[Europe Group B]
10 matches 9 wins 1 ties 0 loss (28 points)
| 8/31/96 | Vs. Lithuania | Win | 3-0 |
| 10/9/96 | Vs. Iceland | Win | 4-0 |
| 12/14/96 | Vs. Macedonia | Win | 3-0 |
| 3/29/97 | Vs. Liechtenstein | Win | 8-0 |
| 4/2/97 | Vs. Lithuania | Win | 1-0 |
| 4/30/97 | Vs. Ireland | Win | 1-0 |
| 8/20/97 | Vs. Macedonia | Win | 4-2 |
| 9/6/97 | Vs. Liechtenstein | Win | 8-1 |
| 9/10/97 | Vs. Iceland | Win | 4-0 |
| 10/11/97 | Vs. Ireland | Draw | 1-1 |
| Offense |
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Defense |
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| Organization |
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Experience |
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Capacity to surprise |
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After it's crushing defeat in Euro 96, Romania was thought to need to break up and rebuild its team, but it broke through the qualifiers this time with 9 wins, 1 tie, and 0 loss, proving that Romania still retained its power and could not be overlooked. In the past two World Cups, Romania tasted defeat in penalty kick contests. This means that with a little luck, the Romanians could easily have advanced into the top ranks. Will this World Cup be the Romanians' lucky third try?
The Romanians have not changed their soccer style: spectacular offensive soccer. Reigning in the midst of this soccer is the "Maradona of Eastern Europe", Hagi, who has a sixth sense on the field and who is past his peak. However, although this is his third World Cup, there is no feeling at all of decline due to age. To the contrary, in this tournament where there is no main source of originality, Hagi will be the one to display his magic as one of the world's leading fantasists. If the key player for the offense is Hagi, the key player for the entire team is Popescu. The leadership of Popesk, who until last year was the captain of Barcelona, enjoys the absolute trust of Coach Iordanescu. Also, the veteran contingent of Petrescu and others who have the experience of the World Cup in the United States under their belts is showing steady play. Furthermore, youthful prospects are developing steadily. While plain, the balance between offense and defense. If the young players and the veterans blend together well, Romania has the lineup to aim for the top ranks.
*FEDERATIA ROMANA
DE FOTBAL
[Address]
- Bdul Poligrafiei Nr.3,
- Sector 1, BUCURESTI
[Establish] 1909
*7th World Cup
(1930, 1934, 1938, 1970,
1990, 1994, 1998)
No championships |
Gheorghe HAGI
* Midfielder
The mature "Maradona of Eastern Europe" leading his team with a polished tactical eye
As the heart of the current Romanian national team, Hagi is a grand technician who judges all while acting as a coach on the field. He should be past his peak, but at Garatasarai in Turkey, he is displaying absolute leadership with no sign of fall off and seems in top form. It will be a pleasure to see again in France the kind of spark-creating play and extraordinary inspiration that he displayed in the 1994 tournament. Hagi started his career at 17, played for the famed Romanian Steaua team, then after the 1990 World Cup transferred to Real Madrid. For four seasons from 1992, he played for Brescia in Serie A. He has a wealth of experience, including playing at Barcelona after the last World Cup.
Anghel IORDANESCU
Iordanescu took over the helm in 1993 and achieved the goal of getting Romania into the World Cup. On top of that, he led the team farther in the main tournament than it had ever gone before, into the Final 8. Iordanescu was a top player with the famed Romanian Steaua team, then switched over to coaching and conquered the championship in 1986. As a player on the Romanian national team, he scored 26 goals in 64 matches. Iordanescu is a typical positive type who projects pride is maintaining the quality of "pure pro soccer" in Romanian soccer. It has already been decided that Iordanescu will become the coach of the Greek national team after the end of this World Cup.
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