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Background |
The 44th FIFA
Congress awarded the fourteenth World Cup 1990 final tournament to Italy at a meeting of its
Executive Committee in Zürich, Switzerland on 19 May 1984, after having
gained eleven votes to the Soviet Union's five votes. England and Greece
withdrew from the process in early 1984. Austria, France and West Germany each
submitted bids before the 31 July 1983 deadline, but they too, withdrew from the process before
the voting took
place.
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The Draw |
The 24 participating teams were divided
into six groups, in which all four teams would play each other once,
at a draw conducted at the Palazzo dello Sport in Rome on
9 December 1989.
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Pot 1 (seeded) |
Pot 2 |
Pot 3 |
Pot 4 |
|
Italy |
Austria |
Colombia |
Cameroon |
|
Argentina |
Netherlands |
Czechoslovakia |
Costa Rica |
|
Brazil |
Scotland |
Republic of Ireland |
Egypt |
|
West Germany |
Spain |
Romania |
Korea Republic |
|
Belgium |
USSR |
Sweden |
UAE |
|
England |
Yugoslavia |
Uruguay |
United States |
Spain had a stronger claim to seeding than England because
although both had reached the same stage of the competition in World Cups 1982
and 1986, Spain, unlike England, had qualified for the final tournament in
1978 and had finished top of its qualifying group for the 1990 finals.
But FIFA was determined that the hooligan element that followed the England
team would be isolated and contained. The only way to ensure that was to
make England one of the seeds and assign it to Group F, the group whose
matches would be played on two islands, Sardinia and Sicily.
The top two teams
and the four best third-place finishers from the six
groups advanced to the knockout round of 16 teams.
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The Build-Up |
25 May:
The England squad flew to Sardinia, with manager, Bobby Robson, having
just announced that he would be leaving his position after the
tournament.
30 May:
England submitted the squad list of 22 names to FIFA and the
reserves beat Cagliari, 6-0, in a warm-up match. Chris Waddle became the
last player to join the party, after his club, Marseille, lost their
French Cup semi-final.
2 June:
England drew, 1-1, with Tunisia, in Tunis.
"'After
the desert rats, the desert mice'
"Terry Butcher, in a
shamefully undignified fit of Piqué...withdrawn for the first time by
Bobby Robson...ripped off his shirt, flung it at the bench, and sat
seething in angry solitude..."
- The Times
4 June: Bobby Robson defended Butcher's angry reaction to being substituted
in Tunis, as frustration. Paul Parker twisted an ankle in training.
5 June: England
beat a Sardinian representative side, 10-2.
7 June: Paul Parker
returned to training.
8 June: England's
captain, Bryan Robson, looked forward to the start of the tournament.
"...this
is the best England side in my ten years. The only way to prove that is
to go beyond the quarter-finals." - The Times
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First Phase Table
Group F |
|
Team |
P
|
W
|
D
|
L
|
F
|
A
|
GD
|
Pts
|
|
England |
3 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
+1 |
4 |
|
Republic
of Ireland |
3 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
=0 |
3 |
|
Netherlands |
3 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
=0 |
3 |
|
Egypt |
3 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
-1 |
2 |
The Republic of Ireland were awarded
second place over Netherlands by lot. Netherlands progressed after being
one of the four successful third-placed teams.
"ENGLAND'S DISJOINTED START
"...apart from Lineker's
bizarre goal in the eighth minute, they were neither productive nor
threatening.
"Gascoigne was seen only
fleetingly and Barnes and Waddle, as so often in the past, were no more
than peripheral figures.
"...a defence which was
almost constantly under siege.
"...raw commitment,
physical challenges and aerial ideas."
- The Times, 12 June 1990
"Lacklustre Opener For England!
"England's inept display in
this opening World Cup encounter drew scathing criticism from almost
everyone.
