 Scotland
1, Romania 2 Chivu 37, Pancu 51, McFadden 57 31 March 2004 Hampden Att: 20,433
Romania offer Vogts little respite -GLENN GIBBONS AT HAMPDEN Key points "I was pleased with the passion shown by my players and we played better football, especially in the first half...You have to be fair to my team and remember that I was missing over eight players because of injury, including my leader on the pitch, Barry Ferguson." – Berti Vogts IT WASN’T exactly Wales revisited, but Scotland, predictably, provided further evidence that they are pretty much fair game for anybody these days with another reversal at Hampden Park last night. Berti Vogts’s makeshift side did not give the sparse crowd much reason to salivate - substitute James McFadden and his wonderful second-half goal apart - but it should be emphasised that, while conceding goals on either side of the interval to Christian Chivu and Daniel Pancu, they showed considerable improvement on the pathetic performance that had cost them a 4-0 defeat at the Millennium Stadium on their previous outing. It has to be said that was largely non-threatening progress, but at least a relief from embarrassment. With so much atonement for recent failures sought by those irrepressible fans who showed up, the Scots’ eagerness to impress was, for much of the time, as predictable as it was obvious. Until Chivu gave Romania the lead, there was, too, a noticeable compactness about their play, free of the raggedness that had made them such easy victims in Cardiff and Amsterdam. Vogts’s decision to deploy a three-man defence may have been providential rather than pre-conceived - his hand forced by the unavailability of a number of players - but the consequence was numerical strength in midfield which made it difficult for the Romanian playmakers to flourish.
Ganea’s most conspicuous action before the Romanians took the lead had been a delinquent challenge on John Kennedy, arriving late and going over the ball to thrust into the young Celtic defender’s knee. This occurred in the 14th minute and, after another four minutes of futile therapy in an attempt to have him ready to rejoin the fray, Kennedy was replaced by Steven Crainey on the left of the Scotland defence. If there was improvement in the general competence of the home side, however, there persisted a depressing lack of concerted aggressiveness and a palpable shortage of opportunities through the entire first half. Before Chivu’s goal, Ganea had been closer than anyone to making an impact when he received a low centre from Florentin Petre on the right and hurried the hooked shot with his right foot several feet too high. Considering what had gone before, the goal which gave the visitors the advantage was a genuine shock. Chivu, indeed, seemed to be attempting the impossible when he took a lengthy run-up to a free-kick, all of 35 yards out to the right of the Scotland goal. But the Roma defender engaged the most powerful ally of all, good luck, when his low drive was deflected by the defensive wall away to the right of Paul Gallacher. That drive, and one or two others from long range that flew yards over the bar or slew wide were at least scoring attempts that the Scots had not mustered. Their only moment of genuine menace came from a corner kick on the right by Neil McCann as early as the eighth minute.
When the Romanian coach, Anghel Iordanescu, changed his goalkeepers at the start of the second half, an easy sarcasm sprang to mind: that Bogdan Stelea, the one who remained indoors, had not thawed out after 45 minutes of inactivity. McFadden would change that for Stelea’s deputy, Bogan Lobont, soon after the Everton man replaced the struggling Kenny Miller, but not before the visitors had doubled their advantage. Crainey was rather weak in the challenge on Cernat out on the Scots’ left, allowing the midfielder to retain possession and bring the ball under control. Cernat played it back to Pancu, who moved towards the area before playing a 1-2 with Mutu. The return pass was partly blocked by Pressley, but it bounced kindly for Pancu, who waited until it reached the perfect height before right-footing a powerful volley past Gallacher from eight yards. McFadden made his presence known to the visitors literally within a few seconds of taking the field, carrying the ball deep into their territory before winning a corner kick. What he did just five minutes later vindicated all the vociferous acclaim that had greeted his appearance. Taking a forward pass from Dailly, the former Motherwell man turned and feinted past two opponents, charging into the gap that left him with only Lobont to beat. This he did with utter composure, sliding the left-foot shot to the left of the goalkeeper from about 15 yards. McFadden’s arrival was, in fact a godsend to anyone - and that would be everyone - looking for a player in dark blue who could match the wrong-footing close control of the Romanians. Even if he is inclined at times to be "novicey", McFadden’s singular talent is the kind which even accomplished international defenders such as Chivu would prefer not to have to handle. Scotland: Gallagher, Graham Alexander, Kennedy (Crainey 18),
