Asian Champions’ Cup.
The formula was as follows – the preliminary round went rather complicated group round-robin tournaments hosted by one country each. Group 2, played in Bahrain, doubled the Gulf Cooperation Council Club Tournament and one team actually had no right to play in the Champions’ Cup, so its results mattered only for GCCCT, but… on them also depended who will qualify in the next round of the Champions’ Cup. After the preliminary qualification groups the semifinals followed in the same fashion: 11 teams were divided into 2 groups, played in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Group A, and Group B in Jakarta, Indonesia. The group winners qualified to the final, played in the usual two legs, home and away. Three teams withdrew (Al Deffatain – Amman, Al Muharraq – Bahrain, and Al Arabi – Kuwait) – the reasons, as usual, were political. Nissan FC (Japan) won the reduced Group A and Liaoning (China) – Group B, and went to the final. Interestingly, both teams played against each other already, both qualifying from the preliminary Group 5. Liaoning won the group back then, but the Japanese scored 11 goals in 3 games, permitting only 1 in their net – it was the winning goal Liaoning against Nissan, making them group winners. The final was really between equal opponents and once again 1 goal was the crucial difference: Liaoning won the first leg at home 2-1 and then kept 1-1 tie at Yokohama.
Liaoning triumphed and celebrated their victory in Communist style. Kind of.
Nissan FC – or Nissan Motors (Yokohama) reached the final for the first time and lost minimally. Sad, but not that bad at all. Japanese football was already going into full professionalism, there were foreign players, and the whole structure was going into massive reorganization – which included changes of names and new league, the J-League. Very soon after playing the Asian final Nissan FC would be no more – at least under that name. From the perspective of the professional reorganization of Japanese football, the relative success of Nissan FC was just a sign confirming the need of such a change: it was clearly the right time to move up a step.
Liaoning brought the first club success for Chinese football, confirming its improvement, which was mostly organizational. Since China was lagging behind South Korea and Japan, the success was mostly a boost, showing the right direction. As a club, Liaoning already had experience – they played at the Champions’ Cup final in 1986-87, when it was a group round-robin format and finished 3rd among the four finalists. This time they were winners, becoming in a way a motor for the Chinese organization of professional football and establishing themselves as a leading club. Historic victory not just for the club, but for the whole Chinese football.
Such was charm of the World Cup’s ‘discovery’ and instant international fame of practically retired player. And because of the Cameroonian success, a tiny anonymous club from tiny anonymous country also became known, as if to play one more joke on modern football. For, if anything, Milla still had some kind of a club he played for and records require writing down… Roger Milla, Cameroon and Saint-Pierroise (Saint-Pierre, Reunion). After retiring from professional football, Milla kind of settled in the small island in the Indian Ocean and kicked the ball a bit for fun with the local team. And since he kicked the ball, he was not retired, wasn’t he? Saint-Pierroise won the championship of Reunion as it was, so Milla won a trophy too – hard to argue he was a retiree after his World Cup fame, which eventually brought some light on his playing activities during the year. Anyhow, those amusing facts and questions meant very little after he surprised the world, became instantly everybody’s darling, and outperformed much younger great starts collecting huge paychecks from European big clubs.
After all, it was not Milla’s winning the championship of Reunion, but his World Cup performance and goals, instrumental for the best ever African performance at World Cup finals and propelling Cameroon to the ¼ finals – and almost to the ½ finals. Of course, his first goal against Colombia remains immortal, even if Rene Hiquita’s arrogance is largely to blame. At the end, Milla deserved to be continental player of the year more than anybody else – and it was the second time he was voted number 1 African player – the first time was in 1976, solely based on the successful performance of his already third club: Tonnere (Yaounde). This success propelled him to professional football in France, where he played for 5 clubs in 10 years without getting much notice: funny in way, but Milla was voted African number one when playing for amateur African clubs, but not when playing professionally in France. And he was discovered twice – the first time at 24, when he was noticed by professional French clubs, and second time, when he 38 years old and retired. Amazing comeback, which was really comeback, for Milla left Reunion and returned to active playing in Cameroon at the end of 1990 and played until 1996 for Tonnere (Yaounde) and abroad, adding one more World Cup and new records. It was not a Cinderella story – it was granddad story, unique. Unique even in terms of the rising of African football: 1990 was the last year the African player of the year was actually playing for African club – after that will be only players playing for big European professional clubs voted best. To a point – perhaps a big point – Milla made African players valuable and truly recognized.
