There is a general consensus in soccer that goalkeepers are the exception to the rule. After all they are allowed to do things on the field that the outfield players only do at the risk of expulsion, like catch the ball. Wear different and usually more colourful soccer uniforms than the rest of the team, and sometimes even a nice hat. Goalkeepers not only play differently but often have their own training coach, who will be more than likely a former goalkeeper. They rarely achieve the status of being the captain of the team, simply because they are too far away from the center of play. In general, goalkeepers shout a lot and often get very upset with their team mates as well as the opposing team, the referee and anyone else who comes within distance. That may be why, goalkeepers, over the years, may have earned the title of being a bit crazy.
There are a number of theories around as to why a footballer would want to become a goalkeeper. Some say that they are failed strikers, who were too big and clumsy to make the grade or frustrated central defenders. One thing for sure is that a goalkeeper’s role is difficult. Supporters will eventually forget a major blunder that a striker, midfield player or even a defender makes, but they will take a lot longer to forgive a goalkeeper their transgressions.
On the other hand a goalkeeper may spend 80 minutes as a virtual spectator in a one sided football match, but needs to be ready to spring into action should the opposing team spring into action.
So is it any wonder that keepers tend to be a little “eccentric”. The history of soccer has produced a very large number, only some of who can be mentioned, and not necessarily in order of eccentricity.
One of the most outstanding goalkeepers of the 1980s and D90’s was the Paraguayan Jose Luis Felix Chilavert, Chilavert played his club football in Argentina and Spain and ran the roost as the Paraguay goalkeeper for more than a decade winning the title World Goalkeeper of the Year by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS) in 1995, 1997, and 1998. As a club player, Chilavert enjoyed the most success of his career playing for Vélez Sársfield, helping them win the Argentine championship four times as well as the Copa Libertadores and the Intercontinental Cup, both in 1994.
A large and imposing personality, Chilavert expressed his ability as a frustrated outfield player by insisting in taking all the free kicks and penalties for the clubs that he played for. First of all, he was too big and crazy to be argued with, and secondly because he was an exceptional dead ball expert. Chilavert earned his place in soccer becoming the first (and to date only) goalkeeper to score a hat-trick in the history of football, while playing for Vélez, with all three goals through penalties. He is also remembered fondly or otherwise for a memorable free-kick goal from behind the half-way line against River Plate. Chilavert took part in 74 international for Paraguay and holds the goalkeeper-record of eight international goals. Chilavert retired from international football in 2003, surprisingly enough after a feud with the team directors.
It is said that Welsh born Neville Southall became a goalkeeper simply because when he discovered soccer he was too old and a little too overweight to play outfield. Yet at his peak, also in the 1990s Southall was regarded as the finest goalkeeper in the world. Southall dominated his penalty area like few others, and when found in a one-on-one situation mostly always came out on top. Neville, who played most of his club football with Everton in the English league, where he made a club record 578 league appearances (over 750 in all competitions) and won two Football League championships. Unlike Chilavert, Southall was a very placid character, who rarely ventured out of his penalty area. Short for a goalkeeper, Southall earned some notoriety as being a bit “unkempt” and needing a haircut, shave and a diet.
Despite that, Southall was voted England’s Footballer of The Year in 1985, extremely rare for a goalkeeper, He represented Wales a record 92 times.
Another famous “eccentric” goalkeeper is Rene Higuita of Colombia, Higuita also liked to have a shot at goal now and again, scoring three goals in 69 international appearances, However Higuita is particularly remembered for three highlights of his career, best described as the good, the bad and the ugly.
The Good: The remarkable “scorpion kick”, save he made in a friendly against England at Wembley. Higuita saved a shot between his feet while perched on his hands, a trick he succeeded in repeating on a number of occasions.
The Bad: Higuita was already known for having an eccentric playing style and taking risks, when an unforced error in the full glare of the World media that got knocked Colombia out of the 1990 World Cup. Higuita was caught in possession 35 yards from goal enabling Cameroon striker Roger Milla to dispossess him, and score the winning goal.
