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Group H - June 19 - Spain vs Tunisia [R]
First Round — Group H
SPAIN vs TUNISIA
Monday, June 19
12:00 PM PDT / 1:00 PM MDT / 2:00 PM CDT / 3:00 PM EDT / 4:00 PM ADT / 4:30 PM NDT / 9:00 PM CET
Stuttgart
Live Television:
RDS
TSN
Repeat Television:
4:30 PM PDT
5:30 PM MDT
6:30 PM CDT
7:30 PM EDT
8:30 PM ADT
9:00 PM NDT
- TSN
1-1 with 15 Minutes left.
3-1 FT
Certainly not comfortable for Spain, but they played well enough in the second half to punish a few defensive errors by Tunisia. The third goal was added late on a penalty kick.
I only saw the second half, but Spain looked very strong. The ability to come back against a tough opponent like Tunisia also can only mean good things for Spain's ability to play under pressure.
Why was Joaquin not in the starting 11? He was terrific in Korea and he certainly made his presence felt in the second half. Jeffrey?
Spain look great and having Raul coming in hungry off the bench is a stroke of genius. That match against Brazil in the quarterfinals could be a classic!
Don't forget Cesc.
They showed composure and patience. Since the US game I've been thinking about how a lack of this is Italy's biggest problem. [B)]quote:Originally posted by JayWay
The ability to come back against a tough opponent like Tunisia also can only mean good things for Spain's ability to play under pressure.
Of course, Spain were contained, by an inferior team, fairly comfortably, for 70-75 minutes. The final scoreline does not reflect Tunisia's efforts.
Crowd trouble in this match... involving... English fans...
From the Toronto Star:
Red fury marches on
Spain makes it through but not without a scare
Things turn a bit ugly after Tunisia takes early lead
Jun. 20, 2006. 01:00 AM
CATHAL KELLY
STUTTGART, Germany—Last night we saw how quickly things can turn ugly at the world's biggest party.
Up to this point, the World Cup has been a brotherly celebration. At every match, fans from opposing nations can be seen drinking and singing together beforehand, swapping jerseys afterward.
That changed as soon as it looked like the biggest upset of this tourney was in the offing.
Spain versus Tunisia was supposed to be a gimme. Spain was coming off a 4-0 demolition of Ukraine. Tunisia had struggled to tie unfancied Saudi Arabia 2-2.
The Spanish fans, who formed the vast majority at Stuttgart's Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion, were in buoyant form at the outset. They joyously sang "Volare" as the match got set for kickoff.
Only eight minutes into the game, Tunisia's Jaouhar Mnari scored an unlikely goal.
Suddenly, the party was off. The small contingent of Tunisians in attendance rose in rapture. Stunned Spaniards sat back in their seats.
The Spanish continued to enjoy chances, but couldn't find a hole in the Tunisian shield.
The running of the men in red grew frantic as they were repulsed again and again. The mood of the crowd in the southeast stand, where the Spanish were thickest, darkened perceptibly.
As the end of the half neared, a scuffle broke out amidst the Spanish seats.
Three supporters wearing English team jerseys were suddenly in the middle of the melee. Fans in Spanish jerseys lunged at them while a few other Spaniards tried to hold them back.
The Tunisian supporters loudly cheered the end of the half, but high up in the cheap seats no one noticed.
A few Spanish supporters had wedged themselves between the two sets of combatants, on one side the English trio, on the other about a dozen Spaniards.
The stewards were slow to notice the impending violence. When they did, they sent up two women who had neither enough English nor enough Spanish to mediate. Clearly out of their depth, they stood back while a screaming match raged.
"We're having a laugh, is all. We're supporting Tunisia," one Englishman said, as if that argument might satisfy the Spaniards.
"They're English. They're not very well educated," one supporter wearing a Spanish jersey said sarcastically to one of the frightened looking stewards. His accent was Australian.
The argument degenerated into finger pointing and cursing. Only a few brave fans in red were able to stop an angry mob from descending on the three Englishmen.
"These are not hooligans. These are not fighters," one of the peacemakers shouted.
"Out! Out of here!" one irate Spanish fan, who looked to be in his 60s, screamed in accented English.
Finally, a more senior steward arrived on the scene and took control. The sight of someone wearing a suit and a badge seemed to give all the combatants pause.
The English trio, still holding cups of beer, were ushered to empty seats in the media section. As they left, the Spaniards cheered ominously.
One Spanish fan broke away and intercepted the three. "I'm really sorry this happened," he said and held out his hand. They brushed past him.
By this time, the second half had commenced. The Spanish team brought in Raul and Cesc Fabregas, but couldn't find a path to goal. They brought on winger Joaquin to bolster the attack further.
In the 71st minute, substitute Raul made the breakthrough the Spanish had threatened the whole match. The entire section of angry Spanish fans rose and jeered the English fans now seated a full section away, but still easily identifiable in their jerseys. The English smiled ruefully, but nervous glances betrayed their understandable fear.
The security chiefs in the stadium obviously sensed the changing mood. Suddenly, dozens more stewards were deployed along the perimeter of the ground.
Spain scored two more. The anxiety of the crowd evaporated. The immense stadium literally vibrated with their deafening relief. Ten minutes before the end, the English fans rose from their seats and left.
As the referee blew the final whistle in a 3-1 game, the Spanish stood and exulted. The Tunisians cheered, too. After all, they were supposed to lose.
High in the rafters, a group of Spaniards stopped their clapping to scan the crowd. Their expressions were not happy or relieved. They were predatory.
For their sakes, I hope those three Englishmen had the sense not to stick around Stuttgart.
Some more pics from the VM
For more pics of my European backpacking adventure check out: http://fearnsey.spaces.live.com/
There's a problem. Your pics are showing up and I can't access your Web page, either.
Fixed
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