‘Referee biased in favour of Koreans’
Madrid, June 22
Millions of Spaniards let out a collective groan of despair as they saw their World Cup dreams dashed in a penalty shoot-out defeat by South Korea today, and said it wasn’t fair.

Turkey make soccer history
Osaka, June 22
Turkey, continuing its shock run at the World Cup, qualified for the semifinals for the first time in its history after beating Senegal 1-0 today with a golden goal from Ilhan Mansiz to knock out Africa’s sole survivor.

Senegal's Henry Camara (R) jumps on the back of Turkey's Ergun Penbe (L) during a World Cup quarter-final match in Osaka on Saturday.
— Reuters photo

Korea’s victory makes them the first ever Asian team to reach the semi-finals of a World Cup.

They now meet Germany in Seoul next Tuesday for a place in the final in Yokohama, Japan, on June 30.

Spain had been seeking to reach the World Cup semi-finals for only the second time after 1950 and the luck had been on their side in the previous round as they saw off Ireland in a shootout.

This time lady luck shone on the Koreans, whose scarlet-shirted ‘Red Devils’ fans went wild at the end.

“I am so happy for the boys who fought to the end,” said Korea’s Dutch coach Guus Hiddink. “More dreams have come true.”

“If you don’t mind we will have a little glass of champagne now and celebrate and then concentrate on the next match.

“I am so proud of these guys,” added Hiddink.

The Koreans had to fight tooth and nail for their win, however, as Spain dominated most of the encounter.

The South Koreans had seen off Italy against all the odds in the previous round with Ahn Jung-Hwan netting only the third golden goal in the tournament’s history.

But here extra-time produced only stalemate. In truth, it was a hard luck story for the Spanish.

Ruben Baraja had nodded into the net for the Spaniards five minutes after the interval but Egyptian referee Gamal Ghandour had already blown for some shirt tugging.

Fernando Morientes then also headed home two minutes into extra-time from a Joaquin cross but that effort was likewise ruled out by a linesman’s flag - apparently in the mistaken belief the ball had crossed the goalline.

Morientes, playing without his injured Real Madrid club mate and usual strike partner Raul, then struck the post in the 100th minute as the South Korean fans collectively held their breath.

When Hong scored his penalty they let out a passionate roar.

The Spaniards had dominated in terms of possession and eked out several chances in normal time as they settled down quickly despite the shrieking crowd, virtually all clad in Korean scarlet-T shirts.

The Koreans were appearing in the last eight for the first time after five previous finals appearances had failed to produce a single win.

And for extra-time Hiddink elected to throw on veteran forward Hwang Sun-Hong for Kim Tae-Young.

Hwang miscued a volley and forced Casillas to save a low effort as the crowd endured a tortuous second period of extra-time, Choi Jin-Cheul heading well over as the final seconds ran out.

Both sides made a tentative opening but the Spanish, used to playing in front of equally fierce domestic crowds even larger than the 42,000 here, were more than holding their own early on as they took the game to their hosts.

Baraja sent an ambitious overhead kick wide in the sole attempt on goal of the opening 20 minutes.

The Spanish were hit at the start by news that Raul had lost his battle to start owing to a groin strain picked up a week ago against Ireland. That left Morientes as Spain’s sole true striker and he almost gave Spain the lead on 27 minutes with a towering header which Lee Woon-Jae fielded right by his left hand post.

Seoul, June 22
Red pride exploded after South Korea pulled off another shock win today sending millions of fans into delirious celebrations across the country.

Hundreds of thousands of people crushed into every spare corner of central Seoul and other major cities as the country put on an unprecedented World Cup-inspired show of patriotism.

The police said there were more than 850,000 people watching giant television screens at City Hall and another 800,000 at nearby Gwanghwamun. About 500,000 watched at other screens around the city.

Seoul authorities set off hundreds of fireworks around the city and the government officials said they would probably declare a public holiday to mark South Korea reaching the semi-final.

For many fans it was a futile battle to get a good place near one of three giant television screens on the side of skyscrapers at Gwanghwamun crossroads.

