Italy – Page 3 – FOOTBALL BOOK REVIEWS (FBR)

UEFA 2020 Euro Championship – Day 10

Group F: Hungary (1) 1 – 1 (0) France

Goal-scorers: Hungary – Fiola (45’+2’). France – Griezmann (66′)

Puskas Arena, Budapest

This has been to date a tournament very low on shock results, but there was a sniff of one in Budapest when Hungary, who got hit with three late goals against Portugal, had World Champions France trailing at the break. The goal came in time added-on at the end of the half and was a quality one which was wildly celebrated by the full-house at the Puskas Arena. Fiola headed the ball into the path of Sallai, who returned it in a one-two which allowed Fiola to beat Pavard and Varane before finishing past Lloris. As for most of the Portugal game, Hungary were resolute, but their resistance was broken on sixty-six minutes. It was a goal that was more direct that those with the usual flair associated with Les Bleus, as Mbappe ran onto Lloris’ long kick down field playing in Griezmann who scored from just outside the six-yard box. Did France deserve to win this one? They had more possession and more shots, but that would have cruel on Hungary who for their battling qualities deserved a point.

Group F: Portugal (0) 2 – 4 (0) Germany

Goal-scorer: Portugal – Ronaldo (15′), Jota (67′). Germany – Rúben Dias (35’og), Guerreiro (39′ og), Havertz (51′), Gosens (60′)

Allianz Arena, Munich

What was I thinking? How could I doubt that Germany would lose this game and be on the edge of elimination from the competition? Well the first fifteen minutes made very interesting watching. Germany were out of the blocks and on fire and had a goal disallowed after a VAR review for offside. They then got caught on the break with Ronaldo tapping home from close range and from nowhere they were behind, and you began to wonder if this was not going to be Germany’s day. From there on in though it was all about Die Mannschaft as Portugal retreated and Germany poured forward. Then in the space of four minutes the game was turned on its head and in the process a record was created. On thirty-five minutes Portugal’s Rúben Dias shinned Gosens’ cross into his own net and four minutes later Guerreiro did the same as Kimmich cut the ball back into the Portugal six-yard box. The record created by this bizarre passage of play was that it was the first time at the European Championship Finals that two own-goals had been scored in a game. In fact, Euro2020 had produced more OG’s than previous tournaments. Into the second-half and it was more of the same from Germany, with Havertz making it 3-1 six minutes after the restart with a simple finish from Gosens cross. The provider turned goal-scorer on the hour mar, as he headed home Kimmich’s cross to make it 4-1 and you wondered if another 7-1 demolition (as over Brazil in the World Cup) was on the cards. It wasn’t to be as Portugal got what turned out to be a consolation from Jota on sixty-sevens minutes, giving the score a closeness that didn’t reflect Germany’s dominance. Write-off the Germans at your peril.

Group E: Spain (1) 1 – 1 (0) Poland

Goal-scorers: Spain – Morata (25′) Poland – Lewandowski (54′)

La Cartuja, Seville

After another game where Spain dominated possession but only came away with a draw, many in the media seem to have hit the panic button as far as Luis Enrique’s side is concerned. We should though cast our minds back to 2016 in which Portugal only made it through to the knockout phase after three draws, before going on to lift the trophy. Yet the Spanish are not creating a great deal from all their ball retention, but you have to be ‘in it to win’ it and Spain will fancy their chances of progression as they face Slovakia in their final game. It all looked good on twenty-five minutes when Alvaro Morata scored from close range but only after a VAR review to send the Spaniards in at the break with a goal advantage. Poland though kept plugging away and with a talent such as Lewandowski in their side, he is always a threat. And so it proved nine minutes into the second-half as he rose to head home and level it at 1-1. That joy though looked to be short-lived as just four minutes later Spain were awarded a penalty. The Villarreal striker Moreno stepped up but put his spot-kick against the post with Morata unable to convert the rebound. As with the France v Hungary encounter did the ‘big’ side warrant a win based on their dominance of the game? Some will argue yes, but the simple fact is it’s a game all about goals and the history books will show it finished 1-1.

