XIV WORLD CUP (ITALY 1990)

FINAL STAGE — GAME DETAILS

(From 8-06-1990 to 8-07-1990)

GROUP STAGE
STADIUM: Giuseppe Meazza (Milano) DATE: 8-06-1990 (18:00 h) ATTENDANCE: 73.780 REFEREE: Michel Vautrot (FRA) GOALS: 0-1 (Omam-Biyik 67’) [Incidents: Opening game of the World Cup, preceded by an inaugural ceremony. Kana-Biyik (min. 61) and Massing (min. 89) were both sent off.]
		Argentina - Cameroon
		0-1 (0-0)
ARGENTINA Pumpido Ruggeri (Caniggia 46’), Simón, Fabbri Basualdo, Burruchaga, Batista, Lorenzo, Sensini (Calderón 69’) Maradona (c), Balbo COACH: Carlos Bilardo			CAMEROON N'Kono Tataw (c), N'Dip, Massing, Ebwellé Makanaky (Milla 81’), Kana-Biyik, Kundé, M'Bouh Omam-Biyik, M'Fédé (Libiih 66’) COACH: Valerij Nepomnjashchij
GAME SUMMARY A relative surprise in the opening game of the tournament, given the teams’ recent records (Argentina had won only one of their last ten matches). Cameroon massed in defense and paid Maradona strict attention, although their two sendings-off were for fouls on the lively Caniggia: the first when Kana-Biyik seemed to catch him accidentally while running behind, the second after Massing lunged in so hard that his own boot came off. Lorenzo had to kick off the line in the first half, but the only goal was a scrappy one: Omam-Biyik climbed way above Sensini to head down straight at Pumpido, who let the ball in off his leg. Makanaky was denied a goal when Lorenzo squeezed the ball off the line and round a post.

GROUP STAGE
STADIUM: San Nicola (Bari) DATE: 9-06-1990 (17:00 h) ATTENDANCE: 42.907 REFEREE: Juan Daniel Cardellino (URU) GOALS: 0-1 (Lăcătuş 42’); 0-2 (Lăcătuş [p.] 57’)
		Soviet Union - Romania
		0-2 (0-1)
SOVIET UNION Dasaev (c) Gorlukovich, Khidijatullin, Kuznetsov, Rats Litovchenko (Yaremchuk 66’), Alejnikov, Bessonov, Zavarov Protasov, Dobrovol’skij (Borodjuk 71’) COACH: Valerij Lobanovskij			ROMANIA Lung (c) Rednic, Andone, G. Popescu, Klein Sabău, Lupescu, Rotariu, Timofte Răducioiu (Balint 79’), Lăcătuş (Dumitrescu 87’) COACH: Emerich Jenei
GAME SUMMARY Even without their playmaker Hagi, Romania had favorable factors in this game: Pavel Yakovenko and Aleksej Mikhajlichenko were out of the Soviet team, Protasov and Zavarov missed early chances, and the penalty which meant the second Romanian goal was given for a handball which Khidijatullin committed well outside the area. Before, Lăcătuş had opened the scoring with a powerful shot at the near post after Sabău sent him clear on the right. Lăcătuş also missed an open goal, and Sabău shot over with only Dasaev to beat.

GROUP STAGE
STADIUM: Renato dall'Ara (Bologna) DATE: 9-06-1990 (17:00 h) ATTENDANCE: 30.791 REFEREE: George Courtney (ENG) GOALS: 0-1 (Redín 50’); 0-2 (Valderrama 85’)
		United Arab Emirates - Colombia
		0-2 (0-0)
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES Faraj I. Abdul., Khalil Mubarak, E. Abdul. (Sultan 74’), Hussain Mohammed Nasir Mubarak, Juma’a, Mohammed Abdullah, Al-Talyani (c) Abbas, Fahad Mubarak (Bilal 53’) COACH: Carlos Alberto Parreira			COLOMBIA Higuita Escobar, Gildardo Gómez, Herrera, Perea Gabriel Gómez, Valderrama (c), Redín, Leonel Álvarez Rincón, Iguarán (Estrada 75’) COACH: Pacho Maturana
GAME SUMMARY The participation of the UAE in the World Cup was already a reward for a country with less than 3,000 registered players. The team coached by the Brazilian Carlos Alberto Parreira and with many players who share the same family names—although only four of them are actually brothers: Nasir and Fahad (Mubarak), Ibrahim and Eissa (Abdulrahman)—came out to compete and play a bit, but they showed clearly that they don’t have any firepower up front and are far from producing any surprise in the tournament. The Emirates knew that Valderrama was Colombia’s most important player, and fouled him repeatedly from the start. After halftime, Redín headed the first goal when the long-haired Leonel Álvarez had escaped up the right, and near the end Valderrama bent a low shot round a defender and just inside the far post.

GROUP STAGE
STADIUM: Stadio Olimpico (Roma) DATE: 9-06-1990 (21:00 h) ATTENDANCE: 72.303 REFEREE: José Roberto Wright (BRA) GOALS: 1-0 (Schillaci 78’)
		Italy - Austria
		1-0 (0-0)
ITALY Zenga Bergomi (c), Baresi, Ferri, Maldini De Napoli, Ancelotti (De Agostini 46’), Giannini, Donadoni Vialli, Carnevale (Schillaci 74’) COACH: Azeglio Vicini			AUSTRIA Lindenberger Aigner, Pecl, Schöttel, Russ Artner (Zsak 61’), Streiter, Linzmaier (Hörtnagl 77’), Herzog Ogris, Polster (c) COACH: Josef Hickersberger
GAME SUMMARY Italy’s goalscoring problems (only two in their last seven preparatory games) were clearly present in their opening match. Attacking rather than counterattacking, they dominated almost all the game, but Lindenberger made a number of saves, Giannini headed an easy chance wide from a corner and Carnevale shot over an open goal. But the latter’s replacement, Totò Schillaci, scored his first goal for Italy with an emphatic header from Vialli’s cross and saved the day.

GROUP STAGE
STADIUM: Stadio Comunale (Firenze) DATE: 10-06-1990 (17:00 h) ATTENDANCE: 33.266 REFEREE: Kurt Röthlisberger (SWI) GOALS: 0-1 (Skuhravý 25’); 0-2 (Bílek [p.] 39’); 0-3 (Hašek 50’); 1-3 (Caligiuri 61’); 1-4 (Skuhravý 78’); 1-5 (Luhový 90+’) [Incidents: Wynalda was sent off (min. 52). Bílek missed a penalty shot (min. 88), saved by Meola.]
		USA - Czechoslovakia
		1-5 (0-2)
USA Meola Trittschuh, Windischmann (c), Stollmeyer (Balboa 64’), Armstrong Tab Ramos, Harkes, Murray (Sullivan 78’), Caligiuri Vermes, Wynalda COACH: Bob Gansler			CZECHOSLOVAKIA Stejskal Kadlec, Kocián, Straka, Hašek (c) Kubík, Bílek, Chovanec, Moravčík (Weiss 82’) Skuhravý, Knoflíček (Luhový 76’) COACH: Jozef Vengloš
GAME SUMMARY The US team proved to be still too far from modern European football, and were beaten for pace and power by Czechoslovakia. The American players showed their unexperience and kept loosing the ball too easily, made two penalties, conceded two goals from corners, and had Wynalda sent off for pushing Moravčík (who went down rather easily). It was too easy for a much more experienced Czech team. Skuhravý opened the score midway the first half when he steered in Moravčík’s square pass. Then Hašek was fouled for the first penalty, converted by Bílek. After halftime, Hašek headed in a corner by Chovanec. Caligiuri scored the only American goal after breaking a tackle and taking the ball round the keeper. Skuhravý headed home another corner by Chovanec for the fourth Czech goal. Then Bílek missed a penalty shot awarded for a foul on Hašek, but in injury time Luhový prodded a loose ball in off the post to make the fifth.

GROUP STAGE
STADIUM: Stadio delle Alpi (Torino) DATE: 10-06-1990 (21:00 h) ATTENDANCE: 62.628 REFEREE: Tullio Lanese (ITA) GOALS: 1-0 (Careca 40’); 2-0 (Careca 63’); 2-1 (Brolin 79’)
		Brazil - Sweden
		2-1 (1-0)
BRAZIL Taffarel Mozer, Mauro Galvão, Ricardo Gomes (c) Alemão, Jorginho, Dunga, Branco, Valdo (Silas 85’) Müller, Careca COACH: Sebastião Lazaroni			SWEDEN Ravelli R. Nilsson, Larsson, Ljung (Strömberg 70’), Schwarz Limpar, Thern (c), Ingesson, J. Nilsson Magnusson (Pettersson 46’), Brolin COACH: Olle Nordin
GAME SUMMARY Without hitting any heights, Brazil made efficiency good-looking. Their defensive line and functional attack were too much for a Swedish team enlivened only by the baby-faced Brolin, who forced a close-range save from a corner and scored with a clean turn and shot. Earlier, the two Brazilian goals were well made and crisply taken. Careca, still slim and sharp, ran onto Branco’s through-ball and dummied the keeper for the first, then darted behind Larsson to put Müller’s low cross into an empty net.

GROUP STAGE
STADIUM: Giuseppe Meazza (Milano) DATE: 10-06-1990 (21:00 h) ATTENDANCE: 74.765 REFEREE: Peter Mikkelsen (DEN) GOALS: 1-0 (Matthäus 28’); 2-0 (Klinsmann 39’); 2-1 (Jozić 55’); 3-1 (Matthäus 64’); 4-1 (Brehme 70’) [Incidents: Although FIFA credits Völler with the fourth German goal, he didn’t touch the ball fumbled by Ivković into his own net.]
		FRG - Yugoslavia
		4-1 (2-0)
FRG Illgner Reuter, Brehme, Augenthaler, Buchwald Berthold, Häßler (Littbarski 74’), Matthäus (c), Bein (Möller 74’) Völler, Klinsmann COACH: Franz Beckenbauer			YUGOSLAVIA Ivković Spasić, Vulić, Hadžibegić, Jozić Sušić (Prosinečki 55’), Baljić, Stojković, Katanec Vujović (c), Savićević (Brnović 55’) COACH: Ivica Osim
GAME SUMMARY For the first time since 1966, West Germany started their participation in the World Cup with a compelling display of power football. The talented Yugoslavia was simply swept aside. Buchwald, tall and surprisingly skillful for an adhesive marker, blotted out Savićević. Matthäus did the same to Stojković, as well as scoring with two ferocious long shots, one with each foot: the first after sidestepping a tackle, the second after hurdling a defender on his way through the middle. Matthäus was the ultimate all-round midfielder, but his teammates also helped in the attack. Brehme whipped in a low cross for Klinsmann to score with a spectacular diving header, then Brehme himself fired in a shot which Ivković fumbled. Jozić headed in off a post a free kick by Stojković, but the Yugoslavs were left breathless.

