NHC World cup classics

[Lancs Harp]

Your nominations? I'll refrain as an Englishman to say that game iin '66. I'll nominate Italy 3 Brazil 2 in 1982.

There should be many many matches to consider.

[Broken Gnome]

Germany 0-2 Italy 2006.

If extending it to the Euros, then clearly the best game ever played was Holland 2 Czechs 3 in 2004.

[MWHIBBIES]

First game of the 2006 wc, Germany 4 Costa Rica 2, was my first taste of the world cup. Fantastic game, Lahm and Frings scored incredible goals.

[Pretty Boy]

2014. Germany 7 Brazil 1.

Ok so it was far from a vintage Brazil team but Germany were absolutely ruthless. It was a masterclass and they stamped their authority as the best international team on the planet that night. The best team might not always win the WC but in 2014 they undoubtedly did.

[Lancs Harp]

That 7-1 game was a pretty amazing game. Germany so good, Brazil so Hearts 73

[Hibs1969]

Brazil 4 Italy 1, Mexico 1970. The greatest WC final won by the greatest WC team ever. Mind you, the Brazilians of 1982 were a very fine side and if elegance and skill were enough to win a competition, they would have strolled to a win that year.

[JohnM1875]

Brazil 1 - 7 Germany. Never been more shocked at a result in my life!

[BoomtownHibees]

Argentina 0-1 Cameroon

Opening game of Italia 90. The “minnows” of Cameroon beating the team that made it to the final. A team filled with players such as Maradona and Cannigia.

The game is one of my earliest memories of watching football on the telly. Also had a highlights video of World Cup 90 and a massive sticker album.

This particular game also had one of the worst tackles I’ve ever seen on Cannigia after he had skipped over 3 or 4 prior to getting taken out waist high.

[Jackh]

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Argentina 0-1 Cameroon

Opening game of Italia 90. The “minnows” of Cameroon beating the team that made it to the final. A team filled with players such as Maradona and Cannigia.

The game is one of my earliest memories of watching football on the telly. Also had a highlights video of World Cup 90 and a massive sticker album.

This particular game also had one of the worst tackles I’ve ever seen on Cannigia after he had skipped over 3 or 4 prior to getting taken out waist high.

Why did Argentina open Italia 90?

[My_Wife_Camille]

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Why did Argentina open Italia 90?

They were the winners of the previous tournament. I think Germany 06 was only the first to be opened by the hosts

[Pretty Boy]

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They were the winners of the previous tournament. I think Germany 06 was only the first to be opened by the hosts

Yep always used to be the holders who opened the tournament hence why Scotland played in the opening game v Brazil in 98.

[CropleyWasGod]

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Yep always used to be the holders who opened the tournament hence why Scotland played in the opening game v Brazil in 98.

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They were the winners of the previous tournament. I think Germany 06 was only the first to be opened by the hosts

When I was a lad, it was the hosts who opened it.

66, 70, 74 were all like that.

[Pagan Hibernia]

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Argentina 0-1 Cameroon

Opening game of Italia 90. The “minnows” of Cameroon beating the team that made it to the final. A team filled with players such as Maradona and Cannigia.

The game is one of my earliest memories of watching football on the telly. Also had a highlights video of World Cup 90 and a massive sticker album.

This particular game also had one of the worst tackles I’ve ever seen on Cannigia after he had skipped over 3 or 4 prior to getting taken out waist high.

This was my first World Cup also, and still my favourite. So many memorable moments. The assault on caniggia that you mentioned, Roger Milla’s dance, valderrama’s hair, frank rijkard spitting at Rudi Voller, Maradona beautifully setting up Caniggia to beat Brazil after the Brazilians had dominated the game, wild eyed Schillachi coming from nowhere to be the tournaments top scorer, Gascoigne’s tears, Maradona’s tears after the final, the Argentinians losing the plot and ending up with 9 men, and of course Pavarotti’s booming voice providing the soundtrack to the whole thing. The less said about Scotland’s performance the better but no World Cup has come close for me since. Ironic that football purists think it’s one of the worst tournaments of all time. Just shows the power of nostalgia.

[nellio]

Ireland 1 Italy 0 USA 94.

[Billy Whizz]

The 3-2 Italy v Brazil game in the 80’s World Cup was some gs ev

[Dr What If?]

Controversial one here but here goes....Brazil 4 Scotland 1 1982. We were not bad back then but Brazil were wow, the last great ginga style Brazil team. Other than that there was the Maradona show in the 2-0 game against Belgium in 86 or more recently the France 3 Brazil 0 final in 1998.

