Delaunay's dream: A World Football Timeline

[ArupinumMaivista]

1966 World Cup
"Pickles' trophy"

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Prior to the World Cup, a scandal emerged in the UK when the Jules Rimet trophy disappeared. Apparently, it was stolen, yet in the end a lone dog by the name of Pickles found it, making himself into a national hero during the buildup, along with probably getting plenty of treats. The atmosphere before the tournament, unlike in the previous World Cups, was definitely a lot more relaxed, as England was seen as an ideal host for such a tournament. The country in which football as a modern sport began was now going to host its greatest competition, and it helped that the English clubs were in their heyday, along with the Scottish. Some even suggested that it's likely the final in Wembley will see the Three Lions face off the Tartans, though others predicted the Brazilians to win their 3rd consecutive World Cup, which would've made them into record champions of the cup. Time will only tell.

Who's a good boy?

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With the news of a new group stage format being included for the 1966 World Cup, the English FA were keen on including two more venues in the tournament, with Nottingham and Leeds being added to the already planned eight venues. The qualification process itself made it so some teams would enjoy their debuts in the World Cup, as North Korea, Ghana and Portugal were all making their inaugural appearances in this edition of the tournament. While not much was expected from the likes of Norway, some saw Ghana as potential dark horses due to their impressive form in the CAF tournament, while Portugal had Eusebio - the man that had helped Benfica conquer Europe during the beginning of the decade. The Home Nations were all present, with Ireland fielding a relatively young but promising George Best in its team, while the reigning champions Of Europe saw additional stars in its squad with the likes of Bobby Lennox and Jimmy Johnstone. England, now led by Alf Ramsey, was one of the more unusual teams due to its lack of wingers, but the squad was no slouch. Despite a large number of the Busby Babes retiring in the previous years, the Three Lions now had Geoff Hurst, Gordon Banks, Bobby Charlton, Jimmy Greaves, etc.

Group 1

With the opening match occuring on England's greatest stadium - Wembley, the Three Lions got off to a relatively weak start via a draw with Uruguay. Indeed, the first two matches in the London venues were quite underwhelming, but both England and Uruguay quickly went into motion in their next bunch of matches. Roger Hunt in particular was in fine form, scoring three goals in the group phase, one against Mexico and two against France, while Uruguay played safely to finish 2nd. France, having already missed the 1962 World Cup, was once again overwhelmed, while the Mexicans weren't able to repeat their 1962 campaign.

Group 2

As one of the "Weaker" groups, Group 2 saw Ireland playing bravely along with Ghana, as the African nation finished its match with Argentina 1-2. Yet, neither the Boys in Green or the Black Stars weren't able to thoroughly challenge the Germans or the Argentines, who dominated the group. Germany, with a promising sweeper Franz Beckenbauer making the Mannschaft almost impenetrable, while Peter Ducke, Helmut Haller and Uwe Seeler provided the scoring. Argentina had finally enjoyed a comfortable group stage campaign, while George Best did impress with his dribbling and a phenomenal goal against Germany.

Group 3

The reigning champions proved to be unbeatable in their group, as the Brazilians demolished Norway, but things quickly began to go downhill in the background. Bulgaria's defenders performed brutal tackles against Pele, and it soon enough ended up with the World's greatest player being injured. This came at a right time for Scotland, as the Tartans performed a fantastic 1-1 draw with A Canarinha, before comfortably beating the Bulgarians. Norway never truly looked good in the World Cup, as the Vikings were bashed by the Brazilians and Scots, with even the Georgi Asparuhov-inspired Bulgaria achieving its first ever win in the World Cup, with Asparuhov soon being called by a certain AC Milan.

Group 4

The Soviet Union perhaps had the easiest group, as Czechoslovakia no longer had the talents of Ladislav Kubala, while Wales had John Charles to provide the scoring. Indeed, the Dragons had their best showing yet, beating Chile and drawing with Czechoslovakia. However, Wales' defeat against the Soviets proved costly, and it's the one thing that prevented the Dragons from marching on to the quarter-finals. The Chileans weren't even close to their 1962 form, having lost all three games. Meanwhile, Czechoslovakia had a hit-or-miss campaign, though they hoped things would get better under the leadership of Kubala as their manager.

Group 5

In a group that featured the country with Europe's greatest league and the Mighty Magyars - jaws collectively dropped, as Portugal dominated the group, while Italy crashed out in spectacular fashion. Things already went insane in the opening matches when Portugal demolished Hungary 3-1, while Italy suffered an embarassing defeat against the North Koreans courtesy to Pak Doo-Ik. Italy's misery only softened slightly by drawing with the Portuguese, while the Hungarians demolished the Koreans to stay in contention for the 2nd spot. Coming into the final match, both the Koreans and Hungarians had a chance to still qualify for the quarter-finals, and the former went into their match with the Portuguese flying, as Pak Seung-Zin scored in the opening minute, followed by a blitzkrieg that had North Korea leading 3-0 in the opening 25 minutes. However, Portugal recovered via the magic of Eusebio, scoring four goals until Jose Augusto finally sealed the deal for a spectacular 5-3 victory. The World Cup hadn't even reached the quarters, and it already had a candidate for the best match of the tournament, and one that wrote history as Portugal was entering the quarter-finals in its debut. Hungary meanwhile was unlucky not to enter the quarter-finals, but the goal difference was the one factor that prevented the Mighty Magyars from carrying on.

Second-placed teams:
Argentina
Scotland
Uruguay
Hungary
Wales

Not much to say other than that Ghana was simply unlucky to be paired with the Germans and Argentines, while North Korea still enjoys a respectable run despite only finishing 3rd in the Group stage. Finally, Wales has a great showing in what is almost a home World Cup for its players, but Lev Yashin's USSR proves to be impenetrable.

The upcoming matches:
Argentina v England
Brazil v Portugal
Germany v Uruguay
Scotland v Soviet Union

Kudos to @Mildtryth for nailing all but one of the results!

 

[ArupinumMaivista]

1966 World Cup
"They think it's all over"

Quarter-finals
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The quarter-finals were filled with controversy, from London to Sheffield. England as always, opened the matches at Wembley, by meeting with the Argentines. It was going to be a replay of the 1962 Group Stage encounter between the two teams, with the Albiceleste proving to be a tough nut to crack. However, emotions ran high when Antonio Rattin, who had irritated referee Rudolf Kreitlein, was sent off for "Violence of the tongue". It was an outrage, and Rattin refused to walk out of the pitch, even clenching his fist on the corner flag which featured the Saint George's Cross, thus angering the English crowd. It only took the efforts of the police to escort the furious Argentine off the pitch, leaving Argentina to fight on with 10 men. Despite the South American's best efforts, Geoff Hurst finally scored the sole goal of the match, bringing England its most controversial win yet, while the Argentine media described the match as - "The robbery of the century".

Germany wasn't any cleaner, as a blatant handball by Schnellinger was completely ignored by the referee, only to send off two of the Uruguayan players as they protested the decision. With Uruguay left to defend with 9 men, Germany had an easy time walking all over the Uruguayans, with a young Franz Beckenbauer scoring in the 70th minute. Scotland and the Soviet Union provided the most tactical match of the tournament, as the Reds relied on interventions from Lev Yashin, as he prevented many of Scotland's chances to take the lead. The Tartans defended gallantly, mostly playing slow and avoiding any risks, while Denis Law was on the move to try and break Yashin. But, it was only when Bobby Murdoch headed the ball past the stumbling Yashin that Sunderland erupted, with the majority of the crowd being the Scots who made their journey to England. Scotland led 1-0, and that is how it ended, as the desperate Soviet attack couldn't break the Scottish lead. The reigning champions, still recovering from the injury of Pele, looked like they got the easiest possible opponent in Portugal, as the Iberians were still relatively unknown in the tournament. Yet, Simoes immediately stunned A Canarinha when in the 15th minute, he scored. From then on, the Portuguese played much like all of Brazil's previous opponents - with vicious tackles targeting many of their best players. With Brazil's attack subdued, Eusebio made the most of it and scored further two goals in the tournament. Rildo's 73rd minute goal was only a consulation, and Portugal thus went through for a historic semi-final appearance in their first ever World Cup.