GROUP STAGE
STADIUM: Luigi Ferraris (Genova) DATE: 11-06-1990 (17:00 h) ATTENDANCE: 30.867 REFEREE: Juan Carlos Loustau (ARG) GOALS: 1-0 (Cayasso 49’) [Incidents: The Costa Rica players wore black armbands in memory of the late José Ferrer, ex president of the Republic and creator of the first Constitution, who died three days before this match.]
		Costa Rica - Scotland
		1-0 (0-0)
COSTA RICA Conejo Chavarría, Flores (c), Montero, Chaves Gómez, González, Marchena, Ramírez, Cayasso C. Jara (Medford 86’) COACH: Bora Milutinović			SCOTLAND Leighton Gough (McKimmie 46’), McPherson, McLeish, Malpas McStay, McCall, Aitken (c), Bett (McCoist 74’) Johnston, McInally COACH: Andy Roxburgh
GAME SUMMARY Costa Rica became the first Central American team to win a World Cup match in Europe, and they did it against an ordinary Scottish team. The goal was cleverly worked, Cayasso clipping Claudio Jara’s backheel in off Leighton. Earlier, Gough headed McStay’s free kick over the bar, then stooped to head the ball back for Johnston’s volley to force a flying save. After the Costa Rican goal, McInally headed over the bar and Conejo made a tremendous save when Johnston went for power after controlling McKimmie’s long cross from the right.

GROUP STAGE
STADIUM: Sant'Elia (Cagliari) DATE: 11-06-1990 (21:00 h) ATTENDANCE: 35.238 REFEREE: Aron Schmidhuber (FRG) GOALS: 1-0 (Lineker 8’); 1-1 (Sheedy 73’)
		England - Ireland
		1-1 (1-0)
ENGLAND Shilton Stevens, Butcher, Walker, Pearce Waddle, Robson (c), Gascoigne, Barnes Lineker (Bull 83’), Beardsley (McMahon 69’) COACH: Bobby Robson			IRELAND Bonner Morris, McCarthy (c), Moran, Staunton Houghton, McGrath, Townsend, Sheedy Aldridge (McLoughlin 64’), Cascarino COACH: Jackie Charlton
GAME SUMMARY England fell into the trap of copying Ireland’s long ball tactics, but for an hour they consoled themselves with the prospect of a win, after Lineker reached Waddle’s through-ball, dummied Bonner and chested it past him in the same motion, then chased it into an empty net ahead of McCarthy and Morris. Midway the second half, however, McMahon let the ball bobble away from him for Sheedy to shoot low past Shilton and equalize. Almost immediately, Butcher should have done better than head Waddle’s free kick wide of the post. Bryan Robson, carrying yet another injury (a toe this time), wasn’t the force of old.

GROUP STAGE
STADIUM: Marc'Antonio Bentegodi (Verona) DATE: 12-06-1990 (17:00 h) ATTENDANCE: 32.790 REFEREE: Vincent Mauro (USA) GOALS: 1-0 (Degryse 53’); 2-0 (De Wolf 64’)
		Belgium - South Korea
		2-0 (0-0)
BELGIUM Preud'homme Gerets (c), Clijsters, Demol, De Wolf Emmers, Van der Elst, Scifo, Versavel Degryse, Van der Linden (Ceulemans 46’) COACH: Guy Thys			SOUTH KOREA Choi I.Y. Choi K.H., Chung Y.H. (c), Hong M.B., Park K.H., Gu S.B. Choi S.H., Lee Y.J. (Cho M.K. 46’), Noh S.J. (Lee T.H. 62’) Kim J.S., Hwang S.H. COACH: Lee Hoi-taek
GAME SUMMARY Versavel hit a post after only six minutes, but it took the introduction of Ceulemans (33-year-old but still a force in the attack) to translate the Belgian domination into goals. Degryse, chasing Scifo’s volleyed through-ball, hit a stratospheric lob over the keeper to open the score, and then De Wolf smashed in a high shot from the left. Choi In-young had to make several good saves and South Korea rarely troubled Belgium’s ageing defense.

GROUP STAGE
STADIUM: La Favorita (Palermo) DATE: 12-06-1990 (21:00 h) ATTENDANCE: 33.288 REFEREE: Emilio Soriano Aladrén (SPA) GOALS: 1-0 (Kieft 58’); 1-1 (Abdelghani [p.] 83’)
		Netherlands - Egypt
		1-1 (0-0)
NETHERLANDS Van Breukelen Van Aerle, R. Koeman, Van Tiggelen, Rutjes Vanenburg (Kieft 46’), Wouters, Rijkaard, E. Koeman (Witschge 69’) Van Basten, Gullit (c) COACH: Leo Beenhakker			EGYPT Shobeir I. Hassan, H. Ramzy, Yassin, Yakan El-Kass, Abdelghani, A. Ramzy (Tolba 69’), Youssef H. Hassan, Abdelhamid (c) (Abdelrahman 69’) COACH: Mahmoud el-Gohary
GAME SUMMARY The Netherlands were heavy favorites against the unfancied Egypt, but Gullit wasn’t fully fit, Van Basten couldn’t get into the game and the Egyptians were a respectable team (they’d recently won 1-3 in Scotland). It took a typical piece of poaching by Kieft, after Rijkaard dummied Van Basten’s cross, to put the Dutch ahead. It seemed then that the Netherlands could finally impose their play, but it wasn’t so, and substitute Tolba was sent clear and shot wide what looked like the equalizer. With seven minutes to go, however, Egypt finally made it 1-1 when Ronald Koeman pulled Hossam Hassan’s shirt outside the area (although the Egyptian player fell inside) and the referee called a penalty shot, which Abdelghani duly converted.

GROUP STAGE
STADIUM: Stadio Friuli (Udine) DATE: 13-06-1990 (17:00 h) ATTENDANCE: 35.713 REFEREE: Helmut Kohl (AUT) GOALS: - [Incidents: Rubén Sosa missed a penalty shot (min. 72).]
		Uruguay - Spain
		0-0 (0-0)
URUGUAY Álvez Herrera, De León, Gutiérrez, Domínguez R. Pereira (Correa 64’), Perdomo, Francescoli (c), Rubén Paz Alzamendi (Aguilera 64’), Rubén Sosa COACH: Óscar Tabárez			SPAIN Zubizarreta Chendo, Andrinúa, Sanchis, Jiménez Míchel, Roberto, Martín Vázquez, Villarroya (Górriz 79’) Manolo (Rafa Paz 79’), Butragueño (c) COACH: Luis Suárez
GAME SUMMARY A very boring game between two squads excessively focused on defense. If a team deserved to win it was Uruguay, whose recent victory at Wembley had just ended England’s run of 17 matches without defeat. Spain’s presentation in the tournament was catastrophic, and if they managed to salvage the initial 0-0 was because the Uruguayan attackers were especially clumsy in this game. The midfield barely helped the defensive line, and the Spanish players showed an alarming lack of ambition (not a single shot on goal in the second half). Uruguay deserved to win because of their better organization on the pitch, their fluent ball movement and some good details in the attack. Spain only played at a competitive level during the first fifteen minutes, when Martín Vázquez moved quickly to create some chances (the most clear, a shot which Rubén Paz cleared on the goal line). From that moment on, Uruguay took complete control of the game and Spain made more and more mistakes. Míchel was completely missing in the game and Martín Vázquez faded as the Uruguayan pressure increased. In the second half, Zubizarreta touched Alzamendi’s shot onto the bar, and Rubén Sosa drove a penalty over the top after Villarroya had handled Herrera’s header from a corner kick.

GROUP STAGE
STADIUM: San Paolo (Napoli) DATE: 13-06-1990 (21:00 h) ATTENDANCE: 55.759 REFEREE: Erik Fredriksson (SWE) GOALS: 1-0 (Troglio 27’); 2-0 (Burruchaga 79’) [Incidents: Bessonov was sent off (min. 48).]
		Argentina - Soviet Union
		2-0 (1-0)
ARGENTINA Pumpido (Goycochea 11’) Monzón (Lorenzo 78’), Simón, Serrizuela, Olarticoechea Basualdo, Troglio, Batista, Burruchaga Maradona (c), Caniggia COACH: Carlos Bilardo			SOVIET UNION Uvarov Bessonov, Khidijatullin, Kuznetsov (c), Gorlukovich Zygmantovich, Alejnikov, Zavarov (Ljutyj 85’), Dobrovol’skij Shalimov, Protasov (Litovchenko 75’) COACH: Valerij Lobanovskij
GAME SUMMARY Early into the game, Pumpido broke his leg in a collision with Olarticoechea and the competition was suddenly over for him. Maradona perpetrated another “Hand of God” (although this time in his own area) when he saved a Soviet goal in minute 12 by palming away Zygmantovich’s flick-on and the referee didn’t see it. After that, Troglio headed in Olarticoechea’s hanging cross from the left and Burruchaga took advantage of a blind back pass of Kuznetsov to score the second. Again a red card was shown for a foul on Caniggia (shirt-pulling this time). After this defeat, the Soviet Union became the first team to be eliminated from the tournament.