“It has taken me an hour to get 20 metres, I am scared,” shouted one teenaged girl.

Loud rock music blared out across the massed ranks of supporters who chanted, clapped or just stared up at the giant banners put up by nearby businesses and embassies.

“Good Luck” said one huge emblem hung by the Dutch embassy. South Korea’s coach Guus Hiddink comes from the Netherlands.

Across the country, distraught fans blamed bad luck but above all bad refereeing for their quarter-final exit against a fiercely determined Korean side.

“It is always the same story. We never manage to get beyond the quarter-finals,” said Jesus Aguado in Madrid, whose usually bustling streets were near-deserted during the game.

Marco Ortega, red-faced after two hours shouting at the television and drinking aniseed liqueur in a Seville bar, cursed the linesmen and Egyptian referee.

“Hit the linesman with the corner flag,” a student shouted at the end of the match which he watched in the same spit and sawdust bar in the southern Spanish city.

“It’s the referee’s fault,” he added. “He was biased in favour of the Koreans.”

Before the match, optimism had been running high with the opinion on the streets that the more experienced Spaniards would find it tough going against the hard-running South Koreans, but eventually emerge victorious.

Spaniards broke their usual late-night weekend routine and set their alarms to watch the kick-off and cheer their side as it tried to make the semi-finals for the first time in 52 years.

Many watched in the comfort of their own homes, but excited early risers made their way to local bars where they stayed glued to big screens, anxiously sipping coffee or something stronger as the game reached its climax.

As the match wore on, frustration began to set in.

A disallowed goal early in the second half and the decisive penalty miss by young Real Betis winger Joaquin sparked reactions of disbelief from both the radio and television.

“Spain were superior to Korea, but sometimes there seems to be no justice in football,” said a commentator on national radio station Onda Cero.

Manuel, the Seville bartender, joined the chorus of complaint.

“This really gets me down. Spain deserved to win but I guess football’s like that. The referee disallowed two goals.”

A European Union summit in Seville ground to halt as national leaders ditched politics for football.

Osaka, June 22
Turkey, continuing its shock run at the World Cup, qualified for the semifinals for the first time in its history after beating Senegal 1-0 today with a golden goal from Ilhan Mansiz to knock out Africa’s sole survivor.

The winner came in the fourth minute of extra time of a pulsating encounter. Ilhan, who had come on as a 67th minute substitute for captain Hakan Sukur, fired home into the bottom left corner from eight metres after a cross from the right by Umit Davala.

The Turks’ only previous appearance at the World Cup was in 1954 when they were knocked out in the first round. They now play Brazil in the semifinals on Wednesday in Saitama.

Earlier today, South Korea set up a semifinal clash with Germany after beating Spain in a penalty shootout.

Turkey had several chances to win the game, most of them falling in the first half to Sukur, Turkey’s all-time leading scorer.

Senegal, which had started the game brightly, clearly ran out of steam as the entertaining, end-to-end game passed the hour mark.

Sukur’s most glaring miss came in the 19th minute when, after exchanging passes with Hasan Sas, he found himself unmarked and right in front of goal. But the softly-weighted pass rolled agonisingly under his foot.

Moments later, Sas was again on the attack, but his lofted cross from the left just ran away from Sukur.

Sukur, running toward the far post, then failed to connect with a left-wing cross.

Sukur, who has scored 35 times for his country, has yet to find the net at the World Cup.

The Turks finished the half the stronger, and Senegal’s Omar Daf had to make a desperate clearance off the line from a Yildiray Basturk header.

But the Senegalese, again displaying their brand of powerful, skillful soccer, also had their chances.

In the 19th minute Khalilou Fadiga had a powerful shot from inside the area which was bundled over the line by Henri Camara, but he was rightly flagged for offside and the goal didn’t stand.

A press with a tendency to over-hype England’s chances was instead trying to nurse English hangovers today by explaining why the nation’s footballing dreams were over.

“Once again England tread the trail of tears: a quadrennial pilgrimage of hopes dashed and unabashed public weeping,” The Times daily said.

