Group 2 – Football Journey

Group 2. An easy group – West Germany was the big favourite not only to go ahead, but one of the possible winners of the championship. There was little doubt that the Germans came back to greatness, similar to the wonderful 1972-74 years. Not only they had a great team, but there was so much talent that some problems were more a fodder for journalists than actual threat. Breitner came back to the national team and largely because of his bossy ways Bernd Schuster refused to play for the national team. He was not alone, although the other ‘refusenik’, Bernd Dietz, was hardly ever mentioned. The third big name missing was Rainer Bonhof, but with him it was trivial reason – injuries and bad form. Another country may have suffered severely from the absence of such players, but it was nothing for the Germans: there was new talent pushing ahead – Littbarski and Matheus. Breitner was excellent, combined with Rummenigge.

Head coach: Jupp Derwall

Harald Schumacher

6 March 1954 (aged 28)

FC Köln

Hans-Peter Briegel

11 October 1955 (aged 26)

Kaiserslautern

Paul Breitner

5 September 1951 (aged 30)

Bayern Munich

Karlheinz Förster

25 July 1958 (aged 23)

Stuttgart

Bernd Förster

3 May 1956 (aged 26)

Stuttgart

Wolfgang Dremmler

12 July 1954 (aged 27)

Bayern Munich

Pierre Littbarski

16 April 1960 (aged 22)

FC Köln

Klaus Fischer

27 December 1949 (aged 32)

FC Köln

Horst Hrubesch

17 April 1951 (aged 31)

Hamburg

Hansi Müller

27 July 1957 (aged 24)

Stuttgart

Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (c)

25 September 1955 (aged 26)

Bayern Munich

Wilfried Hannes

17 May 1957 (aged 25)

Borussia Mönchengladbach

Uwe Reinders

19 January 1955 (aged 27)

Werder Bremen

Felix Magath

26 July 1953 (aged 28)

Hamburg

Uli Stielike

15 November 1954 (aged 27)

Real Madrid

Thomas Allofs

17 November 1959 (aged 22)

Fortuna Düsseldorf

Stephan Engels

6 September 1960 (aged 21)

FC Köln

Lothar Matthäus

21 March 1961 (aged 21)

Borussia Mönchengladbach

Holger Hieronymus

22 February 1959 (aged 23)

Hamburg

Manfred Kaltz

6 January 1953 (aged 29)

Hamburg

Bernd Franke

12 February 1948 (aged 34)

Eintracht Braunschweig

Eike Immel

27 November 1960 (aged 21)

Borussia Dortmund

Minuses. What minuses? Working horse Dietz was replaced with younger and better players. Bonhof too, it seemed. Schuster, then – but there was Breitner and it was very difficult to say who was more valuable. There were tensions in the team, but the Germans were masters of leaving problems in the locker room. Stielike was back – the stupid rule imposed by the German Federation in 1978 left him out, but lessons were learned and there was no more ‘foreign based players out’. Rummenigge was not fully recovered from injury, but no big trouble. The team had no weak place, was relatively young, with key players at their prime, and vastly experienced. Old days were invoked not only by the living direct link with the 1974 world champions – Breitner – but also with problems of wealth: back then it was Overatt or Netzer, now it was Magath or Hansi Muller. Plus Hrubesch or Fischer. The headaches of Jupp Derwall were the envy for other coaches. A team without any weaknesses, a dream-team. Curiously, three players were left home – Thomas Allofs, Hieronymus, and Engels. On call – they were not immediately needed. And trivia: Bernd Franke, now 34 years old, was going to world cup finals for the first time – the respected goalkeeper was in and out of the national team for the whole 1970s, but playing for lowly Eintracht Braunschweig was a handicap – the relegation of his club most likely left him out of the 1974 selection. At last he made it – and deserved it – although he was not a starter.

