For me this was the biggest of the playoff matches for next years world cup. I dont understand why everybody is still going on about the handball in the match between France and Ireland. Yes it was a very very poor decision but how many people felt sorry for England after the hand of god in dumped them out of the 1986 world cup? not many outside of England was it? And why do people here still have a soft spot for the Rep of Ireland? They are as British as China is!
The hand of God
I have a soft spot for Uruguay. For me its because this is where it all began. Back in 1930 the first every world cup was held in Uruguay with only 13 nations competing. Uruguay beat Argentina 4-2 in the final in front of 93,000 people in the captial Montevideo. Uruguay didnt enter the next two world cups due to the fact they were both held in Europe; few european sides had bothered to make the trip to the 1930 championship in Uruguay.
They were back in 1950 when the championship was held in Brazil and caused probably the biggest upset in the history of the World cup final by beating Brazil in the there own back yard when all Brazil needed was a draw.
In 1950 there wasnt a final as such. Instead there was a final group, the winner of was declared the overall winner. Uruguay came back from 1-0 down to snatch the trophy in front of 199,000 fans. England were knocked out by the United States 1-0.
Since then it has been downhill for this once great footballing nation. They finished 5th in the south american qualifying zone and so had to go into a play off with Costa Rica from the central and north American zone. A 1-0 away win was followed by a nervy 1-1 home draw.
For me its important that all the former winners of the world cup are present in South Africa. Further more i feel people dont give Uruguay the respect they deserve. Their total of two championships is the same as Argentina (their hated rivals) and more than France, England, and Holland. They may well never win the title again but we shouldn't forget their history and above all where the world cup began.
We also have the 1930 final to thank us for one of the most commonly used phrases in football.
Before the 1930 final the two sides couldn't decide who's ball to use so it was decided to use a ball from Argentina in one half and a ball from Uruguay in the other. This gave rise to the phrase "a game of two halves"
The story of 1930
Group one
Argentina
Chile
France
Mexico
Group two
Yugoslavia
Brazil
Bolvia
Group three
Uruguay
Romania
Peru
Group four
USA
Paraguay
Belgium
Semi finals
Argentina 6-1 USA
Uruguay 6-1 Yugoslavia
Final
Uruguay 4-2 Argentina
FIFA head Jules Rimet presents the World cup to the president of the Uruguayan FA After the 1930 final.
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