The Guardian from London, Greater London, England • 20

THE GUAEDIAN Wednesday July 6 1994 20 SPORTS NEWS Cynthia Bateman finds Jack Charlton struggling to come to terms with Monday's defeat and uncertain about his future as the Republic's manager Now that they are out, is it over for Jack? own players. "It wasn't the fact that we lost out but the way we lost that disappointed us," said the skipper Andy Townsend. Terry Phelan's poor back-pass which led to the first goal and Packie Bonner's mishandled save which squeezed into his own net had sabotaged the Irish. Both players were inconsolable; Bonner, the darling veteran, heartbroken. Charlton is not a man for recriminations.

"Packie could save 3,000 shots in a practice HE SAT downcast among the burst balloons and the party streamers. The carnival was over. Reaction to the defeat five hours earlier was just setting in. Jack Charlton's shoulders were uncharacteristically hunched. Disappointment wrote fresh lines across the already craggy face.

The Republic of Ireland had been eliminated from the World Cup by Holland and by two bizarre mistakes from their people who know how he is sainted by the Irish, the reasons for the slight doubt filtered out "It only takes a couple of journalists in Ireland to start saying maybe it's time we had a change, maybe some new ideas. 1 mean they will already be writing about the way we played in this competition, and whether I was right and whether I was wrong. I mean it's things like that unsettle you and you go, 'Wait a minute'. "I will feel and be very susceptible to the attitude and what is happening round me. And if I feel there is the slightest chance that people might want a change, then they will have a change." Could he mean the Irish might not want him? A recent poll showed 38 per cent of the population made him the most popular man, against all comers, in Ireland.

Any successor would have an unenviable task, but Mick McCarthy, who had 57 caps and now manages Millwall, might grow into the mould. stay in the job if I want I will almost certainly take them through to the European Championship. But I want a little bit of time to think: to get a grip and a feel of the situation over the next couple of months. And I want a bit of time to make my mind up to see where I'm going. "But I will almost certainly go on One minute definite, next minute hesitating.

If the situation is right." He has been with the Irish eight years and never signed a contract. His record is played 82, won 41, drawn 28, lost 13. He is 58 years old, has many outside interests and is not short of money. He would love "to tweak the noses of the English" in the European Championship in England in 1996. Did his considerations include family affairs, business matters? "Oh, family things, FAI people.

I want to get the general feel of things. Because I know the way things pan out." And then Quite suddenly, and incomprehensibly for the to enjoy the World Cup." The players had done everything he asked of them. "They've all battled their bollocks off. I like them all and I can't help but feel sorry for them. "Whatever Ireland does in the future we have got laxities in certain areas that have to be readdressed.

We have got bits to do and people to look at, and people to give opportunities to, to see if they can stand up and handle it. "We've basically got the nucleus of a good side: we've got people of the right age in numbers. We need to find a few more. There are one or two who have been with us for years and years, and I don't know whether they will be part of the European Championship campaign or not." But would he himself? Reports in a Sunday tabloid had said he was quitting to become a paid director of Newcastle United. "I'm going to have a couple of months to just decide what I am going to do.

I can When he came back they were passing the time playing five-aside in the empty banqueting hall. "How can you be so frivolous at a time like this?" he asked. "It's all right, Jack," said the man from the Irish Daily Mirror. "The Irish won." Suddenly the smile was back on his face. The shoulders straightened.

No, he had not enjoyed the World Cup. He did not say so, but there had been the pettiness of Fifa, the 24-hour-a-day attention telephone calls from an Indian journalist at 4am, the short journey from the lobby to the gents' interrupted with a request to say a few words to the wedding party, the welcome but overwhelming adoration of supporters a night sitting up at Atlanta airport stranded by electric storms, air-conditioned, sealed-in hotels. No outdoors, no open air, no bird song, no lakes and trees and space. "We weren't here to enjoy it, we were here to do a job. We were here for the Irish people session and never get into anything near like that.

