Match Report 16 June 2002

Spain won 3-2 on penalties
(Ireland took first shot)

FIFA World Cup

Suwon World Cup Stadium
16 June 2002

Suwon Stadium

HIERRO	Goal	1-1	KEANE	Goal	0-1
BARAJA	Goal	2-1	HOLLAND	Crossbar	1-1
JUANFRAN	Missed	2-1	CONNOLLY	Saved	2-1
VALERON	Post	2-1	KILBANE	Saved	2-1
MENDIETA	Goal	3-2	FINNAN	Goal	2-2

McCarthy: "No recriminations"

The best performer at this World Cup is undoubtedly Thierry Henry. I am, of course, referring to the Thierry Henri va-va-vooming his way through the Citroen commercial, not the French player of the same name whose tournament went from scoreless to sent-off to suspended to sent home.

World Cup commercial breaks feature a selection of players lending their more or less famous names to sponsored products. How they fare depends upon their natural ability before the cameras and how well the script and director serve them. The smart ticket is to show them playing as much as possible and speaking as little as possible.

That’s why M. Henry’s performance is exceptional; he displays excellent timing and a delicate touch. He is well served by his director, who encapsulates the action in short takes.

His compatriot Eric Cantona has made the transition from star player to film actor but without the charisma that accompanied his exploits on the football field. In the Nike extravaganza he appears to be playing an animated gargoyle in charge of a five-a-side tournament featuring the world’s most famous players in a cage or the bowels of an oil tanker. I almost wrote playing for fun, since this is a competition without spectators, but a great deal of money must have changed hands and the budget for the whole shoot would surely have funded a small hospital.

What surprises me, given the number of parties interested in the health and safety of the stars involved, is how the producer managed to pull the deal together. The insurance cover alone must have cost a wing of that hospital.

Not that you can necessarily believe your eyes. The figures diving overboard from the sinking tanker are stuntmen; less obvious is the clever cut that substitutes one for Luis Figo just before a tidal wave appears to wash the Portuguese star away. Apart from M. Cantona, the only acting required is from Brazilian Roberto Carlos who raises his eyebrows and opens his eyes wide as the ocean bursts into the hold of the ship. It’s a convincing moment, but the player has plenty of experience practising this expression on referees.

England’s boy wonder Michael Owen has fallen into the hands of a manic fitness trainer played by the excellent Ronan Wilmot. I have come to understand how a Swede might be invited to coach England, but a deranged Irishman? I think not. Young Mr Owen is wonderfully disciplined in the difficult art of underplaying on television, particularly in the light of the supercharged performance from the other half of the double act. Stan Laurel he is not, but you’d just love him to send Ronan up a bit. I suppose that might be seen as undermining the Lucozade product Mr Wilmot represents.

Gareth Southgate and David James have not appeared in the World Cup so far and their prospects can’t have been helped by their participation in a Total Ticket spot. Hung out to dry by the director, they would certainly have tested positive to autocue addiction.

My favourite interruption to the drama of the day is the golden oldie for Smithwicks. It’s the one where two Irish lads try to take the mick out of two Italian supporters by pretending to be members of the Irish World Cup squad only to be gazumped when the visitors produce the real Toto Schillaci, scorer of the goal that put Ireland out of the tournament. A charming script, beautifully played and directed, with a nice cameo from Schillacchi. The goal in question was, however, scored as long ago as 30 June 1990.

You used to be allowed to transmit a commercial for a maximum of three years without renegotiating with all the parties. Mr Schillaci emerged as an international player just in time for that tournament twelve years ago and disappeared from the scene shortly afterwards. I wonder how the passage of time would have affected the level of his fee for lending his name to the project? In any event, since the spot wears well, the money saved by not producing a new commercial must be considerable. Smithwicks 1 Nike 0.

Seven Up were inviting kids to “play football with Roy Keane” long after the Irish skipper had been sent home. I’m not sure what the offer really amounts to, but I’d be surprised to find Mr Keane turning up in Dublin for a kick about with the lads just now. And, in a sad comment on those infamous pre-tournament events, there might be a shortage of boys looking for that honour. In the high octane world of celebrity sponsorships it’s a reminder to make sure the contract covers all eventualities.

