ATWC : GROUP A

 The group, the schedule, the stadiums, the squads, the games (please click on the pictures for a better view).

THE GAMES

DAY 1 : 

DENMARK - TUNISIA at Ion Oblemenco Stadium, Craiova, Romania (capacity 30.900)

DENMARK - TUNISIA 0 - 0

Zzzzzzz... after a nice opening game, we've been (already) cooled down. Where was the "Danish Dynamite", where were the "Eagles of Carthage's" claws ? Not that bad of a 0-0 though. But we're now crossing fingers for the next game of Group A (Uruguay against Bulgaria) raises a bit the level.

Yellow cards : Helveg (25'), Sassi (38'), Trabelsi (58'), Bouazizi (72').

Man of the Match : the most active player on the pitch thus the most in view, Hatem Trabelsi, wins the "MotM" trophy. He's been vital for Tunisia don't loose track of their goal in this match : not to lose (a minima).

On the Danish side, the one who was the most in view was Allan Simonsen, who was appearing there only for the second time in a World Cup game.

RATINGS :

Denmark :

P. Schmeichel 5,5 - Sivebaek 5 - Helveg 5 - M. Olsen 5,5 - Lerby 5 - Bertelsen 5 - Middleboe 5 - Simonsen 5,5 - M. Laudrup 5 - Praest 5 (J. Olsen 69') - Elkjaer 4 (John Hansen 81'). Tot. : 55,5.

Tunisia :

Attouga 5,5 - Trabelsi 6 - Jaïdi 5,5 - Badra 5,5 - Berrekhissa 5 - Skhiri 5,5 - Sassi 4,5 (Bouazizi 60') - Khazri 4,5 - Dhiab 4,5 - Temime 5 (Msakni 70') - Santos 4 (Sellimi 80'). Tot. : 55,5.

URUGUAY - BULGARIA  at Prater/ Ernst Happel Stadium, Wien, Austria (capacity 53.000)

URUGUAY - BULGARIA : 1 - 1

A match of more action than Denmark vs. Tunisia with 1 goal for each side but another draw game. With even more rawness, too. Every teams are ex-aequo after this first matchday, in Group A.

Given the result of the match, the tactical choice of the Uruguayan staff was much criticized in Montevideo.

GOALS (Suarez, Stoichkov fk)

36' : Valverde sends an aerial cross to Cavani. Intelligently, the latter chose to bring down the ball in the path of Suarez, who leaves no chance to Mikhaïlov and scores.

72' : Stoichkov with a free-kick. With the left foot, obviously. Mazurkiewicz tried hard to save it, but it was hopeless.

Yellow cards : D. Penev (20'), Valverde (85').

Man of the Match : Stoichkov did not weigh enough on the game before his (splendid) free-kick to be awarded "MotM". Santamaria impressed both defensively, alternatively against Asparuhov and against Bonev, and by his capacity to always find the best solution when exiting the ball from his back position. 

RATINGS

Uruguay :

Mazurkiewicz 5 - Godin 6,5 - Nasazzi 5 - Santamaria 7,5 - Valverde 5,5 - JL Andrade 6 - O. Varela 5,5 - VR Andrade 6,5 - Francescoli 4,5 (Petrone 79') - Suarez 5,5 - Cavani 5,5 (Forlan 75'). Tot. : 63.

Bulgaria :

Mikhaïlov 5,5 - Kishishev 4 (Shalamanov 73') - G. Dimitrov 5 - D. Penev 5 - Ivanov 4,5 - Boskhov 5 - Letchkov 4 (S. Petrov 73') - Balakov 5 - Bonev 6 - Asparuhov 4,5 (Berbatov 82') - Stoichkov 6. Tot. : 54,5.