Today we reach the stage where teams find out if they need to pack their bags and head for the exits or prepare for the knockout phase as the last round of group games begin. Sensibly these days they kick-off at the same time so that no side has any advantage, or in the case of West Germany and Austria at the 1982 World Cup in Spain, allows any room for collusion. For older readers check out the Disgrace of Gijón – Wikipedia

Group A sees Wales travel to Rome and face Italy whilst the Swiss play Turkey in Baku. These final games are all about ‘ifs and buts’ For instance how do Italy approach the game having already qualified? Do they rest players or simply continue to build momentum with the same side? Do Wales look to play for a point?

The permutations are as follows, so you’ll need to read carefully!

if Wales draw with Italy they will finish second and play in their last 16 match in Amsterdam against Group B’s runners-up.
If they lose, Wales could still finish second. However, if they lose and Switzerland beat Turkey with a big enough change in goal difference the Welsh could finish third. However, four points would still almost certainly be enough to see them through to the last 16 as one of the tournament’s four best third-placed teams.
If Wales win they would win the group and play their next game at Wembley against Group C’s runners-up.
Both Switzerland and Turkey need to win their final Group A game to have any chance of reaching the last 16.
If Switzerland win Swiss they would need Wales to lose to Italy, with a swing of five on goal difference, to have any chance of finishing second. Four points might be enough with four third-placed teams going through.
If Turkey win they would have to hope that their three points were better than two the other third-placed teams. However, with their current goal difference of -5, it is likely they would need a big win over the Swiss for them to progress.

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UEFA 2020 Euro Championship – Day 7

Group B: Finland (0) 0 – 1 (1) Russia

Goal-scorer: Miranchuk (45’+2’)

Krestovsky Stadium, Saint Petersburg

I had this down as a 1-0 for Finland and although I got the score right it was Russia who got the only goal to give themselves a shot at qualification for the knock-out phase. The Finns were quickest out of the blocks, and they thought they had a lead in the opening minutes when Joel Pohjanpalo’s diving header was ruled out by an incredibly tight VAR decision for offside. The deciding goal came in time added on in the first-half and was one of quality. Aleksei Miranchuk played a one-two in a crowded penalty area then curled home over the despairing dive of Hradecky. In the second-half the Finns never got going and they were relieved that Russia were wasteful with the good chances they had to seal the game, with Aleksandr Golovin and Rifat Zhemaletdinov both narrowly off target and Daler Kuzyayev producing an excellent save from Hradecky. Three points for Russia and an interesting last round of games to come, with Russia taking on Denmark and Finland taking on Belgium.

Group A: Turkey (0) 0 – 2 (0) Wales

Goal-scorers: Ramsey (42′), Roberts (90’+5’)

Olympic Stadium, Baku

As Ronaldo showed for Portugal against Hungary, big games require big names to show up and produce the goods. Whilst Gareth Bale subsequently missed a penalty after the hour mark, his influence and that of Aaron Ramsey was inspirational on the night. They combined as early as the sixth minute with Ramsey latching onto a Bale through ball only to see Ugurcan Cakir save. Where in the game against the Swiss, Wales were lethargic, here they were lively and again the Ramsey/Bale combo created another first-half chance which the ex-Arsenal star blazed high over the bar. Then just three minutes before the break it was a case of third time lucky, and Bale’s ball was beautifully controlled on his chest by Ramsey and coolly slotted home. Turkey fired on by a large following came out stronger second-half and pressed Wales back. However, the Welsh had a chance to kill the game when they awarded a penalty on sixty-one minutes. Bale was hero turned villain though as he contrived to fire his spot-kick high into the Baku night sky. Cue a more nervous second period with Ward saving well from Demiral’s header with just three minutes left. Then deep into stoppage time Wales had a corner, and rather than just keep it tight, Bale produced a dazzling burst along the goal-line pulling the ball back for Conor Roberts to put the Welsh on the verge of progression to the last sixteen. For the Red Dragons it’s starting to feel like 2016 again!