The Ugly: Higuita’s amazing hairstyle which only went further to prove that goalkeepers are crazy
When Paolo Cesare Maldini was born in June 1968 in Milan; he could already be described as a prince of football. His father Cesare Maldini at that time was captain of AC Milan and had already led the team to a European Cup triumph.
As Cesare Maldini’s auspicious craeer was beginning to peter out, Paolo’s was starting to show the potential that would lead to greatness, reaching heights that not only his father but the finest soccer players from all over the World could only hope to aspire to.
Maldini junior spent all of his 25 seasons as a footballer wearing the red and black striped soccer uniform of A.C. Milan, eventually hanging up his boots at the age of forty. During his playing career, Paolo’s Milan won seven Italian Serie A championships, one Coppa Italia and five Supercoppa Italiana. On the European scene, Paolo added five UEFA Champions League Cups, five UEFA Super Cups, two Intercontinental Cups and one FIFA Club World Cup winning medals to his collection.
Maldini made his league debut in 1985 at the age of 16. and such was his talent that he became a regular in AC Milan squad in season 1986/87
With the eighteen year old Maldini holding down a regular place in the first team, Milan won the 1987–88 league championship (Scudetto) his first trophy, in an incredible career and one that saw Maldini go on to break many records on the domestic club scene. His first came on the 25th September 2005, when Paolo Maldini broke the Serie A appearance record, playing in his 571st league match, breaking goalkeeper Dino Zoff’s record. By February 2008, Maldini had made 1,000 senior appearances at club and international level.
Playing for Milan, Maldini took part in no less than eight UEFA Champions League finals, a record bettered by no less than Francisco Gento, of Real Madrid. As captain of the club, Maldini has lifted the trophy five times, as well as holding the record as the player to score the fastest-ever goal in a European Clubs’ Cup final just 51 seconds into the match, as well as the oldest player (37) with the same goal in the final against Liverpool in 2005
On the international level, Paolo Maldini, played for the Italian national team for fourteen seasons, from his debut in 1988 till retiring in 2002. During that time he made 126 international appearances and notched up seven goals.
Maldini enjoyed the distinction of being was called up by his father Cesare to become part of the Italian U-21 side, where his defensive midfielder talents stood out, when he played twelve times , scoring five goals. There was no holding the young Maldini back and made his national team ( Azzurri )debut at the age of nineteen on 31 March 1988,.
He was awarded the captain’s armband for 1994 World Cup, which he wore with distinction till he retired as an international player at the end of the 2002 World Cup, having worn the armband a record 74 times Sadly Maldini never won or led Italy to an international trophy as Italy’s most capped player.,.
Maldini announced his plans to retire at the end of the 2008–09 seasons. On 17 May 2009, Maldini played his 900th game, appearing for Milan in a league game against Udinese and his last game as an active player was on 31 May 2009, in the last match of the season, against Fiorentina, which Milan won 2-0.
When Paolo Maldini retired , so did his number 3 shirts, with the promise that it will only be worn if one of the third generation of Maldinis make it to the AC Milan first team squad. So far, Paolo Maldini’s oldest son and Cesare Maldini’s grandson Christian is shaping up well to take up the challenge. Just seventeen he is currently a member of the Milan youth squad, displaying the sterling defensive talents that made the Maldini dynasty so long a feature at Milan and on the Italian international scene
The saying goes that behind every great man lays a great woman and behind every successful football club lies a very ambitious man. That was certainly the case with the French club Olympique de Marseille of the late 1980’s and early 1990’s. Marseille were the most successful club in France as resplendent in their brilliant white soccer uniforms they won the French first division (Ligue 1 ) four seasons in a row, and their brilliant run of success culminated in 1993, when they became the first ever (and till now the only) French club to win the European Cup.
