TEN POTS

Remarkably this was the tenth LogicaCMG World Cup, which is only seven fewer global tournaments than that ramshackle bunch of champagne-guzzlers down at FIFA HQ have managed to cobble together. That is some achievement, and a testament to the enthusiasm, tenacity and organisational skills of those passionate LIFA amateurs down the years who organise these things in their spare time.

From those sepia tinted inventors Abbott and McCabe (both back for more this year), via Florence in Bordeaux and Elena Mattirolo in Milano (who between them introduced the modern sporting diet, waiters, chianti, translators and the nine-foot trophy), through Ramsay’s whingeless wonder in Manchester (although the experiment with rain is yet to be repeated), all the way down to current LIFA chief Sepp Groomo’s macro-mandarinism: all have worked ceaselessly to extend the LWC beyond a mere flash in the pan, and indeed further to improve and enlarge the competition.

VLIET OF FOOT

And in the modern era, nobody has done as much as Erik van Vliet to ensure the continued success of the popular company footballing extravaganza. After organising Amsterdam 2001 and providing expert consultancy to last year’s tournament in Rome, the Dutch legend still contrived to orchestrate the organisation of this year’s festival from his mountain-top retreat, like some footballing version of Ernest Blofeld.

And van Vliet employed his considerable experience to assemble all the vital ingredients needed for any major international football tournament: a perfect sixteen teams, newly built Stadia, blazing sunshine (although thankfully some 10-15°C cooler than Rome), luxury business-class hotel accommodation at knock-down prices, a barbeque, and last, but by no means least, a plethora of attractive “deals” with local hostelries for those modern athletes keen to re-hydrate after a hard day’s toil in the Utrecht sun. In fact, the only element that the one-man organising committee appeared to have overlooked was the minor matter of a trophy.

It was very much organised as a tournament of two days, with the group stages being played to conclusion on the Saturday and the knock-out matches making for an exciting Sunday that would climax with the World Cup Final. Despite the welcoming predictions of spring coolness, Saturday dawned sunny and hot, and once again the squad-sized tubes of Ambre Solaire replaced the Deep Heat in the kit bags.

CZECHS BOUNCED BY WITHDRAWAL

Group A was perhaps the most intriguing of the four groups, with last year’s finalists Manchester A being thrown into the melting pot with the unknown quantities that were the local host team masquerading as Holland B, last minute debutantes Belgium, and the 2002 winners from the Czech Republic (returning to the fold after being unable to send a team to Rome last time out). The initial sparring sessions were consequently tense and cautious, with both matches drawn 1-1. But after this, the two form sides emerged from their shells. Manchester gained two comprehensive victories against the Czechs and Belgians without conceding a goal, whilst the local side thrashed their low country neighbours 8-0 to all but confirm their qualification.

This left the Czechs needing to beat the Dutch by six goals to pinch the runners-up spot in the final group game. Unfortunately the match never made it to the final whistle. The incident that triggered ugly scenes and a premature abandonment was a bad tackle by a Dutch player, that left a Czech player with a horrific leg injury that required immediate hospital treatment. This reporter did not see the tackle, but the referee deemed it bad enough to issue a straight red card.

However, the Dutch players walked off the field in protest at this dismissal, refused to continue, and the match was thus abandoned. Although the rules explicitly state that a team refusing to play should be disqualified, one can only conclude that a sudden bout of (in our opinion, misplaced) diplomacy prevailed, presumably prompted by the fact that the team in question were our hosts from the VSV Vreeswijk club who might just take their stadia home if we didn’t let them play. The result at the time of abandonment (0-0) was left to stand, which meant that despite their actions, it would be the Dutch side who would take their place in the quarter-finals rather than the Czechs, an outcome that would have further ramifications the following day.

INSEPARABLE

The group containing the current World Champions also provided much last-game tension, but of a far less unsavoury nature. Italy themselves were posed few problems as they strolled through the qualifying matches with three comfortable victories, scoring ten goals without reply. Unfortunately for themselves, debutantes Inter Essex provided a perfectly inverted mirror-image of the Champions’ performance, scorelessly losing all their games and conceding double-figures.

This left the England Nippers and Manchester B to slug it out for the second qualification spot. And slug it out they did. The Nippers started well, dispatching the Essex boys with an impressive 3-0 margin whilst the Mancunians were falling by the same score to the Italians. Their head-to-head confrontation proved a goalless stalemate, and so all would be decided by the last two matches. The Nippers appeared to have been handed a great opportunity to clinch the point that would see them through when the Italians were reduced to ten men early doors. But the Champions still proved their quality as they added three breakaway goals to a tight defensive display to still run out winners.