Group A: Italy (0) 0 – 3 (0) Switzerland

Goal-scorers: Locatelli (26′, 52′), Immobile (89′)

Stadio Olimpico, Rome

Italy ominously chalked up another 3-0 win to put themselves through to the last sixteen. Whilst many will claim that the Swiss are amongst Europe’s top nations, the Azzuri did what was required and could have had more than the three goals they scored. Manuel Locatelli got the ball rolling scoring from inside the six-yard box after Domenico Berardi’s surging run and cross on twenty-six minutes and he doubled the lead ironically twenty-six minutes later with a shot from outside the box that Swiss ‘keeper Sommer didn’t move for – perhaps unsighted. However, he was at fault with a minute to go when another long range effort from Immobile skipped off his hands into the net. Nobody will want to face Italy in this form, and Wales will have the dubious pleasure of going to Rome in the final round of group games.

Group C opens the day with Ukraine playing North Macedonia in Bucharest, followed by the Group B game in Copenhagen as Denmark host Belgium. Thursday’s games conclude with the Netherlands welcoming Austria to Amsterdam.

Ukraine and North Macedonia both lost their opening game, so realistically a win is needed for either side if they are to progress from the groups. In terms of FIFA rankings, Ukraine sit in 24^th spot with North Macedonia down at number 62. Additionally, Ukraine have beaten North Macedonia in both competitive encounters prior to this match, 1-0 at home and 2-0 away, in the qualifiers for Euro 2016, so the stats suggest a Ukraine win. The Ukrainians were unlucky not to get anything out of the five-goal game against the Dutch and they are my tip to take the win here, either 2-0 or 3-1.

Action then switched to Copenhagen where the Danes host Belgium. How will Denmark react after the tragic circumstances surrounding their last game and Christian Eriksen’s awful collapse? These things can often inspire and equally be an immense distraction. It will be very much a feature of the game, as Belgium have stated they intend to kick the ball out of play in the tenth minute to take part in a minute’s applause for Christian Eriksen. Difficult to call, but for me Belgium are one of the favourites for the title so expect them to take the three points and seal their progress.

Last up is a visit to Amsterdam where the Netherland lock horns with Austria. Both have three points on the board. In the FIFA ranking, the two sides aren’t that far apart with the Netherlands in sixteenth spot and Austria down in twenty-third. The Dutch have won the last six games between the sides and expect them to make it seven tonight.

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UEFA 2020 Euro Championship – Day 6

Group E: Hungary (0) 0 – 3 (0) Portugal

Goal-scorers: Guerreiro (84′), Ronaldo (87’ pen, 90+2’)

Puskas Arena, Budapest

Well as the clock wound and six minutes on the clock I was thinking that my pre-match prediction of a draw was looking pretty good. Portugal had been the better side and throw in a Ronaldo sitter of a miss before the break and you thought Hungary had earned a bit of luck to grab a point. And then it all changed. Eighty-fourth minute. A deflected ball into the box and Guerreiro’s less that convincing shot also took a deflection to wrongfoot ‘keeper Gulacasi and the ball bobbled in. 1-0 Portugal. Three minutes later Rafa Silva bursts into the box he is fouled by Willi Orban – penalty Portugal, Ronaldo steps up, thank you very much. 2-0 Portugal. Then for good measure in time added on, some magic from the Portuguese skipper, a lovely set of wall-passes, and Ronaldo dummies Gulacasi and slots home. From nowhere the reigning champions win 3-0. Love him or hate him, Ronaldo is one of the world’s best players of all time and the goals in this game made him the European Championship Finals leading scorer. His penalty took him to 10 goals equal with Platini and his 11^th puts him clear. Who would bet against Ronaldo scoring even more before the competition ends?

