FRANCE 98 – Match Summary n°61

Brazil beat Holland 4-2 in a penalty shootout after the teams had ended level at 1-1 after extra-time in their World Cup semi-final here on Tuesday.

After a tight first half, shaded by the Dutch,  Ronaldo scored just after the break, but a late header by Patrick Kluivert pushed the match into extra time at the windy Stade Velodrome. It was the tournament’s third penalty shootout. France beat Italy in the quarter-finals and Argentina beat England in the second round, both by scores of 4-3.

Ronaldo opened the scoring only 20 seconds into the second half. A long searching pass from Roberto Carlos set Ronaldo free and in the chase with Phillip Cocu it was the 21-year-old who got to it first. He made no mistake as he coolly slipped the ball between the legs of Edwin Van der Sar.

Argentina’s Batistuta and Italy’s Christian Vieri, who are both out of the tournament, lead the goalscorer list with five goals, but the Inter Milan star became Brazil’s topscorer at these finals with four and did much to deflect criticism of his performances. He has now scored 30 goals in 41 internationals.

Just when it looked Brazil were through Kluivert pulled off a sensational equalizer in the 87th minute to push the match into extra time. Ronald de Boer floated in a cross and as Kluivert rose to meet it Junior Baiano seemed to be rooted to the ground, leaving the 22-year-old AC Milan a free header.

In extra time, Brazil edged it, with Robert Carlos  looking dangerous on the left as he set up attacks.  A Ronaldo header was saved on the line by the head of Frank de Boer and he had a shot saved by Van der Sar diving to his left.

Substitute Pierre Van Hooijdonk had a freekick saved by Taffarel following an Emerson foul on Edgar Davids.  Then Frank de Boer turned playmaker to hit a defence-splitting past to Kluivert, whose left foot shot just went past Taffarel’s left hand upright.

In the second half of extra time, Ronaldo turned and ran into the Dutch box but Ronald de Boer, tireless in runs the length and breadth of the pitch, made a goal-saving tackle. Real Madrid’s Clarence Seedorf came on for Wim Jonk as Hiddink tried other options to gain the upper hand.

In the shootout, Ronaldo converted into top left corner before Frank de Boer equalized. Rivaldo hit home in the top right, Bergkamp scored in the bottom right and Emerson made it 3-2 to Brazil with a shot into the top left hand corner.

But Phillip Cocu, ordered to respot the ball, had his shot saved as Taffarel dived to his left. Brazilian captain Dunga, who scored the winning shoot-out penalty to give Brazil the trophy in 1994, made it 4-2. Ronald de Boer had to score to keep Dutch hopes alive but his shot to the right was brilliantly saved by Taffarel.

Coach Mario Zagallo broke in to tears as the Brazilian players celebrated their sixth time in the final.