Terry Phe-lan can get into a situation where he's got to just handle a simple ball, and he doesn't, and we have gone two goals down. And we've had a couple of moments: Andy Townsend hits one across for Ray Houghton to run in on a header. If it had been anyone else but Ray who is short it would probably have been a goal. But that's your luck." He hesitated, about to say perhaps that they had been unlucky, and changed his words: "So we probably got what we deserved." He had hoped his tinker, tailor side might make it "another step or even two" in the tournament. That glorious win against Italy before 77,000 in the Giants Stadium had been their World Cup final.

Realistically they had done better than anyone could have expected. Charlton was suddenly called from the room. In his absence a sympathetic but weary press corps waited on the final words. Irish cancel Dublin party plans ment by the organisers said: "As the team manager, team captain and many of the players are not now available the committee feels that the Phoenix Park plans should no longer proceed." Charlton is staving at the World Cup as an ITV commentator and several players have gone on holiday. A HUGE welcome home A party planned for Dublin's Phoenix Park has been cancelled because Jack Charlton and several leading players will not be returning to Ireland with the rest of the team tomorrow.

An estimated 500,000 people were expected to attend, but yesterday a state Second round: Italy 2, Nigeria 1 (aet; 1-1 at90min) (Bag So awakes tto emd McDcam cfliream Bulgaria 1, Mexico 1 (aet; 1-1 at 90min; Bulgaria win 3-1 on penalties) Bulgarians come through the storms Cynthia Bateman AN amazing penalty shoot-out to end an amazing game at Giants Stadium, Bulgaria survived the vicissitudes of an extraordinary referee to go through and meet Germany in the quarter-finals. The Mexicans failed with their first three penalties. Boncho Guenchev, the Ipswich forward, gave Bulgaria the shoot-out lead and Iordan Lechkov, the Hamburg midfielder, saw them through. The Bulgarians, who qualified at France's expense with the last kick of the last qualifying match, had again made a last-gasp escape. For a while it seemed the referee was against them too.

Already without three suspended players, they were summarily deprived of Emil Kremenliev, to whom the Syrian referee appeared to have taken an irrational dislike. Kremenliev was first penalised for bringing down Zague when it appeared the Mexican forward was intent on bulling through the defender. That cost Bulgaria a penalty. Then he was un justly sent off in the 50th minute, and departed the game in tears. If 1 I LI jtr David Lacey In Foxboro TEN Italians continue to be better than 11 and two Baggios more effective than one, although in the Patriots' stadium here yesterday it was the closest of close-run things.

Italy have not had a good World Cup, but at least they are still in it Two minutes of normal time remained when Roberto Baggio denied Nigeria the privilege of emulating Cameroon, who reached the quarter-finals in 1990. Twelve minutes of extra-time had been played when the same Baggio put the Italians ahead from the penalty spot. Italy, who had had Zola sent off just past the hour, survived the rest of the game with some ease and will return to the Fox-boro Stadium on Saturday to face Spain for a place in the semi-finals. After the match Clemens Westerhof, Nigeria's Dutch manager, announced his resignation. Arrigo Sacchi's men have shown, for the second time in this World Cup, the character to overcome adversity.

Now they need to start playing. Norway could have been an Italian disaster, what with Pag-liuca, their goalkeeper, sent off, Roberto Baggio taken off and Baresi forced out of the tournament with a knee injury. Italy managed to win that match, and yesterday, assisted by an outstanding exhibition of attacking full-back play from Benarrivo, they overcame the dismissal of Zola, contentiously shown the red card shortly after he had replaced Signori in the second half. Faced with Nigeria's attacking pace, Sacchi switched Mal-dini to central defence, and pleas to start Massaro up front had not gone unheeded. Yet the chemistry of Italy's football still was not right, and again Roberto Baggio looked broody.

For all that, Italian claims for a penalty in the 34th minute appeared justified. After Massaro had knocked back Benarrivo's deep centre from the left, Baggio, well positioned to head the ball into the net, was barged off it by Nwanu. The urgency of the appeals might have had something to do with the fact that eight minutes earlier Nigeria had gone ahead after a corner. George's kick dipped towards the near post, where it ricocheted off Maldini, and Amunike hooked his second goal of the tournament past MarchegianL Enter Dino Baggio; his fitness Charlton still the hero "Will you be guided by the people?" asked Charlie Stewart, of the Irish Press. "All sorts of little things affect me, Charlie.

