HAMBURG - Former champions Argentina and England claimed hard-fought victories on a sweltering second day of the World Cup finals in Germany.
Argentina, winners in 1978 and 1986, secured an exciting 2-1 Group C win over dangerous debutants Ivory Coast in the tournament's highest quality match so far, as their former great Diego Maradona cheered wildly from the stands.
England, who have not won the World Cup for four decades, were fortunate to emerge with a 1-0 win in Frankfurt, relying on an early own goal by Paraguay captain Carlos Gamarra.
In Saturday's other Group B clash, Sweden could only manage a goalless draw with tireless Trinidad & Tobago, the smallest nation ever to qualify for the World Cup.
The Caribbean islanders played nearly the entire second half with 10 men but held on tenaciously for a point.
All three matches were played in unusually hot early-summer conditions, with temperatures in Frankfurt's Waldstadion climbing to around 29 Celsius (84 Fahrenheit).
"You don't realize how hot it was out there," said England captain David Beckham.
While England seemed listless in the heat, Argentina showed why they are among the favorites to hoist the trophy in Berlin on July 9, beating a determined Ivory Coast side that showed class throughout the Group C match.
Hernan Crespo, who scored Argentina's last goal of the Asia finals in 2002, got them off the mark in the 24th minute and strike partner Javier Saviola steered home seven minutes before halftime after a through-ball by playmaker Juan Roman Riquelme.
Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba, who threatened the Argentine goal throughout, narrowed the deficit in the 82nd minute, latching on to a low cross in the penalty area.
The second day of the World Cup went off without any of the fan violence some had feared.
German riot police with dogs converged on Frankfurt's Roemerberg square late on Saturday as drinking fans grew rowdy, but no major incidents of violence were reported.
Far-right extremists, chanting "Foreigners out", marched in the World Cup host city Gelsenkirchen, but they were outnumbered by opposing demonstrators, who pelted them with fruit.
Germany is keen to project a positive image to the world and has been preparing meticulously for the tournament. Some 250,000 police are deployed around the country to keep the peace.
Roughly 1.5 million foreign fans are expected to visit Germany during the tournament -- a month-long extravaganza that takes place once every four years and includes teams from 32 nations across the world.
Hosts Germany kicked off the 18th World Cup on Friday with a thrilling 4-2 triumph over Costa Rica -- a result that broke the record for most goals scored in a World Cup opener.
On Sunday, the other teams in Group C, Netherlands and Serbia & Montenegro, meet in the eastern city of Leipzig.
In two Group D matches, Angola will face Portugal in Cologne and Mexico will meet Iran in Nuremberg.
Iran coach Branko Ivankovic on Saturday refused to answer questions regarding Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's denial of the Holocaust, saying his team was in Germany to make friends
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