GREAT DRAMA HIGHLIGHTS SECOND ROUND

Goals, dramatic games and controversy - the second round of the 2006 World Cup provided plenty of talking points for fans of the beautiful game.

Here are just some of the highlights:

All hail King Ronaldo: Ronaldo became the World Cup's all-time leading scorer when he found the back of the net in Brazil's 3-0 victory over Ghana Tuesday. Ronaldo scored in the fifth minute of the match, beating goalkeeper Richard Kingston on a breakaway to collect his 15th career goal at the competition and pass Gerd Muller of West Germany on the all-time goal scorers' list. Muller, nicknamed Der Bomber, scored 14 goals in 13 games for West Germany at the 1970 and 1974 World Cups.

"I want to continue to increase the record," Ronaldo said, "but without forgetting that the main goal in the World Cup is winning the title. We know that we are going to face more difficult rivals every time, and we have to be prepared for that."

Germany silences critics: Boring Germany? Predictable Germany? Not at this World Cup. Instead, it's been entertaining Germany. Swashbuckling Germany. And if they keep playing the way they have been, you can add one more: World champion Germany. The Germans demonstrated equal parts of South American flair and their trademark cool efficiency in thrashing Sweden 2-0 on Saturday. Lukas Podolski scored both goals in an authoritative performance by the hosts that surely silenced - once and for all - any lingering doubts over their status as one of the competition's top contenders.

Germany struggled in exhibition play before the tournament, leading many pundits to predict the host nation would bomb before its home fans. The Germans, though, proved they are a legitimate threat to win their fourth World Cup by racking up their fourth consecutive victory in Munich. "Berlin, Berlin, we're going to Berlin," the crowd sang, referring to the July 9 final in the German capital.

Best goal and best game: Argentina's 2-1 victory over Mexico in extra time was pure entertainment, a contest that was a pleasure to watch with plenty of excitement and stellar play. Argentina came into the contest as the champions-elect having won their opening-round group with considerable style over the Netherlands. Mexico backed into the second round following a loss to Portugal and was anxious to show it belonged in the round of 16. With both countries having a point to prove, it was hardly a surprise the game was an explosion of attacking soccer.

The best moment was Maxi Rodriguez's game-winning goal: the Argentine ace expertly controlled a cross-field pass from Juan Pablo Sorin and lashed a half-volley with pinpoint accuracy from 20 yards out over the reach of the diving Mexican goalkeeper and into the top corner of the net. Pure poetry, pure inspiration, purer power - Rodriguez's goal was magic and easily the goal of the tournament.

Becks to the rescue: For the fourth straight time at the World Cup, England looked far from impressive and for the fourth straight time England lived to fight another day. Captain David Beckham scored on a glorious free kick in the 60th minute - bending it like, well, Beckham - to lift England to a slim 1-0 victory over Ecuador on Sunday.

Beckham and his teammates went undefeated in the first round (two victories and one draw) to win their group but have been ripped to shreds by the English press for their lacklustre and laboured performances. "We will take this [victory] although I don't think it was good [soccer] at times," Beckham said. "Tonight we can go home very happy."

With the game deadlocked, the English captain confidently stepped up to the spot and crisply struck the ball, bending it around Ecuador's defensive wall and just beyond the fingertips of goalkeeper Cristian Mora and inside the right-hand post. "I haven't scored for a while," said Beckham, who last scored for England on March 30, 2005. "The last two days I've been struggling, even in training. [Wayne Rooney] said to me before the game, 'You've been terrible the last two days, so you're going to get one tonight.'"

Plucky Ukraine still around: Ukraine battled a steely and determined Switzerland team for two frugal hours on Monday, 120 minutes that will go down as the sweetest in the history of Ukrainian soccer. Ukraine defeated Switzerland 3-0 in a penalty shootout after the teams battled to a goalless draw following 90 minutes of regulation and 30 minutes of extra time in Cologne. Oleg Gusev scored the winning goal in the shootout, allowing the former Soviet Republic to gatecrash the final eight in its first time at the World Cup.

"We suffered a lot and we are happy to have won for all Ukrainians," said star striker Andriy Shevchenko. "We do not have the greatest players, but we make up for that by making sacrifices for each other, by playing with a lot of heart."

Switzerland becomes the first country to be knocked out of the World Cup without conceding a goal outside of a penalty shootout.

Portugal peaks at right time: Portugal has shed its reputation as one of soccer's perennial lovable losers and become a serious World Cup contender in Germany. Midfield dynamo Maniche scored the winning goal in an ill-tempered 1-0 win over the Netherlands Sunday, as Portugal advanced to the quarter-finals for the first time in 40 years. Russian referee Valentin Ivanov handed out a World Cup record-tying 16 yellow cards (nine to Portugal) in a game high on emotion, drama and scoring chances. Tempers boiled over on more than one occasion and Ivanov was barely able to prevent the players from exchanging fisticuffs.

Portugal will face England in the quarter-finals but will be without chief playmaker Deco and midfielder Costinha for that game, as both players picked up a pair of yellow cards. Portugal failed to advance beyond the first round the last two times (1986 and 2002) they competed at the World Cup, but this side bears little resemblance to Portugal's underachieving teams from the past.

This Portuguese team, guided by Brazilian coach Luiz Felipe Scolari, has shown tremendous heart, skill and commitment in Germany, and is now one game away from reaching the semifinals for only the second time in its history. "From the start of the tournament our great strength has resided in our unity and the great support of the whole country," Portugal captain Luis Figo said.

Glory for France, disappointment for Spain: France's World Cup campaign was once on life support, but now its vital signs are stable and strong. Patrick Vieira broke a 1-1 deadlock by scoring in the 83rd minute to lift France to a thrilling 3-1 victory over Spain Tuesday.

The victory kept the career of Zinedine Zidane, who added a goal in injury time, alive for one more match. Considered one of the greatest players of his era, he plans to retire at the end of the World Cup. Zidane said the French team "really wanted to show that while the first round was not easy, we were capable of a few things. And this evening, we have demonstrated that we have a good group that wants to go further."

The loss also serves as another in a long line of World Cup disappointments for the Spanish, who won all three of their first-round games and looked certain to finally shed their reputation as underachievers. Spain has played in soccer's biggest tournament 12 times, but always seems to stumble at the quarter-finals. The country has managed to advance past the quarter-finals only once, in 1950, when it benefited from a unique tournament format and made it to the four-team, round-robin final.

"We were all convinced that this would be the World Cup when we would make it," Spain striker Raul Gonzalez said. "But the moment of truth was today and, yet again, we are disappointed."

The Italian job: Italy needed a miracle at the World Cup. They received one from Francesco Totti. Italy played the majority of the second half with only 10 men but managed to defeat Australia 1-0 on Monday when Totti scored on a penalty shot in injury time. Italy dominated large portions of the first half but was dealt a crushing blow when defender Marco Materazzi was sent off early in the second half.

Late in injury time, Defender Fabio Grosso made a great move past two defenders and glided into the Australian box where he was brought down by Lucas Neill. Neill was called for the foul even though it appeared Grosso tripped over the Australian who was already down on the ground. Still, Spanish referee Luis Medina was right there and made no hesitation in pointing directly to the penalty spot.

"I was never worried because there was still extra time to play and penalties," Italy coach Marcello Lippi said. "This was a game that really had everything."