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672 vs. Argentina
Sunday, 22 June 1986
1986 FIFA World Cup Finals Second Phase Quarter Final match three

Argentina 2 England 1 [0-0]
 
 

Estadio Azteca, Santa Úrsula, ciudad de México, Mexico
Kick-off
(CST): 12.00noon 7.00pm BST
Attendance: 114,580

91 minutes 45:33 & 46:02 Peter Beardsley kicked-off
   
 [1-0] Diego Maradona 51  50:26
 
jumped up with Shilton to hit the ball past with his hand following Hodge's backpass
[2-0] Diego Maradona 55 54:15
 
60 yard dribble beating Butcher and Fenwick before wrong-footing Shilton to score from the 6 yard line













[2-1] Gary Lineker header 81  80:35
 headed down from 4 yards away from Pumpido's reach following a Barnes cross 
  Terry Fenwick 9 8:34
Sergio Batista 60 59:37  

World Cup Grandstand: Commentator: Barry Davies with Jimmy Hill
World Cup '86: Commentator: Martin Tyler with David Pleat
 

"DIEGO'S A MEXICAN BANDIT" - Daily Mirror

Officials (black)

Argentina Squad

Type

England Squad

Referee
Ali Bennaceur
42 (2 March 1944), Tunisia, FIFA-listed 1978.
  Goal Attempts  
  Attempts on Target  
Linesmen 1 Hit Bar/Post 0
Bogdan Ganev Dochev
50 (26 June 1935), Varna, Bulgaria
(red flag)
Berny Ulloa Morera
35 (5 August 1950), Costa Rica
(yellow flag)
  Corner Kicks Won  
  Offside Calls Against  
    Fouls Conceded  
  Possession  
 

Argentina Team

 

Rank:

No official ranking;
EFO ranking

ELO rating 6th to 3rd
Colours: Made by Le Coq Sportif - Dark blue shadow striped jerseys with white v-neck collar and cuffs, black shorts with white hem, white socks
Capt: Diego Maradona Manager: Carlos Salvador Bilardo, 48, appointed 1983;
Argentina Lineup
18 Pumpido, Nery A. 28 30 July 1957 G CA River Plate 19 xᵍᵃ
9 Cuciuffo, José Luis 25 1 February 1961 RB CA Vélez Sarsfield 4 x
5 Brown, José Luis 29 10 November 1956 CB CS Deportivo y Cultural Español de la República Argentina 18 1
19 Ruggeri, Oscar A. 24 26 January 1962 LB CA River Plate 28 1
14 Giusti, Ricardo O. 29 11 December 1956 RWB CA Independiente de Avellaneda 30 x
12 Enrique, Héctor 24 26 April 1962 RM CA River Plate 4 x
2
Batista, Sergio D. 33 9 November 1962 CM AA Argentinos Juniors 9 x
Sergio Batista cautioned in the 60th minute for Unsporting Behaviour, after he challenged Reid and hacked his shins as he dribbled away past him.
7 Burrachaga, Jorge L., off 77th min. 23 9 October 1962 LM FC Nantes Atlantique, France 37 x
16 Olarticoechea, Julio J. 27 18 October 1958 LWB CA Boca Juniors 9 x
10 Maradona, Diego A. 25 30 October 1960 AM SSC Napoli, Italy 48 24
11 Valdano Castellanos, Jorge A.F. 30 4 October 1955 CF CF Real Madrid, Spain 17 x
Argentina Substitutes
20 Tapia, Carlos Daniel, on 77th min. (76:49) for Burrachaga 23 20 August 1962 M CA Boca Juniors 3 x

unused substitutes:

8-Néstor Clausen, 15-Luis Islas, 17-Pedro Pasculli,  21-Marcelo Trobbiani.
 
