Silver Road and Golden Stripes, Yet Another Football TL

[Wings]

Winners: Portugal - 2nd Title
Top Scorer: Eusebio (POR) - 6 goals

1967-68 Participants:
Europe: England (13), West Germany (13), Italy (12), Hungary (13), USSR (10), Czechoslovakia (10), Portugal (3), Bulgaria (2), Spain (13), East Germany (2), Scotland (13)
South America: Brazil (13), Argentina (13), Uruguay (13)
North America: Mexico (7)
Asia: North Korea (7)

Final Location: Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Bracket Order:
Argentina v Uruguay
Brazil v Mexico
Italy v Bulgaria
Hungary v Spain
England v East Germany
USSR v Portugal
West Germany v Scotland
Czechoslovakia v North Korea

 

[Wings]

The Nations League starts once again in the Autumn of 1967 in South America. The Argentina-Uruguay confrontation would prove to be a first in the history of the competition, with both teams matching each other at home, Argentina beating Uruguay 3-1 while the Celeste would win on the same exact scoreline a week later. The game went into extra time, and Argentina managed to pull off a goal, becoming the first ever nation to qualify after extra time. They would go on to face Brazil who easily disposed of Mexico in their own Round of 16 match.
For Italy, the tides finally seemed to have turned as the reinvigorated team struck down Bulgaria twice, convincingly. However their first real test would come as soon as the Quarter-Finals, as they would have to face off against Spain, their dreaded rival. They wouldn't be the only ones facing against an old rival, as the English easily beat East Germany, to find themselves against Portugal, who once more eliminated the Soviet Union.
The closest confrontation of this first round was definetly West Germany v Scotland. The Germans started off strong in their home leg in Hamburg scoring three goals before half-time. However, Scotland would not go down, and led by their veteran Law, would go on to score two before the end of the game. The return leg in Hampden would prove to be very contested, but it wouldn't be enough for Scotland who couldn't score the last final goal to go to extra time after answering Germany's goals twice. Germany would go on to face Czechoslovakia in the Quarter-Finals, who easily beat North Korea.

Soviet players in action against Portugal

 

[Wings]

Brazil were throught to finally show a good visage, and looked to make the final once again. A good performance in Buenos Aires got them on the right track, however the return leg would prove to shock South America. Indeed Brazil came in confident, but Argentina knocked them down early on, scoring two goals in twenty minutes. From then on the Albiceeste held, qualifying for the Semi-Finals.
In Europe, both Italy and England would finally topple their rivals. After ten years, Italy finally found a squad capable of advancing to the Semi-Finals, beating Spain, who looked nothing like the European champions of 1964. England on the other hand would be able to beat Portugal in Wembley thanks to two goals from Hurst. The portuguese would be unable to even it out in Lisbon, and would have to leave the tournament. The last ticket for the Semi-Finals would go to Czechoslovakia, who took advantage of a still dwindling german squad to advance.

England in action against Portugal in Wembley

 

[Wings]

Argentina would kick off the Semi-Finals at home, but despite their upset win over Brazil, didn't showcase that much on the field. The same thing would happen against Italy. Despite an early goal from the Albiceleste, Domenghini managed to equalize right before half-time. Argentina would control the pace of the game, but no goals were scored until the 87th minute when Argentina's Tarabini managed to salvage a victory. The argentinian joy wouldn't last long however, as a week later a single goal by Lodetti would be enough to eliminate Argentina in Milan. England on the other hand had no such problems to try and hold onto their lead during the return leg. Ineed, the Three Lions absolutely smashed Czechoslovakia at home at Anfield. With a four goal advantage over the Czechs, it was easy to hold a 0-0 draw in Prague and make their way to the final versus Italy.

