Mammoth Book of the World Cup

by Nick Holt

  Byshovets scored twice, with a low daisy-cutter into the corner and an unsaveable left-footer thrashed into the top corner after Shesternev broke up a Belgian attack and released him down the right – a brilliant goal. Asatiani cut in from the left, turned his marker and slotted the ball across the face of the goal and in off the post for the second and Khmelnitsky completed the scoring with a clever diving header after feeding Evryuzhikin and moving for the return. Now the USSR looked the dark horses while Belgium had to beat Mexico. It was never going to happen, and an awful game was settled when the Argentinian referee gave a penalty even though Jeck clearly hooked the ball away from Valdivia. Perhaps he was confused and thought Fragoso was refereeing the game – the Mexican No.21 did a complete mime show to help him along, whistle to the mouth, point to the spot, loud applause when Señor Coerezza gets it right. The Mexicans were through but this was the worst team to contest the last eight in a World Cup Finals tournament. Byshovets added a couple more as the Soviets cruised past El Salvador; the Ukrainian was looking one of the best forwards in the tournament and his Dynamo Kyiv colleague Muntian one of the better creative players. Unfortunately for both, the Uruguayans had noticed.

  GROUP 2

  A group containing Italy and Uruguay, past masters of doing just enough, was never going to be exciting. The other teams, functional, hardworking, uninspired Sweden and the debutants Israel, were hardly likely to bring us an attacking fiesta either. No blame attached to Israel – they did well, drawing twice, once with Sweden when Spiegler scored a long-range belter, and once with a comatose Italy, who had already qualified for the last eight. Italy and Uruguay drew 0–0 – colour me stunned! – and Domenghini’s early goal got Italy past Sweden, who never looked likely to breach the Azzurri wall. Sweden scored a late winner to beat Uruguay, but they needed to win by two.

  The great debate in the Italian media was which of the two great playmakers to include. Coach Valcareggi was inclined towards Inter’s Sandro Mazzola, a more all-round, disciplined player than his rival, the silky, creative Gianni Rivera of Milan. Up front Riva’s partner was the inexperienced Robert Boninsegna of Internazionale, winning only his second cap in the first game against Sweden. It paid off as Boninsegna’s fitness and work-rate benefited Riva, who struggled to put in the miles in the heat and was able to better conserve his energy with the unselfish Boninsegna in the side.

  Uruguay’s coach, Juan Eduardo Hohberg, who played in the 1954 World Cup, would have liked a choice of playmaker – his own, Pedro Rocha, was in the squad but injured and never got on the pitch. This only served to cement the tactics the Uruguayans would have adopted anyway; sit deep, kick the ball or any player who gets near the penalty area and counter-attack with caution. Six goals, six games – goals aren’t everything but this was cautious fare.

  GROUP 3

  England knew they would be facing Brazil a full twelve months before the tournament, even before they played them in a very competitive friendly in Rio in the summer of ’69 (how very Bryan Adams). That summer tour was a sensible attempt by England to get used to South American playing conditions and they added a couple more games in the lead-up to the actual tournament. They probably wished they had avoided going to Colombia.

  It was while staying in the Colombian capital, Bogotá, that England encountered the most bizarre pre-tournament experience, an incident that made David Beckham’s metatarsal look like . . . well, a toe injury. Staying in a nice hotel in the middle of the city, Bobby Moore and his friend Alan Mullery were wandering aimlessly around the shops in the foyer. They sauntered out of the Fuego Verde jewellery shop back into the lobby, and were mightily surprised when the shop owner followed them, demanding an explanation as to the whereabouts of a missing bracelet. The police were called, there was a furore, and Alf Ramsey had to be called to try to smooth things over. Initially it seemed the incident was forgotten, and England’s mini tour continued – successfully – with victories over Colombia and Ecuador.

  It was when England returned to Bogotá on their way to Mexico that the second, more serious wave of trouble started. Police burst into the England meeting room and arrested Moore – it became apparent that a witness had come forward claiming he saw Moore take the bracelet. It was a popular scam in Colombia; accuse a tourist of a crime and then extort money as the only means of making the problem go away. Moore was held for four days, although he was allowed to train while in captivity. In the end the judiciary found no case to answer, but only after intense diplomatic pressure and after the Colombian press turned against the prosecution, affected partly, it is claimed, by Moore’s charming demeanour and great dignity.

