Berlin ? Brazil labored to another unconvincing victory at the World Cup on Sunday, qualifying for the second round by beating Australia, 2-0, and substituting an ineffective Ronaldo for the second game in a row.

The dismal run of 1998 World Cup winner France continued in Leipzig with a 1-1 draw against South Korea. The specter of elimination from the tournament in the first round for the second straight time looms for France while a delighted South Korea leads Group G.

Japan and Croatia played a turgid 0-0 draw in Group F in Nuremberg. Those two teams and Australia are now scrapping for the second qualification place.

In Munich, Brazil led 1-0 for most of the match until the 89th minute, when substitute Fred tapped in a rebound a minute after entering. Adriano scored the first goal in the 49th minute with a left-footer from the edge of the penalty area, striking a low shot past Australia goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer.

Australia had its chances, too. Mark Viduka’s lob landed on top of the net, and Harry Kewell shot over from long range.

The victory was Brazil’s ninth consecutive at the World Cup. The five-time champions haven’t been eliminated in the first stage since 1966.

Ronaldo set up Adriano for his goal. Brazil’s “magic quartet” of attackers had another subpar performance on Sunday, failing to spark Brazil’s attack after an even less impressive performance in the 1-0 win over Croatia.

“We are in the round of 16,” Brazil coach Carlos Alberto Parreira said. “The importance of this match was to guarantee our participation in the (next round). The team improved compared to the other match.”

In Leipzig, Park Ji-sung scored the equalizing goal in the 81st minute to grab a crucial point for South Korea after Thierry Henry had given France the lead. Park poked the ball over France goalkeeper Fabien Barthez and out of the reach of defender William Gallas, who tried to clear the ball before it crossed the goal line.

France captain Zinedine Zidane, who has said he will retire from all soccer after the World Cup, may have played his last match. He picked up his second yellow card of the tournament and will miss the remaining group game against Togo.

South Korea leads Group G with four points from two matches, with France in second place with two points. Third-place Switzerland has one point and plays Togo on Monday.

Croatia, yet to score at the World Cup, had the best chance when Japan captain Tsuneyasu Miyamoto brought down Dado Prso in the area. Darijo Srna’s penalty was saved by Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi.

Both teams had chances to win the match but solid goalkeeping on both sides left the teams with just one point with one match remaining. Japan faces Brazil in its final match while Croatia plays Australia.

In Hamburg, the U.S. players were rejoicing a day after a 1-1 tie with Italy. Never before had the Americans earned a World Cup point in Europe.

“They brought an attitude to the field and a confidence that allowed them to be successful yesterday,” U.S. coach Bruce Arena said.

For nearly the entire second half Saturday night, the United States labored with nine men against Italy’s 10, following the rapid-fire ejections of one Italian player, then two Americans.

The wide-open play left players drained. They returned to their hotel at about 3 a.m., after about 40 airmen gave them a spirited sendoff at Ramstein Air Base, and Arena gave his players the day off Sunday. Captain Claudio Reyna ate ice cream with his family in the mall under the team hotel just before the start of Arena’s news conference.

The United States (0-1-1) can advance to the second round from Group E if it beats Ghana (1-1) on Thursday and Italy (1-0-1) defeats the Czech Republic (1-1). There are several other improbable combinations, but all hinge on a U.S. victory.

Arena had downplayed the significance of a 3-0 opening loss to the Czechs.

“We only lost a soccer game,” he said Sunday. “We didn’t lose our dignity, our honor or our respect.”