Your World Cup Favourites

[bobzy]

On 08/06/2018 at 16:53, bobzy said:

I always look forward to World Cups but I find it hard to recall specific moments.  Germany 7-1 Brazil last time round was surreal - particularly those first 20 or so minutes where the Germans just blew Brazil away.  Stunning.

However, one game that I have always remembered, for whatever reason, is Mexico 1-2 Argentina (aet) from Germany 2006.  The Argentines were pretty heavy favourites (and potentially World Cup favourites at the time?) but Mexico were superb and contributed to a brilliant, open game that was completely end to end.  And of all the goals to seal victory?  Just wow.

 

16 hours ago, villa4europe said:

for whatever reason that video reminded me of a really good game between mexico and argentina in 06, close game both teams played really well, extra time screamer from maxi rodriguez (one for the players i forgot about thread) won it

 

!!

[VILLAMARV]

Second on my list of favourite tournaments is France '98. It was brilliant. But what was Beckham doing? Proper Ronaldo was amazing right up until the final and the whole team sheet/seizure thing. Blanc suspended for the Final in his home nation from that Bilic dive (a travesty really even though it was Blanc). Hoddle being a knob not picking Gazza and leaving Beckham out the early games (The loss to Romania soon changed that!). Batistuta and Shearer trade penalties inside 10 mins. Owen's goal! Zanetti's equalizer, Sol Campbell's disallowed goal, Ince and Batty miss the penalties and it's all so horribly predictable an ending to one of the most memorable of England games. Great France team with Henry at the top of his game. Good Dutch team with Bergkamp pulling the strings - that goal against Argentina is gorgeous. Blanco of Mexico jumping out of the corner with the ball between his feet is the endearing memory for me. Mexico were a joy to watch that tournament. A great World Cup with a really weird ending. What should be remembered as France's greatest triumph is always going to be remembered as the Ronaldo Final for non footballing reasons. Brazil didn't show up that day. Easily my second favourite World Cup though.

Nigeria (and West's green hair) do for Spain in the groups. France as hosts stumble through needing an extra time opener from Blanc against Paraguay and penalties after a 0-0 draw with Italy in the quarters. Argentina, having done for us in an English classic lose to Bergkamp's sublime winner in the Quarters. Mexico make friends as the comeback kings. after being 1-0 down to South Korea they win 3-1 and then their other group games come back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 against first Belgium and then Holland. Before they take the lead against Germany only to get dumped out by Klinsmann and Beirhoff goals in the last 15 mins. The Croatian team from that time was a real beauty. Bilic, Stimac, Prosinecki, Boban, Stanic, Simic and all them along with tournament top scorer Davor Suker. Finishing 3rd in their 1st appearance they saw off Germany and took the lead against France in the Semi only to lose out to two second half Lilian Thuram goals - and then the Bilic dive that robbed Blanc the chance of leading his country out in the final. Dealt with it better than Gazza you might say! Rivaldo being mint before everyone had reason to dislike him. Jamaica, Japan and South Africa join Croatia in making their first appearances at the finals. First time we saw electronic subs boards held up, first time we had golden goals and the first time you could make 3 substitutions. Sounds a bit like the birth of the modern era that we know today! Pierre-Luigi Collina makes his World Cup debut that year, possibly the only referee I can honestly say I ever respected. Remember when Norway beat Brazil and dump Scotland out? (Although the 3-0 loss to Morocco had a lot to do with it!) Nigeria and Paraguay Dump Spain and Bulgaria out against all the seedings, Nigeria then crumble against Denmark, Paraguay losing out to France who walked their group and then had really nervy games up until the final.

On the goals front, Michael Owen v Argentina, Bergkamp v Argentina two of the best goals at any world cup and Ilie's finish (ROM) v Colombia is ridiculously good, Oliseh breaking the net for Nigeria against Spain, Njanka (CAM) v Austria, Scholes v Tunisia, Beckham's FK v Colombia, Zenden's swervy long range hit against Croatia, Hadji (yeah that one) v Norway and Scholes's hit against Tunisia all great goals. Anderton's against Colombia wasn't too shabby either.

Mid twenties, running a pub with a big screen, England had a chance (lol), Lots of good memories.

 

[A'Villan]

These Brazilian players are still my all time favourites and who I look to for inspiration when playing futsal.

