by Nick Holt
Within a few minutes France were ahead. Platini got behind the beleaguered Northern Ireland defence and cut the ball back for Giresse, who made no mistake. The second half had barely started before France made the task nearly impossible, Rocheteau bursting clear from halfway to sprint past Chris Nicholl and hit a hard strike past Jennings at the near post – the only hint of an error the Northern Ireland goalkeeper made.
France were playing some superb football now and Rocheteau, a sublime player when fit and in the mood, tricked his way past three defenders to score a third. Northern Ireland got one back – Armstrong started the move on halfway and was at the far post to convert Whiteside’s cross when both Ettori and Hamilton misjudged it. Northern Ireland were pressing and vulnerable to the counter-attack. The impressive Tigana took advantage and crossed for Giresse to crash home a header – Giresse looked thrilled, at five foot four the Bordeaux midfielder probably didn’t get too many with his head.
Northern Ireland were out but went home with heads held high to a deserved heroes’ welcome. They travelled out the least fancied of the European squads and went toe-to-toe with some good sides without taking a step backwards. Their team included a couple of guys playing in North America, a seventeen-year-old with two first team games for Manchester United, and two forwards who had played in just the second and third tier of the league. They had a real go, and put England and Scotland’s flac-cid efforts into perspective.
Northern Ireland Squad 1982:
GK: Pat Jennings (Arsenal, 37, 91), Jim Platt (Middlesbrough, 30, 14), George Dunlop (Linfield, 26, 0)
DEF: Mal Donaghy (Luton Town, 24, 12), John McClelland (Glasgow Rangers, 26, 10), Chris Nicholl (Southampton, 35, 41), Sammy Nelson (Brighton & Hove Albion, 33, 49), Jimmy Nicholl (Toronto Blizzard, 26, 43), John O’Neill (Leicester City, 24, 17)
MID & WIDE: Noel Brotherston (Blackburn Rovers, 25, 14), Tommy Cassidy (Burnley, 31, 23), Jim Cleary (Glentoran, 26, 2), Tommy Finney (Cambridge United, 29, 13), Johnny Jameson (Glentoran, 24, 0), David McCreery (Tulsa Roughnecks, 24, 39), Sammy McIlroy (Stoke City, 27, 56), Martin O’Neill (Norwich City, 30, 44), Norman Whiteside (Manchester United, 17, 0)
FWD: Gerry Armstrong (Watford, 28, 37), Bobby Campbell (Bradford City, 25, 2), Billy Hamilton (Burnley, 25, 17), Felix Healy (Coleraine, 26, 2)
It was a flat end for Austria and, in common with Northern Ireland, the last time they went past the group stage in a World Cup Finals tournament. I can’t help agreeing with various writers who think the hangover from the vilification of both teams after the Austria v West Germany debacle affected them in the second round. They had some good players, regarded as all-time greats in Austria. Bruno Pezzey, who played in Germany, and Erich Obermayer, the captain, were solid defenders; Obermayer was a one-club man who played over 600 games for Austria Vienna. The playmaker, curly-haired, lazy-looking Herbert Prohaska, was a throwback to the 1930s team; a beautiful passer who expected lesser talents to do the hard yards. Prohaska was good enough to win Serie A with Roma the season after this tournament, but he returned to his first club, Austria Vienna, to finish his career. Hans Krankl, disappointing here, had his best moments in 1978. He enjoyed a superb first season at Barcelona on the back of that success but was plagued by injuries for a year or two and never looked quite as sharp again. Krankl was Austria’s leading scorer until overtaken by Toni Polster.
World Cup Heroes No.19
Gerry Armstrong (1954–) & Billy Hamilton (1957–)
Northern Ireland
Citation for conspicuous work rate, devotion to duty, passion in response to the call to the colours and utter heroism goes to Gerard Joseph Armstrong, born Belfast, 23 July 1954, and William Robert Hamilton, born County Down, 9 May 1957.
Gerry Armstrong was having a good year. He had just won promotion with Watford and returned to England after the World Cup to score the club’s first ever top-flight goal. A spell at Real Mallorca followed before Armstrong slipped back into the lower echelons.
