- 6 weeks ago
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00Let's take a check now on the team lineups, beginning with Spain.
00:05And their major absentee is central defender Nadal, suspended for the first two games of the tournament.
00:11And it's surely time the rules were changed.
00:13Yellow and red cards in the qualifiers should not mean that players have to miss games in the finals.
00:19The Spanish team includes five from Barcelona, two from Real Madrid,
00:23and surprisingly just one, Caminero, from Atletico Madrid, who've just completed the League and Cup double in Spain.
00:38Bulgaria are at full strength.
00:40The squad, which did so well in America two years ago, is still intact, but facing many questions.
00:46Are they beyond their best? Do they have strength in depth?
00:49Are there enough young players in the squad?
00:51Well, certainly Bulgaria were very disappointing when they lost 1-0 to England at Wembley in March,
00:57but Stoichkov didn't play that night, and when he's in the mood,
01:01he will surely be one of the stars of the tournament.
01:05The tournament.
01:07A hot and humid day here at Elland Road.
01:11But a cooling breeze down there at Pitchside as Spain get the game underway.
01:15Spain reckon they have the best chance of winning since they lifted the trophy for the only time on home soil 32 years ago.
01:36This group, Group B, perhaps the hardest to predict, four evenly matched teams, Spain the narrow favourites,
01:45Bulgaria, France and Romania, remember, the others in the group.
01:49Balikov for Bulgaria, and now Stoichkov gets his first beat of the ball in Euro 96, and not a very successful one.
02:00Alcorta and Abelardo will both come forward for the corner.
02:26That was a terrific effort, which almost caught Mikhailov flat on his feet.
02:42I'll tell you what, I was just going to say, it's worth a... worth a pop.
02:47Here's Alcorta, the Real Madrid centre-back.
02:55Big ball to pick out Pitchside the first time.
02:58Teddy Tross caused a real problem to Bulgaria.
03:01Belsue trying to keep the pressure going, and Guerrero!
03:05What a chance that was for the new superstar of Spanish football, Julen Guerrero.
03:11Spain should have been one in front.
03:15Well, you won't get much of a better chance than that one in the match, Alcorta.
03:18That was a real positive effort, look at that.
03:22It's only about, what, 12 yards out, left foot knocked it over the top.
03:26Well, that was a real bad, bad miss.
03:27And there was no pressure on him either, look, it's only time in the world.
03:35Looked his safe foot at the top corner.
03:42Kiryakov's interception, Stoichkov.
03:45Stoichkov caught out by Iero.
03:49And Iero again, brilliant effort!
03:50Well, that underlines the threat of Fernando Iero.
03:58Mikhailov doing really well to reach this one, Ian.
04:01Well, you can understand why this big fella's been scoring goals in the Euro 96 build-up.
04:06That was a terrific effort, wasn't it?
04:08Good save by the keeper.
04:12Terrific scoring record for his club and his country, Iero.
04:16He once got 21 goals for Real Madrid from midfield.
04:21Guerrero's corner, and he half-clear.
04:24Caminero hammers it back in.
04:26And Guerrero again.
04:28And now the lap, the flag has gone up for offside.
04:34Lechkov.
04:35Brilliant foot of skill by Lechkov.
04:38Oh, that is magnificent play.
04:40Kostadinov.
04:41Stoichkov spins away.
04:43Penev is getting in support.
04:44Stoichkov!
04:45Well, I think, in that one movement, from a defensive to an attacking position, we saw
04:52what Bulgaria are capable of, Ian.
04:55Well, this man's got a terrific left foot, and I mean, he is annoyed because he hit it
04:59over the top, and he would have expected to hit the target.
05:01Good ball over.
05:03Peels off at the back post, and woof, gets under me.
05:07Another replays in Germany for Hamburg.
05:09A deliberate handball there by Caminero that is surely going to earn him the first yellow
05:13card of the game.
05:19Well, what a ridiculous way to be cautioned.
05:22With a harmless-looking ball on the halfway line, but wasn't really going anywhere.
05:26An instinctive reaction by Caminero, but one he'll regret.
05:30Wasn't quite as Stuart Pearce, was it?
05:32Here's Ivanoff.
05:39Well, that turned out to be a very good effort indeed, which no one, least of all, I suspect,
05:45Ivanoff himself, was expecting it to be.
05:48I think it was a speculative shot, and it almost produced a goal.
05:52It was an amazing effort, wasn't it?
05:54I mean, did he see the goalkeeper off his line?
05:56I don't think he was.
05:56Well, that was amazing when the ball was played back.
06:26To Constantino, surely he should have been offside, but the Spanish players were playing
06:31him on, and he drove the ball across the face of the goal.
06:34Let's have a look at it.
06:35There's a nice little build-up between him and Lechkov here.
06:39Yeah, Lechkov played it again.
