World Cup 1982 - Day Eleven

DAY ELEVEN

Wednesday 23^rd June 1982

GROUP ONE, Estadio Balaidos, Vigo. (17:15)

ITALY   (0)   1   (Graziani 60)

CAMEROON   (0)   1   (M’Bida 61)

Italy: Zoff; Gentile, Scirea, Collovati, Cabrini; Conti, Tardelli, Oriali, Antognoni; Rossi, Graziani

Cameroon: N’Kono; Kaham, Onana, M’Bom, Aoudou, N’Djeya; Kunde, M’Bida, Abega; Milla, Tokoto

The final game in Group One was finely balanced.  In theory, Italy should’ve thumped Cameroon, but this Italy side had not found their touch in this World Cup up to now and had struggled in both their matches.  Cameroon knew they needed to win to get through to the second phase, and for Italy a draw would be enough to go through with Poland from this group.  Italy’s abject performance in the group phase so far was illustrated by Bruno Conti putting his shot wide from 6 yards out with only the keeper to beat.  Italy created plenty of chances, they just weren’t able to get any of them on target.  Then on the hour, Paolo Rossi crossed right-footed from the left wing and Graziani got up highest to loop his header over N’Kono.  It was the first goal Cameroon had conceded in the competition so far, but they fought back immediately as M’Bida hooked a shot in from close range barely a minute after going behind.  The Africans just couldn’t push for a winner and so Italy went through by virtue of having scored one more goal than Cameroon.  For Cameroon, they could be proud of their performance in remaining unbeaten.

GROUP THREE, Estadio Jose Rico Perez, Alicante. (21:00)

ARGENTINA   (1)   2   (Passarella 23, Bertoni 52)

EL SALVADOR   (0)   0

Argentina: Fillol; Olguin, Passarella, Tarantini, Galvan; Bertoni (Diaz), Gallego, Ardiles, Calderon (Santamaria), Maradona; Kempes

El Salvador: Mora; Jovel, Osorto (Diaz), Rodriguez, Recinos; Ventura (Alfaro), Rugamas, Huezo; Gonzalez, Rivas, Ramirez

With Belgium and Hungary drawing in Elche the day before, Argentina knew anything other than a win would see them bow out after just three matches of their first ever defence of the World Cup.  El Salvador had regained some pride by only losing 0-1 to Belgium having conceded 10 in their opening match, although this was the game they really feared.  But Argentina were still not into their stride in this tournament, evidenced by Kempes hitting the bar from 6 yards early on.  In the 19^th minute, Calderon was brought down in the box and Argentina had a penalty.  The contact had seemed minimal but Passarella blasted the kick down the middle and Argentina lead 1-0. 

Argentina should’ve added to that goal before the break but early into the second half they did when a well worked goal when Daniel Bertoni curled a lovely shot left-footed into the far corner having beaten three tackles.  Argentina were comfortable winners and went through in 2^nd place behind Belgium.  Hungary’s record score proving irrelevant.

GROUP SIX, Estadio Benito Villamarin, Seville. (21:00)

BRAZIL   (2)   4   (Zico 28, 31, Falcao 64, Serginho 70)

NEW ZEALAND   (0)   0

Brazil: Waldir; Leandro, Luizinho, Oscar (Edinho), Junior; Socrates, Cerezo, Falcao, Eder; Serginho (Paulo Isidoro), Zico

New Zealand: van Hattum; Dods, Almond, Elrick, Herbert; MacKay, Cresswell (Turner), Sumner, Boath; Rufer (Cole), Wooddin

The qualifiers from this group had already been decided after USSR draw with Scotland saw them join Brazil.  New Zealand, in their first ever World Cup appearance, were just hoping to keep the score down.  Brazil were soon into their lovely passing football and one move cut open the defence only for Cerezo to fire over.  Zico then tried a nonchalant back heel which went just wide.  But in the 28^th minute, Leandro crossed from the right and with it curling away from him, Zico acrobatically volleyed the ball in for the opening goal.  Within minutes they were at it again as Socrates again found Leandro as the overlap on the right and his cross was again turned in by Zico, although less acrobatically.

Falcao got in on the act in the second half as he was able to run far too far and beat the keeper on his near post.  Six minutes later a patient build-up saw Junior clip the ball over the defence to Zico on the left-hand side of the area and he played it inside for Serginho to score.  The Brazilian number 9 often looked out of place with this technically brilliant team, but he had at last opened his account for the tournament.  Brazil were through with 100% record.

World Cup 1982 - Day Two

DAY TWO

Monday 14^th June 1982

GROUP ONE, Estadio Balaidos, Vigo. (17:15)

ITALY   (0)   0

POLAND   (0)   0

Italy: Zoff; Gentile, Scirea, Collovati, Cabrini; Conti, Marini, Tardelli, Antognoni; Rossi, Graziani

Poland: Mlynarczyk; Zmuda, Janas, Majewski; Jalocha, Matysik, Boniek, Buncol; Lato, Iwan (Kusto), Smolarek

After the surprise of yesterday’s defeat for the holders, this match was a huge anti-climax.  Italian football had been rocked by a bribery scandal which resulted in their star striker, Paolo Rossi being suspended for three years, reduced to two on appeal.  Rossi had only just been allowed to play again, and his lack of match-practice showed as he was awful.  The game was utterly forgettable, and only remembered as it was 40-year old Dino Zoff’s 100^th international.  The only real chance of the game came on 80 minutes when Antognoni’s header was cleared off the line by Lato, and Tardelli drove the rebound against the bar.  There had been concerns the game would not go ahead because of a dispute over who should be paying for additional power circuits required at the refurbished stadium.

GROUP SIX, Estadio Sanchez Pizjuan, Seville. (21:00)

BRAZIL   (0)   2   (Socrates 75, Eder 88)

USSR   (1)   1   (Bal 33)

Brazil: Waldir; Leandro, Oscar, Luizinho, Junior; Socrates, Zico, Falcao, Dirceu (Paulo Isidoro), Eder; Serginho

USSR: Dasaev; Sulakvelidze, Baltacha, Demianenko, Chivadze; Bessonov, Gavrilov (Susloparov), Bal, Daraselia; Shengelia (Andreyev), Blokhin

The entrance of the Brazilians to a World Cup was always something to look forward to, and this tournament had the benefit of seeing them take the stage on the first full day.  They were up against USSR who had put out Wales in qualifying.  Brazil had several good chances, but found Dasaev, another of Europe’s fine young goalkeepers, in good form.  Then Shengelia appeared to be held back by Luizinho in the area, but the referee was having none of it.  In the 33^rd minute, Bal hit a speculative shot from about 30 yards which bounced in front of Valdir Peres, who didn’t get his body behind the ball, through his hands and into the net.  In the second half, Brazil pressed relentlessly for the equaliser. 

Eder went close with several long range efforts, then in the 75^th minute the Soviets struggled to clear a corner and the ball fell to Socrates, about 30 yards out.  He jinked to his right to beat one challenge, then again to beat another, before firing a wonderful shot into the top corner to level things at 1-1.  Zico should’ve won it for Brazil when Serginho’s knock-down found him ahead of the defence, but he stabbed his shot wide.  But the winning goal was one to match Socrates earlier.  With just a couple of minute to go, Junior swept a ball out wide to the right to Paolo Isidoro.  He layed it square where Falcao dummied to allow Eder to flick the ball up and then volley it past Dasaev.  It was a stunning goal and Brazil had worked hard to beat a stubborn Soviet side, but the two goals were worthy of any World Cup.