September
6, 1989
Belgium
3-Portugal 0
FIFA
World Cup Qualifying -Group 7
Venue: Bruxelles-Stade du
Heysel (Brussels- Heizelstadion)
Attendance: 30,000
Referee: Alexey Spirin (USSR)
Goalscorers: (Belgium): Jan Ceulemans 35th, Marc Van Der Linden 59th, 69th
(Portugal): None
Lineups:
Belgium:
1-Michel Preud'Homme (Koninklijke
Voetbalclub Mechelen) [16 / 0]
2-Eric
Gerets (Philips
Sports Vereniging Eindhoven / Holland) [75 / 2]
3-Georges
Grun (Royal Sporting Club Anderlecht)
[42 / 3]
7-Stephane
Demol (Futebol Clube do Porto / Portugal) [24 / 1]
5-Michel De Wolf (Koninklijke Vereniging Kortrijk) [23 / 0]
6-Marc
Emmers (Koninklijke Voetbalclub Mechelen) [10 / 0]
4-Franky
Vander Elst (Club Brugge Koninklijke
Vereniging) [30 / 0]
8-Bruno Versavel (Koninklijke Voetbalclub Mechelen) [7 / 0]
9-Marc Degrijse (Royal Sporting
Club Anderlecht) [17 / 6]
11-Jan Ceulemans (Club Brugge Koninklijke
Vereniging) [83 / 21]
10-Marc
Van Der Linden (Royal Sporting Club Anderlecht)
[12 / 9] (16-Luc Nilis (Royal Sporting
Club Anderlecht) [8 / 0] 76th)
Coach:
Walter Meuws
Other
Substitutes:
12-Gilbert
Bodart (Royal Standard de Liege)
13-Nico
Broeckaert (Royal Antwerp
Football Club)
14-
Patrick Vervoort (Royal Sporting Club Anderlecht)
15- Vincenzo Scifo (Association de la Jeunesse
Auxerroise / France)
Team
Captain: Jan Ceulemans
Official
Kit Supplier/Designer: Adidas
Uniform
Colors: Red Shirts, Red Shorts, Red Socks
 |
Photo
From: France Football, Issue 2282, January 2, 1990
(Belgium squad, September 6, 1989, World Cup
Qualifier, Belgium 3-Portugal 0) |
Portugal:
1-Silvino
de Almeida Louro (Sport Lisboa e Benfica)
[10 / 0]
2-João
Domingos Silva Pinto (Futebol Clube do Porto)
[31 / 1]
3-Peixoto
Goncalves Sobrinho (Racing Paris 1 / France) [6 / 0]
4-Pedro
Manuel Regateiro Venancio (Sporting Clube de Portugal-Lisboa) [7
/ 0]
5-Antonio
August da Silva Veloso (Sport Lisboa e Benfica) [21 / 0]
6-Carlos
Jorge Marques Caldas Xavier (Sporting Clube de Portugal-Lisboa) [4 / 0]
7-Vitor
Manuel da Costa Araujo ‘Paneira’ (Sport Lisboa e Benfica) [9 / 3]
(16-Jose Rui Lopes Aguas (Futebol Clube do Porto)
[9 / 0] 60th)
8-Rui
Gil Soares de Barros (Juventus Football Club –Torino /
Italy) [9 / 0]
9-Cesar
Goncalves de Brito Diarte (Sport Lisboa e Benfica) [6 / 0]
10-Paulo
Jorge dos Santos Futre (Club Atlético de Madrid / Spain) [18 / 1]
11-Antonio
Santos Ferreira André (Futebol Clube do Porto) [12 / 1]
Coach:
Julio Cernadas Pereira ‘Juca’
Booked:
Sobrinho 56th
Other
Substitutes:
12-
Adelino Augusto Barros Neno (Vitória Sport Clube- Guimarães)
13- Miguel Alberto Fernandes Marquez (Sporting Clube de Portugal-Lisboa)
13- Miguel Alberto Fernandes Marquez (Sporting Clube de Portugal-Lisboa)
14-
Jorge da Costa Ferreira (Vitória Futebol Clube-Setúbal)
15- Jaime Fernandes Magalhaes (Futebol Clube do Porto)
Team
Captain: João Domingos Silva Pinto
Official
Kit Supplier/Designer: Adidas
Uniform
Colors: White Shirts, White
Shorts, White Socks
Notes:
-Match
number 484 for Belgium and number 283 for Portugal.
