Group D – Football Journey

Group D. Brazil, Spain, Northern Ireland, Algeria. Playing in Guadalajara and one match in Monterrey.

Brazil.

Head coach: Telê Santana

No.

Pos.

Player

Date of birth (age)

Caps

Club

Carlos

4 March 1956 (aged 30)

Corinthians

Édson

3 July 1959 (aged 26)

Corinthians

Oscar

20 June 1954 (aged 31)

São Paulo

Edinho (Captain)

5 June 1955 (aged 30)

Udinese

Falcão

16 October 1953 (aged 32)

São Paulo

Júnior

29 June 1954 (aged 31)

Torino

Müller

31 January 1966 (aged 20)

São Paulo

Casagrande

15 April 1963 (aged 23)

Corinthians

Careca

5 October 1960 (aged 25)

São Paulo

Zico

3 March 1953 (aged 33)

Flamengo

Edivaldo

13 April 1962 (aged 24)

Atlético Mineiro

Paulo Vítor

7 June 1957 (aged 28)

Fluminense

Josimar

19 September 1961 (aged 24)

Botafogo

Júlio César

8 March 1963 (aged 23)

Guarani

Alemão

22 November 1961 (aged 24)

Botafogo

Mauro Galvão

19 December 1961 (aged 24)

Internacional

Branco

4 April 1964 (aged 22)

Fluminense

Sócrates

19 February 1954 (aged 32)

Flamengo

Elzo

22 January 1961 (aged 25)

Atlético Mineiro

Silas

27 August 1965 (aged 20)

São Paulo

Valdo

12 January 1964 (aged 22)

Grêmio

Leão

11 July 1949 (aged 36)

Sport Recife

May be under heavy criticism at home, but Brazil is always prime favourite. The change of style was recognized and also the aging of the team, but Brazil is Brazil. Even the scandals plaguing Tele Santana and his selection were taken only with caution abroad: the prevailing believe was that Brazil will try to compensate for its failure in 1982, when it was the best team, and could succeed this time. On the negative side was aging: Zico, Socrates, Junior, Falcao, and Oscar were well over 30 and on top of it Zico was not in good shape, not fully recovered from heavy injury. The absence of Renato, Eder, and the last minute refusal of Leandro to go to Mexico in protest were noted as minuses. The return of Leao was recognized as a sign of major tactical change – he refused for the free-spirited adventurous football Santana insisted on in 1982, but now it was exactly what Leao wanted: cautious, defensive approach., never liked by Brazilian fans and journalists. However, either because of old grudges or lack of solid form the veteran goalkeeper was not a first choice. Remembering pathetic goalkeeping at the previous World Cup, goalkeeping was automatically suspect: Leao was the best by far during the 1970s, but now he was out – not good. Some players without any experience were included – Josimar, Valdo, Julio Cesar, Mauro Galvao, Edivaldo, Silas – which was unusual for Brazil and looked like improvised in the last second making the numbers after stars were left out. Of course, Brazil surely had plenty of talent, but these boys were too young and hardly heard of before and, thus, suspect – looked like Santana will use well known names, but if they underperformed there were no other options. Yet, Brazil was expected to win its group – it was Brazil and opposition was quiet convenient. Even if they stumbled, they were the likeliest group winners.

Spain

Head coach: Miguel Muñoz

No.

Pos.

Player

Date of birth (age)

Caps

Club

Andoni Zubizarreta

23 October 1961 (aged 24)

Athletic Bilbao

Tomás

9 August 1960 (aged 25)

Atlético Madrid

José Antonio Camacho (Captain)

8 June 1955 (aged 30)

Real Madrid

Antonio Maceda

16 May 1957 (aged 29)

Real Madrid

Víctor

15 March 1957 (aged 29)

Barcelona

Rafael Gordillo

24 February 1957 (aged 29)

Real Madrid

Juan Antonio Señor

26 August 1958 (aged 27)

Real Zaragoza

Andoni Goikoetxea

23 August 1956 (aged 29)

Athletic Bilbao

Emilio Butragueño

22 July 1963 (aged 22)

Real Madrid

Francisco José Carrasco

6 March 1959 (aged 27)

Barcelona

Julio Alberto

7 October 1958 (aged 27)

Barcelona

Quique Setién

27 September 1958 (aged 27)

Atlético Madrid

Urruti

17 February 1952 (aged 34)

Barcelona

Ricardo Gallego

8 February 1959 (aged 27)

Real Madrid

Chendo

12 October 1961 (aged 24)

Real Madrid

Hipólito Rincón

28 April 1957 (aged 29)

Real Betis

Francisco

1 November 1962 (aged 23)

Sevilla

Ramón Calderé

16 January 1959 (aged 27)

Barcelona

Julio Salinas

11 September 1962 (aged 23)

Athletic Bilbao

Eloy

10 July 1964 (aged 21)

Sporting Gijón

Míchel

23 March 1963 (aged 23)

Real Madrid

Juan Carlos Ablanedo

2 September 1963 (aged 22)

Sporting Gijón

Spain was a fiasco in 1982 and a pleasant surprise in 1984, but somewhat returned to its old way after that, so it was hard to imagine what could be at the World Cup. There were some players who were not up to the promise they showed in 1984, notably Real Sociedad players. The wonderful goalkeeper Arconada was out, but exciting new star – Butragueno – was in. But murderers were regulars – Goikoetxea and Gordillo – so it was likelier that Spain, full of Basque fighters, would be rough soldiering team. Most likely, second in the group.

Northern Ireland.

Head coach: Billy Bingham

No.

Pos.

