Following on from Maradona steering Argentina to the 2010 World Cup (just), we look back at how his team got on in South Africa. Although there were some notable absentees from the World Cup squad, Maradona had a highly-talented team, with some sparkling attacking players, most notably Lionel Messi. Argentina shone at times, winning their group with a 100% record and playing some of the most stylish football of the group stages. Maradona was his usual colourful self, providing great quotes for the press. Yet, Messi’s inability to get on the scoresheet, doubts about the midfield balance and doubts about the defence, would all come together in a disastrous quarter-final against Germany. The limitations of Maradona’s management were brutally exposed and the attitude of Argentinian fans towards Messi would go from indifferent to outright distaste.
Argentina National Anthem is from https://nationalanthems.info/
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In part one of a two-party story, we look back at Diego Maradona’s chaotic tenure as Argentina’s manager. Following Argentina’s struggles in the early stages of qualification for the 2010 World Cup, the Argentine FA turned to their old hero. Maradona, whose life since USA ’94, had been a spiral of drugs, drink, abortive comebacks, failed management attempts and near-death experiences, wasback as the leader of his nation. The fears over Maradona’s temperament and ability were initially glossed over but alarm bells started to ring after a catastrophic 6-1 defeat against Bolivia, which ushered in a sequence of poor results, as Argentina – a team packed with talented attacking players – slipped towards World Cup failure. Maradona’s inability to get a tune out of his natural successor, Lionel Messi, was a problem throughout the campaign – the‘father’ of Argentina continued to be loved but his introverted ‘son’ was viewed with indifference and even hostility by Argentina fans, who felt he was too Barcelona-centric. Then, with Argentina on the brink of disaster, they were saved by a striker who had been in the international wilderness for a decade.
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In this episode, we look back at the Maracanaço – the decisive match of the 1950 World Cup, a match bound up with myths and legends. Brazil – the host nation and the hot favourites – playing in front of a packed Maracanã Stadium,needed only a draw against Uruguay to lift the Jules Rimet Cup.
With Europe ravaged by war, Brazil were awarded the hosting rights for 1950. They met the challenge by building the biggest stadium in the world, which they hoped would be the site of their team’s coronation.
Flavio Costa’s free-scoring team romped through the tournament, winning their first round group, then scoring thirteen goals in the first two games of the final group stage. The hype reached monumental proportions in the build-up to the decisive match with Uruguay, with Rio in carnival mode, newspapers and politicians declaring Brazil as victors, and fans desperately scrambling to get tickets. Yet, it wasn’t alright on the night. Brazil took the lead but thisheightened the team’s sense of panic, not knowing whether to stick or twist. Uruguay – a fine, underrated team, with several world class players – rallied and scored twice, to dash the cup from Brazil’s lips.
The result was a seismic shock, plunging the nation into mourning and provoking a long-running fallout, which brought Brazil’s issues of race and inferiority roaring back to the surface, as well as spawning an iconic kit.
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It’s time to revise and expand on a topic that was covered in the series one episode “The Carnival is Over”. It’s the summerof 1970 and England are the reigning World Champions. The Three Lions are one of the most feared and respected sides in world football. Some of the stalwarts of 1966 – Gordon Banks, Bobby Moore, Alan Ball, Martin Peters, Geoff Hurst – are regarded as having improved. Sir Alf Ramsey, England's inscrutable manager, has brought in a clutch of new faces – Keith Newton, Brian Labone, Terry Cooper, Alan Mullery, Francis Lee, Colin Bell.
England have to cope with the Mexican heat and high altitude. There is also Latin American hostility and conspiracy theories, a hangover from 1966 when England were accused of ‘fixing’ the tournament in favour of European teams and against South American teams. A stopover in Colombia goes disastrously wrong when Bobby Moore is arrested after being accused of stealing a bracelet.
