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Opening match scare
Brazil beats Scotland 2-1 on own goal
Posted: Saturday September 26, 1998 12:17 PM
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Cesar Sampaio of Brazil celebrates scoring the opening goal of the World Cup against Scotland Shaun Botterill/Allsport |
ST. DENIS, France (CNN/SI)
-- Many men have scored goals for Brazil in the
World Cup. Names like Pele, Zico, Garrincha, Socrates and Romario have
found the net. Add the name of Tommy Boyd. The Scotland
defender found himself in the wrong place, and a ball deflected off his
chest into his own net to help four-time champion Brazil to a 2-1 victory
Wednesday in the opening match of the 16th World Cup. "I think we were
brave, but perhaps not good enough," Scotland coach Craig Brown. "They
deserved to win, but we shouldn't have lost, that's the way we're looking
at it." It was a slow start for Brazil, the defending champion and the
team favored by all oddsmakers to hold the Cup high once again on July 12.
If not for the own goal Brazil would have limped away with just one point.
Ronaldo, the two-time FIFA Player of the Year, lived up to expectations
with a dazzling repertoire of stutter-step dribbles, explosive charges and
artillery. But he got little help from the rest of the Brazilian team --
especially a defense that looked slow and confused. "The only defect, if
you can call it that, was that we stayed behind too much and we left too
many open spaces in between," Brazilian coach Mario Zagallo said.
The afternoon began as a party for the defending world champions. The Stade
de France stadium was a sea of Brazilian green-and-yellow jerseys, flags
and body paint. Some bipartisan fans wore kilts with Ronaldo's No. 9 shirt.
And before the players had time to break a sweat, Brazil was on the
board. In the fourth minute, Dunga blasted a long shot from straight
on that Colin Hendry headed wide. Bebeto took the corner kick and curled
the ball into the near post, where Cesar Sampaio beat Craig Burley and John
Collins to a header that made it 1-0. "Things started well for me,
scoring the first goal. And this is a great start for the team, too," Cesar
Sampaio said. "Scoring like that, the first goal, makes me unbelievably
happy. During those first five seconds one forgets about everything else.
It's like a dream." Meanwhile, Ronaldo troubled the Scot defense
with runs from the left and right. In the 13th minute, the
21-year-old striker broke into the area, and Colin Hendry nearly headed the
ball into his own net trying to clear. Three minutes later, Rivaldo
found Ronaldo open on the left side, but his booming shot was tipped wide
by goalkeeper Jim Leighton. Ronaldo struck again in the 20th minute,
twisting Hendry around and racing through the defense to test Leighton once
more. But if the crowd sensed a blowout, the Scots had other ideas.
Slowly the Europeans settled and were able to gain more of the possession,
but were never able to control the game. "I think we were brave, but
perhaps not good enough," Scotland coach Craig Brown. "They deserved to
win, but we shouldn't have lost, that's the way we're looking at it."
Striker Gordon Durie created the Scots first real chance, slipping behind
the defense and caught a high pass in mid-flight, but his deflection lofted
just over the crossbar. The left side of the Brazilian defense was
an avenue for the Scots, with Roberto Carlos charging upfield and
32-year-old fullback Aldair, who was cleared by doctors only on Tuesday to
play, nearly always late on coverage. In the 29th minute, the Scots
blew in with a dangerous cross, twisting around fullback Junior Baiano and
forcing him to clear the ball with the outside of his left heal.
Seven minutes later, Cesar Sampaio ran over the back of Kevin Gallacher in
the penalty area on another Scot counterattack. Collins converted into the
lower right corner to make it 1-1. Then it was Brazil's turn to get
nervous, flubbing passes and losing the ball unchallenged. In the final
minute of the half, Aldair was yellow-carded for a rough tackle.
Leonardo came in for Giovanni at the start of the second half to improve
coverage in the midfield, and Brazil came out pressing. Rivaldo put a scare
in the Scots with a series of three tight dribbles and bullet past the
right post. But the defense seemed bent on complicating simple
plays. In the 49th minute, Sampaio kicked a ball out of keeper
Taffarel's arms. Six minutes later, the Scots wove in again up the right,
and Taffarel took a cleat in the head from Sampaio as they collided, and
Cafu sent the ball to a corner. Meanwhile, Scotland grew more
confident, controlling the ball and the tempo as the Tartan Army was heard
over the silent Brazilian fans. Rivaldo and Ronaldo were the sole
sparks for Brazil, until a fluke play decided the game. In the 73rd
minute, Dunga found Cafu with a long pass up the right side. The Brazilian
defender tapped a shot that bounced off Leighton, again off a backtracking
Boyd and into the net. Denilson replaced Bebeto on Brazil, and
Scotland sent in Billy McKinlay for Darren Jackson and Tosh McKinlay for
Christian Dailly. Durie and Kevin Gallagher tested Taffarel in the
final minutes, but the afternoon was Brazil's. Lineups
Brazil: Taffarel Cafu, Aldair, Junior Baiano; Cesar Sampaio, Giovanni
(Leonardo, 46th minute), Dunga, Rivaldo, Roberto Carlos; Ronaldo, Bebeto
(Denilson, 70th). Scotland: Jim Leighton, Colin Calderwood,
Colin Hendry, Tommy Boyd; Craig Burley, Christian Dailly (Tosh McKilay,
84th), Paul Lambert, John Collins; Kevin Gallacher, Gordon Durie, Darren
Jackson (Billy McKinlay, 78th). Referee: Jose Garcia Aranda,
Spain.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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