Red Devils World Cup Matches
Last updated: Monday 22 June 1998
Mail to : marc.delperdange@student.kuleuven.ac.be
Saturday 20 June :
Belgium - Mexico
2 - 2
43rd min : 1-0 Wilmots
48th min : 2-0 Wilmots
55th min : 2-1 Garcia Aspe (penalty)
63nd min : 2-2 Blanco
Stadium Parc Lescure in Bordeaux
Attendants : 35.200
Referee : Hugh Dallas (Scotland)
yellow cards : Ramirez(M), Blanco(M), Vidovic(B)
red cards : Pardo(M), Verheyen(B)
Starting line-ups :
BELGIUM :
Nilis - Oliveira
Boffin - Van der Elst - Scifo - Wilmots
Borkelmans - Vidovic - Staelens - Deflandre
De Wilde
Substitutions :
18th min : Boffin > Verheyen
67th min : Van der Elst > De Boeck
75th min : Nilis > L. Mpenza
MEXICO :
Hernandez - Blanco
Ordiales - Ramirez - Garcia Aspe - Palencia
C. Sanchez - J. Sanchez - Davino - Pardo
Campos
Substitutions :
46th min : Palencia > Arellano
67th min : Garcia Aspe > Lara
Match Report
There were 3 changes in the team compared to the match against the Netherlands.
First Enzo Scifo came into the place of Philippe Clement.
The team had to go forward more often in this match,
and Scifo was the perfect man to make the combinations with the attackers Nilis and Oliveira.
Eric Deflandre also started the match.
He got the advantage over Bertrand Crasson.
In the match against the Netherlands, Crasson didn't play very well,
and he was allready substituted after 20 minutes by Deflandre.
So now Deflandre was able to start from the beginning of the match.
The third new player was Gordan Vidovic.
He was injured for the match against the Netherlands so he couldn't start then.
But now he was fit again, and he could take the place of Mike Verstraeten.
In the first half-time, both teams started a bit slow.
But perhaps it was the temperature that caused this :
36°C in Bordeaux, and in the stadium, the temperature even climbed up to 45°C.
The first for Belgium was for Luis Oliveira, but he waited too long to shoot on goal.
The best chances then were for Mexico :
Sanchez headed the ballon the bar after a corner,
and nobody was able to hit the ball in the rebound.
And a few minutes later, the Mexicans hit the bar once again,
but this time it was of a center.
Not even 20 minutes played, and Danny Boffin had to leave the match due to an injury.
Gert Verheyen takes his place.
After half an hour, Pardo tackles Borkelmans from the back.
Referee Hugh Dallas thought this was a red card according to the new rules.
With 11 against 10, Belgium started to attack more often.
A far shot of Enzo Scifo just went aside the goal.
Just before half time, Belgium still got a corner.
Oliveira centered the ball, and Wilmots walked the ball into the goal : 1-0.
It was a bit a lucky goal, because Wilmots didn't really hit the ball very well.
In the second half-time Belgium started very nice.
Nilis centers to Oliveira, but his shot lacks power.
A few minutes later, Wilmots gets the ball, and is able to get through the center of the Mexican defense.
While he almost falls, he puts the ball next to keeper Campos and scores his second goal of the match : 2-0.
Just one minute later, there was another beautiful chance for Belgium :
Oliveira passes the ball back to Van der Elst, and his powerful shot only just misses the goal.
But then came the turning point of the match :
Verheyen has to tackle a Mexican to stop him from scoring and a penalty is given to Mexico.
Gert Verheyen also receives the red card for this tackle.
Garcia Aspe scores the 2-1 form the penalty spot.
From this moment, Mexico was the most dangerous team on the field.
Shortly after their first goal, they were able to score the equalizer.
Garcia Aspe centered the ball, and Blanco shoots the ball very beautifully into the goal : 2-2.
In the final minutes of the match, De Wilde still needed a few good saves to keep this draw for Belgium.
First he stops the center of Hernandez,
and later he stops Arellano, who was through on goal.
The score didn't change anymore, so Belgium had a second draw in this World Cup.
But they shouldn't have given the 2-0 lead away.
Coach Georges Leekens decided that nor he, nor the players were going to give any interviews the days after the match.
The relationship between the Belgian press and the team is now totally ruined.
It is still possible that Belgium advances to the second round.
But a victory against South Korea is now required.
Possibilities for the final matches of the first round :
- Belgium doesn't win against South Korea : Belgium is eliminated, Mexico and the Netherlands advance to the second round.
- Belgium wins against South Korea and the Netherlands win against Mexico : Belgium and the Netherlands advance to the second round.
- Belgium wins against South Korea and Mexico wins against the Netherlands : Belgium and Mexico advance to the second round.
- Belgium wins against South Korea and Mexico and the Netherlands draw : Belgium, Mexico and the Netherlands all end with 5 points, and the goal difference will decide who advances to the second round.
Belgium has to win with at least a difference of 3 goals against South Korea.
image1 : A duel between Hernandez and Wilmots.
image2 : Oliveira and keeper Campos run for the ball.
image3 : Wilmots is fighting for the ball with Davino.
Mail to : marc.delperdange@student.kuleuven.ac.be
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