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 Sonck Sinks Russia's World Cup Ship |
Friday June 14th, 2002
Belgium
vs Russia
Shizuoka -- (3-2)
-- GOAL -- 1-0
Belgium earn a free-kick in the 7th minute -- curled into the top right-hand corner by Johan
Walem.
Belgium were very much in control and easily soaked up the
pressure as Russia tried to get back on terms.
Belgium continued to look the stronger side in the first
half-hour while Russia appeared to be in need of some fresh ideas already.
Alexei Smertin made way for Dmitry Sychev, with ten minutes still remaining in the
first-half.
An injury to Yuri Nikiforov, just before half-time, meant
Russia had only one more substitution left to correct things in the second-half.
Half-time: Belgium 1 -- Russia 0
Japan went in front, early in the second-half, to meant
that Belgium would meet Brazil in the Second Round.... if results stayed the same.
-- GOAL -- 1-1
Russia had ideas of their own and leveled the score to put them in second spot.... Dmitri
Khokhlov sent Dmitry Sychev down the left. The substitute's chip over the approaching
Geert De Vlieger, left Vladimir Beschastnykh with an open goal to score
in.
Belgium started to look disorganised, as Dmitry Sychev
continued to take on the Belgian rearguard and try to set his Russian team mates.
But for the missed chances, Russia could have added another
couple of goals to their tally.
In the other game, Japan consolidated their lead with a
second goal against Tunisia.
-- GOAL -- 2-1
From Johan Walem's corner, substitute Wesley Sonck beat Dmitri Khokhlov
to the ball and gave Belgium the advantage -- 78 mins.
-- GOAL -- 3-1
Marc Wilmots received the ball from Bart Goor, on the edge of the area,
wrong-footed Yuri Kovtun and hammered what must be the final nail in Russia's coffin;
eight minutes from time.
-- GOAL -- 3-2
18 year-old Dmitry Sychev still fancied a game against Brazil and was
first onto a lose ball in the Belgian area...... Russia still had a chance... level the
scores and they would join Japan in the Second Round.
Belgium had everyone back in defence as the Russian bench
all stood up to try and will the ball in during time added on.... Moscow time was
ticking.......
Final Score:
Belgium 3 -- Russia 2
Other Group H Game:
Tunisia vs Japan
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Player of the Match:
Marc Wilmots -- Will retire from the international scene after this World Cup and Belgium
will surely miss him.
 Yellow Cards:
Andrei Solomatin (12 mins)
Alexei Smertin (14 mins)
Yves Vanderhaeghe (39 mins)
Dmitri Alenichev (64 mins)
Dmitry Sennikov (84 mins)
The Teams:
Belgium:
1 Geert De Vlieger; 3 Glen De Boeck (4 Eric Van Meir -- 90 mins), 15 Jacky Peeters, 16
Daniel Van Buyten, 5 Nico Van Kerckhoven; 8 Bart Goor, 18 Yves Vanderhaeghe, 11 Gert
Verheyen (6 Timmy Simons -- 78 mins), 10 Johan Walem; 22 Mbo Mpenza (9 Wesley Sonck -- 70
mins), 7 Marc Wilmots.
Russia:
1 Rusian Nigmatullin; 2 Yuri Kovtun, 3 Yuri Nikiforov (18 Dmitry Sennikov -- 43 mins), 7
Viktor Onopko, 5 Andrei Solomatin; 15 Dmitri Alenichev, 8 Valeri Karpin (16 Alexander
Kerzhakov -- 83 mins), 21 Dmitri Khokhlov, 4 Alexei Smertin (22 Dmitry Sychev -- 34 mins),
9 Yegor Titov; 11 Vladimir Beschastnykh.
Referee: Kim Milton Nielsen (Denmark)
|
Second Round |
The last 16 continue on the road to
Yokohama, with four games in South Korea and
four games in Japan.
|
