Quarterfinals did not need even predictions – they were mere formality, considering the pairs. Michel Platini lost 0-4 – may be this is the best comment. USSR continued to display terrible form and barely managed to advance.
Brazil 4-1 Israel
Soviet Union 2-1 Iran
East Germany 4-0 France
Poland 5-0 North Korea
The semi-finals were the first real football to be played… potentially. Brazil had small chance to win against Poland – but it was before the match started. Poland was more likely winner – and they won. The other match was to be boring affair, DDR pretending to play and really allowing USSR to go ahead. Not so – DDR won, but it was not as sensational win as the Polish one four years back at the 1972 Olympics. The Soviets already displayed many problems, they were sluggish, rusty, and entirely clueless. They were also surprisingly conservative, returning to the scared football they played before Dinamo Kiev’s ‘revelation’. Even against obviously weak opponents Lobanovsky preferred to field 5 defenders. It was plain stupid by now: the whole concept of hoping Blokhin to outrun defenders and score – there was no variety, no back-up plan, if this doesn’t work… and it was not working, for it was quickly grasped by the other teams and even pathetic opponent was able to block Blokhin by keeping a defender to shadow him everywhere. DDR did not play particularly good – they were not able to, for they were quite limited squad – but they were fit enough, and running decided the match in their favour – 2-1.
Poland – Brazil above. May be this was the most attractive match at the Olympics… by default. Poland was the better squad and confidently won. Bellow – USSR – DDR. Clumsy fighting, ugly physical game, in which the ball appeared to be some alien object to both teams. Kolotov and Onishchenko (in dark shirts) wrestle with Hafner and Kische.
Football was not exactly the strongest quality of either team. Minaev kind of trying to trick a German.
Brazil 4-1 Israel
Soviet Union 2-1 Iran
East Germany 4-0 France
Poland 5-0 North Korea
The semi-finals were the first real football to be played… potentially. Brazil had small chance to win against Poland – but it was before the match started. Poland was more likely winner – and they won. The other match was to be boring affair, DDR pretending to play and really allowing USSR to go ahead. Not so – DDR won, but it was not as sensational win as the Polish one four years back at the 1972 Olympics. The Soviets already displayed many problems, they were sluggish, rusty, and entirely clueless. They were also surprisingly conservative, returning to the scared football they played before Dinamo Kiev’s ‘revelation’. Even against obviously weak opponents Lobanovsky preferred to field 5 defenders. It was plain stupid by now: the whole concept of hoping Blokhin to outrun defenders and score – there was no variety, no back-up plan, if this doesn’t work… and it was not working, for it was quickly grasped by the other teams and even pathetic opponent was able to block Blokhin by keeping a defender to shadow him everywhere. DDR did not play particularly good – they were not able to, for they were quite limited squad – but they were fit enough, and running decided the match in their favour – 2-1.
Poland – Brazil above. May be this was the most attractive match at the Olympics… by default. Poland was the better squad and confidently won. Bellow – USSR – DDR. Clumsy fighting, ugly physical game, in which the ball appeared to be some alien object to both teams. Kolotov and Onishchenko (in dark shirts) wrestle with Hafner and Kische.
Football was not exactly the strongest quality of either team. Minaev kind of trying to trick a German.