GROUP STAGE
STADIUM: San Nicola (Bari) DATE: 14-06-1990 (17:00 h) ATTENDANCE: 38.687 REFEREE: Hernán Martín Silva Arce (CHI) GOALS: 1-0 (Milla 76’); 2-0 (Milla 86’); 2-1 (Balint 88’)
		Cameroon - Romania
		2-1 (0-0)
CAMEROON N'Kono Tataw (c), Kundé (Pagal 68’), Onana, Ebwellé Makanaky, M'Bouh, N'Dip, Maboang (Milla 58’), M'Fédé Omam-Biyik COACH: Valerij Nepomnjashchij			ROMANIA Lung (c) Rednic, Andone, G. Popescu, Klein Sabău, Rotariu, Hagi (Dumitrescu 55’), Timofte Răducioiu (Balint 63’), Lăcătuş COACH: Emerich Jenei
GAME SUMMARY Cameroon, again uncomplicated and aggressive, gave the 38-year-old Roger Milla (brought out of virtual retirement in a club from Réunion) an opportunity into the game and he made the most of it with two flamboyant goals, barging Andone illegally off the ball for the first, accelerating past the same player before netting the second, each time celebrating with his characteristic little dance around the corner post. With these goals, Milla became the oldest player to score in a final stage match. Lăcătuş hit a post, but Cameroon could afford a late strike by Balint, who may have been offside.

GROUP STAGE
STADIUM: Renato dall'Ara (Bologna) DATE: 14-06-1990 (17:00 h) ATTENDANCE: 32.257 REFEREE: Luigi Agnolin (ITA) GOALS: 1-0 (Jozić 75’) [Incidents: Hadžibegić missed a penalty shot (min. 81), saved by Higuita.]
		Yugoslavia - Colombia
		1-0 (0-0)
YUGOSLAVIA Ivković Stanojković, Spasić, Hadžibegić, Jozić Brnović, Sušić, Stojković, Katanec (Jarni 46’) Vujović (c) (Pančev 53’), Šabanadžović COACH: Ivica Osim			COLOMBIA Higuita Escobar, Gildardo Gómez, Herrera, Perea Gabriel Gómez, Valderrama (c), Redín (Estrada 78’), Leonel Álvarez Rincón (Hernández 68’), Iguarán COACH: Pacho Maturana
GAME SUMMARY Against far less formidable opposition than West Germany, Yugoslavia hauled themselves back into contention. Stojković chipped the ball up for Jozić, a skillful sweeper, to chest down and shoot into the roof of the net. The bushy-haired Higuita, who became famous for his excursions outside upfield, saved Hadžibegić’s unexceptional penalty for a flying handball by Perea.

GROUP STAGE
STADIUM: Stadio Olimpico (Roma) DATE: 14-06-1990 (21:00 h) ATTENDANCE: 73.423 REFEREE: Edgardo Codesal (MEX) GOALS: 1-0 (Giannini 11’) [Incidents: Vialli missed a penalty shot (min. 32).]
		Italy - USA
		1-0 (1-0)
ITALY Zenga Bergomi (c), Baresi, Ferri De Napoli, Giannini, Berti, Maldini Donadoni, Carnevale (Schillaci 51’), Vialli COACH: Azeglio Vicini			USA Meola Doyle, Windischmann (c), Armstrong, Banks (Stollmeyer 80’) Caligiuri, Tab Ramos, Balboa, Harkes Vermes, Murray (Sullivan 82’) COACH: Bob Gansler
GAME SUMMARY Even though Italy scored an early goal when Vialli’s dummy gave Giannini the chance to burst past two men and hit a fierce left-footer, they struggled again. Windischmann conceded his second penalty in successive matches when Berti ran into him, but Vialli hit a post. Even the introduction of Schillaci in the second half didn’t help much. Without much bright, Italy were through to the next round.

GROUP STAGE
STADIUM: Stadio Comunale (Firenze) DATE: 15-06-1990 (17:00 h) ATTENDANCE: 38.962 REFEREE: George Smith (SCO) GOALS: 0-1 (Bílek [p.] 30’)
		Austria - Czechoslovakia
		0-1 (0-1)
AUSTRIA Lindenberger Pecl, Aigner, Schöttel (Ogris 46’), Pfeffer Russ (Streiter 46’), Hörtnagl, Zsak, Herzog Rodax, Polster (c) COACH: Josef Hickersberger			CZECHOSLOVAKIA Stejskal Hašek (c), Kadlec, Kocián, Němeček Moravčík, Chovanec (Bielik 31’), Bílek, Kubík Skuhravý, Knoflíček (Weiss 81’) COACH: Jozef Vengloš
GAME SUMMARY Like hosts Italy did the day before, Czechoslovakia qualified at the earliest opportunity against a dismal and tough Austrian team who got little from the vaunted pairing of Polster and Rodax. Pfeffer’s back pass let in Chovanec, who had to go off after the foul by Lindenberger which conceded the penalty. Bílek scored the only goal from the spot after kicking the ball inside a post.

GROUP STAGE
STADIUM: Giuseppe Meazza (Milano) DATE: 15-06-1990 (21:00 h) ATTENDANCE: 71.167 REFEREE: Aleksej Spirin (USSR) GOALS: 1-0 (Völler 35’); 2-0 (Klinsmann 36’); 2-1 (Khalid Mubarak 46’); 3-1 (Matthäus 47’); 4-1 (Bein 59’); 5-1 (Völler 75’)
		FRG - United Arab Emirates
		5-1 (2-0)
FRG Illgner Berthold (Littbarski 46’), Buchwald, Augenthaler, Brehme Reuter, Häßler, Matthäus (c), Bein Völler, Klinsmann (Riedle 71’) COACH: Franz Beckenbauer			UNITED ARAB EMIRATES Faraj I. Abdul. (Al-Haddad 87’), Khalil Mubarak, E. Abdul., Hu. Mohammed Nasir Mubarak, Juma’a, Mohammed Abdullah, Al-Talyani (c) Abbas, Khalid Mubarak (Hussain 81’) COACH: Carlos Alberto Parreira
GAME SUMMARY West Germany rolled over the UAE under Wagnerian conditions (thunder, lightning, sheeting rain, the worst electrical storm to hit northern Italy in years). The two German strikers missed a number of chances before opening the score, four of them by Völler alone, the most glaring one when Matthäus crossed from the right, Faraj saved from Klinsmann, and Völler lobbed over the bar instead of knocking the ball past the keeper from close range. Klinsmann hit a post and eventually took advantage of a slip by Khalil Mubarak to send in a low cross which Völler neatly flicked in from under his feet. Then Reuter’s right-wing cross was put in by Klinsmann’s downward header. When Häßler let a long ball bounce over his head right after halftime, Khalid Mubarak shot low across Illgner to pull one back, but there was no comeback against a team like Germany. A half-volley by Matthäus immediately made it 3-1. Bein thumped the ball in high from outside the area for the fourth, and Völler was again credited with someone else’s goal: his header was kept out by Eissa Abdulrahman’s arm before being kicked in by his brother Ibrahim.

GROUP STAGE
STADIUM: Stadio delle Alpi (Torino) DATE: 16-06-1990 (17:00 h) ATTENDANCE: 58.007 REFEREE: Neji Jouini (TUN) GOALS: 1-0 (Müller 33’) [Incidents: Costa Rica, as “visiting” team in this game, chose a reserve uniform inspired on that of a former Costa Rican team, Club Sport La Libertad from San José: shirt with black and white stripes, white shorts, and white socks. The reason for this was not, as many suspected, to look like the local team Juventus and have the support of the fans in the stadium, but to honor La Libertad as the first team established in Costa Rica (in 1905).]
		Brazil - Costa Rica
		1-0 (1-0)
BRAZIL Taffarel Jorginho, Mozer, Mauro Galvão, Ricardo Gomes (c), Branco Alemão, Dunga, Valdo (Silas 86’) Müller, Careca (Bebeto 83’) COACH: Sebastião Lazaroni			COSTA RICA Conejo Chavarría, Montero, Flores (c), Chaves Gómez, González, Marchena, Ramírez Cayasso (Guimarães 78’), C. Jara (Myers 71’) COACH: Bora Milutinović
GAME SUMMARY Brazil should have won this game by a greater margin, but underdogs Costa Rica offered a determined defense. Müller and Marchena hit the Costa Rican crossbar, and Conejo made a number of saves. The goal was streaky, Müller’s volley going in off Montero, but Brazil were rightly and swiftly through to the next round.

GROUP STAGE
STADIUM: Sant'Elia (Cagliari) DATE: 16-06-1990 (17:00 h) ATTENDANCE: 35.267 REFEREE: Zoran Petrović (YUG) GOALS: - [Incidents: The English goalkeeper Peter Shilton set a new record of international caps: 120 games.]
		England - Netherlands
		0-0 (0-0)
ENGLAND Shilton Parker, Butcher, Wright, Walker, Pearce Waddle (Bull 58’), Robson (c) (Platt 64’), Gascoigne Lineker, Barnes COACH: Bobby Robson			NETHERLANDS Van Breukelen Van Aerle, Rijkaard, R. Koeman, Van Tiggelen Van 't Schip (Kieft 74’), Wouters, Gullit (c), Witschge Van Basten, Gillhaus COACH: Leo Beenhakker
GAME SUMMARY Bobby Robson, aware of the Netherlands’ dangerous attack, installed a sweeper system with five men at the back, more than enough to stifle an incredibly lifeless Dutch team. Up front, England created constant danger with a player like Gascoigne running at defenders with skill and muscle. Bull headed wastefully wide from a cross by Lineker, who also missed two good chances. Encouraging enough for the English side, but they didn’t get the victory they still needed to qualify.

GROUP STAGE
STADIUM: Luigi Ferraris (Genova) DATE: 16-06-1990 (21:00 h) ATTENDANCE: 31.823 REFEREE: Carlos Antonio Maciel (PAR) GOALS: 0-1 (McCall 10’); 0-2 (Johnston [p.] 80’); 1-2 (Strömberg 86’)
		Sweden - Scotland
		1-2 (0-1)
SWEDEN Ravelli R. Nilsson, Hysén (c), Larsson (Strömberg 75’), Schwarz Limpar, Thern, Ingesson, J. Nilsson Pettersson (Ekström 62’), Brolin COACH: Olle Nordin			SCOTLAND Leighton Levein, McPherson, McLeish, Malpas Durie (McStay 75’), Aitken (c), MacLeod McCall, Johnston, Fleck (McCoist 84’) COACH: Andy Roxburgh
GAME SUMMARY Scotland’s morale was in better shape than Sweden’s, and the team changes introduced by Roxburgh helped. McCall slid the ball in from close range after McPherson helped on a corner, and Aitken would have scored if Roland Nilsson hadn’t fouled him for the penalty, which Johnston converted. Schwarz’s very deep cross was deftly volleyed in by Strömberg, but it was too late then for Sweden, who had to say good-bye to the competition.

