Iordanescu to try out duo
Monday, October 6, 2003
Article summary
Nicolae Dica and Ianis Zicu have been called into the Romania squad to face Japan in Bucharest on Saturday.
Article body
Eight ruled out
With several players ruled out by injury, Iordanescu has included the 23-year-old FC Arges Pitesti midfield player Dica and the FC Dinamo Bucuresti forward Zicu, 20, in his 22-man squad. Cosmin Contra, Alin Stoica, Lucian Sanmartean, Marius Niculae, Florentin Dumitru, Florin Cernat and Florentin Petre are all sidelined, while goalkeeper Bogdan Stelea has club commitments with Spanish side UD Salamanca, reducing the number of available foreign-based players from 17 to 12.
Slim hopes
The game will kick off at the unusually early local time of 1pm to allow for live television coverage in Japan. However, Romanian eyes will be on Oslo and Sarajevo later in the day to learn the team's UEFA EURO 2004™ fate. Romania have completed their Group 2 fixtures and will only hold on to second place and enter the play-offs if Norway are unable to beat visitors Luxembourg and Denmark avoid defeat in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Romania squad
Lobont, Hutan, Dolha, Stoican, Iencsi, Chivu, Rat, Miu, Rada, Dorinel Munteanu, Pancu, Radoi, Soava, Codrea, Dica, Cristea, Zicu, Mutu, Ganea, Bratu, Raducanu, Mitea.
