World Cup

Companion

The Essential Guide for all

England Fans
2010

Steve Woods
 Shield Crest

 Copyright 2010 S. Woods

All rights reserved

This book shall not, by way of trade or otherwise,

be lent, re-sold, hired out, or otherwise circulated
without the prior consent of the copyright holder
or the publisher in any form of binding or cover
other than that in which it is published and without
a similar condition including this condition being
imposed on the subsequent purchaser

ISBN: 978-1-907629-02-0

MMX

Published by
ShieldCrest,
UK: Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, HP22 5RR
www.shieldcrest.co.uk
 A Must-Have Book for All England Fans

Unique Easy-to-Follow Charts for 2010

Keep Your Own Daily Records of all Events and
Create Your Own Match Reports

A Brief Look at World Cup History and

How England Can Win the World Cup Again

Additional copies can be purchased on-line at:

www.shieldcrest.co.uk/book_world_cup_companion.html
 Saturday 30 July, 1966
“We’re well into injury time now at the end of 90 minutes. It’s still England 2
West Germany 1. The referee blows for a foul. Surely that should be Charlton’s
free kick, not Held’s! The Germans take the free kick. It goes to Weber….who
scores. It’s 2-2.

Ten minutes into extra time now, and it’s Ball to Hurst, who hits the ball
against the crossbar! Well, both Hurst and Hunt think the ball crossed the line
before it bounced back into play. The referee is consulting his linesman…. and
points to the centre-circle! It’s a goal. It’s England 3 West Germany 2.

Into the last minute of the match and it’s Hurst going forward. He shoots, and
it’s a goal. WHAT a goal! It’s 4-2 to England.

And there goes the whistle. It’s all over, and ENGLAND are the WORLD
champions!”
 Contents

Introduction

1. A Brief History of the World Cup 1

The Beginnings
1930 Host: Uruguay
1934 Host: Italy
1938 Host: France
1950 Host: Brazil
1954 Host: Switzerland
1958 Host: Sweden
1962 Host: Chile
1966 Host: England
1970 Host: Mexico
1974 Host: West Germany
1978 Host: Argentina
1982 Host: Spain
1986 Host: Mexico
1990 Host: Italy
1994 Host: United States
1998 Host: France
2002 Hosts: Japan/South Korea
2006 Host: Germany
World Cup Goals 1930 to 2006

2. Teams to Look Out for This Year, Past

Achievements, and Other World Cup Facts 59
Hosts
Europe and South America
The Big Four
World Cup Winners
World Cup Final Appearances
Countries That Have Finished in the Top Four
3. How England Can Win the World Cup Again 68
England
Quarter-finals
Now, to Win the World Cup Again!
Entering Tournaments
Attitude and Luck
Refereeing Decisions
The England Manager
Weather Conditions and Altitude
The Penalty Shoot-out Competition
England’s Route to the Final This Time

4. The 2010 Tournament 79

Introduction
England’s Matches
Tournament Group Matches
The Knock-out Stages Chart
Knock-out Stages: Notes
Awards

5. Which is Your Second Choice Team? 113

Brazil
A Traditional Team or an Underachiever
The Celeste

6. An Alternative World Cup History

(and How it Might Have Been) 114
Regrets
English Regrets
Alternative World Cup History

7. Play the Game at Home 119

Predictions
Prediction Game
Re-write History
 Introduction

Football is the beautiful game! The style of football employed by a

national team often epitomises and is influenced by the culture of
that country. Brazilian football is flamboyant and exciting. The
Germans play a workmanlike game being very efficient, and having
a never-give-up spirit. Italy is usually rock solid in defence.

Every four years the best of world football, and sometimes the
worst of football, is paraded on the world stage at the World Cup.
The sporting world’s number one event is an emotional affair. This
is partly because only one team can be the outright winner, and also
because other teams give and achieve and entertain so much, but
mainly because football is emotional. So whichever team wins this
year, one can bask in the brilliance of players from all teams, and
applaud the positive approach employed by teams that make up
what always turns out to be a colourful spectacle.

