The Story of the World Cup
Page 9
The Hungarians began the second half with a new and furious assault on the German goal, and only Turek denied them. Twice he saved gloriously from Puskas—who on one occasion was alone in front of goal—once Kohlmeyer kicked Toth’s shot off the line; once Kocsis’ header from Toth’s cross skidded off the bar.
The storm weathered, Germany returned to the attack; the Hungarians were now beginning to look weary. Yet twelve minutes from the end of a game so well refereed by Bill Ling, the fast, dark Czibor broke brilliantly away, Turek saved his shot, the ball reached Hidegkuti; and Hidegkuti missed. Five minutes later came the coup de grâce.
Leaving Bozsik behind, Hans Schaefer got away down the left wing and crossed. The ball flashed over a crowded, pullulating goalmouth, touched, perhaps, by Otmar Walter’s head. For a moment Lantos seemed to have it, then it escaped him, reaching Rahn. The big outside-right controlled it, advanced with it, and seemed, for a moment of pregnant hiatus, to stop and deliberate. Then he drove it past Grosics with his left foot.
Frantically the Hungarians sought to equalise, and two minutes later it seemed they had. Toth, from the right, took Posipal out of the game with an exquisite through pass and Puskas, seeming to judge the moment perfectly, darted through the gap to beat Turek in his old, irresistible style. The Hungarians embraced; but the flag of Mervyn Griffiths, the Welsh linesman, was up. Puskas had been given offside, and to this day the decision is argued.
Hungary had one shot left in their locker. Suddenly Zoltan Czibor was away once more, to let fly a strong, precise shot which Turek elastically reached again to punch clear, while Czibor rolled on the ground in despair.
So, in the drenching rain, it was over, and Jules Rimet, the retiring President of FIFA, gave to Fritz Walter the Cup which had seemed destined for Puskas. In the dressing-rooms, Gustav Sebes spoke of bad luck, and slumped on a bench; Herberger spoke of seriousness and enthusiasm. His team, physically exceptional, morally resilient, tactically straightforward, had won a remarkable triumph.
Marred by accusations of doping when most of the team succumbed to jaundice; seemingly confirmed long afterwards when a dressing-room attendant remembered finding hidden syringes.
RESULTS: Switzerland 1954
Pool I
Yugoslavia 1, France 0 (HT 1/0)
Brazil 5, Mexico 0 (HT 4/0)
France 3, Mexico 2 (HT 1/0)
Brazil 1, Yugoslavia 1 (HT 0/1) after extra time
GOALS
P W D L F A Pts
Brazil 2 1 1 0 6 1 3
Yugoslavia 2 1 1 0 2 1 3
France 2 1 0 1 3 3 2
Mexico 2 0 0 2 2 8 0
Pool II
Hungary 9, Korea 0 (HT 4/0)
Germany 4, Turkey 1 (HT 1/1)
Hungary 8, Germany 3 (HT 3/1)
Turkey 7, Korea 0 (HT 4/0)
GOALS
P W D L F A Pts
Hungary 2 2 0 0 17 3 4
Germany 2 1 0 1 7 9 2
Turkey 2 1 0 1 8 4 2
Korea 2 0 0 2 0 16 0
Play off Germany 7, Turkey 2 (HT 3/1)
Pool III
Austria 1, Scotland 0 (HT 1/0)
Uruguay 2, Czechoslovakia 0 (HT 0/0)
Austria 5, Czechoslovakia 0 (HT 4/0)
Uruguay 7, Scotland 0 (HT 2/0)
GOALS
P W D L F A Pts
Uruguay 2 2 0 0 9 0 4
Austria 2 2 0 0 6 0 4
Czechoslovakia 2 0 0 2 0 7 0
Scotland 2 0 0 2 0 8 0
Pool IV
England 4, Belgium 4 (HT 2/1)
England 2, Switzerland 0 (HT 1/0)
Switzerland 2, Italy 1 (HT 1/1)
Italy 4, Belgium 1 (HT 1/0)
GOALS
P W D L F A Pts
England 2 1 1 0 6 4 3
Italy 0 1 5 3 2 2 1
Switzerland 2 1 0 1 2 3 2
Belgium 2 0 1 1 5 8 1
Play off Switzerland 4, Italy 1 (HT 1/0)
Quarter-finals
Geneva
Germany 2 Yugoslavia 0
Turek; Laband, Beara; Stankovic,
Kohlmeyer; Eckel, Crnkovic; Cjaicowski,
Liebrich, Mai; Rahn, I., Horvat, Boskov;
Morlock, Walter, Milutinovic, Mitic
O., Walter, F. (capt.), (capt.), Vukas, Bobek,
Schaefer. Zebec.