Short of sensation, Austria was the expected number two. Not a match for West Germany, but with experienced squad, which many considered at its peak. The talent pool was limited, but there was enough for a squad and the backbone of Koncilia – Pezzey – Prohaska – Krankl was enough to ensure at least qualifying to the second round.

Head coaches: Felix Latzke and Georg Schmidt

Friedrich Koncilia

25 February 1948 (aged 34)

Austria Wien

Bernd Krauss

8 May 1957 (aged 25)

Rapid Wien

Erich Obermayer (c)

23 January 1953 (aged 29)

Austria Wien

Josef Degeorgi

19 January 1960 (aged 22)

Admira/Wacker

Bruno Pezzey

3 February 1955 (aged 27)

Eintracht Frankfurt

Roland Hattenberger

7 December 1948 (aged 33)

SSW Innsbruck

Walter Schachner

1 February 1957 (aged 25)

Cesena

Herbert Prohaska

8 August 1955 (aged 26)

Inter Milan

Hans Krankl

14 February 1953 (aged 29)

Rapid Wien

Reinhold Hintermaier

14 February 1956 (aged 26)

Nuremberg

Kurt Jara

14 October 1950 (aged 31)

Grasshopper-Club

Anton Pichler

4 October 1955 (aged 26)

Sturm Graz

Max Hagmayr

16 November 1956 (aged 25)

VÖEST Linz

Ernst Baumeister

22 January 1957 (aged 25)

Austria Wien

Johann Dihanich

24 October 1958 (aged 23)

Austria Wien

Gerald Messlender

1 October 1961 (aged 20)

Admira/Wacker

Johann Pregesbauer

8 June 1958 (aged 24)

Rapid Wien

Gernot Jurtin

9 September 1955 (aged 26)

Sturm Graz

Heribert Weber

28 June 1955 (aged 26)

Rapid Wien

Kurt Welzl

6 November 1954 (aged 27)

Valencia

Herbert Feurer

14 January 1954 (aged 28)

Rapid Wien

Klaus Lindenberger

28 May 1957 (aged 25)

Linzer ASK

Weaker than West Germany, surely, but Austria was also well above the other teams in the group. No missing players. Enough class and ambition. May be a dark horse, for the Austrians were not considered a big favourite: with a bit of luck, they were capable of moving quite ahead when nobody was looking. Trivia: two head coaches, neither a big name.

Chile. Most likely to finish third. Not a great team, although this time there were no political tensions, handicapping the team as they did in 1974. Chile was just to be happy playing at the finals – going beyond the first round was out of the question. Miracles happen, but rarely – this team was not one to make a miracle.

Head coach: Luis Santibáñez

Oscar Wirth

5 November 1955 (aged 26)

Cobreloa

Lizardo Garrido

25 August 1957 (aged 24)

Colo-Colo

René Valenzuela

20 April 1955 (aged 27)

Universidad Católica

Vladimir Bigorra

9 August 1954 (aged 27)

Universidad de Chile

Elías Figueroa (c)