Although it is essentially for England football fans, this book also

celebrates the contributions made to World Cup history by other
great teams such as Uruguay, Argentina, Italy, Czechoslovakia,
Hungary, Germany, Sweden, Brazil, Holland, and others. It
provides a brief history of the World Cup from the early years
leading up to the first tournament in 1930 and to each of the
subsequent tournaments. It explains the format employed in each
tournament, and lists facts and scores. The book takes a close look
at which teams are most likely to win the 2010 tournament, and
discusses what England’s chances of success are and why.

The book also provides an easy-to-follow guide to this year’s

tournament. Group details are provided as well as tables that can be
updated as each match unfolds. There is also space for match
reports, details, and statistics to be added as a permanent personal
record. An easy-to-use knock-out stages chart is also provided, with
a link from the group stage. Again, there is space for match reports,
etc. You can also record your pre-tournament predictions.
Whether you are following England to South Africa, following
England’s progress by way of media, or perhaps following another
team, some very useful information is provided. The book can be
carried with you wherever you go, used for quick reference while
watching matches, or consulted when with friends. It is invaluable
in keeping your personal tournament records up to date, enabling
you to record events as they happen. It is a book that you can keep
forever.

In addition, if you have ever dreamt of re-writing World Cup

history, here is your chance. By using the historical information
provided in the book, you can do this. The book also provides one
possible alternative World Cup history. It shows what might have
happened had some decisions both on and off the field of play been
different.

Finally there is a game that you can play at home or during your
lunch break. Details of this are explained towards the end of the
book.

Enjoy the book, and enjoy the World Cup!

 1
A Brief History of the
World Cup

The Beginnings

F ootball as we know it, was first played in England. The FA

Cup, the world’s oldest association football tournament
began in 1871. The first ever recognised international match
was held between Scotland and England in Glasgow on 30
November 1872. The match ended 0-0.

It was a Dutch banker, C. Hirschman, who in the early twentieth

century tried to persuade the English FA to guide and control the
international game. He wanted the English FA to sponsor an
international tournament, but the FA did not see any advantages of
having an international body. Eventually the Federation
Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) was founded in 1904
in Paris, but the FA did not send a representative to FIFA until 1906.

Shortly after World War One, British teams withdrew from

FIFA partly out of an unwillingness to play against countries they
had been at war with. The British associations rejoined FIFA in
1924.

The only world-wide international football competition was in

the Olympic Games but was only for amateurs, yet many countries
were adopting professionalism. Britain did not send a football team
to the 1924 Paris Olympics because of the amateur question. The
FA asked FIFA to accept its definition of amateurism, but FIFA
refused, and Britain also withdrew its football team from the
Amsterdam Olympics of 1928. Both the 1924 and the 1928
Olympic titles were won by Uruguay. In 1928 Britain withdrew
from FIFA again, and did not re-join until 1946 when FIFA invited
it to return. As a consequence, England missed the first three World
Cup tournaments.

1
 FIFA decided that a world football tournament outside the
Olympics was needed; that many countries where professionalism
was now recognised could no longer be represented by their best
players without it. One of the men who encouraged FIFA member
countries to vote for its own tournament was the Frenchman Jules
Rimet. Eventually it was agreed that there would be a tournament
and that it should take place in 1930. Uruguay was chosen as host
and had agreed to pay all travel and accommodation expenses. So in
1930, although known as the FIFA World Championship, the first
World Cup took place. It was nearly sixty years since that very first
international match between Scotland and England had taken place,
but both these countries would not be competing in Uruguay.

1930 Host: Uruguay (Winner: Uruguay)

The very first World Cup tournament took place over a shorter
period of time than we are used to now; just seventeen days.
Conversely though, it took much longer for teams to travel to
destinations than is now the case and consequently not all the best
names in football were in attendance, and only four European
teams participated. Lengthy boat journeys from Europe to the
southern continent of America, and having to be away for nearly
two months, was considered to be too much for most countries.
Until just a couple of months before the tournament was due to
begin, there had been no European entrants, and Belgium, France,
Romania, and Yugoslavia decided very late on to send teams, three
of the teams travelling on the same boat together.

