| "When great matches of the World Cup are recounted, there
will always be a place for this remarkable duel between French skill
and West German stamina." So ran the introduction to the match
report in World Soccer's August 1982 edition.
The Germans were down and heading out of the tournament when Alain
Giresse put the French 3-1 ahead in extra-time. But a goal by Karl-Heinz
Rummenigge sparked one of the most staggering comebacks in the history
of international football. West Germany went on to win on penalties
– the first time a World Cup match had been settled by this
method – six years after they had lost in a shoot-out to Czechoslovakia
in the final of the 1976 European Championship.
Honours were even at half-time: Michel Platini's penalty had cancelled
out West Germany's opener from Pierre Littbarski. The most memorable
moment of a tightly fought match came in the middle of the second
half when a long ball from Platini sent defender Patrick Battiston
racing clear behind the German back line. Moments after he had headed
the ball towards goal from inside the penalty area, keeper Harald
Schumacher hurled himself at the Frenchman, foot forward, knocking
his opponent unconscious and breaking two of his teeth. The ball
went just wide of the goal and, to the anger and astonishment of
the French, Dutch referee Charles Corver waved play on.
In fact, play was interrupted for several minutes while Battiston,
still unconscious, was carried off on a stretcher, but Schumacher
remained on the pitch, and would play a crucial part in the penalty
shoot-out.
West Germany's trump card was to bring on Rummenigge in extra-time.
Though France took a 3-1 lead through sweeper Marius Tresor's splendid
volley and Giresse's 20-metre shot in the 98th minute, the German
substitute inspired a comeback by scoring in the 102nd minute. Klaus
Fischer's goal six minutes later – a spectacular bicycle-kick
– took the match to penalties. Both sides missed a kick, then
Maxime Bossis failed to beat Schumacher, while Horst Hrubesch converted
to ensure West Germany's passage.
Line-ups
West Germany: Schumacher - Kaltz, Stielike, K H
Forster, Briegel (Rummenigge 95) - Dremmler, Breitner, B Forster,
Magath (Hrubesch 72) - Littbarski, Fischer.
Goals: Littbarski 17, Rummenigge 102, Fischer 108.
France: Ettori - Amoros, Janvion, Tresor, Bossis
- Genghini (Battiston 50; Lopez 59), Tigana, Giresse, Platini -
Rocheteau, Six.
Goals: Platini pen 27, Tresor 92, Giresse 98.
Penalty shoot-out: Giresse, Kaltz; Amoros, Breitner; Rocheteau,
Stielike (miss); Six (miss), Littbarski; Platini, Rummenigge; Bossis
(miss), Hrubesch.
Referee: Corver (Holland).
Att: 60,000. |