I loved watching Zidane and France.

2014 Columbia was the standout for me, obviously James Rodriguez. How he didn't win the golden ball, or even place in the top 3, is beyond me.

My total disillusion with Germany annihilating Brazil in what I thought was setup to be a brilliant final.

[villa4europe]

 

 

[VILLAMARV]

Thought I'd revive this thread today and finish off my 4 favourite tournaments. Safe to say, in future years, we'll remember this tournament too. Whatever the outcome of today's match. It's been great so far.

But, rather obviously, considering what has gone before in this thread the one that's missing is Italia '90. And that is still, for me, the best World Cup I can remember.

On 13/06/2018 at 12:16, Tegis said:

Flip that around for the 1990 WC as well. Unless you are German, English or Italian it's regarded as the WC that forced the change of the backpass rule (and sweden were dire of course)

Could bring these points out as they are always the things to knock it with as a tournament but I'm with Dr P on this one.

On 08/06/2018 at 13:07, Dr_Pangloss said:

Another random musing is that Italia 90 often gets slated for being dull, lowest goals/game ratio and of course that awful final but it probably stands out for the tournament with the highest quality of goals, some absolutely amazing goals in that tournament and shed load of freekicks. That Yugoslavia team was exceptional.

That Yugoslavia team were brilliant! (Stojkovic  ). The W.German team that beat them 4-1 was brilliant!! Lothar Matheus was on the telly the other day sat next to Wes Brown I noticed?!? For any younger viewers that's like, well, I don't know what it's like, but Wes Brown could maybe clean his boots - if he's lucky. Matheus was/is one of the best players I have ever seen. And he ruled this tournament. We kinda remember Klinsmann going all Steve Silk Hurley on us (Jack, jack, jack, jack, jack your body!!) and the roughhousing of Caniggia by the Cameroonians. It was an undoubtedly dirty tournament (most red cards ever at the time - first red in a final) and it conjures up memories of the Italian league hatchet men kicking lumps out of, and effectively ruining, Maradona over the previous/subsequent years which gave us this more cynical tournament. Klinsmann took diving to a whole new level in this tournament. Maradona was a marked man. Like DR.P says it has the lowest goals to games ratio of any World Cup ever. And like Tegis said it was the last World Cup before the changes to the backpass rule. It was also the last World Cup to use 2 points for a win in the groups. The final was a shocker and won by a penalty (Was it the first?).

It was the first time any team had failed to score a goal in the final. A trend that has mostly continued sadly.

And yet it was amazing. The 2 best World cup songs in Nessum Dorma from a TV perspective and World in Motion from an FA commercial perspective. My favourite mascot of them all. Ciao.

Those goals Dr. P is on about aswell. David Platt's winner vs Belgium!!!!! Enzo Scifo v Uruguay, Caniggia v Brazil, Josic v Colombia, Stojkovic v Spain, Michel v Korea, De Wolf v Korea, Baggio v Czechoslovakia all great goals.

Mexico were kicked out of qualifying leaving the door open for Costa Rica who reached their first tournament (and looked the whipping boys in a tough group with Brazil, Sweden and Scotland.....) and the USA who appeared for the first time in 40 years. Egypt their 2nd appearance after 1934! and the U.A.E made their only ever showing having qualified along with S.Korea from Asia. Cameroon made up the 6 qualifiers from those 3 federations in the days of a 24 team tournament. Costa Rica's showing and Cameroon making the QF's started the case for expanding the tournament and making it all much less Eurocentric. Egypt were pretty unlucky to lose out in the tightest group I can ever remember anywhere ever. And that was what this tournament was all about. It was a tight, nervy affair for most of the time and it played out live, on our TV screens like a massive soap opera.

It was the birth of live sport as we know it - ITV's 'The Match', live games on a Sunday? it will never catch on! Not in the land of 'Granstand', 'Sportsnight' and 'World of Sports'!!! It was the last World Cup before The Premier League breakaway and SKYTV dominance. With plucky hard-done-by in '86 England and golden boot winner Gary Lineker in the middle of it all. We were drawn against the Dutch - and not just any Dutch team - Gullit, Van Basten, Rijkaard the 'AC Milan 3' back then and they had dumped us out of the Euro's 2 years earlier. We were drawn against Egypt and needed a Mark Wright header late, late on to see them off IIRC. Then there was the small matter of this other team who had made it to their first ever tournament, with which there were no political tensions at the time And with their being drawn against each other, the first time Villa had more than one player at the WC they all 3 ended up in the same group (although Platt did not play the first game and we would have to wait a few years before 2 teammates would line up for different countries). But we all wanted McGrath to do well and they too had to face this amazing Dutch team to go through.