Italy's Domenghini equalizes against Argentina

 

[Wings]

The final between Italy and England would be quite a match. Indeed, the Italians played at home in the Olimpico of Rome, while England were expected to put up a good fight before the Euro a month later. The English would start off slow, leaving goalkeeper Banks having to come up big to save both a shot by Riva at the 15th minute and a corner kick deflected by Castano ten minutes later. However, the Squadra Azzura would suffer its own hits, with Zoff needing to pull off a save on Charlton at the 30th minute. The Three Lions would strike first blood though. A long pass from Moore finds Kidd, who then turns the ball towards Hurst who manages to send the ball into the back of the Italian net, silencing the Stadio Olimpico. Italy wouldn't stand idle, Riva would find the post before half-time, and Juliano would finally find the equalizer. Backed by the chants of Italian fans, the Squadra Azzura would continue to push for the win, without much success, the fate of this final would be decided in extra time. Once more, the Italians struck first, Riva sending a ball onto Bank's right post, but England reacted quickly, with Kidd seeing his shot parried by Zoff soon after. England woulnd't let up the pressure though, and a good counter-attack sees Hurst running away with the ball, dribbling Zoff and scoring. The Italians would be completely taken aback, and tried desperately to find an equalizer. However, Banks was solid and saved two more attempts by Domenghini and Riva, and during a counter-attack, the Italian defense found itself too far forward, leaving Hunt to score the final goal of the final, giving England's first ever Nations League title.

Spoiler

Zoff organizes the Italian defense early on into the match

English players celebrate winning the 1968 Nations League

 

[Wings]

Winners: England - 1st title
Top Scorers: Sandro Mazzola (ITA) & Josef Adamec (TCH) - 5 goals

1968-69 Participants:
Europe: England (14), West Germany (14), Italy (13), USSR (11), Czechoslovakia (11), Hungary (14), East Germany (4), Yugoslavia (11), Bulgaria (3), Sweden (10), Scotland (14), Portugal (4)
South America: Brazil (14), Uruguay (14), Argentina (14)
Asia: North Korea (8)

Final Location: Wembley, London
Bracket Order
Argentina v Uruguay
Brazil v North Korea
Hungary v Yugoslavia
Italy v Portugal
West Germany v East Germany
USSR v Bulgaria
Czechoslovakia v Sweden
England v Scotland

 

[Wings]

The tournament continues in the 1968-69 season, with the kick off of the competition once more being given in south america. Another rivalry match between Argentina and Uruguay would start off this year's edition, with Argentina and Uruguay drawing in Buenos Aires. The Uruguayans would confirm their upswing in Montevideo however, easily beating Argentina 2-1. There would be no faltering for Brazil either, who destroyed North Korea handily.
In Europe, the matches would be much closer. Hungary took on Yugoslavia in Budapest, resulting in Hungary winning with a last minute goal. The return leg would be epic with both teams evenly matched and looking for goals, ending with a 5-5 draw in the end. Italy and Portugal would likewise be similarly matched, and would draw 2-2 in Rome. The return leg would favor the Selecao, who eliminated last year's finalists with little difficulty.
History would also be written in November of 1968, with West Germany taking on their neighbours East Germany for the first time ever, in West Berlin. The historical confrontation would also yield a great match, with both teams wanting to beat the other. The westerners proved to be better in the end, winning the first game 5-3. The return leg in East Berlin would also be quite interesting, but the easterners never managed to beat their rivals and conceded the round. The Soviets would have no such trouble in beating Bulgaria, who got absolutely thrashed in the Round of 16.
Finally, the lower bracket would also yield close results, albeit in less interesting ones than the upper brackets. Czechoslovakia would beat Sweden at home, but would yield in Stockholm, still advancing to the next round, while England would beat Scotland both in Newcastle and Glasgow, and would advance to face the Czechs.