-This
was the 13th meeting between the nations.
-The
previous match between the nations, as well as the previous match on Portuguese
soil, was the first Leg of this qualifier on February 15, 1989 that ended in a
(1-1) tie at Lisbon.
Belgium
players: Michel Preud'Homme, Eric Gerets, Georges Grun, Michel
De Wolf, Bruno Versavel, Marc Emmers, Stephane Demol, Marc Van Der Linden, Franky Vander Elst, Marc DeGrijse, Vincenzo Scifo, Jan Ceulemans and Gilbert Bodart and Portugal players: Silvino, Joao Pinto, Sobrinho, Veloso, Paneira,
Cesar Brito, Rui Barros and Paulo Futre were present that day (on the field
and/or the substitutes bench).
Ceulemans
and Joao Pinto were once again the respective teams’ Captains.
Marc
Van der Linden came on as a substitute for Stephane Demol in the 76th
minute.
Cesar
Brito came on a a substitute for Paneira in the 86th minute.
Stéphane
Demol was booked in that match.
Juca
managed Portugal that day, but Walter Meeuws still had not yet taken over from
Guy Thys.
Marc
Van der Linden once again scored for Belgium and Vitor Paneira scored for
Portugal.
-The
next match between the nations, as well as the next match on Belgian soil, was
a Friendly on February 23, 2000 at Charleroi that ended in a (1-1) tie.
-The
next match between the nations at Brussels and the next Portuguese away win,
would be a UEFA European Championship Qualifier on June 2, 2007 at Brussels
that Portugal won 2 to 1.
 |
Photo
From: France Football, Issue 2266, September 12, 1989
(Rui Barros and Marc De Grijse, September 6,
1989, World Cup Qualifier, Belgium 3-Portugal 0) |
-The
previous match between the nations at the same venue, as well as Belgium’s
previous win, was a UEFA European Championship Qualifier on October 17, 1979
that Belgium won (2-0).
Belgium
players: Eric Gerets and Jan Ceulemans were present that day (on
the field and/or the substitutes bench).
Belgium’s
Manager for this 1989 match, Walter Meeuws took part in that match as well.
-Portugal’s
previous win over Belgium was a Friendly on February 4, 1987 at Braga that they
won 1 to 0.
Belgium
players: Gilbert Bodart, Eric Gerets, Georges Grun, Patrick Vervoort,
Michel DeWolf,
Stephane Demol, Vincenzo Scifo, Jan Ceulemans and Michel
Preud'Homme and
Portugal player: Veloso were present that day (on the field and/or the
substitutes bench).
 |
Photo
From: World Soccer, November 1990
(Michel De Wolf and Paulo Futre, September 6,
1989, World Cup Qualifier, Belgium 3-Portugal 0) |
-Portugal’s
next win over Belgium would be a UEFA European Champiosnhip Qualifier on March
27, 2007 at Lisbon that they won 4 to 0.
-In
addition, Belgium’s Eric Gerets, Walter
Meeuws and Jan Ceulemans appeared vs. Portugal in a UEFA
European Championship Qualifier on October 11, 1978 at Lisbon that ended in a
(1-1) tie.
 |
Photo
From: Foot Magazine, Issue 103, May 1990
(Rui Barros and Marc De Grijse, September 6,
1989, World Cup Qualifier, Belgium 3-Portugal 0) |
-The
other teams in this World Cup qualifying Group, in addition to Belgium and
Portugal, were Czechoslovakia, Switzerland and Luxembourg.
Belgium
seemed set to qualify at the time of this match with both Portugal and
Czechoslovakia vying for the second qualification spot in the Group.
-Walter
Meeuws had just taken over as Belgium Manager.
On
December 26, 1987, he had been declared as successor to Guy Thys after his
retirement.
Guy
Thys retired for the first time at the end of the 1988/89 season.
 |
Photo
From: World Soccer, April 1990
(Belgium’s Stephane DeMol, September 6, 1989,
World Cup Qualifier, Belgium 3-Portugal 0) |
 |
Photo
From: Record, A Ficha completa dos 461 Jogadores Internacionais 'AA'
(September
6, 1989, World Cup Qualifier, Belgium 3-Portugal 0)
|
-Walter Meeuws’ first match in charge had been a
friendly just weeks prior on August 23rd at Brugge vs. Denmark that Belgium won
(3-0) with goals by Marc De Grijse and a double (inlcuding one penalty) by Jan
Ceulemans.
