That was the end of Italy. Five minutes later, Gerson took a free kick, Pelé touched it skillfully to Jairzinho, and he, pelting into the goalmouth, ran the ball in on the left-hand post. Italy brought on Juliano for Bertini; then, six absurd minutes from the end, Rivera for … Boninsegna, surely the most mindless substitution of the tournament.
With so little time left, it was clearly all but impossible to save the game. Equally clearly, Valcareggi had been caught in a cleft stick over the Rivera-Mazzola duality. On this occasion it was quite unthinkable to take off Mazzola at the interval, so splendidly was he playing; at the same time, the non-appearance of Rivera would certainly inspire more sound and fury. Valcareggi’s ‘solution’ was to put Rivera on in place of Boninsegna, the one Italian forward who, given the ineffectuality of Riva, seemed capable of scoring goals. So Brazil, three minutes from time, scored a fourth goal, in the way they had so often threatened. Jairzinho found Pelé, who laid the ball off immaculately to his right for Carlos Alberto to thunder on to it, and drive it past Albertosi.
The Brazilian jubilation afterwards was as spectacular and memorable as anything one had seen on the field: a joyful, dancing invasion of fans milling around their victorious players, pulling off their bright yellow shirts and hoisting them, bare to the waist, on to their shoulders. In this exuberance, this unconfined delight, one seemed to see a reflection of the way Brazil had played; and played was, indeed, the word. For all their dedication, all their passion, they and their country had somehow managed to remain aware that football was, after all, a game; something to be enjoyed.
So the Jules Rimet Trophy, won by them for the third time, went permanently to Brazil, who had shown that enterprise, fantasy, attacking play were still compatible with success; provided you had the talent. There could be no comparison with England’s brave but ultimately sterile victory of 1966, a victory which had led only to myths of ‘athletic football’, ‘work rate’, the elevation of the labourer above the artist. It would take a couple of years for the new lesson to sink home in Europe, but sink it finally would.
Overall, despite the abominable conditions, the 1970 World Cup had been a marvellous triumph of the positive over the negative, the creative over the destructive. The Final itself took on the dimensions almost of an allegory.
RESULTS: Mexico 1970
Group I
Mexico 0, Russia 0 (HT 0/0)
Belgium 3, El Salvador 0 (HT 1/0)
Russia 4, Belgium 1 (HT 1/0)
Mexico 4, El Salvador 0 (HT 1/0)
Russia 2, El Salvador 0 (HT 0/0)
Mexico 1, Belgium 0 (HT 1/0)
GOALS
P W D L F A Pts
Russia 3 2 1 0 6 1 5
Mexico 3 2 1 0 5 0 5
Belgium 3 1 0 2 4 5 2
El Salvador 3 0 0 3 0 9 0
Group II
Uruguay 2, Israel 0 (HT 1/0)
Italy 1, Sweden 0 (HT 1/0)
Uruguay 0, Italy 0 (HT 0/0)
Sweden 1, Israel 1 (HT 0/0)
Sweden 1, Uruguay 0 (HT 0/0)
Italy 0, Israel 0 (HT 0/0)
GOALS
P W D L F A Pts
Italy 3 1 2 0 1 0 4
Uruguay 3 1 1 1 2 1 3
Sweden 3 1 1 1 2 2 3
Israel 3 0 2 1 1 3 2
Group III
England 1, Romania 0 (HT 0/0)
Brazil 4, Czechoslovakia 1 (HT 1/1)
Romania 2, Czechoslovakia 1 (HT 0/1)
Brazil 1, England 0 (HT 0/0)
Brazil 3, Romania 2 (HT 2/1)
England 1, Czechoslovakia 0 (HT 0/0)
GOALS
P W D L F A Pts
Brazil 3 3 0 0 8 3 6
England 3 2 0 1 2 1 4
Romania 3 1 0 2 4 5 2
Czechoslovakia 3 0 0 3 2 7 0
Group IV
Peru 3, Bulgaria 2 (HT 0/1)
West Germany 2, Morocco 1 (HT 0/1)
Peru 3, Morocco 0 (HT 0/0)
West Germany 5, Bulgaria 2 (HT 2/1)
West Germany 3, Peru 1 (HT 3/1)
Morocco 1, Bulgaria 1 (HT 1/0)
GOALS
P W D L F A Pts
West Germany 3 3 0 0 10 4 6
Peru 3 2 0 1 7 5 4
Bulgaria 3 0 1 2 5 9 1
Morocco 3 0 1 2 2 6 1
Quarter-finals
Leon
West Germany 3 England 2
(after extra time)
Maier; Schnellinger, Bonetti; Newton;
Vogts, Hottges (Schulz); Cooper; Mullery,
Beckenbauer, Overath, Labone, Moore; Lee,
Seeler; Libuda Ball, Hurst, Charlton
(Grabowski), Muller, (Bell), Peters (Hunter).
