The Miracle of Bern

July 3rd 1954, Spiez, Switzerland

Sepp Herberger looked out of his window that overlooked the lake Thun. It was long past nightfall and he looked at the night sky, there wasn't a cloud in sight and Herberger's brow furrowed. Was there really a point in hoping ?

 On his table lay telegrams from Germany, there were close to a hundred. And the first one read, "Mr. Herberger, if the coach of the national team doesn't know what to offer to sports fans in a situation like this, then he should buy himself a noose and hang himself from the next tree, but do so in such a way that the rope can be reused" with the others reading along similar lines. Those were the ones that he received in the beginning. He had received more positive ones later, congratulating him on his performance thereafter. But in his job he had no time for praises, he'd much rather have the criticism. Had they been right ? He'd never doubted his own ability but every goal that the Hungarians scored was etched in his memory, all eight of them.

  He'd made a gamble when he fielded seven of the reserves players when Germany played Hungary in their group game. It was a calculated risk, one that the media and the rest of the world were not aware of, but things would pan out later but not just then. What unfolded then was absolute masterclass by the Hungarians. There was so much talk and hype surrounding the Hungarians, 1952 Olympic champions and first team to beat England at home, and they lived up to it, and how.

  In the aftermath of the Second World War, Germany was held largely responsible and as a consequence were banned from taking part in the 1950 FIFA World Cup. So under the watchful eyes of Sepp Herberger they began the process of re-establishing football in the country. It was around this time, that the news of the Hungary team began to spread. "Magical Magyars" was one of the names earned as they went around Europe undefeated destroying teams on their way. Despite winning the 1952 Olympic games, their finest hour came in 1953 at Wembley against England. England, as usual, thought themselves to be the best team when it came to playing at home and were pretty confident despite Hungary's impressive record in Europe. What happened next came as a wake up call to the whole world of Hungary's domineering presence, as they effortlessly dispatched England 6-3. The Golden team of Hungary were here and ready to challenge the world. By the time the World Cup came, they were unbeaten in 27 games spread over 4 years.

 So, as Hungary lined up with the star studded team consisting of Puskas, Kocsis, Czibor and Hidegkuti the crowd were stunned to see seven reserve players among the German ranks, Germany they said were going without a fight. And whatever plan Herberger had was not to be seen as Hungary destroyed the German team 8-3. People called for his head, they said he had gone to far. But as a fully rested German team beat the wearied Turkey team 7-2 in the playoffs for the knockout, a little faith had been restored.

 And as Herberger watched from the dugouts, his team grew from strength to strength in the subsequent matches beating Yugoslavia and Austria by comfortable margins. And as the final lay next, people began to hope, only to realise fate had pitted them against the Hungarians for the second time.


And here, on the eve of the Finals he assessed his options. The standout player for Germany had been their captain, Fritz Walter. And it had become common knowledge in Germany that Fritz Walter played best under the rain (dubbed "Fritz Walter weather"). That coupled with the fact that Hungary had struggled to play their passing game against Uruguay in the semi-final made Herberger look out into the night sky. If he needed to put a slightest doubt into Hungary winning the World Cup, he needed all the help that he could find. On a tactical standpoint, Hungary had let in 3 goals the last time the teams met, one of the few positives from the game. Because of the second string team fielded by Germany, the Hungarians were likely to underestimate them this time around. But the key to unlocking the Hunarians, according to him, lay not in goalscorers Puskas and Kocsis but in playmaker Hidegkoti. As long as Hidegkoti could be suppressed, so could Hungary. There is always hope in football  was the last thought that went through Herberger's head as he fell asleep.

 As he awoke in the morning, Herberger rushed to his window to see if the night had bought any clouds, but the late summer sun of July was as bright as ever. He needed to make his team believe in themselves rather than in natural miracles. As afternoon came, the sense of expectancy in the camp became apparent. Tactics were explained and Horst Eckel, having played already Hungary, was picked to mark Hidegkuti. And as the team were getting on to the bus to leave for the stadium, the first drops of rain fell. The bus filled with relief and then with hope, maybe all was not lost.

  In the stadium, Herberger got down on his knees and felt the wet turf. He could afford a smile, nature was on their side. Hungary were led by Puskas, who had been injured enough not to participate in the previous two games, but had recovered in time for the finals. And with 62,000 fans in the stadium, the game got underway. But withing eight minutes Germany were two goals down. The first came with a deflected shot falling to Puskas to finish. Two minutes later a bad backpass led to goalkeeper Turek spilling the ball into the path of Czibor to double the advantage. The game looked to be heading to a similar routing as the last meeting, and the favorites were to be crowned world champions . But this time, Germany were prepared, as Hingary's passing game faltered on the wet turf, Germany got a break soon after with Max Morlock sliding in to finish Helmut Rahn's deflected shot. This seemed to instill new confidence in them, and after a brief spell of pressure leading to a series of corners, Rahn was there at the far post to convert a deep one. Only twenty minutes on the clock and the score to the shock of most people, read 2-2.

