|
Upset, Viking-style
Norway shocks Brazil, advances to second round
Posted: Tuesday June 23, 1998 10:35 PM
| |
Norwegian players celebrate after defeating Brazil 2-1(AP) |
MARSEILLE, France (AP) --
With its future in the World Cup down to seven minutes, Norway scored
twice, including a controversial penalty kick, to stun Brazil 2-1
Tuesday and move into the second round.
Kjetil Rekdal converted the 89th-minute penalty kick only six minutes after
Tore Andre Flo tied the game. With the win, Norway handed the four-time Cup
winners their first defeat.
American referee Esse Baharmast awarded the penalty kick, although replays
showed little contact on the play.
"It was one of the best, definitely," Flo said. "We made history in Norway
today."
Trailing 1-0 and looking like it was headed out after the first round, Flo
gave Norway hope with a remarkable individual effort in the 83rd minute.
Flo ran onto a long pass, one-touched it to the middle of the penalty area
and beat goalkeeper Taffarel with a strike from 12 yards.
Then came the penalty, called on Junior Baiano for knocking down Flo as the
two battled for position on a high ball. Replays indicated little contact
on the play.
With Morocco
beating Scotland 3-0
in Saint-Etienne and sure to advance from Group A with a Brazil victory or
draw, Rekdal firmly struck his penalty kick into the lower left side of the
net. Norway reached the second round of the World Cup for the first time in
three tries.
"We came in overconfident against a rival we didn't know how would play
against us," Brazilian coach Mario Zagallo said. "But we developed our
soccer and will continue to do so."
The Norwegian reserves sprinted onto the field to hug and congratulate
their teammates when they clinched a spot vs. Italy on Saturday
in Marseille.
The fans in Viking helmets and red-and-blue Norwegian flags refused to let
their heroes leave the field at Stade Velodrome, and the team trotted
around the field to salute their ecstatic supporters.
"It's incredible. I'm amazed at what happened," Norwegian coach Egil Olsen
said.
"It was one of the best [victories], definitely," Flo said. "We made
history in Norway today."
Brazil controlled possession throughout and finally looked like the winner
when Bebeto converted Denilson's cross with a header in the 78th minute.
Denilson fell, but still managed to keep possession, spin away from
Norwegian defender Berg Henning and strike a left-footed cross chest high
across the penalty area. Streaking through, Bebeto put his head onto the
ball and directed it into the middle of the net.
"We were better, we created the chances, we deserved to win," Bebeto said.
"But there are evils that come for the good. This will make us stronger. We
lost when we could lose. We can't in the next round."
Brazil's goalie Taffarel stretches short of reaching the ball as Norway's Kjetil Rekdal (right) scores the 2-1 winning goal (AP) | |
Brazil already had qualified for the second round, assured of winning Group
A and a round of 16 meeting with Chile on Saturday
in Paris.
But Brazil wanted this one. Stung by a 4-2 loss to Norway in a friendly
game last year and Olsen's bragging ever since, the Brazilians wanted
revenge.
The Brazilians could have fielded their "B" team, tested their
second-stringers and not risked an injury to Ronaldo or its other stars.
Instead, they tested a new, attack-heavy formation with quicksilver
midfielder Denilson in place of Cesar Sampaio, suspended for one game after
drawing his second yellow card against Morocco.
They might have sensed it wasn't their night when the band got their
national anthem wrong.
"We lost a game that was won," Zagallo said. "This will serve as a great
lesson to us not to lose our concentration. It was a defeat on the road to
the `penta,' " as Brazilians call the hoped-for fifth Cup title.
The Brazilians blamed themselves for the loss.
"We didn't let Norway do anything," Rivaldo said. "But unfortunately after
the goal, we lost our cool and went on the attack like runaway horses,
which made things easier for the Norwegians."
Zagallo felt the Norwegians didn't deserve the tying goal for their stodgy
play to that point.
"They played anti-soccer. They had two defensive lines and only one
striker, as if they didn't need to win," said the frustrated coach. "We
should have just traded passes in the midfield and let the Norwegian fans
boo. But one goal wasn't enough for us and we went looking for the second."
After Baharmast whistled the foul, Rekdal fired it into the left side for
the clincher.
"I got the ball. I was lucky I guess," Flo said. "I took a shot and it went
into the corner. It was a good goal, but we knew we needed one more. Then
we got the penalty and it was a very cool finish by Rekdal."
In the final minute, Grodas smothered a booming shot from Roberto Carlos to
seal the victory.
Brazilian captain Dunga was one of the harshest critics of his team's play.
"The Norwegian victory is the least of it," he said. "What I regret is the
wrong-headed way we played in the final minutes. We forgot everything we
know how to do well, which is move the ball."
Still, the rivalry was strictly on the field. Norwegians and Brazilians
were united in the pre- and post-game partying -- and two vowed to stay
together forever.
Olvind Ekeland, a 28-year-old Norwegian, married 29-year-old Brazilian
Rosangela de Souza on the pitch before the game. After his "da" and her
"sim," fans of both teams joined in a chorus of "Stand By Me," in English.
Copyright 2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
| 
