Hartford Courant from Hartford, Connecticut • Page 235

6th ed. THE HARTFORD COURANT: Friday, June 24, 1994 F7 South Korea, Bolivia don't gain much Thursday's highlights Italy 1 Dino Baggio headed i.ie only goal in the 69th minute as 1 0-man Italy, reduced to that number for the final 68 Norway 0 minutes because goalkeeper Gianluca Pagliuca committed a professional foul, defeated the Norwegians and kept their chances for qualification from Group alive. Both teams now have three points from two matches. Pagliuca was forced to handle the ball outside the penalty area in the 22nd minute, when Oyvind Leonhard-sen broke In alone on his goal, and he received the automatic red card. He will be suspended for at least one match.

The Italians reeled initially from that blow, but came back to play a stunning second half that included Baggio's goal. First half: No scoring. Second half! 1. Italy, Baggio 1, 69th minute. Yellow card: Bjornebye, Norway 33rd, Haland 74th; Italy.

Casiraghi 35th. Red card: Italy, Pagliuca 21st. Shots: Norway 8 (Jakobssn 2, Bratseth, Bjornebye, Flo, Leonhardsen, Bohinen, Fjortott). Italy 15 (Signorl 4. D.

Baggio 3, Casiraghi 2, Albertini 2. Maldini 2, Benarrivo, R. Baggio). Fouls committed: Norway 24, Italy 9. Offsides: Norway 5, Italy 4.

Referee: Krug, Germany. Linesmen: Linesmen Pearson, England, Yll-Karro, Finland. Att.i 74,624. By MARK PUKALO Courant Staff Writer FOXBORO, Mass. South Korea smelled its first trip to the second round of the World Cup.

Bolivia sensed an opportunity to get there, too. But neither team gained much ground toward its goal with a 0-0 tie Thursday night before 53,456 at Foxboro Stadium in a Group match. Perhaps it was the high stakes. Both teams had this game marked as a victory in their wish list to reach the round of 16 in the 24-team tournament. With perennial powers Spain and Germany in the same group, it seemed a must.

"We are disappointed," South Korea coach Kim Ho said. "But we realize now how difficult it is to win a World Cup match." When FIFA changed the value of victories from two to three points this year (one for a tie), it made this game even more crucial. South Korea already had a come- from-behind 2-2 tie against Spain in its first match but needed this three points with only defending World Cup champion Germany left Monday in Dallas. A tie in that game and some luck may still get South Korea to the second round. Bolivia, which lost its opener 1-0 to Germany, faces a must-win against Spain in Chicago Monday in its first-round finale, without having scored in two games.

They will also be without three key players, suspended by accumulating cautions or being ejected. "I told my players congratulations for playing a good game," Bolivia coach Xabier Azkargorta said. "Now we should try to get our win. With four points, we should qualify for the next round." Neither team played for the tie in the second half and finished with 20 shots each overall. The defenses stepped up when needed, and when a defensive mistake was made there was no one able to capitalize.

South Korea began to piece together passes better in the final 30 minutes and created more dangerous chances. The Koreans had two corner kicks and forced Bolivian goalkeeper Carlos Trucco to make a big save on a shot by substitute Seok Ju Ha in the final minutes. Trucco, nicknamed El Loco for his constant forays off the goal line, also made a key stop on Sun Hong Hwang (eight shots) in the 81st minute. The Bolivians hung on in the late stages, when midfielder Luis Cristaldo was ejected after a violent tackle on Pan Kuen Kim in the 83rd minute. It was Cristaldo's second yellow card of the match.

Baldivieso (two separate yellow cards), Cristaldo (red) and Marco Etche-verry (red card, two-game suspension against Germany), aren't eligible to play Spain. The team's styles were so different, you didn't have to be in the stadium to know who had the ball much of the game, especially in the first half. Bolivia played methodically, moving the ball sideways with short passes as its fans whistled, growing in volume as their team moved closer to goal. When South Korea won back the ball, it went forward immediately, often with a long ball. The crowd noise grew as the players raced forward.

