Alternate WC : Continental Cups are Qualifiers (1962-?). A Football TL

[Wings]

Voting will close after the semi-finals are posted. Anyhow, here are the Quarter Finals :
The first game pitted group A winners England versus the East German side. Yet again, controversy struck the World Cup, with a West German referee being placed to ref the game. However, the English side managed to score two goals without any assistance. With East Germany lowering the 2-0 lead to a 2-1 at the 15th minute, everything was ready for a great game. However, the English side soon played ultra-defensive, locking the East German side out of the box for another 75 minutes, winning the game and advancing to the semi-finals.

The second quarter-final pitted european cup winners Spain versus last south american hope Argentina. Argentina managed to play a style of football that disoriented the Spanish squad. With Amancio and Marcelino shut down by the argentine defence, it was up to veteran Gento to step up, however the spanish striker didn't have the talent or speed of his youth and couldn't save Spain from a defeat to the hands of the Argentinians.

The third quarter-final was the most unevenly matched. Hungarian basically walked over the Mexican defence who conceded four goals.

Finally, the last quarter-final was highly anticipated, with a Swedish squad that no one knew what to expect of, and the USSR led by their star goalkeeper Lev Yashin. The Swedish side surprised the Soviets by their resilience and their capacity to produce dangerous counter-attacks. Lev Yashin had to outdo himself to keep the Swedes from scoring more than one goal, while the Soviet strikers did their job and scored enough to pass through.

 

[Wings]

The Semi-Finals kick off in Liverpool where Hungary and the Soviet Union face off 10 years after the Hungarian Revolution. The Soviets push the Hungarians to their limits and get an easy bye to the final. After loosing in 1962, this time the Soviets look on to make the final for the first time ever.

The second semi-final pits up home favorites England versus a troubled Argentine squad. With two goals from star player Bobby Charlton, the English were too strong for the Argentine squad, who had several interal dissentions and a weak communication overall. The English never really got tested and could have won 4 or 6-1 if not for their inability to strike home and an Antonio Roma in top form.

 

[Wings]

Hungary wipe Mexico in the quarter-finals

The Soviet attack against the Swedish defense fails to be effective

The English defence stays strong versus incessant East German attacks towards the end of the first Quarter-Final

Hurst celebrates as he sets up Charlton for a second goal versus Argentina

English fans celebrate as they head towards the final in Wembley

USSR players enter the field against Hungary

Soviet strikers face off against a strong Hungarian defence

 

[Wings]

The finals week-end kicks off with the third place match between Argentina and Hungary. Playing a similar playstyle to England in the semi-finals, Hungary beat the Argentine squad to take a convincing win and the third place for the 1966 World Cup.

But the main attraction was of course the grand final, opposing England to the Soviet Union. England has a nation behind them, as well as one of the best midfield-striker coordination in the Cup, while the Soviets have one of the best defenses as well as the best goalkeeper of the tournament. However, it was'nt England that stroke first in the final against the Soviets, but Malofeyev for the USSR. With a strong Lev Yashin in goal, the Soviets held on to keep a 1-0 advantage at half-time. England was hungry to get a goalin, but exposed itself to a counter-attack at the 62nd minute which Malofeyev exploited to send the USSR to a 2-0 lead. However the English squad didn't put their guard down? Hurst burst through the Soviet defense to reduce the score to 2-1. Ever pushing, the English side made Wembley erupt in cheers two minutes to the end as Charlton strikes it home following a corner kick. Even better, England got a last minute penalty to drive it home. However, Yashin honored his legacy by saving it, destroying the English side. Broke, the English were only a shadow of themselves in the second half, letting Malofeyev take a double and bringing it to 3-2. Chislenko made it 4-2 five minutes later, as the Soviet Union won their first - and only - world cup of their history

 

[Wings]

The Hungarian squad looks on as Farkas' goal is confirmed by the referee

Ferenc Bene looks to congratulate his teammates after their win against Argentina

English fans before the game

Soviet players keep cool before the final. The USSR were not playing in their traditional red as England claimed home soil and wore their very own red kit

Hurst looks to level off the game at 2-1

Yashin saves Charlton's last minute penalty

Chislenko hammers in the USSR's third

Soviet substitutes celebrate as the final whistle blows

The Soviets hoist the trophy over Wembley Stadium in deafening silence

After the WC victory, Yashin was elevated to the level of national hero in the USSR, and was decorated by premier Khruschev himself.