  As expected thereafter, Hungary dominated, and it needed resilient defending  from the Germans to ensure that they didn't concede again. And as half time came, there were contrasting expression on the players. The Hungarians seemed disappointed at not being able to capitalise on their possession while the Germans seemed relieved at the same. As the German players headed back into the dressing room, Herberger realised that weighing their mind with further tactical nuances would lead to confusion, and putting his faith in his players, all he said was, "Go out there and win it". What lay ahead, was probably the longest 45 minutes they would experience. The Hungarians gave it all they had, and time and again German defence and goalkeeper Toni Turek coming to their rescue, with Hidegkuti coming closest by striking his header off the bar. And as time ticked, Hungary began to attack with desperation leading to gaps in their defence. In the 86th minute, a badly headed clearance fell to Rahn at the edge of the box. He feinted a shoot with his right, moved the ball into the box and struck the ball with his left into the bottom corner, beyond the outstretched hand of the keeper. Germany were within touching distance of the World Cup now. More drama was to follow, with the linesman flagging Puskas's equaliser offside, and soon after Turek diving brilliantly to deny  an almost certain goal. As the final whistle blew, the Golden Team had finally been beaten, and their era to an end.

  When Fritz Walter received the trophy from Jules Rimet, he heralded a new era for Germany. Not just for football, but for the country as a whole that was still recovering from the ravages of the war. When Sepp Herberger fielded those seven reserve players against Hungary, he set in motion something so deep that no one could have ever envisioned it. And thus was born one of the greatest miracles, "The Miracle Of Bern".



Note:   I have interleaved facts within a story of my making. All the data and facts about the match are true. And you could have a look at this move, The Miracle of Bern(2003). The Hungarians were voted as the best team of the World Cup, with Puskas picking up the best player award. Unfortunately the Hungarian revolution of 1956 ended the golden period in Hungarian football, with Puskas opting to play for Spain thereafter.

 

Is it Messi's time ?

It was business as usual as Messi finished off his two goals in typical "Messi" fashion and wrote himself into the history books by breaking Gerd Muller's record of most goals in a calendar year, a record few of us knew existed till it became imminent that the diminutive Argentine was on the verge of breaking it.

Messi after winning his third Ballon d'Or

   As Messi was stretchered off in the week against Benfica, there were doubts as to whether he would travel to Betis, let alone break Muller's record. But like so many times before, he's proved his doubters wrong. His comparisons to the yesteryear greats have been on for a long time, with Maradona comparing Messi to himself. That brings us to the question, is Messi the best player of this generation ? Few can argue against it, but those who do place their doubts in his national performances. Why then has a man who's been so massive at the club failed to replicate for his country ?

  To call Barcelona a one man team would be madness, but if there is one player who can produce a moment of magic to single-handedly turn a game around, it has to be him. Time and again he's proved it, not just for Barcelona but at times for Argentina. He thrives in the system that the Catalans pride in playing, and has the invaluable support of Iniesta and Xavi. But the Argentine team are no pushovers, with an attack featuring Aguero, Di Maria, Tevez and Lavezzi  performance at the highest level has eluded them. Managers of the national team, especially Maradona, have fashioned to build the team around Messi. And on two occasions, the 2010 World Cup and the 2011 Copa America, tit has failed. But with the coming of Sabella, this Argentine team looks different, giving Messi more of a free role similar to the one he plays at Barcelona has brought not only results, but the best out of him for the national team.

  We maybe a year and a half away from it, but the World Cup at Brazil might be Messi's moment under the spotlight. On a continent where European teams have failed to make an impact, it might just be the opportunity that Messi needs to put all the doubts at rest. But happen what may in that tournament, one thing remains certain. He is someone that can light up the pitch with his magic and to have lived and watched him play consistently week after week is something our generation can pride in. And for me, the trait of his that asserts him as the greatest player of our generation, is humility.

Beauty, a thing of the past ?

   Well now that the all the hullabaloo around the euro has died out, meaning people have stopped pledging how they were Spain supporters all along, i came across certain headlines question whether this Spanish side was the best to have graced the national form of the game. I didn't give it much of a thought until Pele responded to it saying he thought his side of the 1970 world cup ranked better, but only just. From experience we've learned not to give Pele's opinions/predictions too much of a thought (see here), but then again he is probably the greatest player to have ever played the beautiful game, so i decided to actually find out what it was that made them to be rated as one of the best sides, not just by him but by a considerable number of other people.