England start their campaign with a robust match against Romania. Then comes the epic, iconic match against Brazil. It is widely assumed that this will be a dress rehearsal for the final. England conclude their group programme with a dull game against Czechoslovakia. After that is the quarter-final against West Germany, another memorable epic where Banks misses out due to food poisoning, but England seem to be cruising to victory at 2-0 before it all goes wrong.
Meanwhile back home, Harold Wilson, the Prime Minister, is on the campaign trail, seeking to repeat his own success from 1966 by leading the Labour Party to another general election victory. After four turbulent years, Labour have move ahead of Edward Heath’s Conservative Party in the opinion polls. However, the World Cup is preying on Wilson’s mind. A populist and a keen football fan, Wilson is taken with a “mystical symbiosis” between the government’s fortunes and those of the England team. He asks his Cabinet colleagues to consider the political ramifications if England were to be knocked out of the World Cup, shortly before polling day. Wilson's relaxed campaign seems to chime with the public mood. Labour maintains a consistent lead in the opinion polls, victory seems assured but just four days before the vote, England are knocked out of the World Cup…
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This month, we revisit the epic last 16 match between England and Argentina from France 98. It was a match layered with history – the ‘Animals’ game from 1966, the Hand of God in 1986, not to mention the Falklands War.
England, managed by Glenn Hoddle (a veteran of 1986) had already had a campaign full of talking points – Eileen Drewery the faith healer, the axing of Gazza from the final squad, the omission of David Beckham from the Tunisia match, and the belated use of Michael Owen.
Led by Hoddle and his boundless self-confidence, the Three Lions faced an Argentina side, managed by Daniel Passarella (the winning captain from 1978). Argentina, with a 100% record and a defence that hadn’t conceded a goal yet in the World Cup, were packed with superstars – Batistuta, Veron, Ortega, Zanetti et al.
On paper, it was a promising game and it turned out to be an electrifying classic, great goals, great drama, heroic individual performances, an infamous red card followed by an infamous fallout, and, as always with England, a penalty shootout.
National anthems by https://nationalanthems.info/
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This episode reflects on France’s disastrous World Cup defence in 2002. Roger Lemerre’s team arrived in South Korea as World Champions, European Champions, and Confederations Cup holders. They had Zinedine Zidane in peak form, as well as the golden boot winners from three of Europe’s top leagues. Rarely can there have been such a strong favourite to win a World Cup. What followed was a remarkable capitulation, as France went home without even scoring a goal.
French National Anthem from https://nationalanthems.info/
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Scotland’s qualifying campaign for World Cup 98 was ticking along nicely (absent Estonians notwithstanding). As the campaign reached a climax, Scotland were top of their group and in a good position to reach their first World Cup since 1990. Off the field, change was coming to Scotland. The election of Tony Blair’s New Labour government in May 1997 meant that Scottish voters had been offered a referendum on devolution and were set to overwhelmingly endorse new devolved institutions. As a crucial home match with Belarus approached, the only worry for Craig Brown’s team was a few injuries in the squad. However, the tragic death of Diana, Princess of Wales, in the early hours of 31st August 1997, led to an almighty uproar, which seriously damaged the credibility of Scottish international football, provoked interventions from the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Scotland, and nearly derailed Scotland’s World Cup bid.
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We’re back for Series 5 of World Cup Rambling and we begin by checking in on Scotland, so often the tragic clowns of the World Cup circus. In this episode, we look at the infamous occasion in October 1996 when Scotland faced Estonia in Tallinn. There was just one problem – Estonia didn’t show up. The Scots had trained at the venue, the night before the match, and complained about the poor quality of the floodlights. The kick-off was brought forward and a tense stand-off ensued, as Scotland got ready for the new time whilst Estonia stuck to the original schedule. This meant that Scotland became the “One Team in Tallinn” as they took to the field with the Estonians nowhere to be seen.