With France, Argentina and Italy all departed, many here, who thought now was the time for England to claim their first triumph since 1966, were buoyed even more by Michael Owen’s 23rd minute opener.

“The chance of chances was lost, thanks to a catastrophic individual error,” The Times said, “David Seaman stood rooted to the spot as a free kick from Ronaldinho sailed over his head and into the goal.”

“England pass up a golden opportunity to stride on,” said The Guardian lamenting the fact that their challenge, after leading the Brazilians, faltered and then ended with a whimper.

The match began to turn late in the first half when Ronaldinho escaped the tackle of Paul Scholes in midfield and made a bee-line for the English goal.

Tying in defenders he eased the ball through to Rivaldo who levelled the sides with a precise finish low to the left hand corner.

England’s fate was sealed after the break when Ronaldinho floated in an unlikely 35-metre free-kick that proved to be the winner.

“It was a wonder shot from Ronaldinho that knocked England out of the World Cup, but it was his harsh dismissal seven minutes later that ruined this match as a spectacle,” said The Financial Times.

England lost the tactical battle that followed the star’s sending-off in the 57th minute, constantly chasing the ball and failing to produce clear chances on goal.

It was impossible to say whether Brazil’s winner was the result of inspiration and cunning or simply a flukey mishit but England certainly should have done better when the opposition were a man short, according to the FT.

“Yet by reaching the quarter-final Eriksson’s young squad achieved about as much as anyone had expected prior to the tournament,” it added consolingly.

Similarly, The Guardian highlighted the disastrous situation facing the team before Sven-Goran Eriksson’s appointment as coach last year and the Football Association’s emphasis on preparing well ahead for Germany in 2006.

“The long-term ambition was to build a side capable of winning the World Cup not now but four years hence,” it said.

Ironically, in a young team it was England’s oldest player Seaman, 38, who was largely responsible for the defeat, according to the tabloids.

“Blunder will live with him for ever,” said The Daily Express.

“The pony-tailed keeper — known until yesterday as ‘safe hands’ — was hopelessly out of position,” said The Mail.

In France last time round it was the present England captain, David Beckham, whose sending-off for kicking an opponent was largely blamed for putting his team on the early plane home.

This time Beckham urged people not to blame the Arsenal goalie.

“For a start if anyone tries to make a scapegoat out of David Seaman I think it will be an absolute disgrace because I think he’s been the best goalkeeper in this tournament,” he said.

The goal wasn’t his fault, it was a fluke goal. It was a cross that ended up being a goal.

The Times disagreed: “He knew, as Beckham knew four-year earlier, that he had cost them their place in the next round of the World Cup.”

The 22-year-old Paris Saint Germain attacker, later sent off just minutes after scoring, said he had been told by Brazil skipper Cafu to try to catch the England goalkeeper off his line as he lined up the 50th-minute dead ball effort from 35 yards out on the right.

Ronaldinho’s shot curled high and dropped under the bar as a horrified Seaman scrambled back vainly to try and stop the ball from dipping into the net. The goal gave Brazil a 2-1 win and took them into the semifinals next Wednesday.

England skipper David Beckham later said the goal was a “fluke” - but Ronaldinho insisted the wonder shot had been intentional.

“I was going for it. Cafu came up to me and said I should try for the goal because Seaman was standing off his line. I went for it and it came off,” said Ronaldinho, speaking after undergoing a random post-match dope test.

Ronaldinho’s joy at putting Brazil ahead was shortlived however — he was red-carded seven minutes later following a rash challenge on England defender Danny Mills.

The Brazilian’s studs-up tackle left Mills writhing in agony, prompting Mexican referee Felipe Rizo Ramos to reach for a straight red that will rule Ronaldinho out of the semifinals, and could possibly see him banned for the final.

The controversial dismissal sparked a prolonged melee, with Ronaldinho remaining on the pitch in disbelief as team-mates surrounded Ramos.

Ronaldinho was adamant that he did not deserve to go, revealing that Mills had later expressed his sympathy when they had exchanged words after the match.