How you react, how he reacts, how everybody reacts in Ireland. There's time for a change in everything. For me to definitely turn round and say to you I will be here for the European Championship maybe they won't want me." Stewart shook his head in disbelief. "It's all right, Charlie, listen, I'll tell you. I've been around a long time That could have cost Bulgaria the game, but the referee soon made some kind of reparation by sending off Luis Garcia, when the midfielder may have gone Into a tackle with his foot a little high but not dangerously so.

Mexico's plan to Isolate Hristo Stoichkov broke down in the seventh minute. The Barcelona forward picked up a pass from Iordanov, outpaced his marker and strode on to shoot from just inside the area, his left foot shot rocketing into the roof of the net The Mexicans were rattled and so was the goal post when Kostadinov's free-kick whistled through the wall, beating Campos but hitting the upright. They equalised in the 18th minute, when Garcia Aspe converted the penalty that the referee-had generously awarded them. Kostadinov came closest to breaking the deadlock with a header just over the bar with quarter of an hour left. But Mexico showed more ambition later on, with Zague a constant menace and Bernal ever ready to supply him.

MKCICOi Campos; Rodriguez, Suarez, Ramirez, Ramirez, Ambrlz, Bernal, Garcia Aspe, Garcia. Gallndo, Alves Zaguo BULOMUb Mlriallov. Kremenllov. Hubchev, Kiryakov, Borimirov, Iordanov, lechkov, Slrakov (Quenchov. 104).

Balakov, Kostadinov (Mlkhlarekl. 119), Stoichkov. ItofMMi Al-Sharif (Syria). game arrived only 17 minutes from the end, the traffic was one-way to such an extent that it was merely a matter of time before Meola was beaten. Brazil played well enough, as they often tend to do, and it might be dangerous to read much into this one game.

Perhaps too much was expected of Brazil, and perhaps they knew it. "The dismissal helped us," Romario said. "Because when we went to 10 men we had to leave the spectacle aside and play with our hearts. In the second half we forgot the show and played more aggressively." To which a spectator is entitled to respond: "What spectacle? What show?" The only spectacle the Brazilians made in the first half was of themselves, with careless passing and marking. They cannot afford to do the same thing in Saturday's quarter-final against Holland, though it is unlikely they will be quite so nervous for that game.

They certainly do not need to be. This is not a great Brazil team, at least not yet, for although it boasts the most dangerous strikers in the tournament and a defence of unusual strength and vigilance, there is no midfield hub to control the tempo and provide options for the attack. But where there is Romario there is plenty of room for optimism. Perhaps Brazil are dangerously over-reliant on one individual, but so far the individual seems eminently capable of shouldering the burden. Only the most organised defence, such as Germany's, can hope to shackle him, but even then'Romario's whole game is based on the ability to slip away from close marking or go past players directly when the need arises.

He is a very slippery customer. Holland do not have the best defence in the competition by a long way, and the increasingly ponderous Ronald Koeman, who knows Romario well from Barcelona, is protn ably losing sleep about Saturday already. (Brazilian samba still out of tune but this time there was no penalty rivo, who then dummied away from the ball, leaving it to Roberto Baggio. He flicked a lob to Benarrivo, by now making for the left-hand byline. Egua-voen's lunge was ill-timed and certainly ill-advised.

Down went Benarrivo and Roberto Baggio's penalty defied Rufai's stout attempt at a save. Yekini would have equalised immediately for Nigeria had he shot first time instead of allowing Dino Baggio the moment he needed to clear the ball off the line. In that moment Nigeria's Sugar hopes to sweeten bitter pill ISTS Martin Thorpe on crucial changes of heart that will ease Tottenham's appeal today Paul Wilson in Palo Alto on a team short oi its historic best THE United States are claiming a moral victory over Brazil for the first 45 minutes of the second-round game at Stanford Stadium, and they have a point. Until Leonardo's dismissal in the 43rd minute, the incident which changed the nature of the game, the 0-0 scoreline reflected more creditably on the hosts than the putative world champions. It was not that the US were bossing the game exactly, but they were playing tar closer to tneir po tential than their opponents.

