Soccer

On This day - June 30, 1998: Argentina boss refuses to rule out cheating against England

DOUBLE TROUBLE: England boss Glenn Hoddle chats with David Beckham and Michael Owen during a training session in St Etienne yesterday Picture: AP
DOUBLE TROUBLE: England boss Glenn Hoddle chats with David Beckham and Michael Owen during a training session in St Etienne yesterday Picture: AP DOUBLE TROUBLE: England boss Glenn Hoddle chats with David Beckham and Michael Owen during a training session in St Etienne yesterday Picture: AP

ARGENTINE boss Daniel Passarella last night refused to promise his side would not be prepared to cheat their way to World Cup victory over England.

The former World Cup winning skipper was injured on the sidelines in Mexico when Diego Maradona and his Hand of God sent England spinning out of the tournament in 1986.

Yesterday Passarella supervised a penalty box handball training routine in the Stade Geoffroy Guichard, unintentionally providing echoes of that infamous day in the Azteca.

But when he was pressed last night over whether he would give his men the green light to cheat again, Passarella did not rule it out.

“My team is made up of individuals,” said Passarella, captain of the Argentine side that won the trophy on home soil in 1978.

“All the players have to decide such things for themselves.”

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OLIVER Bierhoff claims he is becoming the star of Germany’s late, late show in a 2-1 win over Mexico.

The striker’s brilliant header sent Germany through to the quarter-finals at the expense of Mexico in Montpellier yesterday – and he also scored late in the 2-2 draw against Yugoslavia.

Bierhoff said: “It must just be instinct that I have – I always seem to get the late goals.

“But you must also give credit to Jurgen Klinsmann for the equaliser. Mexico played well but in the end we deserved to win – we had many more chances than they did and over the 90 minutes I think we were the better team.

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GEOFFREY McGonigle has been left tossing talents between Derry’s hurling and football demands following his introduction to Sunday’s Ulster football championship semi-final.

The Dungiven star however is standing by his word and will offer his immediate commitment to the cause of Oak Leaf hurling as Derry prepare for Sunday’s Ulster final against Antrim.

One of a catalogue of match-winning characters in Derry’s Ulster hurling championship semi-final dethroning of champions Down, McGonigle was then called upon by county football boss Brian Mullins.

It came as a surprise to the player to receive a football invite and an even greater one to play in the latter, yet significant, stages of Sunday’s win over Armagh.

“I have to train on Monday, Wednesday and Friday but it will be for the hurling team,” he confirmed.

“It’s been a hectic couple of weeks but I can’t wait for the hurling final. Antrim are a class act and we are most definitely the underdog.”

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DEFENDING title-holder Pete Sampras, ex-champion Richard Krajicek and two-time former runner-up Goran Ivanisevic all moved ominously into the last 16 at Wimbledon yesterday as the big-servers threatened to monopolise the tournament again.

Top seed Sampras blew away Swedish world number 17 Thomas Enqvist 6-3 7-6 7-6 in a rain-delayed third-round match he started on Friday, and has yet to drop a set in the tournament.

Ninth seed Krajicek was similarly untroubled by another potentially difficult opponent, German Nicolas Kiefer, as he came through 6-4 7-6 7-6.

And although Ivanisevic dropped the first set of his match against Czech Daniel Vacek in a tie-break, he came back to take the next three sets 7-6 6-3 6-4, serving 44 aces in the match.