Brazil advance to the semifinals

 

Brazil were ready for the Egyptian challenge who reached the quarterfinals from a group that included Spain, Australia, and Argentina.

The success in Copa America did not ignite the young Argentineans, who said goodbye to the event and that allowed Egypt to advance – Brazil were the opponent. They tried to test their high-profile opposition by being ragged, but it was not fruitful enough as the Selecao would meet Mexico in the semifinals.

Douglas Luiz was back in the starting XI as Andre Jardine surfaced a very strong team for the important clash.

Egypt showed its physical intent as soon as the game commenced.

Osama Galal committed a foul as Brazil won a free-kick in the defensive half that did not prove productive enough.

Egypt planned to be solid at the back and catch Brazil on the counter – the Brazilians advanced forward but in the meantime, Karim El Eraki found the space to attempt a shot. Then, Akram Tawfik’s header from the center of the box missed the right corner of the Brazilian post.

The backline of Brazil realized the importance of staying compact and they started to organize themselves as Richarlison set up Antony to take a shot from outside the box.

A shot by Richarlison was saved and he assisted Matheus Cunha to take a shot that lacked the finishing touch.

Jardine left Claudinho more centralized than in recent games and freed the full-backs to support the attack, especially Guilherme Arana.

Brazil found the goal in the 36th minute, in a counterattack initiated by the goalkeeper Santos, who also had guidance from Claudinho followed by a good pass from Richarlison and a precise finish from Matheus Cunha.

After the break, Cunha received a great pass from Douglas Luiz and almost made the second.

Guilherme Arana was launched inside the area but ended up after being stopped by the marking.

Richarlison was wanted inside the area, however, he could not submit. Paulinho took the place of Matheus Cunha and also had two opportunities, but failed to exploit them.

Egypt maintained its physicality in the second half with Ricahrlison being the prime target. The intent was to slow down the rhythm of Brazil.

Cunha felt pain in his left thigh at the beginning of the second half, tried to continue on the field, but he couldn't and had to be replaced - Paulinho took his place.

The number 9-shirt will be evaluated by doctors to find out the seriousness of the injury and whether it will make it impossible for him to compete in the semifinals.

The game ended 1-0 as Brazil stayed behind the ball in the final stages of the game.

Note: this article has been posted at Cricketsoccer as CSdesk on 31/07/2021 Brazil advance to the semifinals 

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

 

 

Brazil top the group and advance to the next round

 

Saudi Arabia might have lost all three games in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, but the records would fail to reflect their determination on the pitch. They had been a tough nut to crack in this event and tested the opponents to the limits. Ivory Coast and Germany experienced it previously and today, it was time for Brazil to experience the same, even though, the Selecao were able to strike three times and advance to the next round.

With Douglas Luiz suspended in the last match against Ivory Coast, Matheus Henrique replaced him and partnered Bruno Guimares at the center of the park. Otherwise, Andre Jardine invested faith in the same group of players that started in the group stages till now.

With eight minutes gone, Saudi Arabia posed a threat - Assisted by Salem Al Dawsari, Saud Abdul Hamid’s shot missed the target. Five minutes later, Abdul Hamid conceded a corner and then, assisted by Claudinho with a cross following a corner, Matheus Cunha produced a header from a close range and gave Brazil the lead.

Finally, Cunha had broken the deadlock and ended his goal drought in this event – the misses by him were pathetic to watch, and at least this goal would boost his confidence a lot. This was his thirteenth goal under Jardine.

But Brazil lost the advantage with Salman Al-Faraj producing a cross from the set-piece situation as Abdulelah Al-Amr beat Diego Carlos and Ani Alves to head and equalize.

Before the break, Antony missed two opportunities - one headed in a cross by Arana and the other after a good move by Matheus.

Pressured by Ivory Coast's second-half goal against Germany, which would take Brazil's first place with a draw, the Brazilian team went on the attack, with Malcolm replacing Antony and more freedom for the advances of Daniel Alves.

After the break, Saudi Arabia put their five men at the back narrowly and went for the midblock.

Brazil targeted the flanks in search of a goal.

They maintained their movements behind the defensive line to unsettle the defenders and their plan to create pockets of spaces paid rich dividends.

Claudinho switched to the flanks and dished out a cross for Nino which was blocked and then Dani Alves crossed another for Cunha which failed to produce the desired result.

Bruno Guimares, who was, yet again, controlling the game from the midfield, set up Richarlison, but his attempt lacked the cutting edge. Then Matheus Henrique’s, set up by Claudinho, left-footed shot from the center of the box was saved in the bottom left corner.

Matheus Cunha lost an unbelievable chance after Matheus Henrique's good arrival in the attack.

Jardine brought on Reinier Jesus to inject more attacking intent and his impact was immediately evident. He coordinated well with the forwards and his footwork started to break the resistance of the Saudi markers and defenders.

With eighteen minutes remaining, Bruno Guimares headed a pass following a set-piece situation and Richarlison headed home from a close range.

In the final minutes, Richarlison scored again, after a great move between Reinier and Malcolm.

It was beautiful to see the understanding between Malcolm and Reinier at the end of the match. In addition to the play of the third goal, the pair created another dangerous chance with tables and attacks on the right side.

Andre Jardine will have to work to correct a certain defensive weakness of the Brazilian team in aerial plays. Brazil had already conceded a goal like that in a friendly against the United Arab Emirates, before Tokyo, and conceded two of three goals over the top in three matches.

Note: This article has been posted at Cricketsoccer as CSdesk on 28/07/2021  Brazil top the group and advance to the next round

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Faisal Caesar 

Brazil halted by Ivory Coast

 

Brazil struck 4 times against Germany in their opening match while missed many and in their second group match, the Selacao fired blanks and after they were down to ten men, it became tough for them to penetrate the defiant resistance of Ivory Coast.

 Within 13 minutes of the game Brazil played were down to ten men, because of the expulsion of defensive midfielder Douglas Luiz, after a review by the VAR, in a highly debatable move.

With one man down, the defending champions should have been reignited, rather, they were let down by their lack of cutting edge in the final third.

Ivory Coast took the numerical advantage and had more on the ball, even though, on the break, Brazil looked threatening, but the finishing remained frustrating.

Ivory Coast defenders stayed narrow and pressed the Brazilian flanks and midfield –a move, perhaps, they learned by watching the senior side, who lose the coordination between the midfield and forward when pressed and thus, exploits the flanks. But this time around, Ivory Coast had cut short the Brazilian threat from the flanks.

