Posted October 19, 20222 yr To whet your appetite for the upcoming FIFA World Cup, I will be counting down my Top 25 FIFA World Cup matches of all time in my view. I have included from USA 1994. I hope you enjoy the countdown, :)
October 19, 20222 yr Looking forward to this Mack! Hoping Brazil vs Germany in 2014 will feature very highly!
October 20, 20222 yr Author 25th- Italy 0-1 Republic of Ireland (USA 1994) Group Stage Dq_Av65L4R0 Italy Pagliuca Costacurta Maldini Baresi Tassotti Albertini Baggio Donadoni Evani (Massaro 46') Baggio Signori (Beti 84') Ireland: Bonner Irwin Phelan McGrath Staunton Babb Keane Townsend Houghton (McAteer 67') Sheridan Coyne (Aldridge '90) At 25, we have Republic of Ireland's famous victory over eventual finalists Italy at USA 1994. This was the first time in seven meetings that Ireland had avoided defeat with the Italians and the first time in 13 World Cups that Italy had lost their opening match.
October 20, 20222 yr This of course the same Italy that were a penalty away from winning the whole damn tourno! Ireland's greatest WC result you'd have to say.
October 20, 20222 yr Italy were quite fortunate to get as far as they did in 1994. Plenty of fine margins!
October 20, 20222 yr They were the closest to a one man team there's ever gonna be after Maradona in 86.
October 21, 20222 yr Author 24th- Argentina 0-3 Croatia (Russia 2018) Group Stage: cIG9B8L-2I8 Argentina: Caballero Mercado Otamendi Tagliaifico Salvio (Pavon 56') Perez (Dybala 68') Mascherano Acuna Messi Meza Aguero (Higuain 54') Croatia: Subasic Vrsaljko Lovren Vida Strinic Brozovic Rebic (Kramaric 57') Modric Rakitic (Kovacic 82') Mandzukic (Corluka 90+2') Goals: Rebic (53'), Modric (80'), Rakitic (90+1) At #24, we have the match that introduced Croatia as contenders for that World Cup. This result came as a surprise for Argentina where much was expected of Messi. The opening goal an error from Caballero. Argentina in Russia 2018 will feature again in this countdown.
October 21, 20222 yr Author 23rd- Germany 3-2 Belgium (USA 1994) Second Round Vel4ten8470 Germany: Illgner Berthold Buchwald Helmer Kohler Hassler Matthaus (Brehme (46') Sammer Wagner Klinsmann (Kuntz 85') Voller Belgium: Preud'homme Albert de Wolf Grun Smidts (Boffin 65') Staelens Emmers Scifo van der Elst Nilis (Czerniatynski 77') Weber Goals: Voller (6') 1-0 Grun (8') 1-1 Klinsmann (11') 2-1 Voller (40') 3-1 Albert (90' 3-2 At 23 it is this competitive second round match between the reigning champions Germany and Belgium.
October 21, 20222 yr Author 22nd- Nigeria 2-3 Argentina (Brazil 2014) Group Stage: RlhUHyXegSQ Nigeria: Enyeama Oshaniwa Omeruo Yobo Ambrose Mikel Babatunde (Uchebo 66') Onazi Musa Odemwingie (Nwofor 80') Emenike Argentina: Romero Rojo Garay Fernandez Zabaleta Mascherano Gago Messi (Alvarez 63') Di Maria Higuain (Biglia 90+1') Aguero (Lavezzi 38') Goals: Messi (3') 0-1 Musa (4') 1-1 Messi (45+1') 1-2 Musa (47') 2-2 Rojo (50') 2-3 At 22 it is this final group stage match from 2014 between Nigeria and Argentina. This was the first time in World Cup history that two opposing teams had both scored inside the first five minutes. In 2014, it was not meant to be for Argentina as they lost in the final to Germany 1-0 in extra time. For Nigeria they would lose in the second round to two late goals from France.
October 22, 20222 yr Always remember watching the Ireland Italy game as a young lad, one of the best days ever!
October 22, 20222 yr They were the closest to a one man team there's ever gonna be after Maradona in 86. But they had two of the greatest defenders in history in the back four alone 🤔
October 25, 20222 yr Author 21st- Spain 1-3 France (Germany 2006) Last 16: qgL-Y5JOohs Spain: Casillas Pablo Puyol Sergio Ramos Pernia Fabregas Xavi (Senna 72') Alonso Villa (Joaquain 54') Torres Raul (Luis Garcia 54') France: Barthez Sagnol Thuram Gallas Abidal Ribery Zidane Makelele Vieira Malouda (Govou 74') Henry (Wiltord 88') Goals: Villa pen (28') 1-0 Ribery (41') 1-1 Vieira (83') 1-2 Zidane (90' 1-3 At 21 it is this second round match at the 2006 World Cup between Spain and eventual runners-up France. The line-ups of both teams are unreal.
October 25, 20222 yr That was one of Zidane's best ever performances. Remember all the pundits and viewers were backing Spain to finally break their tag of perennial underachievers this tournament against a very unfancied French team. Pat Nevin was the only pundit before the tournament to predict France to do anything.
October 25, 20222 yr Author 20th- Romania 3-2 Argentina (USA 1994) Last 16: vXkfD7hlImk Romania: Prunea Selymes Beloedici Prodan Popescu Mihali Lupescu Munteanu Petrescu Hagi (Galca 86') Dumitrescu (Papura 89') Argentina: Islas Sensini (Medina Bello 63') Caceres Ruggeri Chamot Simeone Redondo Basualdo Oretga Batistuta Balbo Goals: Dumitrescu (11') 1-0 Batistuta pen (16') 1-1 Dumitrescu (18') 2-1 Hagi (58') 3-1 Balbo (75') 3-2 At 20, it is this last 16 match from USA 1994 between Romania and Argentina. It was to be Romania who caused a great shock by beating Argentina.
October 25, 20222 yr Too young to appreciate a game like that but certainly a shock with that back and forth scoreline. 1994 was a good year for Eastern Europe with Romania's progression to the quarters and of course Bulgaria making it all the way to the semis!
October 25, 20222 yr Author 19th- Uruguay 2-3 Netherlands (South Africa 2010) Semi-Final VJ0HwPk8uqo Uruguay: Mulsera Godin Victorino Pereira Caceres Gargano Pereira (Abreu 78') Arevalo Rios Cavani Forlan (Fernandez 84') Netherlands: Stekelenburg Hetinga Mathijsen Van Bronckhorst Boulahrouz Van Bommel Sneijder De Zeeuw (Van der Vaart 46') Kuyt Van Persie Robben (Elia 90') Goals: Van Bronckhorst (18') 0-1 Forlan (41') 1-1 Sneijder (70') 1-2 Robben (73') 1-3 Pereira (90+2) 2-3 At 19, it is this semi-final classic from South Africa 2010 between Uruguay who had got through to the semi-finals thanks to the 'Hand of Suarez' and Netherlands. It would be the Dutch who would prevail in this semi-final and reach their third World Cup final, alias it wasn't to be for Netherlands as they lost to Spain in the final.
October 25, 20222 yr I remember that game very well. One of the only entertaining KO rounds of that dull 2010 WC. Van Bronckhorst's opener is one of the best goals in any tournament ever, no hyperbole.
October 25, 20222 yr I did love aul Uruguay in 2010/14 world cups - some players who would be legends in the decade following. As for the excellent Eastern European sides of 94 some great players too, suppose most of the Romania side were from the Steau Burcharest team that won the European cup in 1986!
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