Armstrong never looked much in England, just another hard-working forward with a predictable game and a poor scoring record. But in the 1982 World Cup Finals he stepped up his game like few other players of such questionable pedigree have ever managed. Playing a counterattacking game, Northern Ireland needed forwards who would work hard and always be on offer to receive the ball. Armstrong covered acres of ground for his team, dropping deep to look for the ball and launching attacks with raking balls out to the wide players before sprinting into the box to try to get on the end of them. He scored three times in the tournament – a much better return than he ever achieved in the league – and caused problems for every team he faced.
Armstrong was still in the Northern Ireland team for Mexico 1986, although he couldn’t make the same impact in a fading team, but he should sleep well with the memories of Spain and the accolades his braveheart displays drew.
Alongside Armstrong was Billy Hamilton of third division Burnley. Hamilton was another journeyman who raised his game in Spain. It was his cross that led to Armstrong’s goal against Spain and his double against Austria gave Northern Ireland a glimmer before they met France. Hamilton looked about twelve years old, and played with a coltish vigour and a deal of skill in the tournament that surprised the assembled football press.
Hamilton played over 200 games for Burnley before moving to Oxford, who were in the top flight at the time; Hamilton never held down a regular place and left to return to football in Northern Ireland. Like Gerry Armstrong, he shone only briefly, but it was a glorious couple of weeks.
Just before the World Cup ended, a Barcelona newspaper printed a commentary, pointing out that the presence of the world’s best footballers was merely putting a gloss on Spain’s domestic and economic problems. The article read, without any irony: “Next week World Cup superstars Zico, Maradona and Hamilton will have gone home, but Spain will still be bankrupt.” I do hope Billy has that on his wall.
WORLD CUP CLASSIC No.13
8 July 1982, Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium, Seville; 66,400
Referee: Charles Corver (Holland)
Coaches: Michel Hidalgo (France) & Jupp Derwall (West Germany)
West Germany (1–4–4–1): Harald Schumacher (Cologne); Manni Kaltz (Hamburg); Bernd Förster (Stuttgart), Karlheinz Förster (Stuttgart), Uli Stielike (Real Madrid), Hans-Peter Briegel (Kaiserslautern); Pierre Littbarski (Cologne), Wolfgang Dremmler (Bayern Munich), Paul Breitner (Bayern), Felix Magath (Hamburg); Klaus Fischer (Cologne). Subs: Horst Hrubesch (Hamburg) 73m for Magath; Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (Bayern Munich) 97m for Briegel
France (4–4–2): Jean-Luc Ettori (Monaco); Manuel Amoros (Monaco), Gerard Janvion (St Etienne), Marius Trésor (Bordeaux), Max Bossis (Nantes); Jean Tigana (Bordeaux), Alain Giresse (Bordeaux), Michel Platini (St Etienne), Bernard Genghini (Sochaux); Dominique Rocheteau (Paris St Germain), Didier Six (Stuttgart). Subs: Patrick Battiston (St Etienne) 50m for Genghini; Christian Lopez (St Etienne) 60m for Battiston
Cautioned: Giresse (Fra) 35m, Genghini (Fra) 40m, B Förster (WGer) 46m
Another match that has garnered countless column inches over the years, most of it about one incident in the second half, so let’s get the incident out of the way. Harald Schumacher’s challenge on Patrick Battiston was a shocker; as Battiston waited for a cute lob from Platini to land, Schumacher sprinted from his goal and launched himself, both feet off the ground, at the oncoming Frenchman. In modern times it was an instant red card and possibly a lengthy ban – the challenge was high, late and perpetrated at high velocity. Battiston had to have teeth capped as a result and he was lucky his injuries weren’t more serious. Schumacher and his colleagues’ lack of sympathy both at the time of the incident and subsequently did little to win over neutrals already disinclined to see them succeed.
