Hungary 1954
Unbeaten in four years prior to the 1954 finals, a run that
stretched across 32 games, reigning Olympic Champions Hungary were football’s
answer to the Harlem Globetrotters. With a team built around the gold-plated
left boot of Ferenc Puskas, flanked by fellow forwards Nandor Hidegkuti and
Sandor Kocsis, Hungary were famed for a magical brand of gung-ho, attacking
football. Poor old England had felt the full force of the ‘Magical Magyars’ the
previous year, with Hidegkuti bagging himself a hat-trick in a 6-3 victory at
Wembley, the first time the hosts had
lost there to non-UK opposition in the stadium’s history. As if to show
it wasn’t a fluke, Hungary stuck another seven past them in Budapest the
following year. Coming just weeks before the World Cup, the result was a
statement of intent from the best attacking team in the world.
But who should come along and ruin things for everyone?
Inevitably, it was serial-spoilsports West Germany. Sweeping aside South
American giants Brazil and Uruguay, whilst routing South Korea 9-0 in the first
round, the Hungarians had stormed to the final in ominous fashion. Having
already made the West Germans look silly in an 8-3 group-stage trouncing, the
final was only ever going to go one way. Except, somehow, it didn’t. At a
rain-lashed Wankdorf (!) Stadium, Hungary saw a two-goal advantage evaporate
before their eyes as Helmut Rahn hauled West Germany into a 3-2 lead. When
Puskas had an equaliser disallowed in the dying stages, it was clear it wasn’t
going to be their night. The Germans won the World Cup in ‘The Miracle of Berne’
and went on reach the final a further six times.
Portugal 1966
Unlike Hungary in ’54 or Holland in ’74, Portugal weren’t
regarded as a shoo-in to win the World Cup, but they did have a player who was
seemingly capable of bringing home the gold on his own. If Eusebio, the
reigning European Player of the Year, had started the tournament with a big
reputation, he finished it with something approaching God-like status.
Taking on a Brazil side that included Pele in the first
round, Eusebio nabbed the headlines from under the nose of the famous number
10, with a brilliant brace in a 3-1 win. The best, however, was yet to
come. Faced with the tournament’s surprise package North Korea, the Portuguese
fell 3-0 down after just 22 minutes of the quarter final. Sensing disaster,
Eusebio decided it might be an idea to start playing. Four goals later he had
turned the match on its head, with Jose Augusto adding a fifth late on to
complete a 5-3 victory.
That, however, was as good as it got for Portugal, as even
Eusebio couldn’t save them when they came up against England in the
semi-finals, a pair of Bobby Charlton goals sending the hosts through. Sadly
for England, the Portuguese have been taking their revenge ever since.
Holland 1974
Incredibly, despite its place in footballing folklore, the
much heralded era of Total Football never actually landed the Dutch a major
international trophy. God knows how, because it was bloody brilliant to watch,
like having your eyeballs massaged by eleven orange-shirted angels. Or
something. They were pretty handy, alright?
With players like Cruyff, Rensenbrink and Neeskens at the peak
of their powers, Holland took the 1974 World Cup by storm, with a 4-0 victory
over Argentina the pick of an exhilarating tournament. Abandoning traditional
attitudes to positioning, the Dutch were playing a more fluid brand of
attacking football than had ever been seen before, players interchanging with
each other right left and centre, with forwards dropping deep and midfielders
pushing forward at will. They even managed to out-flair the Brazilians in a 2-0
second-round victory. The only thing standing between them and the big prize
was, you guessed it, West Germany.
And like Hungary before them, the celebrated Dutch attack
foundered against German grit. Despite falling behind without having touched
the ball after just a minute of the first half, a Paul Breitner penalty and
Gerd Muller’s last goal of his international career were enough to seal victory
for West Germany. Another spirit-crushing victory for substance over style. Sigh.
Brazil 1982
To feel sorry for Brazil for not winning the World Cup one
year is a bit like feeling sorry for a millionaire with a parking ticket. That
said, the 1982 vintage was a special group indeed. With Zico, Falcao and
Socrates in their ranks, Brazil boasted their best team since Pele, Jairzinho
and friends blew the competition away in 1970. And when champions Argentina
were dispatched 3-1 in a second round tie that was far more one-sided than the
scoreline suggests, it looked as though the Selecao would soon have a fourth
World Cup for their collection.
Italy, however, had other ideas. Having drawn all but one of
their games to this point, they were the polar opposites of their free-scoring
opponents, hacking and hoofing their way from one stalemate to the next.
Bruising centre-back Claudio Gentile epitomised what they were all about with
his ruthless stifling job on Maradona in their match with Argentina. With
Brazil only needing a draw to progress, they would have to come out and play if
they wanted to stand any chance of making the semis.
Brazil poured forward as usual, but unfortunately for them
this was the game in which Paolo Rossi, goalless thus far in the tournament,
found his shooting boots. Twice the striker put the Azzuri in the lead, only to
be pegged back by equalisers from Socrates and Falcao. And at this point, the
Brazillians’ commitment to attack cost them dearly. Going after the victory,
Brazil forgot to get the basics right, a poor clearance from a corner falling
to Rossi to complete his hattrick. The Brazillians chucked everything at Italy
in search of an equaliser, only for the Italians to shut up shop and claim the
victory. Having spent most of the match with ten men behind the ball, Italy had
done the consummate hit-and-run on Brazil, and the best team in the tournament
returned home empty-handed.
England 1990
Still hurts a bit, doesn’t it? Italia ’90 was without doubt
England’s best chance to win a second World Cup, and not just because the other
teams weren’t up to much. We actually had a great side. With a squad stuffed
full of flair players like Waddle, Gazza, Beardsley and Barnes, it was
certainly the most exciting England team in recent memory. Robson
and Gazza, or Batty and Ince? No contest is it? As the late Sir Bobby recalled,
‘We had a very good group of players that year, very talented, very tough and
ambitious.’ For once, England weren’t the plucky underdogs, but a side well
capable of lifting the trophy.
After the quarter-final with Cameroon, a thrilling 3-2
turnaround courtesy of a couple of Gary Lineker penalties, there was a genuine
feeling that it might be England’s year. And then Germany turned up. We all
know what happens next. One see-saw semi-final and a couple of shocking
penalties later, and England were out. Even now it takes a strong stomach to
watch Waddle balloon his spot-kick into row Z. With England looking a bag of
nerves in every shootout since, it was an utterly devastating moment for the
national team. We’ve never really been the same since. And to think we were
good enough to win the whole thing... Maybe this year, eh?
Incredibly, despite its place in footballing folklore, the much heralded era of Total Football never actually landed the Dutch a major international trophy. 
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