Historic achievement: how the USSR national team won medals of the World Cup for the first and last time

Unexpected coach at the head of the national team and a successful draw 

The USSR national team approached the most successful world championship in its history as one of the strongest teams in Europe. In 1960, she won the first continental championship, and four years later reached the final of the tournament, where she lost to Spain - 1: 2.

That defeat cost the head coach Konstantin Beskov, who left the national team. His place was unexpectedly taken by Nikolai Morozov. By that time, the specialist was noted only in the Moscow Torpedo and Lokomotiv, where he did not achieve serious success.

And after leaving the railway team, Morozov took up a position far from coaching as head of the football department of the All-Union Council of DSO trade unions. However, it was he who headed the national team of the country after the departure of Beskov.

The change of the coach did not negatively affect the team's results. She passed the qualifying stage of the 1966 World Cup in one breath, having won five wins in six matches, and made her way to the final stage of the World Cup.

The Soviet footballers were also lucky with the lot. In addition to strong Italy, they came across Chile, the weakest rated South American team from among those selected for the World Cup, and mysterious debutants from North Korea. In the USSR, they did not hide the joy of the results of the draw. For example, one of the team leaders Valery Voronin said that "the lot favored."

"The fourth group is made up of teams that do not pose any particular danger to us ... With peace of mind, we can already think about the games of the next stage today," Voronin noted.

Morozov, in turn, spoke about the desire to take first place in the group in order to avoid a meeting with the reigning champion Brazil, who fell into group 3. 

Preparation for the World Cup was very difficult for the Soviet team. Already in January she went on a tour of South America, returning from which only at the beginning of March. As part of the trip, domestic footballers visited Brazil, Argentina and Chile and played 11 matches with opponents of various levels in 34 days. In them, Morozov's wards won five victories and suffered five defeats.

After their return, the USSR national team played friendly matches with European teams, but they also left a depressing impression on the fans. The Soviet stars showed weak physical readiness, and the team experienced obvious problems in the attack.

Among other things, Morozov, on the eve of the World Cup, decided to abandon two leaders of the national team: Mikhail Meskhi, who covered the left flank, and central striker Valentin Ivanov. For both, this decision of the coach was a serious blow, and Ivanov ended his career at the end of the season. I never invited Ivanov's coach and Torpedo partner Eduard Streltsov to the national team.

At the same time, in the absence of Meskhi Morozov stubbornly played on the left edge of Igor Chislenko, who was used to acting on the right. Voronin, who was conducting the game in the center of the field, he lowered into the line of defense. Finally, the specialist stubbornly tried to form an attacking duet of Anatoly Banishevsky and Eduard Malofeev, although they did not look very convincing in the pair. It is not surprising that before the trip to England, the USSR national team, and in particular the coach at home, was mercilessly criticized.

Defeat of the DPRK and a confident victory over Italy 

Left questions and the first match of the national squad in the mudial - with the DPRK national team. Despite the devastating score (3: 0), Morozov's wards allowed the opponent a lot, and in front, as it seemed to journalists and fans, they acted straightforwardly. Nevertheless, the Banishevsky-Malofeev duet finally worked. The first scored one goal, and the second scored a double. 

However, the USSR national team was facing a much more serious test - a meeting with Italy. “Squadra Azzurra” was considered one of the favorites of the tournament, and such stars as Gianni Rivera and Sandro Mazzola set the tone in its composition. It was the latter who was called to take care of Voronin, who missed the first game of the tournament.

In addition, Morozov made several more replacements in the lineup. In particular, Lev Yashin replaced Anzor Kavazashvili at the goal. The 36-year-old legendary goalkeeper hosted his third World Cup and was one of the most experienced players in the World Cup.

The Italians did not succeed in hitting the gate of the "Black Spider". The USSR national team played well in defense and won with a minimum score. Chislenko scored the only goal in the 57th minute. The midfielder from outside the penalty area just shot into the far corner.

The second victory in a row allowed the national squad to guarantee itself an exit to the quarterfinals, therefore, for the last game against Chile, Morozov put forward, in fact, a reserve squad. Only captain Albert Shesternev and Voronin came out of the base players.

This did not stop the Soviet footballers from defeating the current world championship medalist (2: 1) and taking revenge for the painful defeat at the previous world championship. This success made it possible to sensationally break into the playoffs of the DPRK.

At the same time, Dynamo Kiev striker Valeriy Porkuyan scored a double, only at the last moment was included in the national team's application for the tournament. The 21-year-old striker took the chance one hundred percent and earned the right to play in the base in the quarterfinals.

