Forgotten great teams

[CL39]

Wow. I really had forgotten about that Sampdoria side. Good example.

That was a great side, while their foreign legion (Katanec, Cerezo and I forget the third (I belive Brazilian)) were not well-known or flashy as their
counterparts at AC or Inter they were efficient and effective.
And Lombardo raiding down the wing was really a sight. Not to mention that
superb combo of forwards, Vialli and Mancini. Very attractive style to
watch. And cool uniform to boot.

[dor02]

That was a great side, while their foreign legion (Katanec, Cerezo and I forget the third (I belive Brazilian)) were not well-known or flashy as their
counterparts at AC or Inter they were efficient and effective.
And Lombardo raiding down the wing was really a sight. Not to mention that
superb combo of forwards, Vialli and Mancini. Very attractive style to
watch. And cool uniform to boot.You must be thinking of Silas. He played for Brazil at Mexico 86 and he played for Sampdoria in the 1991-92 season. I doriani in the previous season had Ukrainian/USSR star Alexei Mikhailichenko.

I think a case could also be made for the 80s team as well.
At Spain '82 they made Brazil sweat it out til the end. And they possibly went out to Poland because of (dare I say) intimidation. They knew that match meant a lot to the Poles because of what was happening in Poland at the time (Solidary movement/Soviet invasion) and it seemed everytime a Polish player was fouled the Soviets would help him up with an apology.
The Soviets had a very strong side in Mexico '86, built around the Dynamo Kiev squad that had stylishly won the Cup Winners Cup that year. France v USSR in the first round was arguably the best of that tournament. And many felt Belgium's equalizer at 2-2 was wrongfully given (offside).
And although Holland won EURO 88, the USSR was probably the best side throughout that tournament. I actually thought they were the better side in the final itself.The USSR side under Lobanovsky was awesome. Although I liked that Belgium side in 1986, the Soviets were unlucky in the second round match and probably should have went into the next round. A mistake that Lobanovsky made in that match though was that he put on two midfielders on as subs. He should have thrown on another striker. Protasov wasn't in that team in 1986 so Blokhin would have been the best choice.

In the Euro 88 Final, the Soviets were unlucky in putting their chances away. Holland did with two exceptional goals and when Belanov needed to take a penalty, his shot was saved.

[Cassano]

That was a great side, while their foreign legion (Katanec, Cerezo and I forget the third (I belive Brazilian)) were not well-known or flashy as their
counterparts at AC or Inter they were efficient and effective.
And Lombardo raiding down the wing was really a sight. Not to mention that
superb combo of forwards, Vialli and Mancini. Very attractive style to
watch. And cool uniform to boot.

They had strength in every sector of the field.

a young Gianluca Pagliuca in goal, the evergreen Pietro Vierchowod in defense, Dossena and Lombardo on the wings, Cerezo in the center, and of course Mancini and Vialli upfront, and they also had Marco Branca on the bench, who wasn't a bad striker himself.

[dor02]

He was a fine striker. He stayed for a season or two at Sampdoria but hewas very good at Udinese and he had a splendid 1995-96 season with Inter.

[Cannon]

River Plate of 1940's La Máquina: Outside of Argentina, very few fans would remember them.I got interested in them after reading Soccer in Sun and Shadow but I've never actually seen any footage of them. I found some later highlights of the individuals but never the 5 forwards together. Do you know if any exists?

[Excape Goat]

I got interested in them after reading Soccer in Sun and Shadow but I've never actually seen any footage of them. I found some later highlights of the individuals but never the 5 forwards together. Do you know if any exists?


No, I don't know where to find.

[johan neeskens]

The FC Twente side of the mid 1970s, challenging for the Dutch championship with Ajax in 1974 (and losing said championship on the very last day of the season) reached the UEFA cup finals in 1975 after beating Juventus in the semis home and away. With great players like Frans Thijssen and Arnold Mühren (both later tapped up by Ipswich, another great name at the time), René van de Kerkhof, Piet Schrijvers, Epi Dorst, and Theo Pahlplatz. The football they played was so remarkable that the BBC made a documentary about them at the time!

[Olimpero]

I think the Borussia Mönchengladbach team of the mid 70's deserve a mention as well.

[Sagy]

I think the Borussia Mönchengladbach team of the mid 70's deserve a mention as well.

Yes, that was one great team (during the 1970s). I was crashed when in 1971 when their 7:1 victory over Inter was erased and UEFA ordered the match to be re-played.

IIRC, this Mönchengladbach team was the first to repeat as Bundesliga champions.

[Excape Goat]

Yes, that was one great team (during the 1970s). I was crashed when in 1971 when their 7:1 victory over Inter was erased and UEFA ordered the match to be re-played.


What is the story behind it?

[Sagy]

What is the story behind it?

An empty coke can was thrown on the pitch during the first half that may or may not hit an Inter player. The game continued to conclusion (7:1) at which point (or maybe it was during half time) Inter protested the game. Stories at the time were that Inter's president was well connected in UEFA and that was the reason that UEFA ruled that the result of the game will be canceled and that the game has to be replayed, Mönchengladbach was also baned from play the game at home; the replay ended 0:0.