GROUP STAGE
STADIUM: Stadio Friuli (Udine) DATE: 17-06-1990 (21:00 h) ATTENDANCE: 32.733 REFEREE: Elías Jácome (ECU) GOALS: 0-1 (Míchel 22’); 1-1 (Hwang Bo-kwan 42’); 1-2 (Míchel 61’); 1-3 (Míchel 81’)
		South Korea - Spain
		1-3 (1-1)
SOUTH KOREA Choi I.Y. Choi K.H., Yoon D.Y., Hong M.B., Park K.H. (Chung J.S. 68’) Hwang B.K., Chung H.W. (Noh S.J. 52’), Kim J.S., Gu S.B. Byun B.J., Choi S.H. (c) COACH: Lee Hoi-taek			SPAIN Zubizarreta Chendo, Górriz, Andrinúa, Sanchis, Villarroya Míchel, Roberto (Bakero 81’), Martín Vázquez Butragueño (c) (Fernando 76’), Julio Salinas COACH: Luis Suárez
GAME SUMMARY Spain outplayed South Korea and Míchel contributed with a classy hat-trick: his first goal was a right-footed volley, his second a right-footed free kick, and his third a low left-footer after beating two men. Butragueño might have won a penalty and Julio Salinas had a goal controversially disallowed. Although South Korea equalized just before halftime when a long-range free kick was touched to Hwang Bo-kwan, they didn’t show enough ambition to threat Spain.

GROUP STAGE
STADIUM: Marc'Antonio Bentegodi (Verona) DATE: 17-06-1990 (21:00 h) ATTENDANCE: 33.759 REFEREE: Siegfried Kirschen (GDR) GOALS: 1-0 (Clijsters 15’); 2-0 (Scifo 22’); 3-0 (Ceulemans 46’); 3-1 (Bengoechea 72’) [Incidents: Gerets was sent off (min. 36).]
		Belgium - Uruguay
		3-1 (2-0)
BELGIUM Preud'homme Gerets, Demol, Grün, De Wolf Clijsters (Emmers 46’), Van der Elst, Scifo, Versavel (Vervoort 73’) Ceulemans (c), Degryse COACH: Guy Thys			URUGUAY Álvez Herrera, De León, Gutiérrez, Domínguez Ostolaza (Bengoechea 57’), Perdomo, Francescoli (c), Rubén Paz Alzamendi (Aguilera 46’), Rubén Sosa COACH: Óscar Tabárez
GAME SUMMARY Belgium caught the Uruguayans cold with two early goals, the veteran Clijsters heading in De Wolf’s cross, then Scifo scoring with a ground shot from over thirty meters. Ceulemans’ low volley right after halftime, following a run through a great gap in the center of the South American defense, helped them survive the sending-off of Gerets for two bookable offenses. Midway the second half, Bengoechea volleyed De León’s cross in off Preud'homme’s leg, but it wasn’t enough for Uruguay to come back.

GROUP STAGE
STADIUM: La Favorita (Palermo) DATE: 17-06-1990 (21:00 h) ATTENDANCE: 33.288 REFEREE: Marcel van Langenhove (BEL) GOALS: -
		Ireland - Egypt
		0-0 (0-0)
IRELAND Bonner Morris, McCarthy (c), Moran, Staunton Houghton, McGrath, Townsend, Sheedy Aldridge (McLoughlin 64’), Cascarino (Quinn 84’) COACH: Jackie Charlton			EGYPT Shobeir I. Hassan, H. Ramzy, Yakan, Yassin (c) Tolba (Abouzaid 60’), Abdelghani, Oraby, El-Kass (Abdelhamid 76’) H. Hassan, Youssef COACH: Mahmoud el-Gohary
GAME SUMMARY A boring game between two teams who played anti-football. Shobeir made a good save from the only real chance of the match, a shot by Houghton in minute 70. The result left all four teams in the group absolutely equal, raising the possibility of having to toss a coin to decide who will qualify for the next round.

GROUP STAGE
STADIUM: San Nicola (Bari) DATE: 18-06-1990 (21:00 h) ATTENDANCE: 37.307 REFEREE: José Roberto Wright (BRA) GOALS: 0-1 (Protasov 20’); 0-2 (Zygmantovich 29’); 0-3 (Zavarov 52’); 0-4 (Dobrovol’skij 63’)
		Cameroon - Soviet Union
		0-4 (0-2)
CAMEROON N'Kono Tataw (c), Kundé (Milla 34’), Ebwellé, Onana Omam-Biyik, M'Bouh, M'Fédé, N'Dip Makanaky (Pagal 56’), Kana-Biyik COACH: Valerij Nepomnjashchij			SOVIET UNION Uvarov Dem'janenko (c), Kuznetsov, Khidijatullin, Gorlukovich Litovchenko (Yaremchuk 72’), Zygmantovich, Alejnikov Protasov, Dobrovol’skij, Shalimov (Zavarov 46’) COACH: Valerij Lobanovskij
GAME SUMMARY In their sixth finals match, Cameroon suffered their first defeat, and it was an emphatic one. The Soviet Union showed what they were made of when it was too late, taking their chances at last. Protasov toed in Litovchenko’s low cross; Zygmantovich slid in the second after Alejnikov had gone round the keeper and hit the bar; then N'Kono got a hand to Zavarov’s shot after he’d been put through by Dobrovol’skij (the star of the game), whose well-placed header converted a left-wing cross by Gorlukovich.

GROUP STAGE
STADIUM: San Paolo (Napoli) DATE: 18-06-1990 (21:00 h) ATTENDANCE: 52.733 REFEREE: Carlos Alberto da Silva Valente (POR) GOALS: 1-0 (Monzón 63’); 1-1 (Balint 68’)
		Argentina - Romania
		1-1 (0-0)
ARGENTINA Goycochea Monzón, Simón, Serrizuela, Olarticoechea Troglio (Giusti 53’), Basualdo, Batista, Burruchaga (Dezotti 60’) Maradona (c), Caniggia COACH: Carlos Bilardo			ROMANIA Lung (c) Rednic, Andone, G. Popescu, Klein Sabău (Mateuţ 82’), Rotariu, Hagi, Lupescu Lăcătuş, Balint (Lupu 72’) COACH: Emerich Jenei
GAME SUMMARY Romania needed a draw to ensure qualification, and got it when a cross by Lăcătuş was headed back and down by Sabău for Balint to head over the covering defender. Minutes earlier, Monzón had headed Argentina in front from a near-post corner by Maradona, who was overshadowed in the game by Hagi, the “Maradona of the Carpathians.”.

GROUP STAGE
STADIUM: Giuseppe Meazza (Milano) DATE: 19-06-1990 (17:00 h) ATTENDANCE: 72.510 REFEREE: Alan Snoddy (NIR) GOALS: 1-0 (Littbarski 88’); 1-1 (Rincón 90+’)
		FRG - Colombia
		1-1 (0-0)
FRG Illgner Reuter, Berthold, Augenthaler, Buchwald Häßler (Thon 87’), Matthäus (c), Bein (Littbarski 46’), Pflügler Völler, Klinsmann COACH: Franz Beckenbauer			COLOMBIA Higuita Herrera, Perea, Escobar, Gildardo Gómez Leonel Álvarez, Fajardo, Gabriel Gómez, Valderrama (c), Rincón Estrada COACH: Pacho Maturana
GAME SUMMARY Colombia needed a draw to qualify, and although they fell behind to Littbarski’s near-post shot with only two minutes left, staged an improbable recovery in injury time when Rincón ran onto Valderrama’s reverse pass to slip the ball between Illgner’s legs as he came out. The Colombians won few friends with their play-acting, Valderrama at one point lying face-down for three minutes while the referee left him to it.

GROUP STAGE
STADIUM: Renato dall'Ara (Bologna) DATE: 19-06-1990 (17:00 h) ATTENDANCE: 27.833 REFEREE: Shizuo Takada (JAP) GOALS: 1-0 (Sušić 5’); 2-0 (Pančev 9’); 2-1 (Juma’a 22’); 3-1 (Pančev 46’); 4-1 (Prosinečki 90+’) [Incidents: Khalil Mubarak was sent off (min. 76).]
		Yugoslavia - United Arab Emirates
		4-1 (2-1)
YUGOSLAVIA Ivković Stanojković, Spasić, Jozić, Hadžibegić Stojković, Brnović, Sušić, Šabanadžović (Prosinečki 78’) Pančev, Vujović (c) (Vulić 64’) COACH: Ivica Osim			UNITED ARAB EMIRATES Faraj I. Abdulrahman, Khalil Mubarak, E. Abdulrahman, Al-Haddad Juma’a (F. Mubarak 46’), M. Abdullah, Al-Talyani (c), Khalid Mubarak Nasir Mubarak (Sultan 35’), Abbas COACH: Carlos Alberto Parreira
GAME SUMMARY Easy as expected for the revitalized Yugoslavs. Sušić was on the penalty spot when he headed in a cross from Šabanadžović, then an interception by Nasir Mubarak knocked the ball square to Pančev, who volleyed in low from the edge of the area. The Emirates pulled back to 2-1 when Juma’a met a cross from Ibrahim Abdulrahman with a header, but right after halftime Pančev banged in another volley when Vujović chested a Stojković cross into his path. The game was finished for the Emirates when Khalil Mubarak was sent off for a second bookable offense, another foul on the ubiquitous Pančev. Finally, Eissa Abdulrahman lunged to block Prosinečki’s volley only to deflect the ball high over his own keeper.