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51 games down, one to go – the World Cup Final. It’s a historic occasion. Whoever comes out on top – Italy or Brazil – will be the first nation to win the World Cup four times. Memories of 1970 are evoked but the idea of Brazil’s pragmatic class of ’94 emulating Pelé and co is laughable. Italy, meanwhile, seem to be running out of players, with Roberto Baggio playing despite carrying a hamstring injury that blunts his effectiveness. The much-hyped showdown between Romario and Baggio fails to materialise. The blistering heat is inimical to quality football. The match turns out to be a dull, disappointing climax to a great tournament. It finishes goalless and goes to penalties – a tiebreaking method that almost creates a moral panic from journalists and commentators as the greatest competition in the world is reduced to a shootout.
Italian and Brazilian national anthems are from https://nationalanthems.info/
Thanks for your listening support in 2024.
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I’m joined by Jon Spurling, a football author who has been a fixture on my bookshelf over the last two decades. Some of Jon’s books are “All Guns Blazing: Arsenal in the 80s”, “Top Guns: Arsenal in the 90s”, “Rebels for the Cause: The Alternative History of Arsenal FC”, “Death or Glory: The Dark History of the World Cup” and “Get It On: How the 70s Rocked Football”.
Here we discuss Jon’s latest book, “Go To War: Football on the Brink in the '80s”, which was released on 29th October 2024. We take an overview of a tumultuous decade in the sport, with a specific focus on England’s World Cup campaigns of 1982 and 1986, as Ron Greenwood leads England on a bumpy road back to the international stage, after the lost decade of the 1970s. Then, we discuss Bobby Robson’s first major tournament – Mexico 86 – where his England team was stopped by the Hand (and left foot) of God.
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The penultimate episode of the series and we’ve got the semi-finals. Roberto Baggio produces one of the best individual performances of the tournament, to give Italy a 2-1 victory over Bulgaria in New York. However, it’s a day of mixed fortunes for The Divine Ponytail, as a hamstring injury leaves him in a race against time to make the final. Meanwhile, across in Los Angeles, Romario’s goal finishes off a tired Sweden and gives Brazil a place in the final for the first time since 1970. Playing the semi-finals on the same day on opposite coasts is a self-inflicted error from the American organisers, handing a massive advantage to the winners in Los Angeles. There’s also the third-place play-off, with Sweden signing off in style, finishing as the tournament’s highest scorers and claiming the bronze medal.
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We’ve reached the quarter-finals of USA 94, a set of games which feature dramatic late twists. It’s The Baggio Show in Boston as Italy beat Spain, with Dino opening the scoring and Roberto grabbing a late winner. Brazil unveil a famous celebration but their march to glory is threatened by a Dutch comeback until Branco (liberated from the subs bench) produces a thunderbolt free-kick. Sweden versus Romania is an intriguing battle between two dark horses, with the game exploding into life late in the second half and going all the way to penalties. However, the tournament’s ultimate shock comes at the Giants Stadium where Germany, the reigning World Champions, are sent packing by a double whammy from Bulgaria.
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We're back with the last 16 of USA 94. Klinsmann and Voller come up with the old magic as Germany find their touch. Spain produce a performance that suggests they might finally be ready to end their decades of underachievement (yeah right). Sweden’s Three Amigos – Brolin, Dahlin, Andersson – end Saudi Arabia’s dream run. Romania and Argentina produce a match for the ages. Packie Bonner’s butter fingers end Ireland’s hopes of a second successive quarter-final. Independence Day is memorable in more ways than one as Team USA face the might of Brazil. Roberto Baggio’s divine intervention finally kickstarts Italy’s campaign. Bulgaria break new ground as Mexico break the goal frame. Hanging over the last 16 is the brutal murder of Andres Escobar and arguments over refereeing standards, as some games are plagued by controversial decisions, with FIFA giving several referees their marching orders.