Pressley, Gary Caldwell, Rae, Cameron, Dailly, McCann, Kenny Miller
(McFadden 51), Thompson (Crawford 64). Romania: Stelea (Lobont 45), Stoican, Iencsi, Chivu, Rat, Cernat (Soava
64), Florentin Petre, Ovidiu Petre (Mitea 45), Pancu (Danciulescu 90),
Mutu, Ganea (Cristea 82). Booked: Cernat. Referee: Jouni Hyytia (Finland). Be fair to my team, says Berti SCOTLAND manager Berti Vogts remained upbeat last night despite overseeing yet another defeat. The German insisted he was encouraged by the commitment shown by his players in the 2-1 defeat against Romania at Hampden. "I was pleased with the passion shown by my players and we played better football, especially in the first half. We were playing against a very good Romanian side. You have to be fair to my team and remember that I was missing over eight players because of injury, including my leader on the pitch, Barry Ferguson." On his decision to leave James McFadden out of the starting XI, Vogts added: "He had a bad injury at Everton and has not played a lot of matches." Romanian apology to Kennedy THE Romanian coach, Anghel Iordanescu, last night apologised for Ioan Ganea’s terrible tackle on John Kennedy early in the first half of the international match at Hampden Park. The Wolves striker went over the ball on Kennedy, forcing the young Celtic defender to go to hospital with suspected knee ligament damage, a worrying prospect for Celtic manager Martin O’Neill as his club chases honours on the European and domestic fronts. "I am sorry for this moment but I thought it was a normal tackle," Iordanescu said. Scotland manager Berti Vogts said: "I hope it’s not too bad an injury. I am sorry about that for John and for Celtic but that’s football."
Scotland had the first presentable opportunity after nine minutes when a near-post corner by Neil McCann was met by a deft flick from Steven Thompson, but the ball drifted just wide of the far post. John Kennedy's full international debut lasted less than a quarter-of-an-hour after a late challenge by Vio Ganea caught him heavily on the calf and he was replaced by his former Celtic team-mate Stephen Crainey. The opening half-hour of the game was littered with heavy challenges and fouls that disrupted the play, prohibiting any decent football. Romania's first effort on goal after 31 minutes came from Cernat, but his long-range effort failed to trouble Gallacher as it bounced wide. Moments later Ganea met Adrian Mutu's cross eight yards out but could not direct his effort on target. Romania took the lead after 37 minutes when Chivu's free kick took a deflection off the elbow of Colin Cameron, wrong-footing Gallacher as it spun into the net. The visitors were first to try their luck in the second period, but this time Ganea's shot was deflected into Gallacher's grasp. Gavin Rae drove an effort well wide before Romania doubled their lead in the 51st minute. Pancu played a neat one-two with Mutu on the edge of the box and when Pressley made a mess of his attempted interception, Pancu was able to rattle the ball past the helpless Gallacher from 10 yards. McFadden was brought on for Kenny Miller and immediately injected a sense of urgency into the Scots' play, so it was no great surprise when he brought Scotland back into the game. Picking the ball up 35 yards out, he went past Chivu before coolly slotting the ball past substitute keeper Bogdan Lobont to the delight of the home support. McFadden was unlucky to see his cross headed behind for a corner after more good work on the right, with Stevie Crawford waiting to pounce. But moments later. Gallacher had to react quickly to save at the feet of Ganea after Pancu had played him in. Then Ganea failed to connect with a cross when it looked an easy task to head into the net. McFadden floated a free kick a yard over the bar as Scotland searched in vain for an equaliser. A misplaced pass by Pressley in the closing stages let in Mutu but his bending shot curled just wide of Gallacher's post. |
The
visitors sought an outlet through the willingness of Florentin Petre and
Florin Cernat to skirmish in wide areas - on the right and left
respectively - but, apart from the occasional promising run, they were,
for the most part, unable to supply convertible service to the
always-busy Adrian Mutu and Ioan Ganea in attack. 
Played
left-footed to the near post, the ball was met by Steven Thompson and
the big Rangers striker’s backward header sent it over the bar at the
far post. The surprise at the Finnish referee sparing Ganea any kind of
punishment after his challenge on Kennedy made it rather puzzling that
he should, soon after, give Florin Cernat a yellow card for what
appeared a much milder challenge on McCann. 
James
McFadden scored Scotland's first friendly international goal at Hampden
for eight years but it was not enough to avoid defeat to Romania. The
visitors dominated possession and went ahead when Christian Chivu's free
kick was deflected past Paul Gallacher. Daniel Pancu fired in a powerful
second after a mistake by Steven Pressley. McFadden was introduced and
instantly lifted the Scots' performance and he scored a fantastic
consolation, beating Chivu before slotting the ball home.