A Holland-Argentina clash at the World Cup will be the ultimate fantasy of most soccer connoisseurs. Very few nations have contributed such outstanding talents to world football over the years as these two culturally different nations, on the opposite sides of Atlantic. Cruyff, Neeskens, Gullit, Van Basten, Rijkaard, Bergkamp, Robben, Van Persie (for the Dutch), De Stefano, Pasarella, Kempes, Simeone, Batistuta, Maradona and Messi (for Argentina) could have walked into any side, in any era. Hollands football at its peak was unanswerable. The constant switch from defence to attack and vice-versa would leave the opponents in complete disarray. They were the finest proponents of the art of total football - a revolutionary concept in which any player could do anything (attack, defend, score) - and none epitomized it better than their captain and talismanic striker, Johann Cruyff. Johann Cruyff became the first footballer to carry a one-million dollar price tag when he moved from Ajax Amsterdam to Barcelona in 1973. The legendary Dutchman was spoken of in the same breath as Pele, De Stefano, George Best and Franz Beckenbauer -- some of the outstanding names of that generation. The supremely fit three time European footballer of the year (also a black belt in karate) had the speed of a horse, reflexes of a jungle cat, a tantalizing body swerve, the balance of a ballet dancer and amazing ball skills. He inspired Holland to the final of the 74 World Cup, where rather surprisingly, they lost to host West Germany 1-2 after taking an early lead. Johann Cruyff declined to play in the 1978 world cup because of differences with the Dutch football association. Neither the fervent plea of his supporters nor forty thousand letters received from fans across the globe would make him change his mind. Despite his absence, Holland stormed into the final of the 1978 World Cup, where once again they would end up on the losing side, beaten 1-3 by a vastly resurgent Argentina, who were hosting the World Cup for the first time. In the late eighties and the early nineties Gullit, Van Basten, Rijkaard, Koeman and others revived memories of a glorious past with their brand of attacking football and inevitably inviting comparisons with their illustrious predecessors. Holland failed miserably in both 1990 (beaten by eventual champions Germany) and 1994 (beaten by eventual champions Brazil). Like Cruyff before him, Rudd Gullit and Marco Van Basten didnt play in the 1994 World Cup. Holland lost to Spain in the 2010 World Cup final in an ugly, bruising encounter which most fans would like to forget. Argentina made it to the final of the first world cup (1930) but lost 2-4 to a classy Uruguay side, who had also won the football tournament in the 1928 Olympics. It would take them another 48 years to make their presence in world football. Caesar Menotti, their chain smoking manager, was finally able to motivate the players to greater heights. The goal scoring abilities of Mario Kempes (the tournaments top scorer), the sheer solidity of Daniel Passarella (captain) in defence and the silky skills of Oswaldo Ardilles (he featured in the 1981 Hollywood classic Escape to Victory) were more than a match for the technically gifted Dutch side. Argentina won 3 -1. For an impoverished nation fighting years of corruption, poverty and a highly unpopular military dictatorship, the victory was something to cheer about. Deigo Maradona, FIFAs player of the century, inspired Argentina to a memorable victory over the mighty Germans at the Aztec stadium in Mexico in 1986. If ever there is an example of a player single-handedly winning the World Cup for his country, this was it. In 1986 he made an ordinary Argentine side look great. Some of the goals that he would score, including the goal of the century against England in the quarter-final, would forever be etched in the memories of soccer fans. His astounding ball skills, deadly finishes and defence splitting passes would lift Argentina to the highest summit of World football. Maradona inspired Argentina to one more final - 1990 - where they met their familiar foe Germany. However the 1990 German side managed by the legendary Franz Beckenbauer was a class apart and beat Argentina 1-0 in a one-sided contest. The semi-final today would be an interesting display of contrasting styles. Given the compulsions of modern football, it is difficult to imagine that both sides will play an all-out aggressive game. My sense is that it will be more like a cat and mouse game where both teams will look to control proceedings through a possession game and exploit the opponents weakness. Maradona single handedly won the world cup for Argentina in 1986. Would Lionel Messi be emulate the maestro in 2014? Happy viewing.
Posted on: Wed, 09 Jul 2014 05:23:05 +0000
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