The man behind Marseille’s success was Bernard Tapie. Tapie was a highly successful businessman and sports lover who already ran a cycling team and had been a minister in the French government when he took over Marseille Football Club and decided to propel it to the very top, not just in France but all over Europe and eventually the World. To pursue his vision Tapie invested a large sum of money in the club, signing some of the cream of European players of the era, including Jean-Pierre Papin, Chris Waddle, Klaus Allofs, Abedi Pelé, Didier Deschamps, Marcel Desailly, Rudi Völler and Eric Cantona. On the coaching front, Tapie, a highly charismatic personality, even succeeded in persuading Kaiser Franz Beckenbauer to leave his beloved Bayern Munich to manage the club for a season
A man of tremendous ambition and drive, Bernard Tapie saw his dreams become a reality within just a few seasons, when in May 1993. Basile Boli scored the only goal in the European Champions League final against A.C. Milan held in the Olympic Stadium in Munich. After 38 barren years, France could finally boast a team that had won a major European competition
It seems unbelievable that just six weeks later, Marseille’s and Tapie’s world would be turned upside down as he and his beloved club would be involved in a scandal that would set the club back five years and tarnish every victory that they had gained in the years that Tapie was at the helm.
The scandal broke when a player from the mid-table French club Valenciennes, Christophe Robert made allegations to the press that a Marseille player Jean-Jacques Eydelie had made an offer to him and to his team- mates, to throw the game between the clubs that had taken place a few weeks before the final. Robert admitted that he had accepted the bribe of 250,000 francs yet overcome by guilt had not spent it, and instead had buried it in his Aunt’s garden. The matter made its way into the police hand’s and after some grueling interrogation Eydelie admitted that he had bribed Robert, but under pressure from the club’s then general manager, Jean-Pierre Bernes.. From there on all roads lead to president Bernard Tapie. Tapie eventfully confessed that he had authorized the attempted bribing of the Valenciennes players as he wanted to have the league title sown up so as the players could be free to concentrate on the final against Milan.
Marseille were stripped of the French title that season and later relegated to the second division not just because of the bribing scandal over financial regularities. Tapie, Bernes and Eydelie were later imprisoned.
The bribing scandal forced Marseille to relinquish their 1992-93 Division 1 title and the right to play in the UEFA Champions League 1993-94, the 1993 European Super Cup and the 1993 Intercontinental Cup, as well as being demoted to the second division. The scant compensation that Tapie could derive from the whole sordid affair was that his beloved Marseille were not stripped of their Champions League.
Since the scandal of 1993 Marseille have failed to win a single trophy and Tapie has gone missing from the French football landscape
It could be said that the 1954 World Cup held in Switzerland was a bit of an understated affair. The Swiss never known for their flair for the big occasion, and the general opinion was that they had been granted the rights to host the World Cup as a bit of a favor to the FIFA whose headquarters were and still are based in Zurich. Switzerland, in their typical low key and pedantic style built their stadiums with very limited capacities, a far cry from the 200,000 spectators that filled the Marana Stadium in Brazil to watch the host company play against Uruguay, in what was the play off tie in the 1950 finals.
While there was some limited TV coverage, there was little interest in the World Cup in these days in Europe. England, as ever were in a state of shock after having been thoroughly trounced by Hungary both home and away, and went out of the tournament very tamely, beaten by Uruguay in the quarter final stages. The 1954 World Cup, because it was run by bureaucrats who were constantly changing its formula, the knock out stages were very hard to follow, and it was probably just as well that press coverage was limited, at least from that viewpoint.
What made the 1954 World cup outstanding were two outstanding facts: That it was and remains highest scoring tournament in the history of the competition, with no less than 140 goals scored in 26 matches, and the presence of the fantastically talented Hungarian national team of that era including Jozsef Boszik, Zoltán Czibor, Nándor Hidegkuti, Sandor Kocsis and the galloping major himself, Ferenc Puskas. The Hungarians were unbeaten in their last 31 games and looked capable of winning the tournament at a trot, as the smacked in nine goals against Korea, eight against the West Germans and four against the mighty Brazil on their way to the final.
