P W D L F A PTS
Italy 3 3 0 0 6 2 9
Turkey 3 1 1 1 3 2 4
Belgium 3 1 0 2 2 5 3
Sweden 3 0 1 2 2 4 1
Quarter Finals
Italy vs England/Germany/Romania
Turkey vs Portugal
19 JUNE 2000
SUKUR SENDS BELGIANS HOME, LITERALLY
BELGIUM 0-2 TURKEY
Sukur 46, 70
Mpenza wasted two good chances inside the first three minutes, shooting wide
from almost identical positions on the left side of goal. Mpenza had a goal
disallowed for offside. Nilis just missed the inside of the post with a fine
strike from the edge of the box. It took Turkey over 30 minutes to register
a shot, Sukur touched on a ball and Okan missed an open goal. Akyel launched
a nothing ball into the box, De Wilde came off his line, watched the ball
bounce and then decided to catch it trouble was Sukur was closing in and no
prizes for guessing what happened next, Sukur out jumped De Wilde and
headed into an empty net.
Mpenza continued his villainy, he powerfully headed at Rustu from close range
after Nilis muscled past Akyel and sent in a perfect cross and then headed
wide a 100% from another superb cross, this time from Deflandre. Hendrikx
went close following a goal mouth scramble. Turkey broke through Belgium's
offside trap and Suat centered for Sukur to send the Belgians out. It was
another of those he wasn't interfering with play and then he was when he
scored type deals that no one understands. There must have been a rule
change no one told us about. Sukur nonchalantly turned on a hospital pass
and it was Arif's turn to miss a 100% chance but his team were already two
goals up so it didn't really matter. De Wilde put the finishing touch to a truly
inept performance of the highest order when he came miles off his goal-line
and flattened Arif with a discus elbow Misawa would be proud of (another
Pro-Wrestling reference). Is it me of is De Wilde the long lost brother of
ex Liverpool player Phil Neal?
Shots on target, 7-4 to Belgium, shots wide 13-1 to Belgium, 10 corners to
2 Belgium, possession 59% - 41% Belgium. Their finishing really, really sucked
as did De Wilde. Shame now that they've finally got some decent forwards
Prudhomme is no longer in goal.
Man of the Match - Sukur. No explanation necessary
Assists : Akyel to Sukur, Suat to Sukur
Red Card : De Wilde 83 (Belgium)
ITALY 2-1 SWEDEN
Di Biagio 39 Larsson 77
Del Piero 88
Di Livio cleared Mjallby's deflected header off the line. Ljunberg made the
most of several deflections, kicked fresh air when attempting a shot, Negro
fell over, Toldo went down early and with the entire goal to aim at he
managed to shoot wide. Unbelievable miss. Predictable Italy's first chance
came from a counter attack, Montella turned Bjorklund inside out before
taking a shot but Hedman brilliantly saved. Toldo made an excellent save with
his feet from Svensson. Patrick Andersson headed over from a corner. Montella
blew a great chance when shooting over inches from goal. Italy scored from
their first corner taken by Del Piero, Di Biagio headed in unmarked.
Larsson flicked on Ljunberg's cross and Toldo made a phenomenal save from
Patrick Andersson's volley. Kennet Andersson intercepted Di Biagio's hospital
pass, played in Larsson, he sent Toldo on his arse and tapped into an empty
net. Larsson headed straight at Toldo from Kennet Andersson's cross,
Ambrosini put a loose ball way over the bar and Kennet Andersson volleyed
wide from close range. Excellent pressing by Ambrosini forced Daniel
Andersson back towards his own goal, Montella stripped him of the ball and
passed to Del Piero who creamed Mellberg with a wonderful dummy feigning
to shoot with his right foot before taking the ball on his left and smashing
past Hedman, awesome, awesome, awesome goal. Cannavaro's huge free
kick caught the Swedish defence cold, Montella centered, Del Piero slid in but
shot over the bar.
Zoff rested eight players and they arguably played better than the first
choices. Montella linked brilliantly with Del Piero and unlike Inzaghi didn't
continually get caught offside and wasn't selfish in possession. A goal and
an assist for Del Piero though he really should have added a second. Ambrosini
brought some much needed muscle to the Italy midfield. Mjallby continues to
impress and Ljunberg continues to piss up 100% chances as he had done at
Arsenal throughout the season. If Sweden played like this in their first two
games they would be joining Italy in the next round.
Man of the Match - Toldo. He's worth a two goal start for Italy.
Assists : Del Piero to Di Biagio, Montella to Del Piero
Kennet Andersson to Larsson
14 JUNE 2000
BORING, BORING, BORING
I'll be honest I only watched highlights, I had a feeling it was going to suck
so I spent a few hours playing the awesome Ronaldo V-Football at a friends
house.
SWEDEN 0-0 TURKEY
Rustu made a beautiful one handed save from a Kennett Andersson free kick
and denied the Bologna striker again, set up by a sweet rolled back heel from
Larsson, with an unorthodox save at his near post - doing a one legged split.
Sweden had claims for a penalty turned down at the end of the first half when
Ljunberg couldn't get onto a great through ball from Lucic and ran into
Rustu.
Mjallby should have been sent off for a heinous foul on Izzet. Hedman was
finally called into action when Sergen ran from the half way line and took
a pop from about 20yds, Hedman parried the shot and Okan missed the open
goal.
Man of the Match : Kennet Andersson - came closer to scoring than anyone
else.
13 JUNE 2000
TOO EASY FOR ITALY
BELGIUM 0-2 ITALY
Totti 6
Fiore 66
De Wilde made a superb double save in the opening minutes from Maldini and
then somehow managed to get up and dive to save Inzaghi's weak follow up.
