WORLD CUP
THE CHINA MAIL, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1961.
FOCUS
Chile's chances
chances not
not to be underestimated
By IVOR YORKE
Think of South American football. and the proven prowess of Brazil, Argentina or Uruguay im- mediately springs to mind. Few soccer enthusi- asts would rate Chile, host nation for the 1962 World Cup finals, among the world's leading powers.
But no one should underestimate the soccer chances of this South Ameri-
Is England's tradition of playing all internationals
at Wembley outmoded?
For 37 years Wembley Stadium has been the venue for England's full international matches. But when the attendance figure at a home international falls to an all-time low of 30,000 one begins to wonder whether the tradition is really justified. Would it, perhaps, be more profitable to switch these mid-week- home internationals to provincial centres where keen foot- ball fans reasonably complain that they all too rarely have the chance of seeing big-time soccer?
Over the past decade, interest
in the Home series has steadily declined. In contrast, public
more and more by matches with Continental sides.
can republic which is still recovering from the devastating earth- imagination has been captured quakes of 1960.
the world's best left-back, and his colleagues.
With a man like the shrewd Under coach Fernando RIERA
Herberger at the helm of a side the Chilean side has made con- siderable
They are
But such is the tremendous which includes stocky genius progress, determined to justify the final forward strength of the holders Uwe SEELER, the other 15 - that even defensivenalists could be due for another place automatcially given them seems
their German lesson. as the country staging the than changes would not upset
This will be their rhythm. pionships. third nal. Previous appearances were in 1930 (Uruguay) and 1950 (Brazil).
Following an ambitious but largely
unsuccessful tour of Europe in 1960, Chile's tearn has been re-shaped into typically speedy and creative Latin-American formation. Finest
performance of 1961 vas the 3-1 defeat of West Ger- in Santiago, complete re- many venge for the Germans fortunate 2-1 success in Europe a earlier.
L
PELE, new outside-left PEPE and centre-forward COUTINHO
World star
provide the nucleus of an attack In 1949 a slim, § ft. 3 in. which many, outside Brazil thick will be good enough to with- stand any challenge.
а
The amazing
Mr Herberger
ycar
Since then the Brazilians have been entertained and given two! hard contests to further empha- sise the decreasing gulf which exists between the countries.
Stars of the Chilean team in- clude the powerful defensive trie of full-backs Sergio NAVARRO and Luis EYZAGUIRRE and centre-half Rau! SANCHEZ, plus attacking wing-half Eladio ROJAS.
Sepp HERBERGER, wispy 65-year-old who inspired
to
Only England vs Scotland Eas maintained its appeal as the fars have turned to wider horizons.
Poor support
The England' ys Ireland match has always been the most poorly supported of the bonie internationals, The
ON THE
BAL
with Stan Cullis
Some people argue that these home internationals are out-moded since they no long er have the same appeal as matches against
orack Con- tinental sides. When Sip
of Holland Feyenoord early round of the European Cup this season, they had
Russian named.com Lev Wembley rate fell from 60,000, if played under foodlights in
in 1955 to 44,000 in 1957; then the evening. YASHIN joined Moscow
rose 60,000 in 1959 only to Dynamo with an
drop to this year's 30,000. enviable task-that of
Even so, I think it is retigen- succeeding acrobatic Alex able to
there! suppose that KHOMICH as Dynamo would have been a much larger goalkeeper.
gate if the match had been played Most 20-year-olds would not
northern grounds - at, enjoyed the situation. Only fuur
"Everton or Liverpool. previously years
Of course, the choice of a acclaimed
must have 2.30 p.m. kick-of had some effect on the atten- dance.
011
of
the
say
Tottenham
a rejuvenated Germany Khomich had been
their
61.975 crowd. astonishing one of the stars in the Dynamo World Cup championship side which seven years ago, as re-whirlwind tour of Britain. cently celebrated
unique anniversary — a quarter of a century as sole hoss of Germany's representative teams at all levels.