The Keane mantle has now fallen on Robbie. The Carlsberg dream of Jason McAteer scoring a winner against Brazil was looking miscast as the tournament moved into the breath-taking sudden death of the second round with the Sunderland player’s name not in the starting eleven.

The game opened with a brief Irish flurry, Keane putting a sighter wide. But Spain soon settled to show world class composure and Shay Given got the chance to display a perfect temperament when coolly catching a high dropping ball under his bar.

But, as in their two opening games, Ireland soon fell behind, this time as early as the 7th minute. Following the coaching brief, the Irish defence prepared for the expected long throw from Puyol on the right. Instead the Spanish defender threw it short to Luis Enrique and was perfectly placed to get it back with Harte in no man’s land. Morientes got across Breen to head a perfect centre past Given from close range.

As always, the Irish responded with spirit, Kinsella hitting a long range effort over and then putting the willing Keane through only for the bounce to favour oncoming keeper Casillas. There was no shortage of endeavour from an Ireland team wearing their change colours of white, but Spain contained Keane and Duff for the most part and always looked likely to add to their lead through the fluent Raul and Morientes.

Unable to match the Spanish strike force for pace, Staunton and Breen relied heavily on the offside trap. It held, though Luis Enrique got what looked for a moment like a second goal on 21 minutes before it was seen that he had wandered marginally offside. Staunton was using all his tricks and experience to combat the speed and trickery of Raul but he was injured during the melee that accompanied the disallowed goal and continued only after lengthy treatment.

There was always the possibility of a Spanish breakthrough. Breen stepped up to play Morientes offside, but if the Spaniard had timed his run better the Irish defender would have been helpless. Then the alert Given just beat Raul to a through ball – the Irish keeper was operating as a sweeper to assist his mobility-challenged central defenders. Just before half time a wonderful passing movement from inside the Spanish half was only thwarted by another offside against Raul.

But it was far from one-way traffic as Ireland weathered the storm during the closing stages of the first period. Staunton and Duff combined but a resolute Spanish defence cleared the cross intended for Keane. Then Kinsella found Kelly on the right and his centre gave Keane the chance to show his trickery before hitting his shot wide.

Holland, picking up the pieces after a Spanish clearance, lobbed Keane through and the Irish striker flicked a difficult chance over the on-rushing Casillas but also over the bar. Harte, whose place in the team had been under pressure from the media following tentative displays in the group matches, repaid manager McCarthy’s loyalty, coolly chesting the ball back to his keeper one moment and trying an imaginative long range lob the next to bring the first half to a close. Ireland were behind to a Spanish team rightly rated as one of the best remaining in the competition but the margin had been constrained to a single goal and with Duff and Keane around an equaliser was always possible.

But Spain almost consolidated their lead immediately on the re-start when an error from Harte allowed Raul to show a moment of magical close control to mesmerize two defenders. Fortunately Given timed his advance perfectly and was able to block Raul’s shot at point blank range with his knees.

After 49 minutes Ireland’s hopes took a further dip when skipper Staunton was unable to continue. He was replaced by Wimbledon’s Kenny Cunningham. Now Spain’s shooting stars were confronted by two defenders from the English Nationwide League, one of whom who had missed most of last season through injury and the other currently without a contract.

But it was Ireland who seized the initiative, Casillas dropping a high cross under pressure only for Kilbane’s goal bound shot to be cleared by Hierro before referee Frisk indicated a free kick against Kilbane for a foul on the keeper. Breen, having taken over the captain’s armband from Staunton, had also assumed his responsibility for trying to keep Raul off the scoresheet. In one moment of danger Finnan, one of the tournament’s successes, moved across to assist the deputy skipper.

On 54 minutes Mick McCarthy sent on the veteran Quinn for Kelly and the tide of the game changed. The Spanish had no answer to the giant Irish striker who was soon providing a succession of clever flick-ons. Duff was now operating on the right and a great run from the touchline past two defenders won Ireland a penalty on 62 minutes after a tackle from Juanfran.

