Matthaeus Penalizes Czechs, 1-0

The referee selected to work the World Cup quarterfinal match between West Germany and Czechoslovakia was Helmut Kohl. But one should forgive the Czechs if they could not immediately find the humor in that after Sunday’s 1-0 loss.

Kohl, a 47-year-old Austrian who is not related to the West German chancellor of the same name, awarded a penalty kick in the 24th minute that resulted in the only goal.

Midfielder Lothar Matthaeus scored it, catching Czech goalkeeper Jan Stejskal leaning the wrong way and drilling the ball into the right corner of the net.

Otherwise, neither team capitalized on its opportunities in a match of the tournament’s two highest-scoring teams. Their total of 22 goals in the first four games equaled that of the other six quarterfinalists combined.

West German Coach Franz Beckenbauer was concerned not because his team failed to finish its chances, but because it failed to finish the Czechs.

The West Germans dominated the first half but lost their aggressiveness after gaining a man advantage when a Czech player was sent off with his second yellow card.

But Beckenbauer did not ignore the positives. After all, his team, which prides itself on its efficiency, won while playing less than its best.

Also, for the first time in five games, his team did not allow a goal. The shutout came against a team with 10 goals, only two fewer than the West Germans had scored.

Five Czech goals were by the tournament’s scoring leader, forward Tomas Skuhravy, who scored four on headers. But he was able to get his head on the ball only once Sunday against the tight, double-team marking of Juergen Kohler and Klaus Augenthaler.

So, for the sixth times in the last seven World Cups, the West Germans have advanced to the semifinals. They will play England Wednesday in Turin.

“Our aim has been rewarded, our aim to reach the semifinals,” Beckenbauer said. “Of course, we didn’t play a very good game. But what is important is that we won.”

As he has since the beginning of the tournament, Beckenbauer spoke like a man who is convinced that his team will appear in its third consecutive championship game Sunday in Rome.

Waiting there, he expects, will be Italy, which will play its semifinal game Tuesday in Naples against defending champion Argentina.

That sentiment no doubt was shared Sunday at Giuseppo Meazza Stadium by many of the 73,347 fans, who chanted, “Italia, Italia, Italia.” They frequently were whistled down by West German fans, who were equal in enthusiasm if not numbers.

The West German fans had plenty to cheer in the first 70 minutes. Despite the absence of striker Rudi Voeller, who was sitting out after receiving a red card in the previous game, midfielders Matthaeus, Pierre Littbarski, Uwe Bein and forward Juergen Klinsmann led an attack that threatened to overwhelm the Czechs.

But except for the penalty kick, Matthaeus’ fourth goal of the tournament, they could not score.

Czechoslovakia’s coach, Jozef Venglos, did not complain about the call that led to the penalty kick because Klinsmann clearly was fouled in the penalty area as he tried to split two defenders.

Venglos, however, clearly was irritated because Kohl did not give the same consideration later in the first half to Czech midfielder Lubomir Moravcik, who was taken down in the penalty area by Kohler.

Although Venglos said he did not want to criticize Kohl, the coach acknowledged that his view of the game was the same as that of journalists who tried to bait him afterward into saying that the referee was partial to West Germany.

Both teams appeared equally aggressive, but the Czechs were called for nine more fouls. Of six yellow cards dispensed, the Czechs were on the receiving end of five.

Ironically, it was Moravcik’s second yellow card in the 69th minute, resulting in his expulsion, that seemed to revive the Czechs.

Upset because he did not get a call when he felt he had been fouled, he kicked a shoe high into the air and drew the wrath of Kohl. Until then, it was the Czechs’ best kick. But as did Yugoslavia when it lost a player to yellow cards in an overtime loss Saturday to Argentina, the Czechs played with more intensity when they were a man down.

The Germans, perhaps complacent, began for the first time to yield the midfield. As a result, the Czechs had their best scoring chances in the last 20 minutes.

“I don’t understand why my team, after the Czech was sent off, wasn’t able to play better than that,” Beckenbauer said. “We didn’t play with intensity.

“When a team plays a man down, they are more motivated. But if you have the extra player, you still should be able to take advantage of the situation.”

Beckenbauer will have two days to ponder the problem before the semifinal game against England. During a tournament in which his team as outscored the opposition, 13-4, it is one of the few problems he has had to face.