There had been no need for a qualifying tournament, and once

all thirteen teams that had wanted to be in Uruguay were gathered
there, the draw for the tournament took place. The teams were
divided into four groups, the teams in each group being required to
compete in a round-robin competition. The winner of each group
would then progress to the semi-finals. Only three stadia were to be
used throughout the tournament, and all of them were in the
capital, Montevideo.

On 13 July 1930, the first ever World Cup matches heralded the
start of what has now become the world’s greatest sporting event.
In the Pocitos stadium, France met Mexico. The honour of scoring

2
the very first World Cup goal went to Lucient Laurent of France,
and his team went on to beat Mexico that day 4-1.

Controversy erupts in most World Cup tournaments, and 1930

was no different. The Brazilian official for the France versus
Argentina match blew for full-time six minutes early just as France
was on the attack being 0-1 down. With Argentine supporters
flooding on to the pitch, chaotic scenes followed as the referee
realising his mistake brought the teams out again to conclude the
remaining time. There was no further score.

Four teams qualified for the semi-finals, and coincidently, both

matches finished with exactly the same scores. Argentina beat the
United States 6-1, and Uruguay beat Yugoslavia 6-1. There was no
third / fourth play-off, but the United States took third place over
Yugoslavia because of its superior results. So, the final would be
competed between two of the seeded teams; Uruguay the hosts, and
Argentina.

The very first World Cup final took place on 30 July 1930 at the
Centenario stadium, Montevideo. It was an emotional affair. An
estimated thirty-thousand Argentines had crossed the River Plate
into Uruguay hoping to see their team gain revenge for defeat to
Uruguay in the Olympic football final two years earlier.

The expectant fans saw Argentina win the toss for the right to
use its type of match-ball during the first half, and by half-time
Argentina was ahead 2-1. But in the second half, the Celeste fought
back with two goals that put the home team in front. Then, as the
match entered the last remaining minutes, Hector Castro, who had
lost an arm in a boyhood accident, removed any doubt about the
outcome of the match with a goal to make it Uruguay 4 Argentina 2.

Jose Nasazzi became the first captain to lift the FIFA World
Cup trophy which had been designed by Frenchman Abel Lafleur.
It was Uruguay’s centenary year, and its football team was not only
double Olympic champions, but also world champions, and a
public holiday followed.

3
 Group 1: Final Table
Pld W D L F A Pts
Argentina 3 3 0 0 10 4 6
Chile 3 2 0 1 5 3 4
France 3 1 0 2 4 3 2
Mexico 3 0 0 3 4 13 0

Group 2: Final Table

Pld W D L F A Pts
Yugoslavia 2 2 0 0 6 1 4
Brazil 2 1 0 1 5 2 2
Bolivia 2 0 0 2 0 8 0

Group 3: Final Table

Pld W D L F A Pts
Uruguay 2 2 0 0 5 0 4
Romania 2 1 0 1 3 5 2
Peru 2 0 0 2 1 4 0

Group 4: Final Table

Pld W D L F A Pts
United States 2 2 0 0 6 0 4
Paraguay 2 1 0 1 1 3 2
Belgium 2 0 0 2 0 4 0

Semi-finals
Argentina 6 United States 1
Uruguay 6 Yugoslavia 1

Final
Uruguay 4 Argentina 2

The leading goal-scorer in the 1930 tournament was Guillermo

Stabile “El Filtrador” of Argentina with 8 goals. Despite losing in
the final, Argentina scored the most goals with 18. A total of 70
goals were scored at the tournament, an average of 3.89 per match.
Both Bolivia and Belgium failed to score, and the unfortunate
Belgian team had to travel all the way back to Europe having lost

4
both its matches, but at least it competed! Interestingly, the
tournament saw no draws in any of its eighteen matches.