  It was all a bit surreal, with the most unlikely “criminal” at the heart of it. Lesser men may have buckled, if that was part of the intention – CIA involvement is one particularly paranoid suggestion, but isn’t it always? Not Moore, he returned to the camp and what could have been an unsettling situation was turned into a means of celebration.

  At home there had been one or two calls for Moore, whose domestic form had dipped, to be left out, mainly from Leeds manager Don Revie – a man as paranoid and labyrinthine in his reasoning as the CIA. Revie’s suggested replacement, Norman Hunter, was a shadow of Moore, a destructive player with none of the ease on the ball and unhurried distribution required at the top level. Apart from Moore, Alf Ramsey had changed his back four; Jack Charlton was in the squad at thirty-five, but as backup to the Everton captain Brian Labone, while the new fullbacks were Keith Newton and Terry Cooper, both high-quality players. Alan Mullery, a much better footballer, was fulfilling the Stiles role as the marking midfielder; he had done his job a little over-zealously against Yugoslavia in the European Championships, and was the first England player to be sent off in an international. Mullery amusingly reports that, although he escaped the expected censure from Ramsey – he was always loyal to his charges – he certainly got it in the ear from his wife and mother!

  The five attacking players were largely the same, with Roger Hunt replaced by the more mobile Manchester City striker Francis Lee. Lee’s club colleague Colin Bell, renowned for his stamina and power, was a more than handy midfield substitute.

  The group was played at the lowest elevation of any of the cities used, but the heat was stifling and took its toll before England’s first game, when Romania’s young midfield star Nicolae Dobrin succumbed to heatstroke and was flown home. Without him Romania resorted to cynical, defensive tactics, in spite of their star forward Florea Dumitrache’s boast that he would score twice. Alan Ball’s provocative and graphic reminder of that boast after England won the game 1–0 was unnecessary, but you could see his point after some horrible tackling went unpunished – shades of 1966 that happily did not manifest again in the competition. Hurst scored the goal just after the hour when he took down a cross from Ball expertly, turned his man and scuffed a shot past the sprawling Adamache. England would have to play Brazil without right-back Keith Newton after a shocking tackle from Mocanu – a straight red in any era, it was legalised GBH.

  If there were doubts about the Brazilian defence, they resurfaced in the opening fifteen minutes against Czechoslovakia when twice Ladislav Petrás exposed their lack of concentration. First he burst past Brito and then skipped another challenge as he was allowed to run along the goal-line, cut back and send a shot whistling over the bar. With ten minutes gone he caught Clodoaldo in possession and beat Brito again, this time finishing better with a clip past Felix. Petrás’s second match was going better than his first, which ended prematurely when he was sent off. Later in the half Carlos Alberto played a suicidal pass inside, which Fran Vesely seized on – the Czech striker delayed his shot and could only chip over the bar.

  Brazil were level by then, a Rivelino free-kick bending viciously past the wall while never getting above knee high. Unstoppable. Pre-tournament predictions that the ball would fly in the rarefied air were being borne out. One of the tournament’s defining moments came just before half-time when Pe
lé spotted Viktor off his line and tried a shot from inside his own half. It scraped past the post to the obvious relief of the backpedalling Czech custodian. As Cris Freddi points out, it has been done since (take a bow, David), but Pelé was the first with the audacity to try. And this was no mug goalkeeper (I would have fancied scoring past Félix, the Brazil goalkeeper), Ivo Viktor was acknowledged as his country’s best until Petr Cech came along, and he had already made one brilliant save from Tostão.

