|
Clemente: Spain will reach 2nd round
Posted: Saturday September 26, 1998 11:15 AM
| |
Fernando Hierro and Spain had plenty of chances, but it was not able to score on Paraguay Stu Forster/Allsport |
CHANTILLY, France (CNN/SI)
-- Coach Javier Clemente insisted on Saturday that Spain would
survive the "Group of Death" and told fans to save their tears until the
World Cup was over.
"It's not the Group of Death. It's the Group of Heart Attacks," he told
an edgy news conference after Friday's dismal 0-0 draw with Paraguay.
"We are not dead yet," said Clemente. "We are alive, for the moment we
are alive, and we can still qualify."
Nigeria
has already reached the second round after beating Bulgaria 1-0
in Paris on Friday. Spain, with just one point out of six, plays Bulgaria
on Wednesday in its final group D game.
Mathematically, Spain could still qualify with just two points if it
draws with Bulgaria and Paraguay loses to Nigeria because it has scored
more goals than the others.
"Next Thursday we could be saying 'Senors, its goodbye to the World Cup.'
But we could also be preparing for the match against France," said
Clemente. The runners-up in group D will play group C winners France in the
second round.
"Don't start crying until it's over." Clemente sent his team out to train
in sweltering heat despite them having returned after midnight from the
Paraguay match in St Etienne.
The Spanish media, reflecting the disappointment of a nation, suggested
that mistakes had been made in team selection.
That prompted Clemente to embark on a wide-ranging discussion, taking in
Papal infallibility and the differences between police movies and romances
along the way.
He also called for a more rational and less emotional assessment of
Spain's performances.
"Of course they [the people] are disappointed. We are disappointed too --
we wanted to win. But you are totally disappointed, we are totally
optimistic," he said.
The Basque insisted he was not infallible -- unlike the Pope, although he
made clear he disagreed with him sometimes.
"Anyone who thinks I'm infallible is an imbecile," he said. "But I did
not make any mistakes against Nigeria.
"You speak of theory, I speak of reality. I know the players," he said as
the criticism developed.
He said comparing the two matches played so far would be like comparing
cop films with love stories.
"We have had no luck so far. We had none in defense in the first match
and none in attack in the second.
"Maybe you sometimes forget that we are a good team but that we are also
playing against good teams," he said.
The players meanwhile tried to stay positive.
"It depends on other results. It's not a nice situation but it's the
reality. All we can do is fight. We can't change the other results," said
Barcelona forward Juan Pizzi.
"On a personal level, I realise we did not have a great match or anything
like that but we were playing a very difficult opponent with a lot of
defenders."
"We are in a situation that no one expected until now," added Athletic
Bilbao midfielder Julen Guerrero. "But there are teams that have gone a
long way starting badly."
Reuters contributed to this report.
| 
