Match Report

    FOOTBALL LESSON FOR ENGLAND

HUNGARY NEEDED A DRAKE TO GET THEM GOALS

   We like to think that the English have given football to the world-especially to the Continental nations. But it was Hungary, one of the finest Continental exponents of the game, who came to Arsenal Stadium yesterday and showed an English team and an English crowd how football ought to be played.
   England, it is true, won handsomely by six goals to two. But England's three goals to one lead at the interval was not justified, and then Hungary wearied on a heavy pitch after they had reduced England's lead to a single goal. Our triumph, however, must remain a shallow one.
   Those who love the sport for its own sake and not for the commercial successes of teams costing £40,000 or £50,000 must regret the type of game which enabled England to win. Football artistry was only to be seen in the Hungarian side.
   They kept the ball close, made short passes which seldom failed to reach the man, the players moved ahead into the open to await a pass, the headwork was superb in its control, tackling was neat and invariably efficient, and only in front of goal were Hungary weak.
   They lacked knowledge of the time and occasion to shoot, frequently wasting a chance by passing once too often and giving England's oft-bewildered defence a second chance to repel the invaders.
   Take Hungary's opening goal, scored direct from the kick-off after England had opened the scoring. It was engineered through an attack we often used in the old days. Centre-forward Cseh kicked off to inside-right Vincze, who immediately passed back to Dr. Sarosi at centre-half.
   This brilliant tactician held it for a moment, beat a man and slipped a forward return pass to Vincze. The inside-right drew a defender and squared a pass to inside-left Zsengeller who ran towards goal and gave a grand down-the-centre ball to Cseh, who sent the ball cleverly past Tweedy. Not an England man touched the ball.

STRONG HALVES

   Hungary's real strength lay in their middle line. Lazar and Dudas, at right and left half, were strong in their tackles and their passing to Dr. Sarosi and to their forwards was real "feeding." The worthy doctor guarded Drake for most of the first half, but he reverted to an attacking role. His understanding with his forwards was clever, and had Hungary had a Drake, Sarosi's work would have brought goals.
   The inside wing men were good workmen and Sas a lively outside right, but Titkos lacked determination on the left. The backs made a good start, but gave the English wingers too much space to work in and they were tired out long before the end.
   Szabo, in goal, drew attention by the diversity of means he had of getting rid of the ball. He punched, he pushed, he threw, he made short unexpected passes, and wen he ran out of goal with a gathered ball Szabo threw it high into the air and jumped to kick it upfield. That free kick, taken by Britton, which went unhindered into goal was a surprise to Szabo. He seemed to be watching Drake's tactics instead of the ball.
   But he impressed the crowd.

PUZZLED ENGLISHMEN

   The England team did all that was required to satisfy the selectors. They won, and the English football fan, being what he is, would be satisfied, too.
    But it is not unfair criticism to state that the England players were puzzled by the clever ball control of their opponents and upset by the deadly passing. Male, the captain, saved the England goal on at least two occasions by kicking clear on the line when Tweedy was beaten to the wide.  I do not think Tweedy's claims to further international honours should be judged on this game. It was his first encounter with the Continental style.
   Male and Catlin were uncertain until late in the game and often beaten in tackles. Young held Cseh firmly, and Britton and Keen showed up finely in constructive play, but not so well in defensive work. Crooks was brilliant and deserved a goal for the finest shot of the match apart from Drake's scoring left-foot volley.
   Bowden was good and bad and sometimes indifferent. His through passes to Drake were excellent, but his feeding of Crooks was apt too have too much speed or strength. Drake is a match-winner at any time on form approaching that which he displayed yesterday.
   Carter was not happy on the left, and seemed to want more room to manœuvre. On the extreme left Brook was the opportunist that he always is, an, like Drake, ever a potential matchwinner.
   Weather and ground conditions were all against the Hungarians. We shall think of them as the best Continental team to whom we have extended hospitality, and we would not have envied them some of the success that was Austria's when that national eleven ran England to a 3-4 issue. We understand better now why Hungary beat England on their own territory. - Gloucestershire Echo, Thursday, 3 December 1936

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