Group E: France (0) 1 – 0 (0) Germany

Goal-scorer: Hummels (20’og)

Allianz Arena, Munich

Not sure why but found the game all a bit comedic. Whether it be the Greenpeace protestor who dropped into the stadium or Antonio Rudiger’s nuzzle into the back of Paul Pogba and subsequent grab of the Frenchman’s moobs, to the own-goal from Hummels who wonderfully shinned it into the top corner. There were also two goals to France which were chalked off by VAR in the second-half and then seemingly every effort on goal by Germany kicked into the ground in some form of weird skill competition. Germany weren’t though laughing at the whistle and have Portugal and Ronaldo next up. This is one interesting group.

So we hit the start of the Second round of group fixtures. Back to three games today.

The opener in the Krestovsky Stadium sees Russia with home advantage over Finland and hoping to get their first points on the board after their 3-0 loss to Belgium. The Finns won in Denmark 1-0, and it will be interesting to see how they approach this game. Do they look to take a point or go all out for a win, knowing that group favourites Belgium await them in their final fixture. Historically these neighbours have a troubled past, with Russia invading Finland during the Second World War so there could be a bit of spice in the encounter. In football terms, Russia hold the upper hand winning all four games between the countries. I thought Finland would be the weak link in this group but could instead turn out to be one of the surprise packages. I’ll stick my neck out and sat Finland to nick another 1-0 win.

Game two of the day sees Wales play Turkey in Baku, with the media suggesting this will be like a ‘home’ game for the Turks with a large following attending. Wales have that point from the encounter with the Swiss, whilst Turkey lost 3-0 in the opening game of the competition 3-0. I felt the Welsh looked tired for large parts of the match with Switzerland and worry that if they got behind today they could struggle. However, the Red Dragons are not a side to roll-over, and I think this one could end as a draw. Don’t expect a 6-4 game that occurred when these teams last met in a World Cup Qualifier!

Wednesday closes in Rome with Switzerland travelling to take on Italy who were quietly impressive in their win over Turkey. On that basis and the evidence of the Swiss in their draw with Wales, I can’t see anything other than an Italy win.

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UEFA 2020 Euro Championship – Day 2

Group A: Turkey (0) 0 – 3 (0) Italy

Goal-scorers: Demiral (53’og), Immobile (66′), Insigne (79′)

Olympic Stadium, Rome

Well before even a ball had been kicked, I found myself irritated by a couple of things. First, the fact that the Italians wore all white rather than their home colours. Italy could have worn blue with Turkey in all red. A pointless UEFA directive. Secondly, the match ball was delivered on a sponsored electric car for kick-off. In the parlance of Line of Duty, what in the mother of God won’t UEFA try and commercialise. I know events have to make money but is this gimmickry really necessary.

Thankfully the action on the pitch reminded us all that there was a football tournament to be played. The Azzuri were on the front foot from the off under the watchful eye of their coach Roberto Mancini, resplendent in an outfit that paid homage to American TV news anchor-men of the 1980s. Despite all their dominance, the nearest Italy got to scoring in the opening forty-five minutes was a towering header from veteran defender Giorgio Chiellini which brought a fine save from Ugurcan Cakir. As the half wound down the Italians resorted to long range efforts which were high and wide, and an unsuccessful handball appeal, and you wondered whether they were becoming frustrated at the Turks getting everyone behind the ball.

What the home side needed was an early goal and it duly arrived eight minutes after the restart. Domenico Berardi out wide fired in a cross, which struck Demiral, and the breakthrough was made. From then on in there was only one winner and it was no surprise when Immobile scored from close range after Cakir had parried Spinazzola’s shot on sixty-six minutes. The Azzuri then made a little bit of history with eleven minutes remaining, when after ‘keeper Cakir gave away the ball and Italy played in Insigne, who curled in first-time to make it 3-0, making it the first time the Italians had scored three goals in the Euro Finals.

One game down, fifty to go and a more than decent start to the competition.

