The great World Cup scandals and controversies. Here's my Top 10 of World Cup scandals in my lifetime.
1966: West-Germany don't beat England 2-1
None of Hurst's three goals should have stood. Two of them might have been no issue had his equaliser been ruled out. Referee Dienst was still reprimanding Overath for the foul that led to the free kick when Moore took it to float the ball to Hurst who headed it in. Dienst should have ordered the free-kick retaken at a time when he was not deep in conversation with the defence.
1978: Argentina buys World Cup
Not just the pretty obvious fix in the Peru game. The way the Dutch were treated before and in the final was shocking. Clearly every ref and every FIFA official was afraid that the junta might invite them for a helicopter ride.
1982: German-Austria Non-Aggression Pact
The Angriest people were the Algerians. The second-angriest people were the Germans.
1982: Kuwait walks off
The Kuwait sheikh objects to France's perfectly good goal to make it 4-1, and returns to the pitch only after the referee disallows the goal. Kuwait came back to win the game 4-3. Except the didn't. They lost 4-1.
1982: Schumacher assaults Battiston
What was he thinking? Thing is, uncompromising as he was as a player and a person, he was also a decent man. But that night in Seville he wasn't. And then he saved two penalties in thew shoot-out. Plus, France, who had such a wonderful team, deserved to be in the final.
1986: Hand of God
Would Maradona have scored his wonder goal if not for the Hand of God? Ordinary though England was, I think they might have had a decent chance of beating Argentina if nit for the illegal goal. To think, it coukd have been a West Germany vs Belgium final!
1994: Maradona busted
One moment he's spraying victory phlegm into the camera, the next he walks off for a drug test, never to return. Of course, the murder of Escobar overshadowed the 1994 World Cup.
2002: The Brazil love-in
We could talk about South Korea against Italy and Portugal (I don't think Spain had a fair complaint), but 2002 sticks in my mind for FIFA's determination to see Ronaldo break a record, to the extent that he was credited with a goal he didn't even score, and -- most of all - for Rivaldo's Golden Raspberry performance in falling over against Turkey. 2002 must be the World Cup when even the most gormless romantics saw the Seleçãofor the Nike-sponsored, self-entitled enemies of o jogo bonito they were and still are.
2010: Hand of Cunt
I might gave included 2006's Head of Dunce, but here we have Luis Suarez denying Ghana a place in the semi-final by the most foul means possible, breaking All-Africa's collective heart. And then stood there celebrating when the penalty he caused was missed. Fuck Luis Suarez! Later he'd racially abuse an African-born player. Anything else?
2014: Teeth of Cunt
Ah yes. That!
Add your favourite scandal.
1966: West-Germany don't beat England 2-1
None of Hurst's three goals should have stood. Two of them might have been no issue had his equaliser been ruled out. Referee Dienst was still reprimanding Overath for the foul that led to the free kick when Moore took it to float the ball to Hurst who headed it in. Dienst should have ordered the free-kick retaken at a time when he was not deep in conversation with the defence.
1978: Argentina buys World Cup
Not just the pretty obvious fix in the Peru game. The way the Dutch were treated before and in the final was shocking. Clearly every ref and every FIFA official was afraid that the junta might invite them for a helicopter ride.
1982: German-Austria Non-Aggression Pact
The Angriest people were the Algerians. The second-angriest people were the Germans.
1982: Kuwait walks off
The Kuwait sheikh objects to France's perfectly good goal to make it 4-1, and returns to the pitch only after the referee disallows the goal. Kuwait came back to win the game 4-3. Except the didn't. They lost 4-1.
1982: Schumacher assaults Battiston
What was he thinking? Thing is, uncompromising as he was as a player and a person, he was also a decent man. But that night in Seville he wasn't. And then he saved two penalties in thew shoot-out. Plus, France, who had such a wonderful team, deserved to be in the final.
1986: Hand of God
Would Maradona have scored his wonder goal if not for the Hand of God? Ordinary though England was, I think they might have had a decent chance of beating Argentina if nit for the illegal goal. To think, it coukd have been a West Germany vs Belgium final!
1994: Maradona busted
One moment he's spraying victory phlegm into the camera, the next he walks off for a drug test, never to return. Of course, the murder of Escobar overshadowed the 1994 World Cup.
2002: The Brazil love-in
We could talk about South Korea against Italy and Portugal (I don't think Spain had a fair complaint), but 2002 sticks in my mind for FIFA's determination to see Ronaldo break a record, to the extent that he was credited with a goal he didn't even score, and -- most of all - for Rivaldo's Golden Raspberry performance in falling over against Turkey. 2002 must be the World Cup when even the most gormless romantics saw the Seleçãofor the Nike-sponsored, self-entitled enemies of o jogo bonito they were and still are.
2010: Hand of Cunt
I might gave included 2006's Head of Dunce, but here we have Luis Suarez denying Ghana a place in the semi-final by the most foul means possible, breaking All-Africa's collective heart. And then stood there celebrating when the penalty he caused was missed. Fuck Luis Suarez! Later he'd racially abuse an African-born player. Anything else?
2014: Teeth of Cunt
Ah yes. That!
Add your favourite scandal.
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