They descended in their hundreds on the small and picturesque German town of Speyer, and most of them even had hotel rooms to stay in. The finest international footballers that LogicaCMG had to offer were readying themselves in record numbers for the ultimate global challenge, that of the 11th World Cup.
Although the original list of qualifiers saw two late drop-outs (Belgium and Holland B), the remaining 18 teams from seven different countries still represented the biggest tournament yet. The host nation fielded three teams, whilst another new nation had joined the happy LIFA family, the recent acquisition of Edinfor enabling Portugal to make their debut in the LogicaCMG World Cup.
The pre-tournament pundits were not exactly putting their reputations on the line by identifying five-times champions Italy as the team to beat. The Germans were expected to be strong on home soil (you write them off at your peril, of course), whilst our Iberian spies reported that the Portuguese newcomers would not be out of their depth.
Meanwhile the English could at least point to the best statistical chance of lifting the trophy with 10 representatives. Both the England Pups and the England Lags were seeded, and harboured serious hopes of improving on last year’s semi-final exits, whilst the ever-strong Manchester first string would be aiming to emulate their Final appearance of two years ago. Some shrewd tipsters had also earmarked Reading as possible dark horses, not least due to their impressive quarter-final display against Italy in Utrecht.
There was one immediate side-effect of this bumper entry. Coupled with the fact that the Speyer Olympishe Stadion only boasted three pitches (and one of those Astroturf), LIFA mandarins were forced to reduce the length of matches to just 30 minutes in order to complete the gruelling schedule of 57 games in the allotted two days. Some wise old sages suggested this would reap a crop of scoreless draws, with teams hard-pushed to break the deadlock in just 15 minutes each way. In fact, to the relief of organisers, fans and a global TV audience alike, this proved not to be the case. Just six matches failed to see a goal, whilst teams managed to rattle in 5, 6, 7 and even 8 goals in this reduced timescale.
CZECH SPRING HISTORIC PLOY
Not that they needed any help, but holders Italy found favour with the Velvet Bag Gods as they were drawn in Group A - one of the two groups comprising just four teams. This meant just the traditional 90 minutes football on Saturday, but the tournament favourites did not rest on their laurels. They banged in no fewer than 17 goals in their three group matches, sending a clear message of intent to anyone who might have been fooled into believing they were on the wane.
Duncan Anderson claimed a proud record as the only player to score against Italy in this year’s World Cup. However his strike in the 3-1 defeat to the holders was in turn the only group goal scored by Manchester B as they bagged a disappointing ‘nil points’ (although Sunday would find them faring far better as they secured impressive victories against Germany (Eumetsat) and Portugal). This left the match between Germany (LCMG) and the Czech Republic as the crucial one to decide the other Group A qualifiers. The 2002 winners scored a decisive 3-0 win, rendering their final match against the Italians an academic scrap for top spot.
Perhaps the Czechs opted to try and repeat history and take a leave out of their host’s book of tactical masterstrokes from the 1954 World Cup. Then, in a meaningless group game, Germany fielded a reserve side and crashed 8-3 to huge tournament favourites Hungary. Having thus lulled the mighty Magyars into a false sense of security, the Germans duly made their own way to the final where they fielded a full strength side and triumphed 3-2 against the same opponents. A 0-8 defeat to the Italians in just 30 minutes suggested a similar ploy by the Czechs. But if so, their plan would fall just short; a Final re-match against the Italians being scuppered by a semi-final exit, ironically at the hands of the Germans.
GAS ESCAPE AT THE DEATH
Five teams packed Group B which proved to be the tightest of the four groups as well as upsetting the form book. Seeded team and two-times World Cup winners Holland struggled to assemble a squad that matched that last year’s in numbers and quality, and found themselves propping up the table with just a solitary point. Meanwhile Reading A were building on the promise of last year’s quarter-final appearance, and three emphatic victories and a goalless draw against Calor Gas saw them comfortably home at the top of the Group.
