The Intercontinental Cup. FC Porto (Portugal) vs Penarol (Uruguay).
Whatever predictions were expressed before the game, the weather killed them – there was snow blizzard on December 13th in Tokyo. The outcry remains to this very day – conditions were so harsh, many consider this issue of Toyota Cup ‘ridiculous’. Today the match would have been rescheduled, but let face it: tied calendar placed the Intercontinental Cup at the very end of the year, in the midst of winter in the Northern hemisphere. Japan was so far away, meddling with dates was hard to do, but it was only thanks to the Japanese that this competitions was continued, after the disasters in the 1970s, which placed it on the verge of extinction. There was nothing to do, but play… It was heavy burden to the opponents, both coming from countries rarely seeing snow and used to play technical Latin football, but the only other option seemingly was to forfeit the final, which football officials and organizers would not like to see – apart from the voice of money, increasingly becoming more vocal, there was the issue of survival of the tournament: abandoning the final would not have been permitted and harsh sanctions would follow, which the clubs did not want to suffer. Rescheduling was pretty much out of question – both opponents were in the middle of their country championships and could not stay long in Japan. FC Porto still had to play the second leg of the European Supercup – there was no room to fit in rescheduled Toyota Cup.
On the other hand, there is something to say about playing in such conditions – younger generations find it hard to swallow, but football was played regularly in mud and snow until 1990s. Football fields were not the comfortable evergreens of today – they were rough, often with only patches of grass after mid-season, sometimes there was not grass at all, but sand. Players of old were used to that, even those from Southern climes. And there was special attraction to football played in snow – the game is entirely unpredictable, full of weird moments, almost a different sport. Great artistic football it is not, but it is fun – a ball going in the empty net suddenly stops before the goal-line, stuck in the mud; innocent looking ball weirdly slides just before the goalie gets it and ends in the net, a player kicks the ball mightily and it did not move at all, such unpredictable movements, which equalize entirely the teams and one never knows how such a game could finish. Fun, however taxing the players, especially the more artistic ones. In such conditions the fans hardly ever blame players for missed opportunities or awkward moves and ridiculously kicked balls – it is understandable in such conditions, it is not players’ fault. Strange, but harsh conditions somewhat mellow the players – there are few ugly tackles, fights hardly ever happen, everybody is preoccupied with battling the conditions and mind the risks to self-injury, if attempting aggressively rough tackles. Of course, it is a matter of opinion, but in the snow Maradona and Sunday-league amateurs become practically equal, which is after all what football is all about.
Given the conditions, the final was actually quite lively and interesting.
It was not easy to play in the snow,
but there were dramatic moments.
Generally, an equal game, both teams trying hard to attack and score.
45 000-strong, mostly Japanese public, was well awarded.
Even moments of beauty.
But it was not easy to score in the snow, immediately turning into mud under players’ boots.
Eventually, FC Porto got the lead – Gomes scored in the 40th minute – but in the 80th minute Viera equalized and regular time ended 1-1.
In the extra time FC Porto managed to score again – who else, but Madjer in the 110th minute.
He immortalized himself in the hearts of FC Porto fans: the hero of the spring against Bayern, did it again in the winter against Penarol. The Uruguayans were unable to equalize in the remaining minutes.
Tokyo, National Stadium
December 13, 1987 Att: 45,000 Ref: Wöhrer (AUT)
FC Porto (POR) 2-1 (1-0) aet Peñarol (URU)
1-0 42′ Gomes
1-1 80′ Viera
2-1 110′ Madjer
FC Porto: Mlynarczyk – João Pinto, Inacio, Lipa Pereira, Rui Barros (61′ Quim),Geraldão, Magalhães, Madjer, Sousa, Gomes, André
Peñarol : Pereira – Rotti, Trasante, Herrean (95′ Gonsalves), Domínguez, Perdomo, Da Silva, Aguirre, Vidal, Cabrera (46′ Matosas), Viera
Fernando Gomes received the Intercontinental Cup – or Toyota Cup, whatever.
After that Mlynarczyk led the most unusual triumphal run around the stadium.
Never mind the snow!
On top of the world.
Hard to blame Penarol for anything – they did what they could, they were not the weaker team, they played with big hearts in the terrible conditions in which victory was chancy and could have gone either way. Can’t blame them, but losing after all that effort… no way Penarol were happy.
Tired, but victorious. It was hardly a great final – the conditions prevented skillful players to dazzle the crowds – Rui Barros had to be replaced, for example, because of that, but it was interesting, dramatic, and immensely difficult final. May be a bit lucky, may be a bit more better adjusted to the snow, no matter – FC Porto won its first Intercontinental Cup and against very fit and tough opponent too. Madjer became a true legend, Mlynarczyk – perhaps overachieved, thanks to playing for Porto, but arguably Fernando Gomes deserved this victory most of all. A star for many years, the great scorer badly lacked international success – now, at his late years, nearing retirement, he finally achieved it and abundantly: Champions Cup, now the Intercontinental Cup, soon the European Supercup too. Everything was won! FC Porto really burst among the top clubs of the world with a bang.