3-5-2(1-1) Pumpido -
Cucioffo, Brown, Ruggeri, -
Giusti, Enrque, Batista, Burrachaga (Tapia), Olarticoechea -
Maradona -
Valdano

Averages:

Age - Appearances/Goals - -

 

England Team

 

Rank:

No official ranking;
EFO ranking

ELO rating 3rd to 5th
Colours: The 1986 Umbro World Cup jersey - White v-necked jersey with shadow stripes, blue collar with white/red trim and thin blue stripe along shoulder, sky blue shorts with white seams with blue/red trim, white socks with blue Umbro diamond trim.
Capt: Peter Shilton, eleventh captaincy Manager: Robert W. Robson, 53 (18 February 1933), appointed 7 July 1982,
49th match, W 26 - D 12 - L 11 - F 87 - A 27.
England Lineup
1 Shilton, Peter L. 36 18 September 1949 G Southampton FC 86 53ᵍᵃ
gk most apps
2 Stevens, M. Gary 23 27 March 1963 RB Everton FC 14 0
6 Butcher, Terence I. 27 28 December 1958
in Alexandra Park, Singapore
RCD Ipswich Town FC 45 3
14
Fenwick, Terence W. 26 17 November 1959 LCD Queen's Park Rangers FC 19 0
Terry Fenwick was cautioned in the ninth minute for Unsporting Behaviour, after a mis-timed tackle on Maradona as he was sprinting towards the area.
3 Sansom, Kenneth G. 27 26 September 1958 LB Arsenal FC 70 1
4 Hoddle, Glenn 28 27 October 1957 DM Tottenham Hotspur FC 38 8
16 Reid, Peter, off 66th min. 30 20 June 1956 RM

Everton FC

9 0
18 Hodge, Stephen B. 23 25 October 1962 CM Aston Villa FC 8 0
17 Steven, Trevor M., off 76th min. 22 21 September 1963 LM Everton FC 13 3
20 Beardsley, Peter A. 25 18 January 1961 AM Newcastle United FC 9 2
10 Lineker, Gary W. 25 30 November 1960 CF Everton FC 18 12
England Substitutes
11 Waddle, Christopher R., on 66th min. (65:14) for Reid 25 14 December 1960 RAM Tottenham Hotspur FC 20 14 2
6
19 Barnes, John C.B., on 76th min. (75:10) for Steven 22 7 November 1963
in Kingston, Jamaica
LAM Watford FC 28 16 3
12
BME most apps

unused substitutes:

8-Ray Wilkins, 13-Chris Woods, 15-Gary Stevens.

substitute notes:

The two substitutions in this match take England's substituting tally for this season to a record thirty.
John Barnes becomes the second player to be used as an England substitute on twelve separate occasions, equal with Tony Woodcock.
 
4-4(1-3)-2(1-1) Shilton -
Sansom, Butcher, Fenwick, Stevens -
Hoddle -
Reid
(Waddle), Hodge, Steven (Barnes) -
Beardsley -
Lineker.

Averages:

Age - Appearances/Goals - -

 

    Match Report by Mike Payne

Watched by a crowd of 114,580 spectators in ciudad de México's Azteca Stadium, the match was heavy with tension because of the overspill of feeling from the Falklands War. Squads of military police brandishing white batons patrolled the ground, but apart from a few isolated skirmishes the rival England and Argentine fans gave all their attention to a game that was electric with action and atmosphere.

All eyes were on Diego Maradona, who was in the form of his life and forcing good judges to reassess whether Pele really was the greatest footballer of all time. He might have been the shortest man on the field at 5ft 4in, but the chunky, wide-shouldered Argentine captain paraded across the pitch with the assured air of a giant among pygmies. England's defenders noticeably quivered every time he took possession, which was often because he was continually demanding the ball the moment it reached the feet of any team-mate. When he had the ball on his left foot, he would glide past tackles with the ease of a Rolls-Royce overtaking a Reliant Robin; and when he did not have the ball he was still a menace because of the speed with which he ran into areas of space to make himself available for a pass.

England defender Terry Fenwick, out of the retaliate-first school of football, decided that a physical assault might be the best way to keep Maradona quiet. Wrong! All he got for his clumsy effort was a booking and a cold stare from the Master that could be interpreted as meaning that he would eventually pay for his attempted ambush. He would pick his moment to provide action to go with that look.

