world cup: 5th match- England Vs USA live blog

match analysis:
England - USA
shots on target : 8 - 5
shots off target : 8 - 6
possession (%) : 49 - 51
corner kicks : 7 - 4
offsides : 4 - 2
fouls : 12 - 14
yellow cards : 3 - 3
red cards : 0 - 0

After full time England 1 - 1 United States

90' +5 The referee blows the final whistle
90' +4 A player from USA commits a foul
90' +4 USA take a throw-in in their own half of the field
90' +4 Goal kick for England
90' +3 Clint Dempsey misses the goal with a shot from outside the box
90' +2 Peter Crouch fouls an opponent
90' +2 Oguchi Onyewu relieves the pressure with a clearance
90' +2 Ashley Cole puts in a cross
90' +1 England take a throw-in in their own half of the field
90' +1 USA take a throw-in in their own half of the field
90' +1 USA take a throw-in in the opponent's half of the field
90' +1 The fourth official shows there are 4 minute(s) of time to be added
90' +1 Steven Gerrard relieves the pressure with a clearance
90' +1 Landon Donovan from USA takes a corner kick
90' Ashley Cole makes a clearance resulting in a corner.
90' Stuart Holden puts in a cross
89' England take a throw-in in the opponent's half of the field
89' Goal kick for England
89' Landon Donovan misses the goal with a shot from outside the box
88' England take a throw-in in their own half of the field
87' Goal kick for USA
87' Peter Crouch heads the ball back across goal
87' Frank Lampard crosses the ball into the box from the free kick
86' Jozy Altidore is leaving the field to be replaced by Stuart Holden in a tactical substitution.
86' Jay Demerit fouls Wayne Rooney
85' England take a throw-in in their own half of the field
84' Frank Lampard has a deflected shot saved by the keeper
84' Frank Lampard plays a neat 1-2 with one of his team mates.
84' England start a counter attack
83' Ashley Cole fouls Clint Dempsey
83' Ashley Cole plays a neat 1-2 with one of his team mates.
83' Clint Dempsey relieves the pressure with a clearance
83' Steven Gerrard puts in a cross
83' Oguchi Onyewu fouls Wayne Rooney
83' England start a counter attack
82' USA take a throw-in in the opponent's half of the field
82' Edson Buddle fouls John Terry
81' A shot by Edson Buddle is blocked
81' Tim Howard comes out and claims the ball
81' Peter Crouch from England heads wide
81' Wayne Rooney puts in a cross
80' USA take a throw-in in their own half of the field
79' England take a throw-in in their own half of the field
79' Emile Heskey is leaving the field to be replaced by Peter Crouch in a tactical substitution.
79' Michael Bradley relieves the pressure with a clearance
79' Steven Gerrard from England takes a corner kick
78' A shot by Wayne Rooney is blocked
78' Glen Johnson puts in a cross
78' Ricardo A. Clark pulls Emile Heskey by the shirt
78' Goal kick for USA
78' Robbie Findley is leaving the field to be replaced by Edson Buddle in a tactical substitution.
77' Emile Heskey from England heads wide
77' Steven Gerrard puts in a cross
76' Wayne Rooney shoots and hits the target, but the keeper saves it
76' Wayne Rooney has a deflected shot on target
76' Frank Lampard from England takes a corner kick
76' A shot from Shaun Wright Phillips goes to a corner kick after a save by the keeper
76' Wayne Rooney from England sends a pass into the box
75' Goal kick for USA
75' Wayne Rooney misses the goal with a shot from outside the box
74' Yellow card for Robbie Findley
74' Robbie Findley commits a rough foul on Steven Gerrard
74' Glen Johnson puts in a cross
74' Glen Johnson dribbles past his opponents
72' England take a throw-in in their own half of the field
72' Goal kick for USA
71' Wayne Rooney from England heads wide
71' Steven Gerrard puts in a cross
71' England take a throw-in in the opponent's half of the field