The first semi-final, played between Hungary and World Cup holders Uruguay, is regarded as being one of finest displays of soccer skills from two well matched and highly gifted teams. Hungary eventually winning through 4-2 after extra-time. In the second semi, Germany coasted to an easy 6-1 and victory against neighbouring Austria.
After being beaten 8-3 by Hungary, nobody gave the West Germans much of a chance, except of course the West Germans themselves. However they seemed on their way to another soccer lesson as Hungary wearing their traditional red soccer uniforms went into a 2-0 lead with early goals from Puskas and Czibor. The West Germans were stunned into action and quickly rattled in two goals to equalize. It was 2-2 with barley twenty minutes on the clock. The crowd expected the Hungarians to step up a gear and cruise away with the game. The West German defence superbly marshaled by Captain Franz Walther held out. The Hungarian team seemed to be feeling the effects of their extra time battle with Uruguay, and it was West Germany who broke away and scored the winning goal to win their first World Cup.
The game became known as the Miracle of Bern simply because it was so widely expected that Hungary would beat Germany It was not to be and the legend of the finest team never to win a World Cup was born.
The Hungarian uprising that came in 1956 saw an end to the “Dream Team” with Kocsis, Puskas, Czibor among others escaping into exile and sunnier climes. Hungarian football was never to be the same again.
Manchester United are a team with a great tradition, especially in the post Second World War years. Coached by another legendary Scottish manager, the late Sir Matt Busby, the club underwent a tremendous trauma 1958, when their plane crashed returning from a European tie. The nucleus of the squad, who showed potential to become European Cup winners, were either killed or so badly injured that they were unable to ever play again. Sir Matt himself was badly injured, but succeeded in recovering and went on to build another great team, becoming the first English club to win the European Cup in 1968. When Sir Matt Busby retired, a series of managers came along. None of them came close to filling his shoes, and the club went through some hard times, even being relegated to the second division for one season.
In the early eighties a young Scotsman, then just know as Alex Ferguson, began to earn himself a reputation as someone to cast an eye on for the future, as he had an obvious flair for the job Alex enjoyed relative success with some of the more provincial teams, and the feeling was among the Scottish pundits that he would one day become the manager of Scotland’s largest club, Glasgow Rangers, where he had been a player. However personal differences prevented Alex taking on the job, and instead he made the long trip to Aberdeen, in the north of Scotland. He succeeded in taking a team of perennial underachievers and making them championship winners, and under his tutelage they even won the European Cup Winners Cup in 1983, beating no less than Real Madrid in the final.
From then on it seemed only a matter of time before Ferguson would be snapped up to manage one of the top English clubs, with speculation rife as to who it would be. Rumors had it that Manchester United was the top of Alex’s wish list and even then his known determination and patience was apparent. Rumour has it that he turned down a number of advances from other clubs, and when “ManU” came after him in 1986, he left Aberdeen to join the famous club, known as the “Red Devils” , because of their famous red and white soccer uniforms. Alex Ferguson took up the challenge offered by Manchester United, and was resolute in his efforts to restore them to their former glories.
His early days were not easy for the club, and at one time there was even speculation at one time that Alex Ferguson was about to join the list of “ good, but not good enough” managers who had passed through the gates at Old Trafford, since Sir Matt had retired. For four seasons Manchester United won nothing, yet the board showed tremendous faith in Ferguson. Their faith began to show results, and the turn-around came in the English Cup Final of 1990.
It all seemed to come together for United in that final, and the first signs that something very special was about to happen, both for the team and for the manager.
The next season’s events proved that to be correct, with United winning the European Cup Winner’s cup that season.
The team was proving to be very much on the right tracks, and Ferguson’s uncanny ability to discover and develop young talent began to be more and more in evidence. Young home grown talent, with David Beckham being the jewel in the crown for many, blended with experienced players to produce a team that dominated English football throughout the nineteen nineties.
