Sport

Back in the day - July 9 1998: Seeing red (21 times, including Beckham) at France '98

David Beckham is shown the red card during the England v Argentina clash at the France '98 World Cup
David Beckham is shown the red card during the England v Argentina clash at the France '98 World Cup David Beckham is shown the red card during the England v Argentina clash at the France '98 World Cup

RED card rage has marred France 98, just as the experts warned it would when FIFA announced a clampdown in the run-up to the World Cup.

The opening games of the tournament passed peaceably enough until FIFA’s top brass announced they were not seeing enough card-happy referees.

That sparked a flurry of sendings off, with two games in one day providing an incredible five red cards, as the officials proved as anxious to stay in the tournament as any of the competing nations.

But arguably the most unfortunate card came as France reached their first World Cup final with a 2-1 win over Croatia at Saint-Denis on Wednesday night.

Few players have provided their country with such sterling service as Laurent Blanc, the 32-year-old Marseille defender who has been a rock at the heart of stern French resistance under coach Aime Jacquet.

One goal conceded in open play so far in this tournament, to Davor Suker, bears testimony to Blanc’s partnership with Chelsea-bound Marcel Desailly.

How sad then that his wily skills will be missing when the hosts take on Brazil at the Stade de France on Sunday, after he was sent off against Croatia.

With two games remaining, the red card tally stands at a record-breaking 21 and FIFA stands accused of creating fastidious rules that players have learned to manipulate.

David Beckham is just one of the players who have seen the red card shown in their direction so far during the World Cup

But Beckham had to go when, lying face down on the ground after a cynical challenge from Diego Simeone, he stuck out his leg in frustration in the direction of the Argentinian midfielder in the June 30 clash.

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IRELAND’S senior boxers round off the 1997/98 season with two international matches against France this weekend beginning tonight at the National Stadium in Dublin. (7.30 start) Ulster teenagers Jim Rooney (Star) and Paul McCloskey (St Canice’s, Dungiven) are included in the Irish team along with World championship semi-finalist, Steven Kirk.

But at just 17 Dublin bantam Bernard Dunne (CIE) is the ‘baby’ of the home side. Son of Ireland’s first ever light flyweight champion Brendan, young Dunne has already the priceless experience of a European senior campaign in Belarus behind him this year.

Tipped for amateur stardom ever since he first burst through to the All-Ireland juvenile title, boxing’s top brass will be hard pushed to keep him in an Irish vest until the Sydney Olympics.

Tonight he meets Mehdi Siouane, aged 18 and runner-up in the French championships in Paris this year.

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SONIA O’Sullivan, who was expected to be a leading contender in the high money stakes, at the Grand Prix meeting in Oslo last night failed to perform as well as had been hoped.

The Cork woman, who recently set a world two miles best, finished only third in 4:03.58 as Svetlana Masterkova, Russia’s Olympic 800/1500 gold medallist in only her second race since an achilles surgery operation last autumn, won in an impressive 4:01.37.