Millions celebrate the victory in Moscow

 

[Wings]

Best Goalscorers :
1. Malofeyev (SOV) - 5 goals
2. Meszöly (HUN) & Charlton (ENG) - 4 goals
3. Hunt (ENG), Marcelino (SPA), Amancio (SPA), Alcocer (BOL), Nöldner (GDR), Hamrin (SWE), Bene (HUN), Porkuyan (SOV), Hurst (ENG) & Chislenko (SOV) - 3 goals

Best Attacks :
1. England - 14 goals
2. USSR - 13 goals
3. Hungary - 12 goals

Best Defenses :
1. Hungary, Israel, Ireland, Spain & Denmark - 4 goals conceded
2. Brazil, Bolivia & East Germany - 5 goals conceded
3. Argentina, USSR & England - 6 goals conceded

Worst Attacks :
1. Ireland & Paraguay - 0 goals
2. Mexico & Brazil - 2 goals
3. Israel, France, Luxembourg & Bolivia - 3 goals

Worst Defenses :
1. Paraguay - 9 goals conceded
2. Luxembourg, Mexico, Sweden & France - 7 goals conceded

 

[Wings]

USSR (titleholders) and Australia (hosts) are qualified automatically
Via Euro 1968 :
Italy (1st)
Yugoslavia (2nd)
England (3rd)
Bulgaria (QF)
Hungary (QF)
Spain (QF)
France (QF)
Scotland (Top QL - beat Belgium in European Playoff)

Via Copa América 1967 :
Uruguay (1st)
Argentina (2nd)
Chile (3rd)

Via Gold Cup 1969 :
Costa Rica (1st)

Via Asian Cup 1968 :
Iran (1st)

Via African Cup 1970 :
Sudan (1st)

 

[Wings]

Sorry for the delay, here comes WC 1970 !
And we start with Group A, where Australia inherit an incredibly weak group consisting of World finalists England, American champions Costa Rica and a weak Bulgarian side. The first game pitted hosts Australia versus 1966 finalists England, and resulted in a clear English victory.

The second game pitted Costa Rica against Bulgaria, and shocked most as the Costa Rican squad maintained a draw till the final whistle.

The English continued to roll over the opposition, slamming the Bulgarian squad and rolling to a new 3-1 victory, albeit with a shaky first half.

Hosts Australia faced Costa Rica in a decisive confrontation and managed to pull off a win, pretty much kicking out the costaricans out of the tourney and taking a first option on the quarterfinals. Only Bulgaria stands in the way of the host nation.

England finished off their group stage campaign with another win, featuring many substitutes, and make their way towards the quarter-finals basically untested.

In the decisive game, Australia looked bad against Bulgaria, having conceded two goals. However, a dangerous tackle by Zhechev led to him being sent off the pitch by Mr.Correzza and left Australia with a deficit of a single goal to breach. With reinvigorated spirits, the Australians pushed the Bulgarians over the edge to secure their first ever quarter-finals.

 

[Wings]

Group B was much more competitive, consisting of Euro finalists Yugoslavia, accompanied by south american power Chile, asian champions Iran and refreshed France. Yugoslavia was of course heavily favoured to top the group, but no one could know for sure who could take second.
The first game pitted Chile against Iran, and surprisingly, the Chileans had a hard time piercing the Iranian defense, only scoring one goal against the Persians.

The second game had European finalists Yugoslavia play a French squad that swapped 5 coaches in less than 4 years. Specialists expected a landslide like one that happened two years prior at Belgrade, but this time France only conceded two goals to the yugoslavian squad.

The next game had Chile and Yugoslavia play against each other. Again Yugoslavia were predicted to win by a landslide, and again did they win by only a slim margin.