Day 2 and its three games today – armchair football heaven – starting with the other Group A teams, Wales and Switzerland who face each other in Baku at the Olympic Stadium. Group B then gets underway with Denmark hosting Finland in Copenhagen at the Parken Stadium with Saturday’s action completed with Russia welcoming Belgium to the Krestovsky Stadium in Saint Petersburg.

Wales and the Swiss met in the Euro2012 Qualifiers in a group that also contained England, Montenegro and Bulgaria. Switzerland beat Wales 4-1 in Basel in October 2010, with the Red Dragons gaining revenge with a 2-0 win in Swansea a year later with a penalty from Aaron Ramsey and a goal from Gareth Bale. Neither side progressed to the Finals, with England and Montenegro finishing first and second respectively. The Welsh qualified for Euro2020 after finishing as runners-up to Croatia, pipping Slovakia by a single point. Switzerland finished top of their group by a point from Denmark, with their only loss again the Danes, who whilst going unbeaten, drew four of their eight fixtures, costing them top spot. Wales were spectacular in Euro2016 reaching the Semi-Finals, but they come into this tournament on the back of a 3-0 defeat to France and a 0-0 with Albania. The Swiss meanwhile picked up two wins, beating the USA 2-1 and a 7-1 demolition of Liechtenstein. This could be a cagey one and both sides maybe happy with a point from the game.

Denmark and Finland have faced each other in the Euros but only in the Qualifiers for the 1988 Tournament in West Germany. The two were joined by Czechoslovakia and Wales in Group 6 with the Danes winning through, a point ahead of Czechoslovakia. Finland finished bottom, losing both games to the Danish 1-0. Denmark of course famously and against all odds won the title in 1992, after Yugoslavia were banned from taking part. In their last two friendlies they drew 1-1 with Germany and overcame Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-0 in Brondby. Finland qualified for these Finals after a second-place finish to Italy, edging out Greece, winning six and losing four in their ten games. The Finns lost both their friendlies prior to the Euros, 2-0 in Sweden and a 1-0 home defeat to Estonia in Helsinki. The Danes to take this one for me with Finland the whipping boys of Group B.

The day’s action concludes with Russia and much-fancied Belgium meeting. These two were in the same group in the qualifiers, with Belgium finishing top after winning all ten games, including a 3-1 home win over Russia and an emphatic 4-1 win in St Petersburg. The Belgians final warm-up game saw them beat Croatia with a first-half goal from Romelu Lukaku, whilst Russia ended with a 1-0 victory over Bulgaria. The head says Belgium will win this, although you’d expect Russia to make it hard for them and so I don’t expect a repeat of the big wins the Belgians gained in qualification.

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UEFA 2020 Euro Championship – Day 1

Italy and Turkey get the delayed Euro 2020 tournament underway at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome tonight. The Italians topped their Group in qualifying with a 100% record having beaten Finland, Greece, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Armenia and Liechtenstein both home and away. The Azzuri scored 37 goals and conceded just 4 as they romped home twelve points clear of second-placed Finland. Turkey came through as runners-up in their qualifying campaign, finishing just two points behind France, in a Group that also contained Iceland, Albania, Andorra and Moldova. The Crescent Stars beat France in the Group stages but lost out on top-stop after only picking up a point in their two meetings with Iceland.

Coming into this game, Italy swept past the Czech Republic 4-0 in their final warm-up game in Bologna which saw an eighth consecutive win without conceding a goal. Immobile and Barella gave Italy a 2-0 halftime lead, with Insigne and Berardi completing the scoring. Turkey also ended their preparations with a victory, beating Moldova 2-0 in a game played at the Benteler Arena in Paderborn, Germany, with both goals coming in the second-half through Burak Yilmaz and Cengiz Under.

These sides have met in European Finals, when back in 2000, they were drawn together in Group B. At the GelreDome, home to Vitesse Arnhem, the game came to life in the second-half when Antonio Conte put the Italians ahead seven minutes after the break. Okan Buruk levelled for Turkey on sixty-minutes, only to see a Filippo Inzaghi penalty eight minutes later restore the lead for Italy as the game finished 2-1 to The Azzuri.