The highlight of that era was the treble winning squad of 1998-1999, than won the English league, the English cup and the European cup. The European cup final against Bayern Munich was won in the most dramatic of fashions, with United reversing a single goal deficit, scoring two goals within the last two minutes of the game. Their win demonstrated more than anything else the grit and determination that Alex Ferguson had instilled into the team, that would go on to future greatness
Alex Ferguson was awarded a knighthood for his contribution to sport. A remarkable achievement for a man who had come from a humble background to reach the very pinnacle of soccer, where he and his beloved Manchester United still sit today.
Every great football player and ambassador to his club and country should have their contribution to soccer marked by having a statue erected in their name. Thankfully there is a statue erected outside Benfica’s famous Stadium of Light in Lisbon. The statue is of Eusebio, some say the greatest African born soccer player in the history of the game. .
Yet ironically, Eusebio, in a career that lasted more than twenty years at the top, relinquished his chance to represent Mozambique, where he was born, to don the red and green soccer uniform of Portugal, and with tremendous distinction
Eusebio natural talents were discovered when he was just nineteen and he was brought from Mozambique to Portugal in 1961 by Benfica’s coach Bella Guttmann. Eusebio was not slow to just Guttmann’s faith in him and was soon a regular feature in Benfica’s first team. He really won the hearts of the local fans when he scored a hat-trick in a friendly match against Santos with none other than Pelè in the side.
The Iberian Peninsula was the hot bed of European Soccer action in those days, and Eusebio and Benfica were slowly placing their giant footprint there.
Eusebio was a key figure in leading Benfica to their second consecutive European Cup win in 1962 where he netted twice against holders Real Madrid, His goals contributed to yet another high scoring Final, with Benfica running out 5-3 winners.
As a no frills attacker, Eusebio enjoyed a remarkable run of success. Blessed with tremendous power and speed with loads of ball playing skills, His record in the Portuguese League speaks for itself. With 319 in 313 appearances winning him six times the title of top scorer in the Portuguese league. With Eusebio leading the line, Benfica won 10 Portuguese league championships as well as five domestic cups.During this decade, Benfica would figure in a further three European Champions’ Cup finals, which they all lost. Twice against Milanese clubs, first against Milan in 1963, and Internazionale in 1968. Signs that Eusebio’s and Benfica’s influence on European Soccer was on the wane was their third successive European Cup Final defeat, against Manchester United in 1968.
However there was no taking away from the fact that Eusebio was a key figure on the European Soccer Stage for more than a decade. During which time he was twice Golden Boot winner (1968 and 1973) and in 1965 he was awarded the Golden Ball as winner of the European Player of the Year.
On the international stage, Eusebio led Portugal in qualifying to the World Cup for their first time in 1966. The tournament, held in England proved to be both dramatic and poignant for Eusebio and Portugal. Their first round grouping included World Cup holders Brazil, and their match kicked off with Portugal very much the underdogs. Eusebio thought differently and he gifted the neutral supporters, most of them coming to watch Brazil, with an unforgettable performance in which he scored two goals in a 3-1 victory. A victory which put Brazil out of the tournament and saw Portugal move on to the knock out stages, where more incredible drama was to follow.
Their next game was against the total underdogs of North Korea, and the pundits could see nothing but an easy win for the Portuguese. From the kick off, things looked entirely different, there seemed to eighteen Koreans on the pitch, and they seemed to be scoring at will, leading 3-0 before half time. It was then that Eusebio almost single handedly took the game by the scruff of its neck, and mounted what amounted to a one man attack force against what was turning out to be a worthy foe. He scored a hat-trick in rapid succession and as his third went in, he never stopped to celebrate. Instead he ran into the back of the Korean net, picked up the ball and ran all the way back to the centre circle with it. A sight that will remain in the annals of soccer history forever. It also must have struck fear into the Korean’s hearts as they realized that they were playing against a great player at the peak of his career, which refused to be beaten. Portugal won the game 5-3, with Eusebio adding his fourth and laying on the other.
It was on to London to play England in the semi-finals. The task proved too much for Portugal and they lost 2-1 in a dour anti-climax of a match. Eusebio finished the tournament as top scorer with nine goals, yet sadly was never to appear in the World Cup finals again.