  My first task was to find these matches, because i believe in watching a whole match rather than highlights or stats to decide on how a team fared. I looked up and the found that the highest rated teams in world cup history were the Brazilian squads of 1970 and 1982 and the Dutch squad of 1974, but since i started this search based on the Brazilian sides, i'll restrict myself to them. While searching for the matches i wondered if there were others who shared my enthusiasm for things of the past when it came to football, because spending large amounts of money for this didn't appeal to me. And i did find them, some harder than the others, all the way back to the footage from the 1938 World Cup finals. For a person who's always loved history this was joy unbounded, but how was i to choose among these games ? I did eventually plan to have all of them, but for now a few select games would suffice. There again the internet came to my rescue and both, the Brazil vs Italy 1970 and another involving the same teams in 1982 featured in multiple "Greatest World Cup Games" lists, and there was the answer. These games i found with much ease and despite one of them being in Spanish could hardly find myself being disappointed.

  I started with the final of the 1970 World Cup where the Brazilian team led by Carlos Alberto boasted of the likes of Pele, Jairzinho, Gerson and Rivelino faced an Italian side led by Facchetti and had in their ranks Gianni Rivera (then European Footballer of the year) , Luigi Riva, Sandro Mazzola and even had Dino Zoff on the bench. It was by no means a mismatch of teams, the Italians had in the defence what the Brazilians offered up front. But then coach Ferruccio Valcareggi decided to leave out Gianni Rivera from the starting lineup because he believed the Rivera could not play together with Sandro Mazzola. And despite Rivera being a hero for his national team in the semi final against Germany could only find himself a place on the bench. The Italians had Mario Bertini mark Pele to stop him from exerting any influence on the game, and thus began on the wet turf of Azteca stadium what by many is considered the best game in World Cup history.
   Italians relied on a strong defence and a quick counter to penetrate a shaky opposition defence while the Brazilians were more than happy to sit back and wait for the opening to come. Both teams started brightly with Bertini keeping a strong hold on Pele allowing Gerson the freedom to orchestrate the game, also Rivelino failed to find his footing on many an occasion and that famed left foot of his rarely troubled the keeper. But the goal eventually came in the 18th minute from a throw to Rivelino who under pressure crossed into the box to be met wonderfully by Pele into the bottom corner. The Italians who until now had relied on defence realised they needed a goal quick and found it eventually in the 37th minute through Roberto Boninsegna after a defensively lapse had put him through on goal. The Italians went into the break strongly believing they could keep the Brazilians at bay for the next forty five minutes, but what came next produced possibly the best half of football played by Brazil. The Italians held firm for the first 20 minutes with Mazzola showing why he was so highly rated with some dazzling footwork, but then the Brazilians took over, first with Gerson scoring a powerful long range effort with his left foot from outside the box. With the Italians looking to find a second goal Brazil struck again, with a long freekick by Gerson towards Pele who headed the ball towards Jairzinho to walk into the net. There seemed little italy could do at this stage to claw back into the game and Brazil's third by their captain Carlos Alberto is possibly the greatest goal scored in the World Cup. I won't do injustice to it by attempting to describe it, instead here is the description from wikipedia,

 A total of 8 outfield players from Brazil passed the ball until Captain Carlos Alberto hammered the ball into the corner of the Italian goal following an inch perfect pass across the Italian 18 yard box from Pelé, prompted by the intelligent Tostão, who, with his back to the goal, told Pelé that Alberto was steaming in on the right flank. Tostão started the move 5 yards from the left of the Brazilian 18 yard box, then ran the length of the field to the Italian box without touching the ball again to tell Pelé to lay it off for Alberto. The players involved in the passes in order were Tostão, Brito, Clodoaldo, Pelé, Gérson, defender Clodoaldo beat 4 Italian players in his own half before passing to Rivelino who hit a perfect pass down the wing to Jairzinho. Jairzinho crossed from the wing to the centre of the box to Pelé who held the ball up to play a pass for Alberto to smash it home.

  And if you still don't get the picture, there's a video of the goal. A brilliant Brazilian performance indeed but little Italy did to hinder them during the game and the Brazilians at time played at walking pace. Was this really one of the greatest game of the World Cup ? Was this the best team ever ?
For the second question i would need to watch more games of this team as a single game doesn't tell the story of a team. They certainly didn't lack the talent to be one, but on that day not all of them got to their best but as a team they still performed.