Antony was, still, able to break through, but at the center of the opposition penalty area, his moves were wasted either by the poor finishing of the forwards or solid blocking the defenders in the air and on the pitch.

Brazil missed the playmaking abilities of Bruno Guimares, who had to drop deep at times to aid the defence while the full-backs advanced forward, still, Guimares was able to manage both, but at times against such a physical unit, it becomes tougher without a solid defensive partner like Douglas Luiz.

 Brazil came back very well from the break and gained more control on the ball, not allowing any submission by Ivory Coast.

Matheus Cunha was launched inside the area and failed to submit. Five minutes later, Cunha headed hard but was denied by the Ivory Coast keeper. In search of victory, Andre Jardine tried to breathe new life upfront by swapping the three attackers.

The pressure increased in the final 15 minutes, after the dismissal of Eboue Kouassi, and which left the game with 10 against 10.

In the stoppage time, Malcolm had a great chance, after a cross from Gabriel Martinelli was enough to seal the victory, sadly Malcom headed off the target.

Brazil shared points.

After the match, Jardine said, “Our understanding is that of not understanding the expulsion. He ended up interfering a lot in the team, it was too early, especially against a physically strong team, and the demand was very hard.”

“We don't understand, especially with an intervention using the VAR, and arriving at an expulsion like this. But we also have to value the team's demonstration of team spirit, everyone giving too much to defend. We ended up not recomposing with a defensive midfielder, betting on the ability of Antony, Claudinho, Cunha, and Richarlison to close space and defend the center of the field with Bruno Guimarães - commented the coach.”

After a few scares in the first half, the team had control in the final stage and did not suffer any submissions. For André Jardine, Brazil deserved the three points.

“We deserved the victory even before the expulsion and even more after their expulsion. We had some situations to define the game. There is a positive feeling for the rest of the competition.”

“In the end, it is a game that will make our team grow as a team, due to the spirit, for having overcome an adverse situation together. They showed commitment to the team's shirt, to the project; it was a demonstration of race and intelligence to support an opponent of strength and quality.”

Note: This article has been posted at Cricketsoccer as CSdesk on 25/07/2021 Brazil halted by Ivory Coast 

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

 

Brazil start Olympic campaign with victory over Germany

Brazil returned to the country where they won the World Cup back in 2002 and at Tokyo, the opposition was the Germans who were the opponents at Yokohama. After the defeat at Maracana the Brazilians were hit psychologically and there was no option other than shinning in the Tokyo Olympics and in the end, the Selecao started their campaign with a victory in an entertaining affair.

It took Brazil seven minutes to kick start their mission with Richarlison, who started on the left, beating the German keeper – a right footed shot from the right side of the box to the bottom right corner. Before that, he was about to hit the target as his attempt was saved from an assist by Antony, who was employed on the right-wing.

That goal injected energy and attacking intent among the boys as Claudinho and Matheus Cunha had the German defence on the back foot – they pressurized the backline and posed threats, but their attempts were saved.

In the twenty-second minute, full-back Guilherme Arana produced an inch-perfect cross and Richarlison pounced on it to give Brazil the 2-0 lead.

Eight minutes later, Cunha set up Richarlison to complete his hat-trick.

Richarlison's hat-trick for Brazil against Germany is the first treble scored by a Premier League player at the Olympic Games.

Brazil went for the kill and there was every possibility to paying back the tragedy of Mane Garrincha in 2014, but, in turn, Brazil exhibited a show of missed chances that would certainly hurt them.

Dani Alves assisted Richarlison to go for the shot but it lacked the power like before and was saved.

Alves was in action again to assist Cinha but the header lacked sharpness and was saved.

The German backline was melting under the pressure created by the Brazilian attackers, but the goals were missing due to the lack of fulfilment.

Germany conceded a penalty as Benjamin Henrichs was the guilty party with hand ball in the penalty area.

Matheus Cunha missed the penalty and in the stoppage time Cunha split-opened the German defence and missed another opportunity – after the missed penalty, it was an open goal and Brazil would have gone to the dugout with a five-goal lead.

After the break, the energetic Antony kept the right flank busy, linking up well with Alves, but yet again, his attempts lacked the clinical touch.

 Matheus Cunha’s right-footed shot, assisted by Dani Alves, from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Then Cunha set up Claudinho, but his shot was high and wide.

While the Brazilians were having fun with the German backline, they pulled one back in the fifty-seventh minute through Nadiem Amiri.

But Brazil continued to attack - Arana produced a cross following a set piece situation and Richarlison header missed the target. 

Diego Carlos came up from the defence and took a shot, which was saved.

Guess what, it was the other centre-back Nino who assisted his defensive partner.

Andre Jardin brought on Malcom, who immediately had an impact by setting up Antony, whose shot missed the target.

An assist by Cunha set up Bruno Guimares, but his attempt lacked the goal-scoring touch as well.

After Guimares, it was his central midfield partner, Douglas Luiz, who missed another opportunity.

How could Brazil not score at least ten goals by now remained a surprising thing.

With six minutes Ragnar Ache made it 3-2 for Germany taking full advantage of a defence that was staying in a much higher line.

The German nature of coming back is nothing new and just when they started to think about scripting a thrilling bounce back, substitute Paulinho was set up by Guimares to make it 4-2 in stoppage time and secure the victory.

Bruno Guimares enjoyed a splendid match at the centre of the park by dictating the game with razor-sharp passes that broke the passing lanes and set up the players up front, while even at the age of 38, Dani Alves remains the best full-back for Brazil.

Still, Brazil’s habit of missing opportunities remains a concern. They showed this habit during Copa America and in Tokyo, nothing changed.

This habit needs to change. 

Note: This article has been posted at Cricketsoccer as CSdesk on 22/07/2021 Brazil start Olympic campaign with victory over Germany 

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

 

Botham's Ashes: The Legacy of the Master

The 1981 Ashes series, etched into cricketing folklore as Botham’s Ashes, is a tale of redemption, resilience, and the remarkable ability of one man to defy the odds and alter the course of history. It is the story of Ian Botham, a maverick whose fall from grace as England captain was swiftly followed by a meteoric rise as the hero of one of cricket’s most iconic chapters. This transformation, encapsulated in a span of just a few weeks, is a testament not only to Botham’s undeniable talent but also to the unpredictable nature of the sport itself. 