Kreitlein sending off Antonio Rattin

Semi-finals
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The players of Germany and Scotland walked onto the pitch for what would be a momentous occasion for both teams. Both were in the semi-finals of the World Cup for the first time, with both featuring some of Europe's best players. On one side, there was Denis Law, on the other was Uwe Seeler. It was Franz Beckenbauer (back when he was still a midfielder) vs Jim Baxter, and so on. Indeed, both sides were level for most of the match, with Alan Gilzean finding the net first at the beginning of the second half to send Scotland into the lead. It looked like everything was coming up Scotland, but Franz Beckenbauer silenced Goodison Park when he shot with his left foot from the edge of the pitch. The ball flew, with Bill Brown leaping as far as he could to prevent what was to come, yet the ball flew past him, hitting the net and sending Germany into a 1-1 draw with 23 minutes remaining. There was no Dave Mackay to save Scotland now, and the Tartans began to panic as the Germans oozed with confidence. As minutes passed, the Mannschaft continued to attack, with Brown saving the team time and time again, fighting the myth of the butterfingered Scottish goalkeeper. 2 minutes remained, and Scotland had just defended again from a flick by Helmut Haller. Bill Brown threw the ball as fast as he could, with Billy Bremner finding it and passing it to Gilzean. As the German defenders flocked towards the lone striker, Gilzean lobbed the ball past the charging Hans Tilkowski, and now it was 2-1! There was no more time, not even for celebration, but Scotland had done the incredible and beat the German team. Tilkowski couldn't believe it, neither could Beckenbauer, or Seeler. In a moment of football magic, the Scots had placed themselves for the World Cup finals in Wembley, and the joyous crowd invaded the pitch to celebrate with the players. It was like a scene from a movie, yet the finale hadn't even started.

A day later, once again in Goodison Park, in what was to be England's only match outside Wembley, the Three Lions met with the underdogs of the tournament for the match that would decide the finalist. The Portuguese were anxious, but they were certain that if they play their cards right, they might have a chance. Both sides had their chances, but England's Bobby Murdoch drew first blood, and he didn't stop there, scoring another goal 50 minutes later to make it 2-0 for England. Portugal was only able to reply with a penalty kick, which Eusebion converted into a goal two minutes after England made it 2-0. Despite their best efforts, the Portuguese were not able to rise up to England's challenge, and this was to be the end of their fairy tale.

Eusebio's tears

Third place play-off
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With no time to rest, both the Germans and the dejected Portugese gathered at Wembley to decide who gets the bronze of the competition. While Portugal by themselves had already won the hearts of many, from Eusebio's flair, to the high-scoring nature of the team, the Germans were like well-oiled machine that was encouraged by Helmut Schoen to keep going, despite the defeat the had suffered against Scotland. In front of a sizable crowd of 87 thousand, both teams embarked to fight it out for the 3rd place in the tournament. Germany looked set on winning their first piece of silverware, with Helmut Haller scoring by the end of the first half, and then Henning Frenzel, with one minute to go, made it 2-1 for Germany via a spectacular bycicle kick, which Jose Pereira simply wasn't able to defend. With that, Germany had finally managed to win their first medal in the World Cup, with a generation that had already won bronze in the 1964 Olympics.

Frenzel's goal in the 89th minute, one minute after Jose Torres' equaliser

World Cup final
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30th of July, London. It was the British derby as the World Cup final, as England and Scotland met on the World's biggest stage. The two sides, both great rivals, had been at war with eachother in football since 1872, and now it would be decided which team was worthy of the crown. Their clubs had been some of the best in Europe, and now their teams were both here with a chance to be the best in the World. Despite England kicking off the match, it was Scotland that had its first chance when Jimmy Johnstone crossed the ball for Denis Law, who headed it past Gordon Banks. Scotland had taken an early lead, and it felt like the Hampden roar could be heard in Wembley. 6 minutes later, England finally had its chance to level the scoring, as Bobby Moore crossed the ball after a free kick, and it was awaited by Geoff Hurst, who headed the ball into the net. The atmosphere was now even more riotous, as the score said 1-1. After 77 minutes, England was given a corner, following a scramble for a goal from which Scotland managed to get out of. But only for a moment. Alan Ball crossed it towards Hurst, who passed it for Martin Peters, who produced the final shot. England 2. Scotland 1. With only 10 minutes to go, the Tartans were scrambling for any sort of goal, desperate to equalise and take the game to extra time. Finally, a free kick was given, and Johnstone shot it once again. The ball bounced its way forward, and it was awaited by Alan Gilzean, who struck it past a powerless Gordon Banks! In the dying moments of the match, Scotland had equalised, and now the game was going to extra time, for the first time since 1934!

Scottish players celebrating after Gilzean's equaliser
(Actual picture is from Scotland's 1967 victory in Wembley)

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Come extra time, England started furiously with several chances, but none stuck. 11 minutes had passed, and Alan Ball had finally found himself in a perfect position to deliver the ball to Geoff Hurst, who shot from close range. The ball struck the post's underside, but it did not cross the line, despite the English celebrating! Minutes passed as Gottfried Dienst argued with his colleagues if the ball had passed the line, but the verdict was that the goal did not occur. Scotland lived entirely of Lady Lucky now, but they knew it wouldn't last long. England lost its final against Brazil in '58 due to bad luck, so did Austria against Czechoslovakia in '34. In one last desperate attempt, Scotland's defenders joined the scramble for a last minute goal, but Bobby Moore managed to flick the ball towards a charging Geoff Hurst. Some people were already invading the pitch, either to celebrate the draw, or to goad on the English for one final push. They thought it's all over - it is now! Hurst's shot flew past Brown and hit the top corner of the net, making it 3-2 for England!

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With Hurst scoring in the final moments of the game, England were World Champions, beating the European champions in the most momentous, entertaining and simply outstanding final of the World Cup. The 5 groups format, while controversial, had been a success, with the tournament seeing some of the most memorable matches in sport's history. Heroes were born, and underdogs won hearts of many. But there is only one winner, and it's the Three Lions, as Bobby Moore lifts up the Jules Rimet trophy.

Despite no goal being given, Hurst's last minute goal is what brings England its greatest achievement in its football history. Most of the matches are same as OTL, with Scotland's best generation reaching another final in two years. Germany is likely superior than Portugal, so it's the Mannschaft who take the 3rd place accolades, while Argentina and Brazil are left to lick their wounds, the latter in particular, having been battered by the tournament's underdogs.

With the 1966 World Cup ending, we switch our sights to the 1968 Euro, which shall be held in Italy. Following the introduction of the 5 group format, UEFA opted to feature a group stage for the next iteration of the tournament. Two groups to be percise, with the group winner entering the final, and the second-placed team entering the third place play-off (like the 1980 euro in OTL). With this, our group stage for the 1968 Euros are:

Group 1: France, Germany, Italy, Soviet Union
Group 2: England, Scotland, Spain, Yugoslavia

 

[ArupinumMaivista]

1968 European Championship
"A final before a final"

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For the first time in the Euro's history, UEFA brought the decision of renaming the European Nations' Cup into the European Championship - a name that would stick for the remainder of the competitions history. In line with the renaming of the tournament and the expansion of the format over at the World Cup - UEFA had brought the bold decision of changing the format of the Euro. While 8 teams would still compete, now the competition would be split into two groups of four, with the winner entering the finals, and the second-placed squad entering the third place play-off. Along with the guarantee of more games being played, it meant more profit for the organisers, and where else but in Italy. All the biggest venues in Milan, Naples and Rome were chosen, including Florence. While the Roman Olympic Stadium was no longer the behemoth that could hold 100 thousand spectators, it was still ripe for a phenomenal atmosphere, while the San Siro venue renamed as massive as ever before its eventual renovation during the 70s.

