With the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 just a week away, we look at one of the greatest moments in FIFA World Cup history — the 1970 FIFA World Cup game between Italy and Germany at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico.
Think of the 1970 FIFA World Cup and the Azteca Stadium in Mexico and you will doubtless picture Brazil’s fantastic, free-flowing final victory over Italy. Yet while the iconic Mexican arena does indeed have a plaque on its exterior commemorating the ‘Partido del Siglo’ (Game of the Century), this grand title has been bestowed on a match in which Pele, Carlos Alberto et al were nowhere to be seen.
It is instead to the Italians and West Germans that the Azteca memorial ‘pays homage’, honoring a seven-goal thriller that is similarly remembered as the ‘Game of the Century’, or ‘Partida del Secolo’ in Italian and ‘Jahrhundertspiel’ in German by its two protagonists.
Not everyone involved remembers it with fondness, of course. “No-one has forgotten that match,” said the late Gerd Muller, scorer of two extra-time goals for Germany. “It still drives me crazy thinking about it and I haven’t recovered from it to this day.”
It was during those additional 30 minutes in which Muller grabbed his brace — in football, a brace means somebody scored two goals in one match — and Gianni Rivera scored the 111th-minute winner, that the match became the stuff of legend. For much of the regulation 90, it had been forgettable fare, with Italy defending typically stoically a lead fashioned by Roberto Boninsegna’s eighth-minute opener. That rearguard action seemed set to win them a hard-earned spot in the Final until, with less than a minute remaining, an AC Milan player sent the game into extra time.
This was no ordinary Rossoneri star either; it was Karl-Heinz Schnellinger, a defender who did not score once in 222 appearances for Milan, and managed just a solitary goal – this one – for his national team. As the German commentator, Ernst Huberty, famously cried: “Schnellinger, ausgerechnet! Schnellinger!” (Schnellinger, of all people! Schnellinger!)
At half-time, Italy’s coach Ferruccio Valcareggi had maintained his controversial ‘Staffetta’ (Relay) selection compromise of substituting Rivera, Schnellinger’s Milan team-mate, for the more industrious Sandro Mazzola. The former was the reigning world player of the year winner and hugely gifted, but Valcareggi considered him most effective when opposition defenses were tiring — as he expected Germany’s to after a draining quarter-final against England. “I was mistaken,” the Italy coach later admitted. “In fact I was amazed by their stamina.”
Indeed, even with captain Franz Beckenbauer playing with his injured arm in a sling, the Germans headed into extra time in the ascendancy and quickly took the lead through the prolific Muller. Italy hit back, though, leveling four minutes later through Tarcisio Burgnich before Luigi Riva put them 3-2 in front just before the interval. And there was yet more in store for the breathless crowd as Muller, with his tenth goal of the tournament, restored parity once again, beating a less-than-alert Rivera at his position guarding the near post.
Goalkeeper Enrico Albertosi was seen berating Italy’s ‘Golden Boy’ for his sloppy attempt to block and yet, within 60 seconds, the villain had become an Azzurri hero. In sweeping home the winner following fine work by Boninsegna and Giacinto Facchetti straight from kick-off, Rivera also set the seal on one of the greatest and most dramatic World Cup matches ever seen.
Goal of the Century
As we countdown to the last few days till the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, we look at one of the most memorable goals in World Cup history.
In case you were thinking that the goal of the century was awarded to the infamous ‘Hand of God’ goal by Diego Maradona you could be forgiven but you would be mistaken. The ‘Hand of God’ goal could at best be referred to as ‘the most controversial goal’ in World Cup history, but it certainly was not the Goal of the Century.
The day was Sunday, 22 June 1986, and the stadium and host country that provided the backdrop for that unforgettable goal was incidentally the same stadium and city that witnessed the ‘Game of the Century’ in 1970 — the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City. Mexico, which was hosting the World Cup for the second time in its history, saw record crowds at the Azteca Stadium for the 1986 quarter-final between Argentina and England.
The goal of the century happened just moments after the infamous ‘Hand of God’ goal, which gave Argentina the lead and incensed the England squad and fans. With the ball off the center mark after the controversial goal, the inimitable Diego Maradona had the world on their feet once again, but this time they were united in awe after witnessing what was later voted by football fans worldwide as FIFA’s World Cup Goal of the Century.
The iconic No10 received the ball inside his own half with England’s Peter Beardsley and Peter Reid in close attendance. In the blink of an eye, he was away from both, pirouetting into space and picking up speed as he accelerated deeper into England territory.
Maradona cut inside Terry Butcher and then skipped past fellow center-back Terry Fenwick on the edge of the box, slaloming beyond Peter Shilton as he raced from his line before sliding the ball home despite last-ditch pressure.
The great man was back at Estadio Azteca three days later for the semi-final with Belgium, when he delivered two further glorious goals. That brilliant brace set up a final meeting with West Germany, where, inevitably, Maradona created the winner, splitting the defense open for Jorge Burrachaga to race through and roll the ball home to seal a dramatic 3-2 triumph.
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