Schumacher (known as Toni, from his middle name) was a good goalkeeper, and he and the obdurate Förster brothers presented a formidable obstacle; West Germany’s problem was that the players in front of them were a tired vintage,
especially without their injured skipper, Rummenigge. France had the opposite problem: their midfield was sublime, especially now Hidalgo had hit on the most effective quartet of Platini, Genghini, Giresse and Tigana. The attack was lightweight, but the fitful Rocheteau had skill to spare and Six was a willing runner. The defence was so-so, the admirable Trésor apart, prone to individual errors and lacking an authoritative goalkeeper. All four fullbacks in the game – Kaltz and Briegel, Amoros and Bossis – liked to attack and left gaps behind them. Hidalgo made a clever swap, using the better defender Amoros, against Kaltz to cut off his crosses, and Bossis’ aggression to drive Briegel back into his own half.
It was a gap in the middle of the French defence that West Germany exploited after eighteen minutes when Klaus Fischer beat the offside trap. Ettori was quick off his line to save but the ball ran kindly for Littbarski, who picked his spot. The lead lasted less than ten minutes. Platini showed a side of his game we didn’t see often, climbing well to knock down a free-kick for Rocheteau, who was fouled by Bernd Förster as he cocked the trigger. Platini put the penalty well out of Schumacher’s reach. France moved the ball well and looked the better side throughout normal time, but West Germany were disciplined and the nearest France came (Battiston’s ill-fated foray apart) was when right-back Manuel Amoros advanced and crashed a shot against the bar in the final minute.
The first ninety minutes was full of good play, but the real fun started in extra-time. France scored after only three minutes. Giresse cleverly made room for a cross on the right side of the penalty area and centre half Marius Trésor was criminally unmarked about ten yards out. Trésor had time for a touch but didn’t bother; instead he leaned back and powered an acrobatic volley high into the roof of the net – a quality finish from a defender. Giresse scored what everyone assumed would be the decisive goal six minutes later, driving home Platini’s square pass with the West Germany defence at sixes and sevens. Derwall responded by making the only change that made any sense, bringing on a half-fit Rummenigge for the full-back Briegel, who had been outplayed by Bossis down the Germans’ left. France were unable to respond; the injured Battiston was a substitute and lasted only ten minutes before Schumacher’s assault necessitated the use of France’s second sub as his replacement.
Rummenigge made an instant impact. He had been on the pitch four minutes before he threw himself at a cross from the left; amid the melee Rummenigge got the vital touch that took the ball past Ettori. The French went from serene to shaky in that moment and another deep cross at the start of the second period of extra-time found Hrubesch climbing at the far post; the tall striker did well to turn the ball back into the danger area and Fischer did even better to balance himself and execute a controlled overhead kick into the French net – a party trick he had proved he could pull off on more than one occasion in the Bundesliga.
It was a terrific game, and it was shame it had to be the first World Cup Finals match to go to a penalty shoot-out. The Germans won. Quel surprise. It looked bad for them when Uli Stielike missed his penalty – there were a few tears from the tough Real Madrid sweeper, it was a bit like watching the Grim Reaper stroking a kitten. Didier Six missed the next one, Bossis also missed and it was left to Horst Hrubesch to administer the coup de grace.
World Cup Heroes No.20
Marius Trésor (1950–)
France
By the time this talented French squad got their deserts and won something (the 1984 European Championship), Marius Trésor had retired from international football. There can be no doubt that he was a major factor in the success of the French national team in that era.
They were a pretty lightweight bunch when he made his international debut against Bulgaria in 1971, but a formidable outfit by the time he played his last international in late 1983.
Trésor got his chance in the French league with AC Ajaccio, during one of the periods they were holding their own in Ligue 1; he made his debut for France with the unfashionable Corsican side. He started eight years at Olympique Marseille in 1972 – they were the league champions for the last two years – but he never managed to win a title and moved to Bordeaux to spend his last years as a professional. Bordeaux provided a good core of the 1982 squad, including Giresse, Tigana and Bernard Lacombe.
By the time France qualified for a World Cup Finals, in 1978, Trésor was a fixture in the side and the captain, the first black player to captain France (he was born in Guadeloupe). France failed to get through a tough group, but showed great promise, with a young Michel Platini and the skilful Dominique Rocheteau as well as Trésor.
