China defeated Denmark 3-2 in its World Cup opener Wednesday, with substitute Song Xiaoli scoring the winning goal with less than two minutes left in regulation before a drum-pounding, singing crowd of more than 50,000.
The victory heightens expectations for host China's upcoming game against Brazil, which is favored to win Group D. Brazil beat an overmatched New Zealand 5-0 earlier Wednesday in the other group game.
Song, who came off bench in the 58th minute, sealed the outcome with a long, soaring shot that sent Danish players crumpling to the ground in anguish. The goal came seconds after Denmark had pulled even on Cathrine Paaske Sorensen's header.
The home crowd of 50,800 cheered and sang tirelessly throughout the match, accompanied by drums, cymbals and horns. At one end, fans passed around a giant replica of the Chinese jersey, and it fluttered from one side of the section to the other.
China struck first in the 30th on a free kick after Bi Yan was tripped up at the top of the box. Denmark goalkeeper Heidi Johansen was not able to see Li Jie's shot through the wall and couldn't react until the ball was in the net.
Bi made it 2-0 in the 50th, firing off a long shot on the run. But the widening margin distracted the Chinese players, and they allowed Denmark to answer just one minute later when Anne Dot Eggers Nielsen drilled in a header off a corner kick.
China was once one of the world's top teams but has slipped to No. 11. Following four consecutive losses at this year's Algarve Cup, the "Steel Roses" turned to a foreign coach for the first time, hiring Marika Domanski-Lyfors from Sweden.
The Danes, ranked No. 6, have beaten China only once, in 2001.
Marta scored two goals in the second half to lead Brazil to a 5-0 win past a gritty New Zealand squad Wednesday in the opening match of Group D.
The game between group favorites Brazil and overwhelming underdogs New Zealand was lopsided, with Brazil firing 26 shots to New Zealand's two. Daniela, Cristiane and Renata Costa also scored for the South Americans.
The Kiwi roster featured six teenagers, including four in the starting lineup. But the team managed to disrupt the Brazilians' flow for most of the game with physical play and shut down repeated scoring opportunities.
With FIFA player of the year Marta marked most of the game by at least one New Zealand player, Brazil's offensive duties fell to Daniela and Cristiane.
Daniela scored on a run from about 27 yards, sending a high shot past the fingertips of leaping goalkeeper Jenny Bindon in the 10th minute. Cristiane added another in the 54th, coolly firing a left-footed shot past three hapless defenders. Renata Costa sailed in a volley from 38 yards out in the 86th.
New Zealand began to tire toward the end, allowing Marta to score in the 73rd minute. She was alone and angled a low shot from the corner of the six-yard box into the back corner of the net. She added a left-footed goal in second-half injury time.
Brazil players drew roars from the crowd of 33,500 for their trademark footwork and no-look passes. Their short, quick passes looked a lot like the keep-away drills during their training sessions this week at the Wuhan Sports Center Stadium complex.
The ball rarely left New Zealand's half of the field. When the Kiwis were able to push the ball forward, their players were usually too far back in the defense to create any kind of scoring threat.
But 17-year-old Ria Percival was impressive in her World Cup debut, doggedly marking opponents on defense and carrying the ball up the side in the Kiwis' rare offensive spurts.
Norway wore down Canada in the second half for a 2-1 victory in the Women's World Cup on Wednesday.
The fourth-ranked Norwegians trailed 1-0 at the half in their Group C opener before Ragnhild Gulbrandsen and Ane Stangeland Horpestad came through with goals for the former World Cup champions.
Canada had a goal disallowed in the 32nd minute because of a foul, but went in front a minute later on a goal by Candace Chapman.
Norway drew even seven minutes into the second half as Gulbrandsen rose between two defenders to meet a cross from the right with a firm header.
Norway dominated possession in the second half. Canada goalkeeper Erin McLeod made three impressive saves to keep the score tied, but she could do nothing to stop Norway's winner in the 81st minute.
A corner from the right was headed on goal, blocked on the line by a defender, but Norway captain Horpestad was quickest to react to the loose ball and scored.
In the earlier Group C match Wednesday, Australia beat Ghana 4-1.
Australia meets Norway on Saturday, while Canada plays Ghana.