06:40Was he offside?
06:42Well, I think, actually, Penneff would have been if the ball had found him.
06:48Yeah, that's when he got injured in the challenge with Sergi.
06:52Well, that's another let's-off really for them.
07:22and fourth-place square.
07:24That was a great interception, really.
07:25I mean, he's just read the situation.
07:26Surely he's not going to have an effort from that range, even off.
07:40He is.
07:41Oh!
07:42Well, I suppose we had a warning sign with his shot earlier in the half.
07:47That must have been, what, 40, 50 yards out here?
07:51Well, certainly 40 yards from the angle.
07:53And I mean, that's two is belted.
07:56That was a great shot, wasn't it?
07:57And Zubis Areta, like, he's all over the place.
07:59Maybe from this angle we'll see if, uh, if Ndidi would have got a touch to it.
08:03Ooh!
08:05You know, we're only talking about half a yard.
08:08Well, that tremendous effort by Tifon Ivanov brings the first half to a close.
08:14His defensive qualities have been important as well for Bulgaria.
08:17Spain, percentage-wise, had the better of the half.
08:21Certainly created the more chances and the better chances as well.
08:25But at half-time at Ellen Road, it's Spain nil, Bulgaria nil.
08:29We'll be back in a moment.
08:33And a match very much, I think, in the balance this one, Ian St. John.
08:37Yeah, very much so.
08:38Um, I thought Spain just edged it in the first half.
08:41I'd be looking for, you know, a bit of a more positive attack and edge to Bulgaria's game in this half, Ellen.
08:47Because I think, really, if they do have a goal, you know, they have one or two players with real quality.
08:52And, uh, they may get themselves a victory here.
08:54And here certainly is one of them.
08:56Little Kiriakov getting the ball forward.
08:59Pulls back to Balikov.
09:03The cross aimed towards Stoichkov, but a bit loose.
09:07Headed away.
09:10Not only as far as Lechkov.
09:11Now, even.
09:13This is Jankov.
09:17Sergei's clearance just kept in play by Luis Enrique.
09:21But he may regret that.
09:23It's gone straight to Stoichkov.
09:26Now on him.
09:27Stoichkov always looks mortally offended whenever anyone comes near him.
09:38Lechkov will leave this one to Ivanov.
09:41And judging by some of his long-range effort in the first half.
09:44Don't discount a shot on target here.
09:46This one chipped up towards Penev.
09:51And headed away by Abelado.
09:54Now Balikov.
09:54Lechkov trying to get on the end of that one.
09:56Sets it up instead for Stoichkov.
09:59Balikov again.
10:01Did well to control a difficult ball, but in the end have to use his hand.
10:04By Ivanov, who's having a sound game.
10:11Kiriakov.
10:15Stoichkov wants it played into the box early, but he's offside.
10:18I don't think there was any dispute about that decision, but inevitably he will dispute it.
10:31Well, he's got his hand up looking for it.
10:33Makes the run and as the ball is played there, he looks to me as if he's onside, Alan.
10:38He looked to me certainly level.
10:40He may even just be an inch or two onside.
10:42That was a wonderful goal.
10:46Stoichkov has scored some spectacular goals from three kicks down the years.
10:49It looks a difficult angle, this.
10:51But he might fancy a crack anyway.
10:55They pack the penalty area with options.
10:59Stoichkov drives it in hard and low.
11:01Lechkov gets under the loose ball.
11:03A great save.
11:06Zubi Zareta to Spain's rescue then.
11:09We must have seen that really late.
11:12Even off, pumps it straight back in again.
11:20And Panev was offside.
11:24Well, it was a dangerous free kick.
11:31Jankov with the clearance.
11:32A hit and hope one.
11:35Now Stoichkov.
11:38Kostadinov and Letikov in a good position.
11:40Kostadinov with a chance here.
11:42Penalty.
11:51Zubi Zareta protests that it was a dive.
11:53The referee, well placed.
11:55Had no hesitation.
11:57Ian.
11:58Well, we'll soon see if it was a dive.
11:59It was a terrific ball in the first place.
12:01Beautiful ball.
12:02He got the break.
12:03It hit his chest.
12:03And I don't think really.
12:05I think he'd miscontrolled the ball, Alan, and he just fell down.
12:08Watch this.
12:09Watch Sergei.
12:09Did Sergei foul him at all?
12:12I don't think so.
12:13I think it was just he had to be there.
12:15His presence was there behind him.
12:16And I think he just stumbled and fell because he didn't control the ball.
12:22Christo Stoichkov steps up.
12:25And Bulgaria possibly seconds away from scoring their first goal of the championships.
12:30They've got it.
12:36Courtesy of the post.
12:38And Stoichkov, top scorer for Bulgaria in the qualifiers with ten goals.
12:52And top scorer in the World Cup two years ago is off the mark again.
