The Greatest Game Ever?
By Iain Spragg
The fact is was the Spanish who emerged unlikely 4-3 winners to book their place in the quarter-finals with two injury-time goals was
merely the icing on the cake. If football is meant to be all about passion and pride, skill and drama, then this game had the lot.
Don't be fooled by the goalless first half hour, this was an end-to-end drama that will have had any neutral lucky enough to tune in on the
edge of their seats. What the fans of Spain and Yugoslavia themselves must have been going through at the same time hardly bears thinking
about.
Here was two sets of players with the talent and vision to thrill allied a passion and commitment that we arrogantly used to believe was a
very special English preserve. If only Kevin Keegan had been able to instil just a tenth of those qualities into his beleaguered squad.
The ebb and flow of the match was simply phenomenal. From the moment Milosevic broke the deadlock on the half hour - leaving the
Spanish facing an early trip home, the game exploded into life and not once did the intensity subside.
Spain came from behind three times, most spectacularly through Munitis just seconds after Govedarica had given the Yugoslavs a 2-1 lead
in the 51st minute, and it was anybody's guess what the final outcome would be until the final whistle, some seven minutes into injury time.
Yugoslavia were unlucky. The penalty awarded against them which Mendieta converted to make it 3-3 was a terrible decision from Frenchman Gilles Veissiere but,
in the context of a fantastic game and the fact that the Yugoslavs still qualified for the last eight, it didn't matter. In fact, it only served to add to the incredible drama
on show.
Spain refused to lie down all game while Yugoslav were their usual sublime, petulant, thrilling and ill-tempered selves. Jokanovic was sent off for his second bookable
offence in the second-half - obviously (and quite rightly) believing it would be entertaining if his side took a 3-2 lead over Spain after being reduced to 10 men.
Yes, this match had everything you ever dream of from a football match. Justice was done, as well, with both protagonists living to fight another day at the expense of
the worthy but utterly tedious Norway, who managed just a single goal in their three Group C matches.
Keep your fingers crossed for a Spain-Yugoslavia final - I guarantee it would be a belter. |
