1974 World Cup Final

I recently watched a full video of the 1974 World Cup final, which pitted West Germany against the Netherlands. This viewing prompted a number of thoughts and observations about football, both then and now.

The final offered several fascinating sub-plots. The teams were captained by the imperious Franz Beckenbauer and the mercurial Johan Cruyff, the two most prominent footballers on the planet, following Pele's retirement. The countries offered slightly differing styles of play, pitting Holland's pure "Total Football" philosophy against the more pragmatic and vigorous German approach. The Dutch had sailed impressively through the tournament, becoming the darlings of neutrals everywhere, while the Germans had stuttered, failing to arrive at a settled line-up until the verge of the final.

The periphery of the final had little in common with today's bland, corporate and stage-managed affairs. Quaint bands in traditional national dress played the music, and the advertisement hoardings were a veritable mish-mash of brands, many of them relatively humble companies. None of your multi-national "official partners" here, thankyou very much!

Although the preliminaries were much more amateurish and informal than those of today, there was also the sense that the final was "an event" in its own right, and not just a homogenized cog in a larger wheel. I also noticed that Ruud Krol was sporting a rather fetching beaded necklace, which would probably earn him a suspension nowadays! Photographers seemed to freely roam the environs of the playing surface with impunity. However did we cope before today's obsessive regimentation and over-regulation? And the referee and his linesmen were clad in mere black and white, perish the thought!

So what of the match itself? Well, my overall impression was that the game had less of the sustained pace of today. There was slightly more space for players to perform in, and this was heightened by the lower fitness and endurance levels. Football as a spectacle benefitted from these factors, as technical flair, athleticism and tactical flexibility never overlapped more agreeably than in the early to mid 1970s. This intoxicating mix made the 1974 World Cup my favourite of all time. The 1970 tournament may have been more outwardly dazzling, but much of its excitement derived from the comical defending of some teams, and the effects of the heat and altitude of Mexico. Four years later, the overall quality was greater, aided by the advent of "Total Football" and its imitators.

Some words also about the refereeing of Englishman Jack Taylor;authoritative but unfussy, and not hamstrung by edicts and directives from on high. Matters were left to the individual interpretation of the man in the middle, and common sense was generally the guiding principle.

After the very early Dutch penalty gave them a 1-0 lead, the match became an absorbing chess match, with the men in orange seeking in vain to out-psych and demoralise their opponents. During this phase, the solidity exemplified by Beckenbauer steadied the Germans, and they had an outlet in the form of Paul Breitner's occasional surges forward.

These days we perpetually decry the cheating and gamesmanship in the modern game, but the first half in Munich contains a couple of reminders that this is by no means a purely modern phenomenon. Firstly, there was a faintly ridiculous incident, when van Hanegem lightly pushed Gerd Muller behind the referee's back, and the stocky little striker went to ground as if he had been hit by a truck. Then, in the incident which led to West Germany's equalising penalty, Bernd Holzenbein went down very easily, with little obvious contact from any Dutch defenders. Such things were not as prevalent or endemic as in today's game, but they were there all the same....

After the Breitner penalty, West Germany sensed the fragility of the Dutch team, and stepped up the pressure. Their runs became more purposeful and incisive, with Hoeness and Grabowski making much of the running. The left foot of Wolfgang Overath also became more potent a force.

By contrast, the Netherlands seemed to lose focus and cohesion, and there was a lack of inspiration and leadership within their ranks, with few players prepared to step up and assume responsibility.

The second, and decisive, German goal, showed the true value of Gerd Muller. The forward, with his lack of versatility and technical limitations, may not have conformed to the strictures of Total Football, but his predatory instincts were indispensable.

During the final, Franz Beckenbauer did not perform the expansive sweeper role for which he had become renowned. Instead, he was quietly effective in a predominantly defensive capacity, making several timely interventions and exuding calm and authority.

On the other hand, Johan Cruyff failed to fully impose himself on proceedings, and was kept well under control by Berti Vogts, and others. His verbal altercation with the referee after the half-time whistle summed up his frustrations.

Throughout the second period, the West German rearguard remained resolute in the face of ceaseless, and increasingly desperate, Dutch pressure. Helmut Schoen's men played as a genuine team, rather than a collection of talented individuals. Attacking and defending as a team, with the whole being greater than the sum of its parts.  Several players shunned individual glory, and applied themselves to the team objective. Much selfless running was evident.

I have often theorised that Total Football was Holland's undoing in the final itself. When the chips were down, they seemed to lack the will to adopt a more rigid or belligerent approach.

The 1974 World Cup took place just before my childhood obsession with football was sparked. Although the style of football purveyed by the tournament's better teams was revolutionary and fresh, there was also a sense that the "golden era" of the game was coming to an end. Some of the players who starred in the final had already reached or passed their peak, and their replacements were not of the same standard. Possibly in part due to the Dutch failure to capture the ultimate prize, that happy balance between flair, tactical innovation and physicality was disturbed, to the game's overall detriment.

The final in Munich may not have been a wildly exciting spectacle per se, but as a document of what football was, and perhaps never will be again, it is compelling viewing.

Final score:   West Germany 2 Netherlands 1