Although the Azzurri had suffered an embarassing campaign in the 1966 World Cup, their manager Feruccio Valcareggi brought sweeping changes in the tired Italian squad by bringing in some of the best domestic players of the Serie A, be it from the resurgent Torino, to the golden generations of Milan and Juventus. Gigi Riva and Sandro Mazzola in particular were among the most promising players in the squad, and the Italian National Football team was among the youngest of the competition, with an average age of 23.

Returning to the competition after a short absence was Yugoslavia, under the leadership of Red Star's icon Rajko Mitić. The Blues featured a relatively youthful squad composed of players of the Belgrade clubs, all while captained by Mirsad Fazlagić. Perhaps the most attractive part of the group stage format was the fact that in the second group, both England and Scotland would get to play their rematch of the 1966 World Cup, with the latter also playing a rematch of the 1964 Euros Final with Spain, in which Ante Žanetić now played, having fled from Yugoslavia in 1963. Now, the Žanetić played under the banner of Spain, under the name Pedro Esteban (This in itself happened to him in 1961, though in this TL; there is no tuberculosis to stop his career). It was by all means a group of death, while Italy was going to be tested by the Soviet Union, France and a rejuvenated German squad fielding a certain Gerhard Muller.

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Group 1

The opening of the tournament saw the hosts facing their old mates - Germany. The 78 thousand spectators that were present in the Stadio Olimpico witnessed a phenomenal, high-scoring match in which Sandro Mazzola immediately sent the crowd into ecstacy as he scored in the 3rd minute, with Gerd Muller only managing to level the scoring 20 minutes later. The second half started much how the first did, with Gigi Riva scoring another early goal in which Italy took the lead, but in the 80th minute, Wolfgang Overath caressed the ball into the net to level the scoring once again. Then, with 8 minutes remaining, Gigi Riva once again used his class to score the decisive goal of the match.



Soviet Union's first match against France was just as eventful, with Philippe Gondet scoring an early goal that was only matched later by Igor Chislenko. Nonetheless, Jacky Simon scored in the final moments of the 1st half to help France end the first 45 minutes as the winning team. Unfortunately, Les Bleus were not able to repeat that magic in the second half, as the Reds filled the French net with 3 goals. With that, the Soviets turned around the result into a 4-2 victory, and certainly one of the USSR's most memorable. Their subsequent match against Germany was another high-scoring affair, as Gerd Muller only managed to equalise for Germany with 3 minutes to spare. The Mannschaft, despite scoring the most goals in the group along with the Soviets, was simply unlucky to continue to the next stage, as their 2-1 win over the French was not enough to go on. The match that was deciidng the finalist of the tournament on the other hand saw a draw between Italy and the USSR. The Azzurri played a careful game in which both sides tried to outplay each other, but despite the Soviets' best efforts, the Italians managed to stay composed, and in the end it was enough to enter the finals.

Dino Zoff after Muller's goal

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Group 2 and the Battle of Florence

The much anticipated England-Scotland match was the talk of the town in Milan, as a filled out San Siro hosted what was going to be a classic between the Scots and their Auld Enemy. The Tartans had already become the unofficial World Champions a year prior by beating the Three Lions in their Home Championship, and the English wanted to return the favour, now on a big stage. It started perfectly for England, as Martin Peters volleyed the ball into the net on the 20th minute, but Robert Lennox leveled the scoring on the 78th minute, and that is how it ended. The hard-fought match saw both teams playing a fine game that in the end had the audience applauding both, whereas Yugoslavia and Spain finished their encounter with a dull 0-0 draw, beginning a series of matches between the two sides that would go on for the next decade and bloom into a fun rivalry.

England's draw in the first match paved the way for a tough match with Los Torros, as Amancio opened the second half with a thunderous kick that made the Spanish believe against the reigning World Champions. However, Peters found the net 8 minutes later, until Norman Hunter flicked it past Jose Iribar. In the end, it was enough, and England had firmly knocked Spain out of any contention for the rest of the group stage, while Scotland and Yugoslavia played a safe 1-1 draw. The final two matches would seen plenty of temper, tears, and even a battle. While Scotland won against Spain via a minimal 1-0 victory thanks to Denis Law, Yugoslavia and England would play in what was soon dubbed the "Battle of Florence". The entire match was plagued by rough play, first starting with the injury of Ivica Osim once he was tackled by Norman Hunter. The first half continued on in the similiar style, as Dragan Džajić was fouled by Alan Mullery, with England bringing the first chance of the game in the 30th minute via Alan Ball. Nonetheless, the match continued to be a scoreless affair, with both sides barely reaching their boxes until with only 5 minutes to go, Dragan Džajić found the net by lifting the ball past Gordon Banks, prompting Mullery to kick one of the Blues' defenders, which earned him a bench by the referee, who had whistled a whopping 49 fouls in the 90 minutes that were played. In the end, Yugoslavia came off victorious, but with a team that was now beaten, battered and exhausted.

With both Yugoslavia and Scotland finishing level on points, the goal difference was the one thing that had to be taken into account. Despite scoring more goals though, Scotland was in the end unlucky not to enter the finals, having conceeded more than Yugoslavia. Still, Scotland at least had its last laugh, as the reigning European champions were ahead of the World Champions.

Džajić's goal against Banks

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Kudos to Carlosperezesp for being the most accurate of you lot with the predictions. The two groups are practicaly contrasting one another in terms of scoring, with Yugoslavia just barely managing to scrape by in the group of death, while Scotland has plenty to celebrate before the eventual third place play-off with the Soviet Union. I apologise for taking a bit longer with this one as well, since I was on a trip to Milano this entire week, but I am happy to be writing after the short break.

Enough about me though. The following matches Are:

Final: Italy v Yugoslavia
Third place play-off. Scotland v Soviet Union

 

[ArupinumMaivista]

1968 European Championship
"The Italian Job"

Third place play-off
Scotland vs The Soviet Union​

Under the floodlights of the San Paolo Stadium, the two Runners-up of their respective groups gathered up for what was anticipated as a highly tactical match between the Soviet Union and Scotland. The former, now lacking the goalkeeping master that was Lev Yashin, were still seen as a capable side, while Scotland was still in the middle of its Golden Generation. Mikhail Yakushin’s players started off well, with Eduard Malofeyev crossing the ball in the 6th minute, which was awaited by a leaping Tommy Gemmill, from which the ball bounced off towards a stumbling Tommy Lawrence. 6 minutes in, and it was already a disaster for Scotland.