71' Steve Cherundolo relieves the pressure with a clearance
70' Aaron Lennon puts in a cross
70' England take a throw-in in the opponent's half of the field
69' Emile Heskey hand-balls
69' USA take a throw-in in the opponent's half of the field
69' Goal kick for USA
69' Frank Lampard takes a direct free kick, but the shot goes wide
68' Oguchi Onyewu charges Emile Heskey from behind
67' USA take a throw-in in their own half of the field
67' Aaron Lennon puts in a cross
66' England take a throw-in in the opponent's half of the field
65' Jay Demerit relieves the pressure with a clearance
65' Aaron Lennon puts in a cross
65' Ashley Cole relieves the pressure with a clearance
65' A shot from Jozy Altidore is parried by the keeper and goes back into play
65' Jozy Altidore dribbles past his opponents
64' The home team have had 49% of possession compared to the away team's 51%
64' Goal kick for USA
64' Glen Johnson from England shoots wide
64' Frank Lampard from England takes a corner kick
63' A shot from long range by Frank Lampard goes to a corner kick after a save by the keeper
63' England take a throw-in in the opponent's half of the field
62' Oguchi Onyewu relieves the pressure with a clearance
62' Glen Johnson puts in a cross
62' Carlos Bocanegra from USA heads wide
62' Landon Donovan crosses the ball into the box from the free kick
61' Yellow card for Steven Gerrard
61' Steven Gerrard commits a rough foul on Clint Dempsey
60' USA take a throw-in in the opponent's half of the field
60' Steven Gerrard relieves the pressure with a clearance
60' Landon Donovan crosses the ball into the box from the free kick
60' Yellow card for Jamie Carragher
60' Jamie Carragher commits a rough foul on Robbie Findley
59' England take a throw-in in the opponent's half of the field
59' Oguchi Onyewu relieves the pressure with a clearance
59' England start a counter attack
58' Goal kick for England
58' USA take a throw-in in the opponent's half of the field
58' Jamie Carragher relieves the pressure with a clearance
57' England take a throw-in in their own half of the field
57' USA take a throw-in in the opponent's half of the field
56' USA take a throw-in in the opponent's half of the field
56' USA take a throw-in in their own half of the field
56' Jamie Carragher relieves the pressure with a clearance
56' A player from USA heads the ball back across goal
56' Landon Donovan crosses the ball into the box from the free kick
55' Jamie Carragher fouls Jozy Altidore
55' USA take a throw-in in their own half of the field
54' Emile Heskey from England is ruled offside
53' Robbie Findley hand-balls
53' USA take a throw-in in the opponent's half of the field
52' USA take a throw-in in the opponent's half of the field
52' Wayne Rooney has a great chance to score, but his effort is saved by the keeper!
51' Emile Heskey from England is ruled offside
50' England take a throw-in in their own half of the field
50' Shaun Wright Phillips fouls Steve Cherundolo
50' Aaron Lennon puts in a cross
50' England take a throw-in in the opponent's half of the field
50' Jay Demerit relieves the pressure with a clearance
49' Glen Johnson puts in a cross
49' England take a throw-in in the opponent's half of the field
49' Landon Donovan relieves the pressure with a clearance
49' Aaron Lennon puts in a cross
49' Aaron Lennon dribbles past his opponents
48' USA take a throw-in in the opponent's half of the field
48' Yellow card for Jay Demerit
48' Jay Demerit fouls an opponent
47' Goal kick for USA
47' John Terry heads the ball back across goal
47' Frank Lampard crosses the ball into the box from the free kick
47' A player from USA commits a foul
46' USA take a throw-in in their own half of the field
46' Ledley King is coming off and he is replaced by Jamie Carragher
46' The second half is underway