The Burden of Leadership

When Botham assumed the captaincy at the tender age of 24, he was already a prodigious all-rounder, boasting six Test centuries and 139 wickets in just three years. Yet, the role of captain proved a poisoned chalice. England’s fortunes under his leadership were dismal: a string of 12 Tests against the formidable West Indies and Australia yielded no victories, with his own performances suffering in tandem. His batting average as captain plummeted, and his bowling lacked the venom that had made him one of the most feared cricketers in the world. 

The West Indies, in their prime, were a near-impossible foe, and England’s 0-1 home defeat and 0-2 loss away were seen as par for the course. However, it was the Ashes series against a less dominant Australian side that truly exposed Botham’s shortcomings as a leader. By the end of the second Test at Lord’s in 1981, his record as captain read four losses and eight draws—a statistic as uninspiring as his personal contributions.

Critics were merciless. Ray Illingworth, a former England captain, publicly lambasted Botham as “overrated, overweight, and overpaid,” while the tabloids plastered headlines screaming “BOTHAM MUST GO.”

Even the more measured voices in cricketing circles began to doubt whether he could ever regain his form, let alone inspire his team. Botham, however, remained defiant, attributing his struggles to a temporary slump rather than the pressures of captaincy. Yet, after his second consecutive duck at Lord’s, he resigned, his pride wounded further by the selectors’ revelation that they had intended to sack him anyway.

Redemption at Headingley

With the weight of leadership lifted Botham returned to the ranks for the third Test at Headingley. England, trailing 1-0 in the series, were in disarray. When Australia declared at 401 for nine and then reduced England to 87 for five, the match seemed destined to end in another humiliating defeat. Botham’s breezy 50 in the first innings was a mere footnote as England were skittled out for 174 and forced to follow on.

What followed defied logic. With England teetering at 135 for seven, bookmakers offered 500-1 odds on an England win—a wager so improbable that even Australian players Dennis Lillee and Rod Marsh placed bets against their own team. But Botham, alongside Graham Dilley, scripted one of cricket’s greatest counterattacks. His unbeaten 149, an audacious mix of slogging and skill, propelled England to 356, leaving Australia a modest target of 130. 

Enter Bob Willis. Overlooked for much of the series, Willis delivered a spell of pure ferocity, taking eight for 43 as Australia crumbled for 111. England had snatched victory from the jaws of defeat, and the psychological tide of the series had irrevocably turned.

The Salieri Test: Edgbaston

If Headingley was the symphony, Edgbaston was its equally compelling yet often overlooked overture. Buoyed by their miraculous win, England entered the fourth Test with newfound confidence. However, the match followed a similar script of oscillating fortunes. England, bowled out for 189 in their first innings, conceded a 69-run lead to Australia. By the time England’s second innings collapsed to 115 for six, a second consecutive defeat seemed inevitable.

But again, Botham rose to the occasion. A gritty 37 not out from the lower order gave England a fighting chance, setting Australia 151 to win. On a pitch offering little assistance to bowlers, the target seemed modest. Yet, Botham’s spellbinding bowling turned the match on its head. His five for 11 in 14 overs, including a remarkable burst of five wickets for one run, decimated the Australian batting order. From 105 for four, they collapsed to 121 all out, handing England an improbable 2-1 series lead.

The Old Trafford Onslaught

By the time the teams arrived in Manchester for the fifth Test, Australia were a shadow of their former selves. England’s psychological dominance was evident as the visitors faltered again. After a modest first-innings total of 231, England bowled out Australia for 130, with Botham and Willis sharing the spoils. 

In the second innings, Botham delivered what he later described as the finest innings of his career. Walking in at 104 for five, he unleashed a brutal counterattack, smashing 118 off 102 balls. His innings, studded with six sixes, was a masterclass in controlled aggression. Supported by Chris Tavaré’s stoic 78, England set Australia an insurmountable target of 505. Despite valiant centuries from Allan Border and Graham Yallop, Australia fell short, handing England the series and the Ashes.

Botham’s Ashes: Legacy and Myth

The transformation from scapegoat to saviour was complete. In the space of three Tests, Botham had turned a faltering England side into Ashes victors. His performances—149 not out at Headingley, five for 11 at Edgbaston, and 118 at Old Trafford—were the stuff of legend. The British press, once his harshest critics, now hailed him as a national hero, while the Australian team, shell-shocked and demoralized, could only rue their squandered opportunities.

Botham’s feats in the 1981 Ashes transcended cricket. They embodied the quintessential narrative of redemption, of rising from the ashes—both figuratively and literally. For Australia, the series became a haunting reminder of what could have been. For England, it was a celebration of resilience and the magic of sport. And for Botham, it was immortality. 

As Allan Border later reflected, “You cannot get out of your mind the plain fact that you lost a series you should have won. Personally, I am haunted by the fact that the Australian curse was ravaged by a mate of mine. A bloke named Ian Botham.”

Thank You 

Faisal Caesar 

Can Brazil shine in Tokyo?

“Jardine, Alves and the boys need to make Brazil smile in such testing times”

The happy faces at the Maracana Stadium five years ago are still etched in the memories of each and every Brazil fan where the Selecao won the Olympic Gold Medal for the first time in their history. In the summer Olympics, Brazil did not have great memories to relish – they did come close with players like Carlos Dunga, Romario and Bebeto; but the jinx was broken by Rogero Micale and Neymar in Rio 2016.  

After five years, the Selecao would look to defend their title in Tokyo where the summer Olympics of 2020 would proceed after it was halted last year due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Before the Olympic event, the Selecao failed against the arch-rivals at the temple of Brazilian football – Maracana and witnessed Lionel Messi lifting the trophy. It was a huge disappointment for Brazil and the fans because losing at Marcana in a major event is not what Brazil are accustomed to for 46 years.

But all good things come to an end.

It is time to move on and perhaps, the Brazil Football Team participating in the Olympics in Tokyo could make everyone smile by defending their title.

Brazil had a difficult campaign, only managed to qualify after the final game by beating Argentina 3–0.

Still, under Andre Jardine, the team is expected to fulfil the expectations.

Jardine is known to be a well-educated person with a piece of very good knowledge about football – he has quite a bit of history as a coach also.

After representing Gremio's youth categories, he started studying Engineering but graduated in Physical Education at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul.

Jardine joined Internacional in 2003, being appointed manager of the under-10s. He took over all the club's youth categories during his ten-year stay, with his last team being the under-20s.

In 2013, he returned to Gremio after being named under-17 manager.

