|
Unlucky Scots end up disappointed
Posted: Wednesday June 10, 1998 04:54 PM
PARIS (CNN/SI) -- Brazil was far from flawless, but it certainly showed in flashes how dynamic it can be in front of goal in beating Scotland 2-1 in the World Cup opener.
Ronaldo's devastating pace was often in evidence -- so too his abundant skill. Colin Hendry and Tommy Boyd won't forget too easily how he skipped by them both in the first half only to be kept out by a fine save from Jim Leighton.
Boyd had worse to come, of course. He scored the own goal which gave the World Champions a winning start to the defense of their title.
It was cruel misfortune in the end for the plucky Scots, who were just 17 minutes shy of a major game one surprise.
Scotland, who could have been four goals down after 20 minutes, escaped that spell with just a one-goal deficit.
It hit back in spirited fashion and looked to have great cohesion.
The more the Scots pressed, the more they held their own with the tournament favorites, the more the impartial spectators in an 80,000-strong crowd began to side with them.
I was in the imposing Stade de France and one could sense the Scots were being taken to the hearts of the neutrals -- many of whom were wearing Brazilian colours because they are, after all, very difficult to dislike and terribly easy to support.
As the tide of favor turned, it came as no surprise that when Scotland was awarded, and duly scored with the John Collins penalty, that the loudest cheer of the day went up around the space-age arena.
Sir Bobby Charlton told me yesterday that there are no underdogs in this tournament and that every nation will have its big moment in the finals.
Scotland may not have been rank outsiders, but underdogs doesn't seem such an unfair tag in "opening-game-against-
Brazil" circumstances.
And this looked like being Scotland's big moment.
They have never reached the second round before and in their previous seven appearances had experienced some hard luck stories and embarrassments. Remember the draw with Iran in 1978 and the defeat by Costa Rica in 1990? Remember missing out on group progression by a single goal in 1974 or that impressive but all-too-late 3-2 win over Holland in 1978?
Perhaps this would be Scotland's time -- a time to erase those painful memories and take a forthright stride towards round two.
As for Brazil? First games in any World Cup for any World Champions are always difficult. Just ask Argentina, beaten twice at the outset when starting out as champs ... once to Belgium, once to Cameroon.
They didn't look especially confident and were disjointed at times -- but they were also dazzling on occasion. The longer the tournament progresses, the more we'll see of the latter from the Brazilians.
However, it might not take a great team to beat them -- just a lucky one.
| 