5
 2
Teams to Look Out for This Year,
Past Achievements, and Other World
Cup Facts

Hosts

T he World Cup finals have been held in Mexico, Italy, France,

and Germany all on two occasions. It is due to be held in
Brazil for a second time in 2014. England is bidding to host
its second World Cup in 2018 or 2022, and FIFA will make a
decision on the venue for these two tournaments in December
2010. No country has hosted the World Cup more than twice. The
other countries that have hosted the World Cup finals are Uruguay,
Switzerland, Sweden, Chile, Argentina, Spain, USA, and
Japan/South Korea.

This year it is the turn of South Africa to be host.

Europe and South America

No team from outside Europe and South America has ever reached
the World Cup final. This reflects the dominance of those two
continents in international football. In addition, on only two
occasions has a team outside Europe and South America reached
the last four of a World Cup tournament. The United States
finished third in 1930 and South Korea finished fourth in 2002.

The Big Four

At least one of the big four teams in World Cup history, generally
always threatens to win the World Cup. The big four teams of
World Cup history are undoubtedly Brazil, Italy, Germany and
Argentina which between them have notched up fourteen World
59
Cup wins from only eighteen tournaments. The big four have
appeared twenty-four times in a World Cup final (including Brazil’s
final game in 1950). At least one of the big four has appeared in
every World Cup final, and since 1966 only two other countries,
(the Netherlands and France,) has appeared in a final.

Despite this dominance of the final by the big four, it is

interesting and perhaps a little surprising to note that the World
Cup final has only ever been repeated twice; that is, with the same
two teams playing. The 1990 final was a repeat of the 1986 final
between West Germany and Argentina. The 1994 final between
Brazil and Italy was a repeat of the 1970 final.

World Cup Winners

To win the World Cup, a country must first enter a team. Brazil,
with the best record of all in terms of World Cup wins, is the only
country to have participated in all eighteen World Cup
tournaments. Brazil will begin its nineteenth campaign in South
Africa as one of the favourites.

Only seven countries have ever won the World Cup. All seven
are either European or South American. The seven are, in
alphabetical order, Argentina, Brazil, England, France, Germany,
Italy, and Uruguay. Although Spain and the Netherlands have never
won the World Cup, they remain two of the great underachievers,
and have teams that could win this time. Generally, the World Cup
tends not to throw up an upset in terms of the overall winner, and
therefore it is likely that one of these nine will win the World Cup in
South Africa, the outsiders of this group of nine being Uruguay.
The past record of these nine countries from 1966 to 2006 is given
below, and spaces have been left for you to complete 2010.

60
 Home-soil Finalists
1930 Uruguay won
1934 Italy won
1950 Brazil (lost in the final match)
1958 Sweden (lost in the final)
1966 England won
1974 West Germany won
1978 Argentina won
1998 France won

West Germany / Germany has also been a dominant country in

World Cup history. Since the Second World War every World Cup
final except for two, has involved either Germany, or Brazil, or
both as was the case in 2002. Neither of the two appeared in the
1978 final or the 2006 final, and their meeting in the 2002 final was
the first time the two countries had ever met in the World Cup.
Prior to the Second World War, neither country appeared in any
final. It is perhaps not surprising that both Germany and Brazil
have played the most World Cup matches; ninety-two each. Brazil
has scored the most goals; 201 although Germany is not far behind
with 190. It would not be a surprise if one of these teams featured
in the 2010 final.
Brazil or Germany Tends to Reach the World Cup Final
1950 Brazil 1-2 Uruguay *
1954 West Germany 3-2 Hungary
1958 Brazil 5-2 Sweden
1962 Brazil 3-1 Czechoslovakia
1966 England 4-2 West Germany
1970 Brazil 4-1 Italy
1974 West Germany 2-1 Holland
1978 –
1982 Italy 3-1 West Germany
1986 Argentina 3-2 West Germany
1990 West Germany 1-0 Argentina
1994 Brazil 0-0 Italy
1998 France 3-0 Brazil
2002 Brazil 2-0 Germany
2006 –

