The Hindu : Great Matches: W. Germany vs France 1982, Spain

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, May 06, 2002

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Sport - Football

Great Matches: W. Germany vs France 1982, Spain

The second semifinal between West Germany and France in Seville during the 1982 World Cup is considered by a vast majority, even today, as one of the best and exciting matches ever played in the World Cup.

True, it might not have equalled the Italy-Brazil encounter earlier in the tournament for sustained skill, but this engrossing duel still stands out for the sheer drama it evoked. It was a match that had everything before it ended as the first World Cup match to be decided on penalties in favour of the Germans who once again showed the necessary composure to fightback when the chips were down.

The clash was one between two diametrically opposed schools of football with the French epitomising flair and the Germans quiet determination and fierce fighting spirit. And indeed much was expected as the two came face-to-face to slug it out for the right to earn the final berth against Italy — a 2-0 winner over Poland in the first semifinal.

It was the Germans who opened the scoring in the 18th-minute with Pierre Littbarski putting the ball beyond the reach of Jean-Luc Ettori after gaining possession from a clearance by the French goalkeeper himself. However, the French response was swift and it came through a penalty, which the fabled midfield star Michel Platini converted. The penalty was awarded after Dominique Rocheteau was tripped by Bernd Forster inside the German goal area.

The ding-dong battle was to continue through the remaining period of the first-half with both teams coming close to scoring on at least two occasions. Midway through the second-half, the match, however, slipped into a controversy as the German keeper Harold Schumacher violently body-checked French substitute Patrick Battison when the latter tried to gain a lofted through ball by Platini to score. The French fans were incensed as the Dutch referee, Charles Corver, failed to sanction Schumacher or even give a free-kick in their team's favour for the worst looking foul in any World Cup.

Schumacher was promptly booed every time he touched the ball thereafter and as the match went into extra-time deadlocked at 1-1, the French seemed to have exacted revenge as Marius Tresor and Alain Giresse struck once each in the space of six minutes. Most teams would have given up at that stage, but not the Germans who rebounded in style through substitute Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, four minutes later, and Klaus Fischer, almost at the nick of time, to force a shoot-out.

Giresse, Manuel Amoros and Rocheteau all converted their kicks and so did the German captain Manfred Kaltz and Paul Breitner before Uli Stielike's attempt was foiled by Ettori. Stielike was in tears but was helped to regain himself as Schumacher brought off a tremendous save by thwarting the effort of Didier Six. Littbarski, Platini and Rummeniggee then converted in that order but Schumacher was again successful in rising to the occasion as he anticipated well to stop a weak shot from Max Bossis.

All eyes were then on Horst Hrubesch but then the German did not flinch as he stepped up and scored with a rousing shot (see picture). While the Germans celebrated their historic triumph, the French wept. Years later, Platini himself was to sum up the match terming it as one of the finest moments of his illustrious career: "For me, no book or film or play could ever recapture the way I felt that day. It was so complete, so strong and so fabulous." — A. Vinod

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