In 2014, after Enderson Moreira's dismissal, Jardine was named interim manager,[4] being in charge for one match - a 2–1 loss against Vitoria - before the appointment of Luiz Felipe Scolari. Subsequently, he was named assistant but ended the year as the coordinator of the under-15s after having altercations with Scolari.

2015, Jardine moved to Sao Paulo and was appointed at the helm of the under-20s. He was interim manager for two occasions (in 2016 and 2018) before being named assistant in March 2018.

In 2018, he was named interim until the end of the campaign, replacing sacked Diego Aguirre.

Later on, Jardine was definitely appointed manager of Tricolor for the 2019 season.

In February 2019, however, he was removed from his management role but was still kept at the club.

Jardine took over the Brazil national under-20 team, replacing fired Carlos Amadeu.

Later that year, he also took charge of the under-23s, following Sylvinho's abdication.

He has selected a 22-men squad that includes the veteran Dani Alves and many other recognized and talented youngsters who could shine in Tokyo if they play according to their potential, but above all, Jardine must not make mistakes by selecting the wrong players and leaving the right ones on the bench.

Like, in the Pre-Olympic warm-up match against the United Arab Emirates, the Selecao were trailing at the start and started to strike the right Chord when Jardine made the substitutions.

Brazil got back on track and netted five times.

After the match, Jardine said, “There's a lot of players coming from vacation. For half of the team, practically, it is the first game of the season, still without pace. I think a little bit of the goals lost has a lot of that, lacks a little pace, precision in the finish. The own goals that we suffered, lack a timing, and added pace.”

“The friendly puts us one step ahead of the level that we were today, with more training, to make some corrections, evolve something else and, with the addition of players who are coming, I think we will debut at a better level. For sure, we will have to grow throughout the competition to reach a level to be able to add the medal.”

“Quite a disposition and ability to create situations as we waste a lot of opportunities, but we also created a lot, that's always positive. We did not stop running and competing. I liked the potential of the bank to come in and make a difference, even with 15, 20 minutes. A lot of good and a lot that we can fix.”

Indeed, Jardine and Brazil need to fix if there are chinks in the armoury, but nevertheless, it seems, Claudinho and Paulinho are lacking the rhythm and thus players like Antony or Richarlison should start on the right-wing. 

Richarlison had a frustrating Copa America campaign and might be struggling with fatigue and for which Antony should be the ideal choice.

And, most importantly, Richarlison is a player, who suits better on the left/central position and for which, Antony should be the ideal choice on the right-wing and that come to the point, who would start on the left! 

If Richarlison is not in good touch, then on the left wing, Gabriel Martinelli would deliver better. 

Gabriel Martinelli is effective on either side of the wings on the left and posses game-changing abilities and at the centre – in between the two wingers – Matheus Cunha is the ideal man to lead the attack. Cunha is impressing time and again and till now, he is the man who could be the torchbearer of legendary goal-scorers of Brazil in the coming days.

In the midfield, Reinier Jesus, Bruno Guimeres and Douglas Luiz would be ideal players.

It would be the ideal blend of attack, the dash of playmaking and pivoting the midfield and shield the backline.

Diego Carlos and Nino at the back with Arana and veteran Dani Alves positioning at the full-backs with Santos in between the sticks.

The selection of Dani Alves might have raised many eyebrows, but in such a young team, the experience and leadership qualities of Alves would be highly valuable.

“He is a leader, a winner, he has a lot of charisma and he is very respected by all the Brazilian players,” said Jardine.

“He is a great example for this generation of players that we have.”

“And, curiously, he has never competed in the Olympic games, so we think it is the perfect marriage.

“He is going to be an example to the squad and a leader on the pitch.”

“And if we think of the player with excitement to become a champion…he has a rich history of titles.”

Brazil would start their campaign on July 22 with the match against Germany – one of the tournament favourites.

Jardine, Alves and the boys need to make Brazil smile in such testing times. 

Note: This article has been posted at Cricketsoccer on 18/07/2021 Can Brazil shine in Tokyo?

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

Soviet Union and the World Cup: Always promising but underachievers

 

The first international match played by a Soviet team  as Russian SFSR) came in September 1922, when the Finnish Workers' Sports Federation football team toured Russia (Soviet Union was formed at the end of December of 1922, Treaty on the Creation of the USSR). The Soviet Russia XI scored a 4–1 victory over the Finns in Petrograd. This was also the first international contact for Soviet sports after the 1917 October Revolution. In May 1923, the Soviet team visited Finland and beat the Finnish squad 5–0.

The first match against the national team was played in August 1923, nine months after the establishment of the Soviet Union, when a Russian SFSR team beat Sweden 2–1 in Stockholm.

The first match as the actual Soviet Union football team took place a year later againstTurkey. 

 

Turkey’s national team was not the strongest and played only one game in the 1924 Paris Summer Olympics, losing to Czechoslovakia. Still, the Turks wanted to play the Soviets, a team that no one knew anything about.

After Turkey received approval from FIFA, it sent an official proposal to the Soviet Union to play a friendly match. The Soviets’ Supreme Council of Physical Culture sanctioned the match and established the national team’s uniform: red T-shirts and white shorts.

Excitement and anticipation skyrocketed. The friendly match was scheduled for Nov. 16, 1924 in Moscow. With a foreign national team visiting the Soviet Union, state propaganda portrayed it as a match of great importance.

As the day of the match approached, a new Soviet national team was put together. Mikhail Butusov, a representative of the famous football dynasty and a talented player, was appointed captain.

On the day of the match the Soviet newspaper, Red Sport, wrote:,“People hardly believe that the game will take place on Nov. 16. It has been snowing the whole week; thaws were replaced by frost and fields covered with ice. Yet nature allowed for this most interesting match to happen. There are more than 15,000 spectators — a record number for Moscow and the USSR.”

The excitement subsided as fast as it grew, however. FIFA was opposed to other matches against the Soviet team, and the USSR. 

Although Soviet players could not play big games, football nevertheless developed in the country. In 1928, a new stadium, Dinamo, was unveiled in Moscow.

 After World War II, Moscow’s Dinamo made a historic visit to the UK, where they played against the finest clubs of England, Wales, and Scotland, including Chelsea and Arsenal. The Soviet players won two of the four matches and earned draws in the other two. The success of the Soviet football tour around Britain helped the country to join FIFA in 1947.

 The 1952 Olympics was the first competitive tournament entered by the Soviet Union.

