Ten greatest World Cup matches

BY COEN LAMMERS

The World Cup has produced dozens of classic matches and to trim them down to a mere Top 10 does a great disservice to many great teams and great moments.

Who would forget West Germany's shock win over the great Netherlands team in the 1974 final, Michael Owen's magic goal in England's 1998 thriller against Argentina, Uruguay's surprise World Cup win over Brazil in 1950 or even the infamous Battle of Santiago in 1962, when Chile and Italy fought out the most brutal match in World Cup history? 

Arguments can be made for many matches to be included in this list, but here are 10 famous matches, remembered for the good, the bad or the ugly.

1938: Brazil 6 Poland 5

Even though neither team made the final this match in Strasbourg is still regarded the best match of the early days of the World Cup.

Brazil introduced their superstar Leonidas to the world who scored a hattrick in this match, the last legendary goal without his right boot, which he had lost in the mud of the water-logged pitch.

Spare a thought for poor Ernest Wilimowski who scored four times for Poland but still ended up on the losing side after getting his team back into the game and forcing extra-time by scoring the 4-4. 

Brazil coach Ademar Pimenta was so confident about their semi-final against Italy that he decided to rest Leonidas for the final and paid dearly as Italy went onto to win their second World Cup.

1954: West Germany 3 Hungary 2

The final of the 1954, the Miracle of Berne, has inspired books and movies, after the red-hot favorites from Hungary were beaten by a German team which they had flogged 8-3 earlier in the tournament.

All seemed well for the Magic Magyars who had been unbeaten in 30 matches as they took a 2-0 lead after eight minutes.

West Germany however was back on level terms 10 minutes later and as the heavens opened, a war of attrition developed on the muddy pitch.

Adidas founder Adolph Dassler had provided the Germans with the first ever screw-in studs that gave Helmut Rahn enough grip to fire home the winner with six minutes to go, as the slipping goalkeeper Gyula Groscis struggled to get to the corner.

1966: Portugal 5 North Korea 3

North Korea were the shock team of the 1966 World Cup and after beating Italy, they seemed on track for another massive upset when the Asians took a 3-0 lead against the highly rated Portuguese after only  24 minutes.

Goals scorers  Seung-Zin Pak, Dong-Woon Lee and Seung-Kook Yang are still national heroes in their country and the ultimate test in any football trivia quiz.

The shock stirred Mozambique-born Portugal striker Eusebio into action, and the Benfica star produced four goals in just over half an hour for the biggest comeback in World Cup history.

Jose Augusto completed the Portuguese party with a late fifth goal. Eusebio's nine goals made him topscorer of the tournament but Portugal's run ended in the semifinal against England.

1966: England 4 West Germany 2

This final has become footballing mythology, not only because of the exciting scoreline, but mainly because of ''The Wembley Goal''.
The Geoff Hurst strike bounced from the underside of the bar back into the field and gave England their third and decisive extra-time goal after assistant referee Tofik Bakhramov signalled it had passed the goal-line. Debates continue around the world, but much of the footage indicates the Russian linesman got it wrong. Helmut Haller opened the scoring, but England seemed to have the trophy won thanks to goals by Hurst and Martin Peters until  Wolfgang Weber silenced Wembley with a last minute equaliser.

Then Hurst stepped up to score twice and complete England's finest moment in World Cup history.

1970 Italy 4 West Germany 3

The World Cup in Mexico produced some of the best football ever seen on the planet and assembled some of the finest teams and could have easily made up half of the Top 10 matches of all times.

This semi-final however will forever be remembered for the never-say-die attitude of both teams in the sizzling Mexican heat.

The Germans were still recovering from a pulsating quarter-final against England and when Roberto Boninsegna put Italy in front, the game appeared over, until Karl-Heinz Schnellinger forced extra time with a last-minute strike.

This was the start of an impossible sequence of goals, as Gerd Muller gave the Germans the lead before Tarciscio Brugnich and Gigi Tiva put Italy back in front at 3-2. Franz Beckenbauer, playing with a broken collarbone, marshalled his troops forward and Muller equalised with less than 1-0 minutes to go.

When Gianni Rivera scored Italy's fourth only minutes later, the Germans finally surrendered.

1970: Brazil 4 Italy 1

This match is considered the best final in history and some argue the best footballing demonstrating in world football by a Brazilian side at the peak of their powers.

Pele's last match on the world stage would also be one of his best as he gave his team the  lead with a powerful header. Boninsegna equalised but it only postponed the inevitable as Brazil turned the second half into a footballing clinic.

Gerson blasted from long range, before Jairzinho completed his remarkable record of scoring in every match of the tournament.

The best was saved for last when the Italians could only watch as a sweeping move across the pitch ended with a perfect pass by Pele in the path of captain Carlos Alberto to smash home in the far corner. Brazil took possession of the Jules Rimet trophy after winning their third title.

1982: Italy 3 Brazil 2

Like the 1970 tournament, the 1982 World Cup in Spain produced a series of all-time classics, including the second-round clash between the red-hot favorites Brazil and the eventual winners Italy.

Brazil were waltzing through the tournament, beating the All Whites on the way, and no team seemed to be able to match the grace and class of Socrates, Falcao, Zico and friends, arguably the best side in history  not to win a World Cup.

All appeared well, when Socrates gave them an early lead, but suddenly Italy's Paolo Rossi burst into life with two quick goals, after returning from a long match-fixing ban. Falcao equalised with a long-range screamer which would have been enough to put them in the semi-finals.

Instead of locking up shop Brazil kept looking for the winner and left the backdoor open for Rossi to pinch a winner.

1982: West Germany 3 France 3 (W Germany wins after penalties)

This World Cup classic became the first match to be decided on penalties after the Germans had come back form the dead.

Pierre Littbarski had given West Germany an early lead before Michel Platini equalised from the spot.

The second half featured one of the most brutal fouls in World Cup history when German goalkeeper Harald Schumacher leapt into the advancing Patrick Battiston, shatting his vertebra. As the crowd and referee Charles Corver were sidetracked  by the ball trickling passed the post, Schumacher did not even receive a warning.

France overran the Germans in extra-time and had one foot in the final after Marius Tresor and Alain Giresse had given them a 3-1 lead.

The Germans called upon their incredible resilience and pulled one back through Karl-Heinz Rummenige before a late Klaus Fisher overhead kick forced the shootout. Ironically Schumacher became the hero after saving the penalty of Didier Six.

1986: Argentina 2 England 0

The match will always be remembered for the Hand of God goal by Diego Maradona, who punched the ball past goalkeeper Peter Shilton to give Argentina a 1-0 lead.

Everyone wondered how the shortest man on the pitch could outjump Shilton until the replay unveiled the ugly truth.

Unfortunately, that incident and the Hand of God comments by Maradona completely overshadowed the finest goal ever scored in a World Cup when he dribbled through most of the England team to give Argentina a decisive 2-0 lead.

2006: Italy 1 France 1 (Italy wins on penalties)

This final is also famous for the wrong reasons, a brain-explosion by Zinedine Zidane who was send off after headbutting  Marco Materazzi and virtually ended France's World Cup hopes.

Zidane had given France the lead from the penalty spot only for Materazzi to equalise with a header from a corner. France had become the form team of the tournament after beating highly-rated Spain, Brazil and Portugal and Zidane was on track to become the player of the tournament.

Materazzi's derogatory comment about Zidane's sister however, caused the Algerian-born midfielder to lose his rag and end his campaign in disgrace. France battled on bravely to force extra time and penalties, but Italy proved too clinical from the spot to complete Zidane's misery.

- © Fairfax NZ News