   And with that done, i moved on to my next game, the final game of the 1982 second round group stages. Both teams having seen of Diego Maradona's Argentina in the previous game, knew that a win would take them through, but a draw would suffice for Brazil owing to their better goal difference. Brazil were by far the favourites having won all of their group games and were playing free flowing football while Italy in their groups could only manage three draws. Brazil were now led by Sócrates and their talents included Falcao, Zico, Junior and Eder. Italy were captained by goalkeeper Dino Zoff who was an unused substitute at the 1970s final and had Paolo Rossi, Tardelli and Gentile in their team. What proceeded in the Estadi de Sarrià (then espanyol's stadium) was a match between perhaps the most tactically and technically gifted Italian side and the most free flowing Brazilian football. I will not proceed to describe each goal but the game had what Italy lacked in the 1970 final, a striker, and not just any striker but a gifted one at that. He made that World Cup truly his. If the 82 World Cup were to be remembered for anything, then it would be for the Brazilian squad and for Paolo Rossi. The Italians relied on man marking, but instead of relying solely on defence they pushed up enough and often left the Brazilian defence open. In terms of flair, there was no comparison as Socrates and his men put on display what is called Joga Bonito, beautiful football. For every goal but the last that Italy scored, the Brazilians seemed to have an answer, but in the end the tactical genius of the Italian team prevailed and when through 3-2 winners on the day. The reason i didn't describe the goals being, this game despite having the same number of goals as the other thrilled in another sense, a sense which people who can appreciate a game without goals can understand, football at it's best. Maybe it was because there were such contrasting football cultures on the pitch, each rich in it's own way, and each with the singular goal of winning the game. And over these 90 minutes in my opinion, probably the greatest World Cup Game was played. My opinion may differ after I've seen more, but i doubt there will be enough to see that will change much about my opinion of this game.

     Which brings me back to my question of which team was the greatest to have ever played the national form of the game. With the evolving game and similarity in play of different countries nowadays it's difficult to say how a team today would have fared back then or the other way round for that matter, but i can say that the Brazilian team of 1970 man to man were a better side in comparison to the current Spanish side.

The first and hopefully not the last !

  Well i'll be frank, i've always been intrigued by various people's blogs and have wondered what it would be to have one of my own and hence this experimental page. And then i wondered what i could possibly blog about, as by no stretch of imagination a knowledgeable or worldly wise guy and the only think i can talk about with some confidence (wrong i may be) is football. And till i know enough about anything else i've decided to keep content with writing about football, maybe a little about books might occasionally pop up provided i manage to keep up my enthusiasm about blogs. ( Excuse my skepticism).  

 Well i think a bit of introduction can do no harm. After coming to face with reality that i could never make it as a professional footballer ( one can always dream ! ) i've decided to give academics a shot and am now a college going student. Being a history aficionado i'll go ahead and bore you a little with it. My interest with football started because of a few friends who were staunch David Beckham fans. Those were the days when he made news for football reasons (well almost ! ) and when Posh Spice was still associated with the spice girls. I was intrigued by the sport and it's popularity and for the time being Beckham became an idol of sorts, i aspired to be like him and played the same position (right midfield) as him and attempted to find the net with freekicks. And i decided to find out more about the team he played for, Manchester United. And believe me when i tell you that the team today doesn't compare anywhere to the team back then, a team that oozed class and boasted of players of the likes of Stam, Yorke, Cole, Schmeichel, Irwin, Sheringham and a still young(relatively)  manager in Alex Ferguson, and i've remained a fan since. And like everything else on this blog, i'll be honest, i've found it hard to find a national team to support. As you would expect it started of as england but i always had a soft spot for italy because it had my favourite player (till date) in Alessandro Del Piero and so it was England and then Italy for me. And this continued for a while (2002 -06)  till i realised that the English team was becoming absolutely terrible and i decided to jump ships ( Can you blame me ? ). I fancied the czech team for the euro'08 but that's when i met the team that impressed me the most despite being knocked out in the quarterfinals, the Dutch ! And i have remained their supporter since despite still having my secondary team as italy (i have completely given up on England).  And no matter what their results maybe in recent times i've decided to stick by them. I follow the English league, but also make sure i know enough of the italian, spanish and german leagues and i've decided to resort to this blog to give my opinions on football after people have told me that i flood their facebook "news feed" with my footballing opinions. ( Sounds a bit disjointed doesn't it ? My attempt at being funny rarely works out ! )
  

That's me with in the centre with the dutch jersey with my five a
side team (we're not half bad)

     Oh i forgot to mention, my playing position has now covered strike, midfield, goalkeeping and now after much thought have decided the best place for me is at the heart of the defence. I've not lived long enough to talk enough about the history of football but my opinions will be based on the videos, what i've read and what i've heard from various people. The post was written in a bit of haste, and i certainly hope do better in the future ones. Please feel free to leave any comments or suggestions.