Union (Douala) reigned supreme: 17 wins, 8 ties, 5 losses, 43-24 goal-difference and 59 points. Nobody was able to challenge them – Prevoyance and Panthere were left 12 points behind. Excellent season and 4th title for Union, but they had to wait 12 years for it, so one can imagine the joy of a victory waited so long. Considering the great success of Cameroon at the World Cup, it is interesting the see who played for the top teams in the country: Panthere had no players in the World Cup squad. Prevoyance – only 33-years old Emmanuel Kunde. Union (Douala) had 2 players: Bonaventure Djonkep and Roger Feutmba. Only Djonkep played at the World Cup – 20 minutes at all, coming as a substitute against Colombia.
MC Alger – perhaps better known internationally as Mouloudia Alger – was 3rd with 34 points.
MC Oran – or Mouloudia Oran, the African Champions Cup finalists in 1989, was 2nd with 36 points.
The champion was the same as in the 1988-89 championship: JS Kabylie (Tizi-Ozou). Only they changed their name between the two seasons, so the 1988-89 was JE Tizi-Ouzou, but the club was the same and 1989-90 was fantastic season for them – not only Algerian champions, but African champions as well. And a good round record they made as well: it was their 10th title.
Club Africain practically lost the final in the first leg – badly beaten 0-3, the Tunisians were unable to come back. Still, reaching the final was great success for them.
First, but comfortable and well deserved international trophy for BCC Lions (Gboko). Perhaps anonymous team – with the exception of the right full-back Agum – but that only in perspective, for the great Nigerian stars of the 1990s were yet unknown internationally. BCC Lions also confirmed the leading status of Nigerian football in Africa, adding one more trophy to already impressive list victories.
The captain of JS Kabylie received the trophy.
Playing at the final was the highest achievement of Zambian football and Nkana Red Devils was worthy finalist. A bit of luck was on the Algerian side at the end, but still the Red Devils did well.
JS Kabylie triumphed – perhaps they were more deserving than Nkana Red Devils because of experience, but their victory came only in the lottery of penalty shoot-out.
Standing from left: ? – Stefan Zywotko – coach – Fergani – Rahmouni – Djanit – Meftah – Saib – Adghigh – Amara ;
Final (Algiers)
Nigeria got silver and to a point it was the beginning of the big ascent of this country in the football world: the team was coached by Clemens Westerhof, the Dutch coach which led Nigeria to international significance. Only two players of the squad were based in Europe (Friday Elaho – Brondby, Denmark, and Andrew Use – KSV Roesoder, Belgium), but a good number of soon to be famous players were already at hand – Ben Iroha, Uche Okechukwu, Emmanuel Okocha, Rashidi Yekini, Daniel Amokachi. They still played at home, but very soon will play for much bigger European clubs than Brondby. It was steady rise of Nigerian football,which was perhaps the most stable in the continent – 3rd in 1976, 3rd in 1978, African champions in 1980, 2nd in 1984, 2nd in 1988. The only reason Nigerian football remained obscure outside Africa was that the country did not reach World Cup finals yet – but that was to change soon and how!
Algeria triumphed and their victory was rather expected: Algerian football was among the best in Africa, hosts of finals usually benefited not just from massive fan support, Egypt and Cameroon did not take the finals seriously, having in mind the coming World Cup, Tunisia and Morocco did not reach the finals, and Nigeria was already beaten with big result in the group stage, so Algeria had psychological advantage at the final too. And the squad, led by already famous Madjer was more experienced and professional than the Nigerians, who had plenty of talent, but lacked professional experience. Finally, it was a revenge for 1980 final, when Nigeria won 3-0 and won the title. This time Algeria came on top and triumphed for the first time as African champion.
Costa Rica against Scotland. Well… the unknowns proved capable of playing the same tough football as the big guys. Competent pressure and crowding, what else.
If the ‘smaller’ continents and countries climbed up, there was nothing optimistic at the top – rather, the traditional powers went down to lower level. Everybody was quite the same, no outsiders, but no favourites either and maybe Germany was ‘rightful’ champion, but it could be almost any other team – the final revealed unplesant truth: the ‘well oiled’ Germans in full strength managed to beat shapeless, badly trained Argentina, which had 4 regulars missing (Olarticoechea, Batista, Giusti, and Caniggia – all of them suspended for collecting cards) and finishing the match with 9 men. It took disputable – at least disputable – penalty to score the winning goal and without it… Argentina could have prevailed, who knows. And it was not that Argentina played any football. No wonder that practically one match in the whole championship pleased observers – Germany vs Holland. Football was seriously sick, going to die.