Minutes later Totti headed Italy into the lead from Albertini's free kick.
Toldo made a phenomenal save, tipping a violent drive from Goor onto the
crossbar. Wilmots wasted a great chance at the end of the first half,
shooting weakly at Toldo following a slack clearance by Nesta.
Toldo made another excellent save at the start of the second half as once
again Nesta made a slack clearance. Wilmots headed wide, unmarked, from a
corner. Another great save by Toldo from Nilis' free kick. Fiore played a
one-two with Inzaghi before curling a stunning first time shot past De Wilde.
Awesome, awesome, awesome goal. Valgaeren scored an own goal under
pressure from Delvecchio but it was harshly disallowed for either/and/or offside
and a 'push' by Delvecchio.
Far too easy for Italy. Albertini has his second consecutive good match,
something he hasn't managed at Milan since Desailly used to carry him in
midfield six years ago. Belgium had a lot of possession but no idea how to
break down a solid Italy defence. Wilmots was hopeless for Belgium, his
wretched first touch wasting the few opportunities Belgium created. Inzaghi
was even more frustrating for Italy, continually running offside. Totti, who
wore a ridiculous head band, did bugger all after scoring, trying too hard to
play a killer pass. Fiore was excellent. Del Piero also looked sharp when he
come on mid-way through the second half.
Man of the Match : Toldo - Made up for an uncharacteristic error against
Turkey with some trademark spectacular saves.
Assists : Albertini to Totti, Inzaghi to Fiore
11 JUNE 2000
LIVE BY THE PENALTY, DIE BY THE PENALTY
And Italians wonder why they always get beat on penalties.
ITALY 2-1 TURKEY
Conte 52 Okan 61
Inzaghi 70 (Pen)
Italy almost made more attacks in the first 15 minutes than during their entire
qualifying campaign but the first real chance fell to the Turks, Sergen turning
inside Albertini and Cannavaro before shooting wide. Inzaghi wasted a
beautiful Fiore cross.
A dreadful mistake gave Italy the opening goal, Fiore crossed to Inzaghi
who fired a shot into the box, Alpay stupidly tried to flick the ball clear
but only got as far as Conte who sent an overhead kick past Rustu. Totti
headed Albertini's cross against the post, Inzaghi's weak follow up was
cleared off the line by Ogun. Toldo completely missed Sergen's free kick
and Okan, who is marginally bigger than a garden gnome, headed into an
empty net. Inzaghi blew another chance created by Fiore, Rustu got a touch
but Ogun cleared off the line. Inzaghi dived in the box, the inept Premiership
referee Hugh Dallas, all Premiership referees are inept, bought it and
Inzaghi smashed the ball past Rustu. Del Piero came on for the impressive
Fiore and raised Italy's game another level, his free kick crashed off the
underside of the crossbar, he destroyed Tayfur with a dummy but shot over
the bar and then had a shot cleared off the line. Di Livio had a goal
disallowed when stupidly running offside as Italy had Turkey outnumbered in
attack.
Penalty aside Italy were far superior to the Turks who passed the ball well
but they failed to create decent goalscoring chances. Football is a cruel
game, it denies us players like Ronaldo and Vieri while cheating bastards
like Inzaghi are rarely injured. If he breaks a leg it will be too soon.
Man of the Match : Fiore - Carved out several chances, didn't show
his explosive finishing. There's a lot more to come from him.
Assists : Inzaghi, Sergen to Okan
10 JUNE 2000
HIGH DRAMA, LOW ON QUALITY BUT BELGIUM TRIUMPH
BELGIUM 2-1 SWEDEN
Goor 43 Mjallby 53
E Mpenza 46
Sweden started brightly, Kennet Andersson getting a shot on target as early
as the first minute. Patrick Andersson also going close with a deflected
free kick. Sweden kept pumping balls upto Kennet Andersson, Pettersson the
main recipient of his knock downs. Staelens made a tremendous tackle as
Pettersson looked set to silence the home crowd when put in by Mjallby's
header. Andersson headed wastefully wide from a corner. Belgium finally
started to threaten around the 30 minute mark, Strupar shooting weakly at
Hedman and Mpenza heading over Verheyen's cross. A gift from Nilsson led
to the openinggoal, Goor passed to him, Nilsson dithered on the ball and
Goor ran straight through him into the box before whipping the ball inside
Hedman's post.
Lucic came on for Nilsson at the start of the second half and Belgium went
further in front. Strupar brilliantly flicked on Vanderhaeghe's cross,
Mpenza controlled the ball with his left arm and lashing the ball high into
the net. De Wilde made a complete piss up of back pass, stood on the ball,
slipped and Mjallby raced in to tap into an empty. De Wilde made amends
minutes later, saving brilliantly as Daniel Andersson sent Ljunberg clear.
Nilis came on for Strupar and wasted lots of good possession, trying far
too hard to score. The Swedes started to take out their frustrations on
the Belgians. Patrick Andersson picked up two yellow cards for murder
attempts on Mpenza and Goor. Osmanovski escaped after taking a chunk out
of the impressive Deflandre. De Wilde made a great save from Mjallby's
header. Mjallby was easily Sweden's best player.
Man of the Match : Verheyen (Belgium) - Powerful right sided midfielder with
a mean streak. Good crossing, good passing, great engine, tireless worker, only
stopped running after a clash of heads knocked him senseless late in the
second half. Pushed and kicked his way through the Swedish team in a non
malicious type of way. He'll be the first name on the list of targets by
scouts around Europe.
Red Card : P Andersson 81 (Sweden)
Assist : Strupar to Mpenza
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