What a great video this is. Cruyff was special. The pass at 2:44 isn't extraordinary in itself but it's how he made it look so effortless.
Netherlands 1974
- Thread starter VorZakone
- Start date
Sexy, sexy football.
Well the defenders are looking as effortless as him, in fairness. He had 10 meters of space in all directions.
A very enjoyable watch.
It's crazy to think that the Netherlands and Cruyff nearly didn’t make the 1974 World Cup in the first place. In their final qualification match at home at to Belgium, Belgium had a goal wrongly disallowed for offside in like the 89th or 90th minute. Had that stood they would have won 1-0 and qualified instead of the Netherlands. However the match finished 0-0 and the Netherlands qualified ahead of Belgium on goal difference. Small margins and all that; imagine how much different (and probably worse) the sport would have been in both the short and long terms without the Netherlands gracing that World Cup with their total football.
It's crazy to think that the Netherlands and Cruyff nearly didn’t make the 1974 World Cup in the first place. In their final qualification match at home at to Belgium, Belgium had a goal wrongly disallowed for offside in like the 89th or 90th minute. Had that stood they would have won 1-0 and qualified instead of the Netherlands. However the match finished 0-0 and the Netherlands qualified ahead of Belgium on goal difference. Small margins and all that; imagine how much different (and probably worse) the sport would have been in both the short and long terms without the Netherlands gracing that World Cup with their total football.
Cheers @VorZakone for that, enjoyed it
Still my favourite team, the only one I can name the 1-11 even after 12 Pints of Stella without even having to think about it. And that includes United trophy winning sides.
Just a shame after going 1-0 so early in the Final half the team wanted to humiliate West Germany, and the other half wanted to spoil the game and hold what they had.
Still my favourite team, the only one I can name the 1-11 even after 12 Pints of Stella without even having to think about it. And that includes United trophy winning sides.
Just a shame after going 1-0 so early in the Final half the team wanted to humiliate West Germany, and the other half wanted to spoil the game and hold what they had.
If they have Van Beveren and Israel, their result in WC 74 might be different.
Sadly for Holland at the time If you got on the wrong side of Cruyff there was only one winner.
Was surprised Jan Jongbloed(32) got the nod over Piet Schrijvers(27) to replace van Beveren but he did well considering he only had two caps leading up to the Finals, and the first of those 12 years previous.
And Rinus Israël appeared as a substitute in Germany but was well past his best at 32 and retired from International football after the final.
Jan Jongbloed was the replacement because he was Cruyff's friend from Ajax and would do whatever he'd say. I don't think ego's of today could ever have the same authority of the superstars of the past.
The extend to which men like Cruyff or Beckenbauer could influence their teams or clubs back then could never happen anymore today. And it sucks to say, but that feud between Van Beveren and Cruyff's ego could well have cost us two World Cups (74 and 78).
Didn't Jongbloed play for FC Amsterdam, and not Ajax?
I looked it up, and you're right. Anyhow it has been well-established that the two were very close.
Messi at Barca comes pretty close