All Time World Cup!
Gento 64, Blokhin 76,
MUNICH – Olympiastadion
The pressure was on Spain for this encounter. Having lost their opening match they were keen to get some points on the board. The Soviets also needed a result, with a tough game against Italy still to come. The Spaniards played some lovely football in the first half, knocking the ball about with aplomb. They never came close to scoring though, with their strikers unable to make any headway against the formidable Soviet defence. Kuznetsov won everything in the air and Shesternev won everything on the ground. Bessonov kept Gento quiet and in midfield, Valeri Voronin and Vasili Rats cut off the supply line from Suarez and Michel. The Soviets too were able to move the ball around sweetly without creating chances.
Just after the hour, the stalemate was broken when Chivadze’s slack pass to Bessonov was intercepted by Paco Gento. ‘El Supersonico’ burst past the stranded full back and bore down on goal. With Shesternev and Kuznetsov caught out of position, post-war favourite Telmo Zarra was able to break forward and give Gento an outlet. The Real Madrid legend didn’t need him though. He faked to square the ball, which left Yashin with too much to cover, allowing Gento to slot home at the near post.
Lobanovsky made an instant change, pulling the ineffective Belanov out, to be replaced by post-independence Ukrainian icon Andrei Shevchenko. The Milan man’s pace and strength immediately caused the Spanish defence problems. Antonio Maceda and Jose Antonio Camacho both conceded free kicks in their desperation to keep him out of the penalty area. Instead of gaining confidence from their goal, Villalonga’s men seemed to have lost the initiative. On the left, Blokhin now had the beating of right-back Chendo, and quick passing from Rats and Chislenko was bypassing Guardiola in the middle.
Eventually it was Shevchenko who earned the equaliser, driving in to the box and being upended by Maceda. Despite his fame, Shevchenko knew who the team’s real star man was, and stepped aside to let skipper Blokhin put away the penalty kick.
The final quarter of an hour ebbed and flowed but the closest either side came to a winner was a rocket of a free kick from Fernando Hierro which flew just wide. Neither side was happy with the result, but neither side was out of it either with one game to play.
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