First half analysis:
England - USA
shots on target : 2 - 4
shots off target : 2 - 3
possession (%) : 47 - 53
corner kicks : 4 - 3
offsides : 2 - 2
fouls : 5 - 4
yellow cards : 1 - 1
red cards : 0 - 0

After half time England 1 - USA 1
45' +3 Goal kick for USA
45' +3 England take a throw-in in the opponent's half of the field
45' +2 Goal kick for England
45' +1 England take a throw-in in the opponent's half of the field
45' +1 The fourth official shows there are 3 minute(s) of time to be added
45' +1 Robbie Findley relieves the pressure with a clearance
45' +1 Frank Lampard from England takes a corner kick
45' Oguchi Onyewu makes a clearance resulting in a corner.
45' Aaron Lennon puts in a cross
44' The home team have had 47% of possession compared to the away team's 53%
44' The game is restarted
43' Emile Heskey is down injured and receives medical treatment on the field.
43' The game is stopped
42' Ashley Cole relieves the pressure with a clearance
42' Landon Donovan puts in a cross
41' Glen Johnson shoots and hits the target, but the keeper saves it
41' Glen Johnson dribbles past his opponents
40' GOOOAAAL - Clint Dempsey from USA scores from outside the box
40' Robert Green comes out and drops the ball
40' Clint Dempsey has a shot on target from outside the box
40' Goal kick for England
39' Yellow card for Tim Howard
39' Tim Howard fouls an opponent
39' Goal kick for England
39' Landon Donovan misses the goal with a shot from outside the box
38' Goal kick for USA
38' Shaun Wright Phillips misses the goal with a shot from outside the box
37' England take a throw-in in the opponent's half of the field
36' Jozy Altidore hand-balls
36' England take a throw-in in the opponent's half of the field
36' Emile Heskey fouls an opponent
35' A shot by Frank Lampard is blocked
35' Frank Lampard from England takes a corner kick
35' Steve Cherundolo relieves the pressure with a clearance
35' Ashley Cole puts in a cross
35' Ashley Cole plays a neat 1-2 with one of his team mates.
34' Goal kick for England
34' Clint Dempsey puts in a cross
33' Jozy Altidore shoots from outside the box, but the keeper saves it
32' The match resumes with a drop ball
31' James Milner is leaving the field to be replaced by Shaun Wright Phillips in a tactical substitution.
30' The home team have had 42% of possession compared to the away team's 58%
29' Tim Howard is down injured and receives medical treatment on the field.
29' The game is stopped
29' Tim Howard relieves the pressure with a clearance
29' Glen Johnson puts in a cross
29' Carlos Bocanegra relieves the pressure with a clearance
29' Steven Gerrard puts in a cross
29' Carlos Bocanegra relieves the pressure with a clearance
28' Steven Gerrard from England takes a corner kick
28' Carlos Bocanegra makes a clearance resulting in a corner.
28' Aaron Lennon puts in a cross
28' Emile Heskey puts in a cross
27' Goal kick for England
27' Oguchi Onyewu from USA heads wide
27' Landon Donovan crosses the ball into the box from the free kick
26' Yellow card for James Milner
26' James Milner charges Steve Cherundolo from behind
26' A shot by Clint Dempsey is blocked
23' USA take a throw-in in the opponent's half of the field
22' England take a throw-in in their own half of the field
22' USA take a throw-in in the opponent's half of the field
21' England take a throw-in in their own half of the field
21' USA take a throw-in in their own half of the field
20' Tim Howard comes out and claims the ball
20' Wayne Rooney misses the goal with a shot from outside the box
20' A shot by Steven Gerrard is blocked
20' Jay Demerit relieves the pressure with a clearance
20' Aaron Lennon puts in a cross
20' Wayne Rooney from England sends a pass into the box
19' Goal kick for England
19' Jozy Altidore from USA heads wide
19' Landon Donovan puts in a cross
18' John Terry fouls Landon Donovan
18' Jozy Altidore fouls John Terry
17' Goal kick for England
16' USA take a throw-in in the opponent's half of the field
16' England take a throw-in in their own half of the field
16' USA take a throw-in in the opponent's half of the field
15' Emile Heskey from England is ruled offside
14' England take a throw-in in their own half of the field
14' Michael Bradley puts in a cross
14' Landon Donovan from USA takes a short corner kick
14' Steven Gerrard makes a clearance resulting in a corner.
13' Landon Donovan from USA takes a corner kick
13' Emile Heskey makes a clearance resulting in a corner.
13' Landon Donovan from USA takes a corner kick
12' Steven Gerrard makes a clearance resulting in a corner.
11' Goal kick for USA
11' Glen Johnson puts in a cross
11' England take a throw-in in the opponent's half of the field
11' Clint Dempsey sends a header towards goal, but the keeper saves it
11' Steve Cherundolo puts in a cross
11' USA take a throw-in in the opponent's half of the field
10' Glen Johnson hand-balls
10' Steven Gerrard from England takes a corner kick
10' Landon Donovan makes a clearance resulting in a corner.
10' Frank Lampard crosses the ball into the box from the free kick
9' Michael Bradley is penalised for pushing Emile Heskey
9' Goal kick for England
8' Goal kick for England
7' USA take a throw-in in the opponent's half of the field
7' James Milner fouls Steve Cherundolo
6' Robbie Findley from USA is ruled offside
6' John Terry relieves the pressure with a clearance
6' Steve Cherundolo puts in a cross
6' USA take a throw-in in the opponent's half of the field
4' GOOOAAAL - Steven Gerrard scores.
4' Emile Heskey from England sends a pass into the box
4' England take a throw-in in the opponent's half of the field
3' England take a throw-in in the opponent's half of the field
3' Robbie Findley from USA is ruled offside
3' Ledley King relieves the pressure with a clearance
2' Jozy Altidore puts in a cross
2' USA take a throw-in in their own half of the field
2' USA take a throw-in in their own half of the field
1' USA kick-off, and the game is underway.
0' The referee starts the match

news source: www.livescore.com

D-day looms for Capello

"I have decided on my goalkeeper and I know the 11 that will play Saturday."
England coach Fabio Capello is in no doubt who his firt XI will be to face the USA in Rustenburg on Saturday.

Fabio Capello knows England have come a long way since his first game in charge against Switzerland in February 2008 - tomorrow he will begin to find out exactly how far.

On their knees following the failure to reach UEFA EURO 2008, the Three Lions tackle the United States in their FIFA World Cup™ opener in Rustenburg with their coach believing it is time to start roaring again.

"We have improved a lot since Switzerland. We found the spirit and we have found a different way of playing each game. The players know me better and we have changed a lot. But it is different here. It is not one game. For this reason we have to be focused all the time. We have to understand what we have to do in each game," he said.

What England have to do is fairly simple. Victory against USA would put them in pole position to finish top of a group that also contains Algeria and Slovenia and therefore book a last-16 encounter in Rustenburg, where England are presently based and where they will face the United States.

Capello has already satisfied himself about a line-up which remains unknown to the wider world, and probably the players themselves. But he looks likely to include Robert Green in the problematic goalkeeping position.

"I have decided on my goalkeeper and I know the 1I that will play Saturday," he said.