So why were Brazil so poor in the first half? "We were very nervous, their otticiai spokesman explained. "We needed a goal to settle us down." In the event it was not a goal which settled Brazil down but the red card correctly issued to Leonardo. In a sense the US strategy backfired, because the partisan atmosphere in the stadium, with American supporters cheering ironically every time Lalas interrupted a move, or a pass failed to find a yellow shirt, led to a mounting desperation among the Brazilians which brought two yellow cards and ultimately Leonardo's red one. Any American glee was shortlived. Brazil played far better with 10 men, and although the only goal of the Results Second round Nlarla(1)1 Italy (0) a Amunike 26 Baggio 69, 102 (pen) M.Jo (act: i-i ai aumin) (Foxboro Sladlum, Boston) Mulcc II) 1 Bulgaria (1)1 A Garcia 18 (pen) Stoichkov 7 (aot; 1-1 at DOmln; Bulgaria won 3-1 on pens) 71,030 (Now Jersey Oiants Stadium, New York) QUARTIR-FINAL: July 8i Italy Spain (5.0, Foxboro Stadium, Boston); Brazil Holland (830.

Cotton Bowl Stadium, Dallas). July IOi Bulgaria Germany (5.0. New Jor-sey QJante Stadium, Now York); Romania Sweden (8.30, Stanlord Stadium, San Francisco). PHOTOGRAPH: TOM JENKINS eventful World Cup was virtually over. In the end Italy had known too much for them.

But it hadi taken Sacchi's team a long time to apply this knowledge, and they are unlikely to get away with such an initially inept pe-formance again. NKtMlAi Rufai; Eguavoen, Okechukwu. Nwanu. Emenalo, Okocha, Amokachl (Adepotu, 30mln), Onsen, George, YeMn), Amunike (OHha, 57). ITALVi Marchenianl; Mussi, Coatacurte, Maldini, Benarrivo.

Aloerllnl, Bertl (O Baggio, h-l). Donadoni, Baggio, Massaro, Signori (Zola, 63) A Brlzlo Carter (Mexico). defender signed by the player-manager Bryan Rob-son within a month. Oldham's manager Joe Royle is hoping to capture the West Ham midfielder Mike Marsh to replace Mike Milligan, who has moved to Norwich. Marsh, a former Liverpool player, has never settled in London.

Royle also hopes to complete the signing of the Aberdeen midfielder Lee Richardson for 300,000 this week. Charlton Athletic have signed Luton Town's Australian goalkeeper Andy Perter-son for a fee to be decided by tribunal, and Portsmouth have signed the Estonian international goalkeeper Mart Poom from the Swiss second division club FCW11. The transfer of the striker John Taylor from Bristol Rovers to Bradford City was completed yesterday. He bad hoped to move two weeks ago but the deal was held up when he failed a medical after a groin operation. Taylor, who scored 22 goals for Rovers last season, has now been given a clean bill of health.

the weight of Emenal's challenge, Then, with two minutes of normal time remaining, one touch of the real Roberto Baggio was enough to throw Italy a lifeline. Mussi's low, square pass from the right found Baggio striding into space, for once the Nigeria defence did not close down the danger, and Ru-fai was beaten by a low shot into the left-hand corner of the net. What proved to be the winning goal arrived in the 102nd minute after Dino Baggio had aimed a pass towards Benar his heart, not a lawyer, on his sleeve. He will now have another go at getting across the message he failed to deliver before: "Look, I came clean, there would have been no FA inquiry without the information I gave you, it happened a long time ago, I'm doing my best to put things straight at Tottenham, here is what I've done." Speculation that Sugar will be asked to explain a quote that 70 per cent of Premiership clubs were involved in improper payments will founder on his assertion that he never said any such thing. But any trouble and Sugar will get indignant again.

If he is unhappy with the appeal outcome he will want arbitration. If the FA refuses he will take the matter to court. Also, he has not ruled out issuing a writ against Terry Venables, the former Tottenham chief executive, to follow the one issued last Friday against Irving Scholar, the Spurs chairman when the misdemeanours were perpetrated. Finally, Spurs may still not be out of trouble even if the appeal is favourable. The Premier League is considering whether to lay further charges over alleged payments to agents.

