1978-What A Year!

[Bauser]

Originally posted by Alberto
I remember reading well after the cup that the Argentinian military Junta paid off the Peruvians to throw the game. It struck me as strange given how well Peru had played in the competition that they laid down against Argentina. That game was a disgrace.

People always like to bring up how 'bizarre' it was that a perfectly solid Peruvian defence with Argentina-born Quiroga as keeper suddenly cracked against Argentina in 1978 when it was most suitable for the hosts.

What never is mentioned in any article, is that the same virtually happened four years later in Spain 1982 when Peru obviously had a very good team too, but were unfortunate to share group with two coming medalists. Peru drew 0-0 with Cameroon in their opening game, then drew eventual champions Italy 1-1, and held Poland to 0-0 at half-time in the final groupmatch before Quiroga opened the floodgates in the second half and let in five goals.

[Sao Taffarel]

And, very importantly, Brazil had that horrible Adidas strip. That killed the Copa for me...........

[deejay]

Originally posted by Alberto


Sorry, but I concur with what Nolberto said. I remember reading well after the cup that the Argentinian military Junta paid off the Peruvians to throw the game. It struck me as strange given how well Peru had played in the competition that they laid down against Argentina. That game was a disgrace.

Don't exagerate.

Obviously the whole team was not paid off if anybody at all was paid off. The Peruvian goalie (Argentinian by birth) may have decided to throw the game all by himself.

As Menotti says, if the Peruvians threw the game they must have incredible skills because a ball that went off the post in the last few minutes nearly eliminated Argenitina. Imagine a player so good that he can hit the post at will!

[vico]

Originally posted by deejay


As Menotti says, if the Peruvians threw the game they must have incredible skills because a ball that went off the post in the last few minutes nearly eliminated Argenitina. Imagine a player so good that he can hit the post at will!

Well peruvians do have incredible skills! ;)

[condor11]

and we are experts at hitting the post

[Ismitje]

I have the game on tape. It has helped me considerably in evaluating the bribery allegations. Get ahold of it and ye shall see.

[Nolberto S.]

It's in Spanish but it says that Jose Velasquez, ex-Peruvian international states that Argentina used performance enhancing drugs to out muscle and outrun the Peruvian players, he says that he was surprised at how fast the Argentines were running, he says they were going as fast as planes, and he says since FIFA didn't have any doping restrictions back then, Argentina got away with it

FUTBOLPERUANO.COM) El ex internacional peruano, José Velásquez, afirmó que la selección argentina jugó dopada en aquel recordado partido del Mundial de 1978 en el que obtuvo una apabullante goleada de 6-0 sobre el representativo peruano.

En aquel entonces se especuló mucho sobre los causales del abultado resultado. Se dijo que Perú se había dejado golear a cambio de dinero, se dijo que hubo un acuerdo entre los gobiernos de ambos países para que se diera este resultado e incluso se dijo que el portero argentino nacionalizado peruano, Ramón Quiroga, dio todas las facilidades para que los gauchos puedan marcar los 6 tantos.

Sin embargo, todas estas versiones quedarían desairadas luego de las explosivas declaraciones del “Patrón” Velásquez, quien aseguró que los jugadores argentinos estuvieron dopados durante el partido y es por ello que corrieron la cancha a velocidades impensadas.

“No tengo dudas, Argentina jugó ese partido dopado. Nosotros no nos echamos. Pero me pareció raro que corrieran como aviones. En ese mundial no hubo antidoping para ellos", aseguró el ex gran volante de los seleccionados nacionales.

Fuente: El Deportivo (Eddie Fleischman

[Rafael Hernandez]

They probably threw the game just like the Austria vs Germany game in 1982. I didn't see any of the game (wasn't born in 78 and was just 2 in 82) but for all they said, the Austria-Germany game in 82 was even worse.

[Bauser]

Originally posted by Nolberto S.
It's in Spanish but it says that Jose Velasquez, ex-Peruvian international states that Argentina used performance enhancing drugs to out muscle and outrun the Peruvian players, he says that he was surprised at how fast the Argentines were running, he says they were going as fast as planes, and he says since FIFA didn't have any doping restrictions back then, Argentina got away with it


FIFA did have doping restrictions in 1978 so his argument is worthless. One Scottish player in the tournament - Willie Johnson - was taken.

["Simply Ken"]

I remember Peru of 1978. They were in Iran's group.

Peru had an excellent counterattacking team. Cubillas was awesome and Peru's buildups were quick and effective.

But Peru was not the kind of team that could fight off a deficit without letting a lot of goals. Not unless they were 100% motivated, and probably not even then. That is particularly true against a motivated Argentine side that knew it needed to score a bunch to advance to the final.

IMO, the allegations about that match are mostly rubbish. The only question mark is the loyalties of the Peruvian keeper, but even that to me is mostly speculation.

BTW, Peru beat Iran 4:1 with 2 goals from the penalty spots. Yet, despite that scoreline, Iran had carried most of the play and found itself punished mostly by counterattacks. The Peruvian defense was not that solid, and was IMO repeatedly exposed even by Iran.

[scottyD Man Utd redded]

was that the year australia got in

[pnewman]

1986- Maradona's beautiful goal against England, oh wait you can't use your hands in Football.Oh, really? You can't use your hands in football? What a shame nobody has told Schoels about this.

[dor02]

Many football fans write off that Argentine side of 1978. Videla's regime was in power and the stereotypical cynicism of Argentine football was stuck on many fans' minds. Menotti's attacking philosophies are forgotten by many fans. Sure, there was some bad fouls committed by Argentine players but when they focus on playing attacking football, Argentina played some of the best football of that tornament. That Argentine team was such a bad team. Kempes, Ardiles, Passarella and Fillol were all world-class players and the likes of Luque, Tarantini and Ortiz weren't duds. Argentina of 1978 didn't have the likes of a Moreno, Labruna, Di Stefano or a Batistuta (Maradona could have been picked but Menotti thought he was too young) but Menotti encouraged his team to play something similar to the traditional Argentine football instead of the pragmatic stuff of the last 15 years or so.

[Excape Goat]

IMO, the allegations about that match are mostly rubbish. The only question mark is the loyalties of the Peruvian keeper, but even that to me is mostly speculation.


I never saw the entire match. from highlights of the match, he was actually blameless on most goals. The Peruvan defense was wide opened.

[pramzan]

Argentina78 was my first World Cup and I will never forget it. Argentina played good football, pretty exciting team to watch.

The officiating was horrible, very much in favor of the home team. This was evident in almost all the matches Argentina played in, with the exception of their game against Italy. And that game against Peru will always be questioned with allegations of being bought.

But they had some great players with Kempes, Passarella, Ardiles and even Fillol and Bertoni. Kempes was magic. I still think of him as one of the best strikers I have ever seen in World Cup play. Passarella was an unbelievable captain, at 25 years of age. He led by example and a determination to win that was second to none even if his fouls at times were downright dirty, mean and nasty.

The final against Holland was a disappointment. Too many fouls by both sides and the match was just out of control by the Italian referee Gonella.

I would say that the Argentina78 side was the best Argentina team I have seen. And although the tournament was far from perfect, they were deserving champions.