England might have fared better in a goalless first forty-five minutes had they been more adventurous, but they were so conscious of Maradona's match-winning ability that they cautiously kept players back in defence. They would have been better employed supporting raids against an Argentine back line that looked vulnerable under attack.

The second-half belonged almost entirely to Maradona, and the two goals that he scored became the major talking point of the entire tournament. The first will always be remembered for its controversy - many would say, cheating - and the second for its quite astounding quality.

Six minutes had gone of the second-half when Maradona swept the ball to the feet of Valdano, and raced into the penalty area for the return. As he made his break some England defenders were appealing for offside. But the linesman's flag stayed down as Valdano's centre was deflected across the face of the England goal by Steve Hodge. Goalkeeper Peter Shilton came off his line prepared to punch clear.

There seemed no way the stocky Maradona, dwarfed by the powerfully built England goalkeeper, could outjump Shilton. Spectators looked on in amazement as the ball cannoned into the net off Maradona with the airborne Shilton stretching out to thrash empty air.

All eyes in the Press box swivelled towards the action replay on the television screen for confirmation of what they thought they had just seen, and there was the instant evidence. No doubt about it, Maradona had pushed the ball into the net with his left hand.

Outraged Shilton led a posse of protesting players trying to persuade referee Ali Ben Naceur that the goal had been illegal but, from the angle that the Tunisian saw it, Maradona appeared to have scored with his head. He pointed to the centre-circle and the little man from Buenos Aires went on a dance of celebration that should have been a skulk of shame.

Four minutes later, with the aggrieved England players trying to regain their composure, the Jeykll and Hyde character that was Maradona unveiled the genius in his game. He produced the sort of magic that had prompted Napoli to buy him from Barcelona for a world record �6.9 million in 1984.

To say he ran rings round England would be too simple a description of a goal that stands comparison with the very best scored anywhere and at any time. Indeed, it was voted Goal of the Century in 1999.

Running with the ball at his feet from close to the halfway line, Maradona drew England defenders to him like a spider luring its prey. Kenny Sansom, Terry Butcher and then Terry Fenwick - he who tried a physical assault in the first half - all came into the Maradona web and were left in a tangle behind him as he accelerated past their attempted tackles.

Again, it was Maradona versus Shilton, this time on the ground. Maradona did not have to cheat his way past the England goalkeeper. He sold him an outrageous dummy that left Shilton scrambling for a shot that was never made, and then nonchalantly prodded the ball into the empty net for a goal of breathtaking beauty. It was a moment of magnificence that sweetened the sour taste left by Maradona's first goal. Well, almost.

England, to their credit, battled back and substitute John Barnes laid on a goal for the razor-sharp Lineker in the eightieth minute (makingGary the tournament's top marksman with six goals). But it was Argentina who went through to the semi-finals.

As they walked exhausted off the bakehouse of a pitch after their 2-1 defeat, the England players - led by Shilton - found the energy to continue their complaints to the referee about the first Maradona goal. But most of the capacity crowd were talking only about his second goal as they filed out of the ground at the end of an eventful quarter-final that would always be remembered as 'Maradona's match.'

The little man had a mix between a smile and a smirk on his face as he said later: 'Yes, the ball did go into the England net off my hand. It was the hand of God. It was not deliberate and so I do not in any way feel guilty claiming it as a goal. Would an England player have gone to the referee and said, "Don't award the goal. The ball hit my hand?" Of course not. Anyway, why all the controversy? Surely my second goal ended all arguments.'

Bobby Robson summed up the feelings of most England followers when he said: 'There is no room in football for cheating. Maradona is a magnificent footballer, but he should be thoroughly ashamed of himself. Yes, his second goal was a thing of wonder, but that should have counted as Argentina's first goal.'
  

Source Notes

José Luis Cuciuffo died on 11 December 2004 due to a stomach wound from a hunting accident.

TheFA.com
Original newspaper reports
PlanetWorldCup
Rothman's Yearbooks
FIFA.com
Mike Payne's England: The Complete Post-War Record (Breedon Books Publishing Company, Derby, U.K., 1993)
Norman Giller
, Football Author

____________________

CG