West Germany 1974 World Cup: "The Bird" and "Kaiser"... a comprehensive ball... The East meets the West

After Pele took off Brazil's shirt permanently, the scene in the 1974 World Cup was empty in front of a comprehensive ball by the Dutch flying champion Johan Cruyff, but the host West Germany and the security fear after the events of the Munich Olympics, extinguished the revolution of the orange mills, lifting its second title led by Kaiser Franz Beckenbauer.

West Germany paid special attention to security, especially after the bloody events of 1972, and increased attention because it fell with East Germany in one group.

The teams moved under the protection of the police, some of their headquarters were decorated with barbed wire, snipers were deployed on the roofs in some sensitive matches such as the confrontation of the two Germans, and seven helicopters were designated to monitor the final.

Hamburg 74

The confrontation of the two Germans will remain historic, and its fame increased by the victory of the Easterners with the goal of mechanical engineer Jürgen Sparwasser, in front of about two thousand of their supporters who managed to cross the Berlin Wall.

Due to political tension, the players did not exchange shirts, with the exception of Western Paul Breitner in the tunnel leading to the dressing rooms in Hamburg, with the scorer Sparwasser.

The result meant that West Germany avoided the powerful Netherlands and defending champions Brazil in the second round.

Despite that, its captain Beckenbauer said, "Schpärwasser's goal woke us up from our slumber. Without it, we would not have become world champions."

Polish surprise

The finals were preceded by other political crises. The Soviet Union refused to play a decisive second leg against Chile, due to the coup against Socialist President Salvador Allende.

Qualifiers that resulted in the arrival of the first Oceanian team (Australia), and the first sub-Saharan African country (Zaire).

The latter did not leave a good impression, with a painful loss against Yugoslavia 0-9, and comedic glimpses such as Mobi Ilunga exiting the block to deflect a Brazilian free kick before the ball moved!

Also in the qualifiers, England were ousted from the 1966 champions by Poland and their goalkeeper Jan Tomashevsky, who saved two penalties against Sweden and West Germany in the second round, on their way to third place at the expense of Brazil, which saw locksmith Grzegorz Lato crowned top scorer (7).

Pele and the military 

The International Federation decided to change the tournament system, so it canceled the quarter-finals and semi-finals, in favor of two groups in the second round.

The average number of spectators reached 48 thousand, and the Olympic stadium was the master of the stadiums with its modern design, while the winter in the height of summer disturbed some matches.

This edition saw the first expulsion of Chilean Carlos Caselli against West Germany.

The "old" Brazil failed to repeat the epics 58, 62 and 70, so Rivelino and Jairzinho disappointed in the absence of Pele.

Al-Jawhara (34 years old) refused to play in protest against the torture practiced by the Brazilian military regime, resisting the pressures and threats of the ruling generals, "I left the national team in 1971 and was in good shape in 1974. But the story of torture made me stop that."

At this time, the Netherlands, returning to the World Cup after an absence since 1938, was imposing a new equation: "Total Football".

With coach and inspiration Rinus Mikhels, Johan Cruyff created the concept of "Football Total", a flexible playing system that relies on intense pressing, crowd attacks and exchanges in positions.

Mikhels simplified it by saying, "The player controls the ball for three or four minutes in the game. Total ball is to explain to him how to move in the remaining 86 or 87 minutes."

The Netherlands were on the verge of exiting the qualifiers against Belgium, had it not been for the cancellation of a correct goal for its neighbor in the penultimate minute in Amsterdam.

Its players threatened to quit for not paying the qualifying bonuses, but it later became the best team to not win the World Cup.

Tall and skinny from Mars

Cruyff's name has become synonymous with total football: tall and lanky, he possesses an extraordinary skill with zigzag dribbling, incredible acceleration and a great imagination.

Three-time European player of the year and three-time Ajax captain, sports writer David Miller likened him to the Greek philosopher "Pythagoras with a sneaker".

Beckenbauer stifles Cruyff's revolution

Parallel to the amazing Dutch performance, Germany advanced to the final from a less prestigious group that included Yugoslavia (2-0), Sweden (4-2) and Poland (1-0). The confrontation between Altaïr Cruyff and Kaiser Beckenbauer in Munich was in front of 75,000 spectators, including 7,000. Dutch.

From the first minute, Cruyff scored a penalty that Neskens translated "It was the first time I took a penalty nervously. When I started running I thought 'Where will I shoot?' I didn't mean to shoot in the middle of the goal."

A kick that changed the goalkeeper's equation, from right and left angles... to a third option in the middle of the goal.

The Dutch retreated and left Germany tied with a penalty kick also for Paul Breitner, then defender Gerd Muller printed the winning goal (2-1) before the end of the first half, raising his score to 14 goals in his entire World Cup participation, Cruyff said, "We missed a player of the type of Gerd Muller." .

A day before the final, Muller informed his coach Helmut Schön that he would end his international career at the age of 28, to give his family extra time.

Beckenbauer recounts his reaction and his sense of purpose: "One time I was trying to keep a fly out of my soup, but to no avail. Gerd was sitting next to me. He watched it and when it flew he released his hand in a flash. He opened it and grinned, the fly was dead."

Under the close supervision of Berti Vogts, Cruyff was distracted, and the Libero Beckenbauer captured the potential of the final, and led Germany to turn its back from behind again against the favourites, after the 1954 final against Hungary.

The Kaiser was one of the most perfect players who represented Germany, confident to the point of arrogance.

He became the strongest man with the European Champion 72 and when coach Helmut Schön missed one of the press conferences, German journalists joked, "He (Schoen) has yet to get the squad from Beckenbauer."

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