France also struggled against Iran but thanks to their effective strikers, knocked out Iran from the tournament.

France and Chile faced each other in what would be known as "the most soporific game of the World Cup", with neither team coming with real chances. France surpassed Chile with a goal by ASSE striker Revelli to go through to the quarters, with little merit.

In Melbourne the real big game happened. Yet again Yugoslavia was favoured to win by a landslide, and yet again after scoring early they slowed the game down. However, Iran fought back, scoring two goals before the end of the first half. With no options left, Yugoslavia attacked but couldn't stop Iran from coming back every time, resulting in an incredible 5-5 draw, with an epic moment where Yugoslavia finally took the advantage, and Iranese striker Behzadi scoring directly from the center circle after a pass by his teammate.

 

[Wings]

Group C was considered the group of death, considering all three squads present could go through to the quarters. It was composed of three european teams : Spain, Italy and Scotland, as well as south american side Uruguay.
The first game pitted European champions Italy against a decaying Spanish side. Both teams looked strong and in the end none of them could find a decisive strike to win them the game, ending it in a tie.

Same result for Uruguay vs Scotland, none of the teams could find a decisive advantage, once again resulting in a tie.

This time there would be no tie, led by an envigorated Denis Law, Scotland pulled off an impressive victory against Spain, completely at a loss during the entire game.

Italy and Uruguay however both drew again, in a game much like OTL

Uruguay would push through and tie for the third time in a row, becoming the first team to be knocked out of a World Cup while having conceded no losses.

With a final victory in Brisbane against Scotland, Italy took the first seed out of Group C. Scotland, who showed an impressive football against the Squadra Azzura, manage to cling on to their second seed and also qualify.

* Scotland advance on goal average

 

[Wings]

The last group of this WC comprised of favourites the Soviet Union, the south american squad of Argentina, the first timers Sudan and a shaky Hungarian side. Anyways, the pressure was on the titleholders the Soviets to perform.
The first game was between Argentina and Hungary, both favourites to get second place, it seemed as the group would be therefore decided on the first day. However, this was in no way a fair fight, as Hungary quickly took control of the game and never let it go, getting their first win of the tournament. However, the Hungarians had a hard time turning control into goals, and only succeeded in doing so very late into the game, resulting in a relatively low scoreline

While bookmakers predicted a crushing Soviet victory, the Soviet squad had a lot of trouble in breaking open the Sudanese defense, and showed weakness at nearly every level of play, opening the group once more to a possible upset.

Argentina on the other hand had no problem at all sweeping the Sudanese squad.

Hungary continued on their good push, beating the USSR in what can only be described as an upset. The titleholders looked helpless as the Hungarians overran their defenses. It did not help that most of the team was inexperienced and therefore not present during the 1966 victory. The Hungarians therefore wrecked havoc and ended up cleaning house and officially qualifying. The USSR would have to beat Argentina in any case to advance.

On June 10th, 1970, the USSR made history. They became the first titleholders to be eliminated during the first round of a World Cup. Completely at a loss, the Soviets could not prevent Argentina's duo of Bernao and Artime to shred through their defence. Artime went on to score his second hat-trick of the tournament, sending him to the top of the goal-scorer standings.

The last result wasn't a shocker for anyone. Hungary confirmed their place at the top of Group D by destroying Sudan 10-0.

 

[Wings]

Group A : English players power through the Bulgarian defense during their second game of Group Stage

Group A : Australian players continue to pressure Bulgaria even when having taken the lead 3-2. Their style of play seduced audiences all around the world, as they continued the tradition of host teams getting past the first round

Group B : Dzajic opens the score against France in Melbourne.

Group B : Two iranian players look on as Kalani heads the ball into the Yugoslavian net, making it 3-4 in one of the most epic games in World Cup history

Group C : Domenghini opens the score against Spain

Group C : Scottish fans celebrating after their 3-0 victory against Spain in Group C

Group D: Soviet players look distraught after Hungary's Farkas gets pulled down close to goal. The Hungarian striker would then score the penalty, making it 4-2 for Hungary.