Dancing Roger Milla was the discovery of 1990 World Cup – back in 1958, the discovery was 17-years old Pele. Now it was 38-years old and retired for 2 two years former professional player, who was not exactly a great star in his earlier years.
The top scorer of the 1990 World Cup, Toto Schillaci, was of the same suspect mold: not exactly young striker, who shined largely because the ‘stars’ (Vialli and Mancini) utterly disappointed. Schilacci had his 15 minutes of fame and that was that… he never became a true star. In the grand leveling such moments were possible – the development of football in the 1980s made that exactly possible: no real difference between a star and competent ordinary player. As long as anybody can run 90 minutes and is not killed by the opposition, one can do better than Maradona in a given match – even 38-years old retiree or chancy reserve. The problem, however, is that no teenage magician could emerge in such environment.
The English fans distinguished themselves once again, but their habits of invading a city and destroy anything on their way was rapidly spreading already around the globe. Old problem by now, by fans violence would stubbornly stay with game no matter what measures were, are, and will be taken.
No better on the pitch. 176 yellow and red cards were given in the 1990 finals.
Cameroon was second ‘best’ with 2 red and 14 yellow cards. Yes, the outsiders vastly improved… back in time, the outsiders collected cards largely because of incompetence and frustration. Now it was just like the leading teams: cold-blooded fearless calculated professional brutality. Deliberate, tactical, and no big deal that ‘we’ will play with fewer man – the point was to scare and destroy the ‘others’. It worked – the more you kick and spit, the farther you go… Followed by ‘mellow’ Czechoslovakia – 1 red and 13 yellow cards. The new world champions were very good too: they came 4th in registered brutality with 1 red and 8 yellow cards. Brazil had the same strong record.
Of course, there were various ‘best eleven’, but El Grafico version represents the general tendency. Goycoechea (Argentina) became unlikely hero – thanks to heavy injury of Pumpido he appeared and since so many games ended with penalty shoot-out, he was lucky to save a few penalties and thus the propel Argentina to the final. He did not play badly during the games either, but it was the penalties he saved making him number one – for he was not extraordinary goalkeeper… and there were at least a few better than him at the World Cup, but they played fewer games for early eliminated teams. Bergomi and Baresi… well, Italy did not win the championship, did not even reach the final, so… big names, steady players, but not exactly shining this year. Yet, Augenthaler with them was disturbing – the fact that such a player could be a key figure mostly showed how impoverished on talent football became: a player like Schwarzenbeck, not like Beckenbauer was the best. Brehme deserved his place – at least because there was no other so dependable and versatile left fullback at the finals. Wright… the same as Augenthaler – one can be only sorry for the past when there were impressive players. Same with Matthaus and Gascoigne. To a point, same with Maradona – the only artist among the ‘best eleven’, but he was not particularly great at this championship. Klinsmann deserved his place. Schillaci – yes, a pleasant surprise and the goal-scorer of the championship, but… a great star he was not. For whatever reasons many real stars disappointed: Gullit, van Basten, Rijkard, Vialli, Butragueno, Francescoli, Burruchaga, etc. Only a tiny trickle of young talent and that mostly showing promise: Caniggia, Gascoigne, Baggio, Raducioiu, Popescu, Ingesson, Brolin, Reuter, Richard Witschge. Of them only Reuter made it to the final, yet, as a substitute – seemingly, the days of youngsters like Pele were gone forever…
A picture like this one symbolized best the 1990 state of the game: controversial artist, mixing cocaine with handballs, still ahead of gritty workaholic with limited skills and imagination, who may be behind in talent, but ahead on winning precisely because of his grit.
