The Hindu : Great Goals: Muller, Kempes, Rossi

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Apr 18, 2002

Sport

Sport - Football

Great Goals: Muller, Kempes, Rossi

WHEN you look back at natural predatory goalscorers like Gerd Muller, Mario Kempes and Paolo Rossi, or the inventive genius of a Franz Beckenbauer, a Johan Cryuff or a Michel Platini, you realise that some of their rare talents were enigmatic to the end. One can only marvel at their gifts... one can never really get a hold on their nature.

And when you talk of such men, you understand that each of their strikes was a gem by itself: you may admire each for its fluency, control and calibre, but rating them would be blasphemous.

The three World Cups between '74 and '82 saw the marauding skills of Muller, the German nicknamed Der Bomber, Argentinean Kempes and Italy's Rossi reach their acme, each in his time, four years separating their heroics, in that order.

Muller was a revelation in Mexico '70, emerging the leading scorer with 10 strikes, including two hat-tricks and a brace in the semifinal which Italy won 4-3 in extra-time.

The master poacher was deadly as ever in Germany '74, though many felt he was past his peak, and the host won the Cup in a display of `total football.'

The final between West Germany and Holland was dubbed the clash of the titans: Cryuff versus Beckenbauer, unquestionably the greatest then, with Pele having retired.

It was Muller who stole the thunder, though, with that magnificent goal, the match-winner. Grabowski set things in motion with a pass up the right to Bonhof, who raced past Hann on the outside and relayed to Muller, who pulled it back into his path with one foot and guided it past Jongbloed with the other in one classic move. But then, who can forget the goal against Yugoslavia early in the tournament when Muller steered the ball into the net whilst lying on the ground after the first attempt had been blocked.

Kempes' recall from Valencia (Spain) for Argentina '78 was the best thing to have happened to the host nation, whose chain-smoking manager Cesar Menotti, having seen quite a few of his players move to Europe, decided on a home-based team. Kempes was the top-scorer in the edition with six goals, two of which came in the 3-1 victory over Holland in the final. If the first was an awesome left-footer after beating Haan's tackle, the second, in extra-time, was a veritable treat. Kempes collected the ball from Bertoni, pierced through the defence, nearly lost the ball to the gutsy Jongbloed, managed to retain it, and netted home. Spain '82 belonged to Rossi (see picture), who became the hero of Italy after returning from a two-year ban for allegedly accepting a bribe and `fixing' a game in the Italian league. The best of his six goals, including the opener in Italy's 3-1 win over West Germany in the final, was in the second round Group `C' contest against Brazil, which his side clinched 3-2 thanks to his hat-trick.

In an amazing display of opportunism _ while keeping the execution simple _ he headed in Cabrini's perfect cross from the left for the team's first goal after the full-back had been sent away by Conti from the right. Truly memorable. — Sanjay Rajan

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