Football: Italy forced to play game of Russian roulette
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Your support makes all the difference.The price Italy must pay for failing to win in Rome on Saturday is a two-leg play-off against Russia for the right to join England and Scotland at the World Cup finals. The Republic of Ireland face what might be an easier task, against Belgium. Rupert Metcalf looks ahead to the last laps of the long road to France.
"Russia, along with Croatia and Yugoslavia, were one of the three teams that I did not want to have to face. So I can't say it went well." Those were the words yesterday of Paolo Maldini, the captain of Italy, after the draw in Zurich for the home-and-away play-offs which will conclude the footballing marathon that has been the European qualifying competition for the 1998 World Cup.
The draw could have been far kinder to the Italians, and it has only added to the mood of pessimism which has afflicted the nation after England's draw in Rome on Saturday ensured that Glenn Hoddle's men reached France 98 without having to bother with the play-offs.
Italy must travel to chilly Moscow for the first leg on 29 October, where they will meet a home team keen to gain revenge for a 2-1 defeat to the Italians at last year's European Championship in England.
The Republic of Ireland will be at home for the first leg of their play- off against Belgium, at Lansdowne Road on Wednesday 29 October. Their last two meetings with the Belgians both ended in draws during the qualifying stages for the 1988 European Championship.
Frank Stapleton and Liam Brady scored in a 2-2 draw in Brussels while the return game in Dublin was a 0-0 stalemate. But Jack Charlton's team went on to qualify for the finals, where Ray Houghton's goal brought them a famous triumph against England.
Charlton's successor as the Republic's manager, Mick McCarthy, knows that he will never emerge from big Jack's shadow unless he, too, takes his team to the finals of a major tournament. He insists that the Belgians must not be under-estimated.
"Although Belgium lost both home and away to Holland, they also had a 100 per-cent record in their six games with Wales, Turkey and San Marino. They will be no soft touch," McCarthy warned - but he added: "I'm quite pleased with the draw. We didn't want to go to somewhere like Russia or the Ukraine, playing on difficult surfaces with the temperature below freezing point.
"The fact that Wales have played Belgium twice in the qualifiers means that we should be able to get a lot of homework done on them," McCarthy said. "Bobby Gould is an old mate of mine. With his assistance, we should be able to know everything about the Belgians before the first game in Dublin.
"Obviously, we need to be a little cautious in the away match but we will still be going on the attack looking for goals," McCarthy added. "Some of my players are so young they won't have any worries about playing the second leg away."
The Republic will implement the five-day rule in preparation for the first leg. That could rule a number of Irish players out of important Premiership and First Division games. "We need the full five days' preparation. On this occasion there will be no exceptions to the rule. The players I want will all travel to Dublin," McCarthy vowed.
That could start a "club v country" row. The Premier League has confirmed that all fixtures on the weekend of 25, 26 and 27 October will go ahead as planned. There will be no clash of interests for the return legs on 15 or 16 November, however, as there is no Premiership programme that weekend.
The draw managed to keep the Balkan countries apart. Croatia will be at home to Ukraine in the first leg, while Yugoslavia travel to Hungary, probably the weakest of the eight, on 29 October. The Yugoslavs will be strong favourites to reach France but Croatia face a tough task against a rapidly improving Ukraine side based on Dynamo Kiev's talented club squad.
the draw
World Cup European play-offs
Croatia v Ukraine
Hungary v Yugoslavia
Republic of Ireland v Belgium
Russia v Italy
First-leg matches Wednesday 29 October, second legs Saturday 15 or Sunday 16 November.
If scores are level after second leg, away goals will be decisive. If scores are still level, sudden-death extra time will be played, followed by a penalty shoot-out.
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