WORLD CUP USA ’94 / THE FIRST ROUND : Spotlight : WATER . . . WATER . . . GIVE HIM A BREAK
Ireland Coach Jack Charlton, irate that his players didn’t get enough water breaks during their 1-0 victory over Italy on Saturday at steamy Giants Stadium, said he would file a letter of complaint with FIFA asking for more opportunities for players “to swill a bit down.”
Charlton, anticipating it will be as hot and more humid when Ireland faces Mexico on Friday at the Florida Citrus Bowl, is specifically asking for relief for his central midfielders and central defenders, who can’t dash over to the sideline for a drink without leaving the team short-handed.
As an example of the consequences, he cited Norwegian players who veered toward the sideline for a drink Sunday at Washington, and were almost victimized by a Mexican offensive attack.
“In a meeting, if they decided to have a minute break for TV, you know they would have had it,” Charlton said Monday. “It’s easy to give people water when they’re on the sides. We even sent somebody to the other side of the field--we were told we could do that by a FIFA representative--but the security people wouldn’t let him near the touchline.
“We’re going to play Mexico and it could be 100 degrees or more in a stadium that’s got 50 acres of concrete and I can’t get water to the lads.
“It’s not just for us. For the Mexicans, too. Ten, 15 seconds a couple or three times each half. That’s all I want. Whether we’ll get that I don’t know. I had five players in the first half who never had a drink for the first three-quarters of an hour. . . . If we’ve got to come and play in temperatures like this, at least we’ve got to be fair to the players. I’m not prepared to put the players at risk.”
“I wonder why he is complaining,” FIFA spokesman Guido Tognoni said. “He won and he is the only coach to complain. If he has not enough fluids for his players, he should arrange for more.”