"I wish that our players had played calmly, and not rushed," Ho said. "I think they felt a lot of pressure and that's the reason we didn't score." Bolivia, outshot 10-6, still had the better chances in the first half. Baldivieso, 23, the youngest Bolivian starter, headed a Cristaldo cross over the net in the 18th minute and Erwin Sanchez (eight shots) sent a direct kick to the upper right-hand corner in the 40th, but South Korea goalkeeper In Young Choi knocked it away. "I didn't give my players any special instructions at halftime, but we did play better 14 second-half shots after we organized in the first 10 minutes," Azkargorta said. "It's unfortunate we could not come away with a win." JW Korea 0 Bolivia 0 It took 1 7 games for World Cup 1994 to produce its first scoreless tie as Bolivia and South Korea, each lookina for its first World Cup victory, played to a draw in Foxboro, Mass.

South Korea had two late scoring chances denied after Bolivian defender Luis Cristaldo was ejected with 7 minutes left. The Koreans, who tied 2-2 with Spain in the opener, could reach the second round if they tie defending champion Germany Monday. Bolivia needs a victory over Spain the same day to advance. First half: No scoring. Second half: No scoring.

Yellow cards: South Korea, Ko 39th, Shin 63rd, Park 90th. Bolivia, Cristaldo 22nd, Rimba 24th, Baldivieso 33rd. Red cards! Bolivia, Cristaldo 83rd. Shots: South Korea 20 (Hwang 8, Kim Joo Sung 5, Noh 3, Seo 2, Ko, Ha). Bolivia 20 (Sanchez 8, Baldivieso 4, Ouinteros 3, Sandy 2, Sons 2, Melgar).

Fouls committed: South Korea 20, Bolivia 14. Offsides: South Korea 3, Bolivia 2. Referee: Mottram, Scotland. Linesmen: Everstig, Sweden, Uatthys, Belgium. Att.l 53,456.

Today If Mexico vs. 12:35 p.m. at Citrus Bowl, Orlando (ESPN, Univision): The Irish can clinch a spot in the second round Ireland with a victory, but this figures to be another difficult test in the Florida heat. Mexico, beaten by Norway in its opener, needs at least a draw to maintain hope of advancing and will benefit from the return of midfielder Alberto Garcia Aspe. He's Dack after a one-game suspension picked up in qualifying play.

Ireland is expected to stay with young Phil Babb in central defense, but might have striker Tony Cascarino if he passes a late fitness test. Hosts are in unfamiliar territory Combined wire services DANA POINT, Calif. After years of obscurity, soccer in the United States was hot Thursday. All day long, the telephones kept ringing at the Dana Point Resort. Television stations wanted Tony and Tab, Alexi and Cobi.

The 2-1 upset of Colombia Wednesday night at the Rose Bowl put U.S. soccer player's names in the news, and possibly ensured the first World Cup in the United States will be a success. "Maybe 10 years from now they're going to talk about whether the U.S. is going to win the World Cup," goalkeeper Tony Meola said. It might have been the most important win in the history of U.S.

soccer. The United States won a World Cup game for the first time since 1950 and is almost certain to advance past the opening round for the first time since 1930. About 2.7 million homes tuned in on ESPN, and there may be a record U.S. television audi- ence for soccer when the United States plays Romania on Sunday in Pasadena (4 p.m., Chs. 8, 40).

"We've seen people on the freeways with their windows painted 'USA 2, Colombia things we've never seen before," defender Paul Caligiuri said. For so many years, they'd been regarded as those guys playing that foreign sport. As recently as May 7, a I7 j' Brazil vs. i. i iep I 4:05 p.m.

at Stanford Stadium, Palo Alto, Calif. (ESPN, Univision): One of the top matchups of the first Hi Cameroon round because it matches the old soccer power against the new, but continuing chaos in the Cameroon camp makes Brazil the clear favorite. While the Brazilians, sometimes known for their own intra-camp battles, seem all peace and sunshine, Cameroon players are threatening to strike over unpaid bonuses. This isn't new for them or for a World Cup. In 1 986, Portuguese players were embroiled in a similar controversy.

