|
Match
Summary |
|
Officials
from France |
Finland |
Type |
England |
Referee
(black) -
Alain Sars
39 (30 April 1961), Dombasle-sur-Meurthe, FIFA-listed
1993.
Assistant Referees - Pierre Ufrasis,
44 (21 April 1956) and Alain Augu,
44.
Fourth Official
-
Laurent Duhamel, 32 (10 October
1968), Rouen, FIFA-listed
1999.
The first ever occasion that
England have only been accessible to watch via pay-per-view television. |
4 |
Goal Attempts |
9 |
1 |
Attempts on Target |
5 |
0 |
Hit Bar/Post |
0 |
7 |
Corner Kicks Won |
5 |
1 |
Offside Calls Against |
7 |
22 |
Fouls Conceded |
11 |
45% |
Possession |
55% |
|
Finland
Team |
|
Rank: |
FIFA (11 October 2000) 56th EFO ranking ELO rating 59th |
Colours: |
Made by Adidas - Blue v-neck collared jerseys with white
collars/cuffs/Adidas sleeve trim and side panel extending up to shoulders,
white shorts with blue side panel and white Adidas trim, blue socks with
white Adidas trim. |
Capt: |
Jari Litmanen |
Manager: |
Antti Muurinen, 47 (4 March 1954),
appointed 20 August 1999, effective January 2000,
12th match, W 5 - D 3 - L 4 - F 13 - A 13. |
Finland
Lineup |
1 |
Niemi,
Antti M. |
28 |
31 May 1972 |
G |
Heart
of Midlothian FC, Scotland |
41 |
GA |
Niemi cautioned in the sixth minute for Unsporting
Behaviour, after bringing down
Sheringham as he rounded him outside the penalty box. |
2 |
Helin, Petri, off 46th min. |
30 |
13 December 1969 |
RB |
FC Jokerit |
18 |
3 |
3 |
Saarinen, Janne J., off 67th min. |
23 |
28 February 1977 |
LB |
Helsingin JK |
3 |
0 |
4 |
Hyypia,
Sami
T. |
26 |
7 October 1973 |
CD |
Liverpool FC, England |
36 |
1 |
5 |
Tihinen, Hannu |
24 |
1 July 1976 |
CD |
Viking
FK, Norway |
15 |
1 |
6 |
Nurmela, Mika |
28 |
26 December 1971 |
RM |
SC Heerenveen,
Netherlands |
19 |
0 |
7 |
Wiss,
Jarkko |
28 |
17 April 1972 |
LM |
Stockport
County FC, England |
32 |
2 |
8 |
Valakari, Simo J. |
27 |
28 April 1973 |
CM |
Derby County FC, England |
19 |
0 |
9 |
Forssell,
Mikael K.,
off 77th min. |
19 |
15 March 1981
born in West Germany |
F |
Crystal
Palace FC, England on loan from Chelsea FC, England |
7 |
0 |
10 |
Litmanen, Jari O. |
29 |
20 February 1971 |
AM |
FC Barcelona, Spain |
67 |
17 |
11 |
Johansson, Jonatan L. |
25 |
16 August 1975 |
F |
Charlton Athletic FC, England |
29 |
9 |
Finland Substitutes |
13 |
Reini, Juha, on 46th min. for Helin |
25 |
19 March 1975 |
RB |
Koninklijke Racing Club Genk, Belgium |
14 |
0 |
15 |
Salli,
Janne, on 67th min. for Saarinen |
22 |
14 December 1977 |
LB |
FC Haka |
8 |
1 |
16 |
Kuqi, Shefki, on 77th min. for Forssell |
23 |
10 November 1976
born in Yugoslavia |
F |
FC Jokerit |
13 |
2 |
unused
substitutes: |
12-Jussi
Jaaskelainen, 14-Mika Kottila, 17-Aki
Riihilahti, 18-Joonas Kolkka. |
|
4-3-1-2 |
Niemi -
Helin (Reini),
Hyypia, Tihinen, Saarinen (Salli)
-
Nurmela, Valakari, Wiss -
Litmanen -
Forssell (Kuqi), Johansen. |
Averages: |
Age |
- |
Appearances/Goals |
- |
- |
|
|
England
Team |
|
Rank: |
FIFA (11 October 2000) 15th EFO ranking ELO rating 13th to 14th |
Colours: |
The 1999 Umbro
home uniform - White shadow horizontal striped crew neck jersey with navy
collar/cuffs, white Umbro sleeves trim, navy shorts with navy Umbro side
trim, white socks with navy pintrim. |
Capt: |
Martin Keown, only captaincy |
Caretaker Head Coach: |
Howard Wilkinson, 56 (13 November
1943),
re-appointed as caretaker coach 7 October 2000.
