FRANCE 98 – Match preview n°45

The temptation may be too much for Romania coach Anghel Iordanescu, whose side have already reached the World Cup second round and will top their group if they draw or beat Tunisia here Friday. The coach and his players are already thinking ahead to which of either Argentina or Croatia they would prefer to meet in Bordeaux on June 30 for their second round game, with the majority hoping to avoid Daniel Passarela’s side.

The Tunisia game presents Iodanescu with a tempting opportunity. He can rest his stars and allow his walking wounded to nurse their injuries ahead of the knock-out stage. More important, Romania need to steer clear of the minefield of further suspensions. With five players already carrying one yellow card from their previous games, another booking would mean an automatic ban from the second round.

Against England, whom they beat 2-1, midfield general Gheorghe Hagi picked up a yellow card after only four minutes and Gheorghe Popescu, Liviu Ciubotariu, and Iulian Filipescu followed him into the referees notebook, Filipescu was already booked in the 1-0 win against Colombia and is suspended for the Tunisia game. Dorinel Munteanu and Dan Petrescu were also booked in that game. Players with one booking benefit from an amnesty after the first round, but those with two from different games are automatically suspended.

Iordansecu has vowed to beat Tunisia, but with so much at stake, he may be considering fielding a considerably weakened team to do the job. ” We have a few injuries and some problems with yellow cards, “ he said. ” That complicates selection. “ Midfielder Ovidiu Stinga, who came on as substitute in Romania’s first two games, is out of the World Cup and has returned to his Dutch club PSV Eindhoven for treatment for a knee ligaments injury sustained against England.

Sweeper Gabriel Popescu has a bruised nose and striker Adrian Ilie a bruised foot. Tunisia hardly loom large on the horizon for Iordanescu and his side who are determined to do better than their 1994 predecessors who played brilliantly in the United States only to lose on a penalty shoot-out to Sweden in the quarter-finals.

Petrescu, whose scored the winning goal against England, said: ” We think we can go a long way in this competition. We are better than in 1994. “ Tunisia, beaten by England and Colombia, are deeply demoralized and since Tuesday have been thrown into even deeper disarray by the abrupt dismissal of their coach. Polish-born Henri Kasperczak quit the team training center as soon as he was told of the decision and Tunisia can hardly be expected to take to the field in the highest of spirits at the Stade de France here.

If Romania either beat or draw with Tunisia they top group G and play the runners-up in Group H, either Argentina or Croatia. ” We don’t care which, but most players would probably go for Croatia, “ said Hagi, the playmaker who spearheaded the 1994 campaign and is appearing in his last World Cup. ” This is going to be my last World Cup and I want to leave a good impression, “ said Hagi.