Yugoslavian soccer team off to Italy

Press, 8 September 1989, Page 26

Yugoslavian soccer team off to Italy

NZPA-AFP Paris Yugoslavia the first qualifying'-ticket to next year’s World Cup finals on what turned out to be another night of shame for English football and embarrassment for Scotland yesterday. The Liverpool team-mates, Steve Nicol and Gary Gillespie, both put the ball into their own goal as Scotland’s hopes were torn apart by three Yugoslav goals in six bizarre minutes early in the second half. The Yugoslavs won, 3-1, in Zagreb, which means they are sure to qualify from group five. Yugoslavia will join the host, Italy and the defending champion, Argentina, who have automatically qualified for the finals. England moved nearer after a goal-less draw in Sweden although the finish in group two could be tight with both sides still to visit Poland. But the name of English soccer was once' again dragged through the dirt by its fans, who followed England to Stockholm where they went on a drunken orgy of destruction and looting in the city centre before the game. There were 102 English fans arrested. Belgium, meanwhile, has a foot in the finals after its convincing 3-0, win over Portugal in Brussels and the Soviet Union continued to grind its way to qualification after being held, 0-0, by Austria. Scotland, however, was kicking itself all the way back to Glasgow. Gordon Durie had given the Scots a first-half lead which Srecko Katanec cancelled with a fifty-third minute header. Then disaster for the Scots. First Nicol got his head to a fifty-eighth-minute Dragan Stojkovic cross forcing the ball wide of the goalkeeper, Jim Leighton. Then 60 seconds later Gillespie’s leg

diverted the ball past Leignton. It was small wonder that the Scots boss, Andy Roxburgh, said: “We committed suicide in .a short spell in the manner that we lost those goals. “I always said that Yugoslavia were the best team in the group and tonight they confirmed it. If they had scored from some of their brilliant football we wouldn’t have minded so much." Scotland needs one more point from games against France in Paris next month and Norway at Hampden Park in November to book its place in Italy. All the praise in Stockholm, though, was for the bloodied and battered England captain, Terry Butcher, who was acclaimed a hero by the manager, Bobby Robson. “Butcher showed great bravery. It was a heroic performance,” said Mr Robson. “He has'a nasty head wound and a gash above an eye. But it never occurred to me that he should come off. Had I suggested it he would probably have hit me.” Butcher suffered the injury in a twenty-fifth-minute collision with Sweden’s Johnny Ekstrom and had to. initially have seven stitches inserted in the head wound at halftime. “That was all the doctor had time for,” said Mr Robson. “The wound split open again and now he’s had 10 stitches in that area. He has also had five or six in a gash above an eye.” European World Cup qualifying results: England drew with Sweden, 0-0, at Stockholm; Austria drew with the Soviet Union, 0-0, at Vienna; East Germany beat Iceland, 3-0, at Reykjavik; Finland beat Wales, 1-0, at Helsinki; Yugoslavia beat Scotland, 3-1, at Zagreb; Hungary beat Northern Ireland, 2-1, at Belfast; Belgium beat Portugal, 3-0, at Brussels.