Stupid removal Churtsilava's chic and curious penalty

The USSR was to meet in it with Hungary. Morozov's fears about the match with Brazil were not destined to come true, since the reigning champions did not leave the group, letting Portugal and Eusebio go ahead, which eventually took first place in the adjacent quartet.

If the Soviet national team secured itself in advance in the playoffs and in the last match of the group stage could experiment with the composition, then Hungary decided its fate only in the last game with Bulgaria. After her, they had only two days to rest.

Apparently, that's why the opponent made two gross mistakes after corner kicks. Porkuyan took an active part in both episodes. Already in the fifth minute, after playing the corner, he slightly shot into the near corner from outside the penalty area, but goalkeeper Jozsef Gelei fired a shell right on Chislenko's leg. And at the beginning of the second half, Porkuyan scored himself.

However, the opponent quickly managed to get one goal off with the efforts of Ferenc Bene. The remaining half hour became a test of strength for Morozov's charges. The opponent had the advantage and carried out attack after attack. But the Soviet footballers acted selflessly in defense. In some episodes, even the striker Porkuyan threw himself under the blows. And Vladimir Ponomarev, after a similar episode, needed the help of a doctor.

Yashin also acted above all praise, making several spectacular saves. In particular, the goalkeeper pulled the ball out of the far corner after the opponent's dangerous free-kick shot.

The whole country greeted the final whistle with relief. For the first time in history, the national team made it to the semifinals of the World Cup, but the players could not come to their senses for a long time.

“We were completely out of our minds after the game ... We shook someone’s hands completely mechanically, accepted someone’s flowers. In the locker room, none of us could say a word to each other for a while, "Captain Shesternev recalled in an interview with Moskovsky Komsomolets.

In the semifinals, the USSR was to meet with the FRG, and this time the opponent approached the game more freshly, because the Germans at the previous stage did not experience problems with Uruguay - 4: 0.

In addition, midfielder Jozsef Szabo received an ankle injury in the seventh minute of the meeting. Since substitutions were not yet allowed, the player had to stay on the field, but he was unable to help his partners. A little later, Shesternev injured his shoulder, who entered the second half with a tightly bandaged hand.

But this was not the last trouble for the Soviet team. At the end of the first half, Chislenko lost the ball in a foreign half of the field, and the Germans launched a swift counterattack, which ended with Helmut Haller's unbearable blow.

And after just a minute Chislenko made an inexplicable act, hitting Siegrfried Held on the legs in the center of the field. Judge Conchetto Lo Bello had no choice but to remove the midfielder. Thus, Morozov's team remained virtually nine.

But even when faced with such difficulties, domestic footballers did not give up. After the break, they went forward with their last strength and literally shocked the Germans with their offensive. Unfortunately, Germany managed to score again in the middle of the second half. 21-year-old Franz Beckenbauer, after a corner kick from outside the penalty area, shot into the near corner. Yashin failed to react. Morozov after the end of the tournament hinted that the goalkeeper in this episode could have saved the team, and Yashin himself explained that he saw the ball only at the last moment, when it was too late to jump.

However, the USSR national team fought to the end and two minutes before the final whistle reduced the gap in the long run to a minimum thanks to the exact blow of the same Porkuyan. Moreover, in the added time by the referee, the forward could have performed a miracle, but from the line with the goalkeeper's head he struck higher.

As a result, the Germans still made their way to the final, where they eventually lost to England, and the USSR had to play the match for third place with Portugal.

The bloodless team had no strength left for this game. In addition, defender Murtaz Khurtsilava acted not in the best way. At the very beginning of the meeting, for some reason he played with his hand in his own penalty area, interrupting the serve from the flank. The footballer could not explain the reasons for what happened.

“As if some kind of eclipse has found. Literally in the next instant I realized what I had done, ”Khurtsilava wondered.

Eusebio confidently realized the penalty spot. At the end of the first half, the USSR national team managed to recoup thanks to Malofeev's accurate blow, although disputes over the authorship of the goal are still ongoing.

And on the 89th minute, Torrish scored the winning goal, who was again not followed by Khurtsilava.

Despite the defeat, the USSR national team received bronze medals. Already in the course of the tournament, FIFA decided to award the champions with gold medals, and the finalists with gold medals. Silver and bronze went to the participants of the match for the third place. So, the national team for the first and last time won the awards of the world championship.

At the same time, not everyone received medals in the team. According to the rules then in force, only 11 awards were allocated to each team. For example, the best scorer of the USSR national team, Porkuyan, was left without her.