FRANCE 98 – Match Summary n°36

Chile held off a wave of second-half attacks from depleted but brave Cameroon to salvage a wild 1-1 draw from their World Cup Group B match on Tuesday and seal a place in the last 16.

Cameroon had two players, Rigobert Song and Lavriano Etame, sent off in the second period but still managed to give Chile several uncomfortable moments on an afternoon of high drama.

The South Americans still have not won a World Cup finals match for 36 years but three successive draws were enough to give them second place in the group behind unbeaten Italy, who beat Austria 2-1 in Paris. Chile looked to be in command when they took the lead through a superb 21st-minute free-kick from Jose Sierra. Cameroon, who needed to win to have any chance of progressing, were then incensed when defender Song was sent off seven minutes into the second half for elbowing Chilean striker Marcelo Salas.

Song, who was also sent off in the 1994 World Cup finals at the age of 17 to become the youngest player ever to be sent off in football’s premier event, became the second Cameroon player sent off in the tournament after Raymond Kalla Nkongo was dismissed against Italy. The crowd, believing Salas had dived, whistled and jeered the Chileans from that point on and the Cameroon side played like men inspired. Powerful striker Patrick Mboma pulled them level with a splendid 56th-minute header after a cross from veteran captain Francois Omam Biyik, but they were unable to find the net again. Subtitute Etame was dismissed four minutes from the end, also for a foul on Salas, as Hungarian referee Laszlo Vagner had a busy afternoon.

Chile’s three draws against Italy, Austria and Cameroon earned them a second round meeting with defending champions Brazil in Paris. Cameroon were eliminated after collecting just two points from their three matches but made a major contribution on an emotional afternoon. Chile, in the finals for the first time in 16 years, made the second round after being eliminated in the first round in 1966, 1974 and 1982.

This time they showed considerable composure against the talented but indisciplined Africans. The South Americans took an early grip on midfield and Cameroon goalkeeper Jacques Songo’o pulled off a fine save from a Pedro Reyes header and then saw his defenders scramble Clarence Acuna’s follow-up shot for a corner. Sierra’s 21st-minute goal was a gem.

Song, who had already been cautioned, looked lucky to avoid a red card when he clattered into Ivan Zamorano 20 metres out. Sierra, though, punished the ‘Indomitable Lions’ with a superb curling left-foot shot that bent around the wall and flew into the top corner of the net past the despairing dive of the helpless Songo’o.

It could have been 2-0 on 33 minutes when Sierra’s corner eluded the Cameroon defenders and Salas’ shot from a corner was deflected away for a corner. Cameroon came right back, however, and Omam Biyik, Cameroon’s veteran skipper playing in his third World Cup finals, had two chances to equalise within the space of a minute. First he had the ball in the net in the 34th minute but was ruled offside  correctly replays proved despite boos from the crowd-and then he had a rasping shot stopped one-handed by goalkeeper Nelson Tapia. Six minutes before halftime Mboma sent a low shot just wide as the Africans kept sweeping forward and pulling the Chilean defence every which way.

Cameroon began the second half as they had ended the first with Mboma crashing in a volley from inside the area that Tapia blocked as much through luck as judgement. Mboma gave Cameroon hope with his goal, Omam Biyik had a 58th minute strike disallowed for a previous foul and Cameroon had several other half-chances, none of which they could convert.

The Chileans were whistled and jeered from the field by the pro-Cameroon crowd, but they had, in fact, showed admirable restraint.