Australia finally notched its first win in a Women's World Cup, beating Ghana 4-1 Wednesday in a Group C matchup.
Australia, winless in the previous three tournaments, had a strong performance against the Africans on two goals by Lisa De Vanna and one each by Sarah Walsh and Heather Garriock.
Australia took the lead in the 14th minute, when Ghana failed to clear its defensive line and Walsh scored on a left-foot shot.
Anita Amankwa had two tying chances in the first half, but couldn't convert on either. In the 20th minute she rounded a stranded goalkeeper but misplayed her shot toward an open net. When presented with a similar opportunity in the 33rd, she took one too many touches in trying to round the keeper and was stripped of the ball.
De Vanna came on in the second half and the move quickly paid off. She hit the bar with her first opportunity and then made it 2-0 when she knocked home Walsh's cross in the 57th minute.
Garriock knocked in a header in the 69th to stretch Australia's advantage to 3-0.
Moments later, Ghana narrowed the deficit as Amankwa collected a throughball, stepped inside a defender and calmly placed her shot past the keeper.
In the 81st Garriock's throughball prompted Ghana goalkeeper Memunatu Sulemana to rush up the pitch, but when she failed to reach the ball, De Vanna knocked it into the open net.
Australia faces Norway on Saturday, and Ghana takes on Canada.
Ruud van Nistelrooy struck from close range in injury time to earn the Netherlands a hard-fought 1-0 win over Albania in their Euro 2008 qualifier on Wednesday.
Referee Mike Riley blew the final whistle two minutes early in the Group G match after fireworks thrown from the stands exploded above the head of Dutch defender Mario Melchiot.
The win takes the Dutch level with leaders Romania on 20 points and keeps them two points above Bulgaria, who have played a game more after beating visitors Luxembourg 3-0.
GettyImages Ryan Babel evades the Albanians
'They started furiously and made it difficult for us but that is not a problem,' Netherlands coach Marco Van Basten said on RTL4-television.
'It was a deserved win because we kept our discipline and therefore my team deserves a compliment.'
In a dreadful game, the Netherlands lacked the creativity and pace to unsettle the passionate Albanians, who set out to earn a point and had their chances to clinch a shock win.
'For an attractive match you need two teams that want to play football but they only pulled back and then it is difficult,' added a relieved Van Basten.
On the stroke of halftime Albania thought they had scored when Melchiot headed past his own keeper Edwin van der Sarhad but Debatik Curri was penalised for pushing the defender.
Robin van Persie was replaced at halftime following a booking that means the winger will miss the next qualifier in Romania next month.
Albania's Alban Bushi forced Van der Sar into a full-length save early in the second half with a shot from 25 metres while Arjan Beqaj kept out two long-range drives by Wesley Sneijder.
But two minutes from time Albania's Lorik Cana was sent off for misconduct and the Dutch took advantage when substitute Urby Emanuelson broke through on the left to set up Van Nistelrooy for the winner triggering missile-throwing by the home fans.
Captain Dimitar Berbatov scored twice within a minute to help Bulgaria to a 3-0 win over Luxembourg on Wednesday and keep alive their Euro 2008 qualification hopes.
Tottenham Hotspur striker Berbatov missed a glorious opportunity to open the scoring in the 20th minute, shooting wide from 10 metres with only keeper Jonathan Joubert to beat.
He made no mistake after 27 minutes, however, when Aston Villa midfielder Stilian Petrov provided him with a textbook cross from the left and he headed home.
Lively teenager Ivelin Popov fed Berbatov to double Bulgaria's advantage from close range only a minute later with his 37th goal for the national team, equalling former Bulgaria great Hristo Stoichkov's achievement.
'It's a good feeling but I think that this achievement belongs to all my team mates,' said Berbatov. 'Football is a team sport. There are players who pass the ball and there are people who score goals.'
Martin Petrov put the game beyond struggling Luxembourg nine minutes after the break when he converted a penalty won by Berbatov after a foul by Eric Hoffman.
'I'm pleased with the win as the only thing that makes me feel unhappy is that we continue to miss a lot of scoring opportunities,' said Bulgaria coach Dimitar Penev.
