Goal-feast hopes as World Cup fever reaches pitch

Press, 24 June 1978, Page 56

Goal-feast hopes as World Cup fever reaches pitch

NZPA-Reuter Buenos Aires 1 The 1978 World Cup soccer tournament heads toward its climax this week- ' end with hopes high that Argentina and the Netherlands will produce a goal feast in tomorrow’s final. The two teams spent Thursday relaxing after the excitement on Wednesday when the last series of matches in the second round decided the finalists. Yesterday the team managers Messrs Ernst Happel (the Netherlands) and Cesar Menotti (Argentina) worked out their strategies. Both teams have shown a refreshing ability to score goals from a wide range of positions and situations and they do not rely on one or two specialist strikers: six players from each team have already scored. The Netherlands has the' joint top scorer in the tournament in Bob Rensenbrink who, with Teofilo Cubillas (Peru), has scored five goals. Argentina’s top two marksmen are Mario Kempes and Leopoldo l

Luque, with four goals each. Whoever wins the World Cup will be a new soccer champion because neither

side has previously won the crown. Argentina’s only previous appearance in the final was in the first tournament in 1930 when it lost 4-2 to Uruguay. 1 The Netherlands reached

the final for the first time in 1974 when it was beaten, ’ 2-1, by West Germany. The only five countries to .have won the cup to date are Brazil (1958. 1962, 1970), Italy (1934, 1938), Uruguay (1930, 1950), West Germany (1954, 1974) and England (1966). The two teams which lost out in Wednesday’s battles to reach the final, Italy and Brazil will meet today in the match for third place. Italy will be without its mid-fielders, Romeo Benetti and Marco Tardelli, both banned for one match after receiving their second caution of the tournament in the game against the Netherlands. Brazil had five players injured in the game against Poland but the manager (Mr Mario Countinho) hopes that ’ all will be fit for the match j with Italy. It will be interesting to I see whether Countinho gives t a final fling to the mid-field, > Star Rivelino, aged 32, who has missed most of the tourI nament because of injury.

He came on as a substitute against Poland and would dearly like to end his World Cup career on the field rather than on the substitute’s bench. The referee for the final will be Mr Sergio Gonella (Italy), while Mr Abraham Klein (Israel), will be in charge of the third-place match.