SCORERS
Horvat (own goal), Rahn for Germany
HT 1/0
Berne
Hungary 4 Brazil 2
Grosics; Buzansky, Castilho; Santos, D.,
Lantos; Bozsik (capt.), Santos, N.;
Lorant, Zakarias; Toth, Brandaozinho,
M., Kocsis, Hidegkuti, Pinheiro (capt.), Bauer;
Czibor, Toth, J. Julinho, Didì, Indio,
Tozzi, Maurinho.
SCORERS
Hidegkuti (2), Kocsis, Lantos (penalty) for Hungary
Santos, D. (penalty), Julinho for Brazil
HT 2/1
Lausanne
Austria 7 Switzerland 5
Schmied; Hanapi, Parlier; Neury, Kernen;
Barschandt; Ocwirk Eggimann, Bocquet
(capt.), Happel, Koller; (capt.), Casali;
Koerner, R., Wagner, Antenen, Vonlanthen,
Stojaspal, Probst, Hugi, Ballaman,
Koerner, A. Fatton.
SCORERS
Koerner, A. (2), Ocwirk, Wagner (3), Probst for Austria
Ballaman (2), Hugi (2), Hanappi (own goal) for Switzerland
HT 2/4
Basel
Uruguay 4 England 2
Maspoli; Santamaria, Merrick; Staniforth,
Martinez; Andrade, Byrne; McGarry,
Varela (capt.), Cruz; Wright (capt.),
Abbadie, Ambrois, Dickinson; Matthews,
Miguez, Schiaffino, Broadis, Lofthouse,
Borges. Wilshaw, Finney.
SCORERS
Borges, Varela, Schiaffino, Ambrois for Uruguay
Lofthouse, Finney for England
HT 2/1
Semi-finals
Basel
Germany 6 Austria 1
Turek; Posipal, Zeman; Hanappi,
Kohlmeyer; Eckel, Schleger; Ocwirk
Liebrich, Mai; Rahn, (capt.), Happel, Koller;
Morlock, Walter, O., Koerner, R., Wagner,
Walter, F. (capt.), Stojaspal, Probst,
Schaefer. Koerner, A.
SCORERS
Schaefer, Morlock, Walter, F. (2 penalties),
Walter, O. (2) for Germany
Probst for Austria
HT 1/0
Lausanne
Hungary 4 Uruguay 2
(after extra time) Maspoli; Santamaria,
Grosics; Buzansky, Martinez; Andrade
Lantos; Boszik (capt.), (capt.), Carballo, Cruz;
Lorant, Zakarias; Souto, Ambrois,
Budai, Kocsis, Palotas, Schiaffino, Hohberg,
Hidegkuti, Czibor. Borges.
SCORERS
Czibor, Hidegkuti, Kocsis (2) for Hungary
Hohberg (2) for Uruguay
HT 1/0
Third place match
Zurich
Austria 3 Uruguay 1
Schmied; Hanappi, Maspoli; Santamaria,
Barschandt; Ocwirk Martinez; Andrade
(capt.), Kollmann, (capt.), Carballo, Cruz;
Koller; Koerner, R., Abbadie, Hohberg,
Wagner, Dienst, Mendez, Schiaffino,
Stojaspal, Probst. Borges.
SCORERS
Stojaspal (penalty), Cruz (own goal), Ocwirk for Austria
Hohberg for Uruguay
HT 1/1
Final
Berne
Germany 3 Hungary 2
Turek; Posipal, Grosics; Buzansky,
Kohlmeyer; Eckel, Lantos; Bozsik, Lorant,
Liebrich, Mai; Rahn, Zakarias; Czibor,
Morlock, Walter, O., Kocsis, Hidegkuti,
Walter, F., Schaefer. Puskas, Toth, J.
SCORERS
Morlock, Rahn (2) for Germany
Puskas, Czibor for Hungary
HT 2/2
SWEDEN
1958
Background to Sweden
Played in Sweden, the 1958 World Cup was notable for the emergence of 4-2-4, the explosion of Pelé, the first victory by Brazil, the surprise of France and Fontaine. Though it was won by an immensely distinguished team it was not, overall, a distinguished competition.