'We could have scored many more goals today and I hope that the players will understand the importance of converting our chances,' he added.
Spain laboured to a 2-0 home win over Latvia to join Sweden at the top of Group F in their Euro 2008 qualifier on Wednesday.
Barcelona midfielder Xavi opened the scoring after 13 minutes but Spain struggled to add to the score against technically inferior, though well-organised, opposition.
It was not until five minutes from time that striker Fernando Torres pounced for the second to secure the result.
Spain moved above Northern Ireland into second place, level on 19 points with Sweden who have a game in hand. Northern Ireland, who earlier lost 2-1 to Iceland, have 16 points.
'It's clear we are better but we need to prove that on the pitch,' midfielder David Albelda told Spanish state television. 'The difference on the pitch is not reflected in the scoreline. We missed a lot of chances.'
Coach Luis Aragones had criticised his players for their poor start in the 1-1 draw away to Iceland on Saturday, and they responded with a bright opening in Oviedo.
They moved the ball around quickly and midfielder Xavi set Torres through on goal after 11 minutes with a defence-splitting pass but the striker's first touch was poor.
Soon after, Joaquin broke down the right flank beating his man and crossed low for Xavi to score with a simple tap in.
Having got the early goal they had spoken of, however, Spain failed to press home the advantage their dominance of possession should have given them.
In the 36th minute, they were almost caught out when Maris Verpakovskis just failed to get his foot to a cross, prompting some whistles from the home fans.
Spain upped the tempo after the break and Joaquin, substitute Andres Iniesta and Torres all went close.
The relentless pressure paid off at the end when Iniesta crossed low for Miguel Angel Angulo to shoot. The keeper saved but Torres was on hand to stick the loose ball home.
Northern Ireland have only an outside chance of qualifying for Euro 2008 after their second successive defeat.
Just like Latvia at the weekend they were undone by an own goal in a group F encounter.
It was Keith Gillespie's turn to rue his bad luck a minute from time tonight with the touch which sealed a victory for Iceland.
In Latvia Chris Baird's own goal had sealed a narrow win for the hosts.
You had to feel for Northern Ireland as they raised their game after a bad start.
They almost made the breakthrough as well inside the first minute with Warren Feeney testing goalkeeper Arni Arason with a fierce shot. However Iceland took the lead after just six minutes when Northern Ireland were caught cold.
A swift move saw Gunnar Thorvaldsson deliver a good ball into the area and Armann Bjornsson was the first to react and smashed a shot beyond goalkeeper Maik Taylor and into the roof of the net.
Northern Ireland hit back in the 15th minute when Chris Brunt delivered a corner to the back post.
Jonny Evans escaped his marker to flick in a header that was deflected to safety.
Evans who had been troubled by a groin injury then needed treatment in the 19th minute following a late challenge from Bjornsson, which saw the Icelandic player booked.
Northern Ireland raised the tempo and Sammy Clingan made space in the 28th minute on the edge of the area only to fire his effort wide of the post.
They should have equalised three minutes later when Evans cleared the bar with his close range shot after Arason pushed away a free kick from Brunt.
This was a good spell of pressure by the province and Evans complained unsuccessfully he had been impeded when Michael Duff played the ball in after 33 minutes.
Feeney was finding it difficult to get into the game and was booked in the 41st minute for a challenge on Arason following a short back pass from Hermann Hreidarsson.
Then Kari Arnason was allowed room to manouvre in the 47th minute and latched on to a pass from Thorvaldsson.
He got a decent enough strike on the ball but Taylor got down quickly to smother his effort.
Brunt was unlucky not to equalise in the 51st minute when his 25-yard thunderbolt came back off the bar with Arason a spectator.
Former Bolton and Chelsea striker Eidur Gudjohnsen was introduced in the 54th minute to help Iceland regain the momentum.
However Northern Ireland were beginning to turn the screw and Brunt was a danger from set-pieces.
He delivered a good corner from the right after 63 minutes and Arnar Vidarsson was happy to concede a corner.
Northern Ireland kept up the pressure and Michael Duff got on the end of a Brunt corner - but could not get enough power on his effort.
Nigel Worthington's side drew level in the 71st minute thanks to Healy's 12th goal of the campaign.