"And those England fans who
were so scathing in their criticism after this performance may, later in
the competition, appreciate why their suffering on this occasion was a
necessary evil." - Football Monthly
"I
thought the game was won, but we made a crucial mistake. I made a
substitution to nullify the Republic's substitution, but in the end it
cost us the game. We had it won and then lost it."
- Bobby Robson
|
12
June 1990
- both 9:00pm CEST |
Egypt 1 Netherlands 1 [0-0]
Stadio della Favorita, Palermu (33,288) |
Abdelghani (pen)
Kieft |
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16
June 1990
|
Netherlands 0 England 0 [0-0]
Stadio Comunale
Sant'Elia,
Casteddu (35,267) |
|
"ENGLAND HERALD A NEW DAWN
"In daring to play the
Netherlands at their own sweeping game, Bobby Robson staked his own
reputation, and England's place in the last 16 of the World Cup finals,
here on Saturday.
"England, inspired by the
manager's unprecedented tactical ploy, collected significantly more than
a point from their enthralling moral victory.
" "We were lucky to draw,"
was {Ruud] Gullit's honest and accurate assessment.
"...no one shone more
brilliantly than Gascoigne (Bobby Robson: He was superb from start to
finish)." - The Times, 18 June 1990
"Robson's Sweeper Gamble Points To Success
"England emerged as
credible World Cup challengers with this exhilarating display against
the European champions.
"Though, once again,
England had to be satisfied with a single point, their performance
suggested that, after their poor show against Ireland, they were now
being rated as potential winners of the World Cup."
- Football Monthly
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17
June 1990
- 5:00pm CEST |
Egypt 0 Republic of Ireland 0 [0-0]
Stadio della Favorita, Palermu (33,288) |
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21
June 1990
- both 9:00pm CEST |
England 1 Egypt 0 [0-0]
Stadio Comunale
Sant'Elia,
Casteddu (34,959) |
Wright |
Netherlands 1 Republic of Ireland 1
[1-0]
Stadio della Favorita, Palermu (33,288) |
Gullit
Quinn |
"ENGLAND A QUALIFIED SUCCESS
"Against expectations, the
England manager chose to forsake the sweeper system that had worked so
convincingly against the Netherlands.
"...the Egyptian
technique...and their defensive formation were sources of far greater
frustration for England.
"England appeared to be
disjointed and uninspired." - The Times, 22 June 1990
"Wright's Goal Clinches England's Passage
"England moved comfortably
into the knockout phase of the tournament with a performance that
certainly did not earn a high rating but, at this stage of the
competition, it's results that count.
"Only with the final
whistle could England relax in the knowledge that they had safely topped
the closest of all qualifying groups." - Football Monthly
"We
came top of the group and we were the only side to beat Egypt. You can't
do much better than that." - Bobby Robson
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The
Second Phase |
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23 June 1990
-
all CEST |
5:00pm -
Cameroon
2 Colombia 1
[0-0]
AET
[0-0]
Stadio San Paolo,
Napoli (50,026) |
Milla (2)
Redin |
9:00pm -
Czechoslovakia 4 Costa Rica 1
[1-0]
Stadio San Nicola, Bari (47,673) |
Skuhravý (3), Kubík
González |
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24 June 1990 |
5:00pm -
Argentina 1
Brazil
0 [0-0]
Stadio delle Alpi, Torino,
Piedmont (61,381) |
Caniggia |
|
 Ricardo
Gomes
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9:00pm -
West Germany 2 Netherlands 1 [0-0]
Stadio Giuseppe Meazza,
Milano (74,559) |
Klinsmann, Brehme
R.Koemen (pen) |
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Rijkaard
Völler
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25 June 1990 |
5:00pm -
Republic
of Ireland 0
Romania 0 [0-0]
AET
[0-0]
& Penalties [5-4]
Stadio Comunale
Luigi Ferraris, Genova (31,318) |
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Penalty Shoot-out:- Hagi 1-0, Sheedy 1-1,
Lupu 2-1, Houghton 2-2, Rotariu
3-2, Townsend 3-3, Lupsecu 4-3,
Cascarino 4-4, Timofte saved, O'Leary 4-5 |
9:00pm -
Italy 2 Uruguay 0 [0-0]
Stadio Olimpico, Roma (73,303) |
Schillaci, Serena |
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26 June 1990 |
5:00pm -
Yugoslavia 2 Spain
1 [0-0]
AET
[1-1]
Stadio Marc'Antonio Bentegodi, Verona(34,822) |
Stojković (2)
Salinas |
9:00pm -
England
1 Belgium 0 [0-0]
AET
[0-0]
Stadio Renato
Dall'Ara, Bologna (34,520) |
Platt |
"PLATT PUTS ENGLAND THROUGH
"The finale was spectacular
and almost unbearably dramatic.