For what it’s worth, I’ll go for an Italian win tonight, possibly 1-0 or 2-0. Given the Italians have won the World Cup on four occasions, it is perhaps a surprise that the have only won one European title, that being back in 1968. If Italy display the kind of fluency in front of goal and meanness at the back as in the qualifiers, they could be a real threat.

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UEFA 2020 Euro Championship – Prologue

Well, we’ve got there. A year later than scheduled but the 16th edition of the UEFA European Championships will start on 11 June in Rome with Italy hosting Turkey. It will be unlike any other version of the tournament held to date, not only because as a celebration of 60 years since the first Finals in 1960, it will be spread across various countries, but that due to COVID there will be restrictions on the numbers attending each game.

Indeed, I’ve already got the hump with the competition because despite initially having a ticket for the Scotland v Czech Republic at Hampden Park, I lost out in the ballot when the reduced capacity was imposed. So instead of taking in the ‘live’ matchday experience, I’ll be watching that game and the tournament as a whole at home, with the occasional visit to a pub to see the action.

So let’s remind ourselves of a few things. Portugal are the current holders having won the trophy in 2016 beating hosts France 1-0 thanks to an Eder goal in extra-time. This tournament will feature 24 with six groups of four, with the top two progressing, alongside the four third placed teams with the best records, to give us the last sixteen teams. The format is then straight knock-out leading to the Final. The six Groups are as follows:

Group A: Italy, Switzerland, Turkey, Wales

Group B: Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Russia

Group C: Austria, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Ukraine

Group D: Croatia, Czech Republic, England, Scotland

Group E: Poland, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden

Group F: France, Germany, Hungary, Portugal

What I will say is that I’m not fan of the competition being this size. It seems crazy to have a full round of Groups games which only eliminates eight teams. For me, the tournament should be 16 teams (i.e. four Groups of four, as was the format in 2012), with winners and runners-up through with the eight teams into a knockout situation. With 24 teams in the Finals, that is 44% of the total UEFA Membership (currently 55), which to me dilutes the quality of the competition.

However, as we know with all UEFA tournaments this is about more games, more TV coverage, more profit and more opportunity for the ‘big countries’ to ensure progress to the knockout phase. Surely not in the overall interest of the game, but then when has that mattered to the authorities in charge of football.

Gut feeling going into the tournament…winners to be one of France, Germany, Italy or Portugal. I fear England will have a shocker and not make it out of the Group. Just look at The Three Lions record over the years at the Euros – less that inspiring, and allied to real concerns about the defence, it adds up to a bad feeling. Still, that all awaits us as the first ball is kicked tomorrow.

Que sera sera…Whatever will be, will be…

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Book Review – 1982 Brazil: The Glorious Failure by Stuart Horsfield

Whilst England fans bemoaned the fact that the Three Lions exited the 1982 World Cup in Spain without losing a game and wondered at what might have been if Trevor Brooking and Kevin Keegan had been fully fit, Stuart Horsfield, then a ten year old boy living in Scarborough was transfixed not by the efforts of his country of birth, but by the football of another nation – Brazil, nicknamed the Seleção (The National Team).

1982 Brazil: The Glorious Failure, is Horsfield’s recollection of that summer 38 years ago, and the 12th edition of the FIFA World Cup in the sweltering Spanish sun. History has come to show that the Brazil side which contained stars such as Sócrates, Zico, Eder and Falcão played some outstanding football that the media, pundits and fans alike believed should have seen them become World Champions in 1982. However, as the record books show, that didn’t come to fruition, with coach Telê Santana’s skilful squad exiting to the pragmatic Italian side, who themselves went onto lift the trophy.