2nd and final match, W 0 - D 1 - L 1 - F 0 - A 2. |
England
Lineup |
1 |
Seaman, David A. |
37 |
19 September 1963 |
G |
Arsenal FC |
62 |
35
GA |
2 |
Neville, Phillip J. |
23 |
21 January 1977 |
RB |
Manchester United FC |
30 |
0 |
3 |
Barry, Gareth, off 69th min. |
19 |
23 February 1981 |
LB |
Aston Villa FC |
5 |
0 |
4 |
Wise, Dennis F. |
33 |
16 December 1966 |
CM |
Chelsea FC |
21 |
1 |
5 |
Southgate, Gareth |
30 |
3 September 1970 |
CD |
Aston Villa FC |
40 |
1 |
6 |
Keown, Martin R. |
34 |
24 July 1966 |
CD |
Arsenal FC |
36 |
2 |
7 |
Parlour,
Raymond |
27 |
7 March 1973 |
RM |
Arsenal FC |
9 |
0 |
8 |
Scholes, Paul |
25 |
16 November 1974 |
LM |
Manchester United FC |
30 |
10 |
9 |
Cole, Andrew A. |
28 |
15 October 1971 |
F |
Manchester United FC |
10 |
0 |
10 |
Sheringham, Edward P., off 69th min. |
34 |
2 April 1966 |
F |
Manchester United FC |
39 |
9 |
11 |
Heskey, Emile W.I. |
22 |
11 January 1978 |
F |
Liverpool FC |
10 |
1 |
England Substitutes |
12 |
McManaman, Steven, on 69th min. for Sheringham |
28 |
11 February 1972 |
M |
Real Madrid CF, Spain |
31 |
3 |
17 |
Brown, Wesley M., on 69th min. for Barry |
20 |
13 October 1979 |
LB |
Manchester United FC |
2 |
0 |
unused
substitutes: |
13-Nigel Martyn, 14-Nicky Barmby, 15-Rio Ferdinand, 16-Joe
Cole, 18-Michael Owen. |
|
4-3-3 |
Seaman -
P.Neville, Keown, Southgate, Barry (Brown) -
Parlour, Wise, Scholes -
Sheringham (McManaman), Cole, Heskey. |
Averages: |
Age |
28.4 |
Appearances/Goals |
- |
- |
|
|
Match Report
by Mike Payne |
|
Source Notes |
England were robbed of a
morale-boosting World Cup victory against Finland in a controversial
finale in Helsinki. And Albania's shock 2-0 win over Greece
means England now languish at the bottom of Group Nine - already
facing a major struggle to reach the finals in Japan and Korea in
2002.
Arsenal's Ray Parlour looked to
have snatched the winner four minutes from time when he danced past
the Finnish defence and shot home via the crossbar. Replays
showed Parlour's shot clearly crossed the line, but French referee
Alain Sars and his assistants completed a night of ill-fortune for
England by failing to give the goal. It was hardly a throwback
to Geoff Hurst, 1966 and all that - the setting and the quality of a
low-key encounter saw to that. But it would have been the
perfect tonic after the trauma of Kevin Keegan's resignation.
Instead, caretaker coach Howard Wilkinson was left with only the
consolation of the first point of the 2002 qualifying campaign to
comfort him. England did not deliver a vintage performance in
a disappointing game, but they will be massively frustrated to be
denied victory in such dramatic fashion. Referee Sars was also
in controversial action early on, failing to send off Finland
goalkeeper Antti Niemi after he fouled Teddy Sheringham when he was
clean through. But in the end, England will be thankful for
small mercies after one of the most tortuous weeks in their recent
history. England's revamped line-up - showing six changes from
the side defeated by Germany - were denied the perfect start in
controversial fashion.
The game was only five minutes
old when Sheringham took Petri Helin's wayward pass around
goalkeeper Niemi and was upended with the goal unguarded.
The offence came outside the
area, but it was still a major surprise when French referee Alain
Sars reprieved Niemi with a yellow card. England's players
were angered, and the frustration only increased when the resulting
free kick was comfortably cleared. Niemi was fortunate again
after 20 minutes when, in a moment of blind panic, he clearly picked
the ball up outside the penalty area, but remarkably it was not
spotted by referee Sars or his assistants. England were
dominant in the first half, but it was supremacy without a cutting
edge. They came closest when Emile Heskey touched Dennis
Wise's free kick towards goal, but his Liverpool team-mate Sami
Hyypia cleared off the line under pressure from Martin Keown.
Heskey was posing problems for Finland with his pace and power in
the early stages, creating an opening for Sheringham which was met
with a disappointingly weak finish from the Manchester United
veteran.
Finland's threat was restricted
to the occasional break, but they sounded a warning for England
after 36 minutes when Mika Nurmela's cross was only inches away from
finding Charlton's in-form striker Jonatan Johansson.
England's only other moment of
danger came four minutes later when Mikael Forssell shot narrowly
over after finding space inside the penalty area. Finland
opened the second half in more positive mood, with gifted Barcelona
midfield man Jari Litmanen finally exerting his influence on
proceedings. He was closing in on a cross from Nurmela after
53 minutes, only to see Parlour clear with a magnificent defensive
header at the far post.
It was the first time England
had been under any concerted pressure, but goalkeeper Seaman - the
culprit when Dietmar Hamann scored Germany's winner - was being well
protected.
It was a much more even contest
after the interval, and Finland's increased pressure prompted
caretaker coach Wilkinson into his first changes after 69 minutes.
Wilkinson's changes were surprising, with Sheringham, one of
England's most influential performers, taken off along with Aston
Villa's Gareth Barry. Real Madrid misfit Steve McManaman was
given his chance, along with Manchester United youngster Wes Brown,
who slotted into an unfamiliar right back position. Finland
had the best chance of the game after 73 minutes, and this time
England were grateful to the heavily-criticised Seaman for staying
on level terms. Litmanen's delicate flick released Forssel,
but the Crystal Palace striker hesitated, allowing Seaman to plunge
bravely at his feet to save as England survived their first major
scare. England were suddenly under pressure, and it was an
uncharacteristic piece of poor control by Litmanen that let them off
the hook with only Seaman to beat. Then came the late Parlour
drama - with memories revived of the 1966 World Cup campaign and
Geoff Hurst's goal. This time luck was not on England's side,
and they left Helsinki cursing.
TheFA.com Original newspaper reports
Official Teamsheet Rothman's Yearbooks
____________________
CG/PY
|