Overview:

There were changes afoot in FIFA and the World Cup. FIFA president Dr. Joao Havelange, who was elected with strong support by Third World countries in 1974, kept his promise by expanding the tournament from 16 to 24 teams.

By Michael Lewis

FrontRowSoccer.com Editor

There were changes afoot in FIFA and the World Cup. FIFA president Dr. Joao Havelange, who was elected with strong support by Third World countries in 1974, kept his promise by expanding the tournament from 16 to 24 teams. The idea was to open up the cup to the lesser soccer countries of the world. Because of that, a number of countries that might not have gotten to the world stage would have had an opportunity to show what they could do.

Cameroon was impressive in the opening round, as was Algeria, which stunned Germany.

The 1982 World Cup, however, belonged to Italy—which started off as 14–1 long shots to win the trophy—although you would have not known the Italians were title contenders due its slow start in Group 1. The Italians wound up playing three first-round ties, scoring two goals and allowing as many. They showed absolutely nothing in a 0–0 draw with Poland, a 1–1 tie with Peru and a 1–1 result with Cameroon, which missed out on advancing to the second round because Italy had scored one more goal than the Africans.

The West Germans had their problems in Group 2, too, losing to the Algerians, 2–1 as Rabah Madjer and Lakhdar Belloumi, the African Player of the Year, scored for the winners, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge for the losers. The Germans rebounded with a 4–1 triumph over Chile with Rummenigge netting a hat trick, setting up a disgraceful match with Austria. Germany needed a victory and Austria, at the worst, needed to lose by only a goal. After Horst Hrubesch scored in the 10th minute, both sides were content to knock the ball around midfield. Algeria finished unbeaten with two victories, but did not advance because of goal differential (Austria had plus 2, Algeria 0). Defending champion Argentina, playing in Group 3, never found its rhythm to be consistent.

Bolstered by the latest superstar pretender to Pele’s throne—Diego Maradona—the Argentines stumbled in the World Cup opener as Belgium recorded a 1–0 win on Erwin Vandenbergh’s second-half goal. Argentina did rebound in the first round with a 4–1 victory over Hungary and a 2–0 win over El Salvador. It seemed that everyone fed on Cup newcomer El Salvador. For example, Hungary rolled to a 10–1 victory as second-half substitute Laszlo Kiss recorded a hat-trick, the best performance by a sub in World Cup history.

England surprisingly ruled Group 4, which included France. In fact, the English took care of the French in their first match, 3–1, as Bryan Robson scored the quickest goal in Cup history – 27 seconds into the match. He added another in the second half, and Paul Mariner also tallied. England finished at 3–0, defeating Czechoslovakia, 2–0, and edging Kuwait, 1–0. France, which took second at 1–1–1, played one of the more unusual matches in Cup history against Kuwait, a 4–1 victory. The commotion came with the game all but decided and with the French leading 3–1 with fifteen minutes left. Alain Giresse put in a free kick to give his team a 4–1 advantage, or so he thought. The Kuwaitis claimed they had heard a whistle and stopped in their tracks. Prince Fahid, the country’s Football Association president, walked from the stands onto the field to protest and argue the decision, which was reversed. France did get an official fourth goal as Maxime Bossis scored in the final minute.

Even though it was host, Spain struggled in Group 5 to reach the next round, tying Honduras, 1–1, edging Yugoslavia, 2–1, and losing to group leader Northern Ireland, 1–0. Criticism was so severe that one Spanish newspaper refused to publish the team’s lineup after one match.

In Group 6, it looked like Brazil had rediscovered the magic it had during its three world championship run, outscoring the opposition, 10–2, en route to three impressive victories. The Brazilians started it off with a 2–1 win over the Soviet Union, with Socrates and Eder scoring. They continued it with a 4–1 thumping of Scotland, as Zico, Oscar, Eder, and Falcao found the back of the net. And they completed it with a 4–0 romp past World Cup newcomers New Zealand, 4–0, as Zico tallied, twice, and Falcao and Serginho once each.

In a new twist to the later rounds, four second-round groups were used to determine the four semifinalists.

In Group A, Poland prevailed, blanking Belgium 3–0, and playing the Soviets to a scoreless draw after the Soviet Union bested Belgium, 1–0. In Group B, the West Germans emerged on top, playing England to a scoreless draw, but edging Spain, 2–1, on goals by Pierre Littbarski and Klaus Fischer. England and Spain eliminated themselves with a 0–0 tie.

Group C brought together Italy, Argentina and Brazil. Italy got past the defending champs, 2–1, as Marco Tardelli and Antonio Cabrini scored in the second half. Maradona, who was closely marked by the Italians, vented his frustration and anger in a 3–1 loss to Brazil several days later. He kicked Batista’s groin in the waning minutes and was subsequently ejected by referee Mario Rubio Vazquez of Mexico. Brazil, meanwhile, was brilliant as ever, getting goals from Zico, Serginho, and Junior to set up a memorable encounter with Italy.

Paolo Rossi, who had recently come back from a two-year suspension because of his involvement in a game-fixing scandal, was blanked during the opening round. But he could not have picked a better place to break out of scoring slump. He was brilliant, scoring three times -in the fifth, 25th and 75th minutes to give the Italians leads each time against Brazil, which had goals from Socrates and Falcao. The victory boosted the Italians into the semifinals.

In Group D, France advanced on the basis of its 1–0 win over Austria and 4–1 triumph over Northern Ireland. Austria tied Northern Ireland, 2–2. Rossi was as hot as the weather – 100 degrees at Nou Camp Stadium in Barcelona, striking twice in the Italians’ 2–0 semifinal win over Poland.

As well as Rossi and his teammates played, their game was anticlimactic compared to the tussle between West Germany and France. The West Germans managed to outlast their rivals, 5–4, in penalty kicks after playing to a 3–3 tie after extra time in what many observers called the greatest World Cup game ever. The Germans took a 1–0 lead in the 18th minute on Littbarski’s goal, but the French tied in on Michel Platini’s penalty kick nine minutes later.

In the 57th minute, the game turned on a controversial play. Racing toward the German penalty area, Patrick Battiston was knocked down by goalkeeper Toni Schumacher. Battison was so badly injured, he was replaced. Schumacher, who should have received a yellow card at the very least, and perhaps a red card, did not and remained in the game. So, the Germans were able to play at even strength into extra time. The French scored twice behind Marius Tresor and Alain Giresse. It appeared the Germans were dead, but they somehow rallied as substitute Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, who had been bothered by a leg injury and Klaus Fischer scored. That set up penalty kicks. With the tie-breaker score at 4–4, Schumacher saved Jean-Luc Bossis’ try and Horst Hrubesch converted the game-winner.

Unless you were a West German fan, the entire world knew what was going to happen at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid on July 11 – an Italian victory to end a storybook tournament. It appeared the horse-drawn carriage would turn into a pumpkin in the 25th minute, as Italian Antonio Cabrini became the first player to miss a penalty kick in a World Cup final. The score was 0–0 at the half, and the Germans felt they still had a chance – or so they thought. Rossi found the back of the net one last time with his sixth goal of the tournament, heading the ball past Schumacher in the 57th minute. Marco Tardelli doubled the lead eleven minutes later, scoring from the edge of the penalty area, and Alessandro Altobelli, who came in for Francesco Graziani, made it 3–0 in the 81st minute. Paul Breitner scored two minutes later to became only the third player to score in two finals – Brazil’s Vava and Pele had accomplished the feat. It was too little and too late to deny this team their destiny in a 3-1 triumph.

Next: 1986