Player

Date of birth (age)

Caps

Club

Pat Jennings

12 June 1945 (aged 40)

116

Everton

Jimmy Nicholl

28 December 1956 (aged 29)

West Bromwich Albion

Mal Donaghy

13 September 1957 (aged 28)

Luton Town

John O’Neill

11 March 1958 (aged 28)

Leicester City

Alan McDonald

12 October 1963 (aged 22)

Queens Park Rangers

David McCreery

16 September 1957 (aged 28)

Newcastle United

Steve Penney

16 January 1964 (aged 22)

Brighton & Hove Albion

Sammy McIlroy (Captain)

2 August 1954 (aged 31)

Manchester City

Jimmy Quinn

18 November 1959 (aged 26)

Blackburn Rovers

Norman Whiteside

7 May 1965 (aged 21)

Manchester United

Ian Stewart

10 September 1961 (aged 24)

Newcastle United

Jim Platt

26 January 1951 (aged 35)

Coleraine

Philip Hughes

19 November 1964 (aged 21)

Bury

Gerry Armstrong

23 May 1954 (aged 32)

Chesterfield

Nigel Worthington

4 November 1961 (aged 24)

Sheffield Wednesday

Paul Ramsey

3 September 1962 (aged 23)

Leicester City

Colin Clarke

30 October 1962 (aged 23)

AFC Bournemouth

John McClelland

7 December 1955 (aged 30)

Watford

Billy Hamilton

9 May 1957 (aged 29)

Oxford United

Bernard McNally

17 February 1963 (aged 23)

Shrewsbury Town

David Campbell

2 June 1965 (aged 20)

Nottingham Forest

Mark Caughey

31 August 1960 (aged 25)

Linfield

Naturally limited, but courageous team, which was seen as one of possible surprises. Northern Ireland had small number of really good players and was the only team having to look in second and lower divisions in order to complete a squad, but scarce resources they compensated with spirit. Pat Jennings already challenged Dino Zoff as the older player to appear at World Cup finals. Northern Ireland was expected to finish third, though – spirit is spirit, but ability is another matter, even when a team is free from the pressure of great expectations. Scoring was a big and traditional problem for the Irish and they were not better than Algeria, but they were capable of getting a point, even two, from a team like Spain and coming ahead of the Algerians.

Algeria.

First row from left: Chaib, Mansouri, Benkhalidi, Kacim (?) – masseur, Madjer, Assad, Belloumi, Megichi (?), Sadmi, Yahi (?), Menad, Drid, Bouiche.

Standing: Faral (?) – physio, Guendouz, Bensalem (?) – doctor, Kourichi, Abdelwahid (?) – goalkeeping coach, Bensour (?), Sadak (?), Said, Kachi (?) – masseur, Cerbah, Megharia, Maroc, Isaad (?) – chairman of the Football Federation, Mokhdadi (?) – assistant coach, Saadane – coach.

Head coach: Rabah Saâdane

No.

Pos.

Player

Date of birth (age)

Caps

Club

Nacerdine Drid

22 January 1957 (aged 29)

N/A

MP Oran

Mahmoud Guendouz (Captain)

24 February 1953 (aged 33)

N/A

JS El Biar

Fathi Chebal

19 August 1956 (aged 29)

N/A

Rouen

Nourredine Kourichi

12 April 1954 (aged 32)

N/A

Lille

Abdellah Medjadi Liegeon

1 December 1957 (aged 28)

N/A

Monaco

Mohammed Kaci Said

2 May 1958 (aged 28)

N/A

RS Kouba

Salah Assad

13 March 1958 (aged 28)

N/A

Mulhouse

Karim Maroc

5 March 1958 (aged 28)

N/A

Montpellier

Djamel Menad

22 July 1960 (aged 25)

N/A

JE Tizi-Ouzou

Lakhdar Belloumi

29 December 1958 (aged 27)

N/A

GCR Mascara

Rabah Madjer

15 December 1958 (aged 27)

N/A

Porto

Tedj Bensaoula

1 December 1954 (aged 31)

N/A

Le Havre

Rachid Harkouk

16 May 1956 (aged 30)

N/A

Notts County

Djamel Zidane

28 April 1955 (aged 31)

N/A

Waterschei Thor

Abdelhamid Sadmi

1 January 1961 (aged 25)

N/A

JE Tizi-Ouzou

Faouzi Mansouri

17 January 1956 (aged 30)

N/A

Montpellier

Fawzi Benkhalidi

3 February 1963 (aged 23)

N/A

WKF Boufarik

Halim Benmabrouk

25 June 1960 (aged 25)

N/A

Racing Paris

Mohammed Chaib

20 May 1957 (aged 29)

N/A

RS Kouba

Fodil Megharia

23 May 1961 (aged 25)

N/A

ASO Chlef

Larbi El Hadi

27 May 1961 (aged 25)

N/A

WKF Boufarik

Mourad Amara

19 February 1959 (aged 27)

N/A

JE Tizi-Ouzou

Algeria was not to be dismissed out of hand – it was the first African country to qualify to two consecutive World Cup finals. It left pleasant memories in 1982 and if not for shameful arrangement of West Germany and Austria, they were going to reach the second stage back then. There was continuity – a lot of players were coming to their second world cup (Madjer, Mansouri, Maroc, to name but a few) and a good number of players were well established in European clubs and no longer in the French leagues – Madjer was key player of FC Porto and Rachid Harkouk was still playing for Notts County, as he did in 1982. Nots County may not have been much to brag about, but one have to keep in mind that foreign players hardly made it in England at that time – Harkouk made it, though. Algeria was also faithful to local coaching – unlike the typical African practice of using foreign coaches. The team had at least two stars – Belloumi and Madjer – to lead their teammates. It was not hopeless outsider by no means, but most likely to finish last in the group anyhow – Algeria was beatable by both Brazil and Spain and most likely going to lose the battle for third place to Northern Ireland by little.