Random World Cup Facts

1970: Jairzinho (Brazil) is the only player to have scored in every single world cup match for the winning team in a world cup.

 

All the soccer books I've read state that Batista was sent off after 55 seconds. On www.planetworldcup.com it says that Batista was sent off after 56 seconds. I'm assuming that's an official number put out by FIFA but if you actually timed it, that seems to be more convincing? How long ago did you time it though?

At one stage, I was thinking of getting a copy of the Uruguay vs Scotland match on video or DVD. Would it be a waste of money?

Uruguay's line-up in the Scotland clash off fifaworldcup.yahoo.com :

[ 2] GUTIERREZ Nelson
[ 3] ACEVEDO Eduardo
[ 4] DIOGO Victor
[ 6] BATISTA Jose
[ 8] BARRIOS Jorge
[10] FRANCESCOLI Enzo
[11] SANTIN Sergio
[12] ALVEZ Fernando (GK)
[14] PEREIRA Alfonso
[19] RAMOS Venancio
[21] CABRERA Wilmar

 

I was there too! Two days after my 21st birthday. What a wonderful time that was!

I still have the ticket framed surrounded by pins from the event.

 

You can stick to your beliefs on the Italian stereotypes and get brain washed by the media. I honestly won't try to waste my time and discuss Italian history with you which is unlike Croatia's, a country that has been on the map for the last 14 years and on several different occassions previously.

 

Must have been a great day. To attend a soccer match where seven goals are scored is a great privilege.

 

I've probably been to Italy more times than you have, so I don't take you very seriously. I mean, your English is good, so what kind of an Italian are you?!

P.S. This now reminds of World rivalries, and god knows I hate it. Think twice before saying something stupid like "What would you know? Stay in Croatia.", especially as a respons to something beninge like my comment. It makes you look like and stereotipe fed idiot, not me. You didn't expect me turn the other cheek, I hope.

 

Since the 1962 world cup, not any country from south american or any european country has won the world cup twice in a row. The winner keeps switching from south american to european every world cup for 11 straight. It is now europes turn to win in 06. Sorry Brazil and Argentina..history is against you this time.

 

and no country holding the Confederations cup has won the next World Cup after it. Argentina in 1994, Brazil in 1998, France in 2002....

 

I hate World Rivalries. If anyone trys to act mature and civilized there, their actions are beyond daft.

You are not the only Croatian. I was being harsh because what you said is nothing compared what to this other Croatian on BS, aloisius. Ever since Croatia defeated Italy at the last World Cup, most of the Croatians in Melbourne have been rubbing it in. I just ignore them and let them have the glory.

I'll be honest here. I've never been to Italy and I was born in Australia. My dad is Italian and my mum is from the Phillipines.

 

The lowest goal average at a World Cup was at Italia 90, which was 2.21 goals per game.

When West Germany won the 1954 World Cup against the Hungarians, Hungary early in the tornament had thumped the Germans 8-3 in the first round. According to Sepp Herberger, he decided to place a second-string team to face the Hungarians.

 

Don't you mean "benign"?

 

Very mature. Yes, I mean benign. I was too pissed off to check the bloody spelling.

Unless the later post has some connection to this one.

 

The later post is there because I wanted to fix up something. I had put the smiley face there just for fun. If it insulted you, I didn't have any intention of soing so. I have to fix it again. It says:

"I hate World Rivalries too. If anyone trys to act mature and civilized there, their actions are daft."

 

Granted, I haven't viewed the full match in quite a number of years. I remember replaying the tape and timing it immediately after the live broadcast because I was curious to know how fast the sending off was, and I could swear that it was 40 seconds. That's the number I've always had in my head all these years.
I have the video of the match in storage. I'll try and dust it off this weekend and have another go. I'll time it from when the referee first blows for kickoff to the point Quiniou holds aloft the red card.
I remember seeing the ref blow for the foul, and as he was reaching into his pocket with one hand he was gesturing with the other with an index finger pointing towards the tunnel and then displayed the red card a few seconds afterwards. But I'll try and check for certain this weekend.
I also kept a scrapbook of newspaper articles from Mexico 86 and I'll try and locate those to see if any articles list a time for the sending off.


As far as purchasing a copy of the match, unless you're a completest I'd consider it a waste of money. It was a fairly boring encounter with poor finishing by Scotland and rough tactics by Uruguay contributing to the goalless scoreline... although, incredibly enough, Uruguay too wasted a golden opportunity to score in the second half. I think it was Cabrera whose open header from a freekick was brilliantly saved by Leighton.

 

I should do something like that. I went to nine matches total (Stanford and Pasadena) and all the tickets, souvenirs, t-shirts, etc are in a box in storage... probably next to the Uruguay-Scotland video.

 

Those articles would be priceless.

What do you mean when you are talking about a "completest"? Do you mean a die-hard fan who would purchase it just for the sake of having a copy?

I read in a small match summary that it was Cabrera with that header. I also found out that Scotland had only seven shots on target throughout Mexico 86.

 

Yes on the "completest" definition.
I'm actually missing two matches from Mexico 86: Paraguay -v- Iraq and Belgium -v- Iraq. Complicated story on why I wasn't able to videotape those matches, but it had nothing to do with any hatred towards Iraqis. It would be tough to watch those matches today because in the back of my mind I'd be wondering what happened to the team when they arrived back home.
(sorry to get political there - Mod edit if need be).