The Fulham striker scored coolly from the penalty spot after being upended by Ragnar Sigurdsson.
That conversion took his tally to 32 goals from 59 games - and the equaliser was no more than Northern Ireland deserved.
But then with a minute of the 90 minutes to go they were undone when Gillespie put the ball into his own net, under pressure from Gudjohnsen after Gretar Steinsson played the ball in.
Denmark forward Morten Nordstrand struck twice in a comfortable 4-0 victory over Liechtenstein in their Group F Euro 2008 qualifier on Wednesday.
Nordstrand, earning only his third cap, scored his first international goal in the third minute, knocking the ball in off the right-hand post after a corner.
Defender Martin Laursen added the second and Jon Dahl Tomasson made it 3-0 before Nordstrand wrapped up the scoring after a swift one-two with Tomasson in the 36th minute.
Nordstrand nearly made it a hat-trick in the 80th minute when he dribbled past the visiting keeper only to hit the side netting from a tight angle.
The only threat from Liechtenstein came from Mario Frick, who beat four Denmark defenders in the 50th minute but was foiled by keeper Thomas Sorensen in a one-on-one.
'We had two different halves. In the first half we had a good grip on the game and a lot of speed, while in the second we lost tempo,' said Denmark coach Morten Olsen.
Denmark are fourth in their group on 14 points, five behind leaders Sweden.
Michael Owen hit 'The Big 40' as England took a mighty stride towards Euro 2008 with a clinical dismissal of Guus Hiddink's Russia.
Owen struck twice in the first half to become only the fourth player, after Jimmy Greaves, Sir Bobby Charlton and Gary Lineker to score 40 times for the Three Lions.
A rather less prolific player, Rio Ferdinand, struck his first international goal since the 2002 World Cup six minutes from the end. So, six months after suffering the worst abuse ever directed at an England manager, Steve McClaren now knows that England require just five points from their remaining three games to qualify, providing one of them comes in the return meeting with Russia next month.
It is a quite startling about-turn in fortunes and, while Gareth Barry and Emile Heskey in particular deserve heaps of praise for their superb contributions, Owen is the man who made it possible.
A scorer in his last two games for Newcastle and last two competitive outings for England, Owen's double bore all the hallmarks of a striker nearing his peak again.
And, though Russia did enough to suggest they will not be easily thwarted on a plastic surface in Moscow on October 17, by which time England should have opened up a five-point cushion over Hiddink's men by beating Estonia on home soil, with Owen around, Wayne Rooney back and Frank Lampard, Owen Hargreaves and David Beckham available, McClaren has every reason to be optimistic.
Despite lamely hinting at changes, McClaren surprised no-one by sticking with the side which turned in such a convincing display in the weekend win over Israel.
He sent them out with two challenges; get right into Russia's faces and prove it was possible to reach the highest standards two games in succession. By the time Swedish referee Martin Hansson brought the opening period to an end the response had been delivered in the most positive manner possible.
The more hard-to-please England fans grumbled on Saturday that the opposition was not up to scratch. There could be no such complaint, excuse or `ah but' clause this time around.
Against a side coached by the legendary Hiddink, who had conceded just once in eight qualifying games prior to kick-off, England attacked with verve, vitality and vision. Had they been four in front at the break, it would not have been an injustice to the hosts, who had heroes all around the pitch.
Barry, once again begging the question why he has been such an infrequent member of England squads down the years, Joe Cole tormenting Russia down the left, Shaun Wright-Phillips doing the same on the right.
And then there was Heskey and Owen. A model partnership in every sense and delivering when it mattered.
As always in these situations, a slice of luck is required and England got it when Hansson ruled Konstantin Zyryanov had handled just before he fired a shot on the turn past Paul Robinson.
Russia thought they had an equaliser and television replays did nothing to undermine their argument. It was definitely a borderline call and thankfully for England, the only man who mattered sided with them.
By that point Owen had scored his first and both Heskey and Wright-Phillips should have followed his lead.
Throughout his lengthy injury problems, McClaren never wavered in his belief that once Owen was restored to full fitness, England would be a different team.
The truth of those words was evident in Estonia last June when Owen made a goalscoring return to competitive combat.
