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Davids delivers for Dutch
Stoppage time goal beats Yugoslavia 2-1
Posted: Thursday September 24, 1998 03:37 PM
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Mijatovic (right), who would later miss a penalty kick, celebrates after Yugoslavia's first goal Ben Radford/Allsport |
TOULOUSE, France (CNN/SI)
-- When Edgar Davids recalls his first goal in World Cup play, he will
certainly do so with a smile on his face.
The midfielder's left-footed drive in the second minute of second-half
stoppage time provided a 2-1 victory over Yugoslavia
and sent the Dutch into the World Cup quarterfinals.
The win came after the Netherlands
weathered an early second-half goal by Yugoslavia and a penalty kick by
Predrag Mijatovic's that crashed off the crossbar.
"When they missed their penalty, I thought `Now us,' and it was -- in the
last seconds," said striker Dennis Bergkamp, who scored the first Dutch
goal in the 38th minute.
Davids, playing in his 15th international game, was only recalled to the
Dutch lineup for this World Cup after being omitted for two years for
insulting coach Guus Hiddink at the European Championship in 1996.
"I had some cramps in my leg and I had told Hiddink I had a problem,"
Davids said. "He told me to stay on the field and I put all of myself into
the final shot, and I scored."
Argentina or
England
await the Netherlands in the next round.
"I would prefer Argentina," forward Ronald de Boer said. "I think us
against Argentina would be a great game."
Hiddink said he had no preference.
"Both will be very dangerous," he said. "But we are very happy to be
there and we have more ambitions." After playing an
ultra-defensive first half in which they conceded only Bergkamp's goal, the
Yugoslavs came out quickly after the break and tied it in the 49th minute
when Slobodan Komljenovic rose at the far post to head in a free kick by
Dragan Stojkovic.
The goal stirred Yugoslavia and it began to move forward. The pressure
paid off almost immediately as Jaap Stam grabbed the shirt of Vladimir
Yugovic as the two battled in the peanlty area and Spanish referee Jose
Garcia Aranda pointed to the penalty spot.
Mijatovic crashed his shot against the underside of the crossbar as Dutch
goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar dived to his right. The ball ricocheted into
the ground and to safety.
"In the first part of the game our strategy was to keep the Dutch down.
Probably we were less cautious in the second half," Yugoslav coach Slobodan
Santrac said.
The Netherlands finally broke down the determined Yugoslav defense in the
38th minute when Bergkamp took a long pass by Frank de Boer and held off
Zoran Mirkovic to shoot under the dive of goalkeeper Ivica Kralj.
The goal gave Bergkamp a share of the Netherlands' all-time scoring lead
with 35 in his 61 internationals. He equaled the record of Faas Wilkes in
the 1940s and 1950s.
After Yugoslavia scored and Mijatovic missed the penalty kick, chances
began to come fast, with the Netherlands having most of the opportunities.
Finally it was Davids who won it.
Hiddink said afterward he was prepared to substitute Davids if the match
had gone into extra time.
"It was a happy non-decision to let him go until the end," he said.
Copyright 2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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