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Chile advances amidst controversy
Disallowed goal keeps Cameroon out of 2nd round
Posted: Thursday September 17, 1998 04:20 PM
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Cameroon leaves the field having failed to advance to the second round Shaun Botterill/Allsport |
NANTES, France (CNN/SI)
-- For the Chileans, life
was grand. But for Cameroon, the
disappointment may not subside for four years. Chile, withstanding a
furious second-half challenge, qualified for the World Cup's second round
for the first time in 38 years by drawing with Cameroon 1-1 on Tuesday. But
the only reason the Chileans advanced to a second-round matchup with Brazil was a
botched call by the referee, who disallowed a goal because of a foul that
didn't appear to happen. "I can accept a lot of things, but I can't
accept that one," Cameroon coach Claude Le Roy said. "I'm sorry we were
eliminated, especially on a decision that was an incompetent one."
Before a colorful and overwhelmingly Chilean crowd at the Stade de la
Beaujoire, Jose Sierra put Chile ahead with an outstanding 30-yard free
kick in the 21st minute that went over a five-man defensive wall and curled
into the top right corner of the net. Cameroon, needing a victory to
advance, played a man short after Rigobert Song was ejected carded in the
52nd minute for a flagrant elbow on star forward Marcelo Salas, then came
back to even the score four minutes later when Patrick Mboma outleaped
Pedro Reyes and beat goalkeeper Nelson Tapia on a header from 8 yards out.
Francois Omam Biyick appeared to give the Indomitable Lions the lead
two minutes later after Mboma beat Ronaldo Fuentes on a header and flicked
the ball ahead. But Omam Biyick's apparent goal was disallowed when
Hungarian referee Laszlo Vagner whistled Mboma, claiming he pushed Fuentes
on the header. "They said I committed the foul, but I didn't commit
a foul," Mboma said. "I can't believe it. It was an unjust decision. It was
very unjust." Cameroon officials screamed at Vagner as he walked off
the field, and Le Roy launched into repeated verbal attacks on FIFA
president Sepp Blatter -- who was at the game. Last week, FIFA told
referees to clamp down and call more red cards, telling them to eject
players for any tackle from behind. Le Roy criticized Blatter for
his lack of football knowledge, saying Blatter should turn over decisions
about playing the game to Michel Platini, a Blatter supporter who heads the
French World Cup organizers. "If this is what football is all about,
I hope Mr. Blatter was watching," Le Roy said. "There wasn't a shove or a
foul. "Perhaps the Figaro newspaper in France will complain I'm a
sore loser. I hope FIFA will discuss the issue of what happened today.
Perhaps he should listen to Mr. Platini more often. Mr. Platini is the one
who knows about football. Perhaps he should stick to administrative tasks."
It was the second disallowed goal of the game for Biyick, who was
offsides when he connected on a 20-yard shot in the 35th minute. He also
sent a drive into the side of the net in the 74th minute, the closest the
Indomitable Lions came to a goal after the controversial call. Italy and Austria. The
Chileans last advanced out of the first round in 1962, when they were host
of the tournament and finished third. "We were afraid in the last few
minutes that things would turn against us as they did in the other two
matches," Chile coach Nelson Acosta said. The tie, coupled with
Italy's 2-1 victory over Austria, left Italy atop Group B and Chile in
second place. Chile, which qualified with three consecutive draws, was
banned from the last World Cup after goalkeeper Roberto Rojas faked an
injury during a 1989 qualifier against Brazil, and the world champions are
an overwhelming favorite to win Saturday's game in Paris. "I think
it's going to be the most difficult challenge that we could have faced,"
Acosta said. "I can swear to you that it will be a great game. We will play
our hardest and Brazil is going to have a tough time beating us."
Chile will be missing three players suspended for the Brazil game because
Francisco Rojas, Nelson Parraguez and Moises Villarroel all received their
second yellow cards of the tournament. Song, who four years ago
became the youngest player ever ejected from a World Cup game when he was
sent off at the age of 17 years, 358 days against Brazil, wasn't the only
Cameroonian ejected. Lavriano Etame got a red card in the 88th for stomping
on Salas. While Cameroon complained, joyous Chileans sang outside
the stadium. Even though it was a tie, Chile considered it a win.
"Chile has qualified after many years of sacrifice," Salas said. "You
have to go through hardships. It really is a dream for us."
Lineups Chile: Nelson Tapia; Roaldo Fuentes,
Francisco Rojas (Miguel Ramirez, 77th), Javier Margas, Pedro Reyes; Nelson
Parraguez, Clarence Acuna, Jose Sierra (Fabian Estay, 71st), Moises
Villarroel (Fernando Cornejo, 71st); Ivan Zamorano, Marcelo Salas.
Cameroon: Jacques Songo'o; Pierre Wome, Rigobert Song, Pierre
Njanka, Michel Pensee, R. Salomon Olembe (Didier Angibeau, 69th); Joseph
Ndo (Lavriano Etame, 82nd), Marcel Mahouve; Francois Omam Biyick, Patrick
Mboma, Joseph-Desire Job (Alphonse Tchami, 73rd). Referee:
Laszlo Vagner, Hungary.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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