  Czechoslovakia kept trying, but chasing guys with this level of technique and ball retention was a task and a half in that heat. Petrás created a good chance for Vesely just after half-time but he couldn’t finish and soon the one-way traffic towards the Czech goal resumed. Chances went begging and Gérson hit the base of the post with a left-foot shot. The same left foot spotted a late run from Pelé with a superb lob, the master controlled it on his chest and volleyed past Viktor. Olé. Even in the lead Brazil made basic errors – Adamec’s short corner caught them napping and the experienced Kvasnák should have done better than hook over the bar from five yards out. It was their last sniff, as Brazil increased their lead with their next attack, Jairzinho running clear and lifting the ball over Viktor before smashing joyously home. Jairzinho had played a little deeper in the second half, to get more of the ball and run at tiring defenders, and now he caught the Czechs out by getting beyond the forwards. He added another late on when he rode a couple of tackles and fired across the goalkeeper. Jairzinho never seemed to have the ball completely under control, and he tended to go through rather than round defenders, but he took as much stopping as his predecessor – Brazil were no longer missing Garrincha.

  It was the Czechs in this group who suffered most from the heat. They lost their next match to Romania after taking the lead again through Petrás, and lost a poor game to England 1–0 with a debatable penalty converted by Allan Clarke on his international debut. He was ever a cheeky one. England had expended a lot of energy against Brazil, and supine opposition like the already eliminated Czechs suited them fine, and meant they could rest Ball, Hurst and Lee and rely on the defence. Which is what happened, so a bit harsh to carp. But it was an awful game. The day before saw another sumptuous attacking performance by Brazil as well as another shaky defensive one. Dumitrache got his goal for Romania (he also scored a penalty against Czechoslovakia) when the Brazilian defence let him wander through. He later missed a sitter that would have made it 3–3 and went home with few believing he was as good as he said he was. Pelé belted in a free-kick and Paulo César, in for Rivelino, made a second for Jairzinho before Dumitrache pegged one back. Pelé added a second, but the Brazilian reserve defenders looked even less assured than the first team and Romania gave them some nervy moments, pulling one back through Dembrowski’s header.

  Oh, missed a game. Silly me. It was a classic.

  WORLD CUP CLASSIC No.6

  7 June 1970, Jalisco Stadium, Guadalajara; 70,950

  Referee: Avraham Klein (Israel)

  Coaches: Mário Zagallo (Brazil) & Alf Ramsey (England)

  Brazil (4–4–1–1): Félix Miélli Venerando (Fluminense); Carlos Alberto Torres (Cpt, Santos), Everaldo Marques (Grêmio), Wilson Piazza (Cruzeiro), Hercules Brito (Flamengo); Jair Ventura, known as Jairzinho (Botafogo), Clodoaldo Tavares (Santos), Gérson de Oliveira, Roberto Rivelino (Corinthians); Edson do Nascimento, known as Pelé (Santos); Eduardo Gonçalves, known as Tostão (Cruzeiro). Subs: Roberto Miranda (Botafogo) 68m, for Tostão

  England (4–3–1–2): Gordon Banks (Stoke City); Tommy Wright (Everton), Brian Labone (Everton), Bobby Moore (Cpt, West Ham United), Terry Cooper (Leeds United); Alan Ball (Everton), Alan Mullery (Tottenham Hotspur), Martin Peters (Tottenham); Bobby Charlton (Manchester Utd); Francis Lee (Manchester City), Geoff Hurst (West Ham). Subs: Jeff Astle (West Bromwich Albion) 64m, for Lee; Colin Bell (Man City) 64m, for Charlton

  Cautioned: Lee (Eng) 30m

  Possibly England’s finest performance in a World Cup Finals match, including the year they won. The discipline was tremendous; solid lines, no diving in to tackle like the Czechs and Romanians, good composure. At the heart of it was Moore at the back and Mullery just in front of the defence. Time after time Brazilian attacks broke down as one of these two tackled or intercepted; one last-ditch tackle to dispossess Jairzinho by Moore was uncanny in its precision. Labone stuck diligently to Tostão, and Ball scampered around the midfield with his usual extraordinary energy.

  Brazil were, quite simply, brilliant. Much better than against Czechoslovakia or Romania, their concentration honed by the knowledge that this was a key game, and winning it meant almost certainly avoiding the dangerous West Germans in León. When Brazil broke through the defence, it wasn’t because of errors or poor positioning, but through individual skill, or mesmerising passing. The goal came from a piece of persistence from Tostão, refusing to concede possession and bustling his way through to get in a cross. Pelé controlled it and, under challenge from Cooper, immediately slipped it to Jairzinho, who made no mistake from six yards.