Over the last decade or two, soccer has become an increasingly cross global sport. Intercontinental leagues have become highly commonplace and the top teams from each country can find themselves meeting “foreign” clubs sometimes once every two weeks for most of the season. Sometimes the attractions of watching domestic football can seem like very plain fare when compared to the international games. However that all goes out of the window when compared to the local derbies between two teams, with rivalries that can go back one hundred years or more.
It seems that every country in the World has a local derby which is fiercely fought, sometimes out of all proportion to the results that it can bring in relation to league placings. For the fans and sometimes the players the local derby is much more important than that.
One classic example is Mexico’s Clásico de Clásicos played between Club America and Guadalajara is one such derby. Unlike many of the local derbies, this one is not played by two teams from the same city, as America are based in the capital city of Mexico and Guadalajara represent the city of the same name, which has a distance of over 200 miles between them .
Although they have played in the Primera División Profesional simply known as the Primera División, since its formation in 1943, Guadalajara as a club team only rose to prominence in the late fifties, while FC America have always been around the top of the league, winning it ten times out of the 56 times it has been competed for. Despite the fact that Guadalajara only began to emerge as a serious competition fifteen years later than Club America, they have succeeded in lifting the trophy one more time. A statistic that has caused a lot of grief among the FC America followers.
To date, the clubs have met on 206 occasions which is not a high number when compared to some of the other famous derbies in the UK and across Europe, but it hasn’t detracted from the fierce rivalry between the two clubs. FC America or Las Águilas as they are known have beaten Guadalajara or Chivas as they are know in Mexico 74 times with 66 games going the other way, with the remaining 66 games ending in draws.
In league meetings Guadalajara have done better, with 49 wins and 38 defeats, although when it comes to cups and sudden death championship play-offs, America are the masters, having totalled 40 victories and only 13 losses.
The rivalry between the two teams really began to grow in the late fifties, and the bad feelings between the two sides has merely grown since then. A bad feeling that has sometimes created for some fairly controversial incidents, one especially famous being when in 1964, Chivas legend Guillermo “El Tigre” Sepulveda strode of the pitch saying that he didn’t need to be there for his club to beat America. A brave act to do in front of 100,000 mostly home based supporters in the Las Águilas’ Azteca Stadium which is the largest in Latin America
In the nineties rivalry between the two clubs reached gargantuan proportions when Guadalajara’s talented midfielder Ramon Ramirez being transferred to America. Angry demonstrations almost reaching riot proportions were held throughout the soccer crazy city, which became even more frantic when Ramirez himself declaring that the transfer was being conducted against his wishes. Needless to say when, Ramirez stepped out in the next derby wearing the bright yellow soccer uniform of FC America he received the mother and father of all hostile receptions. Whether by accident or design, Ramirez was a total failure at Las Águilas’ and was dumped after just six months. Salt was rubbed into the wounds of the FC America’s management and fans, when Ramirez returned to play for Chivas and resumed his status as a powerful midfielder force who masterminded a few victories in this, one of the hottest derby fixtures in the World.
One of the most famous quotes in modern football have been put down to either one of two famous footballers of the Nineties, either Gary Lineker of England or Lothar Matthias of West Germany. And the quote is “Football is a simple game; 22 men chase a ball for 90 minutes and at the end the Germans win.”
The quote sprang up after one of the classic Word Cup matches of all time- the semi-final clash between England and West Germany in the 1990 tournament held in Italy. The match held on a balmy night in Turin contained as much drama as the rest of the tournament put together and created a national hero of a figure whose tragic-comic lifestyle remains a topic of the newspaper tabloids till this day.
The English player was Paul Gascoigne, described by the England manager the late (Sir) Bobby Robson as being as life “daft as a brush”, but gifted with skills and tremendous strengths not often matched by the industry that he displayed on the pitch. However “Gazza”, as he was lovingly known by all, decided that this was the match that he would lead the white shirted soccer uniforms of England into the final against Argentina, and gain revenge for Maradona’s “hand of god” in the 1986 finals. The West Germans were also desperate for a rematch of the final, where they lost 3-2.