The battle to join them was a far closer struggle that went to the wire. The Welsh Wizards trounced the England Nippers, but this advantage was nullified by being held to draws against Calor Gas and Holland. The Nippers had a solitary victory against the Dutch, but whilst Calor Gas were unbeaten, their own 1-0 win over Holland was followed by draws against Wales and Reading. This meant that a win for the Nippers in the final group game against Calor would see them finish as runners-up. This seemed to be the way things were going with England leading 1-0 via an early Paul Shirran goal. But with the pressure on, a late equaliser for the Erik van Vliet sponsored outfit was enough to see them claim a place in the quarter-finals.
SPIT AND POLISH
Group C was designated as this year’s de riguer Group of Death. Seemingly perennial third placers, the England Pups, and two-times finalists Manchester A, would have their work cut out against debutante dark horses Portugal and the ever competitive Leatherhead. Even local late-qualifiers Germany (Eumetsat) proved hard to beat, but by Saturday evening only had a single point from their final game against the Surrey men to show for their exertions.
Leatherhead also proved difficult to beat, conceding just four goals in as many group games. However their problems were at the other end, as a number of eleventh hour withdrawals by big name stars such as Dave Robertson left them short of fire power, and they failed to find the net on Saturday. Portugal showed some neat technique in defeating Leatherhead and Germany, but found the know-how and experience of the other two English sides too much. Pre-tournament high expectations turned to expectoration in their final group match against the England Pups as they went down to a single goal. The physical abuse of both opponents and particularly referee Quinn left a decidedly sour taste, the Portuguese exit simultaneously phlegmatic and decidedly unphlegmatic.
And so, after some polished displays to vanquish each of the three other teams, the Pups and Manchester were left to battle for the final qualifying positions. With their inferior goal difference, the Pups needed a win to finish top, and there was considerable incentive with the runners-up almost certainly facing a quarter-final against Italy. In a tight match of few chances, the Pups seemed to be heading for top spot courtesy of a clinical finish from World Cup debutante Ross Melville. But the Mancunians have proved a regular thorn in the England sides in recent years, and a brilliant late strike from World Cup veteran Paul French earned the Northerners an allegedly easier quarter-final against the Czechs.
LAGGING BEHIND
The old men of England were relieved to be drawn in a group of four that meant 30 minutes less running around in the 28°c heat. The seeded side were clear favourites to win a Group D somewhat revamped after the late withdrawal of Belgium and Holland B. Although never guilty of complacency, last year’s fourth placed side were nevertheless stunned by Alex ‘The Hammer’ Conrad’s blistering 25 yard volley for Klaus Lohnert’s Germany side late in the opening group game.
Inter Essex won an entertaining ding-dong battle against Reading B by 3-2 and then held the Germans to a goalless draw. The frustrations of the England Lags were beginning to show in a bad-tempered second match against Reading. At one point the pitch resembled a veritable handbag emporium, with referee Ramsay not sure which outbreak of histrionics to turn his attention to. The Lags only served to distract themselves, failing to break the deadlock and leaving themselves in severe danger of a first day exit for only the second time in their long history.
As the last two games kicked off simultaneously, any of the four teams could still qualify and all still held their destiny in their own hands. But the closely fought nature of the previous games was shattered by decisive victories for Germany and the Lags. The eponymous Lohnert bagged a brace as the home side saw off Reading 4-1, whilst lethal striking legends Abbott and Sidaway notched five between them as the Lags finally clicked in a 7-0 drubbing of Essex to sneak the runners-up spot on goal difference.
THE OLD AND THE NEW
Some familiar faces had qualified from the group stages but they were joined by some new kids on the block, and the quarter-final pairings threw up some intriguing ties. The most anticipated last-eight match was probably the holders Italy facing their old nemesis the England Pups, the side that have the best head-to-head record against the five-time champions (a win in Amsterdam and two draws in Bordeaux and Manchester). The match was predictably tight with few clear-cut chances, but as the game wore on the Italians stepped up a gear. Unlucky when they hit the bar, the winning goal was immensely fortunate as referee van Vliet and linesman Groom both failed to see the Italian scorer controlling the ball with his hand.
Reading were keen to improve on last year’s quarter-final showing, and got off to the perfect start against the England Lags when Nich Fazel pounced with a predatory finish inside two minutes. The old men woke with a start and spent the rest of the game chasing an equaliser. Concerted pressure saw two good efforts from Dickie McWilliam fly narrowly wide, whilst Abbott missed the best Lag opening at the near post. With perfect symmetry, Reading then secured victory as Fazel beat the offside trap with two minutes remaining to crash home an unstoppable volley.
The third quarter-final found the 2002 winners facing the 2003 finalists in what proved to be a fine game of football. Manchester continued their good form of the previous day by dominating early doors and took the lead when Ben Waite swivelled neatly to fire home a low cross (one of five tournament goals that would see him finish second in the Golden Boot competition). But the Mancunians spurned opportunities to extend their lead, and the Czechs fought back in the latter stages and finally punished English profligacy with a spectacular volley hammered home from the edge of the box by outstanding centre half Mira Nykl. Extra time saw two tired sides cancel each other out and surrender their destiny to the lottery of penalties. Both keepers produced some fine saves, and despite the Czech keeper being penalized for advancing off his line, it was he who produced the decisive save to put the Czechs into the last four.
Two World Cup debutantes squared up for the last semi-final berth. Calor Gas had conceded just a solitary goal in their four group games, and again proved difficult to break down as they produced a disciplined defensive display against the last remaining host side. But Germany (Lohnert) had been able to exploit home advantage by calling on some fresh reinforcements overnight, and their superior stamina finally told as goals from Tobias Weigand and Frank Kief completed a cosmopolitan semi-final line up comprising Italian, English, Czech and German combatants.
SEMI DETACHED
The semi-finals produced two matches of contrasting styles. The Italians clearly remembered all too clearly the close shave they had experienced against Reading in Utrecht last year when only a missed penalty and a late winner enabled them to scramble through. The English side played with belief, taking the game to the holders and looking the more likely to score in the first half. The Italians seemed strangely subdued, but eventually roused themselves to rewrite a familiar script once more. As Reading began to tire, the holder’s skill and technique gradually reclaimed the initiative, and the increasingly inevitable outcome was sealed with a blistering finish from the edge of the box.
Meanwhile the Germans were moving quickly through the gears and produced a display of patient passing and great finishing to destroy the dreams of a second final appearance for the Czech Republic. Spurred on by home support, goals from Markus Kappel, Frank Manthey, and Dirk Rupprecht secured a relatively comfortable victory for Klaus Lohnert’s outfit despite a reply from Kubát. So the Czech’s would not get the opportunity to reap the dividends of their shrewd security-lulling stratagem in a Final against the Italians. But there was some consolation as they beat Reading in the play-off to claim third place courtesy of two more goals from Jan Kubát that was enough for him to walk off with the Golden Boot for six tournament goals.
GERMANS PAY THE PENALTY
And so it was the hosts in the shape of Germany (Lohnert) who had won through to take on the Italians in the 2005 World Cup Final. Predictably, the holders, playing in their eighth consecutive Final, had once again brought a special kit for the occasion. This one was white, and although the colour clashed with the shirts the Germans had worn throughout the tournament, the psychological initiative was with the Italians when the hosts consented to play instead in yellow T-shirts.
The match developed into a fascinating contest with both teams playing some neat and patient passing football. The Germans impressed with some early half-chances, but the Italians responded with a rapier like counter-attack as pin-point passing took them from one end of the field to the other. Guastaferri drew the last defender before rolling an inviting pass to his strike partner who clipped the ball clinically over the advancing German keeper. A fine goal, and worthy of a World Cup Final.
The decisive moment came early in the second half. Germany refused to admit defeat and instead cranked up the pressure. Their just reward came when another attack prompted uncharacteristic panic in the Italian rearguard, and a desperate lunge upended a home forward. Referee van Vliet pointed to the spot, and was again on the ball when the Italian keeper saved the spot-kick, rightly ruling that he advanced off his line before the ball was struck. But the retaken kick was again missed, and within minutes the Italians had taken full advantage when a curled Guastaferri free-kick doubled their lead.
The game was all but up now, and the Italians started to turn on the style as the Germans’ self-belief drained away. A break down the right saw the ball fed in to the Italian striker, who produced a balletic turn past his marker before again clipping a precise finish past the despairing German keeper. The home side had certainly given the Champions a run for their money, but in the end the Italians fully deserved a victory that brought them a record sixth World Cup triumph.