Belgium 2, Wales 0
BELGIUM scored twice in seven minutes in the second half to defeat
Wales and record their fifth successive World Cup qualifying win in
Brussels last night.
Terry Yorath's side's carefully-laid defensive plans were thrown out
of the window by a talented Belgian team who are now firm favourites to
reach the 1994 finals in the USA.
The second defeat in four games leaves Yorath's men with a hugh task
if they are not once again to be cast aside as also rans. The manager's
scheme to shackle Belgian dangerman Enzo Scifo worked for 53 minutes --
but the introduction of Luc Nilis as a half-time substitute proved
decisive.
He helped set up Lorenzo Staelens' opener in 53 minutes, and Marc
Degryse's strike five minutes later killed off the Welsh whose strikers,
Ian Rush and Dean Saunders, got little change out of a tough Belgian
defence for the entire 90 minutes.
Mark Hughes' tackle on Czerniatynski just before half-time brought
howls from the crowd for a penalty, but Danish referee Jan Damgaard
waved away the claims. But then Nilis came on for Czerniatynski and
Wales' defence was suddenly unlocked.
A minute into the second period, Nilis set up Danny Boffin for a shot
which Southall saved, but minutes later he created the breakthrough by
combining with Degryse, who knocked the ball to Staelens who volleyed
past Southall.
Five minutes later, Belgian keeper Michel Preud'homme's long kick was
missed by Kit Symons -- leaving Degryse clear to tuck the ball through
the Welsh keeper's legs for the second.
Yorath brought on Ryan Giggs and Mark Pembridge in a bid to turn the
tide but Wales never looked like scoring and, in the last minute, Marc
Wilmots should have added a third.
BELGIUM -- Preud'homme, Medved, Grun, Albert, Smidts, Staelens, Van
der Elst, Boffin, Degryse, Scifo, Czerniatynski. Substitutes -- Bodart,
Genaux, Versavel, Nilis, Wilmots.
WALES -- Southall (Everton), Phillips (Norwich), Bowen (Norwich),
Blackmore (Manchester Utd), Young (Crystal Palace), Symons (Portsmouth),
Horne (Everton, capt), Saunders (Aston Villa), Rush (Liverpool), Hughes
(Manchester Utd), Speed (Leeds). Substitutes -- Roberts (QPR), Coleman
(Crystal Palace), Melville (Oxford), Pembridge (Derby), Giggs
(Manchester United).
Referee -- J Damgaard (Denmark).
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