Before the game, Poland’s veteran centre-back, Tomasz Waldoch, had reportedly said, ‘We’ll never lose a goal against an attack as weak as the Koreans. Maybe they will be a problem for other teams, but not for us.’ Hubris punished by Nemesis. In fact Waldoch, and his fellow Schalke 04 defender, Tomasz Hajto, had rings run round them by the quick Korean attackers.
Emmanuel Olisadebe, Poland’s little Nigerian-born striker, was unquestionably quick, and made a fine early chance for Jacek Krzynowek, but it was wasted, and there wouldn’t be another. Instead, it was the Koreans who dominated the game, over eager at first, but increasingly dangerous once they cooled down. It would subsequently be suggested that their exceptional stamina might have had chemical origins, but none of their players failed a dope test.
On 26 minutes, when Lee Ful-Yong crossed accurately from the left, Hwang Sun-Hong, the striker, was left culpably unmarked, and beat Jerzy Dudek with ease. With Yoo Sang-Chul dynamic in midfield and the veteran sweeper Hong Myung-Bo marshalling the defence, the Koreans dominated. On 53 minutes it was Yoo who scored Korea’s second goal, holding off two defenders. Only a string of saves by Dudek, not least late on, from the substitute Ahn, prevented more goals.
In Group H, in Saitama, co-hosts Japan drew 2–2 with Belgium. The evergreen 33-year-old Marc Wilmots scored Belgium’s first with a spectacular bicycle kick. Japan’s second goal was adventurously taken by their midfielder Junichi Inamoto, emerging from the shadows of a frustrating season with Arsenal in which he never played a Premiership game.
When Portugal met the USA in Suwon the following evening, in Group D, it seemed no great test for the talented Europeans. Instead, in the early stages, their feeble defence was swept aside by an ebullient USA team, which took a 3–0 lead.
Under their resourceful coach Bruce Arena, who had had great success in Major League Soccer with the Washington club DC United and had made an untypically positive transition from college coaching to the professional game, the Americans now had an internal harmony notably missing in 1998: though even then, under the much-contested coach Steve Sampson, their results were hardly as disastrous as seemed to be assumed. Moreover, two lively young attackers had emerged in the shape of the 20-year-old Landon Donovan, even though he was yet to make an impact at Bayern Leverkusen, and the little black left winger, 20-year-old DaMarcus Beasley.
In the opening phases, Portugal hardly knew what hit them. Even without their key playmaker, the injured Claudio Reyna, the American attack was full of energy, pace and penetration. Not least in the shape of their fourth-minute goalscorer, John O’Brien, who, after joining the Ajax Amsterdam youth scheme at the age of 16, had finally gained a place in their first team. ‘I predicted John would have a great World Cup and he proved me right,’ Reyna would enthuse.
When another player many years in Dutch football, Earnie Stewart, took a free kick from the left, Brian McBride’s header was fumbled by the shaky Portuguese keeper, Vitor Baia, and O’Brien scored. The second American goal on the half hour was rather more fortunate, but rewarded sustained pressure. When Donovan, unmarked, hit the ball across from the right, it struck Jorge Costa and a surprised Baia could only push it on to the post, whence it entered the goal. Five minutes later Stewart missed a sitter, but a minute after that, Tony Sanneh’s cross was headed in by McBride.
Three minutes more and at last Portugal scored, through Beto, following up his own rebounded header. But with the renowned midfielders Rui Costa and Luis Figo so ineffective, Portugal were dominant only in the last 20 minutes or so and even then their second goal came only when the unlucky Jeff Agoos defected Pauleta’s cross past the excellent keeper, hefty Brad Friedel. A remarkable victory indeed.
A couple of hours later, in Ibaraki, the spirited Irish brought the Germans back to earth with a well-merited last-minute equaliser. Indeed, the game was two minutes into injury time when Niall Quinn, a second-half substitute, characteristically nodded on a high ball from Mark Kinsella, and Robbie Keane shot from seven yards. The German keeper, Oliver Kahn, did turn the ball on to a post but couldn’t prevent it flying home. The German goal had been headed by Miroslav Klose on 19 minutes, when he exploited a long ball from Michael Ballack, with Ireland’s defence in confusion.
On 6 June in Daegu, Senegal and Denmark played out in intense heat a somewhat untidy draw in which the accomplished but erratic Senegalese midfielder, Salif Diao, had a hectically uneven game. He gratuitously gave away the penalty from which Tomasson, whom he shoved, gave Denmark the lead, finished off a glorious move to equalise but got himself expelled for a wretched foul on Rene Henriksen.
