Tunisia academic for Romania

It also meant they could expect to secure themselves a second round match against Croatia rather than the more fancied Argentines if the remaining games in Group H went to form.

8220;I prefer Croatia but at this level no games are easy, not for any team,8221; coach Anghel Iordanescu said. He hinted he might rest some of the players who beat England, perhaps some who have a single yellow card against them which would then be annulled before the second round.

Romania have defied the critics 8211; especially at home 8211; who said they relied too much on an ageing generation that peaked at the 1994 World Cup, when they reached the quarter-finals.

Valencia8217;s youngstriker Adrian Ilie has been one of the revelations of the tournament, but it was 33-year-old inspirational captain and playmaker Gheorghe Hagi who showed that he still has what it takes by setting up the first goal against England.

Both Romania8217;s Iulian Filipescu and Tunisia8217;s Jose Clayton are suspended after collecting their second yellow cards.