FRANCE 98 – Match Summary n°32

England’s World Cup hopes suffered a major setback here on Monday when Romania struck in the final minute to snatch a dramatic 2-1 victory in their Group G clash. The defeat means Romania automatically qualify for the second round and England must at least draw with Colombia in their final match if they want to join them. A Colombia victory will see the South Americans going through.

Romanian coach Anghel Iordanescu was ecstatic after the win. ” We have already beaten England before but this victory was the sweetest, “ he beamed. ” We deserved to win. It was an exciting match and the difference was the English mistakes. Now we are going all out to make sure we top the group, “ he added.

The fatal blow was delivered by Dan Petrescu in the 90th minute when Graeme Le Saux lost out on the most important challenge he will ever make on his Chelsea team-mate. As the ball fell on Le Saux’s weak left foot, Petrescu made enough contact to send it between David Seaman’s legs and into the net. It was the first time the Arsenal keeper has conceded more than one goal for England since the 2-0 defeat in Rotterdam in October 1993, and he could not have picked a worse time to lose that record. England coach Glenn Hoddle had no sympathy for his defence. ” I felt we might be the team to go on and punish them but we have given away two terrible goals away, defensively dreadful. If you defend like that then at this level you’re going to get punished, “ he said.

Petrescu’s goal was a bitter pill for England to swallow after teenage Michael Owen looked to have saved England’s blushes when he grabbed an equaliser in the 83rd minute. The 18-year-old Liverpool star struck when Paul Scholes touched on a Alan Shearer centre. Owen was there in the six meter box to slot it home and looked to have saved England’s World Cup dreams.

But Owen admitted the defeat had taken the shine off his strike. ” I would have settled for drawing and not scoring, “ said the Liverpool striker. ” It’s the team first and not winning the match was bitterly disappointing. “ The teenager expected to score when he came on for Teddy Sheringham in the 73rd minute. ” It’s the case for every striker, “ he said. ” If you don’t set out expecting to score, you should not be a striker.”

Romania had taken the lead two minutes into the second half when Coventry striker Viorel Moldovan struck. Gheorghe Hagi was instrumental in setting up the chance after latching onto a throw-in. His instant flick across the face of goal caught Tony Adams off balance and Moldovan had time to control the ball before firing a fierce shot past the helpless David Seaman. Moldovan managed only two goals in 11 appearances for Coventry last season after his 3.25million move in January from Swiss side Grasshoppers. But this was the 13th goal by the 25-year-old player for his country – and probably the most important as it silenced the massive England contingent in the crowd.

England began to mount intense pressure on the Romanian goal and it looked like a stroke of genius when coach Glenn Hoddle sent on Michael Owen in place on Terry Sheringham in a bid to try to rescue a point. It took Owen only nine minute to get on the score sheet.

But Hoddle’s hopes of ending the Romanian bogey collapsed in the dying minutes. Since 1980 England have never managed to beat the Romanians in six confronations, including tonight. As in Marseille, it was almost as if England were playing in a home game with an estimated 27,000 supporters in the Toulouse Stadium. There was a sea of Union Jacks and crosses of St George while the Romanians were confined mainly to a small section behind one goal. But the crowd were stunned into silence by Petrescu’s killer blow.