[Viva_Palmeiras]

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Controversial one here but here goes....Brazil 4 Scotland 1 1982. We were not bad back then but Brazil were wow, the last great ginga style Brazil team. Other than that there was the Maradona show in the 2-0 game against Belgium in 86 or more recently the France 3 Brazil 0 final in 1998.

There was an article in the Sunday Times with Alan Rough quizzed about how he would tackle Branco’s freekick. Easy another man on the wall. Well that didn’t really work out did it :) still rooted to the spot as it hit the back of the net iirc. They viewed the Russian game as “Le Crunch” and it turned out that way... :(

[Smartie]

That one when Maradona scored the header against England.

I forget the details, I was young at the time.

[Pete]

England v Argentina in 1998.

Edge of seat stuff.

[Lancs Harp]

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England v Argentina in 1998.

Edge of seat stuff.

I was there Pete, suffering from heat stroke after an afternoon the previous day exploring the roman ruins of nearby Lyon.

Was a great game, could easily have gone either way.

[theonlywayisup]

Holland 2 Scotland 3

Best Scotland team in my lifetime - we all thought we would win the World Cup.

[Deansy]

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Your nominations? I'll refrain as an Englishman to say that game iin '66. I'll nominate Italy 3 Brazil 2 in 1982.

There should be many many matches to consider.

My favourite WC game, too - despite the result !. (never liked the Italian obsession with defensive-football/cynical-play) Years later, on Portobello-beach of all places, I had the honour of meeting Socrates (captain and scorer for Brazil in that game) who was in Scotland promoting some football-tournament. Even though I was in my late 30's/early 40's, I was like a nervous wee-laddie as I waited to meet him and shake his hand ! Class player !

[hibsbollah]

Italy 3 Brazil 2 in Espana '82. Extended to the Euros, France 4 Portugal 3 in 84 I think.

[Monts]

Portugal v Holland in the 2006 semi final

4 players sent off I think, and Portugal held on for a 1 0 win to reach the final

[MWHIBBIES]

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Portugal v Holland in the 2006 semi final

4 players sent off I think, and Portugal held on for a 1 0 win to reach the final

Battle of Nuremberg. Was the quarter final I believe.

[Pretty Boy]

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Battle of Nuremberg. Was the quarter final I believe.

Players didn’t help but the ref totally lost the plot. I remember Deco and Van Bronckhorst who were both at Barcelona at the time sitting together after being sent off laughing about it.

It wa the last 16, Portugal beat England in the quarter final. The famous Ronaldo wink game.

[Monts]

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Players didn’t help but the ref totally lost the plot. I remember Deco and Van Bronckhorst who were both at Barcelona at the time sitting together after being sent off laughing about it.

It wa the last 16, Portugal beat England in the quarter final. The famous Ronaldo wink game.

You're right, it was the last 16. I should've known since Portugal weren't in the final.

[Mibbes Aye]

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Italy 3 Brazil 2 in Espana '82. Extended to the Euros, France 4 Portugal 3 in 84 I think.

That Euros was the first one I remember watching. France beat Portugal 3-2 in the semi-finals, with Michel Platini scoring the winner IIRC. Platini was a god to me in those days. I used to go to an Italian barbers and they were massive Juve fans, with posters and pictures on the wall, and copies of World Club Soccer on the table. It was a good schooling in continental football

If we are citing the Euros then it would be remiss not to mention the 1998 final and Marco Van Basten’s goal.

[hibsbollah]

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That Euros was the first one I remember watching. France beat Portugal 3-2 in the semi-finals, with Michel Platini scoring the winner IIRC. Platini was a god to me in those days. I used to go to an Italian barbers and they were massive Juve fans, with posters and pictures on the wall, and copies of World Club Soccer on the table. It was a good schooling in continental football

If we are citing the Euros then it would be remiss not to mention the 1998 final and Marco Van Basten’s goal.

Platini, Giresse, Tigana, Fernández. Possibly the best midfield ever.

[Mibbes Aye]

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Platini, Giresse, Tigana, Fernández. Possibly the best midfield ever.

The mark of a great side is that you don’t have to look up the midfield to remind yourself, it just rolls of the tongue.

They also had a rather natty strip, it’s not often a blue top is appealing but theirs had some panache, as did the white one.

I’m torn between that midfield and the Brazil one of two years earlier. The French line-up is a recognisable midfield four, albeit with one of the greatest players the world has seen and three other very accomplished midfielders.

The Brazilian side wasn’t as tactically well-defined. Serginho played up front but in front of the back four the rest seemed pretty fluid - Cerezo and Falcao were recognisable central midfielders but Zico, Socrates and Éder seemed to have more freedom, especially Sócrates who would languidly stroll about, socks at his ankles, before receiving the ball and pinging a slide-rule pass or a postage stamp shot with a level of insouciance that was utterly alien to his European opponents.