GROUP STAGE
STADIUM: Stadio Comunale (Firenze) DATE: 19-06-1990 (21:00 h) ATTENDANCE: 34.857 REFEREE: Jamal al-Sharif (SYR) GOALS: 1-0 (Ogris 49’); 2-0 (Rodax 63’); 2-1 (Murray 84’) [Incidents: Artner was sent off (min. 34).]
		Austria - USA
		2-1 (0-0)
AUSTRIA Lindenberger Aigner, Pecl, Pfeffer, Artner Zsak, Streiter, Herzog Ogris, Polster (c) (Reisinger 46’), Rodax (Glatzmayer 84’) COACH: Josef Hickersberger			USA Meola Armstrong, Doyle, Windischmann (c), Banks (Wynalda 55’) Balboa, Caligiuri (Bliss 71’), Harkes, Tab Ramos Murray, Vermes COACH: Bob Gansler
GAME SUMMARY Bad-tempered and poor game between two teams who had no chance to qualify into the next stage, with as many as nine bookings and Artner sent off for a dangerous tackle on Vermes. With one man less, however, Austria opened the score when Ogris sprinted from his own half, beat Windischmann for pace and clipped the ball over Meola. Later, Streiter’s run set up Rodax for the second. Near the end, the USA scored a consolation goal when Tab Ramos beat Aigner and Murray’s shot went between Lindenberger’s knees.

GROUP STAGE
STADIUM: Stadio Olimpico (Roma) DATE: 19-06-1990 (21:00 h) ATTENDANCE: 73.303 REFEREE: Joël Quiniou (FRA) GOALS: 1-0 (Schillaci 9’); 2-0 (Baggio 78’)
		Italy - Czechoslovakia
		2-0 (1-0)
ITALY Zenga Bergomi (c), Baresi, Ferri, Maldini Berti, De Napoli (Vierchowod 65’), Giannini Schillaci, Baggio, Donadoni (De Agostini 51’) COACH: Azeglio Vicini			CZECHOSLOVAKIA Stejskal Hašek (c), Kadlec, Kinier, Němeček (Bielik 46’) Moravčík, Chovanec, Bílek, Weiss (Griga 58’) Skuhravý, Knoflíček COACH: Jozef Vengloš
GAME SUMMARY Vicini changed the attacking duo of Italy (Schillaci-Baggio instead of Vialli-Carnevale) and was rewarded with a much better performance. Early into the game, Giannini’s shot went straight into the ground and up for Schillaci to head in. After 64 minutes, Griga had a headed goal wrongly disallowed for offside. Later, Italy secured the top position in their group (and therefore the right to remain in Rome for the next round) with a great goal: Baggio took a return pass from Giannini and went past two defenders in a long run on goal.

GROUP STAGE
STADIUM: Stadio delle Alpi (Torino) DATE: 20-06-1990 (21:00 h) ATTENDANCE: 62.502 REFEREE: Helmut Kohl (AUT) GOALS: 1-0 (Müller 82’)
		Brazil - Scotland
		1-0 (0-0)
BRAZIL Taffarel Ricardo Rocha, Mauro Galvão, Ricardo Gomes (c) Jorginho, Alemão, Dunga, Valdo, Branco Romário (Müller 65’), Careca COACH: Sebastião Lazaroni			SCOTLAND Leighton McPherson, Aitken (c), McLeish McKimmie, McCall, McStay, MacLeod (Gillespie 39’), Malpas Johnston, McCoist (Fleck 79’) COACH: Andy Roxburgh
GAME SUMMARY Scotland was only eight minutes from qualification into the next round when Alemão, Brazil’s driving midfielder, shot firmly but not overpoweringly from the edge of the area and Leighton, who had made an important save at Romário’s feet before, couldn’t hold the ball. The rebound was knocked behind him by Gillespie’s lunging tackle, and the ball trundled almost to the goal line before Müller squeezed it in from a narrow angle. Scotland had a final chance to qualify in injury time, but Johnston’s shot was saved by Taffarel almost miraculously from point-blank range (even that tie would have been useless for Scotland though, as Costa Rica had earned qualification ahead of them thanks to a late goal in the simultaneous group game).

GROUP STAGE
STADIUM: Luigi Ferraris (Genova) DATE: 20-06-1990 (21:00 h) ATTENDANCE: 30.223 REFEREE: Zoran Petrović (YUG) GOALS: 1-0 (Ekström 32’); 1-1 (Flores 75’); 1-2 (Medford 88’) [Incidents: As in their previous group game against Brazil, Costa Rica wore a uniform inspired on that of a former Costa Rican team, Club Sport La Libertad from San José (first team established in Costa Rica, back in 1905): shirt with black and white stripes, white shorts, and white socks.]
		Sweden - Costa Rica
		1-2 (1-0)
SWEDEN Ravelli R. Nilsson, Hysén (c), Larsson, Schwarz Strömberg (Engqvist 81’), Ingesson, J. Nilsson Ekström, Pettersson, Brolin (Gren 34’) COACH: Olle Nordin			COSTA RICA Conejo Chavarría (Guimarães 73’), Flores (c), Montero, Chaves Gómez (Medford 60’), Marchena, González, Ramírez Cayasso, C. Jara COACH: Bora Milutinović
GAME SUMMARY A disappointing Swedish team said good-bye to the competition after losing all three group matches by the same score, although this time they took the lead through Ekström, who put in the rebound when Conejo made his latest fine save, this time from a free kick by Schwarz. But in the second half Costa Rica equalized when a free kick by González out on the right was skillfully headed in by veteran Flores. Near the end, the lively Medford ran through to shoot low across Ravelli and secure qualification for Costa Rica.

GROUP STAGE
STADIUM: Stadio Friuli (Udine) DATE: 21-06-1990 (17:00 h) ATTENDANCE: 29.039 REFEREE: Tullio Lanese (ITA) GOALS: 0-1 (Fonseca 90+’) [Incidents: Yoon Duk-yeo was sent off (min. 70).]
		South Korea - Uruguay
		0-1 (0-0)
SOUTH KOREA Choi I.Y. Choi K.H., Yoon D.Y., Hong M.B., Park K.H., Chung J.S. Hwang B.K. (Chung H.W. 79’), Lee H.S., Kim J.S. Byun B.J. (Hwang S.H. 43’), Choi S.H. (c) COACH: Lee Hoi-taek			URUGUAY Álvez Herrera, Gutiérrez, De León, Domínguez Ostolaza (Aguilera 46’), Perdomo, Rubén Paz Martínez, Francescoli (c), Rubén Sosa (Fonseca 62’) COACH: Óscar Tabárez
GAME SUMMARY Uruguay, who needed a win to secure qualification, left it late, when Fonseca headed in an Aguilera free kick deep into injury time. South Korea committed their usual quota of fouls and had a player sent off for time-wasting.

GROUP STAGE
STADIUM: Marc'Antonio Bentegodi (Verona) DATE: 21-06-1990 (17:00 h) ATTENDANCE: 35.950 REFEREE: Juan Carlos Loustau (ARG) GOALS: 0-1 (Míchel [p.] 25’); 1-1 (Vervoort 30’); 1-2 (Górriz 38’) [Incidents: Scifo missed a penalty shot (min. 59).]
		Belgium - Spain
		1-2 (1-2)
BELGIUM Preud'homme Staelens (Van der Linden 78’), Demol, Albert, De Wolf Emmers (Plovie 31’), Ceulemans (c), Van der Elst, Scifo Degryse, Vervoort COACH: Guy Thys			SPAIN Zubizarreta Chendo, Górriz, Andrinúa, Sanchis, Villarroya Míchel, Roberto, Martín Vázquez Butragueño (c) (Alkorta 82’), Julio Salinas (Pardeza 88’) COACH: Luis Suárez
GAME SUMMARY Míchel had another good match, putting away the penalty when Preud'homme fouled Julio Salinas and floating a free kick to the far post for Górriz to head home. But Belgium deserved a draw: Vervoort’s free kick took a deflection on its way through the wall for the equalizer, and for the second time Spain’s opponents missed a penalty, Scifo hitting the bar after Staelens was brought down by Górriz on the hour.

GROUP STAGE
STADIUM: Sant'Elia (Cagliari) DATE: 21-06-1990 (21:00 h) ATTENDANCE: 34.959 REFEREE: Kurt Röthlisberger (SWI) GOALS: 1-0 (Wright 58’)
		England - Egypt
		1-0 (0-0)
ENGLAND Shilton (c) Parker, Wright, Walker, Pearce Waddle (Platt 86’), Gascoigne, McMahon, Barnes Lineker, Bull (Beardsley 84’) COACH: Bobby Robson			EGYPT Shobeir I. Hassan, Yassin, H. Ramzy, Yakan, El-Kass (Soliman 77’) A. Ramzy, Abdelghani, Abdelhamid (c) (Abdelrahman 77’) Youssef, H. Hassan COACH: Mahmoud el-Gohary
GAME SUMMARY The only win in the group, enough to qualify England and eliminate Egypt. Even with Robson injured again and Butcher dropped to make way for an extra attacker, the English defense was rarely threatened by an unadventurous Egyptian team, allowing Shilton to keep his ninth clean sheet in the finals, a new record. The only goal was scored near the hour mark by Wright, the best of the back four, after beating the keeper to Gascoigne’s free kick and heading in off Yakan’s head.

GROUP STAGE
STADIUM: La Favorita (Palermo) DATE: 21-06-1990 (21:00 h) ATTENDANCE: 33.288 REFEREE: Michel Vautrot (FRA) GOALS: 0-1 (Gullit 10’); 1-1 (Quinn 71’) [Incidents: After this game, Ireland and the Netherlands finished the group stage equal in points and goal difference, and the Irish were asigned the second place ahead of the Dutch by the drawing of lots.]
		Ireland - Netherlands
		1-1 (0-1)
IRELAND Bonner Morris, McCarthy (c), Moran, Staunton Houghton, McGrath, Townsend, Sheedy (Whelan 62’) Aldridge (Cascarino 62’), Quinn COACH: Jackie Charlton			NETHERLANDS Van Breukelen Van Aerle, R. Koeman, Van Tiggelen Witschge (Fräser 58’), Wouters, Rijkaard, Gullit (c) Kieft (Van Loen 78’), Van Basten, Gillhaus COACH: Leo Beenhakker
GAME SUMMARY When Gullit stretched to play a one-two with Kieft and then accelerated beautifully between two defenders to finish with a ground shot across Bonner, it seemed as if class was about to come out on top in group F at last. But whatever Ireland lacked, it wasn’t heart. Houghton had a goal disallowed, Sheedy shot over the bar with Aldridge better placed, and eventually they equalized in a very Irish way: Bonner banged a huge kick downfield, Van Aerle’s volleyed back pass was badly fumbled by Van Breukelen, and the tall Quinn slid in to reach the loose ball.