Uruguay score against Argentina in their home leg

Soviet players waiting for the kickoff against Bulgaria in Sofia

 

[Wings]

The football associations of West and East Germanies had always maintained a friendly rivalry. However, this rivalry never got the chance to manifest itself, not even in club confrontations, with every german club seemingly avoiding the other in the European Cup or the UEFA Cup. The state of the rivalry was the same on a national team level, with neither team meeting, even for a friendly match.
Therefore, when the matches got drawn for the Round of 16 of the 1968-69 Nations League, people were excited to see the squads of West and East Germany face each other. Due to this unprecedented event, both federations withdrew their initial stadiums (Hamburg and Leipzig) in favor of organising the games in West Berlin's Olympiastadion and East Berlin's Walter-Ulbricht Stadion.
West Germany hosted the first game, with around 75,000 fans attending the first leg and first face-off between the two nations. This game wasn't even close, although the early stages certainly made it seem so. Gerd Muller scored the first goal for the West after 4 minutes, with Vogel answering around ten minutes later. "Der Bomber" wasn't finished, though, as he sent another ball flying into the eastern net soon after. This was, however, met by another Eastern goal, scored by Kreische. Not to be undermined, Muller came up with another goal less than four minutes later, bringing the scoreline to 3-2 at half-time.
The first part of the second-half was uneventful, but East Germany brought it back despite being dominated in possession, with Vogel finding Lowe, who equalized at the 61st minute. The Westerners were destabilized, but a setpiece would come to liberate them ten minutes following the Lowe goal, with Overath heading in the ball during a corner kick. This time though, the East couldn't answer it, and Muller would score his fourth and final goal of the game five minutes later, sealing the deal for the West.

With a 2-0 win all that was needed to go through, the Easterners still had hope to make it to the Quarter-Finals. However, the Westerners would soon put that dream to rest. After only 36 seconds of play, Fichtel scored thanks to a pass from Haller, who would go on to score himself, putting the game at 2-0 for the West after only 10 minutes. The East didn't give up though, and Rock scored a goal after 20 minutes, while Vogel would equalize.
Fans expected another high-goal game, but this wasn't to be. Scared that the East would score more, Beckenbauer led a defensive block, with five defenders instead of the usual four, to stop the East from scoring any more goals, and securing the qualification for the future winners.

Despite his four goals in the home game, Gerd Muller only scored two more goals this tournament, while the two teams would only meet once more, at the 1974 World Cup, where East Germany defeated the West 1-0.

East and West German players in action during the chaotic first leg

 

[Wings]

For Uruguay, facing Brazil once again was a big challenge. The Celeste had grown from last year, but so had the Selecao, with Pele at the helm, they seemed unstoppable. This position would be confirmed when Brazil put up a dominant performance in Montevideo, with Jair scoring the only goal of the match. Uruguay wouldn't go down quietly in Brasilia, however, scoring one goal to Brazil's two, and making Pele's squad sweat for their place in the semi-finals.
The Selecao would face their namesakes from the continent across the Atlantic, Portugal, who absolutely annihilated Hungary despite a rough start in Budapest. The other European confrontations were closer than this one however, but both yielded similar results in both games. West Germany faced the USSR, and despite a rather poor showing in Kiev, they still managed to knock out the Soviets after a masterful performance back in Hamburg. Similarly, England struggled against Czechoslovakia in Prague, but proved decisive in their home leg in Anfield, as Moore scored two to secure England's semi-final spot.

Brazil and Uruguay fight for possession in Brasilia

 

[Wings]

The Lusophone confrontation was a big event in both nations. The Maracana was packed to see Pele's squad triumph over the Portuguese Selecao. There really was no contest between the two nations. Portugal did put up a better fight in Lisbon, but there was nothing really to fight for again, and Jair and Jairzinho sealed the deal for Brazil, who advanced to the final once more.
On the European confrontation, England were preferred to West Germany, and started off well. Their solid defense added to a huge performance by Gordon Banks allowed them to draw in Munich. However, the return leg in Wembley was something else entirely. Beckenbauer opened up the scoreline for the Mannschaft after only 14 minutes, with Gerd Muller scoring after 27 minutes. Soon, the English found themselves sinking, and sinking fast. Only another sensational performance by Gordon Banks saved the Three Lions from sinking totally. An 80th minute goal by Francis Lee would reinvigorate the English, but too late, as West Germany would advance to the Final.

