CNN/SI - - World Cup Soccer Recap (Argentina-Croatia)

World Cup Soccer Recap (Argentina-Croatia)

Posted: Fri June 26, 1998 at 1:20 p.m. EDT

ARGENTINA 1, CROATIA 0

Hector Pineda's goal in the 36th minute accounted for all the scoring as Argentina claimed the top spot in Group H of the World Cup with a 1-0 victory over Croatia in Bordeaux.

Pineda, a defender, snuck down the left side of the pitch as Argentina (3-0-0 in Group H) pushed the ball through the middle. Midfielder Ariel Ortega sent a pass to the left to Pineda, who chested down the ball and flicked a 12-yard shot over Croatia goalkeeper Drazen Ladic.

The two-time champions became just the second team to run the table in group play, joining host France. But 'keeper Carlos Roa became the first to turn in three clean sheets as Argentina whitewashed Group H counterparts Japan, Jamaica and Croatia -- all World Cup debutants -- by a 7-0 aggregate.

Argentina will play the runner-up of Group G, which will be either Romania, England or Colombia. That match will take place at Saint-Etienne.

Croatia (2-1-0) will play the winner of Group G in the second round. The side of the former part of Yugoslavia started four players with a yellow card today and one of them -- defender Zvonimir Soldo -- picked up a second and will miss Croatia's round of 16 match, which will be played here in Bordeaux.

Neither team created many scoring chances in the first half. In the 19th minute, Marcelo Gallardo could not finish a side volley off a cross from Ortega. Croatia defender Robert Jarni, who often would attack down the left side, had a cross for Suker intercepted in the 29th minute.

Zvonimir Boban put a shot wide in the 33rd minute from 18 yards before Pineda struck. In the final minute of the first half, Gallardo struck a free kick into the wall, and Ortega fired a 15-yard shot that Ladic got a hand on before it rolled wide of the right post.

The best chance for Croatia in the second half came in the 63rd minute, when substitute striker Goran Vlaovic hammered a 20-yard shot off the crossbar. In the 71st minute, Gallardo blazed through the midfield, but pushed a 15-yard shot wide of the right post.

Six minutes later, Argentina midfielder Diego Simeone had a 12-yard shot stopped after Juan Veron slotted him a pass on the right side. Davor Suker, Croatia's best forward, did not get a clean shot off until the 88th minute, when his 15-yard shot was well wide of the left post.

Moroccan referee Said Belqola issued seven yellow cards overall. Ortega, Roberto Ayala and Nelson Vivas received cautions for Argentina, while Boban, Jarni and Slaven Bilic were booked. All six players will have those cautions expunged for the second round.

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