World Cup Diary - June 10

Although it was 16 years ago, I can still remember vividly Wednesday, June 10, 1998 like it was yesterday. I was on exam leave from school so that meant I was spending my time revising for my GCSEs right? Hell no! as a 16 years old football nerd the only thing on my mind was the World Cup in France. The whole day the TV and Radio were talking it up, so even if you were not a fan, there was no escape. BBC's coverage of the first game included the opening ceremony at the Stade de France in the Paris Suburb of Saint Denis. The ceremony begun  with a flamboyant explosion of color, while French President Jacques Chirac declared the event up and running.

Brazil 2 - Scotland 1
Brazil looked classy in their traditional yellow and green shirts, blue shorts and white socks, but something seemed missing. Much of the spine of their team remained from four years earlier, Taffarel in goal, Aldair in defence, Dunga in the middle and Bebeto up front. However, Cesar Sampaio came in for Mauro Silvo alongside Dunga in central midfield, Junior Baiano for Marcio Santos at the back, and most tellingly of all Ronaldo now lead the forward line, with Romario's injury keeping him out the squad. I felt with those three players missing, this Brazil team, were not as strong as in USA 1994. Scotland were a team made up of many players from the English Premier League, but had some notable connections to my team Newcastle United. Colin Calderwood, who played as part of a back three went on to become our assistant manager while Chris Hughton was in charge of the club (2009-2010). Darren Jackson, lining up on the wing, had a brief and unhappy spell with the club a decade earlier (1986-1988). John Collins, who was the Tartan Army's creator-in-chief, grew up in the Scottish Borders, and was a Newcastle-supporter. While 16 months after this game, Kevin Gallacher became Bobby Robson's first signing.

Holders Brazil opened the defence of their title with a nervous display against a Scotland side who fought back, after an early setback but were undone by defensive shortcomings. The champions only needed a few moments to make their mark. A Bebeto corner was swung in with pace and met by Cesar Sampaio, who rose above Burley and Collins to head the first goal of the tournament. Brazil had chances to extend their lead, but were denied by Leighton. First he produced an acrobatic stop from a Roberto Carlos volley. Then, after Ronaldo had danced around Hendry and Boyd, Leighton pushed the shot away and across goal to relative safety.

Scotland were weathering the storm well and equalised after an error from Brazil's opening scorer. A ball into the area was met by Durie, who beat Junior Baiano to head it in towards Gallacher. Cesar Sampaio gave the Blackburn man a nudge and Collins put the resulting spot-kick low to Taffarel's right. Leonardo was a half-time substitute for the ineffective Giovanni, and he was joined by Denilson, a 70th-minute replacement for Bebeto. But Brazil's midfield found it difficult to break down a well-organised Scottish side in which Collins and Lambert excelled. The Scottish defence was not so infallible. With 15 minutes remaining, Cafu arrived late in the box and chested down Dunga's long pass, beat Durie and saw his toe-poked shot stopped by Leighton's chest, only for the ball to rebound against Boyd and back into an empty net. Durie's shot was held by Taffarel and Gallacher's effort sailed over the bar as the Scots sought in vain for an equaliser.

Brazil (4-2-2-2) - Taffarel - Cafu, Junior Baiano, Aldair, Roberto Carlos - Cesar Sampaio, Dunga - Giovanni (Leonardo 46), Rivaldo - Ronaldo, Bebeto (Denilson 70)
Scotland (3-5-2) - Leighton - Calderwood, Hendry, Boyd - Burley, Jackson (B McKinlay 79), Lambert, Collins, Dailly (T McKinlay 85) - Durie, Gallacher


Morocco 2 - Norway 2
By the time the coverage of the Brazil game had finished, there was less than an hour to go before the next game. When the schedule was first published, I am pretty sure most people wouldn't have figured Morocco v Norway would have ended up being one of the best games of the World Cup. Just a few weeks earlier Morocco had hosted the King Hussan II tournament that involved Belgium, France and England, and the football played there was dire. Norway lined up with a packed five-man midfield, deploying strikers Havard Flo and Ole Gunnar Solksjaer down the flanks, so everything pointed to a boring match-up, instead we were in for a treat. 
 
Morocco produced a free-flowing attacking display which at times threatened to overwhelm the Norwegians, who looked decidedly unimaginative and boring by comparison. Most of Morocco's play was going through Mustapha Hadji, whose passing and delicacy of touch were a delight and, after an initial period of Norewgian dominance, other Moroccan players were soon making their presence felt - Tahar El Khalej pulling the strings from a deep midfield role, the right-back, Saber, making attractive runs and Bassir always threatening around the box. In the 38th minute, Tahar's long cross-field ball was like a grenade launched over the top of enemy lines, picking out Hadji in space on the left. The Deportivo star cut into the box at pace, shuffled the ball past centre-back Eggen and fired it low into the corner of Grodas's net.

The labouring Norwegians were on the back foot, but with half time approaching, they found the Moroccans' Achilles heel. Goalkeeper Benzekri flapped at a Rekdal free-kick which Berg had managed to get a shoulder to and, under no pressure, Chippo headed the loose ball into his own net as he attempted to clear. Despite this setback, Morocco continued to dominate as the second half got underway. Just before the hour mark, they made their superiority count. As with the Moroccans' first goal, the decisive move started with a long, searching pass from deep. this time it was Hadda who provided the finish, killing the ball beautifully on the edge of the box and hitting the roof of the net with a fierce shot. Seconds later, however, defensive frailties again cost the Moroccans dear. Another Norway free-kick, this time whipped in from the right, found Benzekri wanting. His weak parry merely offered up the ball to Eggen, who headed in from close range. The Moroccan keeper then made up to some extent for his earlier lapses when saving low to his right from a firmly struck Havard Flo volley. Benzekri's team-mates had earned the favour. After all, it would have been a travesty had Norway taken all three points from a game that Morocco, set-piece defending apart, should have won with style. The game left a lasting impression on me, Morocco had lit up this World Cup and in only the second game. Surely there was more to come.

Morocco (4-4-2) - Benzekri - Saber, Naybet, Rossi, El Hadrioui - Chiba, El Khalej (Azzouzi 90), Chippo (Amzine 78), Hadji - Hadda (El Khattabi 87), Bassir 
Norway (4-5-1) - Grodas - Berg, Johnsen, Eggen, Bjornebye - Mykland, Leonhardsen, H Flo (Solbakken 72), Rekdal, Solskjaer (Riseth 46) - T A Flo