1998 FIFA World Cup Group H

Group H at the 1998 FIFA World Cup comprised CONMEBOL representatives Argentina, and three World Cup debutants: Croatia, competing from the UEFA confederation; Jamaica of CONCACAF; and Japan from the Asian Football Confederation.

Argentina qualified with a match to spare after they beat Japan and Jamaica with Gabriel Batistuta scoring in both games. Croatia did the same with Davor Šuker scoring in both games. Argentina then beat Croatia to take first place, while Jamaica got their first ever points in a World Cup finals tournament by beating Japan.

Standings

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1   Argentina 3 3 0 0 7 0 +7 9 Advance to knockout stage
2   Croatia 3 2 0 1 4 2 +2 6
3   Jamaica 3 1 0 2 3 9 −6 3
4   Japan 3 0 0 3 1 4 −3 0
Source: FIFA

Matches

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Argentina vs Japan

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Argentina  1–0  Japan
Batistuta   28' Report
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Argentina
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Japan
GK 1 Carlos Roa
RB 14 Nelson Vivas
CB 2 Roberto Ayala
CB 6 Roberto Sensini   72'
LB 22 Javier Zanetti
DM 5 Matías Almeyda
CM 8 Diego Simeone (c)
CM 11 Juan Sebastián Verón
AM 10 Ariel Ortega
CF 7 Claudio López   61'
CF 9 Gabriel Batistuta
Substitutions:
FW 18 Abel Balbo   61'
DF 3 José Chamot   72'
Manager:
Daniel Passarella
GK 20 Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi
CB 17 Yutaka Akita
CB 4 Masami Ihara (c)   26'
CB 19 Eisuke Nakanishi   67'
RM 2 Akira Narahashi
CM 6 Motohiro Yamaguchi
CM 10 Hiroshi Nanami
LM 3 Naoki Soma   84'
AM 8 Hidetoshi Nakata
CF 9 Masashi Nakayama   65'
CF 18 Shoji Jo
Substitutions:
FW 12 Wagner Lopes   65'
MF 22 Takashi Hirano   90+2'   84'
Manager:
Takeshi Okada

Assistant referees:
Marc Van den Broeck (Belgium)
Eddie Foley (Republic of Ireland)
Fourth official:
Ryszard Wójcik (Polish)

Jamaica vs Croatia

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To date, this is the last match in which both sides were playing their first ever FIFA World Cup fixture. It was the first time it had happened since 1974, when East Germany played Australia.

Jamaica  1–3  Croatia
Earle   45' Report Stanić   27'
Prosinečki   53'
Šuker   69'
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Jamaica
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Croatia
GK 1 Warren Barrett (c)
CB 19 Frank Sinclair
CB 7 Peter Cargill   69'
CB 5 Ian Goodison
RM 6 Fitzroy Simpson
CM 11 Theodore Whitmore
CM 16 Robbie Earle   74'
LM 15 Ricardo Gardner
RF 18 Deon Burton   62'
CF 17 Onandi Lowe
LF 22 Paul Hall   81'
Substitutions:
MF 20 Darryl Powell   69'
FW 9 Andrew Williams   74'
FW 10 Walter Boyd   81'
Manager:
  René Simões
GK 1 Dražen Ladić
CB 6 Slaven Bilić
CB 14 Zvonimir Soldo   5'
CB 4 Igor Štimac
RWB 20 Dario Šimić   59'   74'
LWB 17 Robert Jarni
CM 8 Robert Prosinečki
CM 7 Aljoša Asanović
AM 10 Zvonimir Boban (c)
CF 13 Mario Stanić
CF 9 Davor Šuker
Substitutions:
FW 19 Goran Vlaović   74'
Manager:
Miroslav Blažević

Assistant referees:
Nicolae Grigorescu (Romania)
Jacques Poudevigne (France)
Fourth official:
Bernd Heynemann (Germany)

Japan vs Croatia

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Japan  0–1  Croatia
Report Šuker   77'
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Japan
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Croatia
GK 20 Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi
CB 17 Yutaka Akita   89'
CB 4 Masami Ihara (c)
CB 19 Eisuke Nakanishi   70'
RM 2 Akira Narahashi   79'
CM 6 Motohiro Yamaguchi
CM 10 Hiroshi Nanami   41'   84'
LM 3 Naoki Soma
AM 8 Hidetoshi Nakata
CF 9 Masashi Nakayama   61'
CF 18 Shoji Jo
Substitutions:
FW 14 Masayuki Okano   61'
MF 15 Hiroaki Morishima   79'
FW 12 Wagner Lopes   84'
Manager:
Takeshi Okada
GK 1 Dražen Ladić
CB 6 Slaven Bilić
CB 14 Zvonimir Soldo
CB 4 Igor Štimac   46'
RWB 20 Dario Šimić
LWB 17 Robert Jarni
DM 21 Krunoslav Jurčić
CM 8 Robert Prosinečki   26'   67'
CM 7 Aljoša Asanović
CF 13 Mario Stanić   70'   88'
CF 9 Davor Šuker (c)
Substitutions:
FW 19 Goran Vlaović   46'
MF 11 Silvio Marić   67'
DF 15 Igor Tudor   88'
Manager:
Miroslav Blažević