Rumors have been around for three years that Cameroon players are still owed money for various international games. On the field, Brazil features attacking backs Jorginho and Leonardo, plus the two strikers, Romario and Bebeto. Cameroon still has Francois Omam-Biyick hitting the target, but their defense looked shaky in a 2-2 opening tie against Sweden. Brad Clift The Hartford Courant As time expires, Dlno Baggio, left, and Giuseppe Signorl celebrate Italy's victory over Norway. Italy develops a certain rhythm 7:35 p.m., Pontiac Sil-verdome, Pontiac, Mich.

(ESPN, Univision): Sweden can eliminate the trou i Sweden vs. fcnSS Russia Mexicans produce against Ireland today in Orlando, Fla. They won't have Pagliuca, automatically suspended, may not have Roberto Baggio and there must be a question mark over Baresi and Maldini, whose ankle knock looked worse than average. Nevertheless, in the depths of Its troubles, this Italian team may have found itself. The youngsters lifted their game and won in a style that would have had Luciano Pavarotti again singing the aria that became the unofficial theme of Italia '90, "Nessun Dorma." That's the one about winning in the end.

Italy did exactly that. them all. Dino Baggio and Paolo Maldini needed sideline treatment for leg injuries after they had thrown their bodies between attackers and the goal. And Oyvind Leonhardsen even got the ball into the net, but only after Rune Bratseth had touched it. So, much against expectations and logic, Italy's World Cup story is retitled.

Instead of "Little Italy" as the Italian press had mocked the team after the 1-0 loss to Ireland, there should be tributes to 10 men who could not lose on Thursday. Sacchi's team will head to Washington Tuesday knowing it can reach the second round with a victory over Mexico no matter what the Continued from Page Fl between the hands of Norwegian keeper Erik Thorstvedt from 8 yards. Italy New Jersey style came alive with noise. Those fans who had not dared to hope, who had been silent, dare we say accepting the inevitable, found their voices. The final 25 minutes were played in a din, a cascading chorus of "Italia, Italia" that continued long after the final whistle.

And the game played itself out in the most spectacular form. Norway threw everything at the tiring nine defenders. High balls raked across the goal of substitute Luca Marche-giani, but somehow he handled game against Estonia at Cal State Fullerton drew just 2,158. The U.S. team played before a record home, crowd of 93,194 Wednesday.

Now, U.S. sports fans who knew almost nothing about soccer are starting to rally around the flag. "That was inspiring, what they did," Caligiuri said. "The Mike Eruziones, the Jim Craigs, athletes who normally don't get attention. I think that's happening for ourselves, too." Meola and Marcelo Balboa, who returned to Dana Point after the rest of the team because they were chosen randomly by FIFA for postgame drug tests, stopped at a gas station in Yorba Linda and were surprised when people started cheering and chanting, "U-S-A! U-S-A!" U.S.

Soccer Federation President Alan Rothen- berg, head of the World Cup '94 organizing committee, had talked about how he hoped the team would ad-. vance and the tournament would "catch lightning in a bottle." "For all of soccer in the United States, it's important," he said at a press conference before the Italy-Norway game Thursday night at Giants Stadium. "Most people compare it to the victory in 1950, but that was a fluke. In this case, this is a program that's been growing steadily and progressively." The American team started off well with a 1-1 tie against Switzerland Saturday. The 5.0 rating for that game on ABC topped the U.S.

Open golf tournament and was the second-highest for soccer on U.S. television. "It took 50 years for the NFL to get where it is," Meola said. "People talk about how the NHL took 70 years to get to where it is now. "When I picked up the papers today and saw soccer ahead of the NBA finals, I was really surprised." In Colombia, where presidential elections received a fraction of the coverage the soccer team has, headlines such as "National Shame" greeted the loss.

