The Hindu : Blanco makes it Mexico's day

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jun 04, 2002

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Sport - Football

Blanco makes it Mexico's day

NIIGATA JUNE 3. Underachiever Mexico got off to a perfect start in the World Cup as Cuauhtemoc Blanco scored a 61st minute penalty to take his team to a 1-0 victory in the opening Group G tie against Croatia on Monday.

The foul — resulting in the first red card of the tournament — was called on Croatia's Boris Zivkovic, who stuck his right leg out on the advancing Blanco, bringing the attacker down while making no contact with the ball.

Referee Lu Jun had no hesitation in expelling Zivkovic and pointing to the penalty spot.

Blanco returned to take the penalty, smashing the ball into the top left corner as goalkeeper Stipe Pletikosa dived the wrong way.

Mexico also gets two of its key midfielders back for the next match — suspended Jesus Arellano and Joahan Rodriguez. ``We get two important players back for the next game with Ecuador, so we have a chance to do something different with the line-up.''

Croatian coach Mirko Jovic tried to sound optimistic, though the setback is sure to hurt his side's chance of matching its third-place finish four years ago.

``It's very bad to lose in the first game, but the players have to get over the shock. The battle is over but the war isn't,'' he said. ``We couldn't find our rhythm or assert ourselves in the centre of the pitch and the only few chances we did create were thwarted by some splendid goalkeeping,'' Jozic added.

Croatian captain Davor Suker remarked: ``It will be a tough test against Italy, but there are still six points up for grabs and the chance for qualification to the next round is not lost,'' he said.

The first half was fairly even, though Mexico appeared to get the better of the exchanges as the teams approached half-time.

Croatia — a surprise third-place finisher from France '98 — had a chance in the first five minutes when Mexico goalkeeper Oscar Perez was forced to save a header. In the 25th minute, Perez had to run to the right of his goal to dive on a loose ball.

As the Mexicans started to find their form, the action switched to the Croatian half. Their best chance of the half in the 33rd minute, when a cross from Ramon Morales was knocked just wide of the net by Jared Borgetti.

Croatia had a chance in the first minute of the second half when a cross from substitute Milan Rapaic found Zvonimir Soldo, whose header was tipped over the net by Perez.

After Blanco's goal the Mexicans hung on to their lead but gave little sign of scoring a second, while Croatia desperately made substitutions to try to change the course of the match.

Mexico's best chance of doubling its advantage came with five minutes to go, but Morales' shot was fisted away by Pletikosa. Croatia stepped up the pressure in injury time with a series of attacks at the Mexican goal.

The teams:

Croatia: Stipe Pletikosa, Josip Simunic, Stjepan Tomas, Boris Zivkovic, Robert Prosinecki (Milan Rapaic, 45th minute), Davor Suker (capt.) (Daniel Saric, 64), Niko Kovac, Alen Boksic (Mario Stanic, 67), Zvonimir Soldo, Robert Jarni, Robert Kovac.

Mexico: Oscar Perez, Rafael Marquez (capt.), Manuel Vidrio, Gerardo Torrado, Ramon Morales, Jared Borgetti (Luis Hernandez, 68), Cuauhtemoc Blanco (Francisco Palencia, 79), Braulio Luna, Sigifredo Mercato, Salvador Carmona, Gabriel Caballero.

Referee: Jun Lu (China). — AP

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