Italy wins again

Press, 12 June 1978, Page 28

Italy wins again

NZPA-Reuter Buenos Aires Italy beat Argentina, 1-0, in a Group 1 match on Saturday, reinforcing the growing belief that a European team can win soccer’s World Cup in South America for the first time.

When the tournament started, Argentina and the three-times winners, Brazil, looked capable of turning back the European challenge. Argentina may still be able to, but Brazil have all but fallen by the wayside. Argentina was handicapped on Saturday by the absence of its injured sriker, Leopoldo Luoue, but there was no doubting the quality of Italy’s play. While showing its traditional resilience in defence, Italy also looked good in attack. Roberto Bettega has formed a deadly partnership with the new young striker, Paolo Rossi, and it was this pair that combined for Bettega to net the deciding goal in the sixtv-seventh minute. The 80,000 fans in the River Plate Staduim, mostly Argentinians, were stunned. As Italy and Argentina now go into different secondround groups, a return clash in the final on June 25 is a distinct possibility. Earlier, France beat Hungary. 3-1, in a match which decided the bottom two places in group 1. In Group 2 the champions, West Germany, qualified for the second round but were given a fright in a goaiess draw with Tunisia, the shock team of the competition. Poland clinched the other qualifying place from Group 2, but also had anxious moments in their 3-1 victory over a revitalised Mexico. Poland topped the group with five points, one more than West Germany.

But it was Tunisia which stole the glory, turning on a performance at Cordoba which must rank among the greatest in World Cup history.

Tunisia had earlier become the first African representative to win a match in World Cup finals when they beat Mexico, 3-1, but even this was dwarfed by their feat in holding the mighty Germans.