  The goal came just past the hour, after a sustained period of Brazilian pressure that drained the England midfield. Banks made one superb stop from a Rivelino thunderbolt and did ever so well to clear outside his area as Jairzinho ran through. Neither save was his best. That came in the first half when a Jairzinho cross found Pelé and the master’s downward header was scooped over the bar by the England No.1. It was a thumping header and the ball was virtually past Banks when he got his palm to it – incredible agility and strength.

  Even when they went behind England responded with great courage. Ramsey made a planned substitution, and Bobby Charlton – Sir Bob was thirty-two now and struggling to last ninety minutes in the conditions – gave way to Bell, while Jeff Astle came on for Lee. Astle was a successful goalscorer for West Bromwich Albion, but his touch was not good enough for this level – Clarke or Chelsea’s Peter Osgood would have been a better bet but neither was on the bench here.

  England varied their attack, mixing the patient approach they had favoured so far with longer balls so Hurst and Astle could test the suspect goalkeeper; Astle should have gone for goal from one long cross from Mullery rather than head back towards Ball. He missed England’s best chance a few minutes later, ramming the ball wide when it broke to him off Everaldo’s shin – more comedy defending from Brazil. Late on Bobby Moore created another opening with a deep cross, which reached Alan Ball via a Brazilian hand – Ball sent the ball whizzing back in but it clipped the top of the bar.

  Defeat with glory and not out of the competition; England could reflect on the fact that they had not been completely outclassed by Brazil and had the players to ask questions of their far-from-perfect defence and amateurish goalkeeper. There was confidence within the squad – with justification – that no one in the tournament held any fear for them and they would be playing Brazil again two weeks later.

  Pelé swapping shirts with the peerless Moore at the end of the game remains an indelible image, one of the most famous football pictures. Two great players acknowledging mutual respect: Pelé was the greatest player the game has known, Moore had just given the greatest defensive performance in history. Pelé later admitted that England were the only side in the tournament who held any terrors for Brazil.

  GROUP 4

  West Germany had the easiest group of the favourites. Morocco gave them a scare by taking a first-half lead, but the Germans dug in and scored twice in the second half. The winner came from the new centre-forward Gerd Müller, a team-mate of Beckenbauer at Bayern Munich, whose rivalry with Borussia Mönchengladbach would dominate the Bundesliga for the next decade and provide West Germany with the bulk of their side. The other came from Uwe Seeler, who scored in his fourth World Cup (as did Pelé, setting a record they still share). Seeler, now a veteran in years as well as appearance, had lost a yard and Schön cannily moved him back into midfield where his strength and experience would count.

  Peru kicked off the group with
a cracker against Bulgaria. Two days before Peru had been rocked by a massive earthquake that caused huge landslides and eventually claimed more than 20,000 lives. The players were told to stay and play to give the people something to cheer. They did just that, recovering from a rocky start to win well.

  Both Bulgarian goals came from free-kicks, the first a well-rehearsed set piece that played in Dermendjiev and the second a vicious swerver from Bonev that slipped through Rubiños’ hands. Peru had played well, their passing neat and clever – a younger, smaller version of Brazil – but they overplayed in the final third and were suspect in defence where the captain Héctor Chumpitaz looked a much better player with the ball at his own feet than his opponents’. Within eight minutes of Bulgaria’s second, Peru were level, showing commendable spirit and no little skill. First Gallardo crashed a shot in from a tight angle after Leon held off a stiff challenge, then young substitute Hugo Sotil was brought down on the edge of the area. The Peruvians lined up at the end of the Bulgarian wall – an unfamiliar tactic in 1970 – and Chumpitaz crashed his free-kick straight through them and into the corner.

  Bulgaria were wilting and Peru kept coming, looking for a winner. When it came it was special. Teófilo Cubillas was only twenty-one and already a world-class player with superb close control and a powerful shot. He received the ball in a crowd of players from Ramon Mifflin, waited, played a one-two with the advancing Mifflin, then veered to the right, taking out two retreating defenders; another touch took him past the last man and he fired a low, hard shot past Simeonov. Cubillas added two more in the next match as Peru strolled past Morocco – they should have won by a hatful, not 3–0.