Bulgaria were defeated 2–1, earning a first-round tie against Yugoslavia. Before the match, both Tito and Stalin sent telegrams to their national teams, which showed just how important it was for the two heads of state.

Yugoslavia led 5–1, but a Soviet comeback in the last 15 minutes resulted in a 5–5 draw. The match was replayed, Yugoslavia winning 3–1.

The defeat to the archrivals hit Soviet football hard, and after just three games played in the season, CDKA Moscow, who had made up most of the USSR squad, was forced to withdraw from the league and later disbanded. Furthermore, Boris Arkadiev, who coached both USSR and CDKA, was stripped of his Merited Master of Sports of the USSR title.

The first experience of the World Cup for the Soviet Union was in Sweden during the 1958 edition of the competition.

The Soviet Union had a great team and their scientific football became a revolution after the fall of the Magical Magyars.   

Drawn in a group with Brazil, England and Austria, they collected three points in total, one from England and two from Austria. The Soviet Union and England went to a playoff game, in which Anatoli Ilyin scored in the 67th minute to knock England out. The Soviet Union were then eliminated by the hosts of the tournament, Sweden, in the quarterfinals.

In the 1962 World Cup, the Soviet team was in Group 1 with Yugoslavia, Colombia and Uruguay. The match between the Soviet Union and Colombia ended 4–4; Colombia scored a series of goals in the 68, 72 and 86 minutes.

Legendary goalkeeper Lev Yashin was in poor form both against Colombia and Chile.

His form was considered as one of the main reasons why the Soviet Union team did not gain more success in the tournament.

Four years later, Soviet Union were in great touch in England and since the tournament kicked off, they were regarded as one of the favourites

They were placed in Group 4 with North Korea, Italy and Chile.

In all three matches, the Soviet Union team managed to defeat their rivals. The Soviet team then defeated Hungary in the quarterfinals thanks to the effective performance of their star, Lev Yashin but their success was ended by two defeats against West Germany in the semifinals and Portugal in the third-place playoff match, respectively.

The 1966 squad was the second-best scoring Soviet team in World Cup history, with 10 goals.

During the ninth World Cup in Mexico, 1970, the Soviet Union brought a very competitive unit and critics expected them to give the opponents like England, West Germany, Italy, Uruguay and Brazil a tough time.

The Soviet team easily qualified to the quarterfinal where they lost against Uruguay in extra time.

This would be the last time the Soviet Union reached the quarterfinals.

Meanwhile, the Soviet Union became the first team to make a substitution in World Cup history in this match.  

In the next twelve years, Soviet Union would not be seen in the Greatest Show on Earth but in between, they remained a powerhouse in Europe and always a favourite in the Euros. Back in 1960, they lifted the inaugural Euro trophy as well.

They were back in the World Cup in Espana 1982 and were placed in a very tough group that included hot favourites Brazil of Zico and Socrates, giant killers Scotland and new-bees New Zealand.

The Soviet Union earned a lot of respect by stretching Brazil in the opening match at Seville and ultimately came out the second-best side to qualify for the next round.

That Soviet Union team had both young and experienced players and playing in such a mega event after twelve years tested their temperament against the likes of Poland and Belgium in the second round. The match against Poland was a test of temperament where the experienced Polish unit survived and advanced to the semifinals and would be crowned as the third-best side of the event.

For the World Cup in Mexico in 1986, Valeriy Lobanovskyi – the much-respected name in Eastern European Football – was the manager.

Lobanovskyi began his playing career at Dynamo Kyiv in 1957, winning silverware of various types.

He was at the Ukrainian club for seven years until he moved to Chornomorets Odessa, on the Black Sea in 1964. 

He was only at Odessa for a season before moving on to Shakhtar Donetsk, again only spending a short time there.  He hung his boots up aged only 29. 

Lobanovskyi was one of those people who only came to true prominence in football after he went into management.  As a player he was quite decent by all accounts, scoring over 70 goals. 

One interesting nugget of info about Lobanovskyi is that he had a knack for scoring from corner kicks; he was an expert curler of the ball, back in the day when footballs were made from thick leather and football boots were nothing like the hi-tec creations they are today, no Adidas Predators back then.

As soon as he retired as a player he went straight into management, taking charge of Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk.  However, this wasn’t the Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk football club no, the club with the nickname of The Warriors of Light; it was in fact the Dnipro of the sport known as Bandy. Bandy is similar to ice hockey, although it’s played with a ball and not with a puck.  It was first played in London late in the 19th century, but it never caught on in Britain. 

His football management career began in earnest when he took the reins at his home town club, Dynamo Kyiv in 1973, bringing silverware to the club pretty much as soon as he took on the job.  It was Lobanovskyi’s Kyiv who became the first Soviet side to life a European trophy, when Dynamo defeated Hungary’s Ferencvaros in the 1975 European Cup Winners Cup final, in Switzerland. 

For the next decade or so, he had spells managing the Soviet national team as well as running Dynamo.  So by the time the 1986 world cup came around, Lobanovskyi was an experienced manager with some notable victories under his belt.

The Soviet Union qualified for the ’86 world cup from the UEFA qualification Group 6, finishing as runners up to Denmark.

The Soviets finished two points ahead of Switzerland, so the Swiss along with Norway and the Republic of Ireland failed to qualify.  Lobanovskyi took a twenty-two man squad to Mexico, over half of that squad was made up of Dynamo Kyiv players. 

Those non-Kyiv players were goalkeepers Rinat Dasayev of Spartak Moscow and Serhiy Krakovskyi of Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk, Oleg Protosov a teammate of Krakovskyi’s at Dnipro, Gennady Morosov of Spartak Moscow, Aleksandr Bubnov and Sergey Rodionov also of Spartak, Aleksandr Chivadze of Dinamo Tbilisi, Sergei Aleinikov of Dinamo Minsk, Nikolay Larionov of Zenit St Petersburg, then known as Zenit Leningrad and another Dnipro player, Gennadiy Litovchenko. 

It’s worth mentioning that the Soviet squad included another great name of Soviet football, Oleg Blokhin.  Blokhin spent nineteen years playing as a striker for Dynamo Kyiv, appearing in 432 games and scoring 211 goals, that’s just under a goal every other game.

In Mexico in 1986, the Soviets were drawn into Group C, along with Canada, Euro Champions in 1984 - France and Hungary.

