Peter Anderson looks back over some World Cup tournaments including the 1982 one hosted by Spain.

The first World Cup that I remember was the "Cruyff" World Cup of 1974. I was hooked instantly. Live football on the box every day, foreign players with snazzy names and new heroes to worship. 1978 was a cracker too. We were introduced to Ossie Ardilles and Ricky Villa, not to mention Mario Kempes, tickertape and the fanatical Argie support. The only thing missing from those two world cups was Brazil. My Granda had regaled me with stories of Pele, Jairzinho and Rivelinho. Their goals were replayed on footy programs and I felt cheated that I had missed out on seeing one team entertain the world and change football forever.

Then came Spain '82. The country was in turmoil after the death of the dictator Franco and the painful "La transición" to democracy that saw multiple ETA murders and a failed fascist coup in 1981. Spain needed the World Cup to unite the country and they delivered one to remember. Maybe not for their own national team as they were knocked out by Northern Ireland! Who can forget Billy Hamilton skinning the full back and firing over the cross. The keeper could only parry it to Gerry Armstrong who buried it with aplomb. Adios España! Having Norn Iron in the world cup and doing well in it made the experience so much sweeter, but it was Brazil who really lit up the competition.

My Granda used to buy me the magazine Shoot/Goal every week, and a month or so before the world cup kicked off they ran an article on Zico, "the new Pele". For the first time since 1970 Brazil had a team of genuine contenders. Zico, we were informed, was the best player in the world and was ably supported by Socrates and Falcao. These were the days when we didn't see South American footballers in the UK and only a few in Italy or Spain. This Brazil team were going to restore Brazilian pride and win the World Cup. I was beside myself with excitement. 

In the first group stage we were treated to them beating the Soviets then thumping the Jocks and New Zealand. 10 goals in three games. Then they were put into the "group of death" with their bitter rivals, Argentina, and Italy. In the first game the Azzurri beat the Argies and in the second Brazil beat them too, leaving the final game between Italy and Brazil to decide who progressed. The actual game has gone down in world cup history as a classic, with many pundits proclaiming it as their favourite ever game. Italy took the lead with a Paolo Rossi goal, what happened next was breath taking: Socrates picked up the ball in his own half, strode forward and passed the ball forward to Zico, then continued his run. Zico performed a "Cruyff style turn" and flicked the ball into the path of the advancing Socrates. The turn and pass were exquisite and took out several Italian defenders. Socrates controlled the ball then beat Zoff at his near post. 

In a few seconds Zico and Socrates had produced a true work of art and levelled the game. I jumped and danced and whooped like an eejit! Zoff had the last laugh though as his saves thwarted the excellent South Americans, Rossi got his hat-trick and the Azzuri won out 3-2 in the end. What a game. Two giants of the game had fought to the final whistle and produced a modern-day classic.

That Socrates goal remains my favourite to this day. Sure there are many sublime goals but for a young teenager in Northern Ireland brought up on stories of Pele and Brazilian flair this goal brought a moment of pure joy. It is impossible to explain to those who don't love the beautiful game what feelings it conjures up inside us, but games and goals like these, watched with family and friends, produce the sweetest of enduring memories.



Peter Anderson is a Unionist with a keen interest in sports.

That Socrates Goal

Peter Anderson looks back over some World Cup tournaments including the 1982 one hosted by Spain.

The first World Cup that I remember was the "Cruyff" World Cup of 1974. I was hooked instantly. Live football on the box every day, foreign players with snazzy names and new heroes to worship. 1978 was a cracker too. We were introduced to Ossie Ardilles and Ricky Villa, not to mention Mario Kempes, tickertape and the fanatical Argie support. The only thing missing from those two world cups was Brazil. My Granda had regaled me with stories of Pele, Jairzinho and Rivelinho. Their goals were replayed on footy programs and I felt cheated that I had missed out on seeing one team entertain the world and change football forever.

Then came Spain '82. The country was in turmoil after the death of the dictator Franco and the painful "La transición" to democracy that saw multiple ETA murders and a failed fascist coup in 1981. Spain needed the World Cup to unite the country and they delivered one to remember. Maybe not for their own national team as they were knocked out by Northern Ireland! Who can forget Billy Hamilton skinning the full back and firing over the cross. The keeper could only parry it to Gerry Armstrong who buried it with aplomb. Adios España! Having Norn Iron in the world cup and doing well in it made the experience so much sweeter, but it was Brazil who really lit up the competition.