The match was a typical tight German performance, with the team marshaled from the touchlines by Franz Beckenbauer, and the first half ended goalless with neither side having a significant attack on goal. The match started at a different pace and England began to control the flow of play, orchestrated by Gazza who was turning in the performance of a life time. However as often happens, it was the West Germans who took the lead, through a diverted free kick from Andreas Brehme.
The goal, totally against the run of play, pushed England to fresh heights and Gazza’s strength and skill was felt on every inch of the park. Within the space of just a few minutes he set up gilt-edged chances for ace striker Gary Lineker, as well as Peter Beardsley and Chris Waddle, none of which were taken. Gazza and England pressed on looking on for that vital equalizer. It came with just ten minutes to go, with Lineker knocking in his fourth goal of the tournament. England sensing victory in normal time pushed everyone forward in search of the winner. With just minutes to go, Gazza playing out of his skin, went into a tackle a little too exuberantly, received a yellow card. As the world media closed in on Gazza’s face as the realization that he would be illegible from taking part in the World Cup final, even if England succeeded in putting the West Germans out. There are few moments in soccer history more profound than when Paul Gasgoine shed a hero’s tears, and players and fans throughout the World cried along with them. Despite his personal distress, Gazza did all that he could to push England forward, but to no avail.
As the match went into extra time, the West German team shut up shop, although both sides did succeed in hitting the woodwork. The West Germans seemed much more interested in a penalty kick shoot-out, and when it came it was West Germany that held their nerve considerably more than the England team, with Gazza not even being included in the taker’s list
So it was to be a West Germany- Argentina final which the Germans won in typical lack-luster fashion through a single penalty goal, while England and Gazza were left to wonder what might have been.
The FA cup is one the World’s longest running tournaments, with a history running back more than one hundred and thirty years. During that time the tournament has created no small amount of upsets. It was in 1973, under the twin towers of the famous Wembley stadium that lowly Sunderland created probably the biggest in history, defeating the all powerful Leeds United team of that era to become the first Second division team to win the trophy for more than forty years. Pundits before the match suggested that Leeds victory was not only guaranteed but that it would be so emphatic that it might even tarnish the exclusivity of the competition.
In 1973 Leeds were the top team in England. Managed by the mercurial Don Revie, the players were the cream of the British Isles, with league titles under their belts, were cup holders appearing in their third final in four years, and it was reckoned that they would be the next English team to win a major European trophy.
Sunderland on the other hand were languishing deep in the depths of the Second division ,and their veteran manager Bob Stokoe had only joined them half way through the season, and came to the club after managing a series of similarly non-descript soccer clubs.
So the scene was set for a massacre at Wembley and as Leeds strode out on to the pitch in their magnificent all-white soccer uniforms, their fans roared their appreciation and sat back waiting for the goals to start rolling in.
As the game progressed, Leeds were applying tremendous pressure to get that vital opening goal but a mixture of a very slick pitch and stout defending from Sunderland were holding Revie’s team at bay. Leeds’ mid field was generalled by two of the finest players in the UK at that time, Billy Bremner from Scotland and Johnny Giles from Eire. They also boasted two of the most prolific strikers in the World, Mick Jones and Alan “sniffer” Clark. So it was no wonder that the Leeds manager, players and supporters were under the impression that the goals would soon come.
And indeed it did. At the wrong end. In almost their first attack, on the half hour mark, Sunderland stole a soft goal in a penalty box melee following a corner. The scorer was Porterfield, and although he took his goal very professionally, to say that it was against the run of play would be a bit of an understatement.
Leeds was obviously rankled and for the next hour of play threw everything that they had and more at Sunderland. Their defence held out tremendously well and goalkeeper Jim Montgomery decided that FA cup final day would be the day that he would play the game of his life.