Loehr.
SCORERS
Beckenbauer, Seeler, Muller for West Germany
Mullery, Peters for England
HT 0/1
Guadalajara
Brazil 4 Peru 2
Felix; Carlos Alberto, Rubiños; Campos,
Brito, Piazza, Marco Fernandez,
Antonio; Clodoaldo, Chumpitaz, Fuentes;
Gerson (Paulo Cesar); Mifflin, Challe; Baylon
Jairzinho (Roberto), (Sotil), Perico Leon
Tostao, Pelé, Rivelino. (Eladio Reyes),
Cubillas, Gallardo.
SCORERS
Rivelino, Tostao (2), Jairzinho for Brazil
Gallardo, Cubillas for Peru
HT 2/1
Toluca
Italy 4 Mexico 1
Albertosi; Burgnich, Calderon; Vantolra,
Cera, Rosato, Pena, Guzman, Perez;
Facchetti; Bertini, Gonzalez (Borja),
Mazzola (Rivera), De Pulido, Munguia
Sisti; Domenghini (Diaz); Valdivia,
(Gori), Boninsegna, Fragoso, Padilla.
Riva.
SCORERS
Domenghini, Riva (2), Rivera for Italy
Gonzalez for Mexico
HT 1/1
Mexico City
Uruguay 1 Russia 0
(after extra time)
Mazurkiewicz; Kavazashvili;
Ubinas, Ancheta, Dzodzuashvili, Afonin,
Matosas, Mujica; Khurtsilava (Logofet),
Maneiro, Cortes, Chesternijev;
Montero Castillo; Muntijan, Asatiani
Cubilla, Fontes (Kiselev), Kaplichni;
(Gomez), Morales Evriuzhkinzin,
(Esparrago). Bychevetz,
Khmelnitzki.
SCORER
Esparrago for Uruguay
HT 0/0
Semi-finals
Mexico City
Italy 4 West Germany 3
(after extra time)
Albertosi; Cera, Maier; Schnellinger;
Burgnich, Rosato Vogts, Schulz,
(Poletti), Facchetti; Beckenbauer, Patzke
Domenghini, Mazzola (Held); Seeler,
(Rivera), De Sisti; Overath; Grabowski,
Boninsegna, Riva. Muller, Loehr (Libuda).
SCORERS
Boninsegna, Burgnich, Riva, Rivera for Italy
Schnellinger, Muller (2) for West Germany
HT 1/0
Guadalajara
Brazil 3 Uruguay 1
Felix; Carlos Alberto, Mazurkiewicz; Ubinas,
Brito, Piazza, Ancheta, Matosas,
Everaldo; Clodoaldo, Mujica; Montero
Gerson; Jairzinho, Castillo, Cortes,
Tostao, Pelé, Fontes; Cubilla,
Rivelino. Maneiro (Esparrago),
Morales.
SCORERS
Clodoaldo, Jairzinho, Rivelino for Brazil
Cubilla for Uruguay
HT 1/1
Third place match
Mexico City
West Germany 1 Uruguay 0
Wolter; Schnellinger Mazurkiewicz; Ubinas,
(Lorenz); Patzke, Ancheta, Matosas,
Fichtel, Weber, Vogts; Mujica; Montero
Seeler, Overath; Castillo, Cortes, Fontes
Libuda (Loehr), (Sandoval); Cubilla,
Muller, Held. Maneir
o (Esparrago),
Morales.
SCORER
Overath for West Germany
HT 1/0
Final
Mexico City
Brazil 4 Italy 1
Felix; Carlos Alberto, Albertosi; Cera;
Brito, Piazza, Burgnich, Bertini
Everaldo; Clodoaldo, (Juliano), Rosato,
Gerson; Jairzinho, Facchetti;
Tostao, Pelé, Domenghini, Mazzola,
Rivelino. De Sisti; Boninsegna
(Rivera), Riva.