In Busan, it was an equally ill-natured foul which saw French striker Thierry Henry being sent off after only 25 minutes. The Uruguayans didn’t exploit their numerical edge, but the resulting goalless draw was a second nail in France’s coffin.
So finally and apprehensively to Sapporo and the grand confrontation between England and Argentina. With England’s fans still behaving impeccably, ridiculing all the pre-tournament fears and police preparations, Eriksson’s team played by far its finest game of the tournament: a total contrast with the dull performance against the Swedes. One, moreover, which made Guus Hiddink’s later, gratuitous dismissal of the England team as pedestrian and defensive seem unfair, even if they’d not be able to replicate such prowess.
It was in some sense the apotheosis of Nicky Butt, seen essentially as a competent journeyman midfielder for Manchester United somewhat in the image of 1966’s Nobby Stiles. But here he seemed inspired, quite nullifying his club mate Veron, who was eventually substituted, and providing on 23 minutes the pass on to which an electric Michael Owen ran, shooting through the legs of his opponent Walter Samuel, only to hit the far post.
When young Owen Hargreaves was forced off, injured, it proved an advantage, since Sinclair’s entry to the left flank enabled Paul Scholes to move off it into a far more congenial role which he filled with great brio, on 49 minutes forcing Pablo Cavallero into a spectacular save with an equally spectacular volley. The decisive goal came when Owen, as great a trial to the Argentine defence as he had been in Saint Etienne, was brought down by Mauricio Pochettino—standing in for the injured Roberto Ayala—as he was moving past him. David Beckham, who rose gallantly above his hardships, banged home the penalty. Revenge was exquisitely sweet.
On 57 minutes, England produced a scintillating 17-pass movement which ended with a searing volley by Teddy Sheringham, on as a substitute. Cavallero acrobatically turned it over the bar. But, having deployed his forces so shrewdly, Eriksson seemed to lose his nerve when, for the last ten minutes, he took off Owen, the terror of the Argentinians, to replace him not with another front runner in Darius Vassell or Robbie Fowler, but with of all things a second left back in Wayne Bridge, placed in midfield.
Thus handed territorial advantage—and, indeed, overall they had 65 per cent possession—Argentina assailed the English goal and it was Pochettino, the man who gave away the crucial penalty, who came so close to equalising, his point blank header from a corner being blocked dramatically by Seaman. So Argentina, joint favourites at the start with France, were, like them, in peril of the void.
In the other Group F game, in Kobe, Sweden, with two goals by Celtic’s Henrik Larsson, accounted 2–1 for Nigeria while in Group B, Spain impressively won 3–1 against a Paraguay team managed by Cesare Maldini, Italy’s coach in 1998. Fernando Morientes, strangely snubbed in the past, came on at half time to score twice and combine incisively with his Real Madrid partner, Raúl.
Saturday would bring another surprise; Italy’s defeat by Croatia in Ibaraki.
Two highly controversial refereeing decisions by England’s Graham Poll—who, thought Italy’s captain Paolo Maldini, should have been ‘burnt at the stake’—led to Italy’s defeat, yet in each case Poll was only confirming the decision of his Danish linesman, Lens Larsen. In the first case, there was no evident offside when Bobo Vieri scored on 50 minutes. Five minutes later, with one of his maj
estic leaps to Christian Doni’s centre, he did, however, head Italy into the lead. On the second occasion, on 92 minutes, Marco Materazzi’s long ball bounced past the Croat keeper, Stipe Pletikosa, only to be ruled out for an alleged jersey-tug by Pippo Inzaghi invisible to all but Larsen.
The fact remains that Italy’s defensive blunders were the main cause of their defeat, and both were made by the hapless Materazzi, substituting for the injured Alessandro Nesta. On 73 minutes Materazzi allowed Robert Jarni’s cross to reach Ivica Olic, one of the new faces in Croatia’s team, and Olic scored. Then Materazzi was eluded by another lively newcomer, Milan Rapajic, who lobbed Gianluigi Buffon, too far out of his goal. Francesco Totti, largely marked out of the game, did hit a post, but Croatia had beaten the azzurri, just as they had in Palermo in the run-up to Euro 96. Totti complained furiously that Croatia’s abrasiveness had gone unchecked.
Brazil’s 4–0 win over China in Seogwipo, Korea, was flattering. The Chinese looked a decent, disciplined side and asked questions of the Brazilian defence. ‘Sad to report, the genius of Ronaldo is gone,’ wrote a journalist, who would have cause to repent. Ronaldo in fact played 71 minutes. Things would change. The next day, in Yokohama, Junichi Inamoto distinguished himself again with the only goal against Russia. After the tournament, his loan to Arsenal would become a loan to Fulham.
