Follow Greece Investment Immigration and Life in Greece: The Romanian team drew 1-1 with the Greece team in the playoff held in Bucharest on the 19th. The Romanian team lost 1-3 to Greece last week away, ultimately missing out on the World Cup.
Romania has not qualified for the World Cup for 16 years. Although pre-match opinions suggested that Romania's chances of qualifying were slim, fans still held hope for the national team. The National Stadium in Bucharest, which can accommodate over 53,000 spectators, was filled to capacity. Disappointed fans could be heard chanting for national team coach Piturca to resign.
In the 23rd minute, Greece's Kostas Mitroglou broke through, bypassed the goalkeeper, and easily scored. In the second half, Romania intensified its attack in Greece's penalty area, leading to an own goal by Greece's Vasilis Torosidis in the 55th minute, making the score 1-1.
After the match, Piturca told the media that the Romanian players performed well that day, but Romania's elimination from the World Cup had already been determined after last week's match in Greece.