64
 3
How England Can Win the World
Cup Again

England

O f course, England’s glory year was 1966. Geoff Hurst was

one of the heroes and remains the only player ever to
score a hat-trick in a World Cup final. He scored three of
the four goals that helped England beat West Germany. So far
though, England can only be considered as one of the
middleweights of World Cup history and it would take more than
success in 2010 to change that. If England can find the net more
often especially in the more important matches, regularly reach the
last four of tournaments, and perhaps win the World Cup in 2010
and again in 2018 on home soil, then it could be considered one of
the “big four” or “big five” of the football world. England has to
dish up the fabulous football it is capable of doing but in all
situations and against all teams, if it is to succeed.

Quarter-finals

Since England first entered the World Cup in 1950, England has
usually gone out of World Cup tournaments at the quarter-finals
stage. In addition, it has usually gone out to a previous World Cup
winning country, (Germany three times, Argentina twice, Brazil
twice, and Uruguay once.)

The other countries responsible for England’s exit are as follows.

In 1950 Spain beat England to reach the final pool, and in 1958 it
was the Soviet Union that beat England in a play-off match. And of
course, most of us remember the Portuguese in 2006. England’s
exit at the quarter-finals stage in seven of its twelve campaigns is
listed below.

68
The England Manager

England managers have been heavily criticised in the past. Some

have suggested that Brian Clough was one of the greatest England
managers that never managed England; that had he been selected,
he would have taken England on to glory as he did his club teams.

Another that was never given the opportunity to manage

England was Jack Charlton. He was a World Cup winner with
England in 1966 and proved that he could well manage a World
Cup team with the Republic of Ireland in 1990. His team finally
bowed out of the tournament that year in the quarter-finals to Italy,
but not before putting the host under pressure and playing the sort
of football that the Italians were not used to. The Irish lost, but
only to a single Schillaci goal.
Perhaps now, England has a manager that will be able to bring
all the right ingredients to the squad in time for the World Cup this
year. Perhaps in Fabio Capello, England has the manager that will
help the team go on to success in 2010 and beyond. He has
generated a winning mentality, commands great respect, and is a
great disciplinarian. His attention to detail is to be applauded and
his fearlessness is one important ingredient that might just help to
generate a bright new future for England.

Weather Conditions and Altitude

Weather conditions and altitude problems have also been used as

reasons for England’s lack of success in the past, but South Africa’s
winter, should suit the England players and their style of football.
The first two matches are evening kick-off times which will also
help. The team will be based, and will have trained, at altitude in
Rustenburg. This will greatly assist.

If England was to win Group C, it would be an advantage. All

remaining matches would be in the evening. One would be in
Rustenburg, and two in Johannesburg only seventy miles from the
England base. Should England finish second in Group C, there
would be two afternoon matches and longer journeys to contend
with en route to the final. Details of England’s group matches, and

72
possible knock-out stage matches are listed in this book in the
section covering the 2010 tournament. The associated table in that
section lists the matches, dates, venues, average temperatures,
altitude, and distance from the team base in Rustenburg.

Whatever course England takes in this year’s tournament, the

team will be able to play a fast game and get into attacking
positions. Opposing players will be closed down quickly, and
England will be quick on the break.

But there is another aspect of the game that England must

concentrate on.

73
 4
The 2010 Tournament

Introduction

T his year’s tournament kicks off on 11 June and concludes on

11 July. As it unfolds, you will be able to keep your own up-
to-date record of events on the pages that follow. In
addition, this section of the book provides details of groups,
matches, dates, times, the knock-out stages, and more.

England’s Matches

Of particular interest to England fans are England’s matches. The

table below provides details of England’s group matches, and
possible knock-out stage matches. It lists dates, match times
(afternoon or evening), venues, average temperatures and relative
humidity in June / July, altitude, and distance from the team base in
Rustenburg.

The first three rows in the table provide details of the three
group matches against the United States, Algeria, and Slovenia.