Group D : Argentina's Artime is brought down by a Soviet defender in both teams' last game of the group. The Argentine striker scored three goals in the quarter-final which saw a world cup titleholder get eliminated in the first round for the first time ever.

 

[Wings]

The Quarter-Finals kick off in East Melbourne with England versus France ! Not much resistance was opposed by the French upon the English side, who took an easy victory and made their way to the semi-finals.

The second semi-final wasn't much of a contest either, with Italy having a much better showing than during the group stages, easily beating Argentina 2-0.

Hosts Australia were up against a strong Yugoslavian squad in Melbourne's Olympic Park. Even with a quick goal from Dzajic, things didn't go quite as planned in the following minutes for Yugoslavia. McColl equalized as Australia kept moving the ball forward. However, the Australia squad kept leaving big holes in their defense, giving an edge that the Yugoslavians wouldn't lose. The Australian fighting spirit however, would inspire many throughout the world, as they became the first oceanian nation to make it to the quarter finals.

The last semi-final saw Scotland face off against Hungary. The Hungarians however could not keep their status as first seed, and dropped against the Scottish after a gruelling battle lasting 120 minutes.

 

[Wings]

The first Semi-Final opposed England and Italy, the two European powerhouses. Italy got off to a good start, putting early pressure and concluding their dominance by a goal from Boninsegna. Riva quickly escalated this dominance via a second goal. England did bite back however, after a corner kick finds Peters who slides it back to 2-1 before half-time. The second half was English-dominated but the Three Lions couldn't force anything decisive. They had to wait for the 78th minute for Moore to pass the ball to Lee who fires it into Albertosi's left corner, equalising. Italy couldn't counter this come-back and took it to extra time. Extra time went back and forth but at the 98th minute, Hurst managed to push into the Italian defense and score a liberating goal. From the on, England hung on to their 1 goal advantage to force themselves to their second final in a row.

The second final was that of the underdog Scotland, facing against the Yugoslavian giant in Melbourne. This would be later be known as "The Miracle" or "Melbourne Madness Match". As expected, the Yugoslavian squad quickly soared above the Scottish side, gaining a 4-0 advantage at half-time. The Scottish side looked completely aghast, as the Yugoslavian already saw the Final heading for them. This was made worse with Spreco scoring the 5-0 goal at the 62nd minute. The Yugoslav coach then decided to replace Dzajic to preserve him for the final, replacing him with Musemic, playing for the first time. Scottish coach Danny McLennan, asked by the Scottish FA to coach the Scottish squad after Euro 1968, decided to change his tactics, going back to a 3-5-2 he knew most of his players were most familiar with, playing around Denis Law, and a very young Celtic forward, playing his third world cup game, Kenny Dalgish. These two actions would prove decisive in turning the game around. Bremner first scored from a free-kick soon after the change, while Law made it 5-2 soon after. The tide had changed, Denis Law played the game of his career, getting a pass down to Spurs striker Gilzean who pushed it into the net. 5-3. The Yugoslavs panicked, another foul gave Johnstone the opportunity to head it in after Bremner kicked it into the pack. 5-4. The Yugoslav coach was screaming from the bench, there would be only defence from then on, and it worked, for a time. However Musemic wanted to prove that he deserved to be in the final as much as Dzajic did and broke off formation, trying his luck against Scottish keeper Bobby Clark in the final instants of the game, thinking even if he missed, the game would be over, the rest is history :
Here is Musemic, he is going to strike, is it in ? No, Clark saved it ! The Scots still have a couple seconds ! Law has the ball, he gets past Milosevic ! He has a good run, pass to Johnstone, really good ball here, Dalgish, can he do it ? Oh my goodness ! It's in ! Dalgish scores his first goal for Scotland and equalizes ! I must be dreaming, Scotland are going to extra time at the last second !
With Dalgish's equalizer, Scotland compeltely annihilated the Yugoslav spirits. In extra time, right before the first half, a corner kicked by the young prodigy ends up having a good curve :
Dalgish will take the corner kick it seems, takes it, oh its right onto McNeill, he scores ! Scotland have the lead after one hundred and two minutes !
In the second half, Law danced around the extinguished Yugoslavian defenders to put the final nails in the coffin :
Law, keeps the ball, he's going through this defense like it is butter ! Passes to Johnstone... oh this might be it ! Yes it's in !
[...]
Law has the ball once again, dribbles through, good job by Law still....he's gone through, he's a madman, someone must stop him... oh my goodness ! Law scores ! This is unbelievable !
Scotland managed to dig itself back from a 5-0 deficit to a win to secure a final at the World Cup against eternal rivals England. While people remember this game as "The Game of the Century", the 1970 final could have challenged that title.