Harte psychs himself up

This was Ireland’s moment and they appeared to have missed it when Casillas saved Harte’s poor spot kick and Kilbane sliced the rebound wide of an open goal. Minutes later, details of the “Man of the Match” award were shown over a close up of the luckless Harte and it did indeed look as if his miss might ironically qualify him for such an award.

Spain sent on Mendieta for Del Pedro after 65 minutes and he made an immediate impact, beating Finnan down the right and firing narrowly wide. Five minutes later Albeda replaced Morientes in their strike force but it was Raul who again threatened to score when Cunningham and Harte failed to deal with him. It took another close range block from Given to save the day.

But Ireland was far from finished and Duff came close after another dazzling run, leaving defenders in his wake. Spain now replaced Raul with Luque, playing him as a long striker as they opted to sit out the remaining ten minutes of the match. David Connolly replaced Harte for Ireland as they tried to save the game.

Get 'em off ya!

They almost did in the 83rd minute when Quinn set up Keane only for Casillas to make a great save at point blank range. It looked all over for the Irish but a brave refereeing decision in the last minute of the game threw them another penalty lifeline. Spanish skipper Hierro, desperate to contain Quinn, almost had the shirt off his back in a goalmouth scrimmage – a clear offence but one that most referees would have ignored at such a late stage in the game. Robbie Keane made no mistake and Ireland had again survived by the skin of their teeth.

In the first period of extra time it was soon clear that Spain, handicapped by substitutions that had deprived them of their strike force, was hanging on for the lottery of a penalty shoot-out. The Irish team, roared on by its wonderful supporters, were running the game although it took a brilliant tackle by Cunningham, impeccable since his entry into proceedings, to halt a Spanish attack. Then a long pass from Keane almost put Breen in and the irrepressible Duff beat two men, fell down and got up again to put Keane though. It was heady stuff and with the first goal to be a match winner under the golden goal rule, the only worry was conceding from a breakaway.

But it was the Spanish who looked broken and there were desperate glances exchanged amongst their players on the side-lines, especially when it became clear that Albelda could not continue and Spain would be condemned to face the second period of extra time with only ten men.

This opened with a Keane shot deflected for a corner punched away by Casillas. Then a Quinn header set up Keane who volleyed wide. A rare attack at the other end saw Given plunge to his right to take Baraja's effort. Then Connolly shot wide with the minutes ticking away. Casillas came for Kilbane’s free kick from the left and failed to make it, but Quinn’s header took the ball wide of the danger area and a great tackle from Mendieta prevented Duff setting up Keane. Ireland’s last chance of capitalising on their late supremacy had gone.

Mendieta's spot-kick beats Given

The penalties restored the balance. Keane and Hierro duly scored but Holland’s effort clipped the bar and went over.

Baraja put Spain ahead and the next four penalties, Connolly and Kilbane for Ireland, Juanfran and Valeron for Spain, were missed.

It was up to Finnan to keep Ireland’s hopes alive and he duly did, displaying ice cool nerves. Now it was down to Mendieta to win the tie for Spain. His penalty kick was straight down the middle but as Given dived right his flailing foot was unable to make contact.

Jason McAteer could only watch from the sidelines as his dream turned into a nightmare.

"Thanks, lads!"

It had been an epic struggle which Ireland could so easily have lost within 90 minutes but which they were ultimately unlucky not to win in extra time. Irish spirit and the desire to win, backed up by the exceptional talent of Duff and exuberant skills of Keane, had leaped the gap of pedigree to make them dangerous adversaries for the world’s best.

Brian de Salvo

Teams
Ireland: Given; Finnan, Breen, Staunton (c) (Cunningham 49), Harte (Connolly 81); Kelly G (Quinn 54), Kinsella, Holland, Kilbane; Keane, Duff
Spain: Casillas; Puyol, Heirro, Juanfran, De Pedro (Mendieta 65); Luis Enrique, Baraja, Helguera, Valeron; Raul (Luque 79), Morientes (Albelda 70)

Officials
Referee: Anders Frink (Swe)
Assistants: Leif Lindberg (Swe), Igor Sramka (Svk)
Fourth: Urs Meier (Sui)

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