Comebacks
Libertarian
written off or finding themselves in a major slump?
Alessandro Riolo
"Libertarian" wrote:
> Which players have rebuilt their careers most spectacularly after
> being written off or finding themselves in a major slump?
Paolo Rossi is the most significative example. Angelo Peruzzi recovered
his career significantly, as at his time did also Bruno Giordano (what a
name ;-) ), while I am not that sure about Claudio Caniggia (when a
youngster he was really magnificient).
--
ale
http://www.sen.it
Libertarian
Yes, a comback after being burnt at the stake is quite something!
Petrovich
news:hpcpuvomippi4ej46...@4ax.com:
> It's a bit sad that
> (WEST) G E R M A N Y failed so miserably against Portugal,
Thanks for the fond memories. :)
That must rate as one of the most miraculous qualifications for a major
international tournament I've ever seen, right alongside the likes of
Bulgaria for USA '94. The Portuguese NT was mostly composed by players who
had peaked 2 years before and duly proceeded to fail miserably in Mexico
(an unprobable 1-0 win over England was followed by a 0-1 defeat by Poland
and heavy beating by Morocco in the last game), but the qualifying route is
fairy tale stuff.
It all started so well. Still fresh from a surprise third place in Euro
'84, Portugal grabbed a promissing 1-0 win in Stokholm, followed by 2-1 win
over Czechoslovakia in Oporto. With the top two in each group qualifying
and two wins over our two main rivals, all seemed to point to an unusually
quiet campaign.
How wrong were we. In November 1984 Sweden raided the José Alvalade stadium
in Lisbon and returned home deserved 3-1 winners to turn the group wide
open and a 3-1 win in La Valletta over Malta in February was little more
than minimum requirements. Then West Germany payed a visit to the National
Stadium (first football match watched live by yours truly) and won the
match much more confortably than the 2-1 scoreline suggests.
Things were worsening but gloom only descended on us completly when an
horrific performance earned the Portuguese a 0-1 defeat in Prague to a
Czechoslovakian team that had ceased to be a contender after drawing in
Malta, losing in Sweden and being hammered 5-1 by West Germany at home. As
news came that Sweden had drawn Germany at home in the same evening,
everybody understood that qualification was almost impossible. And so
demoralized were the team that they struggled badly to beat Malta at home,
as the Maltese recovered from a 0-2 deficit before finally sucumbing to a
late goal.
So on the evening of October, 16th 1985, the Portuguese entered the pitch
of the Neckarstadion in Stuttgart knowing that they were one point ahead of
the Swedes, who were playing Czechoslovakia in Prague at the same time; but
Sweden had a better goal difference and game in hand, against minnows Malta
- and the outcame of that match was easy to predict. In short, Portugal had
to win and hope that Sweden failed to collect a single point against a
Czech team who were only playing for pride. "Yeah, right", thought 99% of
the fans; "At least let me dream" said the NT manager José Torres, himself
a 1966 WC hero.
The match itself followed a predictable pattern. Confronted with a superior
German side, the Portuguese turn their half into a barricade, blocking
German attacks as well as they could and hoping for the best. What stands
out in this one is that for once the best actually came thumbling down from
the skies - nine minutes into the second half, to be precise.
On one of the rare Portuguese breaks, midfielder Carlos Manuel run with the
ball a few yards into the German half; despite having a team mate on the
overlap, he decides to shoot on goal. I don't know what on earth crossed is
mind or if he was aware how improbable it was to beat Harald Schumacher
from 30 yeards. But the next thing I know Schumacher was collecting the
ball from inside - inside! - the net and Carlos Manuel running like a
possessed man chased by 10 other guys equally out of their selves. The rest
of the match was shameful or heroic depending on your point of view.
Catenaccio at its very best. The Portuguese abdicated from their already
feeble sketches of attack and concetrated solely on avoiding a German goal
by all means available (and I really mean all) on a second half that saw
everything including shots hitting the woodwork and others taken off the
goal line. When news filtered that the game had finished in Prague and
Sweden had lost 1-2, the tension peaked. And as the final whistle was blown
and players, staff, TV commentators and fans at home realised what that
meant it was wild celebration. Memorable.
Of course Sweden is to blame for forgetting one of the oldest rules of
thumb of international football: never, absolutly never, leave your fate in
German hands - incidently one we would taste ourselves in the France '98
Qualifiers. But that's another story...
Pedro
Motterman
anders t wrote:
>
> Quoting Libertarian in rec.sport.soccer:
> >Which players have rebuilt their careers most spectacularly after being
> >written off or finding themselves in a major slump?
>
> Roy Keane?
Yeah, the talk going into the season was that he was done.
Then he ran down Vieira in the Community Shield.
Benny
> From : Motterman <imo...@REMOVESPAMcbfbusinesssolutions.com>
>Yeah, the talk going into the season was that he was done.
>
>Then he ran down Vieira in the Community Shield.
Give me a break, Keane is nowhere near the player he was a few years
ago, that's why Taggart has to pick and choose games for him.
Sven Mischkies
> Another one (perhaps not so well-known outside Sweden): Torbjörn Nilsson,
> more or less a nervous wreck (literally, they say) after some initial
> career blows, but he sure came back in his late 20s and early 30s, for
> instance to help IFK Göteborg win the UEFA Cup '82.
Bah. *g*
Ciao,
SM
--
The Sunday Times about 'The Two Towers':
'The darkness of this film comes not just from the hideous collection of
creatures - orcs, Uruk-hai, wargs and Liv Tyler...'
The Doctor
Roy Keane is a hasbeen.
--
Member - Liberal International On 11 Sept 2001 the WORLD was violated.
This is doc...@nl2k.ab.ca Ici doc...@nl2k.ab.ca
Society MUST be saved! Extremists must dissolve.
Merry Christmas 2003 and Happy New Year 2004
David Tiemroth
>Which players have rebuilt their careers most spectacularly after being
>written off or finding themselves in a major slump?
No contest, Morten Wieghorst.
2000: Contracts Guillain-Barré Syndrome, is hospitalized and is put on
a respirator, as he is unable to breathe for himself.
2003: Wins Danish Player Of The Year.
Now, I don't particularly like him, he's a dirty bastard on the pitch
who nevertheless seems surprised every time the ref calls one of his
many fouls, but you can't really do much better, comeback wise.
David.
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