My Granda used to buy me the magazine Shoot/Goal every week, and a month or so before the world cup kicked off they ran an article on Zico, "the new Pele". For the first time since 1970 Brazil had a team of genuine contenders. Zico, we were informed, was the best player in the world and was ably supported by Socrates and Falcao. These were the days when we didn't see South American footballers in the UK and only a few in Italy or Spain. This Brazil team were going to restore Brazilian pride and win the World Cup. I was beside myself with excitement. 

In the first group stage we were treated to them beating the Soviets then thumping the Jocks and New Zealand. 10 goals in three games. Then they were put into the "group of death" with their bitter rivals, Argentina, and Italy. In the first game the Azzurri beat the Argies and in the second Brazil beat them too, leaving the final game between Italy and Brazil to decide who progressed. The actual game has gone down in world cup history as a classic, with many pundits proclaiming it as their favourite ever game. Italy took the lead with a Paolo Rossi goal, what happened next was breath taking: Socrates picked up the ball in his own half, strode forward and passed the ball forward to Zico, then continued his run. Zico performed a "Cruyff style turn" and flicked the ball into the path of the advancing Socrates. The turn and pass were exquisite and took out several Italian defenders. Socrates controlled the ball then beat Zoff at his near post. 

In a few seconds Zico and Socrates had produced a true work of art and levelled the game. I jumped and danced and whooped like an eejit! Zoff had the last laugh though as his saves thwarted the excellent South Americans, Rossi got his hat-trick and the Azzuri won out 3-2 in the end. What a game. Two giants of the game had fought to the final whistle and produced a modern-day classic.

That Socrates goal remains my favourite to this day. Sure there are many sublime goals but for a young teenager in Northern Ireland brought up on stories of Pele and Brazilian flair this goal brought a moment of pure joy. It is impossible to explain to those who don't love the beautiful game what feelings it conjures up inside us, but games and goals like these, watched with family and friends, produce the sweetest of enduring memories.



Peter Anderson is a Unionist with a keen interest in sports.

27 comments:

  1. Peter - I remember that goal so well. One of my all time favourites. Exquisite and sheer perfection of interplay.
    Brazil were in the 78 and and 74 World Cups. They were unlucky in 78 and would have been the finalists only for Argentina's 6-0 defeat of Peru. I remember very little of Villa during that - tournament - think he was a sub. The game against France is in my view the best I have ever seen.
    I watched as much of the 74 finals as possible, including the final, while a 16 year old in the canteen of A3 in Crumlin Road Jail. I was disappointed for the Dutch side.

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  2. AM

    Yes I didn't make that clear enough. Brazil were in both those world cups but were not the all conquering Brazil of previous WCs.

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  3. When I see these old clips of great players and teams that I remember so well I actually feel sorry for the youth of today, people of my vintage were spoiled with the array of talent on view and we had our very own Belfast Boy and N Ireland provided great entertainment against all the odds in 82 The 60’s 70’s and 80’s was my era some of the best footballers ever played then. Maradona had his own final never will we see his likes again. Has football gone into decline not sure the 90’s had Gazza and Rep of Ireland got into the Euro’s and World cups for the first time? Spain had a great team with superman Sergio Ramos. Messi and Ronaldo had great skills but neither have ever fully reached the bar set by the greats before them and what for the future well I can’t name any greats at the moment but hopefully that will change.

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    1. Let's see how cheat Ramos does V Pool in the 🆑. Revenge dish is best served ice cold # Bon appetit 😝

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    2. Ronan - ever time Mo dives he is cheating. Not sure what all the complaining is about.

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    3. AM,

      Was that sarcasm because the world knows Ramos intended to take Salah out of that game. He'll be long retired before he admits it though.

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    4. Steve - I don't know. I think he got the bonus of taking him out but the challenge while a foul didn't look to me as one designed to take him out: certainly to hamper him. It was nothing like, say, the one that took Maradona out by Andoni Goikoetxea

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    5. AM,

      Are you crazy? Ramos knew exactly what he was doing and meant to get Liverpool's main threat out of the game. He's a complete and utter c**t and well known for it.

      I've just watched that tackle on Diego that you mentioned, didn't look that bad, late certainly.

