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Spain need a win more than Yugoslavia |
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June 21, 2000
BRUGES, Belgium (AP) - On a spring night two years ago, Raul Gonzalez and Fernando Hierro hugged and embraced Predrag Mijatovic with delight as the Yugoslav scored Real Madrid's goal against Juventus to take the Spanish club's seventh European cup.
On Wednesday, in this medieval city's Jan Breydel stadium there's unlikely to be any such affection when Raul and Hierro line up for Spain in the side's crucial final Group C game against Mijatovic's Yugoslavia.
Mijatovic and Madrid parted ways last year and Yugoslav is no longer too popular on the Iberian peninsula.
In his typically provocative manner, Mijatovic, who starred for Real between 1996 and 1999, told Spanish journalists recently that beating Spain was almost as important for him as reaching the quarterfinals.
Going into the match, the group is wide open with Yugoslavia tops on four points while Spain is joint second with Norway on three.
Slovenia lies bottom with one. Norway faces Slovenia Wednesday in Arnhem.
Of the teams in the group, Yugoslavia and Spain have most in common. Seven of the Yugoslav squad play with Spanish clubs including the side's mainstay in defense Miroslav Djukic, who plays with European Champions League runner-up Valencia.
"The game against Spain will be the most difficult yet for us. They play completely different from Norway, something similar to us," said Djukic.
Yugoslavia pulled off one of the most stunning feats of the tournament in its opening match, coming back from 3-0 down against underdog Slovenia to draw 3-3 with one player less.
The team is playing its first European championship in nearly a decade after being barred from past two editions owing to political sanctions. Even this time round, it could not find opponents in Europe to play warm-up games putting it at a considerable disadvantage.
But its two games so far show that the political quagmire back home hasn't completely neutralized Yugoslavia's lethal talent on the pitch.
"We are facing Spain, the toughest team in the group, and any result is possible," said Dragan Stojkovic, veteran captain, adding, "if we play like against Norway, we can beat any team in the world, including Spain."
Spain, initially ranked among the favorites, has struggled through both its matches. It lost 1-0 to a stodgy Norway before scrambling to a 2-1 win over Slovenia.
"Technically, the Spaniards have fallen. But in the physical and collective game, they have improved, said Yugoslav coach Vujadin Boskov.
The Spaniards admit they are not at their best and blame their lengthy club season for the players' exhaustion.
"We know we can play better," said FC Barcelona defender Abelardo Fernandez. "Yugoslavia will be good for us. It's a team that likes to play with ball and lets you play."
Spain has played Yugoslavia 18 times since 1932 with the Iberians having an edge of eight wins against five defeats and five draws. In their last game they drew 1-1 in 1997.
Spanish coach Jose Antonio Camacho brought in four changes to the side for his second game. But against Yugoslavia he may revert to starting tall centerforward Ismael Urzaiz over smaller Alfonso Perez.
Speculation was rife this week that he may rest off-form Barcelona midfielder Josep Guardiola who he substituted in the Slovenia game. If so, Real Madrid's Ivan Helguera would be his most likely replacement.
No changes are expected in the Yugoslav camp.
"We are going to play exactly the same as against Norway. That is our style and we can't change that," said Savo Milosevic of Spain's Zaragoza who scored two goals against Slovenia and one against Norway.
Probable Lineups:
Yugoslavia - Ivica Kralj; Goran Djorovic, Miroslav Djukic, Slobodan Komljenovic, Nisa Saveljic, Dragan Stojkovic, Vladimir Jugovic, Slavisa Jokanovic, Ljubinko Drulovic, Predrag Mijatovic, Savo Milosevic. Spain - Santiago Canizares, Michel Salgado, Fernando Hierro, Abelardo Fernandez, Agustin Aranzabal, Josep Guardiola, Juan Valeron, Gaizka Mendieta, Joseba Etxeberria, Raul Gonzalez, Ismael Urzaiz.
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