On the Monday, in Daegu, in front of another impassioned Korean crowd, South Korea were held to a draw in a fascinating match with the USA. An anti-American demonstration had been planned, but an appeal from the home country’s President averted it. When little Ahn scored the Korean equaliser, however, he went into a provocative little ‘skater’s dance’, evoking the much resented Olympic disqualification of a South Korean speed skater in favour of an American.
For most of the first half hour, South Korea laid siege to the American goal, in which the inspired Brad Friedel would perform wonders, not least the saving of a penalty. Yet it was the Americans who went ahead with a coolly worked goal, set up cleverly by John O’Brien for the forceful Clint Mathis, a player appreciated by Bruce Arena but warned by him about both his diet and his partying habits.
Curiously, given its previous resilience, the American defence conceded two careless late chances to the Koreans. Ahn flicked home a long left-wing free kick which should surely have been a defender’s ball. And Tony Sanneh, the right back, allowed Lee Ful-Yong to leave him for dead, again on the left, before finding Choi Yong-Soo all alone, right in front of goal, only for Choi’s shot to fly hopelessly over the bar.
In Jeonju, Portugal now came to life and annihilated the plodding Poles. Under heavy rain, Poland’s defence looked as clumsy—not to say spiteful—as it had against South Korea. Hajto should certainly have been sent off for tripping then treading on João Pinto, who, with Pauleta, twisted and turned past the Poles at will. True, Poland had what seemed a good goal ruled out when 1–0 down, Kryszalowicz heading in only to be penalised for what seemed a non-existent foul on the shaky Portuguese keeper Vitor Baia. Overall, however, with Luis Figo at last fully operative, Portugal bestrode the field. Almost casually Pauleta turned Hajto to score, just as later he’d turn Waldoch for his third, having got his second meanwhile. Rui Costa exploited limp marking for the fourth.
On the face of it the revived Portugal should have stretched South Korea the following Friday, but in the event they signed their own death warrants. In Incheon, João Pinto’s horrific, gratuitous foul on Park Ji-Sung, in the 27th minute had him properly expelled, which didn’t stop his team mates shamefully mobbing Angel Sanchez, the Argentine referee. On 66 minutes Beto followed him on a second yellow card, somewhat more controversially, though the Portuguese rallied defiantly and all but scored when Sergio Conceicao hit the inside of a post on 88 minutes.
The Koreans made heavy weather of their advantage, though their goal, when it came, was a gem. Park Ji-Sung, who took Lee’s cross from the left on his chest, turned past Conceicao then scored from an acute angle.
Curiouser and curiouser. The Poles, with nothing to play for, might have been expected to go down to a gung-ho American team whose coach Bruce Arena was shouting the odds about how sides like his had caught up with the supposed aristocracy. Instead, in Daejeon, the Poles quickly ran up a three-goal lead and cruised out winners at 3–1. Replacing their slow centre backs, revitalising their midfield, Poland were ahead in two minutes, Olisadebe, unmarked at a corner, cracking the ball in off the underside of the bar. Three minutes later, Kryszalowicz got a nearpost goal. The third came from the substitute Marcin Zewlakow, heading in barely a minute after arriving as a 65th-minute substitute. Brad Friedel, again in resplendent form, saved his usual penalty, Landon Donovan volleyed in an 83rd-minute consolation, but by then, critics were erroneously tolling the knell for the USA.
France were down and out, brushed aside by Denmark in Incheon. True at various points Desailly and Trezeguet would hit the woodwork, but with Christian Pulsen stationed in front of the Danish back four, and Henry suspended, the French again paid the penalty for toiling on with the old guard; Lemerre’s folly. On 22 minutes Dennis Rommedahl was given excessive space to score. Tomasson got the second, on 67.
In Suwon, there took place a strange game between Senegal and Uruguay. The Africans dominated the first half and went into a 3–0 lead. Shrewd substitutions in attack and a somewhat lucky goal right after the break brought Uruguay back into the game, to such an extent that they not only made it 3–3 but missed a simple headed chance to win, right on time. The best of the goals was that by Diego Forlan, whose father played in the 1974 World Cup as did that of centre-back Paolo Montero, whose carelessness led to the first Senegalese goal from a disputed penalty. Forlan chested down a clearance then hit an instant, glorious volley past Sylva.