The Contenders Sweden
For the Swedish team, which ultimately and admirably became runners-up, it was a World Cup of nostalgia. At last the Swedish Federation had decided to allow overtly professional football and overtly professional footballers, a corollary of which was not only that such great players as Gunnar Gren returned to Sweden but also that others were recalled that summer from Italy. George Raynor, meanwhile, came back as team manager after the heartaches and the thousand natural shocks of management in Italy and to make his team happy.
One of the most beguiling features of the side was that it harked back not merely to 1950 and Sweden’s last World Cup in Brazil, but even earlier—to the 1948 Olympic Games. From these, Gren and Liedholm were mighty survivors. Like the powerful and prolific centre-forward Gunnar Nordahl, they had left Sweden for Milan, making up the so-called Grenoli trio, with Nordahl in the middle, ‘The Professor’ Gren at inside-right, Nils Liedholm at inside-left. Liedholm, indeed, after a long and impressive spell at right-half, had just played splendidly at inside-left for the Milan team which had lost 3–2 to Real Madrid in the European Cup Final in Brussels.
The little, two-haired Nacka Skoglund was back, too, after eight splendid years with Internazionale of Milan. On the right wing, a more recent Italian ‘export’ was Kurt (Kurre) Hamrin, a sturdy little man, coolly insulated and taciturn, with superb powers of dribbling and acceleration and the ability and courage to strike through the middle as well as from the wing.
At centre-half was another Italo-Swede, Julli Gustavsson, a former policeman playing for Atalanta who had been at right-back for the Rest of Europe team which beat Great Britain in Belfast in 1955. Atalanta, indicted by the Italian Federation for alleged corruption, had a vital play-off game against Bari coming up, and at first were reluctant to let Gustavsson go. Eventually they compromised grudgingly, after a tense time when it seemed that he would be unable to play for Sweden in the semi-final, allowing him to go on provided that if he wished to take part in the Final he would pay the massive indemnity of 25,000 crowns! Gustavsson, who had a superbly dominating match against Russia in the quarter-finals, did play the Final.
Ironically, however, the Swedish Press and public had no initial confidence in their team’s chances, despite home advantage and the return of the Italian brigade. But as the Swedish team made more and more progress, won one match after another, the patriotic euphoria of this traditionally neutral, peaceable, unchauvinist nation rose to an orgy of patriotism in the semi-final match against West Germany. It was a riveting and somewhat alarming study in national behaviour.
Russia
The Russians were competing for the first time in a World Cup, under the managership of the blond, Cagneyesque figure of Gabriel Katchaline assisted by the huge Mikhail Yakushin, who resembled some craggy hero of the revolutionary war and had taken Moscow Dynamo on its famous tour of Britain and Sweden in 1945. Thereafter the Russians, whose elegant, enterprising football had been excitingly successful, withdrew into splendid isolation till the Olympic tournament of 1952 in Helsinki, where they were put out 3–1 by Yugoslavia after an astonishing, oscillating 5–5 draw. They had just drawn a lively game against England in Moscow, and would now contest the same group in Gothenburg, together with Brazil and Austria.
They had gifted players in Simonian, the mobile little Armenian centre-forward; Lev Yachine, the superb goalkeeper who had succeeded and surpassed ‘Tiger’ Khomich in the Moscow Dynamo goal; Salnikov, a thoughtful inside-left; and Igor Netto. This blond left-half, captain of the side, who had helped it to win the Olympic title of 1956 in Melbourne, had hurt his left knee and was an uncertain starter; a blow to a Russian team which greatly depended on his lively, attacking play.
Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland
Of the British teams, England were the most fancied, Northern Ireland the most intriguing. It was the first occasion on which all four had qualified for the Finals.
England’s chances were severely affected by the disastrous Munich air crash the previous February, when the Manchester United team’s Elizabethan, twin-engined aircraft failed to gain sufficient height on a snowy day and hit a building at the end of the runway. The team, which had just drawn a European Cup tie 3–3 in Belgrade, was cruelly afflicted. Among those who died instantly were the captain, England’s resourceful left-back Roger Byrne, and Tommy Taylor, their excellent centre-forward, a fine player in the air and a vigorous one on the ground. Duncan Edwards, still only twenty-one years old, a superbly powerful player thought by many to be the finest left-half to have played for his country since the war, died pitifully in hospital after fighting for life with the help of a kidney machine. The experience profoundly disturbed the twenty-year-old Bobby Charlton, whose natural shyness became a persistent melancholy which would remain with him for the next decade. He had played for England on their pre-World Cup tour, done badly in Belgrade, when they lost 5–0 in intense heat to Yugoslavia, and would not play a single World Cup match. This represented a perverse decision by team manager and selectors but, as we shall see, it may have been better for Charlton, in the circumstances, that he did not play.
