Two sent off as Spaniards fight back

AFTER the sterile silence of Wembley on Saturday the colour, drama and empty seats of Elland Road yesterday. The colour came mainly from the red and yellow flags of the Spanish fans and the drama from a fussy referee who booked seven players, sent two more off and awarded a penalty.

The swaths of blue seats came courtesy of a Yorkshire public priced out of admission. Why pay £45 for a seat in the main stand down the road when you can watch it all live on television? However, hopefully the match will be remembered more for an enthralling second half when the game's destiny swayed continually.

Initially, though Spain's lineup looked suspiciously defensive with only Pizzi, a recognised striker, and Javier Clemente playing Amor in midfield rather than Kiko up front. But the formation soon proved itself a fluent one and Amor a useful distributor, particularly to Guerrero lying just in front of him and Luis Enrique wide on the left.

The opening 20 minutes was conducted mainly in the Bulgarians half with Spain managing to get four or five men at a time up to support Pizzi. Kiriakov, the Bulgarian left back recently signed by Aberdeen, was particularly bothered by the system and it was from his patch that Spain should have taken the lead. Pizzi, wide on the right, fired in a bullet cross that stunned Iankov his header ballooned high and was knocked back in by Caminero to Guerrero in space, but the much coveted 22 year old fluffed his chance badly, the ball floating harmlessly over.

Twenty minutes later the Athletic Bilbao man found himself in a similar position having been released by Hierro this time. Mihailov stayed on his line and allowed Guerrero more time, perhaps too much, for Guerrero chose a wrong option in trying to find Pizzi. It was to get worse for the Bilbao midfielder as six minutes after half time he was replaced by Amavisca.

This was now Bulgaria's time. Stoichkov had a superb volley disallowed for offside in the 49th minute when he was onside but the former Barcelona striker, after a mainly defensive first half, was beginning to engineer Bulgaria's attacks. His fast flat free kick wedged under Alkorta's foot and Lechkov almost scored in the scramble.

That was followed by a raking Stoichkov pass to Kostadinov running in on goal only to go down under an uncertain challenge by Sergi. Referee Ceccarini pointed to the spot from where Stoichkov scored via a post.

It was the prelude to an incredible period. Hierro, the Spanish anchorman, with a touch of the Carlton Palmers about him - only better, brought two stretching saves from Mihailov from long range.

Spain were urgently searching for an equaliser and Pizzi dropped deep where he won a vital ball in midfield. He slipped it to Caminero who reached the edge of the penalty area before being pulled down by Houbchev. The referee looked to his linesman for guidance but found none and finally decided to give a free kick, although he sent Houbchev off for good measure.

Hierro was poised to strike the dead ball but had to wait while three substitutions were made. Of these, the decision to bring on Alfonso for Amor was the most significant as Hierro's free kick fell to Sergi whose shot was diverted under Mihailov by Alfonso. It was his first touch.

Pizzi was then sent off for a lunge on Kishichev and misses the France game, and either team could have nicked it in the 10 aside version. But Mihailov saved again from Hierro and Stoichkov put a header inches wide.

The dismissed pair were the first to be sent off in 12 years of European Championship finals and the seventh and eighth ever. England's Alan Mullary was the first to be given the red card in 1968.