12:58Well, he couldn't have placed it any further away from the goalkeeper, goody.
13:01On the inside of the Porsche 11.
13:03I mean, he has a cool customer.
13:04Two games played, or one and a bit anyway, in these championships.
13:14And two penalties, both converted.
13:18Echelmatz for Switzerland at Manbury yesterday.
13:22And now Stoichkov here at Ellen Road today.
13:24And Bulgaria, perhaps rather unfortunate in terms of Spain's view of the goal, are in front.
13:33And arguably don't really deserve to be there.
13:38Ian, what do you think?
13:39Well, that was my impression of it.
13:42But, you know, it was always on the cards that they might get a goal here.
13:45Because they've played a lot better in the second half.
13:49Now Amaviska.
13:50It's for Pizzi in the centre.
13:52And Arado's giving it away.
14:02He don't let's cough.
14:03Kostadinov had to hold his run or he would have been offside.
14:08Kostadinov will play the key card in the attack, of course, that brought him out.
14:12The penalty.
14:13You know what's going to happen here.
14:17Spain will be pushing forward.
14:18The Bulgarians will look to catch him on the road here.
14:21And, you know, I think we've got some exciting times ahead.
14:24It's certainly been the pattern of the game from a very early stage, that.
14:27With Spain doing most of the attacking.
14:29But Bulgaria always looking dangerous.
14:32Spain have got a free kick.
14:33And Yerro can hit the ball just as spectacularly as Ivanov.
14:45Meanwhile, he's got a little discussion going on with Stoichkov, who inevitably had to be involved somewhere.
14:50I mean, what does Stoichkov do to stand with a yard from the ball?
14:54You know, you've got to get back to ten yards.
14:57Now, Yerro's well capable of scoring here.
15:00It looks a long way out.
15:01It's not the best of angles, perhaps.
15:03But this fellow possesses a tremendous shot, if that's his option.
15:10And it is.
15:11And it was a good save by Mikhailov.
15:14That was on its way into the corner.
15:21And the Reading goalkeeper saves Bulgaria from conceding an equaliser so soon after they've gone in front.
15:28Now then, just the threat that you were talking about, Ian, as Kostadinov comes forward.
15:35Well, bound by Sergi.
15:37And Sergi believes that Kostadinov is cheating with some of these challenges.
15:43Never reached 100.
15:44Well, here's the save he made as well.
15:47And it was a terrific save.
15:48You know, to go up full stretch for that one.
15:50Oh, well played, Sergi.
15:57Drives it in hard and low.
16:00Luis Enrique gets there.
16:01Yerro's shot.
16:02Brilliant effort.
16:04And another magnificent save by Mikhailov.
16:06Well, the goalkeeper's earned in his corner this afternoon.
16:15That was another great save, wasn't it?
16:17I mean, Yerro's terrific strike of the ball from that distance.
16:20And the keeper, I mean, straight enough at him, mind you.
16:22But he got up there and got his fingers to it.
16:25Knocked it over the top.
16:25And Jankov, under pressure, has given it away to Pizzi.
16:35Danger here, surely, as Caminero goes forward.
16:38The referee has a long look at it.
16:41And he looked at the linesman.
16:42The linesman kept his flag down.
16:44He didn't indicate that the foul was committed inside the box.
16:48So he's given a free kick on the edge of the box.
16:51And a red card.
16:52He's given a red card, too.
16:53Well, a strange decision by the referee, that one.
17:00He must have decided that as Hukchev was the last defender,
17:05he therefore prevented an obvious goal-scoring opportunity.
17:09And Hukchev has the dubious distinction
17:11of being the first player in these championships to be dismissed.
17:16A red card for him.
17:18And apart from anything else,
17:19it means he won't be able to play in the second match.
17:21But it could be worse still for Bulgaria
17:24because, obviously, this is well within range
17:27for a shot now from Jero.
17:33Bulgarians, meantime,
17:35are making a voluntary substitution.
17:39Taking Kiriakov.
17:43Kiriakov, who's been outstanding today.
17:45I don't think he's given a bad ball
17:47and he's done so well for the team.
17:50And Svetanov will come on in his place.
17:55Svetanov, a left-back,
17:57who plays in Germany for Volkov-Mannheim.
18:00And his first job will be to defend this free kick,
18:06which is a definite goal-scoring opportunity for Spain.
18:19Meantime, Bulgaria trying to make another change.
18:22And, indeed, Spain are trying to bring a substitute on as well.
18:25That's why we've had this long delay
18:28before the free kick is taken.
18:33Kostadinov wants to come off.
18:36But it's a Spanish substitution that's going to be made first.
18:38Amor will be replaced by Alfonso.
18:40And Yordinov will come on
18:50for Kostadinov for Bulgaria.