The moment Lawrence conceeded

The Tartans began to play catch up with the Soviets, as the former missed several opportunities. In the 38th minute, Alan Gilzean was knocked down in the Soviet penalty area by Yuri Istomyn, yet the referee Istvan Szolt didn't whistle! The Hungarian referee was quickly crowded by the Scottish players as they demanded a penalty to be taken, but all they got instead were gestures to go away. With that, the first half ended 1-0 for the USSR. Come the 2nd half, Scotland started much like in the previous 45 minutes, by attacking the Soviet box without many chances occurring, only for the Soviets to reply and make the entirety of the Scottish team nervous, with Lawrence performing acrobatics to keep the score only 0-1 for the USSR. Then, after only 5 minutes being played, Zsolt whistled for a penalty to be taken after Anatoliy Banishevskiy was fouled by Billy McNeill. Another disaster was on the horizon, but Lawrence saved the ball once Byshovets shot the ball from the white dot. It was still 1-0 for the Reds, but Scotland badly needed an equalizer. Finally, that equalizer came with 27 minutes to go, as Bobby Lennox tucked the ball amidst a scramble, and now it was back to square one for both sides. No more chances occurred in the remaining minutes, and soon enough - it was extra time.

The Scotland players celebrating after Lennox's equalizer

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The Soviets continued their onslaught by attacking the Scottish side of the pits, as they dominated the match from then on. However, a defensively sound game from the Tartans meant that the ball wasn’t going in no matter what. With night setting in and 120 minutes of football being played, the European Championship would for the first time have a game decided via a coin toss. All of the players headed off to the dressing room, and captains John Greig and Albert Shesternyov had the call. Greig, being a native English speaker, immediately yelled “Heads!” as Zsolt flipped the coin… And it landed on tails. The Soviet players immediately began to celebrate, while the Scots didn’t know if they should laugh or cry, and neither did Jock Stein. The Soviets had won the match in the most unusual of ways, and the Scots lost it in the most unusual of ways.

The European Championship final
Italy vs Yugoslavia
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10 years ago, Yugoslavia had knocked Italy out of the World Cup of 1958, which in itself was being held in Italy. Now, the Azzurri had a perfect chance to have their revenge against their neighbours, while the Yugoslavs were entering their second ever final in the decade. Although the well-known Olympics Stadium of Rome was not fully packed, the relatively sizable crowd of 68 thousand cheered loudly for Italy, as Ferrucio Valcareggi entered the pitch with his players to greet the Brazilians of Europe. With Gigi Riva not present for the match due to an injury, Italy would have to heavily rely on its defense, whereas Yugoslavia's own Dragan Džajić was all of a sudden stealing the show thanks to his goal in the previous match against England. As expected, Italy's Catenaccio tactics were met with Yugoslavia's highly physical style of play, with both sides not producing a lot of chances. Both Gioregio Ferrini and Giacinto Facchetti had their opportunities, though they were cleared by Serbian goalkeeper Ilija Pantelić. It continued on like this for some time, as the South Slavs mostly silenced whatever attack that was attempted by the Italians. Finally, with 5 minutes to go, Dragan Džajić ran up to Dino Zoff, flicked the ball passed the goalkeeper, and Yugoslavia now led 1-0 over Italy! The young attacker of Red Star Belgrade leaped in joy as he celebrated with his colleagues, while Italy was now having to attack, with no true striker in its squad.

The scenes from the first half, as Pantelić saves the ball

Italy's misery continued on as the second half commenced. Džajić once again found himself in a chance to score, but Zoff managed to defend for now. The Italians began to reply after a prolonged period of Yugoslav domination, with Antonio Juliano coming close to score before Mirsad Fazlagić cleared the ball. Following another chance by the guests, Zoff threw the ball, only to be catched by Džajić, who now ran past Zoff and passed it to Vahidin Musemić. The goal was empty, and Musemić shot it to make it 2-0 for Yugoslavia. With that, Italy's chances were now even slimmer, as the Azzurri began to attack out of desperation. In the end, a free kick screamer by Angelo Domenghini was the most Italy could do, as the referee whistled for the end of the match. After a hard fought and highly physical duel, Yugoslavia were crowned champions of Europe.

Ilija Petković and Giacinto Fachetti shaking hands after the match

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With Yugoslavia becoming the third eastern-European team to win the Euros, the decade of love and the Beatles ends with the Blues from the Balkans lifting the Henri Dealunay trophy in the middle of Rome. Rajko Mitić's boys have proved to be a tough nut to crack from start to the very finish, and their efforts were awarded with a mixture of luck, patient playing and plenty of sweat. The group stage format in itself was considered a great success as well, with this becoming the most financially-profitable European Championship since 1952. Yugoslavia's players were awaited as heroes back home in Belgrade, as many within the YFA attributed this success with the professionalisation of the league that they set into motion in 1960. Meanwhile in Italy, Serie A's own new rules seemed to have raised the game of the national team as well, especially when compared to Italy's performances in the past World Cups. Speaking of...

1970 would see a new first, as the upcoming World Cup was to be held in Central America's footballing powerhouse - Mexico. The hosts were unanimously selected to handle the tournament back in 1962, and hopes were high for another quality edition of the event, following the inredible success of the 1966 World Cup in England. This was going to be the first World Cup that would be broadcast in colour; Pele was going to play his final World Cup, and even a war broke out between Honduras and El Salvador while they were trying to qualify for the World Cup. Truly, it was going to be a momentous occasion. Further changes occured within the qualifying format as well. While Europe was guaranteed to feature 12 teams, the establishment of the OFC qualifiers meant that a new spot had to be considered. FIFA then thought up of a intercontinental play-off, where the AFC winners would play against a designated opponent. Luckily for Australia, their first opponent would be Nigeria, the runners-up of the CAF qualifiers. After two games, the Socceroos comfortably beat the Super Eagles to achieve their first ever participation in the World Cup.

And with that, these are the upcoming groups for the 1970 World Cup:

Group 1 - Belgium, El Salvador (Debut), Mexico (Host), Soviet Union
Group 2 - Italy, Israel (debut), Sweden, Uruguay
Group 3 - Australia (debut), England (holders), Hungary, Romania
Group 4 - Bulgaria, Germany, Peru, Scotland
Group 5 - Brazil, Czechoslovakia, Morocco (debut), Yugoslavia
(three best-ranked runners-up in the group qualify for the knockout stage)

 

[ArupinumMaivista]

These are the rankings of teams based on their performances in the World Cup thus far

1930
Note - Brazil and Egypt have an extra match due to their replayed game in the round of 16
This is thus far USMNT's best performance in the World Cup
Siam remains the worst-performing team in a knockout stage of a World Cup history, having conceeded 12 goals

1934

1938
Note - Brazil, Switzerland, Germany and Czechoslovakia all have extra games due to the replays that had to be taken
Egypt is so far the only African nation to reach the quarter-finals, having done so twice both in 1930 and 1938

1950
Note: Uruguay, Spain, Brazil and Switzerland all have extra games due to replays that had to be taken

1954
England and Italy have an extra game due to their play-off in the Group Stage
South Korea remains the worst-performing team in any group stage, having conceeded 24 times, with no goals scored
This remains the highest-scoring World Cup in history with 144 goals being scored

1958
Note: This is the first World Cup to feature all of the Home Nations (England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales)

1962

1966
North Korea is the first Asian nation to win a match in the World Cup
This is the first occurence where the Home Nations dispute the World Cup final, it is also the second occurence where all of the Home Nations participate in the World Cup

 

[ArupinumMaivista]

1970 World Cup
"A brave new world"

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With the 1966 World Cup seeing relative success thanks with its 5 group format, it was a given that the next iteration would continue using it. Although, criticism was still adament, in particular with the fact that only a select number of group runners-up would get to participate in the quarter-finals. Therefore, plans were being drawn for the next world cup in 1974, but more on that later.

The hosting selection for the tournament saw a dead heat between Mexico and Argentina, with the former ending up the winning country. It was going to be the first time that the country would host the World Cup, with the incredibly high altitude and temperature guaranteeing that this was going to be a difficult tournament for almost every team. Hilariously enough though, Argentina's failed bid to host the tournament ended up biting them, as the Albiceleste failed to qualify for the World Cup for the first time, if we ignore their boycott of the 1950 WC.