Manchester thus needed to beat Essex by four goals to clinch the runners-up spot, but incredibly fell one goal short with a 3-0 victory that left them inseparable from the Nippers. After some deliberation and consultation with the two teams involved, the over-worked Organising Committee decided that the regulatory toss of a coin should be replaced with a penalty shoot-out to decide the runners-up. But to eke out the tension to breaking point, it was decided that this would not take place until the following morning. Despite 22 sleepless nights, the teams stubbornly remained inseparable, and it was not until the twenty-fourth penalty that the Nipper keeper Gavin Adcock plucked out the save that sent the English through to the quarter-finals.

GoD SQUADS

Every tournament needs a Group of Death (GoD) and this year the draw allocated that privilege to Group C. Headed up by the host nation and pre-tournament joint favourites Holland A, the GoD also quivered under the combined threat posed by the ageless England Lags, the ever-improving Leatherhead A (who had beaten Champions Italy in Rome) and the Welsh Wizards, still invigorated from their impressive debut last time out. A number of English hearts missed a beat when they spied warming up before the opening match none other than legendary Dutchman Harry Garnaat, whose subtle skills and blistering pace had so tormented them during those first World Cup Finals back in Delft and Antwerp. And as the game began it was soon clear that his abilities had not receded with age.

But the wise old card-sharp Lags appeared to have made the first trick when they battled back to take a point off the seeded Dutch, courtesy of an Abbott penalty. Leatherhead appeared to have trumped that with an impressive performance against Wales which yielded a 3-0 win, but they then handed the advantage back as they fell 2-0 to the hosts. The Lags then reinforced their advantage as they beat the Welsh 4-0, and the weary Wizards ran out of steam as they crashed 7-1 to Holland A immediately afterwards, a result that confirmed the hosts’ qualification. That left the Surrey men needing a win in the last group game to go through, but despite giving it everything they had, the England Lags turned in a disciplined rearguard action to claim the draw that enabled them to emerge still alive from the GoD.

PUPS MASTER READING

The final qualifying group had been widely predicted as a stroll in the park for the England Pups. However, if last year’s semi-finalists were labouring under any feelings of complacency, they were quickly reminded that there are no easy games at this level when the third string Dutch side raced into a 2-0 lead. England raised their game and pulled a goal back, but it still took a last minute Banoub equaliser to save their blushes. After this slow start, the Pups found their stride, and disposed comfortably of both Reading and Leatherhead B to run out as Group winners.

Meanwhile Reading had started off in steady style by claiming a single goal victory over Leatherhead. The margin of defeat at the hands of the Pups did not perhaps do their performance justice, but after Holland C had also disposed of the Surrey second string by the same one-goal scoreline, it left Reading needing a win to claim the runners-up spot. The Dutch performance against the Pups had shown they would be no pushovers, but the Berkshire boys turned on the style to race away with a convincing 4-0 victory that earned them a quarter-final against the Italians.

OLD, HARD AND BROKEN

The quarter-finals threw up some fascinating ties including a Dutch derby and an all-England affair. Perhaps the hardest tie to call was the one between Roman finalists Manchester and the England Lags. Last year’s hard-fought and entertaining 2-2 draw had effectively eliminated the old men who were keen to make amends. But a ferociously fast opening saw the Mancunians take the lead with a sublime goal struck into the top corner from the edge of the box by Nick Turnbull. But the Lags were not to be denied again. If they were a little fortunate to gain an equaliser courtesy of an own goal just before the interval, a dominant second half display found some great Lag football finally rewarded with a headed winner from Kevin Spence.

If the holders were expecting an easy passage into the semis, they were quickly disabused of such a notion. Reading continued their impressive form from Saturday, and really should have taken the lead when they were awarded a first half penalty. But the spot-kick was missed, and the Italians as a rule don’t hand out second chances, and a late winner proved cruel punishment for a spirited Reading performance. The England Pups were also made to work hard for their semi-final berth, despite taking an early lead through Jas Badeshia. However, the England Nippers were determined to make a point against their supposed elders and betters, and produced a bold second half performance that had the Pups penned back in their own half. But they could not force the all important goal, and the Pups were through.

The last of the mouth-watering quartet of matches pitted Holland A (the first string LogicaCMG side) against Holland B (the local club side) in what many pundits envisaged would be a fine display of total football. Totally the opposite, in fact, as this double Dutch affair quickly over-heated. Once again it was a bad tackle by Holland B that was at the heart of the problem, a tackle bad enough to break the victim's leg. Again an ambulance was required, and with the player unable to be moved from the pitch, proceedings were held up for nearly an hour. By the time the unfortunate player had been stretchered off to the ambulance amidst a sympathetic round of applause from all in the Stadium, the Holland A team had decided that they did not wish to play on against such opponents. And so once again, our hosts found themselves the beneficiaries of a walk-out, with the Organising Committee this time left little choice but to award the match to Holland B.

PUP PENNO PAIN

As so the nerves began to jangle as the four remaining sides found themselves less than an hour away from the World Cup Final. As in Prague, the draw for the semi-finals kept the two England sides apart, with the old men of Lagdom facing a daunting task against the reigning Champions, whilst the Pups faced the various threats of the Dutch side.