Gerd Muller scores West Germany's second goal, giving the Mannschaft a huge advantage

 

[Wings]

English fans were disappointed that the Three Lions wouldn't make it to the final, but they certainly wouldn't have to complain about the game. Brazil had been stunning all tournament and West Germany although frail in some instances looked really solid throughout the bracket. Brazil entered the pitch with a will to win, however it would be Germany that struck first with Seeler seeing his shot parried by Felix. But Brazil would be the first to strike true, Pele would completely dribble the whole German defense, only to serve Jairzinho on a silver platter. The Brazilian would send his strike home into the net, making it 1-0 for the Selecao. The Brazilians would continue to push towards the German net, without much success. Muller would also try his shot at goal, only to see Felix stop his strike once more.
The second half started strong for Germany. The Germans would start on the offensive, with Muller being served in the box by Lohr before being brought down. A penalty was allowed to the Mannschaft, and Muller would even out the score. Reinvigorated, the Mannschaft would push through, with Overath scoring another, on a corner kick. It would also have been 3 if Muller's shot wasn't flagged as offside 10 minutes later. Brazil wouldn't have the strength to pull off another goal, even with Pele pulling some individual outplays. West Germany would therefore cruise towards their first ever NL win.

Spoiler

Brazil hold possession of the ball in the first half

West Germans celebrate Overath's 2-1 goal

Beckenbauer hoists the trophy over Wembley Stadium

 

[Wings]

Winners: West Germany - 1st title
Top Scorer: Jairzinho (BRA) - 7 goals

1969-70 Participants:
Europe: West Germany (15), England (15), Italy (14), USSR (12), Hungary (15), East Germany (4), Spain (14), Yugoslavia (12), Sweden (11), Scotland (15), Czechoslovakia (12), Portugal (5), Poland (1)
South America: Brazil (15), Uruguay (15), Argentina (15)

Final Location: Estadio Azteca, Mexico City
Bracket Order
Uruguay v Argentina
Brazil v Yugoslavia
USSR v Spain
Hungary v Sweden
East Germany v Portugal
West Germany v Scotland
England v Poland
Italy v Czechoslovakia

Locations of Finals up to 1975:
1971 - Cali
1972 - Brussels
1973 - Bangkok
1974 - Munich
1975 - Mexico City

 

[Wings]

For the first time in the history of the competition, a finals host will not be participating. Indeed Mexico declined the invitation after the Mexican games against Brazil were scheduled during the Mexican League, and as such 90% of Mexican players wouldn't be able to attend. Yugoslavia replaced them, ending with Brazil having to fight slightly more than expected before securing their spot in the Quarters. Uruguay would also advance in South America, after a big win against Argentina, but still had quite a fright as they trailed behind against Argentina by 2, but thankfully managed to hold the scoreline.
In Europe, bad performances continue for the Soviet Union and Hungary. Once crushing the competition, both teams would be knocked out, by Spain and Sweden. The latter completely destroyed Hungary, scoring 5 goals in two games. Portugal would continue to cruise in their Round of 16 games, defeating East Germany, and stopping them from encountering their neighbours from the West again. Indeed West Germany would advance to the Quarters, but they would have to sweat for it, the Scottish squad led by veteran Denis Law would hang on in Bonn, before drawing in Hampden. Despite their performance, Muller's hat-trick in Bonn would eliminate them from the tournament.
Their southern neighbours England wouldn't see the light of the Quarters either, after a devastating performance against Poland in Wembley, the Three Lions would completely let go in Warsaw, allowing first timers Poland to go through to the Quarters. There they would find Italy, who successfully knocked out Czechoslovakia despite struggling during the away leg.

