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Burley move pays off for Scotland
Scots keep hope alive with 1-1 draw against Norway
Posted: Saturday September 26, 1998 04:04 PM
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Burley's goal gave him and John Collins (holding Burley) a reason to celebrate, as Scotland could still qualify for the second round Mark Thompson/Allsport |
BORDEAUX, France (CNN/SI)
-- Scotland's
thin hopes of advancing to the second round of the World Cup were extended
when Craig Burley's goal enabled the Scots to draw 1-1 with Norway.
Burley, scoring for only the second time in 25 appearances for Scotland,
chased down substitute David Weir's 25-yard lofted pass and volleyed it on
one hop over advancing goalkeeper Frode Grodas. The score came just
minutes after Scotland coach Craig Brown made two substitutions, bringing
on Weir for Colin Calderwood and Jackie McNamara for Darren Jackson. That
allowed Burley to assume a more central role in midfield, and it paid off.
"When we went behind, there was no option," Brown said. "We had to
gamble and move forward. It's OK the substitution was successful, but
sometimes they're successful and sometimes they're not. I'm not going to
take huge credit because, quite honestly, we shouldn't have needed that
goal to get back in the game. We should've been ahead." A loss wound
have made the Scotland, which lost 2-1 last week to Brazil, the
first team to be mathematically eliminated from any chance of advancing to
the second round. Still, the Scots will need to beat Morocco next
week and get some help from others in the group to advance for the first
time in eight World Cup appearances. Burley's goal was the first
sign of life in the second half from the Scots, who seemed doomed for
another three-and-out World Cup after Havard Flo's header scored 30 seconds
after the break. Flo, also scoring his second international goal,
got past Christian Dailly at the far post to head Vidar Riseth's left wing
cross. But Burley's score energized his team, and he nearly netted
again eight minutes later when Grodas was forced to make a fingertip save
over the crossbar on a 20-yard blast by the Celtic midfielder. The
Scots controlled most of the half, with Dailly working especially well
moving the ball down the left side. But while Grodas was kept busy catching
headers and punching away corners, he didn't have to make a tough save.
Norway's one quality shot in the first half came in the 28th minute on
Roar Strand's close-range effort from the right, but Scotland keeper Jim
Leighton made the sliding stop. The Norwegians scored both their
goals off set plays in a 2-2 draw with Morocco last week, but Scottish
defender Colin Hendry won the aerial battle with tall striker Tore Andre
Flo, keeping the Scandinavians' scoring chances at bay. Lineups
Norway: Frode Grodas; Henning Berg (Gunnar Halle, 82nd), Stig
Inge Bjornebye, Dan Eggen, Ronny Johnsen, Roar Strand; Kjetil Rekdal, Stale
Solbakken; Havard Flo (Jahn Jakobsen, 61st), Tore Andre Flo, Vidar Riseth
(Egil Ostenstad, 73rd). Scotland: Jim Leighton; Tommy Boyd,
Colin Calderwood (David Weir, 60th), Colin Hendry; Craig Burley, John
Collins, Christian Dailly, Paul Lambert; Gordon Durie, Kevin Gallacher,
Darren Jackson (Jackie McNamara, 62nd). Referee: Laszlo
Vagner, Hungary.
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