1970 World Cup: Rivera and Mazzola in a legendary semifinal vs West Germany
SERIE A STARS IN THE WORLD CUP Brazil won the Mexican edition but everyone remembers "the Game of the Century": the dramatic semi-final: Italy vs West Germany
The England '66 World Cup not of the highest standard, it was a pleasure to see that Mexico '70 was a more spectacular edition, with many goals. Once again, all the teams that had already won a World Cup were on a good run. FIFA decided to bring the World Cup to Mexico as it hosted the Olympic Games in 1968: it was a way to fully exploit the new stadia and infrastructure erected two years earlier. A similar logic has been used for Brazil 2014, as the same country will host the Olympic Games in 2016. An important innovation of the ninth edition (which contributed to enhancing the show) was the possibility to make two substitutions, regardless of the player's role. Mexico '70 made history for two reasons: the game of the century between Italy and West Germany and the third title won by Brazil, who kept the Rimet Cup permanently.
It was clear as of the semifinals that it would be the last time that a team would raise the trophy invented by Jules Rimet. Three sides who had already won it twice, reached the penultimate stage: Italy, Brazil and Uruguay, while Germany only had one Cup in their cabinet. For the first time after the Second World War, Italy passed the first round in a World Cup – scoring one goal in three games – then got off the ground, as they continued the campaign until the final act. That Nazionale was – altogether – the strongest in the Postwar period. A new generation of talents rose from the ranks: Gigi Riva, Gianni Rivera, Giacinto Facchetti and Giancarlo De Sisti, players that made history wearing the Azzurro jersey. That team had just won the European Championship in 1968. After an easy quarter final against Mexico (Italy won 4-1), a tough semifinal was on the way for the Azzurri: the opponent was West Germany, whose stars were Franz Beckenbauer, Sepp Maier, Gerd Muller and Berti Vogts.
That clash, the final result of which was 4-3, was named “The game of the century”: it was a rush of coup de theatre, an avalanche of emotions concentrated in 30 minutes. It could be said that that match started in extra time. Italy led the game for 82 minutes when, at the last minute, Germany nabbed a goal. The Germans also scored the first goal in the extra time with Muller. It seemed that Mannschaft had completed a perfect comeback. But Italy made a counter-comeback, scoring with Burgnich and with a terrific left-footed missile by Riva. Penalties? Not at all, because Muller scored the equaliser. He was “helped” by a positioning error by Rivera. But the Italian number 10 immediately redeemed himself. One minute – and eleven passes – later, Rivera scored for the final score of 4-3. The Italians had a burst of joy (in Mexico and in Italy, watching in the dead of night), but that epic game left its mark on the Azzurri, as they could only endure for an hour before capitulating iin the final against Brazil. The golden-green shirted Brazilians triumphed 4-1 and they definitively won the Rimet Cup. Pelé achieved a record that's still unbroken: three World Cup in his career.
Gianni Rivera, 1943, 60 caps and 14 goals for Italy. One of the greatest footballers ever, a player that marked an era and divided a country. A talent with an incomparable insight into the game, fantasy and ball control, the first Italian player to win the Ballon d'Or. This is Gianni Rivera, the brillian Milan and Italy number 10. Incredibly, at Mexico '70, Rivera was underused due to a typically Italian defensive mentality. The Italian coach, Ferruccio Valcareggi, decided to alternate him with Sandro Mazzola, another hugely talented player. The “staffetta” (handover) split the country in two parties: Mazzola's one (he was more careful in the defensive phase) and Rivera's one (more creative and offensive). The result? Rivera only played the 6 final minutes against Brazil. Rivera had an immense talent, with an instinct for goal (he found the net 122 times in Serie A) and he was an authentic game changer. But he wasn't very physically powerful and his determination on the pitch was quite poor. His detractors – journalists, Italian football executives and some coaches - always countered with these two arguments to critic Rivera over the years of his entire career. “Every game is an exam for me – Rivera once said – and that situation has endured for 15 years. I'm quite fed up about that. I never completely pass the exam. There's always someone with a reservation about me”. Nereo Rocco, who was his coach at Milan and was considered by Rivera as a second father, defended him by saying: “He doesn't run so much, but if I need fantasy, the art of changing a game from the first to the 90th minute... only Rivera can give that to me. I don't want to exaggerate, but Rivera is a genius in doing that”. But we cannot say that Rivera didn't have his satisfactions as he won three Italian titles, two European cups, two Cup Winners Cups, one Intercontinental Cup, four Coppa Italias (all with Milan) and a European Championship with Italy. He also won the 1969 Ballon d'Or, the first Italian to get this prize excluding Omar Sivori, who was Argentinian-Italian.
Sandro Mazzola, 1942, 70 caps and 22 goals with Italy. “Sandrino” became fatherless aged 7. His father was not an ordinary man: he was the great Valentino Mazzola, a legend of the Grande Torino that made history in the 40s before disappearing in a tragic air crash on May 4th of 1949. Sandro Mazzola was predestined as ever since he was born football was always at the center of his life. Thanks to Inter players Benito Lorenzi and Beppe Meazza whose took him under their wing, Mazzola entered into the Nerazzurri youth team. Mazzola didn't take long to shush spiteful voices: he wasn't a guy with good connections, but a legitimately talented footballer. Mazzola became an Inter icon for 17 years. He won four Italian titles, two European Cups and two Intercontinental Cups under Helenio Herrera's control. HH trusted in Mazzola: he gave him his Inter debut and consigned him the keys to Inter manoeuvres. Mazzola was an offensive midfielder with huge technical skills, although his main talent was his insight into the game: that was the reason why he preferred to play as a regista. Generally speaking, he was less offensive than Gianni Rivera, even though he scored 116 goals in Serie A. Mazzola was among the best Italian players at the 1970's World Cup despite the enormous psychological pressure that the press put on him and Rivera. They split the country in two parties: “mazzoliani” and “riveriani”. In truth, neither Mazzola nor Rivera felt that dual personally.