Next day, in Osaka, England’s display against Nigeria was a sad anticlimax after the win against Argentina. True, it was a roasting 34 degrees, but the goalless draw was still a disappointment. One consolation was another masterly performance in central defence by Rio Ferdinand, destined to leave Leeds for Old Trafford for a record £30 million not long after the World Cup ended. True, he made what one has almost come to recognise as his one gratuitous error per game, when Aghahowa might have a scored, but otherwise, he was impeccable. Teddy Sheringham, on as a sub for the ineffective Heskey, lofted a good chance over the bar and Paul Scholes had a shot tipped on to a post by the young Nigerian keeper, Vincent Enyeama, but by and large, this was pedestrian stuff, though Owen again looked lively.
Concurrently, in Miyagi, Argentina breathed their last, held by Sweden to a 1–1 draw. Batistutua described this as ‘the saddest day of my long career’. Neither he nor his substitute, Hernan Crespo, could score from anything but Crespo’s 88th minute follow-up, when Magnus Hedman saved Ariel Ortega’s spot kick. Previously, Anders Svensson’s 59th-minute free kick had swerved past Cavallero. And quite why Henrik Larsson should receive a yellow card when badly fouled by Gonzalez, on his way through, was something known only to the referee, Bujsaim of the UAE. Still, Sweden had acquitted themselves well, transcending the brief battle between Freddie Ljungberg and Johan Mjallby when the latter had fouled him in a training game. Ljungberg, alas, subsequently had to drop out, injured.
On 13 June, in Oita, Italy stumbled again against Mexico, who had given them so much trouble in 1994, and the azzurri were lucky to survive. True, they had yet another good goal refused, when Pippo Inzaghi was certainly not offside when he scored, but overall, they were outplayed and only Mexico’s poor finishing spared them. On 34 minutes, Borgetti twisted superbly in the air to lose Paolo Maldini and head Blanco’s cross past Buffon. With Jesus Arellano causing chaos in the Italian defence, there should have been other Mexican goals. As it was, Alessandro del Piero was able to head a hardly deserved equaliser, on 85 minutes. ‘Justice and God exist,’ said Gianni Trapattoni, though one wondered why. Worse was to come.
In Suwon, Brazil defeated Costa Rica 5–2 in a game which emphasised both the power of their
attack, with Ronaldo at last playing a full match and with great brio, and the fallibility of their defence. Truth to tell, while the Brazilians might have scored another three or four goals, the Costa Ricans and their elsuive forwards could have had at least another couple. So much for the blood-and-iron policies of Big Phil Scolari, which seemed to have been swept aside by the sheer élan and exuberance of his attacking players.
Brazil actually went into a 3–0 lead, the two opening goals being scored by Ronaldo, even if the first was somewhat surprisingly debited officially to the Costa Rican defender Marin. But within a minute of the third goal Manchester City’s long legged Paulo Wanchope, combining with Mauricio Wright, had made it 3–1 and from that point, Jack was largely as good as his master. Or, defensively, as bad. Gomez’s diving header made it 3–2, Brazil countered with two more goals, but right to the end the Costa Rican forwards were buzzing about the Brazilian goal. Twice they hit a post.
So to the second-round knock-out games. In Niigata England made surprisingly short work of Denmark thanks in large measure to untypically inept goalkeeping by the Danes’ Thomas Sorensen. Traumatising indeed was the goal he gave away on just four minutes, when Beckham took a left-side corner, Ferdinand stole in for a header on the right-hand post, and Sorensen somehow fumbled the ball over his own line.
Not surprisingly, this seemed to demoralise the Danes, and a second goal came on 24 minutes, when Sinclair crossed, Butt steered the ball through the legs of Thomas Gravesen and Owen pounced. Alas, he was later forced off the field, injured, but England would score again on half time when Sorensen failed inexplicably to keep out a far from irresistible, straightforward shot by Heskey. Butt had another fine game, but Denmark had simply foundered.
In Seogwipo the prosaic, pedestrian Germans plodded their way on towards—of all unexpected things—the Final. Whether they’d have beaten the Paraguayans had their vigorous young striker Roque Santa Cruz not been obliged to go off on 29 minutes, and had another lively young attacker, Nelson Cuevas, scorer of two goals in the previous game against Slovenia, been fit enough to come on before the very last minute, was debatable. By the closing phases, however, the Germans had worn the Paraguayans down and when their best attacker, little Oliver Neuville, swept in Bernd Schneider’s right-wing cross on 87 minutes, it was hardly a surprise.
The Story of the World Cup Page 49