“I shouldn’t have been sent off. I spoke to Mills in the doping room and he said he didn’t think I should have got a red card either.

“When I was walking off the pitch, Cafu spoke to me and said ‘Don’t worry, we’re going to win this game for you now’. I’m happy that they did.”

Ronaldinho’s absence from Wednesday’s semifinal — where they will play either Senegal or Turkey — robs the South Americans of a key weapon in their offensive arsenal.

Against England, the mercurial midfielder was an inspiration, setting up Brazil’s equaliser with a mesmerising burst that left the English defence at sixes and sevens.

Despite playing well, the USA lost to Germany by the only goal scored in the teams’ World Cup quarterfinals match yesterday and were eliminated from the tournament. But the team’s performance showed that earlier victories over Portugal and Mexico were no fluke and confirmed that US soccer has made huge strides in recent years.

“Beating Mexico ... woke up the media here in this country, it woke up the general sports fan and showed them that we can accomplish great things against the best in the world,’’ said Dan Garber, Commissioner of Major League Soccer, the sport’s US professional league.

In the past 20 years, youth participation in soccer has exploded, its growth far outstripping America’s national pastimes of baseball and American football. It is second behind basketball in the number of kids playing the game, according to figures compiled by the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association.

In 2000, almost 14 million children under the age of 18 played soccer, half of them playing 25 times or more a year. Fifty-nine per cent were boys and 41 per cent girls.

From 1989 to 1999, youth soccer participation grew by 73 per cent, compared to 7 per cent for basketball and 5 per cent for baseball.

But that growth did not translate into attendance at professional matches or television viewing.

Soccer remains a minority or niche sport, much like gymnastics or swimming, that can catch the nation’s attention once every four years when the Olympics are on, but then revert to its niche.

Some commentators believe soccer is fundamentally foreign to the American psyche and will never catch on. Some argue there is something un-American about a sport where there is so little scoring and players cannot use their hands.

“While soccer has become popular with some moms and a ton of tots, it seems to lose spectator interest when the children reach adulthood,’’ wrote New York Times columnist Ira Berkow.

“The longtime cultural ties to team sports like baseball and football and basketball take up a great chunk of our emotional and mental time. They are in our blood the way soccer is for most of the rest of the world ... We would need a sports transfusion to change,’’ he wrote

A few US columnists are positively hostile to the sport. The Washington Post’s Marc Fisher raised eyebrows with a recent column in which he denounced soccer as “Osama bin-Laden’s favourite game.’’ He called the sport “athletic drudgery that causes much of the rest of the globe to overthrow governments, tear apart concrete stadiums and impale themselves on the wire fences deemed necessary to pen them in.’’ Tom Hart, director of coaching education at US Youth Soccer, which has 3.1 million players affiliated, said the game was making slow but steady strides despite such hostility.

“When I grew up in Arkansas in the 1970s, there were only five soccer teams in the entire state. We are still a young sport in this country and it took decades for (American) football to reach the position it is in now,’’ he said.

“I can tell you that high school football coaches are getting frightened when some of the best athletes stay in soccer rather than (play) football,’’ he said.

One of the biggest disappointments has been the struggle of Major League Soccer to establish a major presence in the nation’s sporting scene.

Founded in 1996 two years after the USA hosted the World Cup, the league’s average attendance this season stands at just over 15,500, with fans often looking lost in football stadium built to hold 70,000. It had to eliminate two of its 12 original teams this year — in Miami and Tampa — and is still losing money.

By contrast, there are 30 major league Baseball teams, 29 basketball franchises, 31 football teams and 30 hockey teams.

The USA is a world power in women’s soccer, having won the 1991 and 1995 World Cups. Last year, a professional league began with eight teams, drawing average attendance ranging from 14,000 for the Washington Freedom to just over 5,000 for the Carolina Courage. Around 1.98 million people watched the US victory over Mexico on television, despite the fact that it aired at 2.30 am on the east coast and 11.30 pm in the west.

