Al-Ahram Weekly | Sports

		4 - 10 July 2002 Issue No. 593 Sports	Current issue Previous issue Site map
Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875		Recommend this page

Fewer goals

DESPITE a spectacular first round, the scoring average of the 2002 World Cup was the second lowest of the last six editions, FIFA said on Sunday. The 159 goals scored in the first 63 games made for an average of 2.52 goals a game, compared to 2.67 in France four years ago and 2.71 at the 1994 Cup in the United States.
The lowest average is 2.21 goals per game in Italy 1990.
The average attendance also dropped for the second time in a row, to 41,844 spectators a game. France '98 had an average attendance of 43,517 while the United States topped the statistics four years earlier with 68,991. Of the past six editions, only Spain '82 did worse with 35,698. The average in South Korea stood at 39,580 while in Japan an average of 44,181 fans attended games.
The final at the 72,000 Yokohama Stadium increased the average slightly.
Dead wished team well

THE CREW of a frigate sunk in a battle with North Korea's navy were filmed two weeks ago cheering South Korea in a World Cup match against Portugal. Four South Korean sailors, including the captain, were killed in the battle, which took place off the west coast in disputed waters just hours before South Korea's 3-2 third- place play-off defeat against Turkey in Taegu.
"Like we in the navy have done our best to prepare for (the security of) this World Cup, I think our players will do their best at their last game today," Yoon Young-ha, the commander of the 125-ton frigate, said in comments broadcast on 14 June.
Two weeks ago, the ship's crew were shown cheering as they watched the co-hosts on a widescreen television set up on deck. Nineteen sailors were wounded in Saturday's gun battle, some seriously, and one was still missing. Both sides have blamed the other for the incident, the worst naval clash in three years. North Korea has not given casualty figures but a South Korean sailor put the number of wounded from the North at about 30, a South Korean Defence Ministry spokesman said by telephone.
Kahn named best goalie

GERMANY's Oliver Kahn has been named the best goalkeeper of the 2002 World Cup by FIFA.
The 33-year-old will receive the Yashin Award, named in honour of the late Soviet goalkeeper Lev Yashin who starred at World Cups between 1958 and 1966.
Before Sunday's final against Brazil, Kahn had conceded just one goal in six matches with Ireland's Robbie Keane the only player to beat him in their Group E match on 5 June.
Fabien Barthez was judged best goalkeeper at the World Cup in his home country four years ago when France were world champions. Belgium's Michel Preud'homme won the first award in 1994.
Belgium the nicest

BELGIUM has won the Fair Play award for the 2002 World Cup, FIFA announced on Sunday.
Belgium, knocked out in the second round by Brazil, had only seven players booked in their four games at the finals and none sent off. Sweden finished second and Japan third.
Only teams that reached the knockout stages were eligible for the award.
Ronaldo thanks doctor

IN AN emotional reunion hours before Sunday's World Cup final, Brazil striker Ronaldo thanked the French doctor who saved his career. "My biggest victory is that I can play again," Ronaldo told Paris-based orthopaedic specialist Gerard Saillant who is in Yokohama as the striker's special guest.
"I had hoped to invite you to see Brazil versus France in the final but...," a grinning Ronaldo added. The two embraced and Saillant playfully rubbed the 25-year-old's new hairstyle.
Saillant performed two operations on the striker's ruptured right knee. The second operation, in April 2000, was necessary after Ronaldo re-injured the knee in his first competitive game back after the original operation the previous year.
Hours before the last World Cup final in 1998, Ronaldo suffered a fit but was allowed to play against France. He performed below his best as Brazil lost 3-0.
The slow pace of his recovery since the operations -- further complicated by recurring muscular injuries this season -- raised fears he might never recover fully his pre-1998 form.
But the man twice voted World Player of the Year scored eight goals at these finals, despite suffering muscular problems.
"It gives hope to every one who is injured or hurt, even those who aren't sportsmen, to see that by fighting you can make it and he's back to where he was -- it's fantastic," Saillant said. "Its hugely satisfying. I am very moved."
Ronaldo told Saillant that he was ready to take him up on a long-promised game of golf although his skills on the football pitch do not seem to carry over to the fairway. "I'm an 18 handicap," Ronaldo told Saillant. "But I'm playing a lot more now. I'm going to get better."
Ronaldo also said his father had told him that when the World Cup final was finished he had to fulfill a promise to take a swim in the River Seine in Paris.
Asia wants five slots

HISTORIC World Cup performances by South Korea and Japan have strengthened Asia's resolve to get an additional mandatory slot in the 2006 tournament, a senior official said on Sunday.
Peter Velappan, general secretary of the Asian Football Confederation, said that FIFA "should look favourably" on Asia's request for five berths of its own at the 2006 edition in Germany.
"Asia deserves five teams," Velappan, who helped piece together the joint bid by Japan and South Korea to host the World Cup, said. "We will fight for five teams in 2006."
Velappan added that Asia was home to a large portion of the world's population and provided a lucrative TV audience of devoted football fans.
South Korea and Japan qualified as co-hosts this year, while China and Saudi Arabia advanced via regional qualifying. A fifth Asian team, Iran, could have reached the finals but missed out after losing an intercontinental playoff to Ireland.
The Koreans, who failed to win a match in five previous trips to the World Cup, finished in fourth place this time after a 3-2 loss against Turkey in the bronze- medal match. The team had downed Poland, Portugal, Italy and Spain to reach the semi-finals.
Japan finished top of Group H after tying with Belgium and defeating Russia and Tunisia, but exited in the second round after losing 1-0 to Turkey.
Saudi Arabia is the only Asian country to have ever progressed further than the qualifying rounds in past World Cup finals. Velappan stressed that "all of Asia must be proud" of Japan and South Korea, saying that both nations had set an example for other Asian countries by successfully co-hosting the World Cup and performing well during their matches. "They have gone beyond our wildest dreams," Velappan said. "This has really brought a lot of prestige to Asia."

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