DORTMUND, June 14 (Xinhua) -- Hosts Germany came out the first team to qualify for the knockout phase of the World Cup after earning a dramatic 1-0 win over Poland here on Wednesday with a match remaining in their Group A encounters.

    Substitution striker Oliver Neuville scored the late goal for Germany and sent Poland packing as the neighbor of the hosts lost as many games in their first two matches.

    Neuville, who has impressed since he came on as a substitute in 71 minutes, lobbed in a David Odonkor's cross from the right on the first stoppage minute of the game with a first-time shot from five meters.

    Before the decisive goal, the hosts twice hit the crossbar as Miroslav Klose headed a left cross from Philipp Lahm to kiss off the bar at 90 and Ballack followed up from close range and kicked off the bar again before Odonkor drove it offside.

    With the victory, Germany, who trounced group rivals Costa Rica 4-2 in the World Cup opener on Friday, will reach the knockout phase unless Costa Rica beat Ecuador on Thursday.

    The Poles, however, is set to leave the World Cup early as they were beaten 2-0 by Ecuador on Friday before Wednesday's deciding showdown against Germany.

    In earlier games played Wednesday, World Cup debutants Ukraine ended their opener in a 4-0 thrashing by Spain in the unrelenting heat of Leipzig, and Saudi Arabia held African champions Tunisia to a 2-2 draw in their World Cup Group H opening match.

    Zied Jairi gave Tunisia a 1-0 after 23 minutes, firing home a spectacular volley after Redha Tuker made a poor clearance from a free kick.

    Yasser Al Khatani equalized the score for Saudi Arabia with their first World Cup goal since 1998 in the 57th minute. Mohammed Noor sent in a low cross and Khatani cut in between two Tunisian defenders to slot the ball home.

    The Asians side surprised all to go ahead in the 84th minute. Sami Al Jaber, who was sent on from the bench in the second half, rounding off an exquisite one-touch move from the back by tucking the ball past Tunisia's 40-year-old goalkeeper Ali Boumnijel.

    Tunisia, bidding for the first win for Africa at the World Cup, levelled the score with a last-gasp goal in the injury time from Radhi Jaidi to make it 2-2.

    Spain produced a brilliant display to outclass the Ukraine side that played most of the second half with 10 men.

    Xabi Alonso headed Spain in front from a Xavi corner only 13 minutes into the game and David Villa doubled the lead with a free-kick that deflected past Olexandr Shovkovskiy in the 17th.

    Ukraine's defender Vladislav Vashchuk was sent off for pulling back Fernando Torres and Villa added a third goal from the penalty in the 48th.

    Spain saved their best for last when Fernando Torres finished off a sublime move by drilling home in the 81st minute.

    Before Neuville's late scoring, the German side seemed almost for sure to settle for a goalless draw by the decided Polish team, which was cut to ten men after Radoslaw Sobolewski being sent off at 74 for a second bookable offence of bringing down Miroslav Klose.

    Poland, playing the game with too much at stake that they didn't want to concede, learnt a lesson from Friday's 2-0 defeat to group rivals Ecuador at their tournament opening match, and returned to their traditional style on Wednesday, driving long andseeking opportunities in front to threaten on the break.

    With the solid defense built up by the Poles, the hosts failed to turn any of their efforts into goal, while inspirational skipper Michael Ballack, just recovering from a calf strain to start, got hurt in a ball-controlling clash with Radoslaw Sobolewski at 28.

    The Chelsea's new signing, who missed Germany's 4-2 victory over Costa Rica at Friday's World Cup opener, was later booked forbring down Poland's impressed striker Ireneusz Jelen on the 59th.

    It's Germany who enjoyed the greater share of possession, and Poland, who set their side up to be difficult to beat, failed to come up with something special to score.

    Polish-born striker Miroslav Klose wastes the first real chance of the Germans in 20 minutes as he headed wide from close range after a tantalising left-wing cross.

    Fifteen minutes later, Lukas Podolski, also born in Poland and came to Germany as a child, went close for Germany with an impressive piece of individual skill. He controlled the ball first time before spinning round and testing Artur Boruc with a powerful shot.

    The best chance of the first half came on the first stoppage minute before break when a lovely stepover from Bastian Schweinsteiger played in Philipp Lahm down the left before he crossed to Lukas Podolski, who managed to contrive a shot from a tight angle but sent the ball wide of the far post.

    Opening the second half, the Germans put even more on attack as coach Jurgen Klinsmann replaced defender Arne Friedrich with winger Odonkor in 64 minutes as the Borussia Dortmund player made an almost immediate impression and burst down the right wing to force a corner just two minutes after substitution.

    Klose went desperately close to breaking the deadlock for Germany in 76 minutes, sending a glancing header inches wide of the far post.

    And 4 minutes later, Lahm cut in from the left and curled a shot toward the far corner, then Neuville shot first time from five meters, but Artur Boruc made two superb saves in the best passage to keep his side in the match. Enditem