Match Report 11 June 2002

FIFA World Cup

International Stadium, Yokohama
11 June 2002

Yokohama Stadium

“A few plates might have gone flying on a few lunch tables when that shot from Owen came back off the post!” My word, it may be the World Cup but veteran commentator John Motson can’t see its location on the other side of the globe disturbing England’s social schedule. Crisp white tablecloths, correct cutlery, china and glassware are the order of his day. But as England expects while Beckham waits to take his penalty, he reveals uncouth origins. “Hold on to your cups and glasses,” he advises as the England captain steps up. As the ball enters the net, etiquette flies over the bar. “Now you can throw them!” he yells. With the games coming thick and fast, this fugitive from the other island has difficulty laying hands on a sandwich. Anyway, I thought it was the Russians who threw glasses.

Modern Muscovites were too busy rioting, though their team had yet to be eliminated. It was one of two regrettable occurrences to date. The other, less tragic but significant within the game, was the “referred pain” suffered by Brazilian Rivaldo, who fell, clutching his head when the ball struck his knee, to get a Turkish opponent sent off. The act itself was reprehensible but his attempt to defend it as a “normal” part of the game disgusts me. Pathetic cheating, that’s what I call it. And from a world class player too.

But these events apart it’s been a wonderful World Cup so far. The Japanese and South Koreans seem gracious hosts and no act of local hooliganism has warranted media attention to date. The stadia are impressive and the playing surfaces excellent. Even the refereeing has, for the most part, served the spectacle.

Turkey complained about having a referee from Benin follow an inadequate one from South Korea and, to be fair, you’d wonder where an official from the West African state would gain the experience to justify a game at this level. But, as it happens, Mr Codjia did well whilst, the day before, in a match taken by the Premiership’s Graham Poll, errors by officials robbed Italy of probable victory against Croatia.

Besides the football, always engrossing and often exhilarating, there’s much to divert. Amid the heat and humidity, incessant rain fell at Jeonju, one of the stadia without a retractable roof. When rain threatened another venue, its canopy slid into place, posing the question, if rain would give certain teams an advantage, is the competition being played on a level playing field, so to speak?

Playing standards across the continents continue to level out but there are still delightful differences in the cultural mix. An oriental player bows to the substitute about to replace him; China appears to have enlisted the assistance of the masked Lone Ranger. The English are embarrassed by both verses of their national anthem – no-one knows the words of the second. Quick to cop on, they opt for an encore. But why is it that almost all of the world’s top footballers are tone deaf?

The Americans beat fifth rated Portugal and cause a media sensation across the world – except in the United States where few know or care. Since every other Saudi seems to be named Al Dossari (or some variant) it’s hard to pinpoint Saudi Arabia’s guilty men and a seamstress error makes the name WRIGTH on the back of the Costa Rican defender’s shirt dyslexic-friendly.

England are obsessed with meal times; coach Sven Goran Eriksson advises his adopted nation to relax over dinner after the victory over Argentina, “perhaps with a glass of wine”. When asked how he reacted to the win, Mr Eriksson, with restraint worthy of Sir Alf Ramsay, confessed he “thanked the players in the dressing room.” Even less likely was the Anglo Saxon reserve of Irish skipper Steve Staunton when he admitted that the forthcoming clash with Germany had “a little bit riding on it.” Tell that to Bill Shankly.

The English language has come in for some imaginative usage. England’s Terry Sheringham insists that his colleagues will not “come over all oozy easy” during their preparations for Nigeria. The BBC’s Steve Wilson exclaims “Olisandebe was on his own there!” over a close-up of the Polish player wrestling a Portugese opponent to the ground. We know what you mean, Steve, but the prawn sandwichers might wonder.

Later Wilson goes to great length to explain that Fig-oh is actually pronounced Fig-eu, only to have his erudition punctured by co-commentator Joe Royle. “You’ll be all right with “Fig-oh” down the pub,” reassures Joe, who describes the Polish defence as “like terra cotta at times”. The reference is to their immobility, although by full time it could apply to the colour of their faces.

Outside the stadium, after the German epic, a fan from Bray gives an in-depth assessment of Irish prospects to the Guardian: “We’ve no hope of scoring more against Saudi Arabia than Germany did," he said, “but we were a minute away from going home right there. Now we’re going to do what the Irish do best; we’re going to have a rock-on night tonight!” The English broadsheet, clearly baffled at such profundity from one so attired, noted that he was wearing a headdress that combined the Irish tricolour with a sponge football. What did I say about cultural differences?

After Cameroon struggled to a 1-0 win, Ireland needed a margin of just two goals to progress. Instead of rejoicing, the Irish sobered up fast. First, in losing so narrowly to Cameroon, the Saudis had showed that conceding 8 against Germany had been an aberration. Pulling an extra man into defence restored a reputation that had commanded respect during qualification. Second, Ireland had never scored more than one goal in a World Cup Final match. After the jubilation, pause for thought.

A measure of relief came seven minutes into the match. One of Steve Staunton's inch-perfect raking cross field passes liberated Kelly on the right. When the centre came, in Robbie Keane volleyed it fiercely on the turn. Ireland were ahead. Everything was going to plan, even the conditions, wet and windy, were friendly.

So was the Saudi keeper Mohammed Al-Deayea, captain for the occasion on his record-breaking 171st appearance. Just how he has managed to amass such a total at the tender age of 30 may say something about the integrity of the national fixture list and the quality of the competition for his job: he apparently succeeded his brother between the posts. His remaining ambition is to keep goal for Manchester United; judging by the style of a nervous punch after nine minutes it may take another hundred and seventy one caps before he does.

