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Amazing comeback Yugoslavia scores three late goals to tie Slovenia
Posted: Tuesday June 13, 2000 06:11 PM
CHARLEROI, Belgium (AP) -- One man and 3-0 down, Yugoslavia staged an amazing comeback in seven minutes to force a 3-3 draw against its former compatriot Slovenia on Tuesday, denying the newcomer one of the biggest upsets in European championship history. "It was a great game and we could have won in the end," said Yugoslavia's veteran coach Vujadin Boskov after an emotionally-charged match. "My players thought it would be easy, that the points would come from heaven." Boskov's men looked down and out after talismanic playmaker Zlatkho Zahovic had led Slovenia to a seemingly unassailable 3-0 lead with two goals. But second-half substitute Savo Milosevic did likewise to bring Yugoslavia back again after Lazio star Sinisa Mihaljovic had been sent off. "This shows that the game of soccer is played until the last minute," said Yugoslav striker Darko Kovacevic. "Ironically we played much better with ten men," the Juventus star said. "We managed to pressure them with ten men to the crucial point. It is better tan losing." Slovenia began its first ever match at a major competition in positive style and within four minutes Zeljko Milinovic shot just wide with a thundering free kick. European teams' reluctance to play Yugoslavia had denied Boskov's side matches against high quality opposition had quickly showed. The Slovenes knocked the air out of the two-time European championship runnerup in the 23rd minute, when Zahovic sneaked through the napping Yugosla defense and met a perfect cross from Amir Karic with a diving header from 12 meters (yards) out. Boskov dropped veteran Dragan Stojlkovic, who made his European Championship debut as a teenager in 1984, but within 35 minutes he brought on the 35-year-old midfielder in an attempt to arrest his team's awful start. Meanwhile Slovenia, which split from the former Yugoslavia after a brief war in May 1991, was looking to surprise the skeptics who said it lacked the class for Europe's premier competition. In front of a half-full 29,000-capacity stadium at Charleroi, Slovenia continued to create problems on Yugoslavia's right flank, where the inexperienced Ivan Dudic was struggling badly. Before half-time Karic and Saso Udovic combined superbly to create a clear opening for Zahovic, but his sharp shot produced a great reflex save from Ivica Kralj. Before half-time Yugoslav fans castigated their team with shouts of "shame on you," but things quickly got worse. In the 52nd minute, another header seemingly sealed Yugoslavia's fate. Zahovic's curling freekick was met by a glancing header from Miran Pavlin which was again out of Kralj's reach. Adding insult to injury, defender Mihajlovic nonchalantly passed a ball straight to Zahovic, who was totally unmarked, and the Slovene star immediately buried the ball past the luckless Kralj. Thousands of Slovene fans cheered the name of Zahovic, who scored nine goals in Euro 2000 qualification and has now struck 23 goals in 46 international matches. Showing every which way of its worst side, Yugoslavia was own to 10 men when the frustrated Mihaljovic shoved an opponent into the ground without the slightest provocation just three minutes later. "Sinisa was very nervous. He couldn't stand the result because he is not used to losing like that at Lazio," Boskov said. Boskov wasn't so understanding at the time, slamming his hands into the side of the dugout in frustration. Yet, amazingly, everything changed from then on. Substitute Milosevic of Real Zaragoza got a goal back in the 65th minute when he tapped in a cross from Miroslav Djukic, while the Slovenes were appealing that the ball had crossed the back line. Ljubinko Drulovic made it a game again, drilling home a cross from Predrag Mijatovic four minutes later. Slovenia, which recently lost 3-2 in France after going two goals ahead, was suddenly on the ropes. In the 72nd minute, Milosevic made the recovery complete when he was again totally unmarked in the center to connect to a pass from Drulovic. It was a remarkable comeback not least because Yugoslavia had a low morale after injuries and open criticism of Boskov had wracked any sense of teambuilding among the collection of stars. "If someone had offered me a 3-3 draw before the match I would have taken it with both hands but in this case we are disappointed," said Slovenia's coach Srecko Katanec, who once played under Boskov at Sampdoria. "We actually lost the match." "Even at 3-0 I wasn't sure of victory because I saw my players stop on the pitch suddenly. This is a lesson," he said. "There is no celebration in my dressing room." Despite his pair of goals, Milosevic was down at the end of the match. "The first hour was the worst of my life," he said. "If we play like this against Norway, they are going to score seven."
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