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EURO 2000 : Spain loses to France |
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June 26, 2000
BRUGES, Belgium, (AP) Spain's Raul Gonzalez, reputedly the world's best-paid player, couldn't have given himself a worse 23rd birthday present: Missing an 89th minute penalty for Spain to hand France a 2-1 victory and put the Spaniards on the next flight home from the Euro 2000.
The defeat was certain to strengthen Spain's tag as soccer's 'great underachiever'.
Boasting some of the greatest soccer clubs in the world, Spain seems unable to shine on the international stage. It came into Euro 2000 among the favorites but, like in the 1998 and 1994 World Cups and the 1996 European Championship, it has left once again in the early rounds.
But while coach Jose Antonio Camacho tried to make out that France had won unfairly, few agreed with him.
"We have no excuses," said defender Michel Salgado. "We lost to a great team."
France, from the start showed itself well deserving of the world championship title.
Ace midfielder Zinedine Zidane ran the Spanish ragged and marked a virtuoso performance with a perfectly placed 25-yard (meter) free kick to give France a 32nd-minute lead.
But the Spaniards retaliated in the 38th minute when Lilian Thuram hauled down the dangerous Pedro Munitis and Gaizka Mendieta rolled in the penalty.
Mendieta would have been the man to take the second penalty but he was substituted it was Raul who had a golden chance to put the match into extra time after a foul by French goalkeeper Fabien Barthez on Abelardo Fernandez.
But he didn't even force Barthez to make a save, firing the penalty shot way over the top left corner of the goal.
Raul, who turns 23 on Tuesday, signed a new five-season contract with Real Madrid earlier this month that reputedly makes him the world's best-paid soccer player.
"It was such a shame," said Spanish midfielder Ivan Helguera. "In the dressing room everyone felt bad about the penalty. It looks like we're destined to be always ejected in the quarterfinals"
Spain has only ever won one competition, the 1964 European Championships.
Youri Djorkaeff, France's fourth top goalscorer of all time with 26 goals, continued his knack of scoring vital goals and earned the world champion a semifinal against Portugal with a strike one minute before halftime to put the French ahead again 2-1.
"We lost because the world champion have that little bit extra that others don't," said Spanish coach Jose Antonio Camacho. "The result wasn't fair but we accept it."
France briefly looked in trouble when Mendieta's penalty equalized. But its ploy of resting eight of its players to face Spain during its last match against the Netherlands paid off handsomely.
The world champion grew in stature as the match progressed and what started off as a midfield battle gradually became a rout for Zidane, Djorkaeff and Didier Deschamps over Helguera and Barcelona's Josep Guardiola.
Spain's desperation surfaced in the 70th minute when Paco escaped with a yellow card after literally dragging Thierry Henry to the ground to stop a 50 yard (meter) run from the Arsenal forward.
Pedro Munitis, who scored as a substitute in Spain's stunning 4-3 win against Yugoslavia, was Spain's most dangerous player and troubled the normally serene Thuram with a series of quick darting runs on the left.
The Spaniards lost their first game 1-0 to Norway, recouped 2-1 against Slovenia and won their third group match 4-3 against Yugoslavia.
France defeated Denmark 3-0, the Czech Republic 2-1 and lost its last game 3-2 against the Netherlands.
Camacho tried to be philosophical about Raul's penalty miss and the final result.
"We have a very different feeling compared to after our last match," he said. "Penalties all depend on the man. Sometimes you score, sometimes you don't. At least the players can now have their holidays."
But he clearly felt that Spain is unlucky to be out.
"We had the chance to go the semifinals and beat the world champion," he said. "The feeling we have is one of sadness and bitterness. Let's go home."
French coach Roger Lemerre praised Zidane.
"The two teams are similar as exemplified by Zidane and Raul," he said. "I congratulate Spain for the quality of its organization and its passing. But the French have the players that make the difference, one of them being Zidane."
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