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Sweden 19

58

 
Background The 1958 FIFA World Cup, the sixth staging of the World Cup, was hosted by Sweden from 8 June to 29 June. Sweden were chosen as unopposed hosts by the 27th FIFA Congress in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on 23 June 1950.

Other countries did show an interest, namely Argentina, Chile and Mexico. But the Swedish delegates convinced all other nations at the 1950 FIFA Congress that theirs was the only viable option to host the tournament. 

The Draw
The format of the competition changed once more. Sixteen teams competed in four groups of four, in which all four teams would play each other once, there was no extra time to be added if the scores were level. As in the previous finals tournament, if the second- and third-placed teams finished on the same points, then there would be a play-off with the winner going through.

On 8 February 1958, in Solna, Lennart Hyland and Sven Jerring presented the results of the draw where the qualified teams were divided into four groups. There were no seeded teams:-
West Europe Pot East Europe Pot British Pot American Pot
Sweden Czechoslovakia England Argentina
West Germany Hungary Northern Ireland Brazil
Austria USSR Scotland Mexico
France Yugoslavia Wales Paraguay

 

The Build-Up

28 May: The Football Association announced the twenty players that would travel to Sweden for the tournament.

5 June: The England squad arrived in Sweden.

"Before leaving London Airport, the team manager, Mr. Winterbottom said: "If we do well in the opening part, we shall stand a good chance of winning. It is so difficult to predict who will win as there are so many teams which are about as good as each other. Our team for the first game will probably be that which drew with Russia recently." [it was]
The England captain, Wright, said: "I think Yugoslavia might pull it off, but we will certainly do our best." - The Times, 5 June 1958

 



First Phase
Pool 4
Team P W D L F A GAve Pts
Brazil 3 2 1 0 5 0 1.67 5
USSR 3 1 1 1 4 4 1.33 3
England 3 0 3 0 4 4 1.33 3
Austria 3 0 1 2 2 7 0.67 1
 
8 June 1958 - both 7:00pm CET
Brazil 3 Austria 0 [1-0]
Rimnersvallen, Uddevalla (17,778)
Mazzola (2), Nílton Santos
England 2 USSR 2 [0-1]
Nya Ullevi Stadion, Göteborg (49,348)
Kevan, Finney (pen)
Simonyan, A.Ivanov

ENGLAND'S STORMING FINISH FOILS RUSSIA
"England, it seemed, were about to depart at a slow march with drums muffled. But suddenly some old latent instinct, some old fighting spirit surged up out of apparent defeat." - The Times, 9 June 1958

11 June 1958 - both 7:00pm CET
Brazil 0 England 0 [0-0]
Nya Ullevi Stadion, Göteborg (40,895)
 
USSR 2 Austria 0 [1-0]
Ryavallen Stadion, Borås (21,239)
A.Ivanov, V.Ivanov

ENGLAND ANSWER CRITICS AND HOLD BRAZIL
"...a chess match played at full pace..." - The Times, 12 June 1958

15 June 1958 - both 7:00pm CET
England 2 Austria 2 [0-1]
Ryavallen Stadion, Borås (15,872)
Haynes, Kevan
Koller, Körner
Brazil 2 USSR 0 [1-0]
Nya Ullevi Stadion, Göteborg (50,928)
Vavá (2)

THREE U.K. TEAMS IN WORLD CUP PLAY-OFFS
"England...escaped after a performance in the first half that was first cousin to a funeral.
"...unintelligent attack, moving ponderously.
"
A real England forward line would have scored five goals to-day." - The Times, 16 June 1958

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Play-off 

17 June 1958 - 7.00pm CET
USSR 1 England 0 [0-0]
Nya Ullevi Stadion, Göteborg (23,182)
Ilyin
ENGLAND ARE ELIMINATED

FAILURE IN ATTACK AGAINST RUSSIA
"...a match where they held a greater command than at any time since they arrived here.
"...morale and stamina in full measure; skill only in a modicum; and of luck, none at all.
" - The Times, 18 June 1958

A STORY OF WASTED OPPORTUNITIES
"
Without trying to make excuses (for she hardly deserved to win) England has not enjoyed the best of luck, for she had goals disallowed in two matches when they would have made all the difference and to-night the Russian post was hit twice with no reward.
"The selectors...omitted Charlton, for reasons that few English football followers here can fathom.
" - The Guardian, 18 June 1958


Second Phase
19 June 1958 - all 7:00pm CET
France 4 Northern Ireland 0 [1-0]
Idrottsparken, Norrköping (11,800)
Wisniesk, Fontaine (2), Piantoni
Sweden 2 USSR 0 [0-0]
Råsunda Fotbollstadion, Solna (31,900)
Hamrin, Simonsson
Brazil 1 Wales 0 [0-0]
Nya Ullevi Stadion, Göteborg (25,923)
Pelé
West Germany 1 Yugoslavia 0 [1-0]
Malmö Stadion, Malmö (20,055)
Rahn




Quarter Finals

Semi Finals
24 June 1958 - both 7:00pm CET
Brazil 5 France 2 [2-1]
Råsunda Fotbollstadion, Solna (27,100)
Vavá, Didi, Pelé (3)
Fontaine, Piantoni
Sweden 3 West Germany 1 [1-1]
Nya Ullevi Stadion, Göteborg (49,471)
Skoglund, Gren, Hamrin
Schäfer
Juskowiak

 

Third Place Play-off
28 June 1958 - 5:00pm CET
France 6 West Germany 3 [3-1]
Nya Ullevi Stadion, Göteborg (32,483)
Fontaine (4), Kopa (pen), Douis
Cieslarczyk, Rahn, Schäfer

 

The 1958 Final
29 June 1958 - 3:00pm CET
Brazil 5 Sweden 2 [2-1]
Råsunda Fotbollstadion, Solna (49,737)
Vavá (2), Pelé (3), Zagallo
Liedholm, Simonsson

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