Playing their final Group F game in need of a haul of goals to top the section and, hopefully, avoid facing the Dutch in Toulouse on Monday, the usually-elegant Yugoslavs were reduced to scuffling for possession and a few half-chances.

Their passing was broken up and so were their team as Predrag Mijatovic, with a knee injury, limped off after 31 minutes to be followed by Dragan Stojkovic 20 minutes into the second half with an achilles tendon problem. Mijatovic will have X-rays on Friday when the injury will be diagnosed fully.

To compound matters, goalkeeper Ivica Kralj aggravated an old rib muscle strain.

A solitary early goal, from the head of defender Slobodan Komljenovic after four minutes, was all that divided the sides in the end although the Yugoslavs were obviously of a higherclass.

Unfortunately, for both Santrac's team and for the spectators, the Americans had no intention of supplying a spectacular finale before their departure.