WORLD CUP USA ’94 / THE FIRST ROUND : SPOTLIGHT : THE SOCCER EXPERT : A Gem from the Desert

There was no shortage of impressive goals in the first round of the World Cup, including the acrobatic shot by Juergen Klinsmann of Germany against South Korea on June 27. But clearly the best goal was scored by Saeed Al Owairan, who beat five opponents on his way to giving Saudi Arabia a 1-0 victory over Belgium on June 29 and a place in the second round. Saudi Arabia was a 500-to-1 shot to win the tournament.

HOW THE GOAL UNFOLDED:

1) Hamzah Saleh comes up with an errant Belgian pass and sends the ball to Owairan, who takes it 40 yards from his goal and heads upfield.

2) Belgian defender Dirk Medved approaches from Owairan’s left, but Owairan outruns him, avoids an opponent coming from his right and escapes a slide-tackle attempt by Medvd.

3) Belgium’s Michel De Wolf approaches from the left, but Owairan skirts his slide-tackle attempt about 40 yards from the goal.

4) Outside the penalty area, Owairan turns around defender Rudy Smidts, who was also trying to cover the right wing, and beats him toward the middle.

5) Defender Philippe Albert, covering the left wing, has the last chance to stop Owairan, but he arrives too late and his slide-tackle attempt comes up short.

6) Michel Preud’homme charges, but Owairan, while sliding, curls a shot over the goalkeeper and into the net.

Note: Schematic of the play is not to scale.

Source: Times staff

Researched by EMILIO GARCIA-RUIZ / Los Angeles Times