TWO pulsating European Championship semi-finals both ended in exactly the same way on Wednesday night when the sudden-death penalty shoot-out sealed the fate of England and France.
In the first match favourites France had the most chances against a Czech Republic team determined not to concede a goal. France’s Youri Djorkaeff came closest to scoring when his shot rattled the corssbar but the match ended 0-0 after the 30 minutes of extra time.
In the tense penalty shoot-out both teams were successful with their first five attempts and it was French substitute Reynald Pedros whose shot was saved by Czech goalkeeeper Petr Kouba. The veteran Miroslav Kadlec stepped forward to seal the Czech’s place in Sunday’s final.
In the much-hyped clash between England and Germany it was Gareth Southgate who suffered when his penalty was saved and Germany marched on to the final.
The thrilling match couldn’t have started better for England when in the third minute Paul Gascoigne’s corner from the left found the head of Paul Adams, the England captain glanced it down waist-high, and Alan Shearer hurled himself forward to nod the ball into the net. Wembley rubbed its eyes. This was too good a start to be true.
So it was soon to prove. The Germans spent the next dozen or so minutes consolidating, then they scored with their first properly co-ordinated attack just past the quarter-hour. Stefan Kuntz grabbing the equaliser.
The match ended 1-1, extra time ended 1-1 and the penalties were 5-5, then Southgate’s was saved and Andreas Moller banged his shot home.
Martin Thorpe
PAUL GASCOIGNE’S performances can take people’s breath away. Against Switzerland it took Paul Gascoigne’s breath away. On Wednesday night it almost took the wind out of Germany’s sails.
Those were no tears rolling down Gazza’s cheeks after the end of the penalty shoot-out, only a waterfall of perspiration that bore testimony to his non-stop running.
Since that opening game there had been four more sauna-sapping ties in 18 hectic days, not forgetting an attempt to evade the media at every turn, to help hone his staying power.
Any doubts about the fat boy’s stamina were dispelled in the 99th minute when he only narrowly failed to get on the end of Shearer’s cross. And four minutes later, in identical circumstances, MacManaman’s centre just evaded his far-post lunge.
Gazza is like a saucepan with an ill-fitting lid. Something is always bubbling out — cheers, verbals, trickery and of course energy. Even in the tunnel before the game Gazza was wiping away the sweat with a towel. And no sooner had the national anthem been sung than he had to release the tension of having to remain still for three minutes with a quick jig, a shake of the body and a wave to the crowd.
But this is a wiser Gascoigne, a player who has learned the lesson of that Switzerland game.
He has shown another aspect of football intelligence by teaching himself to pace his runs and all-round contribution to a game, to take a rest now and then and come renewed to the fight.
This is partly because he is now a cog in the England machine rather than a free-spinning flywheel. It is a shame that England’s only factory of fantasy has to walk on the production line, but that is the way of things at this level and especially against a side as organised as Germany.
Another reason is that Gazza has been forced to adapt his game to make up for the loss of a yard of pace. But although Gascoigne the artist has been joined by Gazza the artisan there were more examples last night of his sublime control and rapier passing.
His opening touch was a first-time ball to MacManaman in a build-up that led to early Ince’s pile-driver, saved by Kopke. His corner-kick was perfectly placed on to the head of Adams, whose back-flick set up Shearer for England’s goal. Alongside this there were the uncharacteristic agricultural clearances, the selfless running and some perfectly timed tackles.
But the problem with playing Gascoigne in this way is that he is a hesitant defender with a reluctance to offer a midfielder’s tackle near his own penalty area in case he gives away a free kick.
It was perhaps this reluctance which led to him not making more of an effort to stop Moller’s pass to Helmer which set up Germany’s equaliser. When Gascoigne later tackled Kuntz on the edge of the England area the feared free-kick was dutifully given as well as Gazza’s first yellow card in Euro 96. It was a small price to pay for a wonderful display.