ESL Football: June 2014

Thursday 12 June 2014

Brazil Perfect Start?

Brazil win their opening game. They did in 1950, too (7-1 against Sweden). Everything went perfectly until under a weird tournament format they reached Final.

With home crowd advantage Brazil only needed a draw against neighbours Uruguay ...

Read here

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Friday 6 June 2014

Who burnt Alf's World Cup sausages?

England players wait at the airport prior to flying out to Mexico

According to this legend, the England manager suffered this indignity on arriving in Mexico City for the World Cup in 1970.

The story goes that Alf Ramsey had a low opinion of the integrity and cuisine of all Latin Americans (see his infamous 'animals' comment after Ratin was sent off for Argentina in 1966). Worried about foul-play and/or upset stomachs, Alf ordered that English food be flown in for the tournament.

Outraged by this challenge to their food importation laws, the Mexican authorities (allegedly) incinerated the long travelled British pork sausages on the tarmac at Mexico City Airport.

I cannot find proof of this (alleged) Mexican stand-off. But there was plenty going on to fuel Alf's suspicions of foreign conspiracies: the peculiar Bogota bracelet incident, for example. And then star goalkeeper, Gordon Banks, went down with food poisoning on the eve of Quarter Final against West Germany.

If only Gordon had stuck with British fish and chips ....

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Thursday 5 June 2014

Which two countries fought the 'Football War'?

George Orwell described international football as war without guns. In the run-up to the 1970 World Cup two rival nations dispensed with the 'no guns' rule.

El Salvador and Honduras are neighbours in Central America.

In June 1969 they play each other to qualify for the 1970 World Cup. Honduras win the first game at home 1-0, but a week later El Salvador win the return match 3-0.

At this time, goal difference is not counted so the two teams are level. They now have to play a replay.

El Salvador beat Hounduras, Mexico City 1969

Two weeks later the replay takes place in Mexico City in a very tense atmosphere.

The score is 2-2 at the end on normal time. In extra-time El Salvador scored a dramatic winning goal.

Riots after the game quickly turned into a shooting war between the two countries. Though th fighting only lasts a 100 hours around three thousand people are killed. And the war did not officially end until October 1980

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Tuesday 3 June 2014

First World Cup?

European teams travel to the first World Cup .

In 1930 the first World Cup tournament was held in Uruguay.

Only four European teams made the long sea journey. Can you guess who they were?

And which country travelled first class?

1930 World Cup: Fun Facts (audio)

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Sunday 1 June 2014

What happened the last time Brazil held a World Cup? Why did only 13 teams compete?

Brazil line up for 1950 World Cup

For obvious reasons the 1942 and 1946 World Cups were cancelled. Both Germany and Brazil had optimistically bid for the 1942 World Cup. Unsurprisingly the Germans were not in the running for the first post-war tournament. Brazil bid again in in 1946 and were successful.

So after a 12 year break FIFA invited 16 countries to play in the 1950 World Cup in Brazil. These invitations were not greeted with great enthusiasm. Many countries could not or would not participate in the tournament now officially named the Jules Rimet Trophy.

None of the eastern European countries felt strong enough to compete while Argentina was unhappy that they were not the hosts.

The British teams agreed to compete. England qualified as British Champions but withdrew. Turkey and India also withdrew - in India's case because FIFA did not allow them to play in bare feet.

FIFA then invited France, Ireland and Portugal. These days any national team would be on the first available plane - but all declined.

For the remarkable story of what happened at the tournament go here: