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Greece stuns Ukraine to qualify for soccer’s 2010 World Cup

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Greece, which surprised the soccer world by winning the European Championship in 2004 with a series of gritty defensive displays, surprised it again today.

After being held to a 0-0 tie in Athens in the first game of its 2010 World Cup playoff series with Ukraine, the Greeks were underdogs for the return match in Donetsk, Ukraine, but a first-half goal by Dimitris Salpigidis near the half-hour mark earned Greece a famous 1-0 victory.

That was enough to make it the 28th country to secure its place in the June 11-July 11 World Cup in South Africa. It is the second time Greece has qualified for the World Cup, the only previous occasion being the 1994 tournament in the U.S.

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Earlier today, Algeria clinched its place by defeating Egypt, 1-0.

Check back here later today for results of the final four playoff series between Bosnia-Portugal, Slovenia-Russia, France-Ireland and Uruguay-Costa Rica.

-- Grahame L. Jones

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