Top 10 World Cup Classics (Part 2)

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The previous article featured 5 mouthwatering clashes from World Cup history. The countdown will continue as we reach the pinnacle of the finest World Cup games, remembered by football fans all around the globe.

 

5. Argentina vs West Germany (3-2) (1986 final)

When Maradona led Argentina all the way to the final in Mexico ’86, the big stage welcomed the prolific South Americans and rivals West Germany which was expected to become a cracker. The Germans were looking to bounce back from their loss in 1982 while the Argentines were hunting for a second title. Estadio Azteca was preparing itself to host the final for the second time as a crowd of nearly 115,000 were looking forward to witness Maradona’s skills against the West German resistance, making it the highest attended official final in history. 

The scores were deadlocked until the 23rd minute when Argentine Centre back Jose Luis Brown opened the scoring with a header following a free kick by Jorge Burruchaga. It was his first goal in an Argentine jersey and was later proved to be his only goal as well. Diego Maradona who entered the final with 5 goals, scoring 4 in the last two games, was carefully marked by the German defense, not allowing him any room to yield his magic. The 1-0 score remained until half time. 

The beginning of the second half saw Argentina double their lead when Jorge Valdano sent home his shot in the 56th minute. It seemed all over for West Germany but skipper Rummenigge pulled one back in the 74th minute. Continuous attacks by West Germany finally paid off when Rudi Voller equalized ten minutes from time. The game headed for a thrilling final phase with the scores being equal at 2-2 and both teams charging towards the winning goal. Although Maradona was heavily marked the entire game, he made his fifth assist in the tournament with a superb through ball to Jorge Burruchaga allowing Argentina to regain the lead at 3-2 which remained until the final whistle. In the end, the thrilling final presented the ultimate prize for Maradona and his men while West Germany was forced to settle down as runners-up for the consecutive time.

 

4. Portugal vs North Korea (5-3) (1966 quarterfinal)

A little was expected from North Korea when they entered the World Cup for the time in 1966. The opening game saw them suffer a 3-0 loss by USSR but the Asians began to turn the tables with a surprising 1-0 win over Italy and a draw against Chile, allowing them to qualify for the knockouts. 

Portugal on the other hand was dominated by a strong outfit which featured much of its players from Benfica, the most successful club in Europe during early 1960s. Talented striker Eusebio and Jose Torres led the attack while Mario Coluna managed the midfield. The Europeans won all games in their group scoring nine goals also, eliminating defending champions Brazil out of the tournament.

The 8-goal thriller took place at Goodison Park, Liverpool on 23rd July. The underdogs took command shortly after kick-off when Pak Seung-zin smashed the opener and further goals from Li Dong-Woon and Yang Seung-Kook made it 3-0, halfway through the opening half. However North Korea’s inexperience told when they continued to attack despite their 3-0 advantage when it would have been better to manage it. Eusebio’s supremacy helped Portugal to bounce back with two goals just before half time.

After the break, the 3-2 scoreline was soon about to change when the Portuguese resumed its onslaught over the minnows with relentless attacking force. Eusebio completed his hat-trick and also added a fourth at the hour mark while Jose Augusto sealed the win in the 80th minute. The response to the 3-0 deficit with a five-goal comeback by Portugal is regarded as one of the best in the history, also earning its place as a ‘World Cup classic’. The ‘Black Pearl’ Eusebio later went on to score 9 goals, winning the Golden Boot at the tournament.

3. West Germany vs Hungary (3-2) (1954 finals)

Known as the ‘Miracle of Bern’, this memorable encounter took place between West Germany and Hungary for the World Cup title in 1954 at Wankdorf Stadium, Bern. It was an indeed miracle as few might have hoped that West Germany might end a 32 game unbeaten streak of the Magical Magyars. Hungary had revolutionized football tactically with an attacking system based around a dazzling quartet of forwards Sandor Kocsis, Jozsef Bozsik, Nandor Hidegkuti and of course the legendary skipper Ferenc Puskas, the all-time top scorer for Hungary.      

The seemingly unbeatable team defeated England 6-3 in 1953 becoming the first non-UK to beat them at Wembley and thrashed them 7-1 at Budapest just before the beginning of the tournament. During the World Cup, they trounced South Korea 9-0 and West Germany 8-3 scoring 17 goals in two games. The hot favourites demolished every possible obstacle in their way as they produced convincing wins over Brazil and defending champions Uruguay in the quarterfinals and semifinals respectively. 

Entering the finals, Kocsis was leading the goal-scoring table with 11 goals, less than half of the team’s total of 25. Having already recorded an emphatic 8-3 win in the group stage, a certain win for the ‘Golden Team’ was on the cards but little was known that Sepp Herberger the German coach gambled against the seeded team of Hungary by sending in a reserve side to take an expected 8-3 loss, with the only consequence being the additional playoff game against Turkey which was ultimately won 7-2. 