Ceulemans
broke Paul van Himst’s Belgian record of 81 International matches that day.
-The week prior to the match, Portugal had played a
friendly vs. Romania at Setubal on August 31st that ended in a scoreless tie.
-This match was critical for Belgium as a win
would just about guarantee a place in the following year’s World Cup in Italy.
There were many prominent Belgian politicians in the
stands for the occasion.
 |
Photo
From: France Football, Issue 2266, September 12, 1989
(Bruno Versavel and Rui Barros, September 6, 1989, World Cup Qualifier, Belgium
3-Portugal 0) |
-The foreign based players on the teams were Eric
Gerets, Stephene Demol and Enzo Scifo for Belgium and Paulo Futre and Rui
Barros for Portugal.
-In fact Stephen Demol played for Portugal’s FC
Porto and was playing against some of his teammates such as Joao Pinto, Antonio
Andre, Rui Aguas and Jaime Maghalaes.
-Demol
had joked that his Portuguese teammates had told him to stay in Brussels in
case Portugal lost.
 |
Photo
From: World Soccer, April 1990
(Belgium’s
Michel De Wolf, September 6, 1989, World Cup Qualifier, Belgium 3-Portugal 0)
|
-A
rumor thought to be false at the time, was that the Portuguese Manager Juca was
to be replaced in the near future by the Artur Jorge/Toni combination.
This
was denied by the Portugal’s Communications representative.
-For
Belgium, Enzo Scifo was no longer a starter and remained on the bench. He had
joined French club Auxerre that season in a move that would help resurrect his
career, but for the time being he was out of the team.
Belgium
were also missing Mechelen veteran Leo Clijsters.
 |
Photo
From: World Soccer, January 1991
(Paulo Futre and Michel De Wolf, September 6,
1989, World Cup Qualifier, Belgium 3-Portugal 0) |
-For Portugal, this was Xavier’s fourth cap only.
It was remarkable given that he had earned his first cap in 1981 and earned
another in 1982. He had earned his third only the week before on August 31st
friendly vs. Romania.
This was also Paulo Futre’s first match for
Portugal, since the fixture vs. Belgium in February.
-Portugal actually played well and were on par
with Belgium until the first goal with Futre in excellent form.
After the first goal, Belgium took full control of
match.
-In the 35th minute, Venancio tried to pass to
Paneira in midfield, his pass was intercepted by Bruno Versavel who immediately
sent Jan Ceulemans through to score.
-In
the 56th minute, Sobrinho was booked after pulling down Marc Emmers
who seemed to be able to get past him.
-Minutes
later, in the 59th minute, a Belgian corner was headed out by the
Portuguese defense. BrunoVersavel gave the ball to Michel De Wolf who passed it
to the left side to Marc De Grijse who crossed for Marc Van der Linden to head
in the second goal.
The
Portuguese had tried to play the offside trap, but De Grijse had timed his run.
-Immediately
after the second goal, Juca sent on striker Rui Aguas (replacing midfielder
Vitor Paneira).
Replacing
a midfielder with a striker left Portugal vulnerable, but they had no choice
since they needed to get a result.
-In
the 69th minute, Eric Gerets sent a long cross from the defense into
the path of Marc Van der Linden who layed it on the left side for Jan
Ceulemans, who in turn crossed it back into the center for Van der Linden to
tap in into an empty net (after Ceulemans’ cross had pulled Silvino out of
position).
-With
less than a quarter hour remaining, Meeuws sent on Luc Nilis to replace his
fellow Anderlecht teammate and two-goal hero Marc Van Der Linden to close out
the match.
 |
Photo
From: France Football, Issue 2266, September 12, 1989
(Marc vanderlinden, Michel De Wolf, Jan
Ceulemans and Bruno Vesravel celebrating, September 6, 1989, World Cup
Qualifier, Belgium 3-Portugal 0) |
-Afterwards
a disappointed Paulo Futre told Portuguese Magazine ‘A Bola’ that ‘I am ashamed
to return to Madrid and explain to my friends how we lost’.
-Belgium
Manager Walter Meeuws told the press: ‘I counted on this result, we did not
even have to score three goals’.
-Belgium
finished off their qualification matches in the next month by earning ties vs.
Switzerland (at Basel on October 11th, 1989, 2-2 tie) and a
disappointing home tie with Luxembourg (at Heysel, 1-1 tie) on October 25th,
1989.
