The best performer in any World Cup I watched was Roberto Baggio in 1994. I know in theory Ronaldo did better in 2002, but whilst there was a certain charm to that tournament (South Korea, Turkey and Senegal, taking lots of drugs in the morning, USA vs Portugal), Brazil were so much better than anyone else at the tournament it had almost become embarrassing by the end.
But in 1994, Baggio took a fairly average side (although given the rest of the side contained Maldini, Costacurta, Albertini, Donadoni and Beppe Signori, average is perhaps not the best use of a word) to the final on the back of five gloriously clinical finishes and the worst haircut the World Cup has ever seen.
The equaliser against Nigeria is the greatest example of clutch play in World Cup history. Similar nerves of steel accompany the goal against Spain (Italy would surely have lost in extra time, given the extra half hour vs Nigeria and the fact they played 70 minutes with 10 men vs Norway). The first goal against Bulgaria is beautiful. Each of these five goals is scored with unerring precision under pressure; the ball is placed rather than struck, and almost every time straight into the corner.
Which makes the penalty miss in the final even more bizarre. There's no shame in missing a shoot-out penalty: Stojkovic, El Diego, Zico, Platini, they all managed it. But Baggio went from the best finishing the World Cup has ever seen to a wild smash over the bar.
Some people probably blame pressure for Baggio's miss, although it seems strange that he would be so unflappable earlier in the tournament. Maybe it was the injury he carried into the final. Personally, I am convinced that the penalty miss was simply final karmic retribution for his appalling ponytail. More like Cuntino Divino am I right?
3 comments:
Honestly, this was my favourite world cup.
Baggio killin' it with Davy Crockett's hat-hair after a slow start, the penalty shoot out in the final, Maradona's goal celebrations, Escobar's own goal, Romário's apex, the Russian who scored the 5 goals in the 1 game, watching most of the games at the house of a pal who had a seemingly endless supply of weed, and no England.
Hagi.
There's a picture of me from '94 with a mad bootleg kids World Cup Brazil shirt with a bear on it.
Even as a tyke I had that winning 3rd world swagger.
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