by Guy Lerner
July 7, 1998
Brazil 1 Holland 1 (Brazil wins 4-2 on
penalties after extra time)
It was a classic for all the wrong reasons. Holland, coming into this game as rank
outsiders against the might of Brazil, was the better team on the day. But as it's
transpired against the giants of England and Italy before them, the Dutch were left
victims of the penalty shootout. The hype preceding the game was perhaps unfounded, as the
realist would have told you the great skills of the two best sides in the tournament would
cancel each other out. Holland was undefeated, Brazil beaten once by fortune rather than
skill. Holland is a master of controlled football, full of attacking flair and precision.
Brazil is a master of passion, a side rounded off by exceptional individuals who together
make up the most experienced, expensive line-up in world football. That either of them
should fall at the last remaining hurdle before the final is a shame in itself, but
perhaps better for the spectacle if the hosts France does manage to win through the charms
of Croatia. And so the 'final before the final' took shape with Holland passing its way
through the defensive Brazilians, and cushioning the counter-attack for the majority of
the first half. It had the chance to sink the Brazilians as de Boer proved a constant
threat on the flanks, but Kluivert made a hash of two chances at close range. Brazil
looked sharp on the counter, but could not prize an opening in the first period.
The second half took a turn for the worst for Holland. 18 seconds after the whistle, Cocu failed to cut off Roberto Carlos's weighted pass to Ronaldo, who stole past the defence to slide the ball home past Van Der Sar. It was the Brazilian wizard's fourth goal of the tournament, and probably his most important. Brazil was made to back-pedal as Holland surged forward in search of the equaliser. Kluivert narrowly missed a glorious chance to level the score when he flubbed de Boer's cross wide of the post with Taffarel stranded. Four minutes from time, the influential striker made amends. Again it was de Boer who supplied an inch-perfect cross, and this time Kluivert managed to direct his header into the net. The Dutch looked the stronger side going into the golden goal extra time period. But they lost possession too often, and although they had a case when Van Hooijdonk was clearly pulled back in the box by Junior Baiano, made too little of their few chances. Brazil was always more likely to dominate the shootout, its team inspired by the confidence of Mario Zagallo. Ronaldo, Rivaldo, Emerson and Dunga calmly smashed their penalties past Van Der Sar, and although Frank de Boer and Denis Bergkamp kept the Dutch in the game, Cocu and Ronald de Boer couldn't match their countrymen's luck from the spot. Brazil had seen it all before, having won the 1994 final after a penalty shootout against Italy. Holland came close, but was eventually overawed, and is left to fight for the scraps in the third-place playoff. A classic indeed, but for all the wrong reasons.
July 8, 1998
France 2 Croatia 1
The scriptwriters couldn't have played it better. In a dramatic second half that saw the
tables turn more than once, France booked itself a ticket against Brazil in what can only
be described as the 'dream final'. Dark horses (so dark, I didn't even see them coming)
Croatia put on a brave but ultimately blunt display, losing the advantage early in the
second half and then conceding the game to a spirited French side. The game kicked off
with a tight, tactical first period, with France attacking and Croatia soaking up the
pressure. Zinedine Zidane made mincemeat of the Croatian midfield, but his only efforts at
goal were from long range. As were the rest of the efforts of the tame French attack. As
the half progressed, Croatia began to carve out chances of its own, and ended the half
satisfied that it's worked its tactical plan. The predictability was all about t change.
As Brazil had done a day earlier, Croatia went for the jugular from the whistle. Within a minute, the Croatians were ahead. Asanovic found Suker in the box, played on by Thuram, and the Croatian marksman took his World Cup tally to five with a clinical finish past Barthez. Croatina celebrations were silenced a minute later. Boban, the reputable midfield engine of the team, made a dreadful mistake on the edge of his own box, conceding possession to Djorkaeff who slotted the ball through to an out-of-position Thuram. The full back calmly put his shot past Ladic to level the game and win back the psychological edge. Croatia was rocked, as Boban's substitution demonstrated. 20 minutes from time, Thuram captured the headlines with the wonder goal of the night. For a player who's never scored for France, his finish was that of a ruthless striker. Beating off the challenge of Robert Jarni on the edge of the box, Thuram curled a spectacular shot past Ladic, who was caught out of position by his defence. France clearly had the upper hand, but three minutes later, did its best to concede it. Golden goal hero Laurent Blanc clearly pushed Bilic in the face preparing for a French free kick. Bilic reacted as if he was punched in the head, conning the referee into sending Blanc off the field. The red card was a harsh punishment for a run-of-the-mill scuffle, and FIFA will have to rethink its strategy preventing play-acting from spoiling the beautiful game. France had to hang on for dear life in a frantic 17-minute finale as Croatia surged forward for the equaliser. Barthez made the save of his life to tip a deflected shot from the underside of the bar in Croatia's last attack, exemplifying the spirit that has earned the hosts the privilege of challenging the champions on Sunday. Croatia can hold its head up high. It has played a vital role in bringing romance to the Cup, the Cup of Dreams. France will have to outperform every performance it has ever staged to topple the mighty Brazil, but with a nation screaming for glory, who would bet against it?
Copyright © 1998 by Guy Lerner
"Go Inside" is a David Boles Trademark