|
3 red cards color draw
Denmark-South Africa finish match with 19 on field
Posted: Saturday September 26, 1998 12:09 PM
| |
Benedict McCarthy (right) scored South Africa's first goal in the finals Laurence Griffiths/Allsport |
TOULOUSE, France (CNN/SI)
-- Seldom has a World Cup game that looked so clean seen so much color from
the referee. Denmark and South
Africa combined for three red cards and seven yellow cards, and the two
teams fought to a 1-1 draw on Thursday. The result moved Denmark within
sight of the second round of the World Cup. The draw gave Denmark
four points and moved it atop Group C pending the outcome of Thursday
night's match between France and Saudi
Arabia. The result left South Africa's hopes mathematically alive, but
little realistic chance. "It's not finished for us. We have the
possibility to advance," South Africa coach Philippe Troussier said.
Denmark ended the match playing nine-on-10 after Colombian
referee John Jairo Toro ejected Danish substitutes Miklos Molnar in the
67th and Morten Wieghorst in the 85th -- only three minutes after the
latter entered the game. Denmark coach Bo Johansson refused to
comment on the referee, and said his team must play much better against
France in next week's final Group C match. "You have all seen what
happened. I don't want to say anything about about it," a smiling Johannson
said. "If we ever think we know how a game will be, we should remember this
game." Alfred Phiri was ejected two minutes after Molnar in a game
which in addition to the three reds saw seven yellows issued. The
flood of red cards nearly matched the four issued in the first 20 games and
came only a day after FIFA president Sepp Blatter criticized referees for
not being tough enough, saying if necessary he would personally remind
officials of the rules. South Africa tied the match in the 53rd
minute, but the second half degenerated into series of fouls, leaving
little opportunity for serious chances. Benni McCarthy scored South
Africa's first World Cup goal in its history when he ran nto Shaun
Bartlett's backheel touch off a pass from John Moshoeu. McCarthy
received the ball between Jes Hogh and Soren Colding and rolled it between
the legs of Danish keeper Peter Schmeichel. South Africa just missed
the game winner in the first minute of second-half injury time when Quinton
Fortune blasted a ball from the top of the penalty area off the crossbar.
"I think we deserved to score one more goal," Troussier said. "In the
last 25 minutes we really wanted it. We really wanted to win this game."
Denmark dominated the first half but missed its chances to put the
game away, putting two balls off the right post. Nielsen volleyed
Brian Laudrup's cross at the far post in the 13th minute to give Denmark
the lead, deflecting it in off goalkeeper Hans Vonk's hand. Looking
to help his country into the second round, Crown Prince Frederik, heir to
the Danish throne and oldest son of Queen Margrethe II, was among the crowd
at Stade Municipal. Denmark came within centimeters of a second goal
on a corner by Martin Jorgensen, whose in-bending kick floated over Vonk
and banged off the far post. The rebound came to Laudrup, who put a
diving header from six yards into the stomach of a sprawled Vonk.
Denmark hit the same post again in the 42nd when Ebbe Sand ripped a
right-footed shot from the top of the penalty area. South Africa's
best chance came in the 28th minute when McCarthy sent in a rolling cross
off a busted play through the goal box, but an onrushing Helman Mkhalele
couldn't get his foot to it to poke it in. The South Africans also
failed to finish on a loose ball in the penalty are in the 22nd when Piere
Issa's one shot was blocked before Jorgensen was able to dribble it out of
danger. Lineups South Africa: Hans Vonk; Mark Fish,
Pierre Issa, David Nyathi (Delron Buckley, 88th), Lucas Radebe; Quinton
Fortune, Helman Mkhalele, John Moshoeu; Brendan Augustine (Alfred Phiri,
46th minute), Shaun Bartlett (Phil Masinga, 79th), Benedict McCarthy.
Denmark: Peter Schmeichel; Soren Colding, Jes Hogh, Marc
Rieper; Thomas Helveg, Martin Jorgensen, Allan Nielsen, Michael Schjonberg
(Morten Wieghorst, 82nd); Brian Laudrup, Michael Laudrup (Jan Heintze,
58th), Ebbe Sand (Miklos Molnar, 58th). Referee: John Jairo
Toro, Colombia.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
| 