Assistant referees:
Marere Gonzales (Trinidad and Tobago)
Achmat Salie (South Africa)
Fourth official:
Gunter Benko (Austria)

Argentina vs Jamaica

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Argentina  5–0  Jamaica
Ortega   31', 55'
Batistuta   73', 78', 83' (pen.)
Report
Attendance: 45,500
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Argentina
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Jamaica
GK 1 Carlos Roa
RB 22 Javier Zanetti
CB 2 Roberto Ayala
CB 6 Roberto Sensini   25'
LB 3 José Chamot   65'
DM 5 Matías Almeyda
CM 8 Diego Simeone (c)   80'
CM 11 Juan Sebastián Verón
AM 10 Ariel Ortega
CF 7 Claudio López   75'
CF 9 Gabriel Batistuta
Substitutions:
DF 14 Nelson Vivas   25'
MF 20 Marcelo Gallardo   75'
DF 4 Mauricio Pineda   80'
Manager:
Daniel Passarella
GK 1 Warren Barrett (c)
DF 2 Stephen Malcolm   62'
DF 3 Chris Dawes
DF 5 Ian Goodison
MF 6 Fitzroy Simpson
MF 11 Theodore Whitmore   73'
DF 15 Ricardo Gardner
FW 18 Deon Burton   46'
DF 19 Frank Sinclair
MF 20 Darryl Powell   4'   45+1'
FW 22 Paul Hall
Substitutions:
DF 7 Peter Cargill   88'   46'
FW 10 Walter Boyd   62'
MF 16 Robbie Earle   73'
Manager:
  René Simões

Assistant referees:
Mikael Nilsson (Sweden)
Gennaro Mazzei (Italy)
Fourth official:
Pierluigi Collina (Italy)

Argentina vs Croatia

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Argentina  1–0  Croatia
Pineda   36' Report
Attendance: 31,800
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Argentina
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Croatia
GK 1 Carlos Roa
RB 14 Nelson Vivas   68'
CB 2 Roberto Ayala   35'
CB 13 Pablo Paz
LB 4 Mauricio Pineda
DM 22 Javier Zanetti   67'
DM 5 Matías Almeyda
CM 11 Juan Sebastián Verón
AM 10 Ariel Ortega   23'   52'
AM 20 Marcelo Gallardo   80'
CF 9 Gabriel Batistuta (c)
Substitutions:
FW 7 Claudio López   52'
MF 8 Diego Simeone   67'
MF 16 Sergio Berti   80'
Manager:
Daniel Passarella
GK 1 Dražen Ladić
CB 20 Dario Šimić
CB 6 Slaven Bilić   20'
CB 14 Zvonimir Soldo   43'
RWB 11 Silvio Marić   46'
LWB 17 Robert Jarni   58'
CM 8 Robert Prosinečki   67'
CM 7 Aljoša Asanović
AM 10 Zvonimir Boban (c)   47'
CF 13 Mario Stanić
CF 9 Davor Šuker
Substitutions:
FW 19 Goran Vlaović   46'
DF 4 Igor Štimac   67'
Manager:
Miroslav Blažević

Assistant referees:
Aristidis Chris Soldatos (South Africa)
Mohamed Mansri (Tunisia)
Fourth official:
An-Yan Lim Kee Chong (Mauritius)

Japan vs Jamaica

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Japan  1–2  Jamaica
Nakayama   74' Report Whitmore   39', 54'
Attendance: 39,100
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Japan
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Jamaica
GK 20 Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi
CB 17 Yutaka Akita
CB 4 Masami Ihara (c)
CB 5 Norio Omura   58'
RM 2 Akira Narahashi
CM 6 Motohiro Yamaguchi   4'
CM 10 Hiroshi Nanami   78'
LM 3 Naoki Soma
AM 8 Hidetoshi Nakata
CF 9 Masashi Nakayama
CF 18 Shoji Jo   58'
Substitutions:
FW 12 Wagner Lopes   58'
MF 22 Takashi Hirano   58'
MF 11 Shinji Ono   78'
Manager:
Takeshi Okada
GK 13 Aaron Lawrence
DF 2 Stephen Malcolm   78'
DF 3 Chris Dawes   88'
DF 5 Ian Goodison (c)
MF 6 Fitzroy Simpson   89'
FW 8 Marcus Gayle   80'
MF 11 Theodore Whitmore
DF 15 Ricardo Gardner
FW 17 Onandi Lowe
DF 19 Frank Sinclair
FW 22 Paul Hall   72'
Substitutions:
FW 10 Walter Boyd   72'
FW 18 Deon Burton   80'
MF 16 Robbie Earle   89'
Manager:
  René Simões

Assistant referees:
Evžen Amler (Czech Republic)
Dramane Danté (Mali)
Fourth official:
Hugh Dallas (Scotland)

See also

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