It ended up being so tight a group that Lineker shat himself (literally on the pitch). In the days of only 8 teams missing out on the round of 16 groups were more about jostling for position and opponents in the next round. No one wanted to face the Germans. The Italians were doing well with Schillachi having an amazing tournament from nowhere. Brazil, Italy, W.Germany and Spain won their groups without losing as did England in the end. The Dutch and the Irish also went through unbeaten. elsewhere there were tight groups and shocks galore. Cameroon beating Argentina, Maradona and all, on the opening day was unbelievable and set the TV coverage into a frenzy they topped their group aswell despite a 4-0 loss to the USSR. Costa Rica saw off Scotland and Sweden which nobody saw coming.

Argentina got (and saw off) Brazil after a lovely move involving Maradona and Caniggia, Spain fell to Yugoslavia after extra time in a game of real quality. To set up what looked like (and wasn't!) a great QF. The Czech's accounted for Costa Rica to set up a match with the winner between the Dutch and the Germans. The Holland v Germany game was great - if only to ever be remembered for the flob-in-the-perm moments between Rijkaard and Voller - The Ireland v Romania game the stuff of legend over the Irish Sea - Italy saw off Uruguay. The Cameroonians needed extra time and Roger Milla to see off Colombia and fly the African banner into the QF's. England's game against Belgium, the Platt goal was just the most perfect end and just THE best moment of any World Cup for me. Our lad and he's only gone and done it!!!

Cameroon in the Quarters and the most squeeky bumedness result I can remember England managing in a game we surely had to win.......only just and because Lineker could draw the foul lets not deny it Germany got past the Czechs to set up the semi-finals perfectly albeit with another penalty tucked away by Matheus. The awe inspiring Maradona/Stoijkovic match up started the most mundane march to a final ever by Argentina as they squeezed through on pens against Yugoslavia and Italy scoring 2 goals in the whole knockout stages. Italy having seen off Ireland in another close affair 1-0 at least it was from open play. There were 7 goals in 4 games and 4 of them were penalties. 5 of those goals in the Cameroon v England match which was the last of the round. But we had breathed a bit of magic, tension and drama into another round and Gazza was really shining brighter than most of the fancied midfield stars. All 3 Villa players in the QF's and Platt kept scoring

And then the start of the penalty nightmares. Pearce and Waddle, two players who deserve to remembered for a lot more after an absolute humdinger of a match against the W.Germans. For the Italians too - 4 years before Baggio would miss THAT penalty - as both Semi's finished 1-1aet. Lineker took it to extra time and we really should have won it in extra time (much like 1996) only to come up short in the shoot out. Gazza's tears will be how he was remembered but he had a truly great tournament. WE had a great tournament. WE brought the smiles and the drama, the late, late goals. Such a shame we never got to meet Italy in the final which I always thought would have been about right. The 3rd/4th place match was a drab affair. The final was even worse.

It is easily the best tournament I can remember.

[ferguson1]

On 10/06/2018 at 14:25, ferguson1 said:

Yep, definitely better watching football during my younger years.  I’m 43 now and that excitement just isn’t there as it was.  

For me:  1990, 1986 and 1998.   

Moments:  Platty v Belgium, anything Maradona did during Mexico 86, anything Gazza was involved in during Italia 90 and that Owen goal v Argentina at France 98. 

I said the above a while back, but I have to admit, this World Cup has been a belter!  Only a handful of games have been dull and most have been pretty damn good.    

If we do bring the gold trophy home at the end of all this, I hope it tours the whole of the country for the next four years so we can all have the opportunity to touch it/have a pic next to it.    

[Zatman]

Cracking tournament and probably as conditions are perfect. Lot more interesting games than duds

[Xela]

Been a fantastic World Cup 

[Xela]

Great post @VILLAMARV - Italia 90 was a belter!

[mjmooney]

1966. 'nuff said. 