I still believe that if the original result stood, Mönchengladbach would have been in the final against Ajax and I would have gotten to see (on TV, not live) my two favorite European teams as well as two of favorite three players at the time (Cruyff and Günter Netzer with the third being Pele) playing for the Champions Cup.

[TheHun]

Sad days for the once powerful and dominant FERENCVAROS FC of Hungary.

With 28 League titles and 20 Cup titles, they are by far the most decorated club of Central Europe.

Having won the Inter-Cities Cup (early Uefa Cup) and the Mitropa Cup (Central European Championship) several times (in 7 finals I think) they are now relegated to Hungary's 2nd division.

They won the domestic double as recently as 2004, but hard finacial times have fallen on many Eastern European clubs.

It looks like they will win the 2nd Division, but will have to apply for re-admission into the top league (NB1).

Lets hoe they do not go into the has been bin like Huddersfield town and Stade Reims.

[unclesox]

Sad days for the once powerful and dominant FERENCVAROS FC of Hungary.

With 28 League titles and 20 Cup titles, they are by far the most decorated club of Central Europe.

Having won the Inter-Cities Cup (early Uefa Cup) and the Mitropa Cup (Central European Championship) several times (in 7 finals I think) they are now relegated to Hungary's 2nd division.

They won the domestic double as recently as 2004, but hard finacial times have fallen on many Eastern European clubs.

It looks like they will win the 2nd Division, but will have to apply for re-admission into the top league (NB1).

Lets hoe they do not go into the has been bin like Huddersfield town and Stade Reims.
Ferencvaros had been in the Hungarian 1st Division since 1901 before getting their license revoked last year. Very few clubs in the world can claim to have played 100+ consecutive seasons in their domestic top flight.
Their Fairs Cup win in '65 was won in a one-off final against Juventus, played in Turin.

[Doc_Aeppler]

I think the Eintracht Frankfut team of the early 90s deserves a mention.
In germany the offensive style they were playing was known as "Fussball 2000".
Around players like Uwe Bein, And Möller, Jayjay Okocha and Tony Yeboah they celebrated football in a way that left most teams standing with their mouth open. Unfortunately they often times seemed to forget to score goals, especially against minnow opponents and gave away safe points. Thats why they never won anything, alltuogh undoubtedly playing the best football in the Bundesliga in that period. Unfortunately the team fell apart in the mid-90s due to mismanagement and bad coaching. But at least here in Frankfurt it will never be forgotten. We are still "Yeboah's Whitnesses" ;)

[dor02]

I have seen a clip of Okocha at Eintracht and he scored a solo goal against Oli Kahn's Karlsruhe in the 1992-93 season. He just kept twisting and turning and Kahn and his defenders were absolutely confused.

[Doc_Aeppler]

I have seen a clip of Okocha at Eintracht and he scored a solo goal against Oli Kahn's Karlsruhe in the 1992-93 season. He just kept twisting and turning and Kahn and his defenders were absolutely confused.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhnaUpDMuu4
;)

[dor02]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhnaUpDMuu4
;)That's the one! Classic!

[Excape Goat]

If Eintracht Frankfut is mentioned, Stuttgart deserves a mention too.

Bobic, Balakov and Elber formed one of the greatest attack line of the 1990's for Stuttgart.

[Doc_Aeppler]

If Eintracht Frankfut is mentioned, Stuttgart deserves a mention too.

Bobic, Balakov and Elber formed one of the greatest attack line of the 1990's for Stuttgart.

True. "Das magische Dreieck" was class back in the mid-90s!

[Seaside Mafia]

Why not? Estudiantes was the best at winning ugly. They won one Argentine title in the sixties, plus four Libertadores and one Intercontinental. But they were hated by most fans in Argentina because of their dirty play.

Their gamesmanship is legendary. Not only they were hacks, but they used to study the private lives of their opponents, whether their wives had cheated on them, a relative had died, or any other personal problem, so they could bring it up during the match. It was said that they took needles to the field to pinch opposing players. One particularly brutal performance at the Intercontinental Cup against ACMilan was so disgraceful that after the match the Argentine police arrested all the players of Estudiantes. Poletti, the goalkeeper, was suspended for life.

There were some good players on that team, particularly goalscorer Juan 'Bruja' Veron, father of the 'Brujita' Veron who is playing for Estudiantes today. Also Carlos Bilardo, who later coached Argentina to a world cup title, played for that team. The defense was very solid, although also very dirty.

But I would hardly mention them among the great teams. Not nearly the class of Bochini's Independiente in terms of playing good football. The way Estudiantes usually won was, Veron would score one goal and then they would all track back to defend, and win 1-0.

Here it is, the team that belongs in the hall of Infamy:

http://futbolfactory.futbolweb.net/eq_legend/images/estudiantes_1968.jpg

I saw a documentary on the history of Argentinian football although most of it seemed to deal with the 19302 through to the 1960s. Loads of fantastic old film of games in those days, including the first time that Argentina beat England when they played in a flood. Does this sound familiar? Do you happen to know the name of the documentary? I think it was made in Argentina.