Tie Aids German Cause
Michael Ballack did more than silence the near-capacity crowd of 83,000 at Kiev’s Olympic Stadium Saturday, he might have earned Germany the lifeline it needs to reach soccer’s 2002 World Cup.
Urged on by its fans, Ukraine had taken the lead on Hennady Zubov’s 17th-minute goal in the first match of a two-game playoff series, but Ballack tied it in the 31st minute and the Germans, three-time world champions, held on for the final hour to earn the 1-1 tie.
“We didn’t panic after giving up the first goal and everybody on our team deserves credit for their performance,” said German Coach Rudi Voeller.
“We haven’t won yet, but I like our chances in the return match.” The teams play again Wednesday night in Dortmund, where a 0-0 tie will get Germany to the World Cup because of its away goal Saturday. Away goals count double if a tiebreaker is needed.
The Ukraine-Germany match was one of five playoff series that began Saturday. The other four each produced a winner.
* Ireland shut out Iran, 2-0, in front of 35,000 in Dublin on goals by Ian Harte and Robbie Keane. The Irish now have the unenviable task of keeping the Iranians at bay for another 90 minutes in the second leg in Tehran on Thursday.
“If you’d offered me a 2-0 win before the match, I would have taken it,” said Ireland Coach Mick McCarthy.
* Belgium, depleted by injuries to key players, edged the Czech Republic, 1-0, in Brussels on a first-half goal by striker Gert Verheyen. The Czechs played the second 45 minutes a man down after defender Thomas Repka was red-carded, but still have a good chance to advance if they win the return match in Prague Wednesday.
* Turkey all but assured itself of its first World Cup appearance in 48 years when it shut out Austria, 1-0, on a 61st-minute goal by midfielder Okan Buruk in front of 48,500 in Vienna. Turkey can secure its place with a tie in the second leg Wednesday in Istanbul.
* Slovenia also won, coming from behind to defeat Romania, 2-1, in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Goals by Milenko Acimovic and Milan Osterc canceled out Marius Niculae’s early goal for Romania, but Niculae’s away goal could still prove crucial.
There also were five friendly matches involving teams that already have qualified for Korea/Japan 2002.
In the only one that featured two World Cup teams, England and Sweden tied, 1-1, in Manchester, where David Beckham scored on a penalty kick and Hakan Mild got the tying goal.
Elsewhere, World Cup co-host South Korea managed a surprising 2-0 victory over Croatia, the third-place finisher at the France ’98 World Cup, in front of a sellout crowd of 64,327 at the opening of Seoul’s new World Cup stadium, the largest soccer stadium in Asia.
Denmark, which is going to the World Cup, earned a 1-1 tie against the Netherlands in Copenhagen. The Dutch took the lead on a 45th-minute Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink penalty and Martin Joergensen tied it with a penalty seven minutes before the final whistle.
World Cup-bound South Africa edged Egypt, 1-0, in Johannesburg on a goal by former Colorado Rapid striker Shaun Bartlett, and, in Cologne, Germany, 2000 Olympic gold medalist Cameroon, also heading to the World Cup, tied, 1-1, with FC Cologne.