Head and pony tail Roberto had been in doubt but he now came on for the second half accompanied by urgent instructions from Sacchi. Presumably these did not include hitting the outside of the right-hand post with his first kick after the ball had been played in to him by Signori. Nevertheless the arrival of a second Baggio improved the balance of Italy's attack. Signori, over-resourceful, dived hopefully in the direction of Oli-seh but instead of getting a penalty saw the yellow card for try logic get distorted. A five or six-point deduction was on the cards until someone pointed out that if Spurs won their first two games they would clean the slate after the first week of the season.

The FA has now realised that, given Tottenham's recent record, a 12-point deduction was relegation by another name. Indeed, just three points deducted last season would have been catastrophic and that is a better benchmark in judging how to penalise the club. The FA was also setting itself up for Premiership chaos if other clubs were found guilty of similar offences. Not only that but the FA's hard line with Spurs was sending out a conflicting signal to other Premiership clubs. All the clubs have agreed to let the Inland Revenue examine one year of their books the taxman chooses the year and some clubs, like Spurs, have already volunteered information and come to a settlement.

The Revenue is happy: exactly what we have been looking for, it has been telling clubs; Baggio takes a tumble under ing to con the referee. Signori gave way to Zola, whose vision offered the attack an added dimension but whose contribution was to be brief. In the 75th minute he threw himself over a lunge from Nwanu, and on being denied a penalty took it out on the Nigerian defender. Out came the red card and the stadium echoed to the whistles of Italian expatriates. Maldini was lucky not to go as well five minutes later when he brought down Yekini as the Nigerian strode through on goal.

your co-operation will be taken into consideration when it comes to assessing penalties or interest. However, the FA was saying the opposite: thanks, Spurs, for your co-operation but we are going to throw everything at you including the kitchen sink, with the added insult that the regime being punished was not the one responsible for the misdemeanours. How did that encourage more openness? The road to FA clemency was smoothed by Sugar's change of mood. Full of indignation and steeped in business practice, he went into the original commission too heavy, three lawyers over three hours bamboozling a lay commission with procedural points. It got people's backs up, as did his conspiracy theories and accusations of FA incompetence afterwards.

But some wise heads in the game's hierarchy took him to one side and told him how to handle the FA. Sugar recognised his injudiciousness, promised to shut up and went on holiday out of the public eye. This change of mood was transmitted to the FA, which was briefed to expect a wiser, milder Sugar at today's appeal speaking for himself with only TOTTENHAM'S manager Ossie Ardiles is reported to have ambitious plans to bring Romania's World Cup striker Florin Raducioiu to White Hart Lane. Raducioiu has found it difficult to secure a place in the starting line-up for AC Milan and Ardiles feels he can persuade him to make the move to London. The manager seems less likely to land another World Cup player under his scrutiny, Brazil's left-back Leonardo, who was sent off against the United States on Monday.

Ardiles is more optimistic about the midfielder Gustavo Lopez from Indepen-diente; although left out of Argentina's squad, he is said to be "highly On a less exalted level, the experienced central defender Nigel Pearson yesterday signed for Middlesbrough from Sheffield Wednesday for an initial fee of 500,000 and a further 250,000 after a stipulated number of appearances by the 30-year-old. Pearson, who has not played for seven months after breaking a leg; but will become Middlesbrough captain, is the third Premiership LAN SUGAR and the JML Football Association will and make up today, friends again after the Draconian punishment handed out to Tottenham last month. Common sense, not a commodity readily associated with the FA, will be poured on troubled waters at today's appeal, with Tottenham's 12-point deduction likely to be cut in half, their 600,000 fine increased as a result and reinstatement to the FA Cup a possibility. The fact that the FA chairman Sir Bert Millichip insisted on leading today's three-man appeal panel shows how eager the FA is to sort this case out. Two factors have changed to alter the complexion of the original punishment for irregular payments to players.

First the FA has wised up to the implications of its original punishment; second, the Spurs chairman has learned how better to handle the FA. The problem with the original commission was that having ruled out relegation as inappropriate, it then let its.