Weak Opening Games

[Satchmo Distel]

Poland v Greece this time

South Africa v Mexico in 2010

Switzerland v Czechs in 2008

Giving a weak host the opening game doesn't make much sense commercially.

[alyxandr]

Weak Opening Games

Which is, of course, the only thing that really matters.

[Valentino Mazzola]

Weak Opening Games

England vs. Switzerland 1996

[G-Man]

Weak Opening Games

SA vs Mexico was richly entertaining.

But, yeah, let's look at some of those commercially attractive opening games.

1974: Brazil vs Yugoslavia 0-0. Nobody rhapsodised.

1978: West Germany vs Poland 0-0. Made West Germany vs Austria in '82 look like the Battle of Verdun.

1980: West Germany vs Czechoslovakia 1-0. A game so poor, the German press were writing off Germany's chances. Despite Germnany beating the defending champions.

1986: Italy vs Bulgaria 1-1. It wasn't the most exciting game of that World Cup.

1992: Sweden vs France 1-1. Nobody who saw it will ever remember it.

1994: was that Germany vs Bolivia?

1996: England vs Switzerland 1-0. So good, we'll name it twice.

2008: Switzerland vs Czech Republic 0-1. As you say...

[Kettle]

Weak Opening Games

England-Switzerland finished 1-1, and was easily the dampest squib of any tournament.

As balance, there have been extremely strong opening games. Let's remember Greece-Portugal in 2004 (not bad for a team derided after the tournament, despite winning it), Scotland-Brazil in 1998 (throughly enjoyable, much closer than everyone anticipated), Cameroon-Argentina in 1990 (mental, just mental), and Belgium-Argentina in 1982.

[historyman]

Weak Opening Games

G.Man wrote:

1992: Sweden vs France 1-1. Nobody who saw it will ever remember it.

Er... I do. At least I remember the two goals.

There was a lot of hype about that French team managed by Michel Platini, in particular Marseille's Jean Pierre Papin, who was THE in form striker going into the tournement. Milan paid a world record £10 million for him.

Depending on how you look at the stats he had a great tournament or an absolute stinker. In complete contrast to the qualifying games Platini went ultra defensive and France were woeful.

I recall World Soccer at the time made the point that Papin had only two clear chances in France's three games - and scored with both of them. A 100% strike rate.

Sweden's goal in the opening match is linked below. It was a well worked goal from a corner.

[Mockswing]

Weak Opening Games

2006 Germany-Costa Rica wasn't bad, at least it had a few goals, which World Cup opening matches tended not to have.

[Jah Womble]

Weak Opening Games

We're doing World Cup as well? In that case it should be remembered that there was not one goal scored in an opening match between Agne Simonssen's second for hosts Sweden vs Mexico in 1958 and Erwin Vandenbergh's winner for Belgium vs Argentina in 1982. (1962 doesn't count, since the first four games kicked off simultaneously.)

Those thrilling openers in full:
1966, England 0-0 Uruguay
1970, Mexico 0-0 Soviet Union
1974, Brazil 0-0 Yugoslavia
1978, W Germany 0-0 Poland

[Dalef65]

Weak Opening Games

As we are only talking about opening games,I cannot deny that England V. Switzerland in Euro 96 was poor...
But lets not go overboard here... there were quite a few matches worse than that in that particular tournameent.

Croatia V Turkey at The City Ground for instance.

[Dalef65]

Weak Opening Games

And Sweden v France in Euro 92 wasnt a bad game to be honest..
I can remember Patrik Andersons towering header..

[Dalef65]

Weak Opening Games

While we are on the subject of weak games,and while we are talikng about South Africa.

Has there ever been a quicker exit from a tournament by a host nation than we saw from Bafana Bafana last year....?

The World Cup started on the Friday and they were eliminated by the Wednesday ....
5 Days.....?????!!!!

[Satchmo Distel]

Weak Opening Games

Switzerland did the same in 2008. Belgium went out on Day 1 of the 1972 finals but that 'finals' was just a semi and final (and they were still given a 3rd place play-off game)

[N est à?]

Weak Opening Games

South Africa weren't eliminated on the wednesday, they were only eliminated after they failed to overhaul Mexico's goal difference in the final game.

[Evariste Euler Gauss]

Weak Opening Games

1978: West Germany vs Poland 0-0. Made West Germany vs Austria in '82 look like the Battle of Verdun.

That's a strong claim. I think it would be difficult even to make W-Germany vs Austria 1982 look as confrontational as Germany v United Kingdom, No-Man's Land 25/12/1914.

[Evariste Euler Gauss]

Weak Opening Games

By the way, am I the only person here who reads the thread title words "Weak Opening..." and can't help thinking immediately of chess? That is compounded I think by the next three letters being "gam....".

[G-Man]

Weak Opening Games

Evariste Euler Gauss, you do realise that me comments were tongue-in-cheek.

Dalef65, both opening games in SA's group ended in draws, so nobody could get knocked out by Wednesday. In any case, it is usually ignored that in 1994 the USA reached the second round only as a third place qualifier in one of the more inequitable World Cup rules. The USA got the same number of points as South Africa in 2010, without having to face two previous world cup wiining countries.

[Evariste Euler Gauss]

Weak Opening Games

Yes, I had a, what do you call it, an... inkling.