 

[Wings]

English players form up an attack against France

Italy's Mazzola dribbles through the Argentinian defense

Australia cannot stop Yugoslavia from hitting yet another goal

Denis Law before his daring pass to Johnstone, at the 31st minute versus Hungary

Disillusioned Italian players after Peters levels it down to 2-1 against England

Hurst scores the winning goal in extra time

Dalglish celebrates his last minute equalizer against Yugoslavia

Scottish supporters celebrate in Melbourne. No less than 10,000 Scottish fans made the long journey to Australia to see their national team reach the final during the MMM

 

[Wings]

The finals week-end kick off with the 3rd place decider between Italy and Yugoslavia. The remake of the 1968 Euro wasn't much of a contest however, as the Italians easily picked up the victory, sidelining Yugoslavia to a 4th place in the 1970 tournament

The final that everyone expected approached. The rivalry match to end them all. England were of course favourites to win it, but Scotland had proven that they could come back at exhilarating speed, and could quickly overturn a game in their favor. The game kicked off in the Australian sun. Quickly, England started dominating, but the Scots made it hard for them to get close to the goal. In the end, it's England that got surprised by the young Scottish striker Daglish, who takes a shot from 25 meters, too fast and high for Banks. 1-0 Scotland. England tried reacting, but the Scottish defense held strong. The only remarkable feat being Hurst getting off a shot on target, stopped by the Scottish goalie. The second half was much more fast paced however. England came with renewed energy. At the 58th minute, Moore passes to Hurst who shoots on target once again, and once again it is stopped by the Scottish goalkeeper. However, he can only push the ball out, into the feet of Peters, who equalizes. With this new advantage, England kept pushing, and after a corner kick, Cooper headed in the second goal for England. Scotland couldn't react immediately, but thanks to an individual exploit by Law, they managed to equalize again. By the 85th minute, both teams were tied at 2-2. Then came what would be known as "the most influential minutes in football history". Scotland's Law gets the ball at the midfield :
Law has the ball, good work by him, he's left Charlton clueless. Passes to Johnstone, he's got a good run. Here comes the cross ! Oh Daglish has netted it in ! Scotland have a goal !
However, referee Rudi Glöckner rules the goal as invalid, due to an offside position by the Scottish striker (proven to be false by later technology). While the Scottish players were contesting the ref's decision however, England wasted no time...
English Commentary :
Well the Scottish players are protesting but the referee has blown the whistle and Banks can play the ball right now. Newton, Mullery, long ball to Hurst...he's alone ! Takes the shot...oh I think it's in !It must be ! Yes, Mr.Glöckner has validated the goal ! England are going to be world champions !
Scottish Commentary :
Well there must be a mistake ! There's about six or seven players protesting right now...but what's that, England have played the ball !There's five English for two Scots ! Hurst has it...no he missed ! It hit the bar and Clark saved it. Wait I must be dreaming ! Mr.Glöckner has validated the goal ! What the hell just happened here ? England are going to steal away this World Cup !
A few seconds later, the final whistle rang. However, there were no cries out in celebration. The Scottish fans and the Australian fans were outraged and stormed the pitch. The referee Rudi Glöckner was escorted out by Australian police while the World Cup closing ceremony had to be postponed for several hours. It would be late evening when Bobby Moore finally held the World Cup trophy in triumph, over a mere thousand English fans. It would be revaled several years later that although Hurst's goal was indeed valid, Daglish was never offside, and that Scotland's goal at the 88th minute was perfectly valid.
This created unrest in Scotland, who degenerated in a wave of anti-English attacks. This propelled political and activist wings to take action. With the Falls Curfew in Northern Ireland having happened a mere 10 days earlier, the Scottish began to nearly take up arms against the English. This would be known as the Scottish Unrest and would last about a month and lead to the deaths of more than 1,000 people and the Scottish independence referendum of 1974. It also made a mark in Anglo-Scottish confrontations forever.

