Argentina and the Netherlands made the World Cup’s toughest group look easy.

The Argentines routed Serbia-Montenegro, 6-0, Friday in the most dominating display so far at this year’s tournament. Rising stars Lionel Messi and Carlos Tevez each made their World Cup debuts and scored late goals.

The Dutch had a harder time against Ivory Coast in the other Group C match and still managed a 2-1 win, sending both Argentina and themselves into the second round. Both are expected to go far this year despite getting the difficult draw.

“This is a very good group,” Argentina midfielder Esteban Cambiasso said. “The team is solid, and we have a lot of confidence. … It couldn’t have gone better.”

Germany, England and Ecuador had already qualified for the knockout stage.

Later Friday, Angola held favored Mexico to a 0-0 draw in Hanover in Group D.

Argentina has won the World Cup twice, with Diego Maradona leading the way in 1986. The former striker was cheerleading in the stands at Gelsenkirchen.

Maxi Rodriguez scored two goals in the first half and Cambiasso added a third. Hernan Crespo made it 4-0 in the 78th before Tevez and Messi finished off the scoring.

Angola goalkeeper Joao Ricardo frustrated Mexico with some dramatic saves to help the World Cup newcomers hold Mexico to a scoreless draw.

Angola, which was reduced to 10 men in the 79th minute when Andre was sent off for getting a second yellow card, earned its first point at the World Cup while keeping Mexico from winning its second straight.

Ricardo’s most desperate effort came in the 57th minute, racing off his line and leaping to thwart Guillermo Franco’s attempt to chip him from inside the penalty area. Second-half substitute Jesus Arellano put the rebound back on goal, but Jamba cleared the ball off the line.

The result left Mexico atop Group D with four points.

College Basketball

SDSU’s Heath to skip draft

San Diego – Brandon Heath, the Mountain West player of the year, withdrew his name from the NBA Draft on Friday and will return to San Diego State for his senior season. Heath didn’t hire an agent, and the decision to withdraw before the June 18 deadline allows Heath to retain his eligibility. He had workouts with a handful of teams but didn’t get an invitation to the NBA’s pre-draft camp.

Buckeyes’ Oden has surgery

Indianapolis – With Ohio State coach Thad Matta in the waiting room, 7-foot prize recruit Greg Oden had surgery Friday to repair a torn ligament in his right wrist.

Oden, Indiana’s Mr. Basketball and national prep player of the year last season at three-time state champion Lawrence North, is expected to be out of basketball at least several months, his high school coach, Jack Keefer, said Friday night.

Keefer and Matta waited during the two-hour operation at the Indiana Hand Center.

“It seemed like forever,” Keefer said. “The doctor said everything was fine.”

Oden hurt his wrist during a game in February but played with the injury through the state tournament and then in two national All-Star games. Another visit to the doctor and a follow-up MRI early this week showed the injury had not healed, forcing him to drop out of the two-game Indiana-Kentucky All-Star series this weekend and next.

Auto Racing

Allmendinger posts top time

Portland, Ore. – A.J. Allmendinger was fired, got engaged, and landed a new job – all in the span of five days. On Friday, he added to the past week’s drama by winning the provisional pole for the Champ Car Grand Prix of Portland. Allmendinger, now driving for Forsythe Championship Racing, had a fast lap of 58.378 seconds (121.114 mph) on the permanent road course at Portland International Raceway.

The second-best time was turned in by two-time defending series champion Sebastien Bourdais, who lapped the course in 58.464 seconds (120.936).

Michelin suit dismissed

Indianapolis – A federal judge dismissed a class-action lawsuit against Formula One, French tiremaker Michelin and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway by fans upset with the boycott of the U.S. Grand Prix by seven race teams last year.

U.S. District Judge Sarah Evans Barker ruled the fans had no basis to sue and likened their claim for damages to fans suing because of a “blown call” by officials in other sports.

“It’s to be assumed that the Michelin teams made the decision they believed to be in their best competitive and professional interests, and in doing so, they owed no legal duty to let the preferences of the spectators trump their own good judgment,” Barker wrote in a 12-page ruling signed Thursday.

Last year’s boycott was prompted by the failure of two Michelin tires during practice, one of which caused a crash that prevented Ralf Schumacher from competing in the U.S. Grand Prix at the Speedway. Michelin then said the tires were unsafe for the 2.6-mile Indianapolis road course, and after world auto racing officials refused to consider installing a curve to slow the cars, Michelin advised its teams not to compete.

Kahne claims Michigan pole

Brooklyn, Mich. – Kasey Kahne won his fourth pole of the Nexten Cup season Friday at Michigan International Speedway, running a lap at 185.644 mph at the two-mile track where he started third and fourth last year and has two career top-five finishes.

Bill Lester, making his second start of the season, qualified 34th in his No.23 Dodge. This year at Atlanta, Lester became the first African American driver since 1986 to earn a spot in a Nextel Cup race.

COLLEGE SOFTBALL

OSU taps Texas A&M aide

Stillwater, Okla. – Texas A&M assistant Rich Wieligman was hired Friday as Oklahoma State’s new softball coach.

Wieligman replaces Margaret Rebenar, who resigned after five years as Oklahoma State’s coach. Rebenar took the Cowgirls to the NCAA Tournament twice and was on the coaching staff for all six of the school’s Women’s College World Series appearances.

Texas A&M made the NCAA Tournament each of Wieligman’s four years as an assistant and led the nation in hitting last season. Wieligman has also been an assistant at Texas Tech, Baylor and his alma mater, Lubbock Christian.

Tennis

Federer survives scare

Halle, Germany – Roger Federer saved four match points and overcame 57 unforced errors to beat Olivier Rochus, 6-7 (2), 7-6 (9), 7-6 (5), Friday at the Gerry Weber Open for his 39th straight win on grass. The top-ranked Swiss will play Tommy Haas of Germany, who defeated Robin Soderling of Sweden, 7-5, 6-4, in the semifinals.

Sore shoulder shelves Nadal

London – French Open champion Rafael Nadal lost for the first time in nearly three months Friday when he retired in the quarterfinals of the Queen’s Club because of a sore left shoulder. The top-seeded Spaniard won the first set, 6-3, against Australian Lleyton Hewitt, who won the second by the same score.

Andy Roddick stayed on track for a fourth successive Queen’s title when he defeated Fernando Gonzalez of Chile, 6-4, 6-3.

Sharapova reaches semis

Birmingham, England – Top-seeded Maria Sharapova defeated Mara Santangelo of Italy, 6-2, 6-2, Friday to advance to the semifinals of the DFS Classic grass-court tournament. The defending champion will face American Jamea Jackson, who defeated Elena Likhovtseva of Russia, 6-4, 6-3.

Cycling

Suisse leader stays on top

Ascona, Switzerland – Spain’s Oscar Freire won the seventh stage of the Tour de Suisse on Friday, and compatriot Koldo Gil retained the overall lead.