1/8 FINAL
STADIUM: San Paolo (Napoli) DATE: 23-06-1990 (17:00 h) ATTENDANCE: 50.026 REFEREE: Tullio Lanese (ITA) GOALS: 1-0 (Milla 106’); 2-0 (Milla 109’); 2-1 (Redín 115’) BOOKED: Kana-Biyik (44'), N'Dip (47'), M'Bouh (68'), Onana (117') / Perea (72'), Gabriel Gómez (74')
		Cameroon - Colombia
		2-1 (0-0;0-0)
CAMEROON N'Kono Tataw (c), N'Dip, Ebwellé, Onana M'Bouh, Kana-Biyik, Maboang, Makanaky (Djonkep 69’) Omam-Biyik, M'Fédé (Milla 54’) COACH: Valerij Nepomnjashchij			COLOMBIA Higuita Herrera, Escobar, Fajardo (Iguarán 63’), Perea, Gildardo Gómez Leonel Álvarez, Valderrama (c), Gabriel Gómez (Redín 79’) Rincón, Estrada COACH: Pacho Maturana
GAME SUMMARY Billed as a colorful clash of styles (South America vs. Africa), the match between Cameroon and Colombia wended its dreary way through the first ninety minutes, alleviated only by Rincón’s shot against the bar. Then, in extra-time, the two biggest characters in the tournament came face to face, and one of them lost out both times. First Higuita left a glaring gap at his near post when Milla broke through, then he indulged in his well-known habit of dribbling the ball upfield: trying to drag it back with the sole of his foot, he lost it to Milla, who ran on to put it in the empty net. Redín pulled one back for Colombia after exchanging passes with Valderrama on the left, but the goal came too late to stop Cameroon from becoming the first African country to reach the quarterfinals.

1/8 FINAL
STADIUM: San Nicola (Bari) DATE: 23-06-1990 (21:00 h) ATTENDANCE: 47.673 REFEREE: Siegfried Kirschen (GDR) GOALS: 1-0 (Skuhravý 12’); 1-1 (González 55’); 2-1 (Skuhravý 63’); 3-1 (Kubík 76’); 4-1 (Skuhravý 82’) BOOKED: Hašek (53'), Kocián (56'), Straka (68') / González (6'), Marchena 75')
		Czechoslovakia - Costa Rica
		4-1 (1-0)
CZECHOSLOVAKIA Stejskal Straka, Kocián, Kadlec Hašek (c), Moravčík, Chovanec, Bílek, Kubík Skuhravý, Knoflíček COACH: Jozef Vengloš			COSTA RICA Barrantes Chavarría (Guimarães 65’), Flores (c), Montero, Chaves Marchena, Cayasso, González, Obando (Medford 46’) Ramírez, C. Jara COACH: Bora Milutinović
GAME SUMMARY Czechoslovakia took advantage of Costa Rica’s weakness in high balls. Skuhravý, heavily built and good in the air, scored a hat-trick of headers and had one more goal disallowed. Kubík completed the Czechoslovakian scoring with a curled left-footed free kick, and Moravčík hit the bar. Costa Rica, well beaten but not at all disgraced, replaced the spectacular Conejo by Barrantes in the goal, and even equalized after halftime when the 19-year-old González headed home from Marchena’s free kick.

1/8 FINAL
STADIUM: Stadio delle Alpi (Torino) DATE: 24-06-1990 (17:00 h) ATTENDANCE: 61.381 REFEREE: Joël Quiniou (FRA) GOALS: 0-1 (Caniggia 80’) BOOKED: Ricardo Rocha (40'), Mauro Galvão (50'), Ricardo Gomes (RC 85') / Monzón (27'), Giusti (28'), Goycochea (87') [Incidents: Ricardo Gomes was sent off (min. 85). Fifteen years after this game, in 2005, Brazil’s left back Branco raised the accusation that he had been handed a doped water bottle by a member of the Argentinian training staff.]
		Brazil - Argentina
		0-1 (0-0)
BRAZIL Taffarel Jorginho, Ricardo Rocha, Mauro Galvão (Silas 84’), R. Gomes (c) Alemão (Renato Gaúcho 84’), Dunga, Valdo, Branco Müller, Careca COACH: Sebastião Lazaroni			ARGENTINA Goycochea Basualdo, Ruggeri, Simón, Monzón, Olarticoechea Burruchaga, Giusti, Troglio (Calderón 61’) Maradona (c), Caniggia COACH: Carlos Bilardo
GAME SUMMARY Brazil had played some of the best football in the tournament, but lost to a more pragmatic Argentinian team because they missed chances and had no luck. Three Brazilian players hit a post: Dunga with a header, Alemão with a long shot, Careca when his cross was touched by Goycochea. In the meantime, Argentina made only one real chance and took it. If Maradona wasn’t at his best in this tournament, it was mainly because an inflamed toenail left him with a badly swollen foot. Playing in pain, he attracted defenders like flies and managed to get a pass away with Ricardo Gomes pushing his shoulder down; Caniggia was completely free on his left to take the ball round Taffarel. One moment of inspiration had been enough for Argentina, but it was very hard on Brazil, whose frustration culminated in the sending-off of their captain for a tackle from behind when Basualdo was clean through.

1/8 FINAL
STADIUM: Giuseppe Meazza (Milano) DATE: 24-06-1990 (21:00 h) ATTENDANCE: 74.559 REFEREE: Juan Carlos Loustau (ARG) GOALS: 1-0 (Klinsmann 51’); 2-0 (Brehme 85’); 2-1 (R. Koeman [p.] 89’) BOOKED: Völler (21'), Völler (22' > RC), Matthäus (77') / Rijkaard (21'), Rijkaard (22' > RC), Wouters (32'), Van Basten (72') [Incidents: Völler and Rijkaard were both sent off (min. 22) after a series of mutual insults, blows, and even spitting.]
		FRG - Netherlands
		2-1 (0-0)
FRG Illgner Kohler, Augenthaler, Berthold Reuter, Matthäus (c), Littbarski, Buchwald, Brehme Völler, Klinsmann (Riedle 77’) COACH: Franz Beckenbauer			NETHERLANDS Van Breukelen Van Aerle (Kieft 66’), R. Koeman, Rijkaard, Van Tiggelen Van 't Schip, Winter, Wouters, Witschge (Gillhaus 78’) Gullit (c), Van Basten COACH: Leo Beenhakker
GAME SUMMARY It happened by chance, but the clash became a Milan “derby” between Inter’s Germans (Brehme, Matthäus, Klinsmann) and Milan’s Dutchmen (Rijkaard, Van Basten, Gullit). The game started with a controversial play: the double sending-off of Völler and Rijkaard. The latter was first booked for a vicious foul on Völler, who was also cautioned for complaining that Rijkaard had spat in his hair. When Van Breukelen collected the ensuing free kick, Völler pulled out of the challenge, but Rijkaard got involved nevertheless, and both players were sent off, Völler unjustly, Rijkaard spitting twice in his face as they left. Deprived of his attacking partner, Klinsmann simply rose to the occasion. Explosive and tireless, he volleyed in Buchwald’s cross for the opener, crashed a shot against the post, ran the whole Dutch defense to distraction, and went off to a standing ovation. Then Brehme curled in the second German goal with his right foot from the left wing. Ronald Koeman’s penalty, dubiously awarded for Kohler’s tackle on Van Basten, was no kind of balm for one of the most disappointing teams in the tournament.

1/8 FINAL
STADIUM: Luigi Ferraris (Genova) DATE: 25-06-1990 (17:00 h) ATTENDANCE: 31.818 REFEREE: José Roberto Wright (BRA) GOALS: - BOOKED: Aldridge (17'), McGrath (108') / Hagi (111'), Lupu (114') PK: 0-1 (Hagi); 1-1 (Sheedy) / 1-2 (Lupu); 2-2 (Houghton) / 2-3 (Rotariu); 3-3 (Townsend) / 3-4 (Lupescu); 4-4 (Cascarino) / 4-4 (Timofte [saved]); 5-4 (O’Leary)
		Ireland - Romania
		0-0 (0-0;0-0) (pk: 5-4)
IRELAND Bonner Morris, Moran, McCarthy (c), Staunton (O’Leary 94’) Houghton, McGrath, Townsend, Sheedy Aldridge (Cascarino 22’), Quinn COACH: Jackie Charlton			ROMANIA Lung (c) Rednic, Andone, G. Popescu, Klein Rotariu, Sabău (Timofte 98’), Hagi, Lupescu Balint, Răducioiu (Lupu 74’) COACH: Emerich Jenei
GAME SUMMARY Romania didn’t quite have the quality to break through the predictable Irish blockade, and Bonner easily saved Timofte’s nervous little kick in the penalty shoot-out to earn qualification for Ireland. McGrath was excellent as usual, but there was little else to admire about the Irish except their fans.

1/8 FINAL
STADIUM: Stadio Olimpico (Roma) DATE: 25-06-1990 (21:00 h) ATTENDANCE: 73.303 REFEREE: George Courtney (ENG) GOALS: 1-0 (Schillaci 65’); 2-0 (Serena 83’) BOOKED: Berti (36') / Pintos Saldanha (14'), Álvez (26'), Perdomo (35'), Gutiérrez (65')
		Italy - Uruguay
		2-0 (0-0)
ITALY Zenga Bergomi (c), Baresi, Ferri, Maldini De Napoli, Berti (Serena 52’), De Agostini, Giannini Schillaci, Baggio (Vierchowod 79’) COACH: Azeglio Vicini			URUGUAY Álvez Pintos Saldanha, Gutiérrez, De León, Domínguez Francescoli (c), Perdomo, Ostolaza (Alzamendi 79’), R. Pereira Aguilera (Rubén Sosa 55’), Fonseca COACH: Óscar Tabárez
GAME SUMMARY After a defensive first half, Schillaci twice came close but Uruguay missed the best chance of the match, Zenga making a save after De Napoli’s misplaced header let Aguilera through. Soon afterwards Serena nutmegged Gutiérrez to set up Schillaci, who by now was expected to score every time he touched the ball: here he turned to fire a left-foot shot over Álvez from outside the area. Serena sealed the match by outjumping Gutiérrez to head in Giannini’s free kick.