The question remains whether Capello's mind was changed by Monday's first-half performance against the Platinum Stars. Seven members of England's predicted starting line-up were also in the team that began a 3-0 win that was only brought to life thanks to Wayne Rooney's efforts.

John Terry claimed afterwards that Capello had been more angry than at any stage of his tenure when he admonished his players at the interval, although it seems the Italian understands why England were so poor.

"I was annoyed with the first half on Monday because I did not see the right spirit on the pitch. But I understand why because the players had seen a lot of people get injured during this period of friendly games.

"For that reason we did not make tackles and we won the ball back too slowly. It was like a soft training session and I did not like this too much. But at our training camp, I saw everything that we need."

source: www.fifa.com

This is my last world Cup: Steven Gerrard said

London: England footballer Steven Gerrard has said that that he will take stock on his international career after next month’s World Cup in South Africa.

“My thinking is to make the most of this World Cup because it could be my last. I turn 30 in a week and you never know what will happen down the line,” News of The World quoted Gerrard, as saying.

“I’ve never considered finishing for England, but a lot of the players are coming to an age where they will have three or four weeks' holiday after the World Cup to consider their next move,” he added.

The midfielder also believes that a lot depends on how well his team does in the tournament and what the manager might be thinking.

“When you get to 30, it's an age where I would consider, internationally, what I am going to do moving forward and also what I have achieved. I don't want to step out of this level of football if we haven't achieved something,”

“If we do really well, it might influence my thinking, but I haven't given it much thought. I'm guessing this could be my last World Cup. With the standard of players behind me, I wonder whether I would be good enough to hold down a place in the 23,” he added.

Gary Neville has questioned England manager Fabio Capello's decision to pick Liverpool's Glen Johnson as his sole right-back for the World Cup

Johnson has established himself as England's first-choice right-back under Capello, but suffered an injury-interrupted second half of the season.

And Neville said: "I'm surprised there is only one right-back in the squad."

Neville also labelled attempts to lure Paul Scholes out of international retirement "a bit desperate".

Despite failing in his attempt to bring Scholes back into the England fold, Capello did persuade Liverpool's Jamie Carragher to return to the squad three years after his own international retirement.

And although Carragher has played the majority of his career at centre-back, his ability to cover either full-back position was seemingly key in Capello's decision to overlook Manchester United's Neville and Wes Brown.

However, Neville argued that Brown, who started at right-back when England beat Egypt in their last fixture as Johnson recovered from knee ligament damage, was unlucky to miss out.

"I wouldn't say I'm overly disappointed not to be named in the initial 30-man squad, although I did think there was maybe a chance I could get in," added Neville, who made 15 Premier League starts last season but failed to add to his 85 England caps.

"I'm probably more surprised Wes Brown isn't in the 30, to be honest."

Scholes, who retired from international football in 2004, appeared set for a return of his own before eventually rejecting Capello's overtures.

And Neville admitted that courting Scholes made sense, even if it was unlikely to succeed.

"I'm not surprised Capello tried to get him out of retirement because if there's one player I would try to pull out of retirement it's Scholes," Neville said of his team-mate and fellow 35-year-old.

"Capello maybe got a bit desperate at the last minute and wanted Scholes because he's still probably the best midfielder in England, but Scholes decided to stick to his guns."

Meanwhile, Manchester City have confirmed that midfielder Gareth Barry has been sleeping in an oxygen tent in an attempt to speed up his recovery from an ankle injury.

Capello remains hopeful that Barry will be fit for England's second World Cup group game against Algeria on 18 June.

Before that the Italian is set to assess defenders Ledley King and Jamie Carragher in the sold-out friendly against Mexico at Wembley on 24 May.

Neither have played for England since the end of Steve McClaren's reign in 2007.

England footballers model new World Cup suits

The England team have shown off their official World Cup suits - and there is more than just a hint of 1966 in the design.

Forty-four years ago, Sir Alf Ramsey's World Cup winners sported an ensemble with thin lapels and narrow trousers - a look England manager Fabio Capello was keen to see repeated.

He asked for the thin lapels, a slim silhouette, and slanted pockets - and if Marks & Spencer could provide an injury free defender at right back too, that would be a bonus.

Created in collaboration with Savile Row tailor Timothy Everest, the suit marks a break away from the designer attire of previous years, and the more superstitious might hope that it will even inspire a change in the team's World Cup fortunes.

M&S' menswear director Richard Price said: "The Football Association and M&S are both great British institutions so we are extremely proud to continue to dress the England team as they travel to South Africa this summer."

The suit will be available for fans to buy in stores and online.