But most watched the game on the Spanish-language Univision channel, suggesting many of the die-hard soccer viewers were Hispanics, many of whom were supporting Mexico. In Los Angeles, almost half the Hispanic households tuned in.

Surprisingly, US soccer has failed to win the affections of the country’s fast-growing Hispanic community, perhaps its most promising avenue for growth. At the youth level, it is predominantly a white, middle class sport, associated with “soccer moms’’ driving kids around in sports utility vehicles.

Voeller is the first to admit that his team hasn’t exactly electrified World Cup audiences. He also repeats often enough that the best team doesn’t necessarily win the title.

The Germans have done no more than necessary and that has been enough to take them to their 10th semifinal. More importantly, it’s their best showing since 1990, when they won the last of their three titles.

It’s also a timely salve for the wounds left by the Euro 2000 disaster, when the Germans went home without a victory as defending champions.

Much of the credit must go to Voeller, who only got the job when coach-designate Christoph Daum flunked a cocaine test. In two years, Voeller has taken a team woefully low on confidence back to the top ranks.

“Voeller’s has been an absolutely fortunate choice,” said Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, a vice-President of the German soccer federation whose main job was to help reconstruct the team after Euro 2000.

“He is very confident and he relays this feeling to the players. He is also very relaxed, which is very good in such a long tournament,” said Rummenigge, who was Voeller’s team-mate on the 1986 team that lost the final to Argentina. Then as now, few people back home expected Germany to get that far.

Having been there and done that, Voeller knows exactly how to get the team through the gruelling grind of daily routine in a camp-like atmosphere.

“It’s very important to have a coach who has been through it all,” said captain and goalkeeper Oliver Kahn.

“He is so amazingly relaxed. But he knows what to tell younger players, how to keep them motivated even if they don’t play,” Kahn said.

Voeller didn’t make any sweeping changes immediately after becoming coach, although no one would have questioned such a move after Euro 2000.

He gradually brought in some of the younger talents and started giving them more responsibility, while retaining some of the veterans who were eager to wipe out the stigma from Euro 2000.

“He managed to stabilise the team very quickly and then started slowly changing the team,” Rummenigge said.

As one of Germany’s all-time best strikers, Voeller won the World Cup in 1990. He is now two wins away from repeating as coach.

He enjoys tremendous popularity at home and unquestionable authority among the players.

Voeller’s reign hasn’t been all success. He had to endure the bitter 1-5 loss at home to England in qualifying that sent Germany to the nerve-racking playoff against Ukraine.

The 42-year-old coach says that was the defining moment for his team.

“Those were the hardest days in my career. I had never been under so much pressure,” Voeller said.

“But that’s when the team grew together, when we created this spirit we have and when we showed that we are able to produce under pressure,” he said.

Being a player was a lot easier, Voeller said. “You have so much more responsibility as coach.”

The main reason Germany’s game has sputtered is the sub-par showing of midfield star Michael Ballack, who is unfit after a string of late-season injuries.

New Zealand closed the first day yesterday on 257 for six after Chris Gayle took a catch at slip off captain Carl Hooper to remove Fleming with just nine overs left.

Fleming and wicket-keeper Robbie Hart put on 108 as New Zealand recovered from a disastrous afternoon session when the West Indies seam attack tore the heart out of the tourists’ batting, leaving them in deep trouble at 117 for five after taking four wickets for just 29 runs.

The left-hander, scoring only his fourth Test century, did not play a false stroke in compiling his 130, stroking 20 silky fours in 230 balls and four and a half hours at the crease.

Put in by Hooper after losing the toss, New Zealand openers Lou Vincent and Mark Richardson looked comfortable for the first hour’s play on a placid-looking wicket.

They had put on 38 when Vincent edged a Merv Dillon delivery to wicketkeeper Ridley Jacobs and he was out for 14. Richardson and Fleming saw the team safely through to lunch, when the score was 77 for one.

Richardson, playing only his 19th Test at the age of 31, and Fleming added 50 for the second wicket before the opener was clean bowled for 41 by Sanford as he tried to force the ball through midwicket in the third over after lunch.