Their place was taken by Peru, who were making their grand return to the competition after an agonizing wait of 40 years. Sweden was back too, after missing out on the fun for the past 12 years, and so was Romania after 36 years. Belgium finally made its comeback after 20 years, and with a pretty good squad at that. Among the debutants, there was El Salvador, who made a name for themselves after ending up in a short war with Honduras in what is now called the "Football war"; Israel, who were definitely not causing controversy during their qualification campaign; Morocco, who were getting to represent the African continent and finally - Australia. The Socceroos were embarking into their first ever World Cup after coming close the previous iteration, and their man to watch was a young and promising Ray Baartz.
While the number of venues was minimal, with only 5 being selected/built for the tournament - Mexico had an ace up its sleave. The Azteca. Having been built in 1966, it is one of the most modern facilities for the sport, and with a collossal capacity of over 100 thousand. Nevertheless, some did consider that Mexico should've done a better job with the venues, but they were forgiven.

Group 1
Despite entering the tournament with expectations of finishing 3rd, Mexico started out promisingly, drawing with the USSR. The heat and high altitude of the Azteca proved to be one of the vital atributes that ended up saving the El Tricolor, while Belgium's return to the World Cup started out strong by thrashing El Salvador 3-0. However, the Red Devils' venture came to a screeching halt when in the very next game, they lost 4-1 against the Soviet Union. Mexico also made things harder for the Belgians by comfortably beating El Salvador, thus leaving Belgium in a precarious position where it needed to beat the host in order to have a chance to qualify for the Quarter-finals. Unfortunately, Belgium was not able to beat the hosts, and Gustavo Pena's penalty in the 14th minute sealed the match, while El Salvador's little fairy tale ended in misery. In the end, the Soviet Union was the one progressing to the quarters, while Mexico had practically ensured their second ever venture to the quarters, following that remarkable campaign in Chile 1962.

Mexico and the Soviet Union prior to their opening match

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Group 2

Israel's first ever world cup appearance proved to be a rather competent one. Despite losing 2-0 in their opening match with Uruguay, the skyblues managed to finish their subsequent matches against Italy and Sweden with draws, with Italy playing a safe group stage in which Angelo Domenghini proved to be the only goalscorer for the Azzurri. Sweden's return to the World stage was shaky, and their victory against Uruguay proved to be a Pyrrhic victory, as they finished behind Uruguay due to goal difference. In the end, it was an underwhelming group, with some of the lowest scoring in recent time.

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Gigi Riva's charge

Group 3


The reigning champions were greeted with a hostile atmosphere in Mexico, largely thanks to the unfriendly attitude its players and manager Alf Ramsey expressed during the preparations. It also didn't help that their captain, Bobby Moore, was allegedly caught stealing jewelry in Colombia. Though the allegations were dropped, the Three Lions certainly weren't in a good mindset when coming to their first match. Nonetheless, England started off strong, as Geoff Hurst made quick work of the Romanian defense to make it 1-0, and the rest of the matches were certainly a breeze. Hungary fell, and so did Australia, leaving England on top with the rest scrambling for 2nd place. Both Hungary and Romania completed a dull draw, before taking out Australia, as the inexperienced Socceroos were unable to cope with the challenge of the European teams.

Geoff Hurst surrounded by Romanian defenders Satmaeranu and Lupescu

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Group 4

Prior to the tournament, Peru suffered what was one of the most devastating earthquakes in its history. Around 70 thousand perished in what was a national tragedy for the South American country. With this in mind, Peru's return to the World Cup looked like it was going to be a brief one, as Bulgaria took a 2-0 lead by the 49th minute. What occured then, was a comeback of epic proportions. Felix Gallardo, and then Hector Chumpitaz managed to slim down the lead to a 2-2 match in a matter of 5 minutes, before the sensational Teofilo Cubillas made it 3-2. Peru's comeback was complete, and the whole nation entered a moment of pure catharsis.

Germany meanwhile endured a tough match against Scotland. Colin Stein helped the Tartans lead in the 21st minute, but the Mannschaft was able to reply, with Uwe Seeler making it 1-1. It was a hard-fought but deserved draw for both, as they awaited their next adversaries. Scotland, not expecting much from Peru, was shocked when in a period from the 65th to 75th minute, Peru was able to score three goals, with two coming from Teofilo Cubillas. The young Peruvian stunned Bobby Clark with a long-ranged masterpiece, before Roberto Chale scored another fantastic goal during a momentery lapse in concentration by the Tartans. It was an embarassing defeat, and one that proved to cost Scotland dearly. Germany demolished Bulgaria and then even Peru, with Gerd Muller proving to be the teams' bomber, while Scotland's win against Bulgaria in the end didn't matter. Peru and Germany were through, with Muller and Cubillas as their sensational starmen.

Peruvian joy and Scottish despair

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Group 5
As the odds-on favourite, Brazil started their tournament campaign guns blazing, demolishing Czechoslovakia 4-1 in what was a masterclass of attacking football. In particular, Rivellino's setpiece free kick to equalize the scoring was the stuff of dreams, followed by beautiful solo runs by Jairzinho, and a wonderful kick by Pele. With Yugoslavia recovering to achieve a narrow 2-1 win againt Morocco, the second match was going to see the Brazilians of Europe face off against the Brazilians. Despite Vahidin Musemić stunning A Canarinha with an early goal, Carlos Alberto equalized in the 39th minute. The entire match was a spectacle, as the free-flowing Brazilians danced their way through the Yugoslav defense minute after minute, but to no avail. The first half was a tie. The second half then started just like the first. Dragan Džajić, sprinting towards Brazilian box, flicked the ball past Felix to make it 2-1 for the South Slavs. From then on, Brazil's attack intensified, and it was awarded with a breath-taking long-range flick by Pele, which could not be saved by goalkeeper Dragan Mutibarić. The ball elegantly flew over the Macedonian goalkeeper, who stumbled as he tried to jump, and the ball landed inside the goal, after being sent flying by Pele, who was on the whole other side of the pitch. With the score being 2-2, both were at a stalemate, but Jairzinho finally made this into one of Brazil's finest victories in the final minute, when he shot the ball next to Mutibarić, ending the match with a 3-2 score.
Yugoslavia's gallant game against Brazil might have ended in tragedy, but the Blues didn't give up. Their final match with the Velvets from Czechoslovakia was a far more comfortable affair, as Dragan Džajić's penalty kick again Ivo Viktor was enough for Yugoslavia to secure the win, while Brazil routinely beat Morocco to advance further into the quarter-finals. Nevertheless, Morocco gave a good fight to all of the teams in the group, and showed that they should not be messed with.