On June 2, 1982, György Mezey’s Hungary provided the Soviets with their first test in Mexico.  It was an easy test for the Soviet Union at the Estadio Sergio Leon Chavez. By half time the Soviets were 3 – 0 up, the goals courtesy of Pavlo Yakovenko, Igor Belanov via a penalty and Sergei Aleinikov.

 The Soviets were comfortably in control and to an extent, the second half was a mirror image of the first half.  The Soviet Union scored another couple of times, Ivan Yaremchuk and Sergey Rodionov finding the net.  To rub salt into the wound for the Hungarians, László Dajka scored an own goal, so it finished in a 6 – 0 victory for Lobanovskyi’s side.

The way the Soviet Union steamrolled Hungary in the opening match sent chills down the spine of the other opponents in the group and the rest of the big guns in the event.

Next up for the Soviets was Henri Michel’s France, three days later at the Estadio Nou Camp.

As the Brazilian referee blew for halftime, it was goalless. 

Vasily Rats of Dynamo Kyiv opened the scoring for the Soviets about thirteen minutes into the second half. 

In keeping with the closeness of the game, it didn’t take long for the French to draw level with the Soviet Union, less than ten minutes later it was 1 – 1 after Luis Fernández scored for Les Bleus. 

The final group game for the Soviet Union was a meeting with Tony Waiters’ Canada. 

Waiters was originally from Southport and had played professionally for Blackpool and Burnley.  It was a straightforward game for Lobanovskyi’s team, they defeated the Canadians 2 – 0, the goals coming from Oleh Blokhin and Oleksandr Zavarov.  The Soviets topped the group with five points, just pipping France for the top spot on goal difference.  So the Soviet Union were into the last sixteen knockout phase, waiting for them was Guy Thys’s Belgium. 

For a last sixteen World Cup game it was poorly attended, only 32,000 showed up for the Soviet Union’s encounter with Belgium.  It took place at the Estadio Nou Camp, in Leon on the 15th of June.  It began well for the Soviets when Igor Belanov put his team ahead in the 27th minute.  When Erik Fredriksson, the Swedish referee, blew for half time it looked good for the Soviets, they deserved their lead.

The Belgians came out for the second half looking for an equalizer, but it was the Soviet Union who started the second half the better team.  However, in the 56th minute, Enzo Scifo levelled for the Belgians, putting the ball in the Soviet net via a cross from Frank Vercauteren.  With about twenty minutes to go, the Soviets hit on the break from midfield after Jan Ceulemans gave the ball away. After a pass from Zavarov, it was Belanov again who put the ball past the Belgian goalkeeper, 2 – 1 to the Soviet Union.  Only a few minutes later Ceulemans redeemed himself when he scored for Belgium making it 2 – 2. 

That’s how it finished in normal time, extra time would be needed. 

Going into this game, the Soviet Union were the favourites of most informed pundits, however, the Belgians were giving their opponents something to think about.

 They certainly did that in the 102nd minute when Stephane De Mol put the Belgians ahead in the game after a great headed goal. 

The Belgian’s tails were up, in the 110th minute Nico Claesen put Belgium further ahead via a sweetly struck volley into the Soviet goal. 

It was a game of exciting incidents and the Soviets had to provide another one to save their world cup, and that’s what they did only a minute or so after Claesen had scored Belgium’s 4th.  Igor Belanov was fouled in the eighteen-yard box, it was a penalty and it was Belanov himself who scored the penalty.

However it wasn’t enough, the Belgians won the match 4 – 3 and the Soviet Union were going home.

Two years later, the Soviets lost against Holland of Ruud Gullit and Marco van Basten and with that, the great legacy of the Soviet Union ended dismally because two years later in Italy, they were out from the group stages of the World Cup despite being a very good unit and a year later, the communist Soviet Union broke and football would never be the same in the new Russia.

The great generation of the 1980s left the scene and those that came after them; were not of the same calibre, bar a few notable exceptions. The strength in depth was no longer there. The Russian Premier League has made a resurgence in recent years, with new money being poured in, but success at the international level seems as far away ever. The conditions for success should still be ripe enough, but the national team remains immersed in its mediocrity.

Mexico 86 had been the last time when the world feared and respected the Soviet Union in any major event.

Note: This article has been posted at Cricketsoccer on 13/07/2021  Soviet Union and the World Cup: Always promising but underachievers  

Thank You

Faisal Caesar

 

Mexico 86: Diego Maradona magic against Belgium

After the epic quarterfinal encounter against England at Azteca, Argentina and Diego Maradona met Belgium again in a World Cup match - Four years ago, at Barcelona, the Red Devils stunned the Argentineans in the opening match and Maradona was lost in the Belgian forest – he was marked strongly and hardly could move as his team suffered a defeat.

In Mexico, after a scratchy display in the group stages, Belgium had tamed the mighty Soviet Union and the team with a lot of flairs – Spain. They were the giant killers of the tournament and planned to stun Argentina as well, but to stop the Maradona of Mexico 86 – Belgium simply lacked the idea. They remained as mere spectators as one of the all-time best players in the history of football weaved his magic in the historic venue.

On June 22, Maradona scored what is universally accepted as the greatest goal of all time; his meandering, other-worldly second in the 1986 World Cup quarter-final against a dazed and confused England defence. It was, everyone agrees, a once-in-a-lifetime goal – but there also a huge group of people, who differs with that opinion and thinks, the display against Belgium, especially, the second goal was and….. is the best.

On June 25, in front of a packed crowd, Argentina started to dominate the game from the word go and whenever Maradona touched the ball it found his teammates upfront, but the desired goals were not coming and the first half ended 0-0.

Six minutes after the break, Jorge Burruchaga slipped a pass of stunning vision into the path of Maradona who clipped the ball over the advancing Jean-Marie Pfaff with the deftest of left-footed touches.  

Twelve minutes later, according to These Football Times, “Defender José Luis Cuciuffo controls the ball on his chest and drives infield, eyes fixed on only one man. Maradona, back to goal, awaits the inevitable pass, his starting position a textbook definition of an enganche.”

“The 115,000 spectators inside the Estadio Azteca, and millions around the world, hold their breath.”

“In one movement, Maradona controls the ball with his right foot – the only time he would touch it with his significantly weaker foot – and already has his eyes raised toward goal. He then shifts the ball to his left foot, to which it will remain almost magnetically attracted for the rest of the move.”