18:53This new electronic device
18:55is supposed to speed up the substitutions.
18:57To me, it seems to slow everything down.
19:00Anyway, Yordinov is on.
19:02And, at last, Spain will be able to take their free kick.
19:05So, can Iero here get this one on target
19:10and possibly bring Spain level?
19:15Bulgaria now down to ten men.
19:22The wall did its job.
19:24Sergi bashes it back in
19:26and it's a deflection that's taken it in.
19:31I think it was the substitute wasn't as good.
19:34The most amazing goal.
19:41Because, frankly,
19:43I think the goalscorer knew nothing about it.
19:47Sergi with the initial shot.
19:51And the little deflection
19:52just took it behind
19:54and away from Mikhailov.
19:56And Spain have an equaliser
19:58in the most unusual and unexpected manner.
20:01Ian?
20:02I think it just redirected the ball, Alan.
20:04Just put his foot to it
20:05and flew into the net.
20:09So, it's 1-1.
20:12The free kick was always going to be dangerous
20:14but having hit the wall with it, you know.
20:16Spain really did well
20:17then got the second shot
20:18and getting that deflection.
20:20And with 15 minutes to go,
20:22this game could go either way again here.
20:25Bulgaria now reduced to ten men, remember.
20:27Sergi.
20:35Hierro carries it forward
20:36and suddenly the onus is again with the Spanish.
20:42Now Lechkamp.
20:44And a foul there on Kitschyshev.
20:47And the referee's going to produce another card here.
20:50And it's a red.
20:52Pizzi is dismissed.
20:53It's all happening here.
21:01Well, it makes you think
21:02what would have happened
21:02if there had been a couple of goals early in this game.
21:05I mean, it's all happening.
21:09I didn't think that was a foul word of sending off.
21:12He just slid down on the ground.
21:14Nobody's injured.
21:16Watch it.
21:16He comes sliding in there.
21:17He's looking to just get his foot to it
21:19and maybe knock it out of play.
21:21He's a little shade late.
21:22Find the yellow card now.
21:24They'll never send him off for that, surely.
21:31Ivanov with a long ball forward.
21:35Balikov.
21:37Skrishkov making a run into the box for him
21:39and he's kicked him out.
21:39He's surely offside.
21:41He wasn't given offside.
21:44I don't believe that.
21:45I mean, surely that one was offside.
21:47I mean, I disagreed with that.
21:48In the first decision
21:49when he scored a goal
21:50and was given offside,
21:51but surely there.
21:53I mean, no one didn't tell from this angle
21:54but, I mean, it was a great chance for him.
21:58Just guided away to the post
21:59but he looked miles offside.
22:00back again to Sergi.
22:10Nice to set one up for Benato
22:12and Hierro!
22:14Another magnificent effort!
22:16Amaviska
22:16couldn't get the rebound on target.
22:19Hierro is the unluckiest man on that pitch.
22:22not to have his name on the score sheet today.
22:25But here's Lechkov for Bulgaria.
22:28Bulgaria
22:28holding off Donato.
22:30Brilliantly, Stoichkov now.
22:31Stoichkov now.
22:32Stoichkov now.
22:36Yankov.
22:39Korimirov to one side.
22:40Stoichkov makes another good run down the centre.
22:42and Zulizareta got there inches ahead of him.
22:47Seven minutes to go.
22:49And this game now
22:51really in the balance
22:53swinging from one end to the other
22:54and impossible to guess
22:56which way it will finish.
22:57Amaviska.
22:59Amaviska.
23:03Hierro.
23:08Sué.
23:09This is Luis Enrique.
23:14El Sué's cross.
23:17Now Lechkov for Bulgaria.
23:24I think this is a case now Alan
23:25of the fittest team winning
23:27because ten of saved on this pitch, believe me, after the, you know, with only minutes to go.
23:37Amaviska, still the referee, has time to play.
23:44That's Bulgaria's throat.
23:57So, we're in the fourth minute of stoppage time, and I can't imagine there'll be very much more to be added.
24:08I think every minute is torture for these players now, isn't it?
24:14Yarrow clears his lines, perhaps one final time.
24:19A match with serious consequences in a way for both teams, who've had players dismissed,
24:23and therefore unavailable for the second game in the group, and it's all over now.
24:27They've got to share a point, as well as the misfortune of having had players red-carded.
24:32A very dramatic, eventful, and in some ways controversial second half.
24:36Stoichkov's penalty kick, giving Bulgaria the lead.
24:39Then on came the substitute, Alfonso, and after two long-range efforts from Yarrow and Sergi,
24:45he was in the right place at the right time to deflect the ball home,
24:48and earn Spain a point they thoroughly deserved.
24:51Final score at Ellen Road.
24:53Spain 1, Bulgaria 1.
24:55We'll be back after this break.
24:58uu
Be the first to comment