The real turning point in the game came in the seventieth minute, with the Sunderland team beginning to tire on the heavy pitch and Leeds constantly mounting wave after wave of attacks. One of them lead to Montgomery making yet another fine save from a header. However the greasy ball slipped between his fingers and rebounded into the path of Leeds winger Peter Lorimer in the penalty area. There was not a Sunderland player in to close Lorimer down, and the Scotsman, who had one of the most powerful shots in football, let fly a seemingly unstoppable rocket accurately aimed at the top left hand corner. Montgomery was struggling to get back on his feet and it seemed that he would be powerless to stock Lorimar’s rocket. However he summoned up superhuman strength to leap and push the ball unto the underside of the crossbar and out. Montgomery’s stupendous save coming at such a significant time in the game, seemed to put fresh spring into his teammate’s legs and Leeds began to suspect that today was not to be their day.
And when the final whistle did blow, Bob Stokoe and the Sunderland players danced a victory jig in the middle of the park as the disconsolate Revie and his superstars crept up the stairs to pick up their runners up medals. There are those that say that that was the day that Leeds began their decline, never really going on to reach their potential. Don Revie went on to become England manager yet left the post under fairly ignominious circumstances. And today- Leeds is playing in the second division and Sunderland are a fairly successful Premier league club. And neither of them has ever figured in a FA Cup final since.
In the days when football was played in black and white and half of the World was cut off by an iron curtain, Lev Yashin emerged as the best goalkeeper of all time. A different title to bestow considering that Yashin played in an age where football was certainly less competitive than it is today, selection for the Russian National team was largely based on political connections more than talent and he probably played no more than twenty games out of his long career in “the west”. Yet there can be no doubt that Yashin was a rare and prodigious talent, who if he had appeared on the scene even ten years later would have been even more of a legend than he is today.
Born and brought up in the austere Moscow of the nineteen thirties, Yashin signed for the famous Dinamo Moscow sports club in 1949 where he played in his famous all-black soccer uniform till he hung up his boots in 1971, During that time Yashin won the USSR league championship of the USSR five times as well as the Soviet Cup three times. Strangely enough, Yashin also played in goal for Dinamo Moscow’s ice hockey team and even won the USSR ice-hockey championship as a goalkeeper.
Despite his tremendous goalkeeping skills, Yashin was only called up to the national team for the first time in 1954, and from then went on to play 78 times for his country, which was a remarkable achievement in those times, when considerably fewer internationals take place. With Yashin in between the sticks, the USSR team made it to three World Cup finals (1958, 1962 and 1966), although they were then, as today, terrible un-achievers in the final stages of the World’s most prestigious soccer tournament. However despite the USSR turning in their usual “grey performances”, with their best being fourth place in 1966, Yashin caught the eye of most of the leading European clubs with solid performances. He made four clean sheets out of all the 13 games that he played in the three World Cup finals. Rumours had it that the mighty Real Madrid were interested in bringing Yashin to the Bernabeu, however the powers that be in Russian sport were not prepared to consider that the “black spider” would practice his trade on the other side of the iron curtain.
Although the USSR team always did relatively poorly in the World Cup, with Yashin in goal they did win the 1956 Olympics soccer gold as well as the inaugural 1960 European championships. The Russian victory was not such a big achievement, as just 17 teams entered the tournament with West Germany and Italy refusing to take part, and Spain withdrawing rather than travel to Moscow to play in the second leg of the knockout stages. The finals, held in Paris, were a four team affair and Russia won a typically “iron curtain” final 2-1 after extra time against Yugoslavia
Lev Yashin is particularly remembered in the Western world for his outstanding performance in the 1963 FA Centenary match. Yashin was picked out to play in goal for the ‘Rest of the World XI’ against the England team at Wembley Stadium. The crowd looked on in wonder as Yashin made a number of the breathtaking unbelievable saves. Largely on the back of this single performance Lev Yashin became the only goalkeeper ever to win the European Footballer of the Year Award in 1963.
For his outstanding service to the people and for his country Yashin was awarded the Order of Lenin (1967), the highest award of the USSR. FIFA polls placed Yashin in the “Century XI” team, and also named him ‘World - Keeper of the Century’ ahead of England legend Gordon Banks.
