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Group D - Paraguay-Bulgaria, Scoreless draw for Paraguay, Bulgaria |
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Paraguay and Bulgaria produced the first scoreless draw of the 1998 World Cup finals on Friday but maintained the tournament's run of attacking encounters and left both sides rueing missed chances.
Bulgaria, a surprise semifinalist in the United States in 1994, was dominant in the first half but failed to capitalize, although veteran striker Hristo Stoichkov hit the post with a vicious low drive.
Paraguay came out a transformed team in the second half, while the aging Bulgarians seemed to tire and, despite their post-match complaints, may have been happy to settle for the fourth draw in five finals matches this week.
The Group D match nearly saw history when, with 16 minutes to go, Paraguay goalkeeper and outspoken captain Jose Luis Chilavert saw his swerving and dipping free kick just turned over the bar by Bulgarian keeper Zdravko Zdravkov.
Chilavert, who has scored 40 goals in his career, would have been the first keeper to have scored in the finals.
It was a move that encapsulated the turn in fortunes after halftime. Bulgaria had dominated the first 45 minutes, with captain Trifon Ivanov forcing Chilavert into the best save of the half as his curling free kick headed goalward. But coach Hristo Bonev's veteran attack, the backbone of the team from USA '94, tired after the break, while Paraguay -- none of them over 30 except for Chilavert -- was rejuvenated.
When Stoichkov, 32, joint top scorer in the United States with six goals, rounded marker Pedro Sarabia, 10 years his junior, in one of Bulgaria's few second-half attacks, Lyuboslav Penev, 31, could only blast Stoichkov's neat layback over the bar. Penev was substituted shortly afterward but Emil Kostadinov, another veteran of former Bulgarian triumphs, could do no better.
Bonev complained that Bulgaria should have had a penalty in the fifth minute, when Stoichkov tangled with Sarabia, and said he was deeply disappointed with a draw. "We are sorry not to win because Bulgaria were the better team," he said
In truth, however, it was Paulo Cesar Carpegiani's unfancied Paraguayans who had more cause to be disappointed.
Ivanov was a shade fortunate that Saudi referee Abdul Rahman Al-Zeid showed him only a yellow card for his last-gasp tackle from behind on Jorge Campos. Bulgarian frustration finally earned attacking wing-back Anatoli Nankov the first red card of France '98 for a second booking one minute from time.
"I think we can do much better in future," said the Brazilian Carpegiani, in a warning for Nigeria and Group favorite Spain, who play their first match on Saturday.
In typically confident mood, Chilavert said, with a touch of condescension to the similarly outspoken Stoichkov, "We should have won. But this is good for us and for Bulgaria, too, as they'll have to think about what they must do in future."
Paraguay might also have opened the scoring in a fast flowing match with its only real break of the first half. Jose Cardozo shot wide with the Bulgarians calling for offside.
