soccer – World Cup Soccer Talk

The Maradona Cup

The 1986 FIFA World Cup was one for the history books, as Diego Maradona single-handedly won the cup for Argentina. His performance at the tournament is regarded as the best individual performance in World Cup history.

Throughout the tournament Maradona was doing it all, he was captain; and led the team with five goals and assists. What made him so dangerous on the pitch was his speed and ability to create chances for himself and his teammates. He was on a mission to bring back glory to his country and set a name for himself at the biggest stage of football.

Argentina made it through the group stage easily, and from then on, Maradona left his mark at the tournament against England in the quarterfinals. During the first half, the match was very stalemate as both teams failed to score, but what occurred in the second half created arguably two unforgettable moments in World Cup history. In the 51^st minute Maradona scored what was later named “The Hand of God”, as the ball deflected off an English defender and Maradona jumped and punched the ball with his hand to score. As he celebrated, the entire England squad swarmed the referee in disgust as they protested that it was a handball, but the goal stood. Not even five minutes later, Maradona scored what is considered the greatest goal scored in World Cup history, as he dribbled through the entire England squad.

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Argentina went on to win the match 2-1, and he later scored two more in a 2-0 win in the semifinals against Belgium. Setting up the final between Argentina and West Germany. The final was an exciting match as Argentina surrendered a 2-0 late in the match, but Maradona bailed out his team yet again as he set up the game winning assist in the 85^th minute. Sending his team over the hump and winning the match, and crowned World Cup champions for the second time.

Maradona winning the World Cup cemented his name as one of the greatest of all time. Footballers across the world say winning the World Cup is very difficult, but Maradona seemingly did it on his own, and that there is a feat no one will ever accomplish anytime soon.

An Ode to the Fallen Icon

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The soccer world has lost a legend, Diego Armando Maradona, one of the game’s best and arguably the greatest player of all time has passed away at the age of 60. Maradona is considered the best player of his generation, because how simple he made the game, and his impact he had on the millions of fans who witnessed his greatness.

I never had the privilege to see him play, but watching videos on his greatest moments during his successful 1986 World Cup and his glory days with Napoli, I understood the level of greatest this man possessed. With the ball at his feet, he turned himself into a genius, and created chances seemingly out of nowhere and left people in awe.

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Maradona’s legacy for soccer will never be forgotten. Argentina fans did not simply lose their favorite player, but for some, they lost their God. This is a difficult day for soccer fans across the world, but his spirit will forever influence the beautiful game. May he rest in peace.

The Memo Wall

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Francisco Guillermo “Memo” Ochoa, one of Mexico’s greatest goalkeepers, had the game of his life against Brazil at the 2014 FIFA World Cup. It was the second group stage match for both teams, and there was plenty of suspenseful moments, but Ochoa was the man of the hour, recording remarkable saves that secured a huge draw for Mexico.

Mexico were the underdogs against the host nation of the tournament, and Ochoa was in for a treat against an attacking Brazilian side.

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Ochoa’s first big save of the match came at the 26^th minute as he stopped a Neymar header, preventing him from scoring the first goal of the match. Known for his athletic leaping ability, Ochoa made a huge lunge across goal to swat the ball out wide. His next big save came in the 46^th minute as Brazil’s Paulinho had a perfect opportunity to score right in front of goal, but Ochoa deflected the shot off his right knee to keep the deadlock intact.

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Ochoa was only getting started in the first half, little did Brazil know they woke up the beast known as “Memo”. He looked like a man on a mission as he stopped yet another powerful shot from Neymar in the 68^th minute with his stomach. Arguably his biggest save in the entire match came late in the 86^th minute as Brazil’s Thiago Silva had an open header to score. Ochoa was in the right spot, and by the tips of his fingers stopped the shot from going in and left the whole arena in disbelief. Memo was a different kind of player that match, and he said in a postgame interview, “It was the match of my life.”

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I remember watching the game with my best friends Gabe and Alex at my house, and it had us all stressed. The three of us were jumping, screaming, and yelling “MEMO!” every time he made a huge save. Even though the game ended in a draw, Mexico fans across the world were relieved, because if it weren’t for Ochoa, Mexico would have definitely lost.

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With this performance, Ochoa cemented his name into one of the greatest goalkeepers that Mexico has ever produced. This is a day that he and millions of Mexico fans will never forget.

The Controversial Ball

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The 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa was nearly a perfect tournament, except for one thing, the ball. The “Jabulani” was the official match ball of the 2010 World Cup, and experts believe it’s one of the worst match balls in World Cup history.

For those who don’t know, the word Jabulani means, to celebrate. Sadly, this ball did the complete opposite, and made it a living nightmare for players on the pitch. As the ball was kicked, it had a mind of its own. The movement had goalkeepers off their feet as the ball was dipping mid-air and, on the ground, and ultimately ended in the back of the net.

For the attackers, they too had difficulty taming a wild beast like the Jabulani. Their shots would rise high from the strengths of their shots into the stands. When kicked, players said the ball felt like a giant beach ball, not knowing what direction the ball was going in.

Despite having many negatives, the Jabulani did have some good moments. The crazy dips and knuckle movement allowed players to score some of the best goals of the entire tournament.

The Messiah of the Cup

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The FIFA World Cup has witnessed some of the greatest players to have ever played this wonderful game, from the likes of Johan Cruyff, Diego Maradona, and Zinedine Zidane. But there is only one who is truly known as the greatest ever. Edson Arantes do Nascimento, better known as Pele, is the greatest player in World Cup history.

The Brazilian striker participated in four World Cups during his tenure with the Brazilian National Team and won a total of three (1958, 1962, 1970), the most by any player in history. Pele alone is responsible for three of Brazil’s five World Cup victories.

Witness the greatest of Pele

Pele’s most famous World Cup performance was when he won his first World Cup with Brazil in 1958 at the young age of 17. After this tournament, the world classified him as the next superstar in soccer. He scored a total of six goals including his famous hat-trick against France in the semifinals, and scored another two in the final against the host nation Sweden, leading Brazil to their first ever World Cup title.

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The skills he possessed were out of this world. His ability to get past his opponents with blistering pace and his agile footwork made the opposition look silly. Whenever he had the ball, the opposing team would go out of their way to stop him by any means necessary. I couldn’t imagine what I would do if I saw a raging 17-year-old Pele charging down the field with the intention to make me look foolish.

I believe Pele is the greatest player in World Cup history. He had the pressure of an entire nation on his shoulders, and he was only 17. He managed to push aside that pressure and deliver in the most iconic fashion in the biggest sporting event in the world. Winning the World Cup three times is a feat that makes him look inhuman. The Brazilians worship Pele as the greatest player to ever put on the iconic Brazil jersey, but as the greatest of all time.

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There will never be another player like Pele to dominate the World Cup, he continues to extend the gap between himself and other legends who’ve played in the World Cup.