From: Hildegaard Beauregard [ljlife@yahoo.com]
Sent: Sunday, June 16, 2002 9:40 PM
To: Lee Jerome Life
Subject: Extra time extravaganza

Reporting from World Cup Watch Central.

The first two extra-time matches of 2002 came on the
same day, and demonstrated in succession the methods
for deciding draws.

In the first match, the second "golden goal" in World
Cup history was historical for another reason: it sent
Senegal to the quarterfinals. And it was a doozy. Papa
Thiaw gave a back-kick cross to Henri Camara at the
top of the penalty box, who shot the ball along the
ground past Sweden goalkeeper Magnus Hedman to just
inside the far post. This was at the 104th minute, as
it is officially recorded, in the first extra-time
period (after the 90 minutes of the official regular
game time and the "injury" time added to the end of
the 90).

If two extra periods of 15 minutes go without a goal,
the match is decided by a penalty kick shootout. The
shootout works like this: Each team takes turns
shooting from the penalty spot against the opposing
goalkeeper, and each penalty kick must be taken by a
different player on each team. There is first a set of
5 such kicks by each team, in which the team with the
most successful kicks is the winner. This can end
before both teams take 5 kicks, however, if
mathematically impossible for a team to win on the 5.
If, however, both teams end this set of 5 kicks with
the same number of "goals," the penalty kicks are
continued until one team misses on its turn, a sort of
sudden death of the penalty shootout.

The second match of the day, Ireland v. Spain, went to
a penalty shootout. In an agonizing match, Spain
dominated in the first half, scoring in the 8th minute
with a header from Fernando Morientes on a cross by
Puyol. But while Ireland progressively dominated
possession in the second half, the Spanish broke up
chance after chance of the Irish attack with
outstanding marking and position, intercepting crosses
and picking the ball off from Irish runs to the
corners and the box, and with some great work by
Spanish goalkeeper Iker Casillas. Casillas even saved
against a penalty kick in the 63rd minute, Ireland's
Ian Harte firing it right at him, and although
Casillas knocked the ball dangerouly back out into the
area in front of goal, Ireland's Kevin Kilbane missed
on a follow shot.

It seemed Ireland had missed their best opportunity
against the tenacious Spanish defense. But later, on a
free kick attempt, with the players battling for
position in the Spanish box, Spain's Fernando Hierro
looked like he was trying to strip Ireland's Niall
Quinn, grabbing the his jersey with both hands and
pushing it up his back. The penalty was awarded to
Ireland and it was the 90th minute. An echo of
Ireland's match with Germany, as Robbie Keane once
again got the late reprieve, firing this penalty kick
home. Injury time ran out without further score, and
it was on to extra-time to settle this draw.

In extra time, Spain seemed spent, and were in another
way: they were down to 10 men when Abelda went off
with injury and they had used all their substitutions.
In contrast to Ireland's consolidated attack, Spain
took only a few potshots when they could counter. But
through 30 extra minutes, despite taking control
Ireland could not score. Spain had held on, to at
least try their fate in the penalty shootout, though
they would be without two of their best strikers, Raul
and Morientes, who had been substituted. 

The shootout began with the odds, and the usual kind
of suspense, which is who, if anyone, would miss.
Robbie Keane started for Ireland and again fired
through, angling it up away from Casillas. Hierro
struck for Spain, Irish keeper Shea Given guessing the
wrong direction. Matt Holland stepped up for Ireland,
and his kick went up as Keane's had, but it hit the
crossbar -- and suddenly Ireland was in trouble.
Spain's Baraja ensured that by nailing his kick.
Ireland's David Connolly took his turn, and Casillas
lunged the right way and blocked the shot -- two
misses in a row for Ireland, and it seemed too much
already. Spain's Juanfran came up, to put Ireland on
the brink of elimination, and although Given went the
wrong way, Juanfran missed badly outside the post! Now
the suspense of the shootout inverted -- who would hit
a shot -- because Ireland's next shooter, Kevin
Kilbane, was picked off again by Casillas, who didn't
even have to go far to bat the ball away, and then
Spain's next shooter, Juan Carlos Veron, hit the post!
Incredibly, there were 5 misses in a row! Ireland's
Steven Finnan was next. He hit, driving to the far
upper corner with Casillas guessing the other way.

It was down to Spain's Gaizka Mendieta. A miss would
give Ireland the reprieve to the next stage of
first-miss. A hit would give Spain the win and advance
them to the quarterfinals. Mendieta's shot was all net
-- in the back of the goal, that is. Spain was saved,
and on to the quarterfinals. Ireland was out.

Spain's next opponent will be the winner of the Italy
v. Korea Rep. match.

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