Waddle the hero
In the real world Chris Waddle missed the penalty in the shootout that dashed England's hopes in the semi final of the 1990 world cup. On another day he could have been the man that sent England into the world cup final with a brace of wonderful goals...........................
Italy, 4th July 1990, Stadio delle Alpi, Turin. World Cup Semi final. England v West Germany. England versus the old enemy. England versus one of giants of world football. Backward, isolated, exiled England, whose club sides are still banned from European football, versus the cultured, intelligent, Germanic footballing machine led by the peerless Lothar Matthäus and managed by the idol of German football Franz Beckenbauer. It will be a day of destiny for one man.
Unfancied England have some how forced their way to a world cup semi finial. We topped our group but drew twice and won only once scoring 2 goals, we needed extra time to inch past Belgium in the last 16 and extra time again to squeeze past Cameroon in the quarter finals. West Germany on the other hand topped their group scoring 10 goals. They beat the Netherlands 2-1 in a tetchy last 16 cash that saw Rudi Voller & Frank Rijkaard sent off but eased by Czechoslovakia 1-0 in the quarters.
England continued with the sweeper system that had served them so well in the tournament despite the dislike of the system by the manager Bobby Robson who makes just one change from the side that started against Cameroon: Peter Beardsley in for the injured John Barnes. Des Walker and Mark Wright have been passed fit, although Wright has six stitches above his left eye protected by an outrageous plaster. West Germany make two changes with Thomas Hässler and Olaf Thon coming in for Pierre Littbarski and Uwe Bein. Rudi Völler also returns, having served his one-match suspension for being used as a hankie by Frank Rijkaard; Karl-Heinz Riedle drops to the bench. The teams line up as follows
England (5-3-2): Peter Shilton; Paul Parker, Terry Butcher, Mark Wright, Des Walker, Stuart Pearce; Chris Waddle, Paul Gascoigne, David Platt; Gary Lineker, Peter Beardsley.
West Germany (3-5-2): Bodo Illgner; Guido Buchwald, Klaus Augenthaler, Jürgen Kohler; Thomas Berthold, Thomas Hässler, Lothar Matthäus, Olaf Thon, Andreas Brehme; Jürgen Klinsmann, Rudi Völler.
England start fast and force a couple of corners which the usually solid German defence seems to be struggling to cope with. Surely the occasion cant have got to the Germans? 5 minutes gone and England fashion the first chance. Lineker lays of the ball for Gascoigne who slides past Augenthaler on the edge of the box before firing a smart left-footed shot which is well blocked by Kohler. West Germany haven't had a sniff. Lineker movement and link up play is smart and is confusing the Germans, Gazza is buzzing about midfield forcing the key German playmaker Matthäus out of his comfort zone while Walker and Wright are tight on Voller and Klinsmann giving them no time and space. It is going well. The first half hour is all England and sure enough the breakthrough comes on 34 minutes in the most incredible style:
The ball broke loose off Augenthaler in midfield 45 yard form goal. Waddle, seeing the keeper of his line, lofted it first time towards goal and Illgner, caught flat footed, can only watch as the ball dips over him, under the bar and into the net. The England players go mad and mob Waddle while the West Germans surround the referee insisting that seconds before the goal Platt fouled a West German player but the man in black is unmoved. The goal stands. England lead 1-0.
The West Germans need to impose themselves on the game but must do so without Rudi Völler who limped off after 39 minutes to be replaced by Karl-Heinz Riedle. It nearly half time now and England are hanging as wave after wave of relentless West German possession breaks over them. We MUST hang on. We must. Backs to the walls. They shall not pass. But we cant hang on to half time. On 41 minutes West Germany win a free-kick 25 yards out, left of centre, and while everyone is expecting a shot Brehme instead lays it square to Augenthaler. He cuts across a very good, swooshing right-footed strike and Shilton cant get across quickly enough to keep it out. He gets hands to it but it isnt enough. 1-1 now. You cant give the Germans a sniff. They sense blood now.
Half time comes and goes and the Germans are on top. England have blown this. Matthäus starts to take charge. It is all West Germany now. England cant get out, cant get the ball and aren't making any threats. It is over. it is only a matter of time now. West Germany are really turning the screw and on the 59th minute the goal that had been coming for some time arrives:
Pearce fouled Hässler 22 yards from goal, to the right of centre. The free-kick was touched off to Brehme, whose shot took a vicious deflection off Parker before looping high in the air and agonizingly over the stranded Shilton, who couldn’t back-pedal quickly enough and ended up helping it into the net as he fell backwards. 2- 1 West Germany.
That's it. You cant beat the Germans once you give them a chance. We have tried and failed again. But then something happens. England don't give up or give in. Gascoigne, bursts into life and seems single handedly determined to get England back in the game. he floats on a set piece that Pearce narrowly heads wide. On 69 minutes Waddle is chopped down in the area by Augenthaler after a ball from Gascoigne. PENALTY! No says referee José Roberto Wright who waves play on. The game is swinigng slowly toward sEngland now but they need to find a goal and quickly. 81 gone now and England have left it late:
Parker swings over a long cross towards Lineker from near the halfway line on the right. It hit the thigh of Kohler, who was running towards his own goal, and as it bounced up Lineker kneed it away from Augenthaler and Berthold before cracking an excellent left-footed shot across goal and into the far corner. 2-2 WHAT. A. GAME.
Both sides are happy now to run the clock down and play for extra time so the remaining 9 minutes pass without incident. Extra time kicks off with England now playing their third consecutive extra time period. It is the first for West Germany and it shows. They take control. They want this done. 95th minute Shilton saves well from a towering Klinsmann header. Should he have scored? 96th minute Klinsman, 12 yards out, unmarked, fires wide a great chance. Should he have scored? 99th minute Gazza is booked and si out of the final. Booked after a dive and roll from a cheating West German. It almost half time now and England are under the cosh. But whats this? 105th minute. Cometh the hour, cometh the man:
When Steven’s cross from the left was partially cleared, the same man leapt above Berthold to head it back towards the area. It came to Waddle, 12 yards out on the left side of the box, and he smacked a brilliant first-time shot across Illgner and into the bottom corner of the net. England 3 - West Germany 2! For a moment the tiredness is forgotten as the England players mob Waddle. There are tears of joy now from Gascoigne so pleased for his team yet so sad he will miss the final if England can hold out. But as the half time whistle blows it dawns on them the there are 15 minutes left to go and they must hang on.
The West Germans are really angry now. They pour forward. Against the run of play England have a goal disallowed. Waddle swung in a free kick and Platt flicked a smart header past Illgner but he had been flagged offside a split-second earlier. damn. Germany come again. 114 minutes Shilton saves smartly from a Thon curler form the edge of the box. England are tired. He had far to much space there. 115th minute Karl-Heinz Riedle fires just over. 5 left. Come on England. Hang on please! 117th minute Walker tackles Klinsman just as he is about to break free of the last man and pull the trigger. Phew. 188 minutes. Buchwald hits the post! Germany were so close to saving the match there. Riedle broke forward from the halfway line and played the ball to the right of the box for Matthäus, who came inside and had his left-footed shot blocked by Pearce. It broke to Buchwald – the centre-back – who controlled it calmly 20 yards from goal and then placed a lovely curler to the left of Shilton that bounced up on to the outside of the post. England are hanging on by their finger nails but there are only seconds left.
120 minutes: Full time. England 3 - West Germany 2!
England will pay Argentina in the final of Italia 90. Revenge for the hand of god beckons. England fired into the world cup final by former sausage factory worker. 24 years of hurt gone in one fantastic night in Turin.