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You can go home now
Yugoslavs send U.S. packing with 1-0 loss in final match
Posted: Thursday September 24, 1998 06:02 PM
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Reyna's effort to keep his team alive was stopped by Yugoslavia Shaun Botterill/Allsport |
NANTES, France (CNN/SI)
-- The U.S. team played more impressively against Yugoslavia
than it had in its previous two World Cup matches, but an early goal off a
set play and the Americans continued inability to find the back of the net
all added up to a 1-0 loss in the Americans' final World Cup match.
Even more depressing for the U.S., which had hoped to show the world how
far Ameican soccer has come, was the end result after three losses in the
first round. The U.S. currently is 30th out of the 32 teams competing in
France '98, and it could finish in dead last.
Apparently abandoning its hopes for a match against the thought-to-be
easier Mexicans in the second round instead of the Dutch, Yugoslavia got a
fourth-minute goal from Slobodan Komljenovic. The Yugoslavs then struggled
for 45 minutes before finally closing out the United
States in a match that turned out to be meaningless for both
squads.
"We wanted to win and end the qualifications with a victory and that
was our only aim," Yugoslavia coach Slobodan Santrac said. "The game was
not flamboyant, I know, but that is how you play good matches."
The Yugoslavs entered the game tied on points in Group F with Germany, but
trailing on goal-difference. With Germany playing Iran (and
eventually winning 2-0), the Yugoslavians needed a big victory over the
United States to overtake the Germans and win the group.
After Komljenovic's goal, and a surprisingly motivated American squad
looking to salvage pride after losses to Germany and Iran, the Yugoslavs
managed to hold on through the first half, and then stifled the United
States the rest of the way to get through.
"We did what we had to do, win a match," Yugoslav captain Dragan
Stojkovic said. "The Americans have such high motives to beat us, but ...
we controlled the match throughout."
Actually, except for the goal, the first half belonged to the
Americans. Frankie Hejduk hit the post 24 seconds after the opening kickoff
and the United States kept the ball in Yugoslavia's half for most the 45
minutes.
Yugoslavia's goal came on its first possession deep into the U.S.
half.
Sinisa Mihalovic blasted a curling 35-yard free kick that American
goalkeeper Brad Friedel palmed away, but the rebound bounced to defender
Slobodan Komljenovic, who despite standing almost on the end line headed
the ball back down behind a recovering Friedel.
The goal didn't seem to slow the Americans, who continued to push
forward and got a powerful header from the top of the box out of Brian
McBride that Ivica Kralj handled in the 15th minute.
Hejduk put another shot on goal with a scissors kick in the 25th and
the Americans generally created more chances than the Yugoslavs.
"Goalscoring opportunities aren't easily created at the World Cup, and
goals have to be scored," said Steve Sampson, whose future as coach of the
U.S. squad is in question after three losses at France '98. "Precision in
front of the goal is something we'll have to correct if we want to get good
results in the future."
The Yugoslavs slowed the American offense in the second half, limiting
them to a handful of serious chances, but not creating much more
themselves.
"We played a tactical game," said Yugoslavian forward Predrag
Mijatovic, who limped out of the game in the 31st minute. "We didn't want
to push very hard ahead of the more important match against the Netherlands
"We scored a goal early and since I felt the pain in my knee when I
was warming up, I didn't want to stay in the game because I didn't want to
risk anything."
The results mean the Yugoslavs will play the Netherlands in Toulouse
on Monday while Germany will face Mexico in
Montpellier.
Lineups
Yugoslavia: Ivica Kralj; Goran Djorovic, Sinisa Mihajlovic,
Slobodan Komljenovic, Zeljko Petrovic; Slavisa Jokanovic, Vladimir Jugovic,
Dragan Stojkovic (Dejan Savicevic, 63rd minute), Dejan Stankovic (Branko
Brnovic, 54th); Predrag Mijatovic (Perica Ognejenovic, 31st), Savo
Milosevic.
United States: Brad Friedel; Thomas Dooley (Marcelo Balboa,
82nd), David Regis, Mike Burns; Frankie Hejduk (Eric Wynalda, 65th),
Claudio Reyna, Brian Maisonneuve, Ernie Stewart, Joe-Max Moore (Preki
Radosavljevic, 58th), Cobi Jones; Brian McBride.
Referee: Gamal Ghandour, Egypt.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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