On this day 7 July 1974 (Exactly 46 years ago today) Striker Gerd Müller scored 43rd minute winner as West Germany beat the Netherlands 2-1 to win their second FIFA World Cup title.
This was the tournament of Total Football, a showcase for the majestic talents of Johan Cruyff and Franz Beckenbauer, who shone in the spotlight vacated by Pele, leading their respective Dutch and West German sides through to a Final showdown in Munich on 7 July 1974.
As against Ferenc Puskas’s Magnificent Magyars 20 years earlier, it was West Germany who emerged triumphant, coming from behind to claim their second world crown at the expense of the favourites.
It was a Final that began in sensational fashion. The Netherlands, who had scored 14 goals and conceded just one in six games previously, went in front before the Germans had even touched the ball. Cruyff, the waif-like wizard in the No14 shirt, set off on a dribble from the centre circle, stopped only by a foul from Uli Hoeness in the penalty box. The first spot-kick in a FIFA World Cup tournament final. With little over a minute on the clock, Johan Neeskens made it 1-0.
The Dutch were toying with their rivals like a cat with a mouse but on 25 minutes the Germans, their pride piqued, regained parity as Paul Breitner converted another penalty after Bernd Hoelzenbein had gone down under Wim Jansen’s challenge.
With Berti Vogts managing to contain Cruyff, Gerd Muller, Golden Shoe winner four years earlier, then ensured West Germany’s name would be the first etched on to the new FIFA World Cup Trophy when, two minutes before the break, he turned on a Rainer Bonhof cross and shot low past Jan Jongbloed.
The solid-gold statuette that West Germany captain Beckenbauer held aloft, a replacement for the Jules Rimet Cup that Brazil had retained after 1970, was not the only novelty of Germany 1974.
There was a change of format, a second stage comprising two groups of four replacing the traditional knockout route of quarter-finals and semi-finals.
NB: The tournament marked the first time that the current trophy, the FIFA World Cup Trophy, created by the Italian sculptor Silvio Gazzaniga, was awarded.
The previous trophy, the Jules Rimet Trophy, had been won for the third time by Brazil in 1970 and awarded permanently to the Brazilians. This was the first out of three World Cups to feature two rounds of group stages.
Elsewhere;
On this day 7 July 2019(Exactly a year ago today) The United States won the FIFA Women’s World Cup for a record fourth time as they eventually overpowered the Netherlands in Lyon.
Megan Rapinoe’s penalty and Rose Lavelle’s fine run and finish gave the defending champions a 2:0 victory in the second half, after resilient first-half defending from the Dutch.
Veteran winger Rapinoe’s calmly-slotted opener came from a spot-kick awarded after a video assistant referee (VAR) review, at the end of a tournament in which the system had been a major talking point.
Barcelona defender Stefanie van der Gragt’s high boot caught USA striker Alex Morgan and French referee Stephanie Frappart pointed to the spot after assessing replays, and the holders did not look back after taking the lead.
The European champions, reaching the final in only their second World Cup, kept the favourites at bay in the first half as former Arsenal goalkeeper Sari van Veenendaal produced four excellent saves.
But the USA, playing in their third consecutive final, continued their reign as the world’s finest side as they added to their titles of 1991, 1999 and 2015.
Rapinoe’s goal also meant she won the Golden Boot after finishing with six goals and three assists, while she also took the Golden Ball award for the tournament’s best player.
On this day 7 July 1992 (Exactly 28 years ago today) In South Africa’s first ever FIFA sanctioned match, Bafana Bafana, South Africa’s national soccer team, beat Cameroon 1-0 in an international friendly game at King’s Park Stadium in Durban.
Although it was friendly match, it marked the return and integration of South Africa into the sport of soccer after decades of isolation due to Apartheid.
Theophilus Doctorson Khumalo, popularly known as Doctor Khumalo scored a penalty on the 82nd producing the only winning goal of the match. Amongst other players were Steve Khomphela, Lucas Radebe, David Nyathi and Mark Anderson
The match was made possible through logistical arrangements with other African countries. South African airways did not have landing rights in West Africa, nor could any airline from West Africa land in South Africa due soured relations between African government and the Apartheid regime. Thus, a plane was chartered from Botswana to fetch the players from Cameroon.
On this day 7 July 2019 (Exactly a year ago today)Gabriel Jesus scored once, assisted another goal, was sent off and pushed the VAR monitor as Brazil won a first Copa America title in 12 years, beating Peru 3-1.
Jesus set up Everton to volley in the opener before scoring the second.
Paolo Guerrero had briefly given Peru hope when he equalised from the penalty spot minutes before Jesus struck.
Jesus was shown a second yellow with 20 minutes left but Richarlison’s late penalty sealed the win.
Victory will have been a huge relief for Jesus, who was in tears when he was sent off, kicking a water bottle and then pushed the VAR monitor as he left the pitch.
“I want to apologise,” he said later. “I could have avoided it and I also need to grow up a lot.”
It is the ninth time Brazil have won the Copa America and is their first tournament success since winning a gold medal at the 2016 Olympics.
The victory also maintained their record of winning the Copa America every time they have hosted it
BY: GEORGE ‘Alan Green’ MAHAMAH