The next four rows in the table provide details of England’s

matches should England win Group C. In this case, all remaining
matches would be in the evening, one would be in Rustenburg, and
two in Johannesburg only seventy miles from the England base.

The last four rows in the table provide details of England’s

matches should England finish second in Group C. There would be
two afternoon matches and longer journeys to contend with en
route to the final.

79
Tournament Group Matches

For the wider picture, the four teams, and the six scheduled
matches, in each group, A to H, are listed below. The kick-off times
provided for all the group matches and knock-out stage matches are
given in British Summer Time (BST) which is one hour behind
South Africa Standard Time (SAST). So a kick-off time in South
Africa of 8.30 pm would be 7.30 pm in England.

As each match is played, there is space for you to add any

information you wish. You might list the players, goal-scorers and
times, number of attempts on goal, corners, fouls, yellow and red
cards, and you might want to make a note of any major incidents.
Add the final score, and if you wish to, write up your own match
report. Attendances can also be added.

Then you can fill in the group tables. A fresh table is provided
for you to complete after each match, and a final table can be
completed following the last two matches in each group. The
positions of teams in groups are determined in the usual manner.
Points are the first determinant followed by goal difference and
then by the number of goals scored. For any teams that are still
level, positions are determined by points accumulated, goal
difference achieved, and goals scored, in matches between the
teams that are still level.

As the group stage unfolds, and as discussions arise about which

teams need to do what to qualify, you might wish to consider the
following guide. The guide applies to round-robin groups of four
teams with a total of six matches to be played in the group, and
with only the top two teams qualifying.

Guide to Calculating Which Teams Need to do What to

Qualify

In some instances, if a team wins its first two games in a group it

might not necessarily finish in one of the top two qualifying
positions. However, two wins are always sufficient if any other
match in the group is a draw.

81
GROUP G
Brazil Ivory Coast
North Korea Portugal

Ivory Coast v Portugal (15 June 3 pm)

Match Report
Table After One Match
Team Pld W D L F A GD Pts

Brazil v North Korea (15 June 7.30 pm)

Match Report
Table After Two Matches
Team Pld W D L F A GD Pts
1
1
1
1

Brazil v Ivory Coast (20 June 7.30 pm)

Match Report
Table After Three Matches
Team Pld W D L F A GD Pts

95
 Portugal v North Korea (21 June 12.30 pm)

Match Report
Table After Four Matches
Team Pld W D L F A GD Pts
2
2
2
2

Portugal v Brazil (25 June 3 pm)

Match Report

North Korea v Ivory Coast (25 June 3 pm)

Match Report

Group G: Final Table (After All Six Matches)

Sixteen Teams
Qualify for the
Team Pld W D L F A GD Pts
Second Round
(Teams 1-16)
Team 13 3
Team 14 3
3
3

96
 6
An Alternative World Cup History
(and How it Might Have Been)

T housands of incidents and decisions over the years have all

made World Cup history what it is. Nothing can alter what
in reality has already happened, but if you could re-run the
last eighteen tournaments again and make some alterations, what
would they be? How might World Cup history read today if you
could re-write it?

Regrets

This World Cup Companion book is essentially for England fans,

but if you are Italian for example, you might also suggest a few
alterations to history. If Italy had only been better prepared for the
penalty shoot-out competition against Brazil in the 1994 final, Italy
and not Brazil might now lead the World Cup winner rankings with
five World Cup wins.

Had Uruguay entered the 1934 tournament to defend its title, it

might have won, and with its World Cup triumph in 1950, Uruguay
would have had three World Cup victories twenty years before arch
rivals Brazil achieved it. Many Uruguayans have looked back with
regret.

Brazil has little to regret. Nevertheless, it would have been

useless saying that to the Brazil fans of 1950 following defeat to
Uruguay.

Germany too has little to regret, but for all those appearances in
the final that could not be converted into World Cup wins.

The Netherlands was the team of the 1970’s but lost in the 1974
World Cup final to hosts West Germany, and then in the 1978 final

114