Yugoslavia Advances to 2nd Round by Defeating United Arab Emirates
Yugoslavia qualified for the second round of the World Cup finals with a 4-1 win today over the United Arab Emirates, underdogs in Group D of the soccer tournament.
Two goals by Darko Pancev, a replacement for the injured Srecko Katanec, and one apiece by veteran Safet Susic and Robert Prosinecki gave Yugoslavia the victory it needed to advance from the round-robin stage for the first time since 1974.
Striker Ali Thani Juma caught Yugoslav goalkeeper Tomislav Ivkovic flat-footed to score a goal for the Emirates, but the team’s final appearance at its first World Cup was marred by injuries and the disqualification of a player with a red card.
Ali Thani limped off at halftime and leading midfielder Nasser Khamis Mubark also had to leave in the first half after a foul which earned Yugoslav midfielder Dragoljub Brnovic a yellow card.
The UAE was reduced to 10 men in the 77th minute when Khalil Ghanim received a red card for a foul on Pancev.
“We created a lot of opportunities,” Yugoslav Coach Ivica Osim said. “But on the other hand we had problems in defense, where there was a lot of nervousness.”
Susic put the Yugoslavs, twice World Cup semifinalists, ahead after just four minutes. He ran down the center to meet a heavily angled cross pass from the right from Refik Sabanadzovic and headed home as goalkeeper Mohsin Mohamed Faraj jumped in vain.
Four minutes later, the Yugoslavs went ahead, 2-0. Pancev won the ball just outside the goal area after a mistake by Nasser and turned to shoot to the right of the diving Mohsin.
As the Yugoslavs began to ease up, the UAE, which lost all three games in the group, scored a goal in the 21st minute. Adnan Khamis Talyani crossed the ball for Ali Thani to head past the surprised Ivkovic.
But Ali Thani’s joy did not last. He limped off, supported by two coaches, at halftime after injuring his left leg and was replaced by Fahad Khamis, himself not long recovered from a groin strain.
The Yugoslavs returned after the break determined to keep pressing, and within the first minute Pancev put them ahead, 3-1.
Captain Zlatko Vujovic crossed to the center where Pancev beat defender Khalil to the ball and slotted it home.
Misfortune struck the UAE when Khalil, one of their strongest players, was sent off for a foul off the ball on Pancev. He had already received a yellow card.
Khalil’s absence proved costly when Prosinecki , a 79th minute substitute for Sabanadzovic, scored the fourth goal in injury time when he brought down a high crossing pass and looped the ball over the heads of the UAE defenders.
The victory put the Yugoslavs into a second-round match against Belgium or Spain in Verona.
