Capsules for Friday's matches at the World Cup (FIFA rankings in parentheses):
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Germany was the best performer in the first set of games, routing Australia 4-0. Serbia was one of the biggest disappointments, falling 1-0 to Ghana.
Germany: A win for Germany and a draw between Ghana and Australia will put the three-time champions into the next round.
Serbia: Serbia coach Radomir Antic said his squad had lost some confidence in its opening match, and Germany's dominant win doesn't help the Serbs' mood.
Notable Fact: Serbia's only claim to a win over Germany at the World Cup came when the country was part of Yugoslavia, which beat West Germany in the 1962 quarterfinals.
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The United States came from behind to draw 1-1 with England in its opener, while Slovenia got a late goal to beat Algeria 1-0.
United States: Buoyed by the England result, the Americans expect Tim Howard to be recovered from a rib injury and ready to guard the net.
Slovenia: A victory by Slovenia would assure it of advancing to the second round. It's won big games before, stunning Russia in a two-match playoff to qualify for the World Cup.
Notable Fact: Slovenia is about the size of New Jersey and the smallest nation in the World Cup with 2 million people, about the population of Houston.
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England is a heavy favorite, knowing anything less than a victory will damage its chances of advancing. Algeria is in even more dire condition after losing to Slovenia.
England: A key decision for coach Fabio Capello is whether to change keepers after Robert Green's mistake gave the U.S. its only goal in a 1-1 draw.
Algeria: Also keeper issues: Fawzi Chaouchi misjudged Robert Koren's shot and it beat him for the only goal against Slovenia. He hurt his knee in training on Tuesday.
Notable Fact: The Desert Foxes have proven their strength by rising from No. 103 in the world to No. 30 over the last two years.
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