History of World Cup 1986

Winners: Argentina

Teams: 24
Teams in qualifiers: 121
Notable absentees Netherlands
Surprises Canada, Iraq

Golden Boot Gary Lineker (England) - 6
Stats A total of 132 goals were scored (2.54 per match); Argentina (14) scored the most
Format Six groups of four, with the top two teams in each group advancing to a knockout round of 16, plus four best third-place finishers

Number of matches 52

Innovations
• The group-style second round was scrapped and replaced with a straight knockout tournament

Controversies
• Colombia were the original choice as hosts but economic chaos meant they in effect had to withdraw. Hopes of an open system for finding a replacement were all but ended when FIFA president João Havelange headed straight from the 1982 final to Mexico
• The sometimes brilliant, sometimes disgraceful Diego Maradona's handball to score against England stirred passions on both sides of the Atlantic. Afterwards, he smiled and said it was "a bit with the head of Maradona and another bit with the hand of God"

Trivia
• Iraq qualified without playing a home match because of the Iran-Iraq war
• A total of 308 qualifying matches were played and 801 goals scored
• Bulgaria and Uruguay qualified for the second round without winning a group match
• Portugal's players went on strike, refusing to train between their first and the second games, and were knocked out after a loss to Morocco in the final group match
• Iraq defender Samir Shaker Mahmoud was banned for a year by FIFA after spitting at the referee during his team's 2-1 loss to Belgium
• Paraguay's Cayetano Ré became the first coach to be sent off after repeatedly encroaching onto the pitch during the first-round game against Belgium
• Uruguay's José Batista was sent off after 56 seconds of the group match against Scotland

A return to Mexico after just 16 years looks a romantic choice at first glance. In fact, the return to Central America came as a result of original hosts Colombia's inability to meet the economic demands of staging "the greatest show on earth". Mexico was itself a country in crisis after a earthquake had wreaked havoc and killed 25,000 people in 1985, but the country rallied to stage the tournament once again.

The tournament was to centre on one squat little man, Diego Armando Maradona, who was on a mission to bury the ghost of 1982 and a troubled spell at Barcelona.

From the first game, Maradona was the mainstay of an Argentina side that was otherwise functional and efficient but lacking in flair. Maradona provided magic in spades and matched it with a will to win. Scoring an excellent equaliser against off-colour holders Italy, he played a part in every Argentine goal in the first round.

The first round's darlings were the Danes, featuring the talents of Michael Laudup and Preben Elkjær-Larsen. A 6-1 defeat of Uruguay saw odds on the Scandinavians winning the trophy tumble. The bookies soon breathed easier, though, as the Danes bizarrely capitulated 5-1 to Spain in the second round, with Emilio 'The Vulture' Butrageno scoring four.

Other first-round form teams to fail at the second-round stage were Soviet Union, in a dramatic 4-3 loss to Belgium, and Morocco, who topped England's group before taking West Germany to the wire - it was not until three minutes from the end that the Germans got their winner in Monterrey.

Italy, a pale shadow of the 1982 side, were dispatched with ease by the French. France, who had won the 1984 European Championships in some style, were again many romantics' choice for the championship, though an over-reliance on Michel Platini's goal power from midfield would later prove problematic.

Brazil, themselves a shadow of their 1982 team but 4-0 conquerors of Poland, met the French in a titanic encounter in Guadalajara.

The game ended 1-1 and was absolutely jam-packed with incident. A challenge by Brazil goalkeeper Carlos on Bruno Bellone brought back painful memories of the Battiston-Schumacher incident four years earlier. At the other end, with his first kick of the game, substitute Zico missed a penalty to win the game in normal time, so it was penalties again for the French. This time, their nerve held despite Platini inexplicably blazing his spot-kick over the bar. Keeper Joel Bats was the hero as he saved first Socrates' casual effort and then Júlio César's strike.

Luis Fernández stroked home the decider and the French rejoiced. The time seemed right for revenge over the Germans, who had ousted the hosts in their own shoot-out.

Argentina's challenge was meanwhile gathering pace. A functional win over Uruguay took them on to face England in the quarter-finals. Bobby Robson's side, for whom Gary Lineker had hit a rich vein of scoring form, had beaten South American opposition in the second round in Paraguay, but Argentina looked a far tougher proposition.

And so they would prove. Maradona's first goal, for which there is no dispute that he had handled, was followed by an amazing 75-yard dribble past the entire England defence and goalkeeper Peter Shilton. It is surely the best goal ever seen on the World Cup stage. England, though, rallied after the introduction of John Barnes, who provided a goal for Lineker. The pair almost repeated the trick but Lineker failed to direct his header goalwards.

Yet, despite the illegitimacy of Maradona's first goal, there was little doubt about the best team winning.

Just to show that his second goal hadn't been a fluke, Maradona twice repeated a similar trick in the semi-final against Belgium, surprise members of the last four after a shoot-out win over Spain. The Belgians just couldn't hold the irrepressible Argentina skipper as he led his team into their second final in three World Cups.

There they faced West Germany, ever the party-poopers. France, broken by their toils in the quarter-final, failed to get their revenge. Goalkeeper Bats soiled his heroic status by fumbling an Andreas Brehme free-kick early on and, in the last minute, when France were pushing hard for an equalizer, Rudi Völler scored a breakaway goal.