Only seven?!
I thought Scotland played quite well against West Germany. On that particular day I felt a draw would've been a fair result.

 

I have seen Strachan's goal but not the rest of the match.

I've only seen that in the one book so I don't know if that fact is accurate. Would any of the newspaper articles that you have kept say anything about Scotland's stats?

I've copies of Belgium vs USSR, France vs Brazil and Argentina vs West Germany on video. What other matches from the 1986 World Cup should I get on video or DVD?

 

Argentina vs England
Denmark vs Uruguay
Denmark vs Spain.

Some suggestions.

 

Thanks. Any more from that World Cup?

 

American newspapers didn't print up stats back then. We were lucky to even read the final result at all. Not very kind to our sport, American newspapers back then. Some may say that they still aren't.

Argentina-England is a must just for Maradona's performance.

Denmark scored some beautiful goals against 10-man Uruguay. MLaudrup's to make it 3-1 was sheer class.

Spain's destruction of Denmark was a shocker considering how well the Danes had played up to that point. Denmark actually didn't play half bad, just poor finishing in some instances. It simply wasn't their day.

Paraguay 2-2 Belgium is my personal favorite from the tournament. Lots of chances for both sides and a fight nearly broke out in the second half. Officials had to run onto the pitch to calm everyone down.

I remember France 1-1 USSR receiving high praise from the press. The Soviet's goal was a beauty, nicely set up and fantastic finish by VRats from about 30 yards.

1st half of Brazil-Spain was trash (the teams were fiercely jeered as they walked off) but the second half was quite entertaining. Five minutes into it, Spain (Maceda ?) shot from just outside the area and the ball crashed against the crossbarl and just over the line, but the goal wasn't given.

After that, I'd probably say Bulgaria 1-1 South Korea and Portugal 1-3 Morocco. They each produced decent excitement despite driving rainstorms in both. But I'd only buy these if I had extra money to burn. Same with Brazil-Spain.

Where do you get World Cup matches from?

 

I went and got the video and have seen the play.

First, a few newspaper articles:

"Uruguay coach Omar Borras labeled French referee Joel Quiniou a "murderer" for dismissing one of his players after only 53 seconds of its Group E World Cup game against Scotland at Nezahuacoyotl."
- United Press International

"Uruguay played all but the first 53 seconds with 10 men after Jose Batista was ejected for a brutal tackle of Scotland's Gordon Strachan."
- Barry Wilmer, Associated Press

"Uruguay, reduced to ten men by the fastest sending off in the history of the World Cup finals, achieved its objective with a 0-0 tie against Scotland.
But it will have to go into battle against Argentina without defender Jose Batista, who was sent off for a foul after 40 seconds, the first of a number of savage acts purpetrated by the South American champions."
- Soccer America, Vol 30, number 24, Issue 765, pg 16.
No source is given in the article, but in just about all of Soccer America's match reports for Mexico 86 Reuters was listed as the source.

I took the tape home and played it. As soon as Quiniou blew for the kickoff, I reset the vcr timer at 0:00:00.
Here's the sequence:
Throw in to Scotland by Albiston...
Strachan receives and after knocking the ball forward first time, Batista cuts Strachan down with referee Quiniou standing approx five yards away. The play happened right in front of the ref who wasn't shielded from the incident.

Batista cut down Strachan with the timer showing 0:00:40.
Quiniou has no hesitation reaching for his pocket as a couple of Scootish players protest.
At 0:00:50 you can first see the color of the card being red as Quiniou begins to pull it out.
At 0:00:52, Quiniou emphatically holds up the red card and vigorously points to the tunnel.

So I guess I admit defeat. But my timer has it at 52 seconds rather than the 55 you've read.
I take some consolation that the foul itself happened on 40 seconds.

Btw, the Mexican international television feed keeps the camera on Quiniou until the clock is at 1:46! They don't focus on Strachan writhing in agony though you can see him in the background as the camera focuses on Quiniou. Also strange that they never replay the foul! I don't get to see the foul again until it's halftime and the commentators are replaying the first-half highlights.

Postscript:
Borras calling Quiniou a "murderer" earned him a touchline ban for the second round clash with Argentina.
Borras and Scotland coach Alex Ferguson sat side-by-side during the postmatch news conference, but after Borras adamantly defeded his team's tactics, he was escorted out before Ferguson fielded questions.
Ferguson said he was so livid that "I don't think I can even wish Uruguay good luck in the rest of the tournament."

 

I also stand corrected on Uruguay's goalkeeper that day.
Fernando Alvez of Penarol was in goal. I thought Nacional's Rudolfo Rodriguez was still Uruguay's number 1.
Damn, I'm 0 for 2.

Well, I still maintain that Jurgen Groh was HSV's standout player in the '83 European Cup final. At least that's an objective opinion I can hold on to.

 

• Sixty nine different associations have made it to the WC finals from 1930 trough 2002.
• Most games played by Brazil - 87 and Germany - 85.
• Least games played by Dutch East Indies - 1 (I'm not sure if Indonesia gets the credit for this)
• Croatia - 1.80 and Brazil - 1.72 have the beat points/game average
• Hungary - 2.72 and Brazil - 2.20 have the best goals scored/game average
• Ireland - 0.77 and Croatia,Wales - 0.80 have the best goals given/game average
• Across the three categories, Spain (13th,15th,13th) and Iran (49th,51st,49th) are the most consistent