Posts Tagged Germany
1988 Euro Semi-Final ~ West-Germany vs Holland (10 min. HL)
Posted by 4Dfoot in Highlights on May 13, 2012
On paper, it was just a semi-final. In practise, it was much more than that. As Holland coach Rinus Michels would later declare: “it was the real final”.
Michels’ statement reflects the hatred that the Dutch felt for the Germans at the time. The memory of the Second World War still loomed over Dutch society, and the trauma of the 1974 World Cup final had never healed. Since that epic defeat the Dutch had played against the Germans again and again, always insisting that this time, revenge would be exacted. But they just could not beat those Germans. Those diving, cheating, defensive and lucky Germans, as they saw it.
But maybe this time would be different. After the generation of the 70′s, Holland had fallen from grace as a power in international football. They’d missed the 1982 and 1986 World Cup. But with a new generation of great footballers – Rijkaard, Gullit, Koeman, Van Basten – they’d made their way into Euro 1988. A tournament held in Germany. And after stumbling through the group phase, they were now faced with West-Germany itself. The time to finally settle the score had arrived.
But they’d have to defeat an excellent opponent. The Germany of the mid 80′s had been average at best, despite excellent results, but a new crop of world class players was emerging: Matthaus, Voller, Brehme, Klinsmann. Coached by Franz Beckenbauer – captain of 1974, they’d do anything in their power to once again destroy the Dutch on German soil.
All-Time Germany Best XI
Posted by 4Dfoot in Best of All Time on December 21, 2011
Germany, since the 1950′s, has been the most successful European side by a large margin. The Germans made their way to seven different World Cup finals (1954, 1966, 1974, 1982, 1986, 1990 and 2002), winning the tournament on three occasions. In addition, the Germans won Euro 1972, 1980 and 1996.
Yet for all their success, rarely have the Germans gained a reputation for playing brilliant football. It’s often been said that Germany is the only country that doesn’t need great players to achieve great results. Their work-ethic, discipline and fighting spirit – not individual genius – carries them through to the end.
So what would an All-Time German team look like? Would it match up with the All-Time teams of countries known for their individual talent, such as Brazil, Argentina or Holland? I believe so.
Oliver Kahn ~Titan Kahn (Video)
Posted by 4Dfoot in Player Compilations on December 20, 2011
Aggressive, terrifying, fearsome. Oliver Kahn had something of a wild beast. Yes, like any great goalkeeper Kahn possessed excellent reflexes, but with his crude looks, unkempt hair, titanic frame, terrifying war-cries and overall fearlessness, he was more than just a talented shot stopper. Kahn was, and remains, an icon.
World Cup 1974 Second Group Phase ~ West-Germany vs Sweden (Full Classic Match)
Posted by 4Dfoot in Full Classic Matches on December 7, 2011
There was more to the 1974 World Cup than Total Football. Perhaps the most exciting game of the tournament didn’t feature a single orange-cled player: West-Germany vs Sweden.
Instead it featured the resiliant Swedes (the only team that had managed to keep Holland scoreless) and West-Germany: the home team, the European Champions, and, before the rise of Holland, the favourites to win the tournament.
Expectations for West-Germany had diminshed somewhat after they had been defeated by East-Germany in the first group phase. It was an inconsequential defeat though, as Beckenbauer & Co had already qualified for the second group phase. And to prove they had as much offensive punch as two years earlier during Euro 1972, they were ready to attack Sweden with full force.
2010 World Cup Round of 16 ~ England vs Germany (Full Classic Match)
Posted by 4Dfoot in Full Classic Matches on November 22, 2011
It speaks volumes about the ‘success’ of English football that for the 2010 World Cup, English tabloids had to go all the way back to the 1966 final to remind their readers of what it’s like to win a big game.
The simple fact is that England, since 1966, has never beaten a major nation in a World Cup KO match. Meetings with Brazil, Argentina or Portugal have inevitably resulted in disaster for the English.
But the country that has really become England’s angstgegner is Germany. The very same Germany that was defeated by England in 1966, has since embarked on a long run of revenge, with 1970, 1972, 1990 and 1996 all featuring crucial German victories.
But that was in the 20th century.
Read the rest of this entry »
1988 Euro Semi-Final ~ West-Germany vs Holland (Full Classic Match)
Posted by 4Dfoot in Full Classic Matches on November 14, 2011
On paper, it was just a semi-final. In practise, it was much more than that. As Holland coach Rinus Michels would later declare: “it was the real final”.