A free kick is allowed to Hungary as Swedish players contest the decision

Italians celebrate their qualification in Prague

 

[Wings]

The years pass by yet nothing changes for Uruguay. Despite them being one of the best nations on Earth, they still face an even better squad in Brazil. After an encouraging draw in Montevideo, the Celeste's hopes would be dashed in Rio as Brazil would beat the Uruguayans by a slim margin, but one large enough to qualify for the Semi-Finals. It would be after this game that Uruguay would start pressuring FIFA for a more open tournament, with no continental restrictions, leading to the Sion conference later that year, which would outline the rules and format of the competition starting in 1971-1972.
In Europe, none of the confrontations were even close. Spain dashed Sweden's hopes during the home leg in Madrid, winning by four goals and securing a semi-final finish at least, while their latin counterparts Italy would struggle slightly against Poland, beating them in Milan nonetheless. Finally, West Germany completely overran Portugal in both confrontations, despite the Portuguese putting up a fight in the home leg.

West Germany celebrate qualifying for the Semi-Finals after thrashing Portugal 3-0 in Hamburg

 

[Wings]

Brazil started off great against Spain. There was really no contest in Recife, as Pele's squad tore through the Spanish defense like paper. However, the return leg in Madrid was much more difficult. Feeling confident after their win, the Brazilians came in with the qualification already acquired, or so they thought. After an easy first half, the Spanish scored two in 15 minutes, startling Brazil, who decided to hunker down in their side of the pitch. Their defense was good enough to stop more Spanish attacks, which means Brazil would get a shot at revenge in the final.
Indeed, in the West Germany v Italy confrontation it was the Germans who prevailed. The Mannschaft wouldn't do it in a blaze of glory either. After drawing in Munich, Riva's goal in Milan came in as a stinger. Overath quickly equalized, right before half-time, with Muller putting the FRG back in the lead after an hour of play. However, Italy did not give up, and once again Riva sent the back into the back of the net ten minutes later. However it would be the last goal of the game, as neither team could crack each other's defense, and West Germany qualified for the final on away goals.

West Germany and Italy battle for control of the field in San Siro, Milan

 

[Wings]

The Estadio Azteca was bustling with people on May 6th. More than 93 000 people had come to see Brazil try and take their revenge on West Germany, setting a new record for attendance on a Nations League final that would only be beaten 16 years later in the same stadium. The first-half confirmed that the 93000 in attendance were in for a show. Both teams tried their hardest to find a way towards goal. Seeler's 15th minute attempt came close, hitting the post, with Tostao answering a few minutes later with a shot hitting the bar. All in all the first half was very explosive, with both teams trying to pass each other's defense with wicked efficiency. However, neither could find the goal that would take them a step further towards the title, and the scoreline remained null at half-time despite 16 attempted shots, 8 on each side. The second half was much more different. Suddenly, the Mannschaft looked out of sorts. Gerd Muller was locked down by two Brazilian players at all times and Overath was similarly locked down whenever the Germans tried playing through the sides. Only Seeler managed to overcome Brazilian marking, but it wouldn't matter, as he was less skilled than his partners and the ball would never go as far to reach him. With Germany's offensive threats neutralized, Pele lead the charge, this time not throwing Brazilians at the German defense by trying to outmatch them in terms of skill, but only speed and control. And this would finally pay off after 56 minutes, when Pele found Rivelino unmarked, and threw him a beautiful pass between three German defenders. 1-0 Brazil. Germany tried to react, with no real success, Muller and Overath were brutally marked by the German defense, which made any attempts at a slow and controlled attack impossible. That left only counter-attacks, but the Brazilians held the ball with such mastery that any offensive of the sort wasn't in the realm of possibilities. Finally, Tostao made a run in the German defense 10 minutes before the final whistle, delivering the ball into the box to what the Germans thought was Rivelino or Pele. However, the ball curved back around and into the net, to Brazil's jubilation. A year after they had been beaten by Germany, they had just outsmarted and outskilled one of the best teams in the world, and won their 5th Nations League title.

