Paolo Rossi RIP

[G-Man]

Not a great time for players who basically decided World Cups on their own. First Diego Maradonna, now Paolo Rossi.

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/12/10/f...hnk/index.html

[Mr Beast]

Well that’s just shit. What a year.

[G-Man]

Must we be concerned now for Hurst, Muller, Ronaldo and Zidane?

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

My first thought on hearing this news was "G-Man's going to have to get his list out again ...".

[Tony C]

64. No age at all.

RIP.

[G-Man]

My first thought on hearing this news was "G-Man's going to have to get his list out again ...".

My first thought as well. I'm a dedicated soldier in OTF's trenches.

[blameless]

As someone said on the Maradona thread, 2020 is the year that keeps on taking.

I was 7 during Espana 82 - Rossi's name was synonymous with hat-tricks for years afterwards with the boys I played football with.

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

I just watched that 1982 hat-trick again on the BBC website. That Brazil team, beautiful as they were going forward, were absolutely fucking shocking at defending, weren't they?

[ursus arctos]

Especially in that match

He broke their spirit

[Jah Womble]

RIP, Paolo R - I thought he was decent at Argentina '78, too. Very sad news.

Must we be concerned now for Hurst, Muller, Ronaldo and Zidane?

There's an argument for Ronaldo and possibly Hurst, but I'd not really say that of the other two.

Pele in 1958, perhaps? He had some great players around him, mind.

[RobW]

Was so sad to read this news this morning. I was only 1 in 1982, but reading about Rossi, his rehabilitation from the match-fixing scandal (he always protested his innocence), and that Quarter Final game via the Orbis WC 1990 Sticker Album made him one of my earliest childhood heroes.

Just watching a random youtube clip of goals now. Two footed, good in the air, brave, quick footed and pacey. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFCZ-rUgLaE

[Sits]

Terrible.

Pre-86, that Italy Brazil game is the WC match I remember most vividly. What an impact he had.

[G-Man]

There's an argument for Ronaldo and possibly Hurst, but I'd not really say that of the other two.

Pele in 1958, perhaps? He had some great players around him, mind.

M?ller scored against Yugoslavia in the second group stage, scored the winner in the quasi semi-final against Poland, and the winner in the final. If you think Hurst and is three non-goals (I must write about those some time) qualify -- as I do -- then M?ller and Zidane should, too.

[Jah Womble]

I think that, by their own high standards, neither Muller nor Zidane was especially influential prior to their respective finals. (Zidane got himself sent off in the opening round and missed two games, for one thing.) While both made their mark in those final matches, they can't really be said to have 'won the World Cup on their own'.

I'd not even be inclined to include Hurst - but he did score a World Cup final hat-trick, which nobody else has done. So 'maybe'.

[Satchmo Distel]

If you put Rossi into the Brazil side in 1982, they'd have won it, but I'm not sure that Zidane would have made Brazil better than France in 1998. Individuals make the difference when there's not much difference in class between the finalists, or the last 4 or last 8, which would apply in 1966 and 1986 but not 1998, when France had one of those sides that dominates an era because it's just too packed with quality. In 1974, Mueller was probably the only player in the world who could have made the reach necessary for that winning goal. In 1982, Rossi's lightning pace and poacher's instinct was too good for the ponderous defences of that era.

But Maradona remains unique in how he raised the games of all the other players, whereas Italy were carrying on where they left off in 1978, with proven class players who simply had a 'mare in the group stages. Bearzot somehow turned them around and woke up Rossi at the same time.

[G-Man]

Muller scored the goal that wrapped up the win against Yugoslavia (in which Germany weren't convincing), and the winner against Poland. I'd call that influential. And if you add the winner against Holland, I'd go for decisive.

I'll give you Zidane, though.

[Satchmo Distel]

I don't disagree on Mueller.

[Walt Flanagans Dog]

RIP, Paolo R - I thought he was decent at Argentina '78, too.

You weren't alone - according to Wiki:

He was named as part of the team of the tournament for his performances, and he also collected the Silver Ball as the second-best player of the World Cup.

[multipleman78]

Rossi and that Italy side had one of the best runs to win the trophy in history.

They beat Argentina, reigning champs, packed with previous and future winners. Up next, Brazil, one of the coolest group of humans ever put together on a football pitch. After that, they took out Poland, who were on their way to a 3rd place finish for the 2nd time in 8 years and finally the European champions, West Germany.

It's rare for a side to defeat 3 former champions on their way to the trophy and you could argue that Italy's was the hardest run of all especially considering how iffy they started.

[Satchmo Distel]

And they never needed extra time or penalties.

[Jah Womble]

You weren't alone - according to Wiki:

He was named as part of the team of the tournament for his performances, and he also collected the Silver Ball as the second-best player of the World Cup.

It was a very decent Italy squad that also boasted the likes of Bettega - had they shown a little more ambition overall, they might have gone all the way to the final.

[Bruno]

I was in Italy for the summer of 82 and will never forget it. RIP.

[Amor de Cosmos]

Pele in 1958, perhaps? He had some great players around him, mind.

I'd always say Pele. But it was my first WC Final and he was so young, not quite as young as I was, but still very relatable. Plus, yes there were other good players in that team though none so dominant that day and, it must be said, Sweden really weren't that good.

[Mr Beast]

The Italian side of 1978 were a revelation to me. They’d always had talent, that was obvious, but were previously paralysed by negativity. Plus if you only saw their players on rare European club football nights televised in the 70s, some of them were the hardest, dirtiest bastards to ever play the game.

That’s a compliment not a criticism.

[Flynnie]

I just watched that 1982 hat-trick again on the BBC website. That Brazil team, beautiful as they were going forward, were absolutely fucking shocking at defending, weren't they?

For those who haven't seen it:

1) Rossi heads in a cross from Cabrini totally unmarked.

2) Cerezo makes a shocking pass across the face of his goal about 30 metres out, Rossi steps in front of Junior, takes a few steps and fires it past Waldir Peres.

3) Brazil can't clear a corner, Tardelli shoots a ball that might honestly be creeping in at the far corner, but Rossi is there to deflect it and wrong-foot Waldir Peres. Luizinho laughably appeals for offside standing behind Peres.

They really bought it on themselves.