The final saw Maradona being marked hard by Lothar Matthäus and reduced to a peripheral role for much of the game, which was a poor spectacle until its later stages. Centre-back José Luis Brown had headed in Jorge Burruchaga's free-kick and, when Real Madrid's Jorge Valdano stroked the ball past Schumacher, all looked lost for the Germans.

But on came substitute strikers Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Dieter Hoeness, brother of 1974 hero Uli. Rummenigge, who had suffered another injury-hit finals, bundled home a Völler flick before Völler himself headed in Thomas Berthold's flick with eight minutes to play. Argentina looked shaken but surely this had to be Maradona's tournament?

The little man certainly believed so. Two minutes later, he ended a weaving run with a delicate through-ball to Jorge Burruchaga. The youngster did the rest and Argentina soon claimed their second World Cup. Maradona had realised his dream and, though Argentina were far from a one-man team, no single player has ever had such an influence on the destiny of a World Cup.

History of World Cup 1966

Winners: England

Teams: 16

Teams in qualifiers: 70
Notable absentees None
Surprises North Korea
Golden Boot Eusébio (Portugal) - 9
Stats A total of 89 goals were scored (2.78 per match); Portugal (17) scored the most
Format Four groups of four, with the top two progressing to the quarter-finals
Number of matches 32

Innovations
• Doping controls were introduced
• FIFA banned the naturalisation of players

Controversies
• Sixteen African nations boycotted the tournament in protest at a 1964 ruling that required the champion team from the African zone to enter a play-off round against the winners of either the Asian or the Oceanian zone

Trivia
• The Jules Rimet Trophy was stolen from a public display three months before the tournament and found under a hedge a week later by a mongrel dog called Pickles
• The draw was the first to be televised
• World Cup Willie was the first World Cup mascot
• One match between Uruguay and France was played at London's White City, not a traditional football venue, because there was greyhound racing scheduled for Wembley and the owners refused to cancel it
• The opening match between England and Uruguay was delayed because several of the England players left their ID cards at the team hotel. A police motorcyclist was sent to collect them
• As a security measure, the FA had a replica of the Jules Rimet Trophy made for post-match celebrations. It was bought by FIFA at auction in 1997 for £254,500

No prizes for knowing the outcome of this World Cup. Even Alf Ramsey knew the final result when in 1963 he proclaimed that England would win the tournament they were set to host. But, beforehand, the outcome was anything but a forgone conclusion. Brazil possessed many of the stars of 1962, Portugal had their greatest-ever team featuring Eusébio, José Torres and Mário Coluna, and both the Germans and Russians had their best teams in a generation.

England, whose status as host was chiefly down to Sir Stanley Rous' presidency of FIFA, were also given the slightly unfair boon of being able to play all their home games at Wembley. Nevertheless, they initially struggled, with Uruguay providing solid opposition in a dour 0-0 opening draw. Ramsey was still looking for the right combination in attack and midfield and he also lost predator supreme Jimmy Greaves to a nasty gash on his shin in a 2-0 win over Mexico in the second match.

Ramsey was soon to abandon wide attackers, thus creating the legend of his 'wingless wonders', in a formation that gave full-backs George Cohen and Ray Wilson licence to bomb forward and provide service to his strike force. Against a decent France side, it was Liverpool's Roger Hunt who benefitted twice from the new system as England again won 2-0 to qualify for the quarter-final stage.

The last eight brought the challenge of Argentina, who had qualified from a group also containing a West Germany side that, in Franz Beckenbauer, had a young player of incredible talent.

But the most exciting group was that featuring champions Brazil, a resurgent Hungary and the glittering Portugese, featuring many of the Benfica side that had been one of the best teams in European club football for half a decade. Bulgaria made up the numbers but played a crucial role in Pelé's tournament. In the group's opening game, the Bulgarians took it in turns to foul Pelé and he was eventually carried from the pitch. The sight of him stricken, covered in a blanket on the touchline, remains one of that tournament's enduring images.

The following game saw Hungary rip the Brazilians apart, with Flórián Albert and winger Ferenc Bene shining. Brazil's first defeat in the competition since 1954 blew the destiny of the trophy wide open in many observers' eyes. In the following game, Portugal's Eusébio eclipsed Pelé, who again came in for harsh treatment from opposing defenders. A 3-1 Portugal win sent Brazil home and Pelé swore never to play in a World Cup again.

Italy, meanwhile, were another side whose clubs were dominating Europe, and they would suffer an even greater upset than Brazil. Despite having been beaten by a crack Russian outfit, they seemed in little danger from their last group opponents, North Korea, but Pak Doo-Ik is a name guaranteed to wake Azzurri fans in a cold sweat and his goal sent the Italians home to a volley of rotten tomatoes.

And a similar fate seemed likely to befall the Portuguese when, after 22 minutes of their quarter-final, the Koreans found themselves 3-0 up. But Eusébio again grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck and scored a record four goals in just over half an hour. Though the Koreans would remain men of mystery, their impact on the tournament will never be forgotten.