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This month, the group stage of USA 94 reaches a conclusion with many teams jockeying for position. Stefan Effenberg efffectively ends his international career as the Germans have a narrow escape against South Korea, the Group of Death reaches gridlock, Saudi Arabia come up with arguably the goal of the tournament, Oleg Salenko and Roger Milla produce a day of records in San Francisco. However, the real scandal and drama is saved for Group D, where Diego Maradona fails a drug test (a shocking moment yet, with hindsight, almost inevitable) and a pair of injury-time goals completely change the complexion of the final standings.
Thanks for listening. World Cup Rambling will return in September.
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This month we’ve got the second set of group games, which produced some notable matches and moments. Team USA triggering a soccer boom with a victory that will have fatal consequences elsewhere, Roy Hodgson’s swaggering Swiss putting the skids under Romania, a touchline explosion involving Jack Charlton and John Aldridge, Bulgaria ending one of the most embarrassing streaks in World Cup history, Arrigo Sacchi gambling his career with a brave substitution, Diego Maradona equalling the all-time World Cup appearances record, and much more.
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This month we’ll look at the opening pair of matches in each group at USA 94. There was a raft of new laws on tackling, offside and the back pass, which FIFA hoped would liven up the show, after the stodginess of Italia 90. The gaudy opening ceremony, and Diana Ross’s penalty miss (which foreshadowed the climax of the tournament), fuelled the scepticism about taking the World Cup to a country that knew nothing of soccer but everything of crass hype and empty razzmatazz. Yet once the actual football got under way, all the fears fell away. A memorable first set of games saw dark horses Romania stun the much-hyped Colombians, Jack Charlton’s Republic of Ireland enjoy their finest hour, the rise of new forces from Asia, Nigeria’s Super Eagles swooping down in style, Diego Maradona returning in typically exuberant fashion, and much more.
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Series 4 of World Cup Rambling and it's time to get in the DeLorean and go back thirty years for a mammoth odyssey through USA 94 - a very underrated tournament. We start the series by looking at why football (or "soccer") failed to take a hold in the United States, then having a look at the rise and fall of the North American Soccer League, America's failed bid to host the 1986 World Cup and, ultimately, the successful bid to host the 1994 World Cup, with the pitfalls on the path as the American organisers tried to deliver on the promises they made to FIFA. There will also be the customary whistle-stop tour through the 24 finalists.
Thanks to https://nationalanthems.info for the national anthems.
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A snippet of what you have to look forward to in Series 4 of World Cup Rambling, which starts on 2nd March 2024.
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It's time for something very special. We have World Cup Rambling’s first-ever guest. In this episode, I talk to Gary Thacker. Gary is an author and journalist, who has contributed most prominently to These Football Times, but also to other publications. Gary has written numerous books, including “Beautiful Bridesmaids Dressed in Oranje: The Unfulfilled Glory of Dutch Football”, “Out of the Blue: Chelsea’s Unlikely Champions League Triumph” and “Dutch Masters: When Ajax’s Totaalvoetbal Conquered Europe”.
Here we discuss his upcoming book “O Jogo Bonito – Brazil’s 1970 World Cup Samba Party”, which will be released on 12th February 2024. The book looks at Brazil’s iconic World Cup triumph in 1970, as they rebuilt from the ashes of 1966 to become the most famous World Cup winners of all-time, with a beautiful style of play that Brazil have never been able to recapture, despite further World Cup wins in 1994 and 2002.
You can find some of Gary’s excellent work at:
https://thesefootballtimes.co/author/allbluedaze/
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In the final episode of series three, we look at one of the strangest tales in World Cup history – the theft of the Jules Rimet Cup from a stamp exhibition in London in 1966. The holy grail of football has a storied history, carried on an ocean liner to the first World Cup in Uruguay, stashed in a shoebox under a bed during World War Two, before being stolen in London and found by a dog in 1966, then stolen again in Rio de Janeiro in 1983. The story of the London theft resembles an Ealing comedy, a barely believable plot of institutional incompetence, gangland activity, alleged deals, fake names, ransom demands, sting operations, replica trophies, and a heroic dog, all against the backdrop of the UK General Election.
Thank you for all your listening support in 2023.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
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