Intercontinental Cup. A clash between clubs with similar ambitions – Romanian Steaua and Argentinian River Plate. Both striving to concur the world for the first time, both having great squads in top form. Fast and nervous game, often stopped by nasty fouls, committed by either side. Entertaining match, both teams trying to be creative, but facing strong and brutal opposition and too eager to win to play with cool heads.
River Plate was perhaps a bit stronger.
May be a bit stronger, but by no means Steaua was giving up and scoring chances were few, but both teams had them.
River Plate was luckier – Alzamendi broke through Romanian defense, Stingaciu saved his first strike, but the ball bounced up when the goalkeeper was dropping down and Alzamendi had a second chance. He drove the ball in the net with a header.
No other goals were scored until the final whistle, instantly making the moment ‘historic’ and Alzamendi a great hero.
The great moment was reproduced from all angles again and again – it made River Plate champions of the world.
River Plate joyously made their triumphal run with the trophy in their hands.
Tokyo. Field: National Stadium. December 14, 1986 Att: 62.000 Ref: José Luis Martínez Bazán (URU) River Plate (ARG) 1-0 (1-0) Steaua Bucuresti (ROM) 1-0 28' Alzamendi River Plate: Nery Alberto Pumpido - Jorge Manuel Gordillo, Nelson Daniel Gutiérrez, Oscar Alfredo Ruggeri, Alejandro Alfredo Montenegro - Héctor Aldolfo Enrique, Américo Rubén Gallego, Norberto Osvaldo Alonso, Roque Raúl Alfaro (68' Daniel Adolfo Sperandío) - Antonio Alzamendi, Juan Gilberto Funes. Coach: Héctor Rodolfo Veira Unused substitutes: Sergio Javier Goycochea, Rubén Darío Gómez, Claudio Morresi, Néstor Raúl Gorosito. Steaua: Stîngaciu - Iovan, Belodedici, Bumbescu, Weisenbacher - Barbulescu (Majearu 60), Stoica, Balan, Balint - Lacatus, Piturca Coach: Anghel Iordanescu Unused substitutes: Iordache, Cireasa, Ivan, Lotariu.
Dirty, bruised and happy celebrating in the dressing room – a classic, a cliché, a symbol of football.
One can hardly say Steaua (Bucharest) was weaker or even deserved to lose. More unlucky than anything – River scored a goal and they did not. Losing a battle of equals is no shame, but losing a coveted trophy is hardly a happy occasion. Standing from left: Iovan, Belodedici, V. Piturca, Bumbescu, Stingaciu. First row: G. Balint, Lacatus, L. Balan, I. Barbulescu, Weiszenbacher, T. Stoica.
The sensational victory in the spring made the names familiar and thus speculations sprung, lasting for many years: where was the the goalkeeping hero of the European final, Duckadam? Given the political situation in Romania, dark rumors circulated for years, never really dying. But his absence provides an opportunity for re-evaluation of Steaua – it was not just a good starting formation, shaped and spurred by ambitious and mighty son of Communist dictator. Steaua had very talented coach and had more than 11 wonderful players. It was not Duckadam the big great starting goalkeeper, but Dumitru Stingaciu, for instance – a national team player for many years already. Another long serving national team playing, well remembered from the 1984 European finals – Majearu – came in the second half of the Intercontinental final as a substitute. On the bench were current and future stars of not just Romanian football: Hagi, Boloni, Rotariu. No matter how and why Steaua was made, this was great squad in purely football terms. Too bad they were unable to win everything this year, but the winner could be only one.
The ‘gallinas’ were completely buried with this victory – River Plate won absolutely everything this year: the Argentine championship, Copa Libertadores, Copa Interamericana, the Intercontinental Cup. Few teams achieved total success in the history of the sport. Standing from left: Gordillo, Gallego, Nelson Gutierrez, Pumpido, Ruggeri, Montenegro. Crouching: Alzamendi, Hector Enrique, Funes, Alonso, Alfaro. Like Steaua, this was not the full power of the team – there was more on the bench, so this River Plate vintage was really a great squad. Alzamendi became a great hero of the club, of course, but no other than Norberto Alonso deserved more the success: he was Mr. River Plate already, raised in the club, spending most of his career with them, a great star and motivator, an emblem, but also a suffering hero, for there was no international success, no matter what kind of squad River had in the 1970s and early 80s – and they repeatedly had mighty squads, as names go at least. So at last and still with Alonso – a triumph. A triumph so great, it erased a lot of the unsuccessful past. And more – Argentina won the World Cup, Argentine club was the best in the world, South American teams were unbeaten in the Intercontinental finals since 1976 (Argentinos Juniors lost only on penalty shoot-out in 1985). The River Plate victory symbolized many things and on much wider scale than Boca Juniors would like it.
Marvelous triumph, asking for a long, long party.
Just before making the last step to glory in Tokyo – Steaua on the left.