Spoiler

 

[Wings]

Italian and Yugoslavian players clash

Italian keeper Albertosi stays strong against the Yugoslav constant attacks

Dalglish opens up the score in Melbourne

Peters sounds the revolt cry for England

Law equalizes, bringing the score to 2-2

Initial Scottish joy after Dalglish seemingly scores the winning goal

Hurst answers back at the 90th minute with his highly controversial goal

Scottish and Australian fans storm the pitch after the final whistle.

Scottish fans in London riot at Trafalgar Square the next morning

Bobby Moore lifts the trophy over an English newspaper modified photograph. The background was actually dark as most people had left the stadium by then

UK national guards sent to keep peace in Edinburgh and Glasgow. This would backfire horribly as the Scots took it as an English occupation of the country.

A still of the 1981 movie "The Game of their lives". The movie tells the story of the game and the troubles succeeding it. Michael Caine portrays Bobby Moore, who after winning the cup finds himself under constant watch from Lt.John Cordell (Sylvester Stallone) at his old club of West Ham. It also stars Sean Connery as Scottish coach Danny McLellan, Billy Connolly as Denis Law and Alec Guinness as English PM Edward Heath

 

[Wings]

Top Goalscorers :
1. Hurst (ENG) - 7 goals
2. Dzajic (YUG) & Artime (ARG) - 6 goals
3. Farkas (HUN) & Law (SCO) - 5 goals

Best Attacks :
1. England - 21 goals
2. Yugoslavia - 18 goals
3. Scotland & Hungary - 17 goals

Best Defenses :
1. Chile - 2 goals conceded
2. Italy & Uruguay - 4 goals conceded
3. France, England, Hungary & Argentina - 5 goals conceded

Worst Attacks :
1. Sudan & Chile - 1 goal
2. Costa Rica - 2 goals
3. Spain & France - 3 goals

Worst Defenses :
1. Yugoslavia & Sudan - 18 goals conceded
2. Scotland & Australia - 11 goals conceded
3. Costa Rica - 10 goals conceded

 

[Wings]

England (titleholders) & the Netherlands (hosts) are qualified automatically

Via Euro 1972 :
West Germany (1st)
USSR (2nd)
Belgium (3rd)
Hungary (4th)
Romania (QF)
Italy (QF)
Yugoslavia (QF)

Via Copa America 1973 :
Brazil (1st)
Uruguay (2nd)
Argentina (3rd)
Chile (4th - Beat Tahiti in Intercontinental Playoff)

Via Gold Cup 1973 :
Haiti (1st)

Via African Cup 1974 :
Zaire (1st)

Via Oceanian Cup 1973 :
New Zealand (1st - Beat Iran in Intercontinental Playoff)

 

[Wings]

This new World Cup headed towards the Netherlands, who hosted the event for the first time. The Dutch were of course seeded into Group A, with an easy group consisting of Romania, Chile and New Zealand.
The opening game was then the Netherlands versus Chile, at Amsterdam's Olympisch Stadion. The Dutch put up a great show against the Chileans, playing them like a fiddle and showing to the world the power of "total football".

The other game was between Romania and New Zealand. Romania was expected to win, and they did, but they only did so by one single goal.

Meanwhile, the Netherlands brushed aside the weak New Zealand squad, by six goals. There would be no miracle for the New Zealand squad this time around

The Romanians on the other hand barely beat Chile, but also secured a spot in the Quarter-Finals. The race is now on for first place.

Once again no miracle for New Zealand, but this time they do score their only goal of the tournament, while Chile

The Netherlands never let off steam and again easily disposed of the Romanians, but this time conceded a goal for the first time this tournament. They easily took first place in Group A.