Michels’ statement reflects the hatred that the Dutch felt for the Germans at the time. The memory of the Second World War still loomed over Dutch society, and the trauma of the 1974 World Cup final had never healed. Since that epic defeat the Dutch had played against the Germans again and again, always insisting that this time, revenge would be exacted. But they just could not beat those Germans. Those diving, cheating, defensive and lucky Germans, as they saw it.
But maybe this time would be different. After the generation of the 70′s, Holland had fallen from grace as a power in international football. They’d missed the 1982 and 1986 World Cup. But with a new generation of great footballers – Rijkaard, Gullit, Koeman, Van Basten – they’d made their way into Euro 1988. A tournament held in Germany. And after stumbling through the group phase, they were now faced with West-Germany itself. The time to finally settle the score had arrived.
But they’d have to defeat an excellent opponent. The Germany of the mid 80′s had been average at best, despite excellent results, but a new crop of world class players was emerging: Matthaus, Voller, Brehme, Klinsmann. Coached by Franz Beckenbauer – captain of 1974, they’d do anything in their power to once again destroy the Dutch on German soil.
1966 World Cup Final ~ England vs West-Germany (Full Classic Match)
Posted by 4Dfoot in Full Classic Matches on November 5, 2011
England had arrived in the 1966 World Cup final on the back of a few controversial classic matches. The quarter-final against Argentina had been won after the Argentine captain had been inexplicably sent off. The semi-final against Eusebio’s Portugal is still remembered in Lissabon for a streak of dubious decisions by the referee. But regardless of the road that had taken them there, what mattered was that the English were in the final, for the first and last time in World Cup history. Playing on Wembley, with their wingless 4-4-2 diamond formation, featuring Bobby Moore and Bobby Charlton, only one outcome was acceptable to the English. The same one as 21 years earlier: Victory.
They faced a solid German side, however. Captained by the experienced forward Uwe Seeler, the Germans had knocked out Spain, Uruguay and the Soviet-Union with a more traditional 4-2-4, where the young Franz Beckenbauer (20) and Wolfgang Overath (22) were tasked to run the midfield. While undoubtedly talented, perhaps their days of glory would come into the future.
Forgotten Footballer ~ Mario Sergio
Posted by 4Dfoot in Articles, Player Compilations on October 24, 2011
Some great players will be remembered for decades to come. Other great players are quickly forgotten. And then there are great players who were never famous in the first place. Mario Sergio belongs to that latter category. Spending his entire career in South America, and not being called up for any World Cup, he never featured on the radar of football fans in Europe.
Except once.
Fans of the European Cup winners Hamburger SV might recall him. When HSV took on Gremio in the 1983 Intercontinental Cup, the Germans would have noticed an aged, stocky, slightly balding midfielder with a straight posture and a full beard. But there was something else about him that caught the attention.
He never seemed to look down at the ball. Never. And frequently he wouldn’t even look into the direction where he was going to pass or dribble. He’d just gaze into the distance or look the other way, similar to the no-look passes Ronaldinho and Laudrup would later become famous for. But for them, it was a trick they’d use a dozen times per season. For Mario Sergio, it was his standard way of playing. In Brazil, it earned him the nickname the cross-eyed one.
Watch the video 4Dfoot created for this feature to check out Mario Sergio’s skills in the 1983 Intercontinental Cup match between Gremio and Hamburger SV:
There’s no question that his playing style required incredible technique and vision. If the mark of a great player is the ability to keep his eyes off the ball, then Mario Sergio was truly a great footballer.
So why wasn’t he famous? Why has almost nobody outside Brazil ever heard of him? Why didn’t he feature in any World Cup?
1970 World Cup Quarter-Final ~ England vs West-Germany (Full Classic Match)
Posted by 4Dfoot in Full Classic Matches on October 21, 2011
A repeat of the 1966 World Cup final, and almost as dramatic as that memorable encounter. England were as good, if not better, than four years earlier. But the Germans had gotten stronger too. Beckenbauer and Overath were more experienced, and with striker Gerd Müller, the Germans could deploy a dangerous new weapon. And this time, there were no Russian linesmen to aid the English.
1990 World Cup Round of 16 ~ Germany vs Holland (Full Classic Match)
Posted by 4Dfoot in Full Classic Matches on October 18, 2011
The 1990 World Cup may be the worst one of all time, but this game is a true classic, played when the rivalry between the Dutch and Germans was at its height. Only two years before, the Dutch had finally gotten their revenge for the lost final in the 1974 World Cup, by beating Germany in the semi-final of Euro 1988, in the very same stadium where Cruyff & Co had lost fourteen years earlier. Now it was time for the Germans to restore their lost pride. The Dutch had played miserable in the groups, but the sight of their great rival would bring out the best in them – and the worst.
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