25 October 1946 (aged 35)

Fort Lauderdale Strikers

Rodolfo Dubó

11 September 1953 (aged 28)

Palestino

Eduardo Bonvallet

13 January 1955 (aged 27)

Universidad Católica

Carlos Rivas

24 May 1953 (aged 29)

Colo-Colo

Juan Carlos Letelier

20 May 1959 (aged 23)

Cobreloa

Mario Soto

10 July 1950 (aged 31)

Cobreloa

Gustavo Moscoso

10 August 1955 (aged 26)

Universidad Católica

Marco Cornez

15 October 1957 (aged 24)

Palestino

Carlos Caszely

5 July 1950 (aged 31)

Colo-Colo

Raúl Ormeño

21 June 1958 (aged 23)

Colo-Colo

Patricio Yáñez

20 January 1961 (aged 21)

San Luis

Manuel Rojas

13 June 1954 (aged 28)

Universidad Católica

Oscar Rojas

15 November 1958 (aged 23)

Colo-Colo

Mario Galindo

10 August 1951 (aged 30)

Colo-Colo

Enzo Escobar

10 November 1951 (aged 30)

Cobreloa

Miguel Ángel Neira

9 October 1952 (aged 29)

Universidad Católica

Miguel Ángel Gamboa

21 June 1951 (aged 30)

Universidad de Chile

Mario Osbén

14 July 1950 (aged 31)

Colo-Colo

The best of Chile was not exactly much – the team depended on old feet, known for years: Carlos Caszely was 31, Elias Figueroa -35. Figueroa was the only foreign based player, but he was playing in NASL. Eight years earlier, Chilean players were hired in Europe, which was telling: true, Chilean clubs now provided enough to keep players at home, the lack of European interest meant lack of class. The only interesting talent was the 21-years old striker Patricio Yanez. Very little. There was only the sense that players like Figueroa and Caszely deserve to have one more world cup before they quit the game.

Algeria was considered the strongest among the outsiders – partly, by default. The good impression of Tunisia four years ago still lingered. Arabic football was generally more competent than the Black African one. Algeria had European-based professionals, unlike any other outsider. They were a ‘may be’: if any outsider was to play well, it was to be Algeria, but nothing more than good impressions – if they played well, may be they would have been able to finish above Chile. Bumping Austria and West Germany? Not even in a dream.

Head coaches: Mahieddine Khalef and Rachid Mekhloufi

Mehdi Cerbah

3 April 1953 (aged 29)

RS Kouba

Mahmoud Guendouz

24 February 1953 (aged 29)

MA Hussein Dey

Mustafa Kouici

16 April 1954 (aged 28)

MA Hussein Dey

Nourredine Kourichi

12 April 1954 (aged 28)

Girondins Bordeaux

Chaabane Merzekane

8 March 1959 (aged 23)

MA Hussein Dey

Ali Bencheikh

9 January 1955 (aged 27)

MP Alger

Salah Assad

13 March 1958 (aged 24)

RS Kouba

Ali Fergani (c)

21 September 1952 (aged 29)

JE Tizi-Ouzou

Tedj Bensaoula

1 December 1954 (aged 27)

MP Oran

Lakhdar Belloumi

29 December 1958 (aged 23)

GCR Mascara

Rabah Madjer

15 December 1958 (aged 23)

MA Hussein Dey

Salah Larbes

16 September 1952 (aged 29)

JE Tizi-Ouzou

Hocine Yahi

25 April 1960 (aged 22)

CM Belcourt

Djamel Zidane

28 April 1955 (aged 27)

KV Kortrijk

Mustapha Dahleb

8 February 1952 (aged 30)

Paris St-Germain

Faouzi Mansouri

17 January 1956 (aged 26)

Montpellier SC

Abdelkader Horr

10 November 1953 (aged 28)

DNC Alger

Karim Maroc

5 March 1958 (aged 24)

Tours FC

Djamel Tlemçani

16 April 1955 (aged 27)

Stade de Reims

Abdelmajid Bourebbou

16 March 1951 (aged 31)

Stade Lavallois

Mourad Amara

19 February 1959 (aged 23)

JE Tizi-Ouzou

Yacine Bentalaa

24 September 1955 (aged 26)

MA Hussein Dey

What could be said? A team perhaps to make a good impression and go down fighting. At best, a good step for African football, giving example of bravery. Seven professionals, based in France and Belgium, supported the expectations of decent football. Mustapha Dahleb was the big name, playing in France for years and currently for Paris SG, but he was 30. The next in line was the 28-years old defender Nourredine Kourichi, currently with Bordeaux. Well respected players, not major stars – good to see them at the world cup, but no more. Trivia: group 2 was an anomaly – two teams having two head coaches, Austria and Algeria. Algeria chose to have domestic coaches, something unusual for an African team. Rachid Mekhloufi was a big star in France, when he was a player – his status was certainly inspirational, but his coaching abilities remained to be seen.