Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because Fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; Truth isn't! Gentile pulling, tackling and finally torn off Zico's shirt and the ref ignored ... Gentile pulling, holding and tackling hard on Maradona countless time, and the ref ignored Look how lucky Messi and CR7 are in this modern time?
Maybe my memory of that game is blurred.. I havent seen it in a while. I watch matches of maradona every now and then and i never choose that match for some reason. Even though its an epic game i don't think it was one of diegos best. I can remember people being slightly disappointed with him in the final. Maybe because he didnt play as well as he did in the previous games. He had set the bar high.. But i can remember west germany stiffling maradona alot not letting him really get into the game. I thought matthaus contributed in stopping maradona a fair few times..that is my honest memory of the match.. And if my memory is wrong i stand corrected.. I just thought the general opinion of that game was that maradona was quiet and the germans fouled tripped and marked maradona well... Thats probably why i havent seen it in a few years because i can remember the feeling watching it live.. Everybody was waiting for a magic performance from diego but the germans didnt let him play.. If i am wrong correct me !
No, you're not wrong. But the concensus in the press was though that the referee kept it strict (in comparison with other finals and previous world cups). Matthaus did a good job; we shouldn't think though that Matthaus was totally flawless as DM, he had sometimes positional and disciplinary issues. Lapses of concentration. As defensive midfielder and man marker, someone like Briegel was better, I think.
The German tactical analysis website “Spielverlagerung” did an in-depth report on the '86 WC final a few years ago which the following is based on. I wanted to loosely translate the parts which dealt about Maradona and Germany's defensive set-up but it actually is too much work so I abandoned it. This is the part I translated but sorry, it will stop in the middle. http://spielverlagerung.de/2012/04/06/retroanalyse-argentinien-deutschland-wm86-in-depth/ When Argentina scored the 1-0, Maradona moved further upfield towards the German goal (apparently a decision he made himself) in order to get rid of Matthäus, because Matthäus now had to concentrate more on dedicating to the German offensive or in order to press Germany further back to avoid a German powerplay. With Maradona moving close to the German box, Burrachaga and Enrique gained more space which led arguably to the most dominant Argentine phase, with Argentina ruling the midfield. When Maradona acted in a more withdrawn central role, Burruchaga and Enrique had to play more on the wide, yet now with Maradona closer to the German box, they both moved more centrally which suited them better, giving them more space and time as they didn’t have to deal too much with the German side players (Berthold, Brehme, Briegel). This now led Germany to change its tactical scheme. Eder and Matthäus actually decided to play more withdrawn without dedicating to the offense. Jakobs remained sweeper, yet the four defensive players in his proximity began to act very variable and moved a lot. Berthold moved from his wide right-sided position in midfield back to defense, taking over Förster’s position, while the previously very offensive left-sided Briegel moved back to left back position. Between them, Förster took over the role of the left-sided center back in a flat-back-three. Brehme moved from left back to the right where he formed a pair with Berthold, trying to pressure Olarticoechea’s side. On the right side, Berthold and Brehme started to overlap frequently, contrary to Briegel and Förster on the left, who did not engage in overlapping. Since Argentina themselves acted with a flat-back-three plus the small, defensive-minded Olarticoechea, Germany could advance quite deeply into the Argentine half, sending in crosses from inside positions and creating 1-vs-1 situations. Germany had now managed to move its defensive game more forward with Germany’s defensive players always having a partner in attack due to forming pairs of players on each side. Another measure Germany took was frequent rochades and movements. At times Brehme could be found as the right-sided center back with Förster behind him.
They double-teamed Valdano (not counting the sweeper) and had multiple players looking for Maradona too. Piece rightly points out that Enrique and Burruchaga had an awful lot of work and many tasks to do. @giles varley
I will try and watch the game over the weekend. I have it on dvd.. I can remember the germans in that tournament grinding out results much like 1982.. They always found a way to get back into a game when they look dead and buried...
Here is a copy of Puck's article of Cruijff and his "completeness in Goal Keeping" That's why he was in my TOP3 most complete players of all time Di Stefano, Pele and Cruijff (historical order)
Bryan Robson often fails to get mentioned in this thread/OP... Do you lot need me to explain what a complete player in English/British terminology means once again?
[Finney: to start with w/he was actually one hell of a ball-winner/tacker. A part of his makeup that is often forgotten in official bios/obits...]
Bada Bing - Messi would be the best defender if he played there Forum - Messi can't tackle Most tackles (6) against Switzerland in Round 16 of World Cup. Bada Bing - Messi is the most dangerous scorer outside the penalty area Forum - are you crazy, Pele, Ronaldo, Pele, Cronaldo, Pele, all the greats, Pele World Cup goals outside the box 3 Messi 2 Pele 2 Ronaldo 1 Zico 0 Maradona 0 Di Stefano 0 Puskas 0 Eusebio 0 Cruyff 0 G.Müller That's where you get being logical and truthful, no matter what the general opinion is. Next.
The majority of those outside the box goals are just outside the box or a free kick. " Goals from the edge of the box, typically having taken possession in the ‘D’ then shaping or turning to shoot, mostly with his left foot, accounted for 25 goals, or 10.68 per cent. " http://www.sportingintelligence.com...elona-a-complete-statistical-analysis-210301/ As seen against Iran and Bosnia. That's why some/many discard him as a gifted long-range shooter. He generally receives (at counter-attacks or one-twos) or creates from just outside the box.
Bada Bing, we know Messi is an excellent passer of the ball; how is it possible that you still haven't understood what we're talking about here?
Has he produced a similar quality pass in another game this WC? No other player this WC has lost more often the ball than him. Of course he can pass, but if one tries very often, frequent and aggresively, one pass will succeed at the end of the day.