Pele fighting his way past Dragan Holcer

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Upcoming Quarter-final matches:
Soviet Union v Peru
Brazil v England
Italy v Mexico
Germany v Yugoslavia

 

[ArupinumMaivista]

1970 World Cup
"Samba in Azteca"
Quarter-finals​

Peru's subsequent shock win against Scotland made it so the South Americans would join Brazil for the knockout stage, but they would now have to play against one of the best defenses in the World Cup - the Soviet Union. Despite lacking Lev Yashin, the Reds have more than an effective attack with Anatoliy Byshovets, but the game in itself resembled chess, as the two sides played carefully in order to not concede. 90 minutes passed, and the game went into extra time, as the Peruvians continued their onslaught, Hugo Sotil headed the ball past Anzor Kavazashvili to make it 1-0 for Peru in the 117th minute, despite the Soviets claiming that the ball had crossed the touchline during the Peruvian attack. Nevertheless, the game was settled, and Peru was off to the semi-finals.
Italy on the other hand had a much easier time against their hosts. Despite Jose Gonzalez taking the lead for Mexico, his teammate Javier Guzman brought Italy back into the game via a blunder by the defender. From then on, Italy dominated the match, as Gigi Riva and Gianni Rivera netted the ball three times to make it a firm 4-1 victory for the Azzurri

Riva's second goal in the 76th minute

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The following match in Guadalajara was certainly the most anticipated of the tournament - England vs Brazil. The two nations have faced off three times in the past 12 years, and Brazil was always the one that came out on top. A Canarinha, comprised of Carlos Alberto, Pele, Jairzinho, Tostao, Rivellino and co. were now going to play their biggest test in the tournament against the reigning World Champions. The subsequent match saw pure football, as Brazilian flair clashed with the English workman-like football, as both sides exchanged chances from beginning to end. Pele had his moment as he shot the ball towards the goal. but Gordon Banks made a monstrous save to help England stay alive. Peters, Lee and Hurst all had their opportunities, but in the end, Jairzinho was the one to outrun the English defense and shoot the ball into the net past Banks, helping Brazil achieve its 1-0 victory against England. Surely now, Brazil were on course to win the World Cup.
Germany's match against Yugoslavia was nowhere near the quality of the match in Guadalajara, but it was a decisive one for both sides. Germany, having endured several defeats from Yugoslavia during the recent years, finally had a chance and team to beat the Blues, while Yugoslavia could always rely on Dragan Džajić. Indeed, it was Džajić who scored for Yugoslavia in the 87th minute, but by then it was too late. Uwe Seeler and Gerd Muller both scored early for Germany, and the defense led by Franz Beckenbauer practically hushed every attack made by the south Slavs. It was a deserved victory by Germany, while the reigning European Champions could now switch their focus on the upcoming '72 Euros.

Gordon Banks' save against Pele

Semi-finals​

In what was going to be the 7th encounter between two South American teams in a World Cup, the 50 thousand spectators that were present for the Peru-Brazil match were in for another classic, as the Peruvian underdogs had a chance to cause an upset of epic proportions and qualify for the final in their first world cup in 40 years. Already by the 15th minute though, Brazil led with goals by Tostao and Rivellino, with Felix Galardo slimmed down the Brazilian lead to 2-1 some 13 minutes later. Amazingly, both sides made up 49 chances in total as the game progressed, while Tostao managed to widen the gap between his team and Peru by making it 3-1. However, Teofilo Cubillas thought differently, and he gave his nation a chance o believe in the 70th minute, by making it 3-2. With 20 minutes to go, Peru still had a chance to level the result and send the game into extra time. Then Jairzinho appeared. Having scored in every match he participated in this competition, he lived up to his status and scored five minutes after Cubillas' screamer. It was 4-2 for Brazil, and that's how it ended. Fittingly, the match was the high-scoring regular-time match of the tournament, but Brazil was the one on top.

Brazilians celebrating

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At Azteca, the replay of the 1968 Euros group stage would occur as European runners-up, Italy, would meet with Germany. The tournament's best defense was now gonna have to try and stop the unstoppable Axis of Helmuth Schoen's Mannschaft. Already at the 8th minute, Italy took the lead with Roberto Boninsegna, and for a good while, the Azzurri led the match. It got even worse for Germany when, in the 70th minute, Franz Beckenbauer had dislocated his shoulder. Yet, Beckenbauer stayed and led his team, all while carrying the injury. As the 90th minute ended, the Italians waited for referee to whistle the end of the match, only for Wolfram Lowe to score in the dying minutes of the match! Just like that, Germany was back in the game, and the extra time would prove to go down in history as the "Game of the century".

At the beginning of extra time, Gerd Muller shot one past Ricky Albertosi to move Germany above Italy, only for Istrian native Tarcisio Burgnich to equalise four minutes later. 2-2, and it wasn't even the 100th minute! Italy didn't stop, and Gigi Riva stepped up to deliver a beautiful goal that would send Italy ahead of Germany once again! Yet again though, Muller would come into rescue and headed the ball to make it 3-3! As the celebrations subsided, Roberto Boninsegna crossed the ball in another attempt by Italy, and there was Gianni Rivera, pushing the ball into the net, and it was all over! Italy had won in one of the most spectacular matches to ever be seen, and in colour!

Franz Beckenbauer, carrying his injury in extra time

Third place play-off​

Having already met in the group stage, Germany was expected to have a far more difficult time against Peru now that Beckenbauer could rest, while the Peruvians were on the hunt for their first piece of silverware. Yet, Wolfgang Overath made the most of his appearance to score in the 26th minute, and Peter Ducke added to the scoring to make it a comfortable 2-0 win for Germany, which had now scored two consecutive third places in the World Cup. The first team to do so.

Germans celebrating following Overath's goal

World Cup Final​

On a sunny day at Azteca, the World Cup final would see Europe face off against South America once more, as the jovial Brazilians met with the exhausted Italians. Nevertheless, it was expected from the Azzurri to try and use their impeccable defense to their advantage against the deadly attack of Brazil. However, it did not work, as Pele headed a cross by Rivellino to send Brazil one step ahead of Italy, though Roberto Boninsegna did manage to slim down the lead for a moment. While the first half was rather balanced, the Brazilian firepower began to overpower the Italian defense in the 2nd half, as Gerson and Jairzinho stretched the lead into 3-1 for Brazil. Finally, the Brazilians would ensure their victory with a series of passes that would guide the ball past the Italian defenders, as Carlos Alberto scored to make it 4-1 for Brazil. With that, the Brazilians have become world champions for the third time, having dismantled Italy's defense.

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And with that, Brazil are once again champions of the world, in a World Cup filled to the brim with memorable matches, from start to finish. Every team that was in the knockout stage was no pushover, not even Mexico, who have once again made themselves into unsung heroes, after their inspired 1962 campaign, but Brazil was now without a doubt the greatest team on earth. With that, we leave the World Cup and venture back to Europe, as the 1972 European Championship soon begins in Belgium!
Upcoming groups:
GRP 1: Belgium, Germany, Italy, Romania
GRP 2: England, Hungary, Soviet Union, Yugoslavia

Pele, metaphorically on top of the world

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[ArupinumMaivista]

1972 European Championship
"The bomber strikes again"

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With Yugoslavia becoming the European champions of 1968, Henri Delaunay's competition had thus far seen three Eastern-European countries winning the cup, with the only exceptions being Scotland and Austria's Wunderteam all the way back in 1932. Certainly, the tournament had grown a lot since those baby steps of 1932, and now it was about to reach its 40th anniversary! As such, there was a push by the French members within UEFA to bring the European Championship back to the place of its origin. However, Belgium was chosen instead. The small Benelux country was seemingly entering a bit of a golden age in footballing terms, having qualified for the 1970 World Cup, and it didn't help that by the time the host was being chosen for the event, France was in the middle of an economic crisis, especially following the "May 68" events.

The 1972 edition would see the return of the Hungarians, following their odd dissapearance back in 1968. The Magyars were expected to make a good showcase as always, having outqualified France and Bulgaria in their group, although the latter were recovering after the unfortunate death of their starman Georgi Asparuhov. Romania was making its debut in the European stage, but perhaps the most notable absence in the tournament was Scotland! For the first time since its entry in the 1950 World Cup, Scotland had failed to qualify for a major Football tournament, having suffered a disastrous loss to Denmark in its group that endedn up costing them the entry in the competition. Along with Romania, Belgium was making its debut via the hosting honors, and hopes were high that the Red Devils could make a splash.

