‘Superior technique’ triumphs

Press, 1 July 1986, Page 44

‘Superior technique’ triumphs

NZPA-Reuter Mexico City Argentina’s World Cup victory over West Germany in the Azteca Stadium yesterday will be remembered for its pulsating finish rather than the quality of its play.

The triumph of the 1978 champions was no celebration of soccer as art on a day when Diego Maradona’s genius was often trampled into the impoverished turf of the magnificent arena. In the end, as Carlos Bilardo said, it was a triumph of superior technique and team work. “Our players inspire and perspire,” he said. A heart-stopping final 15 minutes of unexpected drama went some way towards camouflaging the true nature of world soccer’s greatest event, but it could not hide the

fact that six men were cautioned and 45 fouls committed in SO minutes of action.

Maradona, the chunky Argentine forward whose brilliance illuminated his team’s passage to the final, thankfully escaped unhurt and twice provided telling passes in the build-up to Argentina’s goals, including the oblique ball which created Jorge Burruchaga’s winner five minutes from time. But even such crucial contributions were strangely unsatisfying to neutrals who came to worship the finest individual since Pele graced the same ground in Brazil’s 1970 triumph. Ironically, West Germany’s superior tactical acumen was finally undone by defensive errors. “Maradona was not decisive in their win,” said the German manager Franz Beckenbauer. “All

three goals against us came when we were not concentrating.” Apart from these lapses, Beckenbauer’s team, in particular, displayed awe-inspiring efficiency. Lothar Matthaeus stuck to Maradona like an unwanted leach and Karlheinz Foerster followed Jorge Valdano. If either escaped, Ditmar Jakobs was there to intervene.

The Argentine players were nervous and the sweeping runs of Norbert Eder, nominally a defender but allowed to roam, upset their plans until, after 18 minutes of midfield attrition, Maradona was cautioned for arm-waving dissent.

This incident awoke the Argentine spirit and four minutes later, after Matthaeus was booked for a foul on Maradona, the sweeper Jose Luis Brown, headed them in

front from Burruchaga’s free-kick. From then until the interval, Argentina defended its lead, Maradona escaping only once to force a swift intervention by Toni Schumacher. But the German goalkeeper’s customary speed from his line deserted him when both the second and third Argentine goals were scored. After 56 minutes Maradona turned a cunning pass to Hector Enrique, who ran from the condensed midfield to free Valdano and the striker beat the slowly advancing Schumacher with a well placed shot. In desperation, West Germany brought on the 33-year-old Dieter Hoeness for Felix Magath, whose international career thus ended, and risked everything on attack as Argentina imprudently opted to sit on its

advantage.

It could all have ended soon after, however, if Enrique had scored and not been penalised wrongly for being offside. But the Germans rode their luck and in the space of eight minutes drew level from two inswinging corners by Andreas Brehme.

The first in the 74th minute was glanced on by Rudi Voeller for Rummenigge to provide a finishing touch and the second, headed on by a midfielder Thomas Berthold, was placed in the net by the stooping Voeller.

It seemed Carlos Bllardo’s tactics had been undone but in a rash of Maradona-inspired attacks - Argentina came back, Burruchaga running on to a pass from the maestro and striking the final, deadly goal wide of Schumacher.