Posts Tagged ‘Hand Of God’
Belgium’s win among the best
Among all of the Football World Cup highlights, one of my own favourite games came back in 1986 between two countries who failed even to make it to this summer’s finals in South Africa, Belgium and Russia (back then still known as the USSR).
The game came in the second round of that tournament in Mexico, a tournament most England fans of course remember for Diego Maradona and the ‘Hand of God’ incident, but one that was memorable right from the first game all the way through to Argentina’s eventual crowning as champions.
Two weeks before their 3-2 win over Germany, a game took place in Leon, which would be the tournament’s highest-scoring match and see a hat-trick scorer Igor Belanov end up on the losing side.
The Soviet Union had battled into the second round against the predictions of World Cup Football Betting experts as Group C winners ahead of France on goal difference thanks to their 6-0 hiding of Hungary, and would have fancied their chances against Belgium, who only advanced as one of the best third-placed teams back when the tournament included just 24 teams.
But despite their poor Group B record, this was a Belgium team with plenty of well-known stars and arguably one of their best international line-ups of all time.
Belanov gave the Soviets a first-half lead, and all was looking good for them until 10 minutes into the second period when Enzo Scifo, arguably Belgium’s best-ever player levelled the scores, apparently from an offside position.
Belanov again struck with 20 minutes to go, a cross shot past Jean-Marie Pfaff, but the ageless Jan Ceulemans, again appearing to be mysteriously offside, chested down a long ball and made sure there would be extra-time.
In the extra period, the Belgians took over with a powerful header from Guy Demol (no suspicions of offside this time) and a cracking volley from Spurs striker Nico Claesen before Belanov completed his hat-trick to make the final nine minutes a nervy one for Belgium.
However they managed to hold on for a 4-3 victory and knock out Spain on penalties in the quarter-finals before finally exiting to the eventual winners Argentina 2-0 in the last-four, both goals coming from that ‘horrible genius’ Maradona.
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