All right.... here is mine... For Korea Japan WC 2002
Brazil 3 x 2 Germany
I think if Brazil is to win, they will need to score early and at least twice... Given their history, the Germans never give up and no doubt they will try to tie if they are behind... and it would be probable that they would... so Brazil will need a third against this very respectable opponent. btw, Brazil is perfectly capable of putting 3 goals past Kahn, but they will need to play... more than well.
btw... Germany (W.Germany) has won the cup three times, (Switzerlnd 54, Germany 74, and Italy 90, and being finalist another 3 times (England 66, Spain 82, and Mexico 86)
Brazil has been champion 4 times (Sweden 58, Chile 62, Mexico 70 and USA 94) and being finalist another 2 times (Brazil 50, France 98)
The above makes these two teams by far the most succesful in the history of the WC, who have never met in a single game in the WC. Now they meet at last... in the final, no less !
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This after the following analysis:
1930 Estadio Centenario, Montevideo
Uruguay 4 x 2 Argentina
In a heart-stopping game going back and forth Argentina scored a goal in a disputed off-side to take the lead 2 x 1 Uruguay tied and moved ahead 3 x 2 finally securing the 4th goal by Castro, a player who had lost one arm in an accident, in the last minute of the Game
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1934 Stadio PNF, Roma
Italy 2 x 1 Czechoslovakia OT (1 x 1)
This game should have seen Czechoslovakia as world champions... their lead, taken on the 70th minute was equalized 10 minutes later ... on over time the Italians had more stamina and scored the winning goal 5 minutes into OT.
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1938 Stade Colombes Paris
Italy 4 x 2 Hungary
It was the beginning of an incredibly powerful Hungarian team... who everyone favored to win... yet the Italians out-powered the Hungarians and clearly defeated them.
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1950 Maracaná Stadium, Rio de Janeiro
Brazil 1 x 2 Uruguay
OUCH Brazil loses at home! On a stadium that the "official" capacity was at the time 150,000 people... the final count was just shy of 200,000 (talk about sardines).
This was the first cup after the war... The way the tournament was structured was such that goals scored during the tournament counted in the final... and all Brazil needed to do was to TIE the match and they would be champions. The firs half ended 0 x 0. Two minutes into the second half, Brazil scored... things were looking up and (technically) Brazil was ahead really by 2 goals, as they would win the championship with the tie. So... Flavio Costa the coach, gave instructions for Jair, a forward, to move to the defense... somehow these instructions were never given and Brazil continued to attack... Uruguay never gave up and tied the game... Evidently, Brazil became very nervous and although still attacking... they made mistakes and with 11 minutes from the end, Uruguay scored again and went ahead 2 x 1 spoiling the cup for yet another of his neighbors. Maracaná was in tears, yet the Brazilian crowd, always in carnival mode in a world cup, applauded the victors in a standing ovation as they paraded the Jules Rimet around the giant stadium.
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1954 Wankdorf Stadion, Bern
West Germany 3 x 2 Hungary
The powerful Hungarian team was the favorites. They went ahead by 2 x 0, they had not lost a game since 1950 (30 games)... in the group of this cup, Hungary had defeated the Germans by an 8 x 3 margin...AND in the dying minutes of the game had a goal disallowed by the ref for off-side
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1958 Råsunda Stadion, Solna (nr. Stockholm)
Sweden 2 x 5 Brazil
The birth of Pelé. Brazil had been playing better and better soccer as the tournament progressed; Djalma Santos, Nilton Santos and Didí were the only survivors of the 1954 cup. 4 minutes into the game, Sweden scored, in a muddy pitch after 24 hours of continuous rain. This was the first time that Brazil was behind in a game... Many thought they would crumble. Brazil thought otherwise.
Five minutes later, Garrincha on the wing crossed to Vavá and scored... a few minutes later, both players did the exact same and scored again... Zagallo and Pelé (2) scored again and Brazil began their conquest of the Jules Rimet.
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1962 Estadio Nacional, Santiago
Brazil 3 x 1 Czechoslovakia
The Czechs scored first, 2 minutes later Amarildo scored with that magic goal that some still wondered how he did it... Zito and Vavá finished off the score and put Brazil on par with Italy and Uruguay as 2 times winner of the cup.
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1966 Wembley Stadium, London
England 4 x 2 W. Germany
Everyone in the world of soccer knows about the "goal that never was" and it has been described here before... To the credit of the English team, they played an incredible game and after being down 0 x 1 they played very well and went ahead 2 x 1... Only for the --never say die-- Germans tied the game in an incredible goal in the last minute of regular time. On overtime, Geoff Hurst scored the non-goal... the ball hit the crossbar and bounced, hit the ground and away from the goal... pandemonium broke out and the referee after consulting with the linesman, ruled it a goal. Back then the OT was played in its full length (which I agree, as I HATE the "golden goal"). Obviously the Germans were disheartened.... but to the England team's credit, they scored a 4th goal just to clear any doubts.
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1970 Estadio Azteca, Mexico City
Brazil 4 x Italy 1
The Jules Rimet Cup was coming to its end... Either Italy or Brazil would keep it, as the winner of the cup for the third time, would get to keep it.
The Italians were exhausted after playing 120 minutes of the greatest game of soccer against Germany... and they lasted only 45 minutes, which they managed to tie Brazil, after Pelé scored first. In the second half the Italians were erased and Brazil became the permanent owner of the Jules Rimet.
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1974 Olympiastadium, München
W. Germany 2 x 1 Holland
Again... Germany wins coming from behind (a penalty within the first minute of the game to put Holland ahead 0 x 1)
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1978 Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires.
Argentina 3 x 1 Holland
Kind of a Mickey Mouse second round eliminations... Brazil tied with Argentina in their group; however, Argentina went to the final since it had a better goal differential. Brazil never lost a game... but tied a lot and finished second also in the initial group by one point. Argentina lost to Italy 1 x 0 and went on in second place in the first group to Italy, but then Italy perished in the second group to Holland.
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1982 Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
Italy 3 x 1 West Germany
Italy probably played its best WC ever... They defeated both Brazil and Argentina (the second round system was never used again in the WC --a second "grouping” as opposed to knock out games)
The game was very physical and only the brilliance of Paolo Rossi broke through the defense... after a while, the second goal came and for practical purposes the game was over as Germany run out of gas after defeating France in the semifinals in OT and penalties...
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1986 Estadio Azteca, Mexico City
Argentina 3 x 2 W. Germany
Once again... Germany, losing 2 x 0 comes back and ties... only Maradona's brilliance in a pass to Burruchaga allowed the Argentineans to go ahead and win 3 x 2 with 6 minutes left in the game.
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1990 Stadio Olimpico, Roma
W. Germany 1 x 0 Argentina
Sweet revenge at the third try... Argentina btw put the Italians out on the semifinals via penalties. Argentina, having reached the finals via penalties... they were looking for the same... in a sort of poetic justice, the Germans, on a questionable call, were awarded a penalty, Germany scored and with that single goal, became champions for the third time. Towards the end of the game the Argentineans went berserk and got two red cards...
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1994 Rose Bowl Stadium, Los Angeles
Brazil 3 x 2 Italy (0 x 0)
First final to be decided by penalty shots Baresi, Massaro, and Baggio all missed their shots.
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1998 Stade de France, Saint-Denis
France 3 x 0 Brazil
A humiliating defeat for a ghost team from Brazil... Zinedine Zidane put 2 goals past Taffarel in the first half, Brazil never even scored... |