Well, everything eventually comes to its end… and thus end was a culmination of sorts: culmination of everything wrong with football in the 1980s. Yes, for the first time same finalists opposed each other in the two World Cups in a row. Yes, the stakes were high – both opponents have been World champions twice and had a chance to equal Brazil with 3 titles. Yes, it was impossible to say that other teams would have been better or at least more interesting and deserving finalists. Yes, big stars opposed each other, starting with Maradona. But it was little football played at the final – it was a battle, a war. It was triumph of ugly football as well – if the opening match of the World Cup set the poisonous tone of the whole tournament, the final did not veer away: the championship started with 2 players expelled and ended 2 players expelled. The pictures provided tell the story well enough. If West Germany – or Germany – seemed slightly better on the field, it was only because Argentina played defensively and visible dominance did not translate into real outplaying and scoring opportunities. Not only that, but the mighty Germans had 2 men advantage for considerable time of the game and their best played against impoverished side. True, the Argentines had only themselves to blame for collecting too many cards having banned players, but even so the Germans had to play dirty tricks in order to achieve their aim: the referee would be blamed at end for not seen the theatrics of Klinsmann first, which lead to the expulsion of Monzon, and later giving a very suspect penalty in favour of the Germans, but the Argentines were no angels and already built a nasty reputation, which the Germans explored. Brehme scored the penalty and very well he did, for after suffering 90 minutes it was more than difficult to suffer another 30 minutes of pushing, kicking, tackling, simulating, or time wasting. Football is about scoring goals, but this World Cup simply reached the peak of the 1980s tendencies: there were no goals. A penalty was becoming the only chance of seen the ball in the net and resolve a game – either penalty extracted by hook or crook during the actual game, or penalty shootout after 120 minutes extremely boring and ugly clash. The only heroic thing about a victory was that it saved the fans of suffering at last.
Losing finalists standing from left: Nestor Lorenzo, Jose Serrizuela, Sergio Goycochea, Oscar Ruggeri, Juan Simon, Diego Maradona.
Third time World champions, a great achievement for coach and team. The machine won again and for many, this time the Germans deserved it. In terms of effort and determination… yes, they deserved it. Beckenbauer certainly deserved to win. As for playing football worth the title… the best to say is that among the equally ugly teams the most consistent prevailed: unlike previous World Cups, there were no dazzling teams which would have been better champions. The triumph of gritty, physical football was really Germany and if that was football, they were the true leaders and champions of it: winners of a war, no matter how. Spectacular diving was introduced by them in 1974 and brought results. There was almost no creativity, but one can always look for some invented penalty. Germany was no fun, but heroes had to be made and proclaimed, so… here they were and forget that Matthaus had no imagination and finesse even remotely similar to Beckenbauer, Netzer, Overat, Breitner, Schuster. Forget that there were no goal-scorers like Gerd Muller – ‘we can get a penalty somehow and Brehme would not miss’. And so it was. Perhaps the real symbol of the whole 1990 World Cup was Franz Beckenbauer alone in the center of the field when the ‘festivities’ carried everybody else away along with the spotlights – instantly forgotten hero, not fitting the official festive scenario, perhaps thinking ‘what the hell happened to the beautiful game’. At least his solitary and somewhat sad figure suggested that. To a point, it would have been better if Argentina won.
But a World Cup has to have a winner and the Germans won. Champions are heroes and so there are the heroes. Heroes are praised, so the Germans were praised – collectively and individually. After all, they went all the way. They scored at the final and Argentina did not. Nothing can be said against the facts.
07.06.90 (20.00) Bari, Stadio San Nicola
What is there to say… The match for 3rd place already had no meaning for teams and fans. Reserves got chance to play precisely because of that. Lose or win, no big deal. No wonder actual photos of teams are hardly available. Robson pretty much said in advance the match was not important, so why photograph… England lost, so what. Problems were presented in full during the important games, but even that was hardly something to worry Robson – he was leaving the national team anyway. Shilton made a record in both age and number of appearances for the national squad, simultaneously pointing at heavy problem: England already had no world-class goalkeeper behind Shilton. The following decade will make this problem particularly bad. There were other shaky elements in the team and no solution, but England made its best finish since 1970 and although bitter, the mood was – or at least presented as – upbeat and optimistic. Reality replaced by illusions and the English were not alone in that.
Bronze medals spelled out grand failure for Italy. They did not deserve better – from what was displayed on the field – but… since they were hardly worse than the rest, why not winning? Just and unjust criticism piled up – and Vicini was justly criticized for some obvious mistakes he made, but still he had a big standpoint for defense: Italy was unbeaten. Six wins and one tie – elimination came from penalty shootout. Right, wrong, whatever… Italy finished with bronze and nobody was happy of that.