Four years later Platini was the superstar and the captain, but Trésor was still the organiser at the back. He was big and powerful, but had ability on the ball too – most defenders of that era are classed either as a stopper or sweeper, but Trésor was equally comfortable in either role. In 1982, after Christian Lopez was left out following a poor game against England, Trésor found a reliable partner in another Caribbean-born player, Gérard Janvion of St Etienne. With Bossis and the exciting Monaco player Amoros at full-back, France had a decent springboard for their brilliant midfield. The only thing missing was a consistent goalkeeper.
Trésor’s goal against West Germany looked as if it might clinch a place in the final, but nerves and Rummenigge saw the dream implode. He may have missed out on the medal he deserved, but Marius Trésor was the daddy of a great generation of Les Bleus.
There is a nice ending; in the same year as France won the Euros he won the league title for the first time with his club Bordeaux, and promptly retired.
SEMI-FINAL (8 July)
THIRD-PLACE MATCH (10 July)
The other semi-final was much more straightforward. Poland, missing Boniek’s drive, were disappointing and Italy won in third gear. The only downside was an injury to the graceful Antognoni – being Italy, they replaced him after half an hour with Marini, another grafter, as they were already one-up after Poland failed to pick up Rossi at a set piece. Rossi added a second after superb work from Conti on the left.
Poland won an entertaining third-place match against the French reserves but it was the end of their best era and the last World Cup match for both the old warriors Lato and Szarmach. The new faces weren’t quite in the same league, Boniek apart.
World Cup Heroes No.21
Grzegorz Lato (1950–)
Poland
The third-place match against France saw the end of one of the best World Cup careers, spanning three tournaments. When Poland surprised England in qualification for the 1974 Finals, no one clicked that England had been beaten by a very good side. And they kept on improving, none more so than Grzegorz Lato, an unheralded goalscoring winger from Stal Mielec in south-east Poland.
When Poland’s star and captain, Wlodi Lubanski, was injured before the Finals, Poland changed their system, using two fast attacking wingers (Lato and Gadocha) either side of a single striker (Szarmach). They had stumbled across a great twenty-first-century tactical innovation thirty years too soon. Lato was the chief beneficiary; a more natural goalscorer than Gadocha, it was the lightning fast, balding winger who would be the one to get beyond the centre-forward and pick up the flicks and passes from Kazi Deyna and his midfield colleagues. Lato ended his first World Cup with seven goals and the Golden Boot; Szarmach was joint-second with five as Poland earned great plaudits for their adventurous attacking game.
Four years later Lato added a couple more goals as the Poles reached the second stage again, but they found the climate and Brazil and Argentina a little too hot for their liking. Another fourth place in 1982 owed more to the brilliance of new star Zibi Boniek than the old guard, but Lato added another to his tally to reach double figures in all World Cup Finals matches, level with another great goalscoring winger, Helmut Rahn.
Lato’s great asset was blistering pace, which frequently carried him clear of defences who appealed in vain for offside, usually because it seemed scarcely credible he could have covered so much grou
nd so quickly. He was unselfish, or might have had even more goals, and adept at reaching the byline and whipping in crosses, usually hard and low.
After a decade with Mielec, Lato tried his luck in Belgium with Lokeren (Polish players were allowed to play abroad once they reached thirty – an exception was made only for Boniek). Immediately after the 1982 Finals he made an even more adventurous move – to Mexico, to play for Atlante.
Lato played his last game for Poland in 1984 and finished with 100 caps (FIFA disbarred some Olympic appearances, so his original figure of 104 has been officially reduced). His tally of forty-five goals is second only to Lubanski. More than any of his talented colleagues, Lato’s career can be seen to have book-ended the finest era in Polish international football.
Intelligent and articulate, Lato was a Senator in Poland at the beginning of this century, representing a centre-left party, and he is the current head of the Polish FA.
WORLD CUP FINAL No.12
11 July 1982, Bernabéu, Madrid; 90,000
Referee: Arnaldo Coelho (Brazil)
Coaches: Enzo Bearzot (Italy) & Jupp Derwall (West Germany)