SCORERS
Pelé, Gerson, Jairzinho, Carlos Alberto for Brazil
Boninsegna for Italy
HT 1/1
WEST GERMANY
1974
Introduction to West Germany
After twenty years, West Germany regained the World Cup and history further repeated itself in that they lost a game dramatically on the way. Dazzling in 1972, when they won the European Nations Cup with glorious panache, the West Germany of 1974 had passed their peak with the loss of Gunter Netzer. A sparkling star in Brussels, blond hair flying as he made his thrilling runs, huge boots distributing great, sweeping passes, curling diabolic free kicks, he had since gone to Madrid and lost his form.
Poland were the surprise. Having first—surprisingly—eliminated England, despite the loss of the brilliant Lubanski from their attack they grew in stature in the intervening months, and in the tournament itself. By the end of it, Lato, Deyna and Gadocha were recognised as three of the finest players in the world, and many thought that had their match against West Germany in Frankfurt been played in decent conditions, they would have reached the Final. As it was, they took a richly merited third place. These three teams showed, triumphantly, that attacking football still lived, still worked, could still prevail.
The Contenders
Ironically, it was the Brazilians, always in the past the banner bearers of adventurous football, who now lived precariously on their defence, to take a fourth place which flattered them. Predictably, Zagalo was bitterly blamed, just as he’d been eulogised in 1970, yet to an outsider it seemed once more essentially a question of personnel.
For a start, there was no Pelé; or rather, there was Pelé, but a Pelé who criticised, shook people’s hands, and advanced the cause of Pepsi Cola, adamantly loyal to his decision not to play in another World Cup. All might have been well had not the loss of Pelé been compounded by that of three other splendid players. Tostao, whose recovery from a damaged retina to play in the 1970 World Cup had been a small miracle, was hurt again, and this time no miracle supervened. Gerson, of the sublime left foot, the forty-yard passes, the tremendous shots, was injured too and was to be found only on the periphery of the competition, smoking of course, wryly critical. As if this was not enough, on the very eve of the competition, the dynamic young Clodoaldo, who had grown and grown throughout the 1970 tournament, broke down on the preliminary tour of Switzerland and had to be withdrawn. João Saldanha, fearsome critic of Zagalo, blamed him for this as well, saying that he, when manager, had been aware of Clodoaldo’s fragility, and had behaved accordingly. Such criticism seemed unfair, but Saldanha and the rest were on firmer ground when they blamed Zagalo—who after all was ultimately responsible—for the Brazilians’ harsh defensive methods, methods which reached their peak, or their nadir, in the match in Dortmund against Holland.
It was the first World Cup England had entered and failed to reach the Finals. In retrospect, to be eliminated by so fine a side as Poland seems no disgrace, but this is a posteriori reasoning. I doubt if England could have made so dazzling a contribution as Poland to the tournament, yet it should be remembered that the Poland which beat England and the Poland which took their place were two very different propositions.
Had Poland not eliminated England, it seems doubtful that they would have taken wing. That they did so at all after losing Lubanski in the first match against England, in Katowice, was extraordinary for Lubanski had been recognised till then as their one player of undoubted world class. Yet with a more adventurous, flexible manager than Sir Alf Ramsey, eventually and somewhat clumsily dismissed the following April, England might have prevailed. He had badly misread the first Polish game. After promising to field an attacking team, he inexplicably left out his best front-running forward, Southampton’s graceful Mike Channon, played a 4–4–2 formation which gave the initiative to Poland, and would not bring Channon on even when the Poles scored their second goal.
The following September, the Poles had their revenge on Wales in a bloodthirsty match in which old Cardiff scores were paid off, and things might have been a little different had the Welsh not had a perfectly validlooking goal by Wyn Davies disallowed.
So England, who had lamentably failed to beat Wales at Wembley, had to beat Poland to survive. A misleading 7–0 win against an uncommitted Austrian team raised false hopes. In the event, England pressed for most of the evening but hadn’t the wit to make many clear chances. The game was drawn 1–1, England were out; and so, after his one splendid success and eight years of anticlimax, was Ramsey.
Total Football
This World Cup was the World Cup of Total Football; both finalists were famous for it. For a couple of years, the more sophisticated European critics had been saying that Total Football was the new reality, as persuasive and historically irresistible a phenomenon as, in turn, the W formation, 4-2-4 and 4-3-3.