"England, though elated and
relieved, were also mentally drained and physically exhausted.
"The foundation of the
victory was a team spirit which refused to yield...
"Belgium, who struck the
woodwork twice, were left with nothing to show for their technical
superiority." - The Times, 27
June 1990
"Platt Snatches Last-Minute victory For England
"Though outplayed for
lengthy periods, England battled against adversity and, in the end,
deserved their hard-won success.
"England's patience,
confidence, character and skill had finally won the day."
- Football Monthly
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Round of sixteen |
The six third place teams from the Group phase were (A)
Austria (B) Argentina (C) Scotland (D) Colombia (E) Uruguay
and (F) Netherlands.
Austria and Scotland were the two
teams that finished with the poorest records in comparison
with the other third-placed teams and failed to progress to
the second phase. |
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Quarter Finals |
|
30 June 1990
- all CEST |
5:00pm -
Argentina
0 Yugoslavia 0 [0-0]
AET
[0-0]
& Penalties [3-2]
Stadio Comunale,
Firenze (38,971) |
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Šabanadžović |
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Penalty Shoot-out:- Serrizuela
1-0, Stojković hit bar, Burrachaga
2-0, Prosinečki 2-1, Maradona saved, Savićević
2-2, Troglio hit post, Brnović saved, Dezotti 3-2,
Hadžibegić saved. |
9:00pm -
Italy 1
Republic
of Ireland 0 [1-0]
Stadio Olimpico, Roma (73,303) |
Schillaci |
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1 July 1990 |
5:00pm -
West Germany 1
Czechoslovakia
0
[1-0]
Stadio Giuseppe Meazza,
Milano (73,347) |
Matthäus (pen) |
|
Moravčík |
9:00pm -
Cameroon 2 England 3
[0-1]
AET
[2-2]
Stadio San Paolo,
Napoli
(55,205) |
Kundé (pen), Ekéké
Platt, Lineker (2
pens) |
"ENGLAND TOTTER INTO LAST FOUR
"Bleeding and drained of
energy, they stood tottering on the edge of elimination...
"For spirit alone, Bobby
Robson's side deserves the utmost credit. At times, it was all they had
to protect themselves.
"...protracted and
ultimately enthralling quarter-final..." - The Times, 2 July
1990
"England Saved By Shilton - And Two Penalties!
"The gods
smiled on England in Naples. And a night that was just seven minutes
from humiliation and disgrace ended in triumph...
"The referee's
final whistle must have taken on the glory of a Strauss waltz for
manager Robson on, surely, the longest - and possibly the most traumatic
- night of his life?"