The game was played in rainy conditions which became a blessing for the Germans as the skipper Fritz Walter was known to play at his best in rainy conditions. Adolf Dassler (founder of Adidas) provided the shoes with exchangeable studs. From the beginning, Hungary played their usual game, going up 2-0 within 8 minutes following goals by Puskas and Czibor. However the Germans equalized quickly with goals by Max Morlock and Helmut Rahn.

The 2-2 scoreline was resumed after half time as both teams pushed for the lead. The ceaseless attack of the Hungarians was held by the West German defense while six minutes from time, Rahn clinched their third goal, sealing their first ever World Cup title. 

Germany’s victory is considered one of the greatest upsets of all time and one of the finest achievements in German sporting history. The German team was made up of amateur players as Germany did not have a professional league at the time. This is the only time a team has won the World Cup with amateur footballers. Unlikely was the triumph, it was indeed a miracle.

 

2. West Germany vs France – (3-3 a.e.t.) (5-4 p.k) (1982 semi final)

On July 8th 1982, Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan in Seville witnessed one of the best games in World Cup history. Endless drama included the most infamous collision between two players. When France midfielder Patrick Battiston ran through on goal, he appeared set to score the goal which would send them into the World Cup final. But seconds later he was stretchered off after his collision with Harald Schumacher, the goalkeeper of West Germany. Schumacher’s knockout blow made him an infamous villain, certainly eclipsing this classic in its own right.

At 17 minutes, West Germany opened the scoring through Pierre Littbarski’s 18 yard shot but ten minutes later France equalized, following a Michel Platini penalty. In the second half, following a through ball from Platini, Patrick Battiston was racing towards the goal when Schumacher, turned his body and collided with the Frenchman. The reckless challenge left Battiston unconscious, losing two teeth and a damaged vertebrae, as he failed to recover consciousness for 30 minutes. Amazingly, the referee gave neither a caution to Schumacher, nor a free kick to the French. The iconic moment of senseless violence somewhat darkened the spectacle which was set to be unfolded later in the game. Scores were deadlocked at 1-1 until regulation time was over, while everyone doubted the drama which was set to take stage in the next 30 minutes.

Two minutes into extra time, Marius Tresor scored through a volley to put France 2-1 ahead while in the 98th minute Alain Giresse fired a first-touch shot to give a 3-1 advantage.   

West Germany began its comeback four minutes later when skipper Rummenigge scored to cut the deficit to 3-2. Three minutes into the second extra time period, Klaus Fischer scored on a splendid bicycle kick from six yards and the teams were leveled once again at 3-3. It remained until the end of extra time.

For the first time in history, an outcome of a World Cup game was to be decided on penalties. In the shootout, France gained the upper hand when Uli Stielike became the only German in history to miss a penalty kick during a World Cup shootout which he still remains until today. But Schumacher blocked Didier Six’s penalty to send the shootout into sudden death. Maxime Bossis’s spot kick was soon denied by Schumacher while Horst Hrubesch converted, sending West Germany to the finals. 

 

1. Italy vs West Germany (4-3 a.e.t.) (1970 semi final)

There had been no World Cup game featuring 5 goals during extra time. This historic encounter was nothing short of excitement, spark and zest, presenting a treat of delightful football where hardly any spectator took a deep breath in the last 30 minutes. Widely regarded as ‘The Game of the Century’, this extra time thriller paved the way to a strenuous Italian victory and is undoubtedly the best World Cup game of all time. If one would argue that West Germany was involved in most of the classics, it could be considered true because this number one classic, yet again includes West Germany, this time against Italy. The iconic venue of Estadio Azteca which has been the stage for many World Cup thrillers, even has a monument erected outside the stadium in commemoration of this legendary clash in 1970. 

The first 90 minutes of the game was by no means a classic until Roberto Boninsegna’s 8th minute goal was equalized by Karl-Heinz Schnellinger in dying seconds, forcing the match into extra time. It was also his first and only goal in 47 matches for the national team.

What followed in the next 30 minutes could not have been predicted by anyone inside the majestic Azteca as the match became a battle of endurance and perseverance. Gerd Muller put the Germans in front during the 94th minute but was soon to be turned around by Tarcisio Burgnich and Luigi Riva. Riva’s stunning finish in the 104th minute stood until Muller’s second strike leveled the score at 3-3 six minutes later. Italy attacked straight from the restart and was rewarded seconds later when Gianni Rivera regained the lead at 4-3. Rivera’s goal in the 111th minute proved to be the eventual winner for the Italians as the ongoing goal-fest was curbed until the final whistle. The ‘survival of the fittest’ contest was finally over. The Italians prevailed, the rest is history.