West Germany made worryingly short work of the Uruguayans in a 4-0 win while the Russians got the better of Hungary in a 2-1 win. England's clash with Argentina, meanwhile, would become notorious. Though Geoff Hurst, Greaves' eventual replacement, scored a header from a superbly executed Martin Peters cross, the English were held back by some South American-style spoiling, with referee Kreitlein a constant target for abuse from Argentina captain Antonio Rattín.

Rattín eventually paid the price and was dismissed and, after ten minutes, the game was restarted and Hurst grabbed his goal. Ramsey refused to let his team swap shirts with their opponents after victory was secured and labelled Argentina 'animals'. It was not to be the last infamous World Cup incident between the two countries.

Portugal were the next opponents but, in England's best display of the tournament, they, and especially Bobby Charlton, were too much for a team for whom Torres and Eusébio again excelled.

In the other game, Russia's Lev Yashin, a goalkeeper regarded as the world's best and previously playing superbly, made a calamitous error to let Helmut Haller score as a nine-man Soviet outfit were well beaten.

The final hinged on two moments. England had, after the early setback of a Haller goal, looked likely to win the game through Martin Peters' 78th-minute strike. But in the last minute, Weber equalised after England failed to clear a free-kick. Ramsey's famous stated belief in his pre-extra-time pep-talk that the Germans were 'finished' proved to be correct. Alan Ball's outstanding running put the tired Germans to the sword.

Hurst's second goal remains much disputed. Did it cross the line or didn't it? Russian (actually from Azerbaijan but this was a time of the Soviet Union) linesman Bakhramov, the man who said 'yes', remains a legend in English football. Hurst, of course, completed his hat-trick with a blistering goal in the last minute and the cup was England's.

The tone was set for 44 years of remininiscing and Scottish disquiet.

History of World Cup 1962

Winners: Brazil

Teams: 16

Teams in qualifiers: 56
Notable absentees Sweden
Surprises Colombia
Golden Boot Garrincha, Vavá (Brazil), Leonel Sánchez (Chile), Drazan Jerkovic (Yugoslavia), Flórián Albert (Hungary), Valentin Ivanov (USSR) - 4
Stats A total of 89 goals were scored (2.78 per match); Brazil (14) scored the most
Format Four groups of four, with the top two progressing to the quarter-finals

Number of matches 32

Innovations
• For once, FIFA resisted the temptation to tinker

Controversies
• Brazil's Garrincha was sent off in the semi-finals and should have missed the final but the Brazilian FA managed to get his ban overturned by FIFA, who justified its decision on the grounds the player had been provoked by the crowd
• The tournament was marred by a string of ill-tempered games in the group stage, the worst being the infamous 'Battle of Santiago' between Italy and hosts Chile. "I wasn't reffing a football match," referee Ken Aston said. "I was acting as an umpire in military manoeuvres"

Trivia
• Two years before the start, Chile was hit by a massive earthquake. The president of the organising committee said: "Because we don't have anything, we will do everything in our power to rebuild." And they did
• This World Cup was the last that was not televised live in Europe, just predating the arrival of the Telstar satellite

After two World Cup championships in Europe, FIFA decided that South America would be the host continent, and it was a straight shoot-out between Chile and Argentina.

When Chile was wracked by earthquakes that killed thousands in 1960, Argentina looked favourites. But an impassioned call by President Dittborn won the day and the country's regeneration was led by the building of new stadiums in time for the tournament.

Brazil, on somewhere approaching home soil and with almost the same squad as four years before, were undoubtedly favourites. Pelé, still only 21, had become the complete forward and Garrincha's development trajectory had been similar.

Sweden, meanwhile, had been the highest-profile victims of a new qualifying process from which England had been the sole 'home nation' qualifiers. England qualified for the second round as runners-up to a Hungarian team that, in Florian Albert, had a player with many of the qualities of the 'Marvellous Magyars' of 1954. He scored the winner in the two nations' group meeting.

Brazil eased out of their group, but not without cost. Pelé, who had been in shining form in the 2-0 opening win over Mexico, ripped a thigh muscle in the 0-0 draw with Czechoslovakia. He was to play no further part in the finals. Amarildo, however, was a decent replacement and became known as the 'White Pelé' for his efforts during the tournament. Garrincha and Vavá were also there to take up the goalscoring burden.

The Chilean World Cup is now recognised as being one of the poorest tournaments in terms of football, a legacy in which no small a part was played by the disgraceful scenes that took place in Santiago when Chile met Italy. The game erupted into a flurry of kicks and punches and, though two Italians were sent off, it should have been many more. 'The Battle of Santiago' ended in a 2-0 victory for the hosts and a police escort for the players as they left the field prematurely.

England met their nemesis in Garrincha in the quarter-finals. West Germany lost to Yugoslavia in revenge for successive quarter-final defeats in the last two tournaments as Sekularac pulled the strings. The Czechs, marshalled by left-half and captain Josef Masopust, squeezed past the Hungarians. In another surprise result for the hosts, they managed to beat highly-fancied Soviet Union.