Northern Ireland had won their way to the Finals against all expectation by eliminating Italy—and their cohorts of South Americans. Unlucky to lose 1–0 in Rome, when the tough but tiny Wilbur Cush played successfully at centre-half and Sergio Cervato slyly moved the ball to the right to make a gap through which he could score from a free kick, they finished the job in Belfast. The decisive game should have taken place in January, but Istvan Zsolt, the Hungarian referee and theatre director, was held up in the fog, the Italians refused to accept an Irish referee and what followed was the unfriendliest friendly which can ever have been seen in Belfast.
Juan Schiaffino, star of the previous two World Cups with Uruguay, now playing for Milan and—on tenuous qualification—for Italy, broke Wilbur Cush’s shinpad with a kick; Chiapella, the Fiorentina right-half, jumped with both knees into McAdams’ back after a challenge on the goalkeeper, and when the final whistle blew on a 2–2 draw the crowd invaded the field. Danny Blanchflower, the Irish captain, allocated each Italian player to an Irish one. Ferrario, the huge centre-half who had jumped feet first at two Irish forwards at a corner, knocked down a couple of invaders, then panicked and cowered on the ground, and the police badly beat up a fan who had come on merely in quest of an autograph. It was a brutal, sombre affair, but Ireland eventually won the real match 2–1 on their merits, with goals by McIlroy and the ill-used Cush. Alcide Ghiggia, another Uruguayan hero of the 1950 World Cup called up by Italy, was sent off, ironically for a trivial offence.
Having fought their way through so bravely to the finals, the Northern Ireland team them had to fight again—against pressure in Ulster to prevent their playing on Sundays, an unavoidable necessity in the World Cup. The Irish Football Association was torn, but eventually sanity prevailed over bigotry.
Northern Ireland’s extraordinary improvement and success was the result of the inspired managership of Peter Doherty and the emergence of a nucleus of greatly talented players—notably Gregg, the Blanchflowers, Peacock, McParland, Cush, McIlroy and Bingham.
Doherty was fortunate in having two splendid lieutenants to implement his policies on the field. Danny Blanchflower, the right-half, and Jimmy McIlroy, the Burnley inside-forward, were two drily witty, technically gifted, tactically sophisticated footballers whose good influence permeated the rest of the team. Before the World Cup, in which Ireland were drawn in a group with the West German holders, the Czechs and the Argentinians, Blanchflower whimsical
ly observed that their plan would be to equalise before the other side had scored.
Billy Bingham, the well-sprung little Sunderland and Luton outside-right, who would form such a fine right wing with Cush in the World Cup and later become team manager himself, attributed the team’s success to Doherty’s ‘pep talks’, his double centre-forward plan which largely made up for the lack of a sufficient centre-forward, the devoted rehearsal of free kicks, corners and throws-in, and the fact that the minimal changes Doherty made ensured that the team became ‘more like a club side’.
This was true of the equally impressive Welsh. Initially Wales were lucky to be going to Sweden at all, for they had been eliminated by the Czechs. When the withdrawal of all Israel’s opponents—on political grounds—left them with a free passage to Sweden, FIFA decreed that those countries which had taken second place in their group should be put in a hat, the team drawn out to meet Israel, home and away. Uruguay proudly refused, Wales came out of the hat, won 2–0 home and away, and went to Sweden, their chances improved by Juventus’s release of the massive, formidable John Charles to play centre-forward. Charles, who had made his international debut as a seventeen-year-old centre-half, had just finished a wonderfully successful first season in Italy. The Welsh team manager was the lively Jimmy Murphy, who had efficiently taken over Manchester United when Matt Busby was badly hurt in the Munich crash, and there were other famous players in Jack Kelsey, a strong, calm, agile goalkeeper, and the classical inside-left, Ivor Allchurch.
Scotland had done well to eliminate Spain, but they had just been thrashed 4–0 by England at Hampden and would predictably finish bottom of a group which included Paraguay—Uruguay’s unexpected conquerors—Yugoslavia and France.