 Senegal reached the
second round of the World Cup at their first attempt after a thrilling 3-3 draw with a battling Uruguay who fought
back from 3-0 down at half-time.
And after substitutes Richard Morales and Diego Forlan had scored - the latter brilliantly - and Alvaro Recoba levelled with a penalty, Morales missed a gilt-edged chance in injury time to complete one of the most remarkable comebacks in World Cup history with a Uruguayan winner.
Needing only a point to stay in the competition, the Africans
took no chances as they raced to a 3-0 lead. A dubious 20th-minute Khalilou Fadiga penalty and two shots
by Pape Bouba Diop had Senegal seemingly in total control.
But they had to endure a nail-biting second half as Uruguay,
playing virtually five up front, pulled one back through
Morales 18 seconds after the restart and Forlan blasted home
a superb volley for perhhaps the goal of the tournament in the 69th minute.
The African side managed to hold out and their reward for a
wonderful first round, which included a 1-0 victory over
champions France and a 1-1 draw with Denmark, is a meeting with
either Argentina, England or Sweden, who will settle group F on
Wednesday.
For Uruguay, twice winners of the competition but appearing
for the first time since 1990, it was a case of so near but yet so far.
A 2-1 defeat to Denmark and a goalless draw with 10-man
France, when they missed a bagful of chances, means that they
failed to reach the second round for only the third time in 10
tournaments.
After a cagey opening spell, the game exploded into life
after 19 minutes when Paolo Montero, Uruguay's captain and vastly
experienced Juventus centre back, mistimed a backpass to
goalkeeper Fabian Carini.
El Hadji Diouf seized on it, pushed it past Carini then went
flying over the top of the sliding goalkeeper who didn't appear
to make any contact with the Liverpool-bound forward. The penalty was duly awarded
and Fadiga slammed in it confidently.
Six minutes later Henri Camara galloped clear down the left
before picking out Pape Bouba Diop who sidefooted into the roof
of the net.
He scored his second and Senegal's third in the 38th minute
when, with the Uruguayans appealing in vain for offside, he
volleyed in another Camara cross via the bar.
Desperate Uruguay coach Victor Pua threw on Forlan and
Morales for the second half, joining first half replacement Mario
Regueiro in a virtual five-man front line and the move paid
immediate dividends.
They attacked from the restart and after Senegal goalkeeper
Tony Sylva parried a Dario Silva shot Morales pounced to pull one
back from close range.
The goal stung Uruguay into action with Alvaro Recoba once
again pulling the strings.
After a series of missed chances they pulled another back 20
minutes from time when Forlan, without a goal all season at
Manchester United, chested down a clearance and fired in a
perfect volley.
Carini kept Uruguay in it with a good save with his legs from
El Hadji Diouf and Forlan then rolled one agonisingly wide 10
minutes from time.
That and another bad miss by Silva appeared to cost them
dear, as had the misses against France.
But then Recoba equalised from the penalty spot in the 88th minute
after Morales was brought down.
But injury time, Morales produced the miss of the tournament when it looked easier to score. Lamine Diatta did superbly to block Dario Rodriguez's thunderous volley but the ball flew straight up in the air to the giant target man who was just three yards out. Somehow, unmarked, he headed wide of the gaping goal.
Senegal, runners-up in this year's African Nations Cup final,
are now able to dream of bigger things. Morales, though, will have nightmares of that miss.
Senegal
Tony Sylva, Ferdinand Coly (Habib Beye 63), Pape Malik Diop, Lamine Diatta, Omar Daf, Alassane Ndour (Amdy Faye 76), Aliou Cisse (capt), Pape Bouba Diop, Khalilou Fadiga, Henri Camara (Moussa N'Diaye 67), El-Hadji Diouf.
Goals: Fadiga 20 pen, Papa Bouba Diop 26, 38.
Uruguay
Fabian Carini, Alejandro Lembo, Gonzalo Sorondo (Mario Regueiro 32), Paolo Montero (capt), Marcelo Romero (Diego Forlan 45), Pablo Garcia, Gustavo Varela, Dario Rodriguez, Alvaro Recoba, Dario Silva, Sebastian Abreu (Richard Morales 45).
Goals: Morales 47, Forlan 69, Recoba 89 pen.
Attendance: 33,681
Referee: Jan Wegereef (Holland).
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