Spain vs Slovenia - 2002 World Cup Group Match

Home: World Cup 2002: Korea-Japan Finals: 1st Round: Match Report

Sunday June 2nd, 2002

Spain Off To Good Start

Slovenia kicked-off from right to left.

3 mins - Casillas slaps away danger with his forearm... from Zahovic's corner to Knavs.

9 mins - Marko Simeunovic jumps to collect the ball before Raul is allowed a chance to header.

13 mins - Spain come into this tournament with the tag of perennial underachievers and if you look at the names on their squad sheet and the way they approach their games on the major stage you might feel they're not going to be there in Yokohama this time either.

16 mins - Slovenia haven't shown Spain the respect the Spaniards might think they deserve..... Javier De Pedro curls a free-kick over the bar...

21 mins - Spain are getting nearer with their free-kicks..... Javier De Pedro a little lower this time.... maybe it will be third time lucky.

25 mins - Zlatko Zahovic forces Casillas to pull off a flying save.....

28 mins - Again Zahovic gets away from the Spanish defenders and only has Casillas to deal with.....

33 mins - Still 0-0....

34 mins - Shot from Karic rather ambitious.... straight at the defender though....

35 mins - Raul gets close for Spain with a header. Not quite connected with properly and straight at the keeper.

40 mins - A little dissapointing that so called world class footballers can't even get their shots and free-kicks on target. Spain blow yet another chance....

43 mins - Luis Enrique wriggles into the Slovenian area.... his ball back goes nowhere....

1:0
44 mins - Slovenia lost their concentration at the back and paid the price as Luis Enrique's through ball is pushed into the path of Raul... who makes no mistake.

45 mins - Karic enters the referee's book.

Half-time: Spain 1 - Slovenia 0

50 mins - Luis Enrique slips into the Slovenia area but is squeezed out by two defenders.....

53 mins - Hierro releases Juanfran on the left.... crosses to Raul on the far post... who fires into the side netting from close range.....

56 mins - Diego Tristan.... offside..

58 mins - The best chance yet for Diego Tristan as he dummies his way way into the Slovenian box.... the final through ball blocked....

63 mins - Zahovic makes way for Acimovic.....

65 mins - Segastjan Cimirotic boked for diving in the area....

67 mins - Morientes comes on for Tristan... Raul smiles to see his Real Madrid strike partner join him.... and straight away Morientes is in on goal.....

71 mins - Casillas fists away another Slovenian drive on target....

73 mins - De Pedro tries a shot from the halfway line....

2:0
74 mins - Juan Carlos Valeron gets the second goal for Spain....

2:1
82 mins - Segastjan Cimirotic makes amends for his yellow card by getting past Puyol to score Slovenia's first World Cup finals goal.

84 mins - Milenko Acimovic gets tumbled in the area.... falls on his shoulder and doesn't get a penalty for his trouble.

87 mins - Penalty for Spain.....

3:1
88 mins - Captain Hierro makes no mistake....

90 mins - Slovenia have a free kick..... but it comes to nothing....

Final Score:
Spain 3 - Slovenia 1

Man of the Match:
Raul - Although Spain looked good as a team for once, Raul scored the goal that got them off to a bright start and was involved in a number of attacking moves.

Yellow Cards:
Juan Carlos Valeron (36 mins)
Amir Karic (45 mins)
Segastjan Cimirotic (65 mins)

The Teams

Spain:
1 Iker Casillas; 5 Carles Puyol, 6 Fernando Hierro, 20 Miguel Angel Nadal, 3 Juanfran Garcia (15 Enrique Romero - 82 mins); 21 Luis Enrique (4 Ivan Helguera - 74 mins), 8 Ruben Baraja, 11 Javier De Pedro, 17 Juan Carlos Valeron; 7 Raul, 10 Diego Tristan (9 Fernando Morientes - 67 mins).

Slovenia:
1 Marko Simeunovic; 3 Zeliko Milinovic, 5 Marinko Galic, 6 Aleksander Knavs; 7 Dzoni Novak (14 Sasa Gajser - 77 mins), 8 Ales Ceh, 11 Miran Pavin, 19 Amir Karic, 10 Zlatko Zahovic (18 Milenko Acimovic - 63 mins); 13 Mladen Rudonja, 9 Milan Osterc (21 Segastjan Cimirotic - 57 mins).

Referee: Mohamed Guezzaz