“Three defenders – Stéphane Demol, George Grun and Patrick Vervoot – in unison, but clearly with little to no confidence, take tentative steps towards Maradona, like a herd of buffalos approaching a crocodile-infested lake. Maradona sensing blood accepts the challenge head-on, literally. The herd instantly begins to retreat.”

“Suddenly the wall of red shirts begins to crumble – or so it seemed. In reality, unlike the more accommodating and stretched English defence, Belgium’s more cohesive – though not necessarily more proactive – backline was simply undone by Maradona’s sublime elusiveness. Where there had looked no way through a split second earlier, a chink of light appears. Maradona, as he had done against England, was about to bend space and time to his own will.”

“In the Belgian defence, there is a paralysis of decision-making. Demol and Grun are dismissed with a tap of the ball to the right. In hindsight, one or the other should have committed a foul on Maradona. A free-kick and booking would have been a small price to pay compared to the ensuing mayhem.”

“Maradona was now veering to the right, towards the blonde-haired figure of Vervoort. The run is, still at this point, just about stoppable. But having drifted past Demol and Grun, and just short of Vervoort, Maradona creates a gap just ahead of him, to the left. Displaying incredible dexterity and low centre of gravity, he pivots towards that opening. The reaction of the defenders has a touch of the band playing on as the Titanic sinks. All three are almost at a jogging pace, uncomprehending the enormity of what is happening around them.”

“The next two touches, with the outside of his left foot, are the most devastating of the run. They account for Vervoort, the third victim of the move, who is now helpless to stop a Maradona suddenly gaining momentum away from him. As he steps into the penalty area, Maradona is at the centroid of a triangle of the three Belgian defenders. None are further than two metres away; none with any hope of stopping him.”

“Another touch and Maradona was now running towards his next victim, the panic-struck Eric Gerets. The Belgian captain, caught flatfooted by Maradona’s sudden change of direction and speed, is off balance and disoriented to such an extent that he has to execute a 270-degree turn to once again face his tormentor, now running parallel to, and away from, him.”

“For a split second, Gerets, a vastly experienced defender, had been twisted and turned into facing away from Maradona; a footballing equivalent of being on the dark side of the moon. Having regained his bearings, Gerets, quickly realising the gig was almost up, launches into a desperate last-ditch lunge, as Terry Butcher had done in the quarter-final. It is too late. Even giving away a penalty is no longer an option.”

“Maradona has given himself that crucial, decisive yard. Six seconds; six touches. One with the right foot, five with the left. Maradona has only the goalkeeper to beat. Fatefully for Belgium, and their World Cup dreams, he prepares to deliver the seventh – the mercy bullet.”

“The claustrophobic nature of his waltz through the Belgian defence and the limits of Newtonian physics meant not even Maradona was in a position to skip past the advancing Belgian goalkeeper. There was only one option. While trickery had done for Shilton, ferocity was Pfaff’s fate. Maradona pulled the trigger: it was beautiful, a magnificent desolation of the Belgian defence. As the ball hit the net, Argentina were through to the World Cup final.”

In his book on the history of Argentine football, Angels with Dirty Faces, Jonathan Wilson describes it as a goal of “dazzling brilliance.”

While in his autobiography, El Diego, he said, “For the second, the credit was Cucciuffo’s and Valdano’s, who made it for me. This time, when I scored the goals, I thought of La Tota, of how happy she must be feeling about it because each game brought more joy.”

The second goal along with the magical deft touch of the first goal has always been criminally underrated. Even Maradona never talked about it that much, perhaps, the goal scored against the British meant a lot to him rather than the piece of art in the semifinal.

But without a doubt, those two goals – the second one, to be specific, would always give the Goal of the Century a tough contest.  

Note: This article has been posted at Cricketsoccer as CSdesk on 15/07/2021 Mexico 86: Diego Maradona magic against Belgium

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

Hand of God and Goal of the Century

 

Only a genius can create controversy and then overshadow it with a sheer individual moment of magic. Diego Maradona was such a magician who did both in a football match and that too against their old enemy England in a World Cup match.

Four years ago, there was a 10-week undeclared war between Argentina and the United Kingdom in 1982 over two British dependent territories in the South Atlantic: the Falkland Islands and its territorial dependency, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands.

This war is known as the Falkland War.

During the conflict, 649 Argentine soldiers, 255 British military personnel and three Falkland Islanders died.

The conflict has had a strong effect on both countries and has been the subject of various books, articles, films, and songs. Patriotic sentiment ran high in Argentina, but the unfavourable outcome prompted large protests against the ruling military government, hastening its downfall and the democratisation of the country. In the United Kingdom, the Conservative government, bolstered by the successful outcome, was re-elected with an increased majority the following year. The cultural and political effect of the conflict has been less in the UK than in Argentina, where it has remained a common topic for discussion.

During the high voltage quarterfinals of Mexico 86 at the historic Azteca Stadium, the traumatic memories of the Falkland War added more fuel to give that a political angle.

At the end of the first half, while the game was still tied at 0-0, Maradona was beginning to influence the end outcome of the match. Six minutes into the second half of the game, Maradona took the ball out of the box with his left leg and passed it to teammate Jorge Valdano. Valdano tried to take on several English defenders, but the ball was intercepted and thrown back and forth and eventually cleared towards England's goal by English midfielder Steve Hodge.

Because of the position of the players, Maradona would have been caught offside, but as the ball came off an opponent, he was onside. Alone inside the penalty box and with the ball dropping down, Maradona contested the ball with goalkeeper Peter Shilton, who stood 20 centimetres taller than Maradona. Shilton jumped forward with his right hand, while Maradona did so with his left arm outstretched. Maradona's fist, which was raised close to his head, touched the ball first and hit the ball into England's goal. Maradona began to celebrate while glancing sideways at the referee and the linesman for confirmation. He then fully celebrated the goal when it was given.

Tunisian referee Ali Bennaceur gave the goal, but after the English players' protests, he sought the advice of his second linesman who confirmed the goal.

Mexican photographer Alejandro Ojeda Carbajal immortalized this moment in a photograph in which Maradona can be seen hitting the ball with his hand.

“Now I can say what I couldn't at that moment, what I defined at that time as The Hand of God. What a hand of God? It was the hand of Diego!” wrote Diego Maradona in his autobiography.

In 2005, 19 years after scoring the controversial goal, Maradona confessed on a program La Noche del 10, that the goal was actually scored with his hand.

Several world media outlets reported the news, creating controversy.

Even Peter Shilton rejected the apology, arguing that it was now too late.

