Switzerland and France rounded off the last 16 in the World Cup finals in Germany on Friday as they recorded 2-0 victories over South Korea and Togo respectively.
However, a controversial second Swiss goal by Alexander Frei provoked a furious reaction from the Koreans, though it was a sense of what goes around, comes around after they benefited from several strange decisions in their favour when they reached the 2002 semifinals.
The Swiss will play Ukraine, while the French face a tough battle with in-form Spain — a repeat of the 1984 European Championship final, which the French won — for a place in the last eight.
Earlier, Roger Lemerre, France’s coach in the 2002 debacle when as defending champions they went out in the first round, suffered another World Cup disappointment as his winless streak in the finals was extended to six matches with an unlucky 1-0 defeat to Ukraine.
Having been denied an obvious penalty themselves, the 2004 African Nations champions then had one awarded against them by Paraguayan referee Carlos Amarilla when Andriy Shevchenko tripped over himself.
The 29-year-old buried the spot kick and the second-round hopes of Tunisia while giving his side their place in the last 16.
The day’s other match saw effectively a Spain B team — albeit with Raul and others like Jose Antonio Reyes of Arsenal in the team — edge an unlucky Saudi Arabia 1-0 and confirm themselves as Group H winners.
While Frei — who ended Euro 2004 in disgrace after he was caught spitting at another player — believed his goal was right to stand, there was quite the opposite opinion from the Koreans.
Spurs defender Lee Young-Pyo lashed out at the decision to allow Frei’s goal.
”It was a very, very strange decision,” he said. ”I saw the linesman put up his flag and the referee also saw him. I stopped but the referee let play continue — we [the players] cannot understand why. Frei was offside — [the goal] just killed off the game.”
France didn’t make it easy for themselves as despite playing two up front — Thierry Henry partnering the recalled David Trezeguet — they missed a hatful of chances in the first half.
However, Patrick Vieira got them off the mark, and caretaker captain Zinedine Zidane — who was suspended and for some reason did not even take his place with his teammates on the substitutes bench — had double cause for celebrating his 30th birthday when Henry added a second.
”It was long and difficult after we drew our opening two matches, but we had some cards in our hand and knew if we got the two goals we would be through, fulfilling our first objective,” Vieira said. ”This team has a lot of potential.”
Under-fire coach Raymond Domenech was more relieved than anything else as he avoided Lemerre’s humiliation. ”It [the Togo match] was difficult and I’ll not deny that.” However, Domenech — like Vieira — said that anybody who wrote his workmanlike team off did so at their peril.
”This team can dig deep. I am happy for the team. The next match against Spain will be super,” said the 54-year-old, whose no-nonsense demeanour stems from his playing days when, as a 16-year-old Lyon debutant, he broke someone’s leg.
Another equally uncompromising coach, Ukraine’s Oleg Blokhin, revelled in making the last 16 — though his applauding the sending-off of Tunisia’s Ziad Jaziri at the end of the first half left a sour taste in non-Ukrainians’ mouths.
However, the former European player of the year said he was impressed with the way his team had rebounded from their opening 4-0 drubbing by Spain to beat Saudi Arabia 4-0 and then down Tunisia.
”After the 4-0 defeat to Spain we were pushed into a mental abyss,” said the 53-year-old former European player of the year. ”However, this allowed us to shake up the team and see what they are really capable of.” — Sapa-AFP