Italy survived the opening round on goal difference and then went on to win the trophy for a third time after a creative Brazilian team had bowed out to them in an astonishing match in the second phase. Zico, Socrates, Falcao and Eder could not stop attacking and Brazil paid for it when they lost [ Read More ]
Archive for August, 2007
Having reached the final in 1930, Argentina had to wait a while before winning the FIFA World Cupâ„¢, which they eventually did on own soil in 1978. The great support for the home team helped carry them to victory over the Netherlands in the final, Cruyff having turned his back as he refused to travel [ Read More ]
Another host triumph as the West Germans took the new FIFA World Cupâ„¢ for the first time with a quite exceptional display of the hard-running, interchanging style in a tournament remembered for the arrival of “total footballâ€. The Netherlands, with Johan Cruyff outstanding, beat Argentina 4-0 and Brazil 2-0 to announce their arrival, but could [ Read More ]
The ninth FIFA World Cupâ„¢ also became a major TV spectacle and to fit in with television company requests, some matches kicked off at 12 noon. This was an unpopular decision with many players and managers because of the intense heat in Mexico at that time of day. There was none of the violence throughout [ Read More ]
Since its launch in 1930, the FIFA World Cup™ had grown in stature to become clearly the world’s senior international football tournament. After the Jules Rimet Trophy was stolen while on display in London, the hosts triumphed again when it was recovered by a dog called Pickles under a bush in a suburban front garden [ Read More ]
Another Brazilian triumph, but Pelé played in only the opening game against Mexico before being injured. Brazil beat Czechoslovakia 3-1 in the final in Santiago with goals from Amarildo, Zito and Vava. The tournament also staged one of the most notorious matches in FIFA World Cupâ„¢ history – the Battle of Santiago between Italy and [ Read More ]