[VILLAMARV]

56 minutes ago, Xela said:

Great post @VILLAMARV - Italia 90 was a belter!

Knew you'd like it. Someone shat themselves

[One For The Road]

@VILLAMARV Thanls for that post. Really enjoyed those memories of a fantastic World Cup. It was my first one being old enough to watch it and it just seemed so magical.

I remember coming home from school just as the Argentina v Cameroon game was starting. I was totally hooked after that game and really loved the whole tournament.

[VillaChris]

France 98 was better.

[Zatman]

While it is rightly well received in Ireland and England (it probably saved football in England and started what Premier League is today) the 1990 World Cup is not highly regarded elsewhere

FIFA took a knife to rule book after the tournament and cut down on diving (), timewasting, roughhouse tactics and also introduced the removal of the back pass as the games were so bad

[VILLAMARV]

Other thoughts about the 1990 WC I was thinking I didn't really mention enough Roger Milla. He brought a whole load of smiles along with his 4 goals. Michel was great for Spain. Thomas Skuhravy finished with 5 goals for Czechoslovakia (feels really wrong typing that one for some reason!) 1 behind golden boot winner Schillaci. Matthaus did shine but I got spelling his name wrong!

In a team full of great players Robert Prosinecki picked up the young player award for Yugoslavia. Goycochea - the Argentine keeper - just kept saving penalty's all the way to the final. And was undoubtedly their hero that tournament. Maradona didn't score a goal and yet between them and Caniggia somehow dragged them kicking and screaming into the final.

There were no own goals in the tournament apparently.

Look at this all-star team. Look at it!!

What a midfield. That defense is awesome, just awesome. 2 left backs? lol. it really wouldn't matter

                                            Sergio Goycochea

                    Franco Baresi - Paolo Maldini - Andreas Brehme

Diego Maradona - Lothar Matthäus - Dragan Stojković - Paul Gascoigne

               Salvatore Schillaci - Roger Milla - Jürgen Klinsmann

Up front though, the inclusion of Klinsmann always annoyed me even back then. A bit like if Neymar got in this time really. The tackle in the final deserved a red but the jack-knife off the floor? Worst final ever! Diving MF. Pancev, Skuhravy, Lineker, Caniggia all had better tournaments for me than Klinsmann who, like Maradona and everyone else, was kicked all over the place for sure. But I guess they wanted at least 3 players from the team that actually won it! lol. But then I suppose that shows how tight it was. No real stand out team. The other two had amazing tournaments and like Goycochea deserved it for their moments in the spotlight.

That W.German kit though. I do like that kit. And the 'lightening bolt' style Yugoslav kit.

[chrisp65]

Long term, how Zaire dealt with that free kick will always live with me.

 

This world cup, my fave moment was probably this Saturday evening when my missus asked me what happens now France and Belgium are playing against each other, as she has both in the office sweepstake.

[Zatman]

That was one of footballs great Ifs. That was a crazy Yugoslavia generation 

[VILLAMARV]

2 hours ago, Zatman said:

That was one of footballs great Ifs. That was a crazy Yugoslavia generation 

Especially when you factor in that their replacements at Euro '92 went any won the damn thing.

Crazy times. It was all set up for them to take the European scene by storm at club level. International level. Everything really wan't it?

*sigh* "War, what is it good for?"

[Dr_Pangloss]

7 hours ago, Zatman said:

While it is rightly well received in Ireland and England (it probably saved football in England and started what Premier League is today) the 1990 World Cup is not highly regarded elsewhere

FIFA took a knife to rule book after the tournament and cut down on diving (), timewasting, roughhouse tactics and also introduced the removal of the back pass as the games were so bad

It gets a rough ride IMO, most people look at the low goals to games ratio but the goals were of exceptionally high standard, pound for pound probably the best collection of goals at any world cup. Another thing that goes against it is the awful final but there were some terrific group stage and knockout matches.

Edited July 9, 2018 by Dr_Pangloss

[Xela]

5 hours ago, Zatman said:

That was one of footballs great Ifs. That was a crazy Yugoslavia generation 

Insane collection of footballers. Even just separating out the Red Star players, it was crazy - Jugovic, Prosinecki, Savicevic, Mihajlovic, Stojkovic, Pancev, etc

The ill fated Russian team of 94 could have been great until the infamous 'letter of 14' incident.