Maradona, a few days after the article came out, denied everything, saying that the newspaper had misquoted him. Maradona responded:

“I never spoke of forgiveness. I said only that the story could not be changed, that I do not have to apologize to anyone, because it was a football game in which there were 100,000 people in the Azteca stadium, twenty-two players, that there were two linesmen, that there was one referee, that Shilton (the goalkeeper) speaks up now and he hadn't noticed, the defenders had to tell him. So the story is already written, nothing can change it. And that was what I said.”

“ I never apologized to anyone. Besides, I don't have to apologize by making a statement to England. For what? To please who? What pisses me off the most is that they repeat this in Argentina and talk to people who know me. They talk about contradictions. At forty-seven I think that apologizing to the English is stupid.”

In an interview back in 2013, Maradona said, “Why should I apologise? In a game where we are all having fun and one does something naughty that 100,000 fans do not see. It’s not that I’m proud of scoring a goal like this, but I think it’s funny when they get mad because I scored a goal with my hand. I think it’s very funny.”

“They, England, won a World Cup with a goal that wasn’t against Germany. It hit the crossbar and went this [gesturing a yard with his hands] much out and the referee blew his whistle. So, they shouldn’t say anything about Maradona, because they cheated before I did eh…”

In 2016 Maradona said in another interview, “They (government) sent such young guys of 17, 18 years old to fight in that Malvinas and that was to a slaughterhouse.”

“By winning that game we could somehow diminish the pain of so many mothers that lost sons in Malvinas.”

“I do not confuse sports with politics and even less so regarding a war that brought us so much pain, but I saw my colleagues that were giving that much more and I wanted to give even more.”

In the 2019 documentary film Diego Maradona directed by Asif Kapadia, Maradona links the event to the Falklands War four years earlier, saying "[w]e, as Argentinians, didn't know what the military was up to. They told us that we were winning the war. But in reality, England was winning 20–0. It was tough. The hype made it seem like we were going to play out another war. I knew it was my hand. It wasn't my plan but the action happened so fast that the linesman didn't see me putting my hand in. The referee looked at me and he said: 'Goal.' It was a nice feeling like some sort of symbolic revenge against the English.”

“I dream to score another goal against the English, this time with the right hand,” Maradona said in an interview with France Football magazine published last year.

Ivan Lopez-Muniz wrote in 2017 that in Argentina the “entire nation”, including the Government and the Argentine Football Association, still “praises the most blatant act of cheating ever caught on tape”, partly because “Argentines are humans, and humans are hypocrites” but also because of a long history of grievances against the English or British, that includes not only the 1982 Falklands War, but other matters such as England manager Alf Ramsay calling the Argentine players animals after Argentine Captain Antonio Rattin was sent off against England in the 1966 World Cup, as well as Britain's invasions of the future Argentine capital Buenos Aires in 1806 and 1807 (events learned by almost all young Argentines and by almost no English schoolchildren), and its seizure of the Falklands Islands (known to Argentines as Las Malvinas) “in 1832.”

Lopez-Muniz concluded that, because of the combination of high and low standards, “Quite simply, it means that Maradona, on that day, was an Englishman.”

After the controversy came the most iconic moments in the history of football.

As England tried to push their way back in the game, at the stroke of the 55th minute, Peter Beardsley, under pressure from Jose Luis Cuciuffo, gave the ball carelessly away in the Argentine half.

Two passes later it had found its way on to the feet of Diego Maradona.

Maradona, in his own words, describes that unforgettable moment in Mexico on June 22, 1986: 

I still remember every second of that goal. Every single second, even when the ball bounced towards me. The Aztec Stadium pitch was really bad, it wasn’t well maintained and had pools of water lying everywhere. It wasn’t like the pitches we see today in the Champions League that are like pool tables. In ’86 the pitch was in a really bad state.

I remember that when I started dribbling, the ball was moving side to side. Peter Reid and I were talking about this the other day during an interview; when I was dribbling, I was looking to either side, but all I saw was Peter coming at me like this … [pulls a face showing all his teeth and straining his neck muscles]. All his veins were showing! And I asked him, “when I brought the ball forward, I saw you quit. Did you?” He said: “I could not catch you. Every time I’d make an effort you would be a metre further ahead. I would advance and all I could see was your number”. I thought it was fantastic.
After that, I remember [Terry] Butcher being on my left, and so was [Terry] Fenwick. I had [Jorge] Burruchaga and [Jorge] Valdano in support. So I’m thinking, do I pass or do I go alone?

Fenwick made my mind up for me. He was in front of me, but not knowing if he should come to the ball or cover Burruchaga. So, like I tell my players today, a defender that doubts is a defender that dies. Fenwick was thinking “I am one and have to cover two. Do I choose this one or that one?” In the end, he chose neither. He stayed in the middle. That was the doubt that killed him.

 When I went past Fenwick, [Peter] Shilton came out. Although my initial thought was to shoot for the far corner, Shilton rushes at me like this.. [makes a collapsing gesture]. It’s not that I made a great move against Shilton, he just wanted to cover too much of the goal so he went all over the place. When I saw him, I thought… “What did they give this guy? They must have given him alcohol..” He was like a mad man. He fainted… so I just touched it, went round him and scored. GOOOAAAALLL!

But then Butcher comes in and kicks me so hard. It was one of the most painful things I’ve experienced. When we were on the bus, I was sitting with a bag of ice on my leg. But I didn’t care. We had beaten the English.

On Argentine radio, Victor Hugo Morales, whose commentary of these moments would become as immortal as the goal itself was already screaming “Genius! Genius! Genius!”

 Twenty-one players on the pitch had been practically reduced to spectators, ringside seat owners to watch genius unfold in real-time.

Jorge Valdano was running alongside Maradona as reinforcement, there to his left if he needed someone to pass to, but as he recalled later “At first I went along with him out of a sense of responsibility, but then I realised I was just one more spectator.”

Meanwhile, Morales’ commentary at that moment came from someone in the throes of a divine experience.

“Sorry! I want to cry! Good, God! Long live football! What a goal! Diego! Maradona! I have to scream, forgive me…Maradona in a memorable run, in the best play ever…Cosmic kite! What planet did you come from…to leave in your wake so many Englishmen so that the country can become a clenched fist screaming for Argentina?”

What a genius Diego Maradona was! 

Note: This article has been posted at Cricketsoccer as CSdesk on 15/07/2021 Hand of God and Goal of the Century 

Thank You

Faisal Caesar