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McPhail's "Olympico", Quinn's header give Irish |
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June 13, 2000
EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey, JUNE 12 (AP) - Steven McPhail recorded a rare "Olympico" - scoring directly off a corner kick in the 43rd minute - and Niall Quinn added a header in the 69th to rally Ireland to a 2-1 victory over South Africa on Sunday.
The victory gave the Irish second place in the annual U.S. Cup exhibition tournament and followed draws with Mexico (2-2) and the United States (1-1).
The loss was South Africa's third in 11 days, going home after also having been beaten by the United States (4-0) and Mexico (4-2).
The Americans won their tournament for the first time since 1995 earlier in the day with a 3-0 victory over Mexico.
McPhail curled a ball from the right corner to the far post, where a backpedalling Andre Arendse was able to get his right hand to it. But the South African goalkeeper could only push it into the underside of the top of the net as he fell backward into the goal along with the ball.
"To concede a crappy...well, at the professional level, you never should have that kind of a goal go in," South African forward Benedict McCarthy said. "To concede such a goal, your confidence is gone. Players start blaming each other."
McCarthy said Arendse claimed he was interfered with by an Irish striker. Quinn, for his part, acknowldeged that he "nudged" Arendse.
"We practice putting them in at the near post, at the far post, but you don't expect ever to score off a corner like that," Irish manager Mick McCarthy said. "But, we'll take it."
That sent the sides into halftime 1-1, and gave the Irish more than a little momentum.
"Of course it helps. It's 1-1 rather than being down a goal," Mick McCarthy said. "It gives you a boost while it knocks the stuffing out of your opposition."
Quinn tallied the game winner from the corner of the left side of the goal box, heading in Mark Kennedy's free kick from near the right touchline back across the goal and over Arendse's outstretched left hand.
Shaun Bartlett gave South Africa the lead in the 14th minute, running onto a short through ball from Benedict McCarthy and beating Irish keeper Shay Given with a low drive from about 10 meters just inside the right post.
Both sides had about an equal amount of possession, but the South African goal awakened the Bafana Bafana, sparking them to create several chances in quick succession.
With game-time temperatures around 32 degrees Celsius (90 Fahrenheit) and humidity about 50 percent, neither side committed to an all-out attack.
McPhail's goal gave Ireland the momentum at the start of the second half. Gary Breen's header had to be cleared off the line by Jacob Lekgetho in the 53rd in Ireland's best chance before Quinn's goal.
South Africa pressed for the late equalizer, nearly capitalizing when Bartlett was able to push a weak shot past Given in the 87th, but Breen was able to clear the ball a meter from the line.
Neither Ireland nor South Africa brought a full-strength side, with Ireland missing Manchester United's Roy Keane and South Africa missing Lucas Radebe.
South Africa must regoup quickly with World Cup qualifying starting for it in a month.
"It's not a problem," South African manager Trott Moloto said.
"We need tough competition, which is something we have been lacking in the past. We're definitely going back more wiser than we came."
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