Sheva Views Crucial Tunisia Match; Torres Sits Out Saudi Game
June 23, 2006
Andriy Shevchenko's timely return to form in Ukraine's 4-0 thrashing of Saudi Arabia was one of many plus points from a game that has revived the World Cup debutants' campaign to qualify for the last 16.
Ukraine, who lost 4-0 to Spain in their opener, showed their attacking intent against a toothless Saudi team from the start.
The match represented a personal triumph for Shevchenko, the striker leading the way with a fine individual performance and combining fantastically with attacking team-mates Maksym Kalinichenko, Serhiy Rebrov and Oleg Rusov.
It was pressure from Shevchenko that forced Saudi Arabia into conceding the corner from which Andriy Rusol scored the opening the goal in the fourth minute.
Shevchenko then opened his own account one minute into the second-half, rising above defender Hamad al-Montashari to head a home a Kalinichenko free-kick and turned provider for the fourth goal, setting up Kalinichenko with a beautifully-weighted cross past a despairing Mabrouk Zaid in goal and three defenders.
Big win over Saudis boosts Ukraine's chances
So emphatic was the score line, in fact, that it immediately revived Ukraine's chances of reaching the last 16, leaving them two points clear of both Tunisia and the Saudis with a superior goal difference, and within another win of achieving their objective.
Shevchenko said there was a huge psychological difference between the Spain game and that against Saudi Arabia. "During the first game we were overawed by the occasion," he said. "We let in two goals from free-kicks, then came the sending off, but Monday was a completely different story. We went ahead almost immediately and played aggressive, flowing football."
Confidence restored, Ukraine now know that the incentive could not be any greater when they face Tunisia in Berlin, and Shevchenko made no attempt to downplay the game's significance.
"The match against Tunisia will be decisive," he admitted. "Everything now hinges on Friday's result."
Now at their fourth World Cup finals, Tunisia are still seeking a first win since a 3-1 victory over Mexico in their 1978 debut in Argentina. They have played 10 matches since then.
The Tunisians have no injuries concerns for the match, aside from striker Francileudo dos Santos who is still seeing a specialist over his shin injury. Coach Roger Lemerre has suggested he would not be risked.
Spain's Torres, Villa and whole back line to get time off
In the other Group H match, Spain take on Saudi Arabia in Kaiserslautern and coach Luis Aragones has already announced that his squad players will get a chance to stretch their legs against the "sons of the desert."
Aragones will rest striker Fernando Torres while David Villa and Raul would play a half each and he would field a completely new back four in Friday's game. "Torres has come to the tournament in great form, I hope he continues like this and that is why he is going to be rested for the next game," the coach told reporters.
Spain lead the group with six points and a goal difference of plus six, Ukraine are second on three points while Tunisia and Saudi Arabia have one each.
Aragones's men will meet Switzerland, South Korea or France in the last 16.
"I don't have any preferences," said Spain's coach. "France don't appear to be in very good physical shape but can cause us problems because they are very experienced and know what the World Cup is all about."
"Switzerland are a young side like us, they play good football and they are very strong on the break. Korea, well, they run like devils."
Korea knocked Spain out of the last World Cup on penalties. France eliminated the Spaniards at the quarter-final stage on their way to winning Euro 2000.