Memories Of Argentina Vs. The Netherlands 78
An article about the first World Cup final I ever saw played live, between Argentina and the Netherlands. This in fact being the first time I witnessed the excitement of a final encounter in any sport.
The year was 1978, in the month of June in the summer though in Argentina where the world cup was taking place the season was winter. This making it necessary for the players to wear long sleeve shirts, in what up till now has been the last time the world cup was staged in a country that was not in the middle of summer, though next year’s competition will be held in South Africa, where June is also a winter month.
It was the Sunday of the final which I will never forget, as I would be watching the most important of games for the first time. Argentina and the Netherlands had made it to the finals, both with great teams which despite neither being undefeated, were standing one step from becoming world champions for the first time in their footballing history.
Argentina was the team those who came to my house to watch the game supported, given most of them were Argentine or South American. How they would be cheering for Argentina was clear, given this had become a matter of national pride. Argentina and their fans needed a victory and how much it meant to them even I at that early of 11 could see.
As for Argentina they had qualified to the final over Brazil; not by having beaten them in a game but simply having a goal difference of 8-0 which topped Brazil’s 6-2. Argentina however to qualify had to defeat Peru by 4 goals in their last game before the final. This being something they would do by 6-0 in a game which till this day is suspected of having been fixed by bribery. This the case though concrete proof has never been established to support this claim.
The Netherlands much to my sadness made it to the final for the second time in a row by beating Italy 2-1 in a game they could have even afforded the luxury of drawing in order to get to the final. Them being a team that again like they had four years prior had great players; such as Neeskins, Resenbrink, Krol, Repp and most of those who had played in the 1974 World Cup. Johan Cruyff being the notable absentee yet in spite of this the Dutch team had managed to reach the final and again they were pitted against the host team.
Argentina when it came to its players was also packed with stars who had definitely made a name for themselves during the 78 World Cup. Kempes, Pasarella, Ardilles, Fillol and Bertoni were those Argentina would be depending upon that day to deliver them the title of World Champion they so desperately wanted.
As for myself I can not say that the game meant anything to me personally, other than wanting to watch what I hoped would be an interesting spectacle. Argentina was the country of many of my family members but this was never a nation for which I held any particular love for. This given that I grew up in the States, with a mostly Italian background. It was in a way wonderful to be watching a game, not worrying about who won or lost, as I could just lay back and observe, instead of constantly hoping for one specific team to win.
This due to me not caring in the least which team became champion but that it be a final worthy of a place in history. The game was to be played in “Stadio Monumental” in Buenos Aires, this being the home of one of Argentina’s most popular teams; River Plate.
As for the final itself, it was the last time the participants would not come out on to the field of play side by side. This being a slight factor, since the Argentine team would come out of their locker-room five minutes after the Netherlands, making them wait while the crowd became apparently even more hostile toward them. Argentina doing thus in what some considered a deliberate delay tactic, perhaps in an attempt to cool of the Dutch and prevent them from getting off to a good start like they did in the 74 final, where they scored a goal only two minutes in to the game.
As for the starting time, it would be delayed even more when Argentina complained in the opinion of many, mine included unfairly about a bandage on the arm of Holland’s Renier Van Der Kerkhof, which in fact had already been approved of by FIFA, apart from
Tags: Argentina, Bribery, Concrete Proof, Excitement, Final Encounter, Goal Difference, History Argentina, Last Game, Last Time, Long Sleeve Shirts, Luxur, Memories, Month Of June, National Pride, Netherlands, Sadness, Second Time, South Africa, structure, SUMMER, Victory, World Champions, World Cup