-Strangely,
five out of Portugal’s eight qualifiers had been scheduled for this Fall of
1989.
Apart
for this match vs. Belgium, the rest of qualifiers were as follows:
September
20, 1989 at Neuchatel, Switzerland 1-Portugal 2.
October
6, 1989 at Prague, Czechoslovakia 2-Portugal 1.
October
11, 1989 at Saarbrücken, Luxembourg 0-Portugal 3.
November
15, 1989 at Lisbon, Portugal 0-Czechoslovakia 0.
-Paulo
Futre would be sent off in the October 6th vs. Czechoslovakia. On
October 10, 1989, FIFA suspended him for two matches.
-Sobrinho
would get two more caps only, the match on October 6th vs.
Czechoslovakia would be his last.
-In
the end, this loss vs. Belgium was too much to overcome and Czechoslovakia won
the second qualifying spot in the Group.
-Despite
initial denials, on January 4th , 1990, Coaches Arthur Jorge of Porto
and Toni, the Assistant Coach of Benfica, were appointed as Portugal’s National
Team Managers.
-Enzo
Scifo would continue to be sidelined by Meeuws. It appeared that he had
jeopardized his National Team future when in January 1990, he left a National
Team camp upon learning that he would not be playing.
Meeuws
handling of the team would be questioned, such as announcing that he had
already had eight out of the eleven starters decided. Many prospective players
with a chance felt disappointed.
The
National team’s displays also deteriorated in the coming months.
The
Federation finally sacked Meeuws on March 1st, 1990.
Guy
Thys would be re-instated and remain in charge until Spring 1991.
Enzo
Scifo would slowly regain his form and become a regular once more by the time
of the World Cup.
-Belgium’s
Marc De Grijse and Marc Van Der Linden had joined Anderlecht that summer as a
part of double signing intent on regaining the League title.
-Belgium’s Eric Gerets and Portugal’s Paulo Futre
were past and future AC Milan players.
-Rui Aguas was one of the rare players who lined
up for both Portuguese giants Benfica and Porto.
He had joined Porto in 1988 from Benfica. He would
rejoin Benfica in 1990.
His father Jose Aguas earned his last cap in a
friedly vs. Belgium at Lisbon on May 17, 1962 (1-2 Belgium win).
-Paulo Futre would also line up for both Porto and
Benfica (in 1993) and actually lined up for the big three (Sporting, Porto and
Benfica).
-Eric Gerets, Michel Preud’homme and Belgian
Manager Water Meeuws were involved in the Standard Liege/Waterschei scandal in
1984 that had led to their suspensions.
-
Cesar Brito had just returned to Benfica that season after a two season loan to
Portimonense.
-Paulo
Futre, Joao Pinto, Antonio Andre, Jaime Maghalaes won the Champions Cup with
Porto in 1987.
Eric
Gerets won the same trophy with PSV Eindhoven in 1988.
In
fact, Joao Pinto and Gerets captained the winning sides.
-Eric
Gerets won the Champions Cup trophy vs. Benfica. Silvino, Verloso and Aguas
played for Benfica that day.
-Benfica
also reached the Champions Cup Final at the end of that season and lost once
again (this time vs. AC Milan at Vienna (0-1) on May 23, 1990).
-Belgium
goalkeeper Michel Preud’homme would join Benfica in 1994.
 |
Photo
From: France Football, Issue 2282, January 2, 1990
(Belgium goalkeeper Michel Preud’homme
celebrating, September 6, 1989, World Cup Qualifier, Belgium 3-Portugal 0) |
-Rui
Barros won the UEFA Cup and Coppa Italia with Juventus at the end of that
season.
He
would join France’s AS Monaco at the end of the season.
-Belgium’s
Georges Grun joined Italy’s Parma the following season.
-Michel
Preud’homme, Marc Emmers and Bruno Versavel had been Belgian Champions with
Mechelen, the previous season.
Jan
Ceulemans and Franky van der Elst would be triumphant at the end of that season
with Club Brugge.
-Georges
Grun, Marc De Grijse, Marc Van Der Linden and Luc Nilis reached the Cup Winners
Cup Final that season with Anderlecht but lost vs. Sampdoria (0-2).
-Porto’s
Demol, Andre, Joao Pinto, Aguas and Maghalaes won the Portuguese Championship
at the end of that season.
Benfica’s
Silvino, Veloso and Paneira had won it the previous season.
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