The term itself was confusing and imprecise. What it meant, and means, was the kind of football played by the West German team which won the Nations Cup, and the Ajax team which had won the European Cup three times in a row, and would assuredly have made it four or five times had not Cruyff, the outstanding Dutch player, insisted on a transfer to Barcelona in the autumn of 1973. If one was briefly to describe it, one might call it Dynamic Catenaccio.
Catenaccio itself had been borrowed by the Italians from the Swiss and turned into something deeply negative, however effective. On the brink of the World Cup, the Italians themselves were among the favourites. Their catenaccio defence with its resolutely negative sweeper and with Dino Zoff an astonishing goalkeeper, unbeaten for almost 1,100 minutes, had given them a long, impressive and unbeaten run; and there was Riva to snap up goals, Rivera and Mazzola to construct them.
But the new football made the libero, or sweeper, no longer a defensive figure; he was a man who used his deep role as a kind of springboard or, if you wish, a secluded lair whence he could foray upfield. If any one player invented the new role of the new sweeper, it was unquestionably Franz Beckenbauer, who had persuaded first his club, Bayern Munich, then Helmut Schoen, manager of West Germany, to let him implement it. How wonderfully it had worked in the 1972 Nations Cup. Giacinto Facchetti of Inter had inspired Beckenbauer with his attacking full-back play. If a full-back could do it, thought Beckenbauer, then why not a central defender? So the attacking sweeper was born!
The implicit theory of Total Football was that anyone could do anything: forwards become defenders, defenders become forwards. In fact—ideally—there is no such thing as either; there are merely footballers, totally versatile, totally interchangeable. Ajax, under the Romanian coach, Stefan Kovacs, and West Germany had approached this aim, though an aim it remained. Holland’s chances of encompassing it had plainly been limited by the loss of two key Ajax men—the powerful centre-half, Barry Hulshoff, always ready for a run upfield, and the vigorous left-side midfield player, Gerry Muhren. In the latter’s place would play a footballer who, for all his talents, seemed the very embodiment of the older school; Wim Van Hanegem of Feyenoord, powerful and tall, a lovely striker of the ball with his left foot whether at goal or in passing, hard in the tackle, a fine creative forward, but unhurried, sometimes to the point of appearing static. In the event, he would emerge as one of the outstanding players of the World Cup.
The Groups Holland
Holland had qualified with extreme difficulty, held both at home and away by their traditional rivals, Belgium, to a goa
lless draw. Their players seemed mercenary and unintegrated; Ajax men just did not get on with Feyenoord men. Despite the excellence of both these clubs, each a European Cup winner, Holland had failed to reach the Nations Cup finals, and had not qualified for the World Cup Finals since 1938. In addition, their players seemed thoroughly mercenary, for ever agitating for more money, until at one point the forceful Rinus Michels, now manager of Barcelona, had apparently said that those not satisfied with the terms could stay behind.
Nevertheless, the Dutch players had obtained the promise of a king’s ransom, and even then had threatened up to the last moments to strike. For all that, their performance had improved immensely and a fine 4–1 win over Argentina in May caused many, myself among them, to favour them. In terms of talent—Cruyff, Van Hanegem, the irrepressible Johan Neeskens, the dashing full-backs Suurbier and Krol—there was none to surpass them. Only in goal did there seem a lacuna, and this surprisingly, would be made good.
When the 34-year-old veteran Jan Jongbloed was called to the colours, he assumed he would be going to Germany merely as a reserve. But with the costly Van Beveren injured and Schrijvers, the second choice, in turn getting hurt, Jongbloed got his chance. Once again, Rinus Michels was proved wonderfully shrewd, for Jongbloed was just the goalkeeper Holland needed.
The lack of Hulshoff turned their defence into an alarmingly flimsy affair, with Aarie Haan, another highly gifted midfield player, pulled into defence as a putative sweeper, though if anything more of a centre-back, ever eager to go forward. In these circumstances, Holland brought Rijsbergen, the blond young Feyenoord stopper, into the back four, relied heavily and dangerously on offside, and were lucky to have in Jongbloed an adventurous keeper in the traditions of Grosics, ever ready to dash out of his area and save the day when the offside trap broke down.
The Story of the World Cup Page 22