Horsfield builds to that game by providing the reader with a link back to previous Brazilian national sides starting with another infamous game against Italy, that being the 1970 World Cup Final in Mexico. That 4-1 victory for the Seleção is held up as possibly the greatest final in World Cup history, with the likes of Carlos Alberto, Pelé, Rivellino and Jairzinho providing a quality of football that simply overflowed with style, skill and unbridled joy. The author then details how in the following two World Cups (1974 in West Germany and 1978 in Argentina), Brazil lost their way as they tried to adopt a more European style of play, finishing fourth in 1974 and third, four years later.

However, by 1982 there was a return to the Brazilian spirit of 1970, with a freedom in their football, which Horsfield suggests may have been influenced by the political scene in the country as the military dictatorship lessened its grip on power. This uninhibited and talented Brazil squad were drawn in Group 6 in the First Round along with New Zealand, Scotland and the Soviet Union. The author dedicates a chapter to each of these games, with his youthful bewilderment at what he saw evident in the writing. The Seleção won all three games with a brand of football labelled ‘futebol arte’, to advance to the Second Round, which format wise back then, was made up of four groups of three teams, with only the four winners advancing to the semi-finals.

As with the First Round, Horsfield again details each game in a separate chapter, with Argentina and Italy their opponents. Brazil took on their South American rivals in the first match, convincingly winning 3-1. Going into the Italy game, Brazil knew that a draw would have been good enough to see them through to the last four, whilst the Azzurri (The Blues), knew that only a victory would be good enough to progress. With the way Brazil had been playing and with Italy having been uninspiring in the competition up to then, it was assumed by most experts that it would be a straightforward win for captain Sócrates and his team.

The events though at the Sarrià Stadium in Barcelona, didn’t though follow the script, and a Paulo Rossi hat-trick in a pulsating encounter that saw Italy win 3-2, ended the Brazilian dream, in a game that is seen as one of the greatest World Cup encounters of all time. Horsfield captures the drama of the match itself both on the pitch and in the stands and reveals the real sense of loss his ten year old self felt at the exit of Brazil. The book though doesn’t end there though with two final chapters, Aftermath and Legacy concluding this interesting read. A conclusion from those closing chapters is that 1982 pretty much marked the end of free-flowing football being a style to become World Champions, with Brazil adapting to be a more pragmatic in their victories in 1994 (ironically beating Italy on penalties) and in 2002.

Besides, Horsfield’s own recollections of the games, the book is enhanced with contributions from players, coaches and media at the tournament. Within the chapters on each fixture, the use of quotes from television commentary of the time to describe key moments is a nice touch and almost makes the reader instantly want to look them up on YouTube (which the author helpfully lists at the back of the book). If there is a slight criticism, it is that there is sometimes an overuse of metaphor as Horsfield makes a point about a particular player, coach or situation. However, this doesn’t detract greatly from a book that tells an intriguing story and takes the unusual stance of bringing to life a team that despite its enormous talent, will be remembered for being losers and not winners.

(Pitch Publishing. October 2020. Hardback 255 pages)

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Book Review: Fixing Sixty Six – A tale of political corruption that could just be true by Tim Flower

World Cup football and corruption? It’s never been known!

Well, there was that rumour at the 1978 tournament that Argentina needing to win 4-0 against Peru to progress to the Final, gave their South American neighbours a boatload of cash and grain. Full-time score, Argentina 6-0 Peru…

1982. Austria v West Germany in the Group Stages. A win for the Germans would see them and their opponents Austria through and would eliminate Algeria. Horst Hrubesch puts West Germany ahead after ten minutes and that is effectively the last action of the game, as both sides effectively stop playing. Full-time, Austria 0-1 West Germany…

Then there were the accusations in 2002 that the match officials were ‘got at’ as joint hosts South Korea achieved unbelievable wins over Italy and Spain to reach the Semi-Finals…

And of course, who can forget the debacle of the awarding of the 2018 Finals to Russia and Qatar in 2022 due to corruption within FIFA.

Oh, for the good old days, times like 1966 when England showed the world about fair play and sportsmanship in lifting the Jules Rimet Trophy. Not a whiff of corruption. Or was there?

