After sending the goalkeeper the wrong way on the first penalty, in
the 45th minute, Suker had to take it again because Boban entered the area.
Suker slotted the ball in the same place. Stelea guessed right
eventually but was beaten by his own hesitation to commit to the dive.
In the first half, Romania seemed content to hold the ball in their
own half and then thump up the long ball. The strategy would have to change.
Half-time: (0:1).
The Romanians still looked too passive in the second half, and Croatia
should have punished them for the laziness. The Croatians seemed happy enough; a meeting
with Germany in Lyon, on July 4th.
The Romanian coach won't become a two-star general.
The penalty shoot-out started early in Saint Etienne.
In only the sixth minute, David Seaman received a yellow
card for grabbing Simeone's leg. Penalty converted by who else but Batistuta.
Four minutes later, Michael Owen showed that he knows all
about diving too; running full steam between two Argentine defenders, and oops; floored in
the area.
Penalty number two of the match, to Alan Shearer.
Michael Owen, in true world class, beat Chamot and Ayala,
two of the best defenders in the world; then turned the shot past Roa, in the sixteenth
minute, to put England ahead.
Le Saux on the left wing hurdles tackles well; no silly
diving for free-kicks and yellow cards here.
Scholes runs onto a Shearer header, six minutes from
half-time, only to slip the ball wide.
Ortega and Batistuta tried to short pass through the
England defence to no avail, until the end of the first half.
Sol Campbell and Tony Adams get in a mix-up on the edge
of the area; free kick to Argentina. Veron slides the ball to Zanetti, who slipped off the
edge off the wall to score past a helpless Seaman.
Half-time: (2-2).
Catastrophe at the start of the second half. Simeone is
on top of David Beckham and gets a yellow card, but Spice Boy Beckham flicks out his leg
while lying on his stomach and gets sent off.
A Shearer free-kick is pushed away, while a Le Saux
mistake at the other end almost costs England dearly; with Lopez and Ortega applying the
pressure.
Another Argentine attack and Shearer is back to clear;
away from Vivas and the open goal.
England are barely coping, Gary Neville throws in right,
to the six-yard box, but it is collected by Roa.
Then Sol Campbell runs over to the bench after he
believes that he has headed in from a corner. He did, but Shearer's elbow on the
goalkeeper rules the goal a void.
Batistuta is out for Crespo and Lopez replaced by
Gallardo.
Glenn Hoddle replies by bringing on Gareth Southgate for
Le Saux, and Paul Merson for Scholes.
Mick Jagger does one of his best numbers as England go
into extra-time. He is there with the fans on the terraces.
Darren Anderton is the last to go off; making way for
David Batty. The tense moments are at the door and English fans try to keep the spirits
high in the team.
Ince is up and strikes venomnessly from the edge of the
area.
The second period of extra-time.
Michael Owen goes down to a Vivas challenge and is
clipped by the Argentine's stud. England are not down to nine men for long, as the young
lad has courage too.
England are totally in God's hands. Another Argentine
shot goes over the bar and Roa, at the other end, has a look of horror on his face.
Gallardo tries to do a Maradonna run, goes down and the
referee ignores it. Two minutes to go.
Tony Adams heads wide at the other end. England are still
in the game; unbelievable.