Lights not used
had undertaken a
Gone are the days which wo But 12 years later, the un- temperamental "Lion" Yashin saw immediately after the war- has become firmly established, when most foolball fans would as one of the greatest goal-engerly take a
day cif ¡rom keepers ever seen in Kussia. work
the mid-week To welch Prodigious
leaps and sure afternoon international. handling of the ball stamp him as a man who
owes much to playing basketball-his second Such was the thoroughness of love. Yashin is worth watching Defensive doubts
Herberger's scouting network when play is at
at the other end of and subscqueni training pro- the field, restlessly roaming the Former Brazilian inside-gramme that he Look West Ger-, penalty area until the ball comes
many into fourth place in the his way again. forward
Otto GLORIA 1958 World Cup even though In more
than 50 international doubts whether the world he had to build a virtually new appearances Yastin has enjoyed champion will retain the team from the ruins of an -much success. As a member or
-ness-stricken 1954. cleven.
the technically excellent Russian trophy.
side he won an Olympic medal in 1956 and a European Nations cup-winner's medal four years
Says Gloria, now criach to the Portuguese national side: "Bra-
Only three members of the Cep-winning side-Hans FC- KEL, Helmut RAHN and Fritz
!
After all, why should Wem- bley have such a monépaly of the big matches?
London as the FA Cup Final each year-though the city has produced valy three Wembley winners and only five of the 32 post-war finalists since the war. England's
And Apart from
played
in an, ual quada of internationals, London will have the FA Cen- atenary celebrations in 1963, in- cluding the European Cup Final, and the World Cup final 1966. Now I would certainly not Cup Final. There is wish to
the change venue of the 1
only one Wembley. croviding the finest
European groups
unc
It is easy to say that the home internationals should be scrap- ped. But the fact remains that from these matches the Associa-playing surface in the country.
At the same time,
one can tions of England, Ireland, Scot-
hardly envisage land and Wales derive revenue
a great publie they could ill-afford to lose.
outery if the England vs Ireland match was switched to a more
: teams.
"National stadium
The answer? Perhaps it could In the circumstances,
eventually be found by widen-northernly ground, manying the series into a European people have wondered why more
made of the championship for internationa use has not been
floodlighting system expensivo at Wembley.
Since it was installed some years ago, Quly two major matches have been played there
the evening by Boodlight. But it must be remembered, that The Football Association has to prepare its list of fixtures before the start of the season,
The
I envisage a regional tourna ment organised on the lines of the World Cup with groups of four countries playing off for a place in the finals.
four home countries would be
placed
in separate groups, just as it is planned to keep the South American coun- tries apart in the groupings for World Cup in Chile next
zil are having 18. rebuild the de- WALTER were in the team later the veteran stage, he With November internationals the
fence. BELLINI. Nition SANTOS and GILMAR may all have to replaced."
Certainly it seems that the task of national coach Aimers MOREIRA has become more dif- ficult with the ageing of Niiton Santos (36), once described as
beaten 3-1 by Sweden in the ¦ Nearing
semi-finals.
Now, as winners of European Group Three (against Northern Ireland and Greece), Germany have gone forward to the world finals for the third time in suc-
cession.
Four D. Jones
BY MADDOCKS
YOU'RE NO MAN
OF VENUS, I'VE
| SEEN YOUR FACE
BEFORE
WHAT DO YOU MEAN? TAKE OFF THAT DISGUISE, SIR, I WILL
NOT HAVE YOU IMPERSONATING ME,
has occasionally been discarded in favour of younger mich, no- tabiy his Dynamo rival, the ex. cook Vladimir BELYAYEV.
But Yashin has always come back. He won't be missing in Chile.
CALL YOURSELF A
COMRADE?
there is inevitably considerable year. risk of misty or foggy weather.
Many matches have been
played at Wembley in such con- ditions. But while they were coupleted in the afternoon they would have been very doubtful
THEY EVEN FALL OUT WITH THEMSELVES, WHAT IS THE WORLD
COMING TO?
I SAY, MAY
HAVE A WORD
„WITH YOU?
in
YA
There is still tremendous interest in the England Scotland match it consis- tently brings a capacity 100,- 000 crowd to Wembley-and I believe such interest in the other games could be stimu- lated by playing them in different parts of the country. It could also prove more pro- Litable financially
Ideally, of course I should like to see such matches staged But, until some such com-
a national stadium. It is petition should replace the absurd that England, home of home series. I would a Wembley for internationals.
fontball, should have to rent staging a share of England's home internationals in the provinces.
SHEAFFER'S
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at
Sheaffer quality features
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As I have stated in the past, a national Stadium would not necessarily cost an impossible sum if it were built some 25 or 30 miles outside ttie London area where land prices are so high.
Built close to a modern high- way like the M1, and within reasonable distance of a main- line railway station, the stadium could be reached by fans from large part of the country almost as easily as many Lon- doners
reach Wembley through heavy traffic congestion. (All rights reserved!
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