One-day specialist Chris Harris, promoted to number four, looked desperately uncomfortable and lasted for only four balls before fending clumsily at a Pedro Collins delivery and edging the ball to Brian Lara at first slip and New Zealand were in trouble at 89 for three.

Nathan Astle lasted only 16 balls before playing a woeful shot to a wide delivery from Dillon, again finding Lara’s safe hands at first slip, out for two as Fleming looked on aghast.

Craig McMillan was only marginally more successful, scoring six before being trapped leg before wicket by Sanford.

At 117 for five New Zealand were in deep trouble but the departure of Dillon and Collins from the bowling attack eased the pressure and Fleming was able to guide New Zealand to tea on 145 for five. Fleming’s 34th Test half century included eight fours and he had scored 10 by the interval.

Pace bowler Darren Powell announced his arrival on the international scene with consecutive bouncers to Richardson but made little impression otherwise. Powell was recalled from a West Indies A tour of England this week to reinforce the West Indies bowling attack and he finished with none for 33 from 14 overs.

Seamer Cameron Cuffey was rested by the West Indies selectors to give Powell his debut.

Scoreboard

New Zealand (Ist innings):

Richardson b Sanford 41

Vincent c Jacobs b Dillon 14

Fleming c Gayle b Hooper 130

Harris c Lara b Collins 0

Astle c Lara b Dillon 2

Mcmillan lbw b Sanford 6

Hart batting 34

Vettori batting 21

Extras (nb4, lb5) 9

Total (for 6 wkts in 90 overs) 257

Fall of wickets: 1-38, 2-88, 3-89, 4-106, 5-117, 6-225

Muralitharan, who played the last two Tests against England despite the injury, will fly home next week.

The 30-year-old tore a ligament and partially dislocated his left shoulder during a one-day final in Sharjah in April.

“I don’t think we can risk him,” skipper Sanath Jayasuriya told the Associated Press. “We took a management decision not take any more chances. He’s willing to play but we don’t want him to.”

Jayasuriya said Muralitharan had not aggravated the injury further in the Tests but said playing him in the one-dayers could harm the spinner’s career.

“It is not like the Test matches,” Jayasuriya said. “In a one-day match you can’t hide on the field. He’s not a guy who will not dive for a ball. He’s all over the place and he’s someone who gives 110 per cent.”

Jayasuriya said the team’s physiotherapist had advised him and coach Dav Whatmore to send Muralitharan home.

Muralitharan’s replacement had not been named but the experienced Aravinda de Silva, who was on standby for vice-captain Marvan Atapattu, seemed the likely choice.

Meanwhile, Atapattu has recovered sufficiently from a hand injury and will play in the warm-up match against Gloucestershire in Bristol on Sunday.

The total number of moves in the first two games, that were played here late yesterday, totalled just 53, and it was an indication of safety-first approach especially by Kramnik.

Playing black in the opening game, Anand played lively chess throughout and kept Braingames winner Kramnik under pressure before the game was agreed drawn.

It was a trademark Orthodox Queen Pawn game by Kramnik that failed to yield anything substantial to play for and the Russian was quick to realise that.

Soon after the opening moves got over, Anand started a brilliant manoeuvre to seize the initiative through a pawn sacrifice that stalled Kramnik’s king in mid-board. The Indian was pressing for an advantage by the 16th move itself that attested to his supremacy of being the best player in the Advance Chess format that allows usage of a computer during the games.

Kramnik was forced to give up his right to castle but confined his king to safety with rapid exchange of pieces to arrive at heavy piece endgame where Anand’s material deficit proved vital. It was an excellent defensive technique by Kramnik that saved the day for him. The peace treaty was signed in 33 moves after Anand won back his pawn.

If Kramnik failed to do much with the white pieces in the first, Anand was no different in the second game. It appears that the two have prepared extremely well with the black pieces for this event.

Anand played from the white pieces and faced the Queens Indian defence that gave Kramnik an easy equality. Being an exponent and an advocate of the Queens Indian himself with black pieces, Anand was not at all amused with Kramniks choice of the opening