He was on target again on Saturday and the finish from Barry's cross to give England their seventh-minute advantage tonight was pure class.
John Terry attracted two Russian defenders to Barry's cross like moths to a flame, leaving Owen completely on his own.
The Newcastle striker controlled with one touch, then rifled home with a precise second.
Russia's third-choice goalkeeper Viacheslav Malafeev pulled off an excellent save to turn away Cole's deflected effort immediately after Zyryanov's `goal' had been ruled out but within minutes he was picking the ball out of his net again.
There seemed no danger when Ferdinand punted upfield from inside his own half. But Heskey squeezed between two unsuspecting defenders and got his head to the ball with firm enough contact to send it bouncing into Owen's path.
This time there was no need to control as the Newcastle man sent his volley arrowing into the top corner.
Hiddink's response was a substitution and tactical change which was tantamount to an admission of defeat, an embarrassing situation indeed for a man who was one of the early candidates to replace Sven-Goran Eriksson and whom many would still prefer to McClaren.
Not on this evidence though. For, while Dmitry Sychev twice went close just after the break, Russia had neither the brawn nor the brain to unsettle the hosts and Ferdinand ended their miserable night by drilling home near the end.
Croatia mauled underdogs Andorra 6-0 in a one-sided Euro 2008 qualifying match on Wednesday to remain top of Group E with three games to play.
The visitors struggled and lacked ideas through the first half-hour until winger Darijo Srna found the net with a superb free kick 11 minutes from time.
Another free kick, from Borrusia Dortmund striker Mladen Petric four minutes later, doubled the lead. Petric added another one a minute from halftime after he was left unguarded by Andorra defence.
Croatia kept up the pressure in the second half when Niko Kranjcar and Eduardo da Silva rounded off a few good team moves by scoring a goal apiece within a few minutes.
Nineteen-year-old Schalke midfielder Ivan Rakitic scored his first goal for Croatia in his second international game.
Croatia top Group E on 23 points and play Israel on Oct 17, Macedonia on Nov 17 and England on Nov 21.
Marek Jankulovski's early goal gave the Czech Republic a 1-0 win over 10-man Ireland in their Group D qualifier on Wednesday and moved his team a big step closer to advancing to Euro 2008.
The Czechs entered the match in second place in the group, five points behind leaders Germany who are on 22 and three ahead of the Irish after eight matches.
With six points now between themselves and Ireland, the Czechs need just one win from their final three games against Germany, Cyprus and Slovakia.
"We still have important games ahead, we can't say we have advanced. But this was a big win for us, it helps separate us from the others," said Czech coach Karel Brueckner.
The Czechs pounced on a tentative Irish team from the kickoff and Jankulovski struck in the 15th minute when he combined well with Jaroslav Plasil.
The AC Milan defender took a return pass and then coolly slotted home a low shot into the Irish goal.
"We showed a lot of heart and I think this performance should quieten some of our critics. The goal was a great example of how our team work is developing. We're now closer to our dream," Jankulovski said.
Tempers flared in a match that that at times looked like getting out of the control of Greek referee Kyros Vassaras.
Stephen Hunt, an early first half substitute for Ireland, was jeered loudly by the crowd, recalling his reckless challenge in an English Premier League match last year that put Czech goalkeeper Petr Cech in hospital with a severe head injury.
The boos reached their worst in the 61st minute when his aggressive tackle from behind on Jan Polak drew an immediate red card from Vassaras, who also handed out nine yellows during the match.
Even though they were down to 10 men, Ireland still mounted some dangerous counter-attacks and almost capitalised on a Cech mistake in the 71st minute, but defender David Rozehnal cleared Paul McShane's weak shot just before it crossed the line.
"We are greatly disappointed. We started badly, but we got back to our top form. Even when we went down to 10 men, we still had chances," said Irish coach Steve Staunton.
"It's out of our hands, it's now up to the Czechs," he added, referring to Ireland's chances of overtaking the Czechs.
Two goals from Efstathios Aloneftis helped Cyprus to a 3-0 win over San Marino in a Euro 2008 Group D qualifier on Wednesday.
Aloneftis's scored in the 15th minute and the home side doubled their tally with a free kick in the 41st from Michalis Constantinou.