1/8 FINAL
STADIUM: Marc'Antonio Bentegodi (Verona) DATE: 26-06-1990 (17:00 h) ATTENDANCE: 34.822 REFEREE: Aron Schmidhuber (FRG) GOALS: 0-1 (Stojković 78’); 1-1 (Julio Salinas 83’); 1-2 (Stojković 92’) BOOKED: Roberto (92'), Chendo (110') / Katanec (7'), Vujović (60'), Vulić (97') [Incidents: In minute 78, the Spanish head coach, Luis Suárez, was sent off for protesting the first Yugoslavian goal.]
		Spain - Yugoslavia
		1-2 (0-0;1-1)
SPAIN Zubizarreta Chendo, Górriz, Andrinúa (Jiménez 49’), Sanchis, Villarroya Míchel, Roberto, Martín Vázquez Butragueño (c) (Rafa Paz 79’), Julio Salinas COACH: Luis Suárez			YUGOSLAVIA Ivković Spasić, Hadžibegić, Šabanadžović, Brnović Stojković, Sušić, Jozić, Katanec (Vulić 79’) Pančev (Savićević 55’), Vujović (c) COACH: Ivica Osim
GAME SUMMARY Spain hit a post twice and scored a deserved equalizer when the hardworking Martín Vázquez seemed to mishit a shot and presented Julio Salinas with an open goal at the far post. But the Spanish were undone by two marvellous pieces of finishing from Stojković. In minute 78, Vujović crossed from the left, Katanec headed on, and Stojković shaped to blast the ball first time, then trapped it to let a defender slide past before rolling the ball low into the far corner. When Roberto gave away a free kick early in extra-time, Stojković whipped it round the wall and just inside the post. Savićević (later a star at AC Milan) helped Yugoslavia to keep possession till the end.

1/8 FINAL
STADIUM: Renato dall'Ara (Bologna) DATE: 26-06-1990 (21:00 h) ATTENDANCE: 34.520 REFEREE: Peter Mikkelsen (DEN) GOALS: 1-0 (Platt 119’) BOOKED: Gascoigne (85')
		England - Belgium
		1-0 (0-0;0-0)
ENGLAND Shilton Parker, Walker, Wright, Butcher (c), Pearce Waddle, McMahon (Platt 71’), Gascoigne Lineker, Barnes (Bull 74’) COACH: Bobby Robson			BELGIUM Preud'homme Gerets, Demol, Grün, De Wolf Clijsters, Van der Elst, Scifo, Versavel (Vervoort 107’) Ceulemans (c), Degryse (Claesen 64’) COACH: Guy Thys
GAME SUMMARY A dramatic match for England, which might have been settled much sooner but had to be decided in the last minute of extra-time. The English five-men defense couldn’t stop Ceulemans and Scifo from hitting a post, and Barnes had a goal wrongly disallowed for offside. Belgium’s veterans lasted the pace well, but Claesen did little as substitute and wasn’t capped again. Just when the extra-time was almost over and players seemed to have settled for the penalty shoot-out, Gerets brought down Gascoigne. The English attacker took the free kick himself, the ball dropped over Platt’s right shoulder in a packed penalty area, and he swivelled and hooked it across Preud'homme to score his most important goal and qualify England for the quarterfinals.

1/4 FINAL
STADIUM: Stadio Comunale (Firenze) DATE: 30-06-1990 (17:00 h) ATTENDANCE: 38.971 REFEREE: Kurt Röthlisberger (SWI) GOALS: - BOOKED: Šabanadžović (23'), Šabanadžović (31' > RC) / Serrizuela (21'), Olarticoechea (41'), Burruchaga (54'), Troglio (61'), Simón (111') PK: 0-1 (Serrizuela); 0-1 (Stojković [out]) / 0-2 (Burruchaga); 1-2 (Prosinečki) / 1-2 (Maradona [saved]); 2-2 (Savićević) / 2-2 (Troglio [out]); 2-2 (Brnović [saved]) / 2-3 (Dezotti); 2-3 (Hadžibegić [saved]) [Incidents: Šabanadžović was sent off (min. 31).]
		Yugoslavia - Argentina
		0-0 (0-0;0-0) (pk: 2-3)
YUGOSLAVIA Ivković Vulić, Hadžibegić, Spasić, Šabanadžović, Jozić Stojković, Prosinečki, Sušić (Savićević 63’), Brnović Vujović (c) COACH: Ivica Osim			ARGENTINA Goycochea Ruggeri, Simón, Serrizuela, Olarticoechea (Troglio 55’) Calderón (Dezotti 87’), Burruchaga, Giusti, Basualdo Maradona (c), Caniggia COACH: Carlos Bilardo
GAME SUMMARY In a hot-blooded duel from start to finish, the skillful Yugoslavs had the better of it until Šabanadžović was sent off for a second bookable offense following a foul on Maradona. After that, Ruggeri’s header dropped onto the bar and Burruchaga had a very late goal controversially disallowed for handball. Most of the real drama, however, was packed into a fluctuating penalty shoot-out. The Argentinians seemed to be on track to qualify after an early miss by Stojković, but later Ivković saved Maradona’s feeble kick and things were even again. Things started to go wrong for the South Americans when Troglio sent his shot to the post, but then Goycochea proved he was an excellent penalty stopper by saving two shots and earning qualification for Argentina.

1/4 FINAL
STADIUM: Stadio Olimpico (Roma) DATE: 30-06-1990 (21:00 h) ATTENDANCE: 73.303 REFEREE: Carlos Alberto da Silva Valente (POR) GOALS: 1-0 (Schillaci 38’) BOOKED: De Agostini (36') / Moran (43')
		Italy - Ireland
		1-0 (1-0)
ITALY Zenga Bergomi (c), Baresi, Ferri, Maldini De Napoli, Donadoni, Giannini (Ancelotti 62’), De Agostini Baggio (Serena 70’), Schillaci COACH: Azeglio Vicini			IRELAND Bonner Morris, McCarthy (c), Moran, Staunton Houghton, McGrath, Townsend, Sheedy Aldridge (Sheridan 78’), Quinn (Cascarino 53’) COACH: Jackie Charlton
GAME SUMMARY Italy expected a tough match against an ultra-defensive Irish team and got it, but the result was never really in doubt. Quinn caused occasional problems with his height, but the Irish defense couldn’t hold Totò Schillaci, who hit the underside of the bar from thirty meters and had a goal dubiously disallowed for offside, in addition to scoring the only goal of the game, an instant strike after Baggio beat three men and Donadoni’s high shot knocked Bonner off his feet.

1/4 FINAL
STADIUM: Giuseppe Meazza (Milano) DATE: 1-07-1990 (17:00 h) ATTENDANCE: 73.347 REFEREE: Helmut Kohl (AUT) GOALS: 1-0 (Matthäus [p.] 25’) BOOKED: Klinsmann (28') / Moravčík (11'), Bílek (14'), Straka (38'), Moravčík (70' > RC), Knoflíček (88') [Incidents: Moravčík was sent off (min. 70) after kicking the air in anger for a bad play. He was so unlucky that his boot slipped away from his foot, and the referee, who only saw the flying shoe, thought it was a disconsideration act and showed the Czech player his second yellow card.]
		FRG - Czechoslovakia
		1-0 (1-0)
FRG Illgner Berthold, Augenthaler, Kohler Buchwald, Littbarski, Matthäus (c), Bein (Möller 82’), Brehme Riedle, Klinsmann COACH: Franz Beckenbauer			CZECHOSLOVAKIA Stejskal Hašek (c), Straka, Kocián, Kadlec Moravčík, Chovanec, Kubík (Griga 79’), Bílek (Němeček 67’) Skuhravý, Knoflíček COACH: Jozef Vengloš
GAME SUMMARY Moravčík’s ludicrous dismissal, for kicking his boot away in annoyance, did Czechoslovakia’s cause no good, but they’d looked intimidated by West Germany from the start. Hašek (twice) and Bílek cleared off the line, Buchwald missed an open goal, and Riedle might have had a penalty when Stejskal brought him down. Klinsmann did get one midway the first half, after beating a man and brushing between two others, and Matthäus converted it. Although West Germany were less exciting than in the group matches, Czechoslovakia hardly had a shot on goal.

1/4 FINAL
STADIUM: San Paolo (Napoli) DATE: 1-07-1990 (21:00 h) ATTENDANCE: 55.205 REFEREE: Edgardo Codesal (MEX) GOALS: 1-0 (Platt 25’); 1-1 (Kundé [p.] 61’); 1-2 (Ekéké 65’); 2-2 (Lineker [p.] 83’); 3-2 (Lineker [p.] 105’) BOOKED: Pearce (70') / Massing (28'), N'Kono (104'), Milla (118')
		England - Cameroon
		3-2 (1-0;2-2)
ENGLAND Shilton Parker, Butcher (c) (Steven 73’), Walker, Wright, Pearce Waddle, Platt, Gascoigne Lineker, Barnes (Beardsley 46’) COACH: Bobby Robson			CAMEROON N'Kono Tataw (c), Kundé, Massing, Ebwellé Makanaky, Pagal, M'Fédé (Ekéké 62’), Libiih Maboang (Milla 46’), Omam-Biyik COACH: Valerij Nepomnjashchij
GAME SUMMARY Cameroon had a great chance to become the first African team to qualify for the semifinals of a World Cup, but in the end paid dearly for their unexperience in high competition. Emerging from their early shell, the “Indomitable Lions” shredded England’s massed defense time after time, only to be let down by indiscipline (they were without four first choices through suspension) and poor finishing. In the first half, Libiih missed two opportunities and Shilton rushed out to block a volley when Maboang’s dummy sent Omam-Biyik clean through, so England were able to hold on to the lead provided by Platt’s downward header from Pearce’s left-wing cross. Then Milla came on in the second half and again changed the flow of the game. He was fouled by Gascoigne for the penalty which meant the equalizer (although Shilton almost saved Kundé’s kick), then he delayed his short pass to usher Ekéké through the English defense, so that the latter only had to chip the ball beyond Shilton. With Steven at right-back and Wright forced out to the wing with a bandaged head, England were in obvious disarray. But their most important players kept their nerve when it mattered. Wright’s sideways flick found Lineker, who was fouled for a penalty with only seven minutes left. In all the pressure, Lineker sent N'Kono the wrong way to equalize the game and force an extra-time. In the additional period, a more experienced English team dominated the match and found their reward when Gascoigne’s through-ball sent Lineker clear, who was caught by Massing as the English striker rounded the keeper. N'Kono was booked for protesting about the penalty, but Lineker converted again with a centered shot. He even missed the chance of a hat-trick by shooting wide after a run and square pass by Gascoigne.

