04/19/24
June 14, 2010
When the World Wept for Algeria: Why the last group matches have been played simultaneously ever since the 1982 World Cup.
That is despicable.
posted by apoch at 12:32 PM on June 14, 2010
Wow. Shameful.
posted by lil_brown_bat at 12:54 PM on June 14, 2010
etagloh: Is that Sean Connery doing the voice over for that video? How very bizarre!
posted by grum@work at 03:30 PM on June 14, 2010
In club football a league always schedules the final matches of the season all on the same day and all at the same kickoff time.
posted by JButton at 05:12 PM on June 14, 2010
Great story. Shameful behaviour, though.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 05:39 PM on June 14, 2010
In club football, every team in a given league also plays the final match of the season all on the same day at the same kickoff time.
Apart from Italy. Who are free enough from corruption that they don't have to worry.
posted by Mr Bismarck at 05:47 PM on June 14, 2010
Who are free enough from corruption that they don't have to worry.
I really don't know how you were able to submit that post, what with you drowning in sarcasm as you typed it.
posted by grum@work at 05:52 PM on June 14, 2010
Mr Bismarck must've paid off the keys
posted by kokaku at 06:20 PM on June 14, 2010
I still don't get how Schumacher and Germany walked away without getting a yellow (or red) card or giving a penalty away. Battiston was in the hospital after that "collision." If Schumacher was going for the ball, I'm guessing both of them would've been flat out. Protecting the goalkeeper is one thing, but that play and the resulting non-call were travesties.
This post and that video pretty much nails why I root against the German team.
posted by worldcup2002 at 06:37 PM on June 14, 2010
This may not even be the worst fix at a World Cup. Sure, it was cynical, but West Germany and Austria had a footballing incentive to make sure both of them went through. The problem was really the structure of the tournament which allowed this to happen.
I'd cite Argentina's 6-0 win over Peru in 1978 as worse. Argentina needed to win by at least 5 goals, and Peru was already out. This match, it is reported, was fixed by government to government payments at the highest level.
Another situation (though not a World Cup) where organisers should have seen it coming.
posted by owlhouse at 07:07 PM on June 14, 2010
I still don't get how Schumacher and Germany walked away without getting a yellow (or red) card or giving a penalty away.
The modern rules on red/yellow cards (and penalties) only date from the late 80s: there were five reds in 1982 (including Maradona), eight in 1986 and 16 in 1990. Add to that the fact that the referee bottled it.
owlhouse: the irony (or underlying justice) of that 1998 Tiger Cup match is that both teams lost in their semis, and the "weaker" prospective opponent won the whole thing.
posted by etagloh at 10:53 PM on June 14, 2010
Wow, cool post!
posted by StarFucker at 08:03 PM on June 21, 2010
I don't remember much from watching that match as a kid, but I do remember the word "disgrace" being used several times.
1982 was the first year of a 24-team World Cup, which opened the door to talent from outside the traditional strongholds of Europe and Latin America, but it ended up a showcase of European football at its best and worst.