WORLD CUP USA ’94 / QUARTERFINALS : SOCCER / GRAHAME L. JONES : Time for Scorers to Score
Agatha Christie would have loved this World Cup.
In three weeks, the tournament has featured more twists and turns, more unexpected developments, more mysterious goings-on, than any World Cup in recent memory.
There have been surprises on and off the field, and tragedies, too. Consider:
--The slaughter of innocent World Cup viewers in an Irish pub, a crime that prompted an editorial cartoonist in the Times of London to depict a gun-toting terrorist proudly holding aloft the World Cup trophy, its design altered to resemble a death’s head rather than a globe.
--The still unexplained air crash that caused the deaths of Mexican World Cup fans traveling to Washington, D.C., to support their team.
--The murder in Medellin, Colombia, of Colombian World Cup player Andres Escobar, a crime whose roots have yet to be uncovered.
--The failed drug test and subsequent banishment of Argentine star Diego Maradona.
As disturbing as all of these developments have been, they have not managed to detract from what, to this point, has been a successful World Cup. By any measurement, the 1994 tournament must be considered the most incident-packed and gripping of any in the last two decades.
Despite the initial skepticism of foreign journalists, the fans have flocked to the stadiums in record numbers, television ratings have been consistently higher than expected, and goals have been scored dramatically and, in some games, frequently.
And there is still more to come.
In this weekend’s quarterfinals, the eight survivors of the original 24 teams are set to write four new chapters in the unfolding drama. On Saturday, Italy and Spain square off at Foxboro Stadium, then later in the day is potentially the finest game of the tournament, Brazil and the Netherlands at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas.
On Sunday, defending champion Germany takes on upstart Bulgaria at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., then Sweden and Romania meet at Stanford Stadium in Palo Alto.
In many ways, they are an unlikely batch, these eight quarterfinalists. Only two of them, Italy, which finished third, and Germany, which won the trophy, were in the final eight four years ago.
Bulgaria has advanced farther than ever before, although it can thank Mexico’s inexplicable inability to make penalty kicks for that.
Romania, deserving conqueror of scandal-plagued Argentina in the second round, gives Eastern Europe two quarterfinalists for the second consecutive tournament. In Italia ‘90, Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia reached the final eight. Like Bulgaria, this is also the farthest Romania has progressed.
The last time Sweden advanced this far was in 1958, when it staged the tournament and finished second to Brazil. The Brazilians themselves last reached the quarterfinals in Mexico in 1986, when they were ousted by France on penalty kicks in Guadalajara after one of the great World Cup matches.
Also eliminated on penalty kicks in the 1986 quarterfinals was Spain, which fell to Belgium that year in its most successful recent performance.
Finally, there is the Netherlands, which has to look back to 1978, when it finished second to Argentina, for its best recent run at the Cup.
So why did these eight teams survive while the rest fell by the wayside? What common denominators are there that have kept them alive? Are there any weaknesses that would indicate they will not go much farther?
Goals take teams through tournaments. Teams that can’t score can’t win, so it is no surprise to see many of the world’s best scorers still in the competition: Juergen Klinsmann and Rudi Voeller of Germany; Romario and Bebeto of Brazil; Dennis Bergkamp of the Netherlands; Gheorghe Hagi and Ilie Dumitrescu of Romania; Martin Dahlin of Sweden; Hristo Stoitchkov of Bulgaria and Roberto Baggio of Italy.
But every one of them is going to run into a more difficult defense and a more dominating goalkeeper in the quarterfinals than they have faced so far, which should result in some fascinating duels.
Here, in the context of the matchups, are some clues to why some will succeed and others fail.
SPAIN-ITALY
The Spanish have reached this point by sheer hard work, by adopting a physically bruising approach at times and by not yet having had to play a truly difficult opponent in a game that mattered. South Korea, Bolivia and Switzerland were not true tests for Spain, which tied its other game, against Germany, by mutual consent.
Goalkeeper Andoni Zubizarreta has been praised by Coach Javier Clemente, but the Italian forwards are likely to make him work a lot harder on Saturday to stay in Clemente’s good graces.
Two goals against Nigeria on Tuesday might finally free Baggio from the shackles of expectation that were chained to him by the Italian media and fans. Now, if he has shaken off the nagging injury that has kept him from peak fitness, he and teammates Giuseppe Signori and Daniele Massaro will make life miserable for Spain.
On the other hand, if the Italians are exhausted from their two-hour battle with the Nigerians, the Spanish, who have had the benefit of three days’ extra rest, could shut them down and snatch a game winner on the counterattack, which is their forte.
Italy has lost to Ireland, beaten Norway, tied Mexico and beaten Nigeria while fighting injuries, red cards, poor officiating and the usual intense pressure from the Italian media. In other words, they are enduring their typical World Cup.
BRAZIL-NETHERLANDS
No game in the tournament has been as eagerly anticipated as this one, which matches the two most technically gifted sides in the World Cup. If they play to their optimum level, it could be a game for the ages.
The Brazilians have been both dominant and unconvincing, if such a mix is possible. Cameroon, Russia and the United States hardly constitute tough opposition, and when the Brazilians ran into the organized and disciplined Swedes, they managed only a tie.
The Dutch have been equally unconvincing, albeit attractive. They move the ball in bewildering patterns, keeping control seemingly without effort while they try to create an opening. Bergkamp could have had several goals by now, had his shooting luck been better. Teammate Wim Jonk has provided added impetus from midfield. Ronald Koeman possesses the most dangerous free kick in the world.
But still there are questions about the Netherlands’ vulnerability to the swift counterattack. Faced with the twin threats of Romario and Bebeto, it is likely that the Dutch will yield a goal or two, which means Bergkamp and company will have to come through at the other end.
The Dutch struggled to defeat Saudi Arabia and Morocco, lost to Belgium in a game they dominated offensively, then beat Ireland with some ease. Brazil will provide their toughest test to date.
GERMANY-BULGARIA
It is almost impossible to envision the defending champion not being able to win this game, especially with Bulgaria having had to endure two hours of agony while keeping Mexico at bay before advancing on penalty kicks.
Stoitchkov is in superb form, but the Germans have had three days’ extra rest and the combination of Klinsmann and Voeller up front will torment the Bulgarian defense. If Bulgaria is to have a chance, it will have to shut down not only the two strikers but their principal supplier, Thomas Haessler, who is quietly enjoying an excellent tournament.
Bulgarian goalkeeper Borislav Mihaylov thrust himself into the running for the Yashin Cup, awarded the tournament’s top goalkeeper, with his penalty-saving performance against Mexico and could enhance his chances if he can hold the Germans scoreless.
But don’t count on it.
The Germans have tied Spain and defeated Bolivia, South Korea and Belgium en route to the quarterfinals and this test is no more difficult than any of those. Bulgaria, meanwhile, has beaten Greece and Argentina, lost to Nigeria and tied Mexico.
SWEDEN-ROMANIA
One of the World Cup’s most potent offenses meets what is undoubtedly its best midfield-defense combination. The Swedes are solid at the back, with midfielders Jonas Thern and Stefan Schwarz acting as fifth and sixth defenders in front of the back four.
On attack, Tomas Brolin provides the inspiration while Dahlin and Kennet Andersson finish off the chances created. The combination has resulted in victories over Russia and Saudi Arabia and ties with Cameroon and Brazil.
Romania, on the other hand, possesses the twin talents of Hagi and Dumitrescu, who read each other so well that their combination play is virtually flawless. Each can create or score goals and, if they fail, Florin Raducioiu returns from a one-game suspension to pick up the slack.
Romania has had only one lapse, a loss to Switzerland, while defeating Colombia, the United States and Argentina. That last victory has raised spirits immensely and a place in the semifinals is quite possible.
Which teams will make the final four? That’s a mystery only Agatha Christie could solve.