Spoiler

German players leave the pitch at half-time, disappointed with their performance

Brazil celebrate Rivelino's 56 minute opener

Brazilian star Pele is hoisted in the air as Brazil celebrate their 5th title

 

[Wings]

Winners: Brazil - 5th title
Top Scorer: Gerd Muller (FRG) - 5 goals

1970-71 Participants:
Europe: West Germany (16), England (16), Italy (15), Soviet Union (13), Hungary (16), East Germany (5), Spain (15), Yugoslavia (13), Czechoslovakia (13), Sweden (12), Romania (4), Belgium (2)
South America: Brazil (16), Argentina (16), Uruguay (16), Colombia (1)

Final Location: Estadio Olimpico, Cali
Bracket Order
Argentina v Brazil
Uruguay v Colombia
Italy v Sweden
West Germany v Romania
England v Yugoslavia
Soviet Union v Belgium
Hungary v Spain
East Germany v Czechoslovakia

 

[Wings]

This edition of the Nations League was widely awaited, as not only was it the last one in its current format, with invited teams and brackets formed on the basis of continents, but it also regrouped the four favorites of the competition: Brazil, Uruguay, Italy and West Germany, in its upper 4 matches. However, no one could have predicted that out of those four teams, only one would end up reaching the Quarter-Finals.
Brazil were still strong off their World Cup win, and for Pele's last competition with the country, were decided to get their 6th title. They did so by humiliating Argentina in Brasilia, as they forced their way to the Quarter-Finals. For their neighbours Uruguay, however, it would be disaster. The Celeste lost twice to Colombia, at home and away, and had to leave after the first round.
A humiliating exit also waited for Italy and West Germany. The Squadra Azzura had to concede a defeat at home in Milan to Sweden, which the Swedes were able to hold in Stockholm, while the Mannschaft drew to Romania in Stuttgart, before sinking in Bucharest. The road was now paved for an interesting set of Semi-Finalists in the lower bracket. Yugoslavia and the USSR held their favorite status by beating England and Belgium, respectively. Spain also beat Hungary, after a hard fought game, but none were more pleased to advance than East Germany, who won out against Czechoslovakia and finally outranked their western neighbours in an international competition.

Romania in action against West Germany

East Germany and Czechoslovakia locked into a 3-3 draw during the first leg of the matchup

 

[Wings]

With so many upsets in the first round, eyes were all on Brazil for the opening of the Quarter-Finals. However, it wouldn't be them who choked at this stage. Indeed, the Brazilians would go on to beat Colombia twice. Sweden on the other hand completely floundered against Romania, conceding two defeats in a row, shocking the world. The lower bracket was quite similar. All eyes were now on the USSR who played against a strong Yugoslavia, however, there was really no contest. Although Yugoslavia held a draw in Zagreb, the Soviets left the Yugoslavs no chance in the return leg. Spain however, who had an easier matchup against East Germany, were seen out of sorts in both games, and left the Germans to head towards their first ever semi-final.

The Soviets and Yugoslavs battle it out in Moscow as the Soviets advance to the Semi-Finals

 

[Wings]

The Semi-Finals were awaited by many, as the road had been litterred with upsets along the way. However, this stage of the competition would see none of them. Brazil would leave absolutely no chance to Romania, absolutely dismantling the eastern european squad. The Soviet-GDR confrontation was closer, much closer however. In Moscow, the Soviets could only watch as the Germans held them to a draw, and in East Berlin, the Soviets found themselves fighting an uphill battle as the germans led the dance 2-1 until 10 minutes before the end of the game. A salvation goal from Muntyan would come however, sending the Soviets to the final on away goals.

Muntyan scores an 81st minute goal to send the Soviets towards the final