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| June 4, 2002 | Tuesday | Rabi-ul-Awwal 22,1423 |
Dubious penalty earns Brazil full points
ULSAN (South Korea), June 3: A late Rivaldo penalty and a goal by Ronaldo on his return to the World Cup stage gave Brazil a hugely controversial 2-1 win on Monday against Turkey, who had two players sent off in their opening World Cup match.
Turkey defender Alpay Ozalan seemed to pull back substitute Luizao as he raced towards goal to concede the penalty on the edge of the 18-metre box and was sent off in the 86th minute.
Turkey were incensed at the decision by South Korean referee Kim Young-joo — the incident clearly started outside the penalty area — but Rivaldo coolly converted from the spot in the most entertaining of the 10 World Cup matches played so far.
Ronaldo had got Brazil back in the game from one-nil down at the break when he scored his first goal in a competitive international for nearly three years five minutes after halftime to cancel out Hasan Sas’s goal just before the interval.
Seconds before the final whistle Hakan Unsal was shown the red card — the third at the finals so far — for kicking the ball at Rivaldo as he prepared to take a corner.
The Barcelona player collapsed theatrically clutching his head, but the ball had hit his legs.
Turkish coach Senol Gunes said: “We came here with pride and we played the game with pride...we had a great effort but we couldn’t get what we deserved,” he told reporters.
“There is an injustice in the result, I have to say that, an injustice,” he added.
Turkey midfielder Emre Belozoglu said the offence that led to the penalty had happened outside the box. “Of course as far as we could see it was outside the box,” he said. “I thought we played well and fought hard, the important thing now is to win the coming games and qualify.”
A relieved Rivaldo said: “When you start losing 1-0 it’s always difficult. I had a lot of faith in my team mates that we could turn the game around in the second half.”
Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari was delighted with the victory. “I’m sure that people in Brazil are glad. I may be able to transmit this happiness in Brazil to the players inside the dressing room and for the next matches,” he said.
The injury-plagued Ronaldo, determined to show that he had put behind him his last hapless outing at the final in France four years ago when Brazil were humbled 3-0, scored after latching onto a Rivaldo cross to force home from close range.
Ronaldo’s last competitive effort for Brazil had came in the 1999 Copa America final against Uruguay.
Turkey, playing at their first World Cup for 48 years, had stunned the four-times world champions when Sas gave them the lead in first-half injury time as the Brazilians tended to over-elaborate and only occasionally produced flowing moves.
But, with Ronaldo showing flashes of the play which made him twice World Player of the Yera, Brazil still dominated the match only to be denied by Turkish goalkeeper Rustu Recber.
After a lively opening, the first half exploded in the last five minutes as Rustu produced three saves in a row to keep Brazil at bay and Turkey went up the other end and scored.
The goalkeeper made two saves from Rivaldo — one a close range header when the Barcelona player seemed certain to score — and one from Ronaldinho, after he had broken through the defence.
Then, with the last move of the first half, Turkey went upfield, Yildiray Basturk chipped the ball over the Brazil defence and the lively Sas sneaked behind Cafu and whacked the a left-footed volley past Marcos.
Rustu miraculously defied Rivaldo and Ronaldo four minutes into the second half, but in the next attack Rivaldo crossed from the left and Ronaldo got in front of three defenders by throwing himself forward feet first to steer the ball past Rustu.
Shortly afterwards, Ronaldo jigged his way through the defence but the impressive Rustu saved again.
Brazil twice appeared set to score in their following attacks but again found Rustu in the way.
First, he dived at the feet of Lucio to stop the Bayer Leverkusen player scoring from close range and then he tipped away a drive by Juninho.
Turkey’s best second half effort came on the hour-mark when Marcos fumbled a blistering 30-metre free kick by Hakan Unsal.
Rivaldo did find the net but his effort was correctly ruled out for offside, although it was a close call. But the skilful midfielder eventually found his way onto the scoresheet.
Ronaldo was replaced by Luizao after 73 minutes and it was the substitute who went down in the area for the controversial penalty that Rivaldo easily converted to clinch the points.—Reuters
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