Tim Flower’s Fixing Sixty Six is a fictional look at the tournament told through the eyes of retired journalist Harry Miller. It tells of an undercover government operation to ensure that England win the World Cup, ensuring at the same time the boosting of the popularity of the Labour government under Harold Wilson at a time of economic struggle in the country. Flower’s cleverly weaves fact and fiction to provide a very credible story as government advisor Ludovic Forsyth manipulates and spins away behind the scenes.

The book also provides a believable sketch of life in the 1960s, where a ‘woman’s place is in the home’, where ‘foreigners’ and ‘homos’ aren’t to be trusted, and the idea of exotic food is a boil in the bag Vesta Curry. Whilst football is the focus of the book, the author also touches on providing a comparison with the political situation in 1966 and that when Harry regales his sensational story in 2016, as Britain once again struggles with its identity and its position not only in a European context, but globally.

A minor criticism is that it could have done with a tighter edit as a number of avoidable typos are present. Overall though, it is ultimately an intriguing and absorbing read. That day back in 30 July 1966 may never be seen in the same light again.

(“Talk About Productions” November 2019. 428pp)

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FIFA World Cup 2014 – Saturday 28 June 2014

100 years ago today shots in Sarajevo killed Archduke Ferdinand which proved to be the catalyst that led to the carnage that was to become the First World War. 100 years later we still haven’t learned and conflict and killing still exists in certain countries across the globe today.

It says much about the modern world though that the most significant shots for many on the planet today will take place in Brazil as the knock-out phase of the World Cup begins. Sixteen teams have departed and sixteen remain. Gone is the safety of the group games and second chances, this is winner takes all, whether in ninety minutes, extra-time or penalties.

The group stages have for the most part seen very open games, with plenty of goals and drama to match. England’s inability to escape the group stages was hardly a surprise, but the demise of Italy and Spain is something not many predicted. Whilst Spanish domination of World football had to end at some point, the like of Casillas, David Villa ad Xavi couldn’t have foreseen demolition at the hands of Netherlands and Chile being amongst their last memories of World Cup tournaments.

Others to have disappointed include 2018 hosts Russia (but then Capello is in charge of them) and Portugal who showed that without a fit Ronaldo, they badly struggle. Given both Japan and South Korea went well in the 2012 Olympic football tournament, it was a surprise that neither made much impression in Brazil. It’s been a mixed bag for the African teams, with Algeria and Nigeria making it through, but Cameroon, Ghana and Ivory Coast deeply disappointing.

Today’s games are all about Latin America as Brazil take on Chile and Colombia face Uruguay. How would the tournament be affected if Brazil lost to Chile? This game you would hope could be a bit special as Chile have proved to be a more than capable outfit and Brazil will be under immense pressure. In the other game, well we all know what the sub-text to this fixture is whatever the result.

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FIFA World Cup 2014 – Wednesday 25 June 2014

The morning after the night before…

Should we just ignore it? Should we not bring anymore focus on the incident? It’s happened, so let’s move on…

If only it was that simple.

As a parent, I would have been mortified if my son had bitten another child at nursery school and I would have made sure it only happened the once. When a 27 year old man does it for a third time, there is something pretty seriously wrong and it can’t be ignored.

For those not familiar with the other incidents, here goes:

November 2010: Whilst playing for Ajax Suarez bites PSV’s Otman Bakkal on the shoulder and is subsequently banned for seven games.
April 2013: During the Liverpool v Chelsea game Suarez bites Branislav Ivanovic and receives a ten game ban.

Throw-in the racist incident with Patrice Evra and his penchant for diving and the character assassination is complete.

What would I like to see happen? Well for a start Suarez needs to seek some professional help as he has some behavioural issues. FIFA should ban him for a season and Uruguay should lose the points from the victory over Italy. In addition, Liverpool should terminate his contract.

But this is football we are talking about which is as morally corrupt as the organisation that runs it.

What has been an enjoyable World Cup so far, has been marred.

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