Tukar denies Duff

Duff was making inroads down the Saudi right and providing a stream of crosses. One was scrambled away, another fumbled by Al-Deayea.

But after a brisk twenty minutes Ireland began to lose midfield domination as their opponents, playing five at the back with a sweeper, contained the play and relied on breakaways. Duff and Keane, as the supply dwindled, were showing signs of frustration. It was the first time during the tournament that the presence of Roy Keane was missed. Ireland was clearly the better side but what if?

Given symbolised a growing nervousness, punching where he would normally have caught. Once the ball went straight up in the air and the nation held its breath until the keeper claimed the ball at the second attempt. But he was alert enough when Al Jahani, who was beginning to run Harte ragged, burst through on the right.

The classy touches of Saudi midfielder Al-Temyat were beginning to show why he had been Asian Footballer of the Year. He waltzed past Staunton and two other Irish defenders inside the Irish penalty area and it took all Staunton’s know-how to dispossess him at the second attempt. It was some relief to learn that the young aristocrat had already accepted a polo invitation for Buckingham Palace later this month, clearly believing his country would not survive the group stage. Nevertheless Ireland survived the remaining minutes of the first half uneasily.

In the ITV studio Bobby Robson, who seemed to have appointed himself an honorary Irishman for the occasion, recommended that, with a one-nil lead, “we” must remain cautious. But Irish manager Mick McCarthy was for revolution, bringing on Quinn for Harte, with Duff wide on the left and Kilbane moving back into defence. The adjective “inspired” is over-employed with regard to substitutions but this truly was. It was also brave, since Kilbane has no pedigree as a full back and qualification for the knock out stages of the World Cup was at stake.

Finnan's duel with al-Shahrani

The revolution sparked a revelation, with Kilbane excelling in his new role and combining with Duff on the left flank so effectively that the Saudis were eventually forced to withdraw Al-Jahani, who had been so prominent in the first half. To confront the Irish threat down the flanks their opponents were forced to change their stifling defensive system – and now they had to contend with Quinn’s aerial ability in the centre too.

Duff was flying from the re-start. A surging run took him past two defenders and sent Al-Deayea sprawling at his near post to keep out a deflected cross shot. Then it was Kilbane’s turn, overlapping on the left and setting Keane up for the striker to fire narrowly wide on the turn.

But when the all-important second goal came after sixty minutes, there was more than a little good fortune about its origins. Al-Temyat earned a yellow card for a foul on Kilbane but the replay showed that the Irish player had been the guilty party. Another precision free kick from Staunton, and Breen just lost his marker in front of goal to steer the ball inside Al-Deayea’s right post with the outside of his right foot. It was a goal any striker would have celebrated with pride and it secured Ireland’s entry into the next stage.

Ireland were running the game now and Quinn was unlucky with a wonderful volley that went just over. The Saudis sounded a warning note and Given timed his run from to goal to perfection to cut out a dangerous through ball. But his decision to punch again returned possession to Saudi Arabia with the keeper out of position. By the time the shot came in, however, he was back on duty. Then Abdullah Jamaan Al-Dossari took up the baton, nutmegging Kinsella but shooting over.

The Saudis had no answer to Duff on the left and Khamis Al-Dossari was booked after resorting to a body check. Then Kilbane showed his sophistication in defence, cutting out a dangerous pass and shepherding the ball back. Given was employed again when Al-Hasan Al-Yami tested him with an angled header destined for the top corner until clutched by the keeper.

With fifteen minutes to go Quinn put Duff through once more on the left and Al-Deayea plunged to fist the ball away from Keane’s feet. At the other end Given snatched the ball off the oncoming Jamaan’s head before McCarthy brought on an eager Jason McAteer for Gary Kelly who had laboured prodigiously up and down the right. He was quick to send in a cross but Keane’s first touch let him down on this occasion.

It was fitting that Duff, the game’s outstanding player, should celebrate a remarkable Irish achievement with a third goal, albeit donated by the Saudi keeper. His drive from the left was fiercely struck but straight at Al-Deayea who could only parry the ball into his own net.

So it’s up stakes for the Irish contingent who travel to Suwon for Sunday’s second round. Serious negotiations to extend Credit Union loans are keeping international phone lines busy. The rightly famous Irish support is only matched at this tournament by that for co-hosts South Korea where thousands of fans appear to have been choreographed and costumed. But the Irish have come from everywhere as a banner declaring “J.B. O’Reilly : Perth Western Australia” confirms. You can understand why the Irish party were said to have given fans like these a lift to matches on the team coach.

So as the World Champions return to France, it’s South Korea on Sunday for the Irish. But to-night it’s Japan. Yokohama. And, like the man from Bray in the funny headgear says, there’ll be a party in the old town tonight.

Brian de Salvo

Teams
Ireland: Given; Kelly G (McAteer 80), Breen, Staunton (c), Harte (Quinn 46); Finnan, Holland, Kinsella (Carsley 89), Kilbane; Duff, Keane
Saudi Arabia: al-Deayea, al-Jahani (al-Dokhi 79), Tukar, Sulaiman (al-Jamaan 68), al-Shahri, Sulaimani; al-Shahrani, al-Khathran (al-Shalhoub 67), al-Ouairan, al-Temyat, al-Yami

Officials
Referee: Falla Ndoye (Sen)
Assistants: Maciej Wierzbowski (Pol), Frederic Arnault (Fra)
Fourth: Jun Lu (Chn)

Back to:
[main Reports page] [main Fixtures page] [main World Cup page] [Bray Wanderers]