Brazil Shuts Out Czechs to Advance to Cup Final

Ronaldo and Romario scored as Brazil beat the Czech Republic, 2-0, on Friday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for a berth in the FIFA Confederations Cup final against Australia, which upset Uruguay 1-0 in overtime.

Brazil (3-0-1) went ahead in the 54th minute when Romario -- the hero of the 1994 World Cup championship team -- scored off a pass from Juninho. Romario, FIFA’s world player of the year in 1996, got his first goal of the tournament with seven minutes remaining.

Australia (2-1-1), which plays Brazil on Sunday for the title, beat Uruguay (3-1) when Harry Kewell scored two minutes into sudden-death overtime.

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The captain of Iran’s soccer team wants Valdeir Vierra to stay as coach for next summer’s World Cup -- and the key game against the United States on June 21.

“With his experience against the Americans, Mr. Vierra can be better than other coaches who don’t have that experience,� said Ahmad Reza Abedzadeh, captain and goalkeeper.

t Vierra, a Brazilian who took over as Iran’s coach last month and led the team to a World Cup berth by winning a home-and-home series against Australia, was coach of Costa Rica when it beat the United States 2-1 in a World Cup qualifier.

The Iran Football Federation has not said whether he will be kept on.