Number of participating teams: 24
Top scorer: Bulgaria’s Hristo Stoitchkov and Russia’s Oleg Salenko (6 goals)
Number of games: 52
Total goals scored: 141
Average goals per game: 2.71
Highest scoring game: Russia’s 6-1 win over Cameroon on June 28
Total attendance: 3,587,538
Average attendance: 68,991
TOURNAMENT FORMAT
Same as 1990, with the eight group winners and the top four third-place teams advancing to the knockout round.
THE FINAL
Over 94,000 fans jammed into the Rose Bowl to see two of soccer’s biggest superpowers, Italy and Brazil, collide in a final where the winner would claim the ultimate bragging rights as the first nation to win four World Cup titles. It should have been a classic encounter, one that brilliantly capped off what had been, up until that point, an entertaining and thrilling competition. Instead, it conjured up the dour memories of the 1990 final between West Germany and Brazil, as FIFA’s worst nightmare was realized: a goalless World Cup final decided by penalties.
It didn’t help matters that Roberto Baggio and Romario, who both squandered scoring chances, were carrying nagging injuries, robbing them of their ability to influence the game with their visionary play.
While the Brazilians poured forward in numbers, the Italians (using four defenders and a defensive stopper in front of them) relied on the counterattack. The veteran Franco Baresi, having recovered from recent knee surgery, and the incomparable Paolo Maldini, Baresi’s second lieutenant, did a masterful job of containing Brazil. Both goalkeepers, Italy’s Gianluca Pagliuca and Claudio Taffarel of Brazil, were called upon to make some big saves, none more important than Taffarel’s stop on Baggio in extra time when he tipped a 25-yard shot just over the crossbar.
In the shootout, Baresi and Brazil’s Marcio Santos both missed and, after the teams exchanged two successful kicks, Daniele Massaro’s lethargic effort was saved by Taffarel. Dunga’s goal gave Brazil a 3-2 advantage, meaning Baggio had to score to keep Italy’s hopes alive. The divine striker, who had exhibited such deadly precision throughout the tournament, calmly strode forward to the penalty spot and with the weight of an entire nation’s hopes resting on his broad shoulders, ran up and took his shot. But unlike previous occasions, he chose power over precision. It proved a costly decision – Baggio’s blast sailed over the crossbar into the blue California sky.
Twenty-four years after winning its last World Cup, also against the Italians, Brazil was crowned world champions for a record fourth time.
Group A
Team
| Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Romania | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 6 |
 Switzerland | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 4 | +1 | 4 |
 USA | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
 Colombia | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 5 | −1 | 3 |
Colombia 1-3 Romania
Romania 1-4 Switzerland
USA 2-1 Colombia
Switzerland 0-2 Colombia
USA 0-1 Romania
Group B
Team
| Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Brazil | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | +5 | 7 |
 Sweden | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 4 | +2 | 5 |
 Russia | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 6 | +1 | 3 |
 Cameroon | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 11 | −8 | 1 |
Brazil 2-0 Russia
Brazil 3-0 Cameroon
Swden 3-1 Russia
Russia 6-1 Cameroon
Brazil 1-1 Sweden
Team
| Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Germany | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 3 | +2 | 7 |
 Spain | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 4 | +2 | 5 |
 South Korea | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 5 | −1 | 2 |
 Bolivia | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | −3 | 1 |
Spain 2-2 South Korea
Germany 1-1 Spain
South Korea 0-0 Bolivia
Bolivia 1-3 Spain
Germany 3-2 South Korea
Group D
Team
| Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Nigeria | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 2 | +4 | 6 |
 Bulgaria | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 3 | +3 | 6 |
 Argentina | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 3 | +3 | 6 |
 Greece | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 10 | −10 | 0 |
Nigeria 3-0 Bulgaria
Argentina 2-1 Nigeria
Bulgaria 4-0 Greece
Argentina 0-2 Bulgaria
Greece 0-2 Nigeria
Group E
Italy 0-1 Republic of Ireland
Team
| Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Mexico | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
 Republic of Ireland | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
 Italy | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
 Norway | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
Norway 1-0 Mexico
Italy 1-0 Norway
Mexico 2-1 Republic of Ireland
Italy 1-1 Mexico
Republic of Ireland 0-0 Norway
Group F
Belgium 1-0 Morocco
Team
| Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Netherlands | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 3 | +1 | 6 |
 Saudi Arabia | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 3 | +1 | 6 |
 Belgium | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | +1 | 6 |
 Morocco | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 5 | −3 | 0 |
Netherlands 2-1 Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia 2-1 Morocco
Belgium 1-0 Netherlands
Balgium 0-1 Saudi Arabia
Morocco 1-2 Netherlands
Knockout stage
No comments:
Post a Comment