey tomorrow to qualify.

But England's success was overshadowed by news that both the Tottenham striker Nick Barmby and Bart-Williams, the Sheffield Wednesday midfielder, are carrying injuries. David Burnside, the England manager, said Barmby had a long-term knee problem and Bart-Williams a groin strain. 'They are injuries that have been ongoing for months,' he said. 'They are medically fit to play.'

Bart-Williams, with an ice-pack on his groin after the match, ruled out an operation. He said: 'The groin is sore and it has troubled me all season but I am always fit to start a game. It doesn't need an operation - just rest.'

England survived a last-minute scare after the Chelsea defender Andy Myers damaged a toe. As his team-mates called for a substitute, the American striker Chris Faklaris, who scored the tournament's first hat-trick on Sunday, brought a full-stretch save out of David Watson.

While the result was pleasing for England, their performance was less so. They began well, with Bart- Williams and Barmby bringing the best out of the US keeper Jeff Cassar. But they soon became bogged down in midfield, with Barmby, alone up front and well marked by Dana Quick, suffering another frustrating evening.

Two minutes from half-time Anthony Hughes just failed to put the finishing touches to a Bart-Williams header across goal from a Steve Watson long throw.

England kept up the pressure after the interval but Barmby was still having no luck in front of goal. In the 52nd minute the Chelsea central defender Ian Pearce was put into space by Jamie Pollock but Barmby was off balance when the ball came across and he sent his shot soaring over the bar.

In the 66th minute a Barmby miskick found its way to Bart-Williams but Cassar was once again equal to the task. The winner was not long delayed. Myers' long throw on the left was flicked on by Pearce and rammed home by Bart- Williams at the near post.

The US coach Bobby Howe, the former West Ham defender, said: 'England improved significantly on their performance against Korea and their understanding is now a lot better,' he said.

ENGLAND UNDER-19: D Watson (Barnsley); S Watson (Newcastle), Unsworth (Everton), Pearce (Chelsea), Myers (Chelsea), Hughes (Crewe), Bart-Williams (Sheffield Wednesday), Caskey (Tottenham, capt), Barmby (Tottenham), Pollock (Middlesbrough), Thompson (Newcastle). Substitutes: Mike (Manchester City) for Thompson, 61; Harriott (Oldham) for Myers, 90.

UNITED STATES UNDER-19: Cassar; Berhalter (capt), Faklaris, Johnson, Zavagnin, Smith (Lanza, 69), Kelly, Vargas (McKeon, 77), Joseph, Pollard, Quick.

Referee: J Nieves (Uruguay).

Portugal, champions in both 1989 and 1991, went out of the tournament as two spectacular goals from Fabian O'Neil gave Uruguay a 2-1 victory in Group B. The winner, after 87 minutes, came after the Portugal captain Hugo Costa lost the ball in the penalty area to O'Neil, who drifted right and scored with a powerful, low drive.

----------------------------------------------------------------- WORLD YOUTH CUP RESULTS ----------------------------------------------------------------- FIFA / COCA-COLA WORLD YOUTH CUP Group B (Brisbane): Germany 2 (Breitenreiter 42, Jancker 80) Ghana 2 (Kuffour 39, Duah 72); Portugal 1 (Cassama 35) Uruguay 2 (O'Neil 9, 87). ----------------------------------------------------------------- P W D L F A Pts Germany 2 1 1 0 3 2 3 Uruguay 2 1 1 0 3 2 3 Ghana 2 0 2 0 3 3 2 Portugal 2 0 0 2 1 3 0 ----------------------------------------------------------------- Remaining fixtures: Tomorrow (Brisbane): Germany v Uruguay; Portugal v Ghana. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Group C (Melbourne): England 1 (Bart-Williams 69) United States 0; South Korea 1 (Cho Jin-ho 48) Turkey 1 (Serkan 85). ----------------------------------------------------------------- P W D L F A Pts England 2 1 1 0 2 1 3 United States 2 1 0 1 6 1 2 South Korea 2 0 2 0 2 2 2 Turkey 2 0 1 1 1 7 1 ----------------------------------------------------------------- Remaining fixtures: Tomorrow (Melbourne): England v Turkey; South Korea v USA. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Group D (Adelaide): Mexico 1 (Nieto 79) Brazil 2 (Adriano pen 22, Gian pen 56); Norway 0 Saudi Arabia 0. ----------------------------------------------------------------- P W D L F A Pts Brazil 2 1 1 0 2 1 3 Mexico 2 1 0 1 4 2 2 Saudi Arabia 2 0 2 0 0 0 2 Norway 2 0 1 1 0 3 1 ----------------------------------------------------------------- Remaining fixtures: Tomorrow (Adelaide): Norway v Brazil; Mexico v Saudi Arabia. -----------------------------------------------------------------