"If it had been Argentina or Brazil or Italy, that would have been one thing," said Alfonso Barrios, a security guard who handles the bomb-sniffing dogs stationed outside shopping malls and hotels in the Zona Rosa. "The United States is a team without history, without resonance. We all knew we were going to win this one." Reyna out of tournament U.S. midfielder Claudio Reyna, 20, the college player of the year in 1992 and 1993 who tore a hamstring in practice June 8, will miss the rest of the World Cup. bled Russians with a victory as the teams play indoors -for the first time.

The Swedes will need a sharper attacking performance than they got in that opening draw against Cameroon. There's speculation Henrik Larsson, the super sub, might start in place of Tomas Brolin. The Russians, who left most of their top players off the team after a row over the status of coach Pavel Sadyrin, were never in the game against Brazil and can be expected to make changes. They do have captain 1 Viktor Onopko available after he served his one-game suspension picked up in qualifying. Notes Italian goalkeeper Gianluca Pagliuca had no complaints with German referee Helmut Krug's decision tored card him Thursday.

"I was outside the area and committed the foul," Pagliuca said. "That's against the rules. He had no choice but that I must leave. Maybe having only 10 men inspired us." Italian manager Arrigo Sacchi, refusing to admit that Roberto Baggio has tendon problems, said he replaced the attacker because "with only 10 men, we needed players who would be able to run. I have great respect for Roberto Baggio and can tell you he will be the decisive player against Mexico.

"When we were reduced to 10 men, we played an almost perfect tactical game," Sacchi said. "I was very Impressed. This game came from the heart." Norwegian manager Egil Olsen admitted: "The Italians played much more direct than I had seen them previous-ly. That surprised me. Playing against 10 men probably hurt us because we are basically a defensive team and don't attack well.

When Italy had only 1 0, they used more long balls which reduced the chance of their making mistakes in midfield. I was very impressed with the way they played." As for' the Norway-Ireland game next week, which will determine whether the Norwegians advance, Olsen said his team would not change its style. "If you play short passes against Ireland it is dangerous," he said. "I know they will play lots of long balls and so will we. Maybe you will be able to watch the game from outside the stadium." After assorted surveys showed the World Cup had barely made a dent in the American consciousness, the tournament organizers finally got some good news.

A Roper telephone poll conducted this week showed 84 percent know the World Cup is taking place in the United States and 44 percent plan to watch some of the games on television. The random poll, in which 1,034 Americans were interviewed, was done in 10 cities. jerry Tracker and wire reports Standings, schedule 1 PA 1 3: U.S. victories or ties in the World Cup finals from 1930-1990. 2: U.S.

victories or ties in the 1 994 World Cup finals. After what was the United States' biggest soccer victory 1 -0 over England in 1 950 U.S. coach Bill Jeffrey had this to say: "It's all we wanted to do. This is all that is needed to make the game go in the States." GROUfA TSFSAPta OROUFD 8F AA I For schedules and information on World Cup soccer, including latest scores, please call Courant Source at 246-1000 or (800) 246-8070, source number 7711. Switzerland 10 15 2 4 U.S.

.10 13 2 4 Romania 1 1 0 4 3 Colombia 0 2 0 2 5 0 SiindayiRomanlavs. United States at Pasadena, 4:05 p.m.; Switzerland vs. Colombia at Palo Alto, 4:05 1 ff A "A miracle? Hell no. A miracle is a baby surviving a plane crash or something like that. This is not a miracle." Alexl Lalaa, U.S.

defender after victory over Colombia "I'll be 80 and some punk reporter will come up to me and say, 'Hey, didn't you play in that great game back in And I'll say, 'Sure, kid' and I'll embellish everything. I'll tell him I dribbled through half the team and won the game by myself." Lalas "I have been unable to find an explanation as to why we played this bad. We could not have played, even on purpose, as bad as we did. Any plans we had were laid to rest. Colombia came to the party and didn't dance." Francisco Maturana, Colombia coach Associated Press U.S.

forward Tab Ramoe Is a veteran of the 1990 World Cup and 1988 Olympics. Argentina 1 0 0 4 0 3 Nigeria 1 0 0 3 0 3 Bulgaria 0 1 0 0 3 0 Greece 0 1 0 0 4 0 Saturday! Argentina vs. Nigeria at Foxboro, 4:05 p.m. Sunday Bulgaria vs. Greece at Chicago, 12:35 p.m.

