2002 FIFA World Cup (tm) Finals - Results & Fixtures - Sweden vs Argentina

12 Jun 2002


Sweden	1 - 1	Argentina
	(HT: 0 - 0)

Game Details
Venue Miyagi Stadium	Attendance 45777
Referee Ali Bujsaim (UAE) Assistant Referees Heiner Muller (GER) Michael Ragoonath (TRI)

Game Events
#	Date	Player	Event	Period	Mins	H/A
1	12 Jun 2002	Marcus Allback	Player Out	Second Half	1	H
2	12 Jun 2002	Andreas Andersson	Substitute In	Second Half	1	H
3	12 Jun 2002	Jose Antonio Chamot	Yellow Card	Second Half	10	A
4	12 Jun 2002	Matias Jesus Almeyda	Yellow Card	Second Half	13	A
5	12 Jun 2002	Gabriel Omar Batistuta	Player Out	Second Half	13	A
6	12 Jun 2002	Hernan Crespo	Substitute In	Second Half	13	A
7	12 Jun 2002	Anders Svensson	Goal	Second Half	14	H
8	12 Jun 2002	Matias Jesus Almeyda	Player Out	Second Half	18	A
9	12 Jun 2002	Juan Sebastian Veron	Substitute In	Second Half	18	A
10	12 Jun 2002	Juan Pablo Sorin	Player Out	Second Half	18	A
11	12 Jun 2002	Kily Gonzalez	Substitute In	Second Half	18	A
12	12 Jun 2002	Magnus Svensson	Yellow Card	Second Half	20	H
13	12 Jun 2002	Anders Svensson	Player Out	Second Half	23	H
14	12 Jun 2002	Mattias Jonson	Substitute In	Second Half	23	H
15	12 Jun 2002	Kily Gonzalez	Yellow Card	Second Half	30	A
16	12 Jun 2002	Henrik Larsson	Yellow Card	Second Half	33	H
17	12 Jun 2002	Henrik Larsson	Player Out	Second Half	43	H
18	12 Jun 2002	Zlatan Ibrahimovic	Substitute In	Second Half	43	H
19	12 Jun 2002	Magnus Hedman	Penalty save	Second Half	43	H
20	12 Jun 2002	Hernan Crespo	Goal	Second Half	43	A

Match report

Sweden ousted pre-tournament favourites Argentina from the World Cup's Group of Death after the pair drew 1-1 in a dramatic encounter. Argentina dominated the opening half and missed a stack of chances but looked headed for defeat after a brilliant Anders Svensson free-kick 14 minutes after the restart put the Swedes in front. Hernan Crespo bagged a late equaliser on the rebound after Ariel Ortega saw Swedish keeper Magnus Hedman push out his 87th-minute penalty. But the draw was not good enough for the Argentines, who needed to win to avoid crashing in the first round for the first time since 1962 and whose earlier loss to England eventually proved fatal.
Swedish coach Lars Lagerback said his team had ridden their luck as the Argentines threw everything into attack.
"We were a little lucky today, but that is football," said Lagerback, one half of a duo with Tommy Soderberg.
"I knew that we would have to defend very well."
"We have to thank the players today for working so hard."
Argentina's talismanic striker Gabriel Batistuta drew a blank and suffered the humiliation of seeing his World Cup career end with a second-half substitution. And in a further setback, the Argentines were stunned after veteran striker Claudio Caniggia was dismissed from the substitutes bench seconds before half-time after apparently insulting referee Ali Bujsaim. Coach Marcelo Bielsa had persisted with Batistuta as his sole out and out striker - but his patience snapped after 57 minutes as he hauled off the 33-year-old and sent on Crespo. Sure enough, a goal duly arrived - but for Sweden. And it was Svensson who got it in style, curling a wicked freekick right-footed just inside Pablo Cavallero's near post. Andreas Andersson nearly made it 2-0 with seven minutes left - but his shot hit the underside of the crossbar and bounced out. Javier Zanetti drove a furious low drive goalwards but Hedman saved brilliantly as Argentina grew increasingly desperate in the closing stages. The Argentines were getting little change whatsoever out of a Swedish defence well-marshalled by Olaf Mellberg and Johan Myallby. But they gained a lifeline after Mattias Jonson brought down Ortega and the referee pointed to the spot, leading to the equaliser. The South Americans, as widely expected, dropped Juan Sebastian Veron for Pablo Aimar for the crucial encounter and handed the captain's armband to 56-goal star Batistuta. Veron came on in the second half but was unable to rescue a win. Argentina also left out Diego Simeone, who was ineffective in the 1-0 defeat to England which left Argentine morale sagging.

(courtesy of dailysoccer)




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Page created by Christakis Ioannou on 12 June 2002 13:23:05.