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    6. Steve - you could be right. All down to interpretation. His red card history suggests a dirty player. But I didn't see what he did on the night as being among the worst things done on a pitch, disappointing as it was. And you don't see the tackle on Maradona as looking that bad whereas I found it atrocious.

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    7. I just went back and looked at both out of curiosity. The foul against Maradona was blatant - a take him out of the game intent seems pretty clear. Ramos would have to be a genius to calculate that his foul would take Salah out even of he hoped it would. Seemed to me it was more of an attempt to haul him down rather than maul him. Salah fell awkwardly.

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  4. Peter

    You wax so lyrically about that Socrates goal and the best winners that the World Cup never had and rightfully so!

    One small but significant error. When Norn Iron beat Spain on that memorable Friday night in Valencia (I was there and GAWA's World Cup performance in Espana 82 and their successes throughout the 1980s was a excellent salve for Leeds United's relegation and misery throughout that decade) they did not knock the hosts out of their own tournament; both NI and Spain proceeded to the next stage on the top two in their group.

    You may remember Kevin Keegan's last game for England against Spain in the Bernabeau stadium in that World Cup; he missed an easy header which could have sent England into the semis.

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    1. Spain were a serious disappointment in that competition. West Germany should have gone out in the semis - the attack on Battison by Schumacher was vicious, and the arrogance in the wake of it nauseating.

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  5. I remember that soccer world cup

    Yes, it was a shame the elimination of Brazil of the great Socrates (who by the way was a well-known leftist who starred in the interesting experience of Corinthian democracy, when the players and workers self-managed Corinthians FC).

    I do not remember that Spain was united in anything, it has never been a country. What the author calls 'murders' of ETA were part of a conflict in which ETA killed Spanish police and military, yes, but between 1975 and 1983, after the death of the fascist dictator and already in supposed democracy, there were 591 deaths due to political violence, the vast majority by the armed forces of the state and extreme right-wing groups, and their victims left wing militants, trade unionists and basque activists.

    The Catalans and Basques celebrate, as we always do, the elimination of Spain by Northern Ireland (even knowing that it was a somewhat artificial selection)

    Besides Socrates and Zico, I remember a very good selection from Poland, and the Italian Paolo Rossi

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  6. The Dutch team were experts at long shots ; check out the two that beat Italy in the semis. Also, look out for one scored by Brazil in the third place play off # Both 1978

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    1. Dino Zoff glanced to his side as the kick was being taken and the ball was in the back of the net!! But there was no semis in the tournament Ronan. There were two league stages if I recall and the winners of the second stage leagues met in the final.

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  7. AM

    Plus the Anschluss with Austria which prevented the progression of Algeria.

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    1. that has to be one of the most boring games in history - once the Germans got the goal they needed the two sides passed it back and forward. Austria needed to prevent conceding three goals to progress. German just needed a victory

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  8. Black Cat

    When you plant no-warning bombs in Atocha and Chamartin stations and 7 people die (one being a young German student), then we can safely call those "murders".

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  9. Did ROI and the Dutch do similar

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  10. I do love these posts keep them coming Peter GAWA!

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  11. Good result the night. Ran the mighty Luxembourg close

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    1. You would see a better game on the local green. One benefit of Covid-19 is that we did not have to pay in to see it. It will be a long time before Kenny builds that team.
      Will they give him time?

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  12. I can't see Kenny surviving this. For me sometimes the sacking of a manager papers over the cracks. There's a complete lack of creativity and talent. Should they persevere with him? See if he can mould a team? I don't know, it's been a horrible start.

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    1. It has been a terrible start but they were not that great when he arrived. My son who used to cry when they lost would not even come downstairs to look at them. I had to suffer it on my own. I would like to see him get the time to try and turn things around. They are lightweight upfront and the passing ability of some of the midfielders mean that it will require consistent acts of individual creativity on the front line to both make the chance and convert it. A big ask. But there is little in the way of assists.
      That said, I am not really all that interested in them. I just don't think Kenny deserves to go down as the worst Ireland manager ever.
      But for long can it hold?

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  13. I thought he was a good appointment, under O'Neill we were over reliant on set pieces and I felt he could bring more in open play. You can only piss with the cock you've got as they say and I don't see where the creativity comes from.

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    1. that seems right. I don't think he has any option but to bring younger players in. The keeper last night made a good start although I was not always convinced by his sense of positioning and thought he got away with it once or twice and could have been punished by a stronger side. If they get rid of Kenny, I think it is their loss.

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