But there was to be no fairy story in the semi-final as the tried and tested combination of Garrincha and Vavá scored two goals each against them. For Garrincha, however, heartbreak looked in store after he was sent off for retaliation. Somehow, and perhaps with not a little greasing of palms, the Brazilian FA managed to get his ban for the final overturned by FIFA.

The Czechs were their final opponents, having beaten Yugoslavia in the semi-final with a late surge in the last ten minutes. And a shock looked on the cards when Masopust made a burst past his attackers to put his team ahead on 15 minutes. It was not for long, though, as Amarildo rose to the occasion to score from a seemingly impossible angle.

Czechoslovakia held on gamely and it would take a fantastic move started and finished by Zito in the 68th minute to break them. Vavá then became the first person to score in two finals when he capitalised on a goalkeeping mistake from Schrojf. The cup was Brazil's again. They had become only the second team to retain the trophy and it had largely been achieved without Pelé.

Considering that Italy's double win of the 1930s was achieved at a time of stay-aways and pull-outs, no team had ever dominated the world scene like this before.

History of World Cup 1938

Winners: Italy

Teams: 15

Teams in qualifiers 37
Notable absentees Argentina, England, Spain, Uruguay
Surprises Dutch East Indies (Indonesia), Cuba
Golden Boot Leônidas (Brazil) - 7
Stats A total of 84 goals were scored (4.67 per match); Hungary (15) scored the most
Format Straight knockout, replays for drawn matches

Number of matches 18

Innovations
• The host and holders automatically qualified for the first time
• Numbered shirts were used for the first time

Controversies
• Austria qualified but had to withdraw after they were annexed by Germany in March 1938

Trivia
• Ernst Loertscher of Switzerland became the first player to be officially credited with an own goal, playing against West Germany
• Italy captain Giuseppe Meazza's shorts fell down after he scored a penalty in the semi-final. He took the kick with one hand holding them up
• On the eve of the final, the Italian players reportedly received a telegram from Benito Mussolini that simply said: "Win or die." The Hungarian goalkeeper is reported to have said after the match: "I may have let in four goals, but at least I saved their lives."

Just as Mussolini had in Italy in 1934, Hitler used the 1936 Olympics as a weapon of propaganda. So, to avoid any further political chicanery, FIFA chose a 'neutral' venue: the federation's birthplace, France. But, as before, there were some high-profile absentees.

Argentina, who had expected to be the host as part of alternation between South America and Europe, refused to travel. Uruguay were still staying away, leaving Brazil as Latin America's sole representative. They would make quite an impact.

As in 1934, and despite the distances some teams had travelled, it was a knockout competition from the start. The first round saw holders Italy get lucky against Norway, when they won in extra-time having had a Norwegian goal disallowed for offside. The tie of the round, the tournament and perhaps any World Cup saw Brazil beat Poland 6-5 with Brazilian striker Leônidas scoring a hat-trick and Wilimowski grabbing four but still ending on the losing side. Elsewhere, the Germans, incorporating many of the 1934 Austrian Wunderteam, lost in a replay to Switzerland.

Hosts France perished at the hands of Italy in the quarter-finals, while Brazil's Leônidas scored two goals in a two-match thriller with the Czechs. The Brazilians were playing wonderful football while Leônidas was shaping up to be the man of the tournament. Believed to be the inventor of the overhead or bicycle kick, he was a samba-style Brazilian player of the type the world would become used to.

But then the Brazilian management made one of the craziest decisions in World Cup history when, having played those gruelling two matches with the Czechs, they decided to rest Leônidas and fellow striker Tim to keep them fresh for the final. Such over-confidence was their downfall as the Italians, with Giuseppe Meazza still starring, beat them easily. A late goal from Romeo was Brazil's only consolation.

Leônidas, known as 'The Black Diamond', returned for the third-place match with Sweden and, sure enough, he scored a brace as Brazil recorded their highest finish yet in the championships with Leônidas as top scorer. Without the farcical 'resting' decision, it could have been so much more.

In the final, the Italians faced Hungary, a surprise package, playing a similar brand of flowing football to that of the Wunderteam. With the Italians having defeated France, home fans were well and truly behind the Magyars and hoped they could spring a surprise. But with centre-forward Silvio Piola in superb form, Italy were even better than they had been four years earlier. Piola and Gino Colaussi scored two each as the Hungarians were swept away by the superior tactical nous of Italian coach Vittorio Pozzo.

Having taken the lead, they defended in numbers but, when Hungary got back into the game with Gyorgy Sarosi to make it 3-2, Piola scored the decisive goal.

Pozzo had moulded two largely different teams and won the championship twice. Though in later years he would be criticised as being the puppet of Mussolini's Fascist Italy, he would eventually be remembered as Italy's greatest ever coach. Sadly, it was to be the last championship for 12 years as war broke out around the world. When football resumed, the map of world football had changed considerably.