1/2 FINAL
STADIUM: San Paolo (Napoli) DATE: 3-07-1990 (20:00 h) ATTENDANCE: 59.978 REFEREE: Michel Vautrot (FRA) GOALS: 1-0 (Schillaci 17’); 1-1 (Caniggia 67’) BOOKED: Giannini (22') / Giusti (30'), Ruggeri (71'), Olarticoechea (76'), Caniggia (82'), Giusti (105+' > RC), Batista (118') PK: 1-0 (Baresi); 1-1 (Serrizuela) / 2-1 (Baggio); 2-2 (Burruchaga) / 3-2 (De Agostini); 3-3 (Olarticoechea) / 3-3 (Donadoni [saved]); 3-4 (Maradona) / 3-4 (Serena [saved]) [Incidents: Giusti was sent off (min. 105+). Unusually, the referee added seven minutes of injury time in the first half of extra-time, and it was in the fourth minute of this extended period when the Argentinian player received his second yellow card.]
		Italy - Argentina
		1-1 (1-0;1-1) (pk: 3-4)
ITALY Zenga Bergomi (c), Baresi, Ferri De Napoli, Giannini (Baggio 73’), De Agostini, Maldini Donadoni, Schillaci, Vialli (Serena 70’) COACH: Azeglio Vicini			ARGENTINA Goycochea Ruggeri, Simón, Serrizuela, Olarticoechea Calderón (Troglio 46’), Burruchaga, Giusti, Basualdo (Batista 99’) Maradona (c), Caniggia COACH: Carlos Bilardo
GAME SUMMARY Argentina showed their intentions from the start, bringing down Vialli, Maldini and De Napoli in the first four minutes. Giusti was sent off during extra-time for flattening Baggio, and Vautrot had to issue a warning to both captains to stop the violent game. In the middle of all this, Italy took the lead when Giannini headed on for Vialli to volley, and although Goycochea saved the shot, the inevitable Schillaci mishit the rebound in. At that moment, the figure of this Sicilian bricklayer’s son, who’d recently spent seven seasons in the second and third Italian divisions, seemed to be rising to his destiny like Paolo Rossi in 1982. But Italy appeared nervous after halftime, relying excessively on their defense to keep yet another clean sheet and qualify for the final, and Argentina began to make chances. When Olarticoechea crossed from the left, Zenga came out when he should have stayed put, and Caniggia got to the ball before him, glancing a back-header inside the far post. It was the first goal Italy had conceded in eleven matches. Serena and Baggio were brought on, but they couldn’t change the flow of the game. Schillaci was regularly caught offside, and Giusti’s sending-off came too late to matter. When Donadoni had his penalty saved in the shoot-out, Italy hoped that Maradona missed his shot as he had done in the previous round. But this time there was no mistake and, following another save by Goycochea, Argentina sneaked into a second successive final. Caniggia, their one real striker, wouldn’t be there with his teammates after he received his second booking of the tournament for daftly handling the ball as it went over his head.

1/2 FINAL
STADIUM: Stadio delle Alpi (Torino) DATE: 4-07-1990 (20:00 h) ATTENDANCE: 62.628 REFEREE: José Roberto Wright (BRA) GOALS: 1-0 (Brehme 60’); 1-1 (Lineker 80’) BOOKED: Brehme (109') / Parker (66'), Gascoigne (99') PK: 0-1 (Lineker); 1-1 (Brehme) / 1-2 (Beardsley); 2-2 (Matthäus) / 2-3 (Platt); 3-3 (Riedle) / 3-3 (Pearce [saved]); 4-3 (Thon) / 4-3 (Waddle [out])
		FRG - England
		1-1 (0-0;1-1) (pk: 4-3)
FRG Illgner Berthold, Kohler, Augenthaler, Buchwald, Brehme Häßler (Reuter 66’), Matthäus (c), Thon Völler (Riedle 38’), Klinsmann COACH: Franz Beckenbauer			ENGLAND Shilton Parker, Butcher (c) (Steven 70’), Wright, Walker, Pearce Waddle, Gascoigne, Platt Beardsley, Lineker COACH: Bobby Robson
GAME SUMMARY Although West Germany’s performance was their least convincing of the tournament, they qualified for the final after an epic game and a penalty shoot-out. Völler, back after suspension, suffered an early shin injury. Häßler and Thon were brought in to take some of the load off Matthäus, who was on a yellow card and therefore under risk of missing the final. England had the better of the first half, looking secure at the back, and Waddle’s shot from just inside the German half was touched onto the bar by Illgner. But the Germans showed their resilience in the second half, and opened the score with an unexpected and fluky goal, after Brehme’s free kick hit Parker’s leg and ballooned over Shilton. England looked on their way out, but suddenly three German defenders were confused by Parker’s long cross from the right, and Kohler let it come off his leg straight to Lineker, who flicked it away with his thigh and shot low across the keeper with his left foot. With the game tied 1-1 after regulation, it was necessary to play an extra 30-minute period, and it was then when the match was raised to its present status. Waddle and Buchwald hit the same post; Shilton saved from Matthäus and Klinsmann, who volleyed weakly wide with his left foot when unmarked; Platt had a headed goal rightly disallowed for offside; and Gascoigne’s late tackle on Berthold earned him a booking that would keep him out of the final if England reached it. The ensuing penalty shoot-out was favorable to a most experienced West German team, as they had won their two previous World Cup shoot-outs (in 1982 and 1986). When Pearce hit Illgner’s leg and Waddle blazed high into the night sky, the dream was over for England.

PLACES 3-4
STADIUM: San Nicola (Bari) DATE: 7-07-1990 (20:00 h) ATTENDANCE: 51.426 REFEREE: Joël Quiniou (FRA) GOALS: 1-0 (Baggio 71’); 1-1 (Platt 81’); 2-1 (Schillaci [p.] 86’) BOOKED: -
		Italy - England
		2-1 (0-0)
ITALY Zenga Bergomi (c), Ferrara, Baresi, Vierchowod, Maldini Ancelotti, Giannini (Ferri 90’), De Agostini (Berti 67’) Baggio, Schillaci COACH: Azeglio Vicini			ENGLAND Shilton (c) Stevens, Walker, Wright (Webb 71’), Parker, Dorigo Steven, Platt, McMahon (Waddle 71’) Beardsley, Lineker COACH: Bobby Robson
GAME SUMMARY A harmless match came to some sort of life when Baggio caught Shilton rolling the ball on the ground, stole it away from him, took Schillaci’s return pass in an offside position, and came inside two defenders to score. Then Platt, one of the finds of the tournament, headed a crisp equalizer from a cross by the nimble Dorigo. Just when the game seemed to be heading for yet another overtime, Parker was adjudged to have brought down Schillaci, whose late penalty made him the tournament’s leading scorer. Berti had a headed goal wrongly disallowed in the last minute. In the end, Italy finished the competition in third place (after winning six matches and drawing the other), curiously behind Argentina (who only won two matches). The fourth position was little consolation for England, as the FIFA Fair Play award they also received.

FINAL
STADIUM: Stadio Olimpico (Roma) DATE: 8-07-1990 (20:00 h) ATTENDANCE: 73.603 REFEREE: Edgardo Codesal (MEX) GOALS: 1-0 (Brehme [p.] 85’) BOOKED: Völler (52’) / Dezotti (5’), Monzón (RC 65’), Troglio (84’), Dezotti (RC 87’), Maradona (87’) [Incidents: Monzón (min. 65) and Dezotti (min. 87) were both sent off.]
		FRG - Argentina
		1-0 (0-0)
FRG Illgner Kohler, Augenthaler, Buchwald Berthold (Reuter 73’), Häßler, Matthäus (c), Littbarski, Brehme Völler, Klinsmann COACH: Franz Beckenbauer			ARGENTINA Goycochea Ruggeri (Monzón 46’), Simón, Serrizuela Sensini, Troglio, Basualdo, Burruchaga (Calderón 53’), Lorenzo Maradona (c), Dezotti COACH: Carlos Bilardo
GAME SUMMARY A dismal and disappointing final between West Germany and Argentina was decided in the most unthrilling way with a late and dubious penalty. Argentina’s sour and negative tactics were clearly conditioned by the crucial absence of Caniggia (together with three other teammates who were also suspended) and the physical condition of Maradona (who was jeered throughout the final for the recent elimination of Italy). West Germany dominated a dull, sterile first half. Völler took none of four chances, as he and his attacking partner Klinsmann (closely marked) looked tired. After halftime, the game grew harsher. When Augenthaler was blatantly tripped in the area by Goycochea, West Germany had far stronger claims for a penalty than that which won the match. But when Monzón was sent off after 65 minutes for a spectacular foul on Klinsmann, Argentina looked doomed. Twenty long minutes later, when it seemed as if the South Americans could force an extra-time, Sensini brought down Völler in the area, and the unimpressive Codesal called for a penalty. The Argentines protested furiously, and seemed to have a pretty good case. Matthäus, suffering a painful ankle, left the kick to Brehme, whose low shot edged past Goycochea to his right and flew inside the post. Two minutes later, Dezotti grabbed Kohler by the throat as he tore after a ball which had run out of play, and followed Monzón to the dressing-room. It was a sad, crude end to a World Cup final, the first one with two sendings-off. Maradona, man-marked out of it by Buchwald, who towered over him, didn’t contribute to his team and could only shed bitter tears at the end of the game. West Germany, in their last World Cup as a separate nation, became the first team to keep a clean sheet in a final. Although worthy winners of the tournament, they scored only a single goal in each of their last three matches: two from the penalty spot, the other with a deflected free kick. But this was the sign of the times, as the World Cup was becoming more and more defensive (the total of 16 red cards set a new finals record, and the goals-per-game average of 2,21 is still the lowest in the competition).

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