As it had been the case in 1968, four venues were chosen for the tournament, two for each group. Most notably, the Heysel stadium was expanded to feature an athletic track, along with a floodlight system in order to hold the games at evenings. Having already seen finals of the European Cup Winners' Cup and Champions' Cup four times, the Heysel would now expand its stature as one of the great European stadiums with the hosting of the Euro finals. Anotherchange occured within the European Championship. Unlike in the previous iteration, which had the group winners face off in a final, the knockout stage would see a proper return this year with the first two teams facing off in the semi-finals.

Group 1

In the opening match, held on a packed Heysel stadium, Belgium played against fellow debutants Romania in what was a Paul van Himst masterclass. A header in the 20th minute and a penalty in the 85th, Belgium's 2-1 victory against the Tricolors marked a perfect start to the tournament for the hosts, aided by a scoreless draw between Germany and Italy. While Germany was busy beating Romania 2-0 thanks to Overath and Muller, Belgiums dream start only got better. Italy, who were seen as the favourites prior to the match, were in for a shock when Wilfried van Moer stunned the runnners-up in the the 23rd minute. From then on, the Azzurri played catch up, which only got worse when in the 71st minute, van Himst made it 2-0 for Belgium, sending the Anderlecht stadium into ecstacy! Gigi Riva was only able to score a consulation goal in the dying minutes of the game, and that marked the end. Belgium had won against Italy, and the Red Devils had their ticket for the semis.

Come the final day of the group stage, Italy needed to win against Romania and for Belgium to win against Germany in order to advance. Pierino Prati's two goals in a span of a minute made it an immediate 2-0 for Italy before the first half was even over, with Flavius Domide slimming down the scoring in the second half. However, Franco Causio made it into 3-1 for Italy, with Iuliu Hajnal only scoring a consulation goal in the last minute to make the scoring slightly more acceptable. Italy had won, but Gerd Muller turned once more into a hero of the Mannschaft, scoring two crucial goals in order to send Germany into the semis, followed only by the hosts. Italy's implosion against Belgium had costed this generation of the Azzurri dearly, and that "Game of the century" from two years ago looked very distant.

Jean Dockx fighting his way past Franco Causio

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Group 2

The "Group of death" was as political as it could get. Hungary, Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union - all of these countries had some history behind them in the recent years, with the Hungarians especially seeing their encounter with the Soviets as a Must-win endeavour. The reigning European champions, Yugoslavia, also had some history with England, having won that famous "Battle of Florence" back in 1968 under controversial circumstances. Yugoslavia's campaign though was a shambles, as was Hungarys. The two teams pulled off a draw in which neither played all that well. Vujadin Boškov's Blues in particular looked like no matter the result, they were constantly defending, while Hungary's clumsy defense led them being beaten by the Soviets 1-0, only for England to make things more miserable for them thanks to Geoff Hurst, Franny Lee and Martin Chivers.

Having tied twice, Yugoslavia now needed a win against the Soviet Union in order to go through. The Reds had lost to England thanks to a squeaky 2-1 loss in which an own goal decided the affair, but Yugoslavias' ineffective attack meant that many questions were brought up if the viewers were going to see a highly defensive match. Well, they didn't. While the first half saw a draw, the Soviets broke through the Yugoslav defense in the 53rd minute, as Viktor Kolotov made it 1-0 for the Soviets. Not even 20 minutes later, Anatoliy Banishevsky made it 2-0, and then Eduard Kozinkevich finally sealed the deal in the 90th minute to make it a 3-0 victory for the Soviet Union. England was on top with an unbeaten streak, while the Soviet Union was entering its fourth consecutive appearance in the knockout stage of the Euros.

England's players before their match with the USSR

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The following matches for the semi-finals:
Germany v Soviet Union
England v Belgium

 

[ArupinumMaivista]

1972 European Championship
"The machine works"

Semi-finals
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In a historic occasion, Belgium was at the gate of greatness as the Red Devils had a great chance to qualify for the finals of the European Championship at their own backyard, and against who else but one of the greatest sides in the world - England. The Three Lions themselves wanted that final more than anything, seeing how it would be their first European final since 1960. The eventual match was characteristically defensive by the Belgians, as their defense did a good job stopping the English players from threatening their box. However, Geoff Hurst would make the semi-final match in Brussels a Hail Mary, as he found a way to outsmart the Belgian defenders and flick the ball high enough that Christian Piot couldn't reach it, making it 1-0 in the 55th minute. It was enough, as England eventually won the match, thus ending Belgium's fairy tale.

Belgiums' team before the match

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Elsewhere at Antwerp, the players of Germany and the Soviet Union walked onto what was a less than desirable pitch, with German coach Schoen calling it - "an unplayable stone desert". Even then, it didn't seem to faze the Gerries, as the Mannschaft attacked from the very start. While at first the Soviets held well, Franz Beckenbauer found a hole in their defence, running past two defenders before starting carnage in the Soviet box, only for Gerd Muller to net the ball past goalkeeper Rudakov. From then on, the Germans dominated without a show of mercy, with the Soviets barely running past the other side of the pitch, where they would simply try to shoot from a great distance and see what might stick. Their attempts were only met with punishment, as Hacki Wimmer and Muller both scored to make it into an emphatic 3-0 victory for Germany. For the first time, Germany was entering a football final.

The German team celebrating after Muller's first goal

Third place play-off
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While dejected, the Belgians still had a great chance to win their first piece of silverware via the Bronze Medal match, and they were keen on snatching it away from the Soviets. Inspired by Paul van Himst, Belgium played a careful game in which the Soviets were unable to create much, usually thanks to the clever tactics of the Red Devils that used the highly-effective offside trap which was frequently used by Anderlecht. Before half time was even done, Belgium was already ahead of the Soviets by a 2-0 margin, with van Himst making himself into a hero of Liege via the chip that put Belgium firmly ahead of the Soviets. The USSR's only reply came in the 53rd minute via a penalty converted by Anatoliy Konkov. After that, Belgium closed the game and held the score to the very end, thus achieving their first ever medal in Football.

Paul Van Himst during his day of days

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European Championship final

And so, it was time for the final. Germany versus England. The Heysel stadium, packed with over 40 thousand people, was filled with German and English fans as they made their journey to Brussels for what was a historic game for both. England's World Cup-winning generation was to play its final minutes today, whereas Germany was having its first chance to win a football tournament, with a team built around the genius of Franz Beckenbauer and Gerd Muller's uncanny ability to score goals. As the final was on the horizon though, Germany's media was relatively nervous, believing that England were the overwhelming favourites, seeing how Schoen was under the weather throughout the tournament, while some of Germany's crucial players like Wolfgang Overath and Berti Vogts were injured.