The England Pups were keen to put the disappointment of last year’s semi-final defeat at the hands of the Mancunians behind them: they started strongly and were quickly a goal to the good through the predatory striking instincts of Banoub. Although the English continued to dominate the first half, they could not add to their tally and in fact it was Holland B who equalised on a rare attack. It was a swift and incisive break and took a fine finish to beat the impressive Trovato in the English goal.

The Pups resumed the onslaught after this set-back, but try as they might they could not dig out a winner. The second half and extra time passed without further goals, leaving only the lottery of the penalty shoot-out to separate the sides. Unfortunately, the English once again failed from 18 yards (making it four defeats in four shoot-outs for England sides in World Cup history). The Dutch pennos were nigh on perfect whilst two Pups failed to find the target and the English had fallen at the penultimate hurdle for the third year running.

LAGS SENT DOWN

Meanwhile Italy and the England Lags produced one of the most memorable matches in World Cup history in front of a voluble crowd packed into the brand new main stand. It was nearly all over inside two minutes as the Italians passed their way sharply through the English rearguard. As their striker strode clear, Lag defender Andy McWilliam mistimed his desperate tackle and the Italian player was upended. Fortunately for the game as a spectacle, only a yellow card was shown and the free kick flew wide.

As in their quarter-final, the Lags bounced back and set the pace in an absorbing first half. Pressure brought a number of corners, and the Lags took the lead when Keith Sidaway bulleted home a classic number nine’s header from one of these. The English strove to kill the game off and were unlucky to hit the bar twice before the interval. Disaster then struck when a harmless looking long-range shot by Christian Guastaferri somehow bobbled between the Lag keeper’s legs to gift the Italians an equaliser seconds before the break.

In the second half the game swung back in the Champions' favour. Buoyed by their goal, and inspired by the their brilliant shiny-pated inside forward Guastaferri (known affectionately to his colleagues as "Goucho"), they began to carve out more chances. The Lag defence was becoming increasingly stretched, and finally the Italians took the lead with a free-kick fired with pin-point accuracy just inside the far post by the unerring left peg of Marcello Monti. But the English again showed their mettle and Andy McWilliam fired home an even better free kick just minutes later, a strike that was greeted with a huge roar from the stands. With the score standing at 2-2 and full time fast approaching, Lag keeper Sinnige then proceeded to make amends for his earlier mistake by pulling off a breath-taking reflex save from a point-blank header that rivalled Banks in 1970 and sent the game into extra time.

With the Lags’ youngest outfield player clocking in at a mature 35, the odds should now have strongly favoured the Italians. But the English more than held their own in the first period of Silver Goal extra time, and created a great chance seconds before the interval that would clinched a place in the final: Reeves fired in a superb cross but two Lags contrived to get in each other’s way and the chance was headed wide.

Lag legs began to tire as the second half wore on, but the manner of the decisive goal was cruel. The Italians were gradually increasing the pressure, and a session of penalty box pin-ball was adjudged to have involved an English hand by the referee much to the surprise of both sides. Monti showed a calm head to convert the spot-kick, and as the English desperately charged forward in the remaining few minutes in search of an equaliser, the Champions broke to add a fourth. 'Goucho' tormented McCabe one last time and crossed for Alessandro Masiello to clinically volley home. The Lags bold bid was over.

THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY

The tenth World Cup Final at least produced some surprises off the field if not on it. Italy had long since established themselves as the pantomime villains of the piece, but now they found themselves upstaged by the deeply unpopular Holland B team, who amongst other things had sent two opponents to hospital. The Champions, who sported a special green strip for the occasion, revelled in their unusual popularity and a well worked goal from Matteo Mai (alias Minchia Longo) capped a strong first half display which they completely dominated. With every Italian touch cheered from the stands, it was only the outstanding Dutch keeper who kept his side within touching distance courtesy of a string of fine saves.

After the interval the Italians maintained their complete control, and it was not long before the Dutch frustrations boiled over. A series of wild challenges on or off the ball that would have had Dennis Wise wincing, culminated ironically only in an Italian being booked for retaliation. The game degenerated further until a scandalous double-assault by a Dutch player left referee van Vliet with no option but to pull out the red card. The Italians could concentrate on the football once more, and despite further great saves from the Dutch gloveman, their pressure finally earned a clear-cut penalty. Marcello Monti was once again on hand to emphatically convert the spot-kick, and the Italians had claimed a remarkably impressive fifth World Cup title.

The behaviour of the Dutch B side had been a disappointing but minor factor in what was otherwise a magnificent festival of football. All those who had worked so hard to bring this tournament to fruition - the national Supremos, LIFA Chief Sepp Groomo, and especially Erik van Vliet - could take immense satisfaction from their hard work. And Erik even managed to pull one final rabbit out of the hat, rustling up the most magnificent World Cup Trophy from somewhere to present to the victorious, and popular, Italian captain.