The second half proved a pedestrian affair with Cyprus's attacking moves breaking down and San Marino failing to trouble the home defence. In the last minute of the game Aloneftis took a low cross from the left and, unmarked, put away Cyprus's third goal.
Craig Bellamy-inspired Wales stormed to victory in their Euro 2008 qualifying group D match in Slovakia - scoring five goals in an away match for the first time in 11 years.
Bellamy's pace destroyed a pedestrian Slovakia defence and helped erase the memory of a 5-1 mauling handed out by the Slovaks in Cardiff.
It also boosted morale following the depressing home defeat by group leaders Germany at the weekend.
Boss John Toshack's young side found their heart, spirit and confidence to produce a result which will be long remembered.
They were behind early on to a Marek Mintal strike, but stormed back with three goals in 20 first half minutes - two from Bellamy after Freddy Eastwood had equalised.
Mintal pulled a goal back, but Bellamy's brilliant running tore the heart out of the Slovakian defence, and a Jan Durica own goal and a last-gasp goal from Simon Davies produced the sweetest of results.
Wales lost defender Lewin Nyatanga to a back problem before the game, meaning Peterborough's Craig Morgan won his third cap in defence, while Bellamy returned after health problems with his baby daughter ruled him out of Saturday's defeat to Germany.
This 18,000 capacity stadium 40 miles outside Bratislava was not even a quarter full, enabling the 700 travelling Wales fans to more than able to make themselves heard.
Slovakia attempted to impose themselves on the game early and former Blackburn defender Vratislav Gresko caused the Wales defence plenty of problems with his crosses.
A Gresko cross helped Slovakia take a 10th-minute lead.
The ball dropped to Joe Ledley, who was far too slow with his clearance, allowing Mintal the time to hook the ball past Wayne Hennessey.
Wales levelled 11 minutes later. Hennessey's long ball was played out to Ledley by Bellamy, and the Cardiff youngster atoned for his earlier mistake with a low cross that Eastwood stabbed home.
Bellamy was beginning to enjoy himself against slower defenders, but after being caught marginally offside, he opted to continue his shot and chipped Stefan Senecky, only to be booked for his troubles by French referee Laurent Duhamel.
But he can be irrepressible in such circumstances and in the 34th minute Bellamy struck with a cracker. Eastwood's ball over the top was a decent pass, but the West Ham striker still had plenty to do.
He set off on a high speed chase from half-way, caught and passed Durica before slamming a stunning 18 yard left-footed high past Senecky.
And it was Bellamy who struck again on 41 minutes with another outstanding finish, getting behind the defence again and lashing an acute angled drive off the underside of the bar.
The Slovaks sent on winger Branislav Obzera for Stanislav Sestak at the break and the first chance after the restart came when Marek Cech got away but failed to really test Hennessey with a weak cross-shot.
They did reduce the deficit to 3-2 in the 57th minute when Cech played in Mintal, who drilled a low drive past Hennessey.
Hennessey did not look too convincing when he spooned a long-range effort from Filip Holosko round a post, before Slovakia sent on Igor Zofcak for Gresko.
Bellamy's attempts to relieve the pressure saw him hare away on 71 minutes to send in a cross-shot that hit the inside of the far post and came back into play.
Toshack then sent on midfielder Carl Fletcher in place of Eastwood, the need to shore up midfield now obvious.
Bellamy then got past Durica again, and looked to be cut down on the edge of the box, but the referee ignored desperate appeals from the West Ham striker.
When Bellamy got onto the end of a Simon Davies pass on 74 minutes, before scampering into the box and drilling a cross into the six-yard box, Durica - sliding in to stop the ball reaching Davies at the far post - knocked the ball into his own net.
David Vaughan came on for Ledley on 85 minutes, then Obzera was booked for dragging back Bellamy - who had been on his own up front for much of the half but still managed to terrorise every defender with his pace.
And a great night for Wales was capped in the last minute when Davies drilled in the fifth, following a free-kick given for after another foul on Bellamy
Turkey beat 10-man Hungary 3-0 in their Euro 2008 qualifier on Wednesday to stay firmly in the race to qualify from Group C for next year's finals.