It was certainly a strange feeling on the pitch, as Helmut Schoen was having his own issues with the players, but once the Mannschaft entered the pitch, those issues were put aside. After all, the machine must work. As the final commenced, England took the initiative, threatening the German box while Francis Lee even had a little scuffle with Jurgen Sparwasser. Then, the switch was flicked, and Germany began to attack. Bobby Moore tried to outrdibble two of the Germans, only to have his ball snatched and for Uli Hoeness to carefully shoot the ball, as its trajectory fooled Gordon Banks and had Germany go 1-0 up. From then on, Germany never looked back, constantly being in command as the Three Lions were barely achieving a chance. Yet, Lee leveled the scoring with 12 minutes to go, and it looked like the final stretch of the match would be a photo finish of the sorts. As the Mannschaft attacked, Siggi Held was tripped inside England's box by Moore, and a penalty was given. Sparwasser lined up, and converted it. With 5 minutes to go, Germany was practically a step from greatness, and Gerd Muller's masterful goal in the 88th minute ended whatever doubt there was. As the Austrian referee whistled for the end of the game, the German fans invaded the pitch to celebrate with their players, as Germany became the "Europameister". After a decade of frustration and near misses, Germany's football team has finally won a major football tournament, with a team that played like a flawless machine.
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Beckenbauer being handed the trophy

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1974 World Cup prologue
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The "Heysel-elf", as it would later be called, would go down in history as the greatest German team in the history of the sport, while England's golden generation had finally run its course. The 1972 European Championship, while a huge success, had seen a great change in the footballing landscape of the continent. Just how the Magyars dominated the 50s and the Home Nations the 60s, now Germany was joining the exclusive club of greats. Belgium's own success prompted a wave of new fans in the small country, and a start of its own little golden period. The next event though, would see the World Cup come to the heart of the European Champion, with a slightly different format. Gone is the knockout stage, now there would be a second group stage, consisting of four groups of three, in which the group winners and runners-up would be paired with the best placed third team. While Australia had once again qualified, this time by beating Iran in a continental play-off, there was controversy when the Soviet Union refused to play in Chile, following the latter's coup d'etat. With this, Chile had controversially qualified, while South Korea would have its own return to the World Cup after a 20 year wait. Another country to end its lenghty wait was Poland, which had appeared back in 1938. The debutants on the other hand was the tiny Haiti and the exotic African side Zaire.

The groups for the 1974 World Cup:

Group 1 - Argentina, Australia, Germany, Romania
Group 2 - Brazil, Scotland, Yugoslavia, Zaire
Group 3 - Belgium, Bulgaria, Haiti, Poland
Group 4 - Chile, Czechoslovakia, England, South Korea
Group 5 - Italy, Netherlands, Sweden, Uruguay​

 

[ArupinumMaivista]

1974 World Cup
"A new kind of football"

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In 1972, the Olympic Games that were held in Munich underwent one of the worst tragedies in recent memory, once a group of terrorists of the Black September organisations killed 17 people. The effects of the attack have led to safety standards being considerably raised, as the hosting nation of the World Cup would be Germany. Indeed, for the first time, Germany would host the World Cup, after originally being planned to host it back in 1942. Now, the German Federal Republic not only had a far better reputation after seemingly rising from the ruins, but it was riding from the success of winning the 1972 European Championship and finishing 3rd in the football category of the 1972 Olympics . Large strides had been made for this tournament to be of highest standards. The stadiums had been renovated, most notably the Berlin and Munich Olympic Stadia, while Leipzig was given the new and Central Stadium - a 70 thousand capacity behemoth that had already been in plans back in the 30s. Now, the vision was brought to life, and Saxony had its own great stadium to gawk at.

For the first time in World Cup history, all of the continents would be represented in some way or another. In Europe, Poland was making its great comeback to the World Cup after 36 years, joined by the Netherlands. While the former was a bit of an unknown figure, the Netherlands was a team to watch after a period of domination held by Ajax and Feijenoord. Most notably, the player that was on everybody's tongue was Johan Croyff, who had established himself as a modern great in the footballing scene. Elsewhere, tiny Haiti was making its debut in the World Cup after shokingly beating out Mexico in the qualifications, while Argentina was making its return after being absent in 1970. The third and fourth south American countries would be Uruguay and Chile, which controversially qualified due to the Soviet Union refusing to play in Santiago. Finally, South Korea was making its return to the World Cup after 20 long years, while Zaire was to represent Africa.

Group 1
The favourites of the group, Argentina and Germany, ran into a bit of trouble when both played against the Romanians. Indeed, the Tricolor gave plenty of trouble to the hosts during the entire opening match, and the crowd grew ever more nervous when Florea Dumitrache shocked the Germans to level the scoring in the beginning of the second half, following a goal by Paul Breitner. Argentina on the other hand had a far easier time against Australia, smashing the poor Socceroos 3-1. Germany's shock draw against Romania had seemingly galvanized the team to bounce back in the following game, and Helmut Schoen's boys filled the Australians' net in the second half, with Colin Curran being unfortunate enough to score an own goal when trying to save a shot from Gerd Muller. With Argentina winning a tight game against Romania, it meant that Germany's venture to the second group stage was secure no matter the result in Berlin. Even then, Germany had somehow found itself in a position where it needed to come back from a 1-0 lead against the Argentines. If it wasn't for Jurgen Sparwassers' heroics in the last minute of the match, Argentina would've won that encounter in a truly upset victory, but a draw was just as good. Thus, Argentina was first and Germany second, with the latter clearly facing some trouble behind the scenes.

The Germans celebrating after Colin Currans' own goal

Group 2

In what was undoubtedly the group of death, the top three finished the preliminary stage all tied on points, but with goal difference playing a large role in deciding which team was on top. Zaire, while at first surprising Scotland with their attacking football, was quickly tamed, only to be embarassed by Yugoslavia, as the Blues demolished the Africans 9-0. Brazil had a rather mediocre set of games, drawing with Yugoslavia and then almost even losing to Scotland, before predictably beating Zaire. Finally, Yugoslavia and Scotland safely finished their match, with the knowledge of likely qualifying for the second round.

The Yugoslav demolition of Zaire

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Group 3

In what the most unknown group of the tournament, Poland surprised many with its attacking flair and professionalism shown by their best man - Grzegorz Lato. While at first, Haiti looked like they might pose some sort of challenge after at first taking the lead against Bulgaria, the Lions and co. all filled their net with 14 goals in total. Belgium was comfortable in the group, having beaten both Haiti and Bulgaria, and they looked fine with a draw with Poland, with Paul van Himst being the top scorer of the group.

Polands' 7-0 thrashing of Haiti

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Group 4

Having been shocked by the Polish in the qualifications, Englands' new and rejuvenated squad, led by Colin Bell and Norman Hunter, made a great impression in their group stage. The Three Lions won every match, only followed by Czechoslovakia. Chile and South Korea never exactly made a huge impact in the group, but the Tigers from Asia did manage to snatch their first ever point against an underwhelming Chilean side. Nonetheless, Alf Ramsey's boys looked keen on continuing this success to the next round, while the Velvets had exited the group stage for the first time since 1958. Ladislav Kubala had certainly done something right in that regard.

Channon on the move against the Czechs. Lovely kit as well

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Group 5
In the most attractive group of the tournament, all eyes were on the Dutch, as Reinus Michels' side introduced to the worldwide audience a new, freeflowing style of football, not seen since the likes of Brazil or even Austria during the 1930s. This was "Total Football". Johnny Rep immediately opened the scoring, and the Uruguayans were simply overhwelmed by the pressing by the Dutch. The eventual score was 2-0, but it would get even worse for the Uruguayans. Over at Dusseldorf, Italy had a routine win against Sweden, as Pietro Anastasi and Gigi Riva made the most of their chances against the Blagult. Nevertheless, Sweden did manage to pull off a shaky draw against Holland, despite Cruyff making the entire world stop for a moment thanks to his dribbling. Finally, Cruyff would score twice against the Azzurri in the final match of the group, helping the Clockwork Orange achieve an emphtatic 3-1 victory against the Italians, while Swedens' 3-0 demolition of Uruguay was enough for the Scandinavians to qualify for the next round thanks to goal difference. And thus, Total Football had prevailed over Catenaccio, and Holland was now firmly in place as a favourite to win the competition. But can they do it? That is something everyone will have to see.

Johan Cruyffs' turn

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Let me know who you think will win the subsequent Second group stage and the World Cup! Here are the upcoming matches:

Group A - Argentina, Poland, Sweden
Group B - England, Italy, Yugoslavia
Group C - Belgium, Germany, Scotland
Group D - Brazil, Czechoslovakia, Netherlands