| If there was a prize at this World Cup for the luckiest team in the tournament
then Austria would have already won it. Substitute striker Ivica Vastic's late, late
goal cancelled out Marcelo Salas' controversial effort to rescue an undeserved
1-1 draw against unfortunate Chile. For the second Group B match in a row the
Austrians scored two minutes into stoppage time at the end of the game to earn a
vital point totally against the run of play. Chile were by far the more inventive
and creative of the two sides from the onset with Austria content to sit back and
soak up the South Americans' pressure. Zamorano and Salas continued where
they had left off against Italy posing a threat to the uncompromising Austrian
back three of Schottel, Pfeffer and Feiersinger, but too often the service to the
front players was disappointing. Zamorano sent headers wide after seven and 22
minutes, but chances for Chile were few and far between despite neat build-up
play as far as the final third. Meanwhile the Austrians appeared content with the
blank scoreline and played like a side that believed they could qualify for the
second round with three draws. Herbert Prohaska made a couple of half-time
substitutions, possibly realising the nature of the task that the runners-up in the
group would face Brazil in the next round. However, his players continued in the
same vein as the first half and it was Chile who pressed the game following the
introduction of Jose Sierra for Fabian Estay in midfield. Immediately Sierra
began spraying passes forward supplying better service for the front two and
Salas should have picked out Zamorano for a simple goal only to hit his square
pass too close to Konsel in the Austria goal. Chile eventually scored the goal that
their positive play had deserved when Salas followed up from Zamorano's
header and Konsel just failed to stop the ball from crossing the line for the
second time. Then the Chilean skipper thought he had settled the contest only to
see his right-footed volley tipped superbly around the post by the Austrian
'keeper. With the fourth official having indicated three minutes of stoppage time
to play, the Austrians ventured forward on one of their rare sorties of the half
and incredibly equalised through Vastic's magnificent strike. The result was cruel
on a Chilean side who had at least attempted to play football. |
(1-0) Salas (70). Sierra's free-kick from the left was met by Zamorano's mighty leap and downward header which
Konsel managed superbly to keep out, however Salas followed up to knee the ball goalwards and
despite the 'keeper again managing to save, the ball was adjudged to have crossed the goal-line. |
(1-1) Vastic (90). Two minutes into stoppage time the substitute collected a pass from Mahlich on the edge of the area
and evaded a challenge before side-footing a superb curling right-footed effort beyond Tapia into the
top right-hand corner.
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