Turkey piled on the pressure right from the start but the turning point came in the 63rd minute when Hungarian forward Zoltan Gera was sent off for a second yellow card, awarded for a dive in the penalty area.
Turkey took full advantage, breaking the deadlock five minutes later when young forward Gokhan Unal headed home a cross from Tuncay Sanli from the left wing.
Four minutes later, Emre Belozoglu fed the ball through for Brazil-born Mehmet Aurelio to make sure of the points. Halil Altintop hit the third in stoppage time.
It was Turkey's first match at home in the Euro 2008 qualifiers after having to play three games behind closed doors on neutral territory due to a FIFA ban imposed for a brawl after a World Cup qualifying playoff with Switzerland in November 2005 in Istanbul.
The result leaves Turkey third in the group with 17 points, just behind Norway, also on 17 but having played a game more. Holders Greece are top with 19 points, while Hungary are a distant fifth on nine points.
Two goals by striker Sotirios Kyrgiakos earned Greece a 2-2 draw with Norway that kept them top of Group C in the Euro 2008 qualifiers on Wednesday.
The European champions led twice in the first half thanks to Kyrgiakos, but Norway hit back both times with goals from striker John Carew and defender John Arne Riise.
The draw left Greece on 19 points from eight matches, two more than the second-placed Norway who have played a game more.
'If the European qualifying rounds were a 400 metres race, we'd be close to the last turn, with maybe 120 metres remaining,' Greece coach Otto Rehhagel told reporters.
'But if you run out of breath, the opponent can still catch you. This is not over yet.'
Kyrgiakos opened the scoring from a sixth minute corner, taking advantage of some poor marking by defender Brede Hangeland to head past keeper Hakon Opdal and in off the post.
Carew matched that in similar style, beating his marker to equalise with a header from a corner in the 15th minute.
Kyrgiakos restored Greece's lead in the 29th, following up the loose ball after Opdal, who had previously kept three consecutive clean sheets, had only parried a free kick.
Riise levelled for Norway 10 minutes later with a trademark drive from 20 metres that keeper Konstantinos Chalkias got his hands on but was unable to keep out.
The Greeks opted to defend for the second half and proved a match for a series of Norwegian attacks.
Scotland took a giant step towards qualifying for the 2008 European Championships with an amazing 1-0 win over France in the Parc des Princes.
After surviving a first-half of almost total French domination, lone striker James McFadden scored a glorious 30-yard drive in the 63rd minute to give Scotland all three points.
Alex McLeish's side are top of Group B having taken six points from the French and with two of their last three games at Hampden Park.
Italy moved in to second place with a win in Ukraine but the night belonged to the Scots, who caused a massive shock in Paris - and one which looked so unlikely for most of the match.
With only McFadden in attack, and Paul Hartley protecting the back four, it promised to be a difficult night for McLeish's men - and that is exactly how the first half panned out.
As expected, the French soon took control, the Scots struggling to get out of their own half with any real conviction.
The visitors had a couple of early warnings, stopper Stephen McManus doing well to clear a couple of crosses in to the box, first from Florent Malouda on the left and then from Franck Ribery, who fired in low from the right.
In the 15th minute, as the pressure on the Scottish defence continued, David Trezeguet swivelled on a Claude Makelele pass but his left-footed effort from 14 yards went wide of the target.
Soon after, Malouda had a low drive from distance saved quite comfortably by Scotland goalkeeper Craig Gordon.
Scotland then won a couple of corners in quick succession thanks to McFadden but France goalkeeper Mickael Landreau was untroubled.
The French, strong if lacking in real flair, soon regained the ascendancy and a cut-back from left-back Eric Abidal, after playing a one-two with Malouda, caused a moment of panic.
In the 22nd minute France skipper Patrick Vieira was booked for a foul on Darren Fletcher in the centre circle.
Fletcher was then shown a yellow card moments later for a foul on Malouda, ruling him out of the Ukraine game in October.
In the 26th minute Stephen Pearson replaced Fletcher who appeared to have injured himself in the tackle on the Chelsea midfielder.
Just after the half mark Ribery's goalbound drive from the edge of the box deflected off Alexander but Makelele's corner was easily gathered by Gordon.