TharadayiJeM30t Greece vs. Nigeria at Foxboro, 7:35 p.m.: Argen-NnaauljmataHasSra GROUP GF GA Pts GROUP GF GA Pts Para informaci6n sobre la Copa Mun-dial de futbol, incluyendo las ultimas anotaclonas. Comunfnuese al nlimero 0 2 1 2 1 2 0 0 Brazil Cameroon Sweden Russia nfi RS5! de recursos del "Hartford Courant al 1 0 rm 1 0 1 1 1 1 0 1 Ireland Italy Norway Mexico 1 1 1 1 0 1 numero de recursos 3100. Para infor- maci6n sobre un pals en especitico presione el numero abajo indicado: Today: Brazil vs. Cameroon at Palo Alto, 4:05 p.m.; Sweden vs.

Russia at Pontiac. 7:35 p.m. Tuesday: Russia vs. Cameroon at Stanford, 4:05 p.m.; Brazil vs. Sweden at Pontiac, 4:05 m.

CROUP I OF OA Pta Germany 10 12 14 Spain 0 0 2 3 3 2 South Korea 0 0 2 2 2 2 Bolivia 0 110 1 1 Thursday Bolivia 0. South Korea 0 Monday! Bolivia vs. Spain at Chicago, 4:05 p.m.; Germany vs. South Korea at Dallas, 4:05 p.m. Tab Ramos, United States Pos.t Forward Age: 27 BWt.

140 Games 52 Goals: 3 Lives in Hillside, N.J Didn't score in 1 7 Spanish League games this season with Real Betls, which gained promotion to the first division. Assisted on both goals against England last year Scored against Ireland in 1 992. Joined Figueras of Spanish second division after 1990 World Cup and spent two seasons there. Started all three games in 1 990 World Cup and two games in the 1 988 Olympics. Scored 31 goals in 78 games at North Carolina State.

Born in Uruguay. Full-international games Thursday Italy 1, Norway 0 Today! Mexico vs. Ireland at Orlando, 12:35 p.m. TiMsday: Ireland vs. Norway at East Rutherford, N.J., 12:35 p.m.; Itsly vs.

Mexico at Washington, 12:35 m. GROUP GF GA Pts Belgium 10 0 10 3 Netherlands 1 0 0 2 1 3 Saudi Arabia 0 10 12 0 Morocco 0 10 0 1 0 Saturday! Belgium vs. Netherlands at Orlando, 1 2:35 p.m.; Saudi Arabia vs. Morocco at East Rutherford, N.J., 12:35 p.m. Wedntsdsy: Morocco vs.

Nsthsr-lands at Orlando, 12:35 p.m.; Belgium vs Saudi Arabia at Washington. 12:35 p.m. Argentina 3101 Morocco 3113 Belgica 3102 Netherlands 3114 Bolivia 3103 Nigeria 3115 Brazil 3104 Noruega 3116 Bulgaria 3105 Romania 3117 Cameroon 3106 Rusia 3118 Colombia 3107 Arabia Saudita 3119 Alemania 3108 CoreaDelSur 3120 Grecia 3109 Espafla 3121 Irlanda 3110 Sweden 3122 Italia 3111 Suiza 3123 Mexico 3112 Estados Unidos 3124 "It wasn't the greatest moment in sports history for most Americans. "But for everyone whaever prayed for the future of soccer in this country it was the 1980 Olympics Miracle on Ice, the Joe Namath Super Bowl and the Chicago Bulls three-peat all wrapped up in one beautiful patriotic package." Charles Bricker, Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel.