We have said it already - The best World Cup...!

[Dunny]

Best world cup ever without a doubt

[Willi]

U young!

In 1982, you had man like "El Magico" Gonzales and El Primitivo from Guatemala in the first round. Brazil come with like 6 talismen Falcao, Cerezo, Zico, Eder, Socrates and Junior. Argentina likewise. Belgium was littered with stars. Claudio Gentile and Uli Stihlicher redfined man-marking. France introduced the full flowing Gallic attack, when man like Bernard Ghengini had to rub bench when he would start on most any other side in the world (Platini, Giresse and Tigana kept him out).

Italy with Conti, Antognoni, Ancellotti, Rossi, Scirea, Bergomi, Zoff, etc and Germany with Rumme and the 10 robots (including Hansie Muller... and Klaus Fischer) nice up the dance.

Nah man, dem days deh a nuh no likkle one or 2 talisman di deh pon di big side dem like now.

I do agree though, that this WCup is more dramatic, as there are far less bug sides like New Zealand who acted as beating sticks.

[Karl]

Yuh di a watch ball!

[Peter R]

The drama may make it the most memorable! From pure football perspective 82 was a great year, this year however, the tension and excitement , IMO, is heightened... no free passes, intrigue at every turn.

[Willi]

Fully agree.

[Willi]

Off the top of my head:

Austria 1982:

Hintermeier
Obermeier
Krauss
Krankl
Degeorgi
Herbert Prohaska

Big Side that sell out Algeria and retribution tek dem!

Soviets had Andiev Bal, and Sergei Balthatcha and the incredible goalie Desaiyev, with david Kipriani breaking his leg 2 weeks before the start. Same for Careca getting injured just before leaving Brazil to have to rely on Serginho...

Belgium

Meeuws
Millecamps
Van der Elts
Couleemans (sp)
Van der Reyken
Van der Kerkoff
Vercauterans

Poland
Boniek
Lato
Buncol
Smolarek
Wanarchek (dare we call him the clown, said John Motson on TV after a bad mistake)

Algeria
Lakdhar Belloumi
Rabah Madjer
Bensaoula
Zidane, yes ZIDANE.

Germany's 10 robots included
Hrubesch
Bernd Foerster and K-H, his brother
Breigel
Breitner
Dremmler
Littbarski
Manny Kaltz
Stielicke
and the DON Felix Magath
(if dem deh DON can get called robots....)

[Paul Marin]

Best world cup ever without a doubt

I speculate that we are seeing the best world cup because the rest of the world is "catching up" to Europe and South America in terms of the quality of play and players. I say this knowing fully well that in the last 20 years, the world cup has become less predictable (who would have guessed that both the US AND South Korea would reach the quarter-finals in 2002?) We are still not "there" yet, but the world of football is changing. That's for sure.

[Willi]

Algeria won 2-1

Look pon Germany side!!!
2/3rds of them had an Adidas boots named after them and we called them robots. Them woulda walk onto any side today...

Google Rabah Madjer's goal for his portugese side to see what a wikid baller he was.

• Goals scored
• Rabah MADJER (ALG) 54',
• Karl-Heinz RUMMENIGGE (FRG) 67',
• Lakhdar BELLOUMI (ALG) 68'

Germany FR

• Line-up
• [1]
  Harald SCHUMACHER (GK)
• [2]
  Hans Peter BRIEGEL
• [3]
  Paul BREITNER
• [4]
  Karl Heinz FOERSTER
• [6]
  Wolfgang DREMMLER
• [7]
  Pierre LITTBARSKI
• [9]
  Horst HRUBESCH
• [11]
  Karl-Heinz RUMMENIGGE (C)
• [14]
  Felix MAGATH (-83')
• [15]
  Uli STIELIKE
• [20]
  Manfred KALTZ

• Substitute(s)
• [5]
  Bernd FOERSTER
• [8]
  Klaus FISCHER (+83')
• [10]
  Hansi MUELLER
• [12]
  Wilfried HANNES
• [13]
  Uwe REINDERS
• [16]
  Thomas ALLOFS
• [17]
  Stephan ENGELS
• [18]
  Lothar MATTHAEUS
• [19]
  Holger HIERONYMUS
• [21]
  Bernd FRANKE
• [22]
  Eike IMMEL

Coach
Josef DERWALL (GER)
Algeria

• Line-up
• [1]
  Mahdi CERBAH (GK)
• [2]
  Mahmoud GUENDOUZ
• [4]
  Noureddine KOURICHI
• [5]
  Chaabane MERZEKANE
• [7]
  Salah ASSAD
• [8]
  Ali FERGANI (C)
• [10]
  Lakhdar BELLOUMI
• [11]
  Rabah MADJER (-88')
• [14]
  Djamel ZIDANE (-64')
• [15]
  Mustafa DAHLEB
• [16]
  Faouzi MANSOURI

• Substitute(s)
• [3]
  Mustafa KOUICI
• [6]
  Ali BENCHEIKH
• [9]
  Tedj BENSAOULA (+64')
• [12]
  Salah LARBES (+88')
• [13]
  Hocine YAHI
• [17]
  Abdelkader HORR
• [18]
  Karim MAROC
• [19]
  Djamel TLEMCANI
• [20]
  Abdelmajid BOUREBBOU
• [21]
  Mourad AMARA
• [22]
  Yacine BENTALA

Coach
Rachid MEKHLOUFI (ALG)

• Cautions
• Horst HRUBESCH (FRG) 57'
• , Rabah MADJER (ALG) 83'

• Expulsions

[Willi]

The top teams drop too.

Look at Germany and compare to the losing side of 1982. look at the names! Anyone with knowledge of ball will understand.


Germany FR

• Line-up
• [1]
  Harald SCHUMACHER (GK)
• [2]
  Hans Peter BRIEGEL
• [3]
  Paul BREITNER
• [4]
  Karl Heinz FOERSTER
• [6]
  Wolfgang DREMMLER
• [7]
  Pierre LITTBARSKI
• [9]
  Horst HRUBESCH
• [11]
  Karl-Heinz RUMMENIGGE (C)
• [14]
  Felix MAGATH (-83')
• [15]
  Uli STIELIKE
• [20]
  Manfred KALTZ

• Substitute(s)
• [5]
  Bernd FOERSTER
• [8]
  Klaus FISCHER (+83')
• [10]
  Hansi MUELLER
• [12]
  Wilfried HANNES
• [13]
  Uwe REINDERS
• [16]
  Thomas ALLOFS
• [17]
  Stephan ENGELS
• [18]
  Lothar MATTHAEUS
• [19]
  Holger HIERONYMUS
• [21]
  Bernd FRANKE
• [22]
  Eike IMMEL

Coach
Josef DERWALL (GER)

[Karl]

aaaah Serginho?

How he was cussed!

[Dunny]

U young!

In 1982, you had man like "El Magico" Gonzales and El Primitivo from Guatemala in the first round. Brazil come with like 6 talismen Falcao, Cerezo, Zico, Eder, Socrates and Junior. Argentina likewise. Belgium was littered with stars. Claudio Gentile and Uli Stihlicher redfined man-marking. France introduced the full flowing Gallic attack, when man like Bernard Ghengini had to rub bench when he would start on most any other side in the world (Platini, Giresse and Tigana kept him out).

Italy with Conti, Antognoni, Ancellotti, Rossi, Scirea, Bergomi, Zoff, etc and Germany with Rumme and the 10 robots (including Hansie Muller... and Klaus Fischer) nice up the dance.

Nah man, dem days deh a nuh no likkle one or 2 talisman di deh pon di big side dem like now.

I do agree though, that this WCup is more dramatic, as there are far less bug sides like New Zealand who acted as beating sticks.

Aah Willi a dog of my age is no pup, I remembered that 82 World Cup clearly it was a good world cup, however this one have more depth and is more competitive. I can remember that Brazil v Italy game as if it was yesterday. Paolo Rossi downed my side it took me days to get over it. I can even remember 78.....

[Peter R]

I still have not forgiven Schumacher for that boot to the body of Battiston. The ref was bought and paid for... not even a free kick! Still have my

I watched that match in JA at a hotel in MoBay and I remember it vividly. I was actually in the air when the final was played. At that point I had no interest as it was only academic.

[Tilla]

Willi, yuh know ball!

Still cannot forget how Brazil lost track of Paulo Rossi on three occasions and the man scored on each those three occasions (hattrick). Otherwise, that Brazil side was deadly!

Yes, I remember Claudio Gentile and Carlo Ancelotti in that italian side. Hey the Spanish side was not too bad either, but they got knocked out early. Argentina had a great side then too with Maradona, Mario Kempes, Daniel Passerela and the midfield general who wore #1, Osvaldo Ardilles. To this day, I have not come across another outfield player who wore the #1 shirt at this level.

That was a great World cup!

[Westman]

Tilla, El Loco, Rene Higuita, wore the #1 and played goalie and on the regular field at the same time. LOL

[Willi]

Juanito, Alonso, Camacho were the standout spaniards!

From Argentina, I used to rate Alberto Tarantini, the left back...but they were not my side...cant recall the name of the midfielder who was there to protect Maradona...