Towards the end of the half Scotland enjoyed a brief spell of possession but could not make any impact on the French goal although McFadden drew a save from Landreau after good work on the byline.
When referee Konrad Plautz blew to restart the game there was no surprise when the Scots filed back and within two minutes Ribery had fired in another effort, but again the Bayern Munich player's effort was wide.
Despite their domination, the French were almost as impotent as Scotland, especially with regards their final ball in to Gordon's penalty area.
But in the 55th minute Anelka presented Ribery with the best chance of the game with a clever dink just inside the Scotland penalty area.
Ribery's left-footed strike from 12 yards was parried by Gordon and the France midfielder blasted the rebound high over the bar.
Seconds later the Sunderland goalkeeper pulled off another great save, tipping Anelka's shot from 12 yards over the bar, the Scots again surviving the resultant corner.
Suddenly the tempo had lifted and Hartley was then rightly booked for scything down Ribery on the touchline.
Then in the 63rd minute Scotland turned the game on its head with the game's decisive moment.
The ball broke to McFadden at least 30 yards from goal and, out of the blue, the Everton striker drove a glorious shot in the top corner.
The Parc des Princes was stunned - apart from the section housing the Tartan Army.
The French supporters could hardly take in the scoreline as their favourites pounded the Scottish penalty area in search of the equaliser.
The Scots fans dared to look for another goal, although the drained McFadden made way for Garry O'Connor with 15 minutes remaining.
The tension during the final moments was almost unbearable for the travelling hordes but somehow Scotland held on to start a massive party in Paris.
Antonio Di Natale scored twice to power Italy to a 2-1 win over Ukraine in their Euro 2008 Group B qualifier on Wednesday as the world champions stayed on track for next year's finals.
The win moved Italy into second place with 20 points from nine matches, a point behind new leaders Scotland, who upset World Cup runners-up France 1-0 in Paris. The French, on 19 points, dropped from first to third.
Udinese midfielder Di Natale struck either side of the interval, first stunning a 42,000-strong home crowd with a close-range header to put his team ahead in the 40th minute.
Chelsea striker Andriy Shevchenko, undoubtedly the most active player for Ukraine, equalised in the 72nd minute to give the home side some hope.
But it was only a short reprieve for the Euro 2012 co-hosts as Di Natale struck again five minutes later.
The Italians did not have a shot on goal until Di Natale's first goal. He also hit over the bar in the 17th minute and Andrea Pirlo's free kick went wide of the post a minute later for their only scoring chances before the break.
At the other end, Shevchenko hit the crossbar with a 25-metre free kick three minutes into the game.
The Ukraine captain then tested Gianluigi Buffon with another long-range blast, this time from 35 metres, that the Italy keeper could only punch away.
Buffon came out on top in another duel with Shevchenko early in the second half, but the former AC Milan forward finally beat the Juventus keeper with a low shot from 12 metres to bring the partisan crowd to their feet.
But the World Cup winners had the last word, with Di Natale beating Olexander Shovkovsky with a rising shot after going one-on-one with the Ukraine keeper.
Italy coach Roberto Donadoni told a news conference: "We had a few difficult moments, especially in the first half, but we stuck with our game plan and it worked.
"But with Scotland beating France tonight the group is still far from being decided. It'll go to the very end."
Donadoni's counterpart, Oleg Blokhin, conceded that Ukraine, who have 13 points from eight games, now have only "one-in-a-million chance" to qualify for the finals.
Blokhin also blamed the Ukraine media for his team's woes.
"You guys kept on saying that I was the lucky coach when we qualified for the (2006) World Cup," he told reporters.
"I think you just put a curse on my team."
It was the fifth time the two teams have met in official international matches, with Italy winning all five, including a 2-0 victory in Rome last October.
Only half of the capacity crowd was allowed into the 84,000-seat Olympic stadium, which is scheduled to host the European Championship final in 2012, because of safety concerns linked to the construction of a nearby shopping centre.
World and European soccer's governing bodies FIFA and UEFA said the centre posed a security risk and limited the attendance.
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Song, who came off bench in the 58th minute, sealed the outcome with a long, soaring shot that sent Danish players crumpling to the ground in anguish. The goal came seconds after Denmark had pulled even on Cathrine Paaske Sorensen's header.