- Football Monthly
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Semi
Finals |
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3 July 1990 -
both 8:00pm CEST |
Argentina
1 Italy 1 [0-1]
AET
[1-1]
& Penalties [4-3]
Stadio San Paolo,
Napoli (59,978) |
Caniggia
Schillaci |
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Giusti |
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Penalty Shoot-out:- Baresi
1-0, Serrizuela 1-1, Baggio 2-1,
Burrachaga 2-2, De Agostini 3-2,
Olarticoechea 3-3, Donadini saved, Maradona 4-3,
Serena saved |
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4 July 1990 |
West Germany 1 England 1
[0-0]
AET [1-1]
&
Penalties [4-3]
Stadio delle Alpi, Torino
(62,628) |
Parker OG
Lineker |
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Penalty Shoot-out:- Lineker
1-0, Brehme 1-1, Beardsley 2-1,
Matthäus 2-2, Platt 3-2, Riedle
3-3, Pearce saved, Thon 4-3, Waddle over bar |
"ENGLAND PAY A CRUEL PENALTY
"No one could have
predicted that the Germans, the highest scorers in the competition,
would be kept so subdued for so long.
"England rose to an
occasion which was a new experience for all of them...
"It was indisputably their
finest display since they opened their challenge...
"...the most enthralling of
the World Cup." - The Times, 5 July 1990
"STARTLING BEQUEST OF THE NEARLY MAN
"Until the West Germany
game England were a hybrid, a mixture of faces old and new striving
towards a common end but barely a team. That all changed on Wednesday
night.
"Paul Gascoigne...is the
brightest jewel in Robson's bequest. "He has probably been the best
young player in this tournament," said Robson, "and I would think he has
a terrific future." - The Guardian, 6 July 1990
"England
Take Their Leave With Honour...
"This game will stand
alongside the 1966 World Cup Final and the 1970 quarter-final as another
classic encounter between two great footballing nations.
"England were out, yet this
was their best-ever achievement on foreign soil. And they went out with
a performance that will rank among England's finest in competitive
football." - Football
Monthly
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Third Place
Play-off |
"LOYAL OLD GUARD DOG CAUGHT NAPPING
"...this match was played
in a predictably generous and amicable spirit until Baggio intervened.
"[David Platt]...has
confirmed that he is a prominent member of the new breed. So have
Gascoigne...Walker and Wright." - The Times, 9 July 1990
"Rising Star Platt Scores
England's Final Goal.
"At the end of
the day, Italy deserved their victory in this consolation match.
England, who might have won the World Cup under the old rules, had to
satisfy themselves with fourth place."
- Football Monthly
"During the World Cup you've changed to a
more continental style and you've been one of the revelations of
the tournament." - Azeglio Vicini, Italy Coach
"It is
so rewarding that we have some world-class players at our disposal. We
can now give anyone in the world a game. English football is back in its
rightful place." - Bobby Robson
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The
1990 Final |
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8 July 1990 -
8:00pm CEST |
Argentina
0
West Germany 1 [0-0]
Stadio Olimpico, Roma
(73,603) |
Brehme (pen) |
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Monzón,
Dezotti |
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Surprising even their most
enthusiastic supporters,
England reached the semi-finals for only the second time in their
best World Cup showing outside their triumph at friendly Wembley
Stadium in 1966. Indeed, England's performance after the group
stage was one of the few highlights as the standard of World Cup
finals football sank to new depths with most of the teams bent on
negative and defensive play calculated to avoid a loss rather than
to win.
 While
England played much better than expected, they had a great deal of good
fortune along the way, and it is fair to say determination and opportunism,
more than anything else, took them to the brink of the final match.
Only last-gasp efforts got them by
Belgium and
Cameroon in
round-of-16 and quarterfinal matches which saw them largely outplayed.
Belgium hit the woodwork twice and made many more chances, although a John
Barnes goal was disallowed on a plainly mistaken offside call. David
Platt's extraordinary swivelled volley from a Paul Gascoigne free kick in
the last minute of extra time sent England through to the quarterfinals.
Cameroon
shocked England and had them on the run, and only the African team's clumsy
and naive defending prevented an upset. Gary Lineker's penalty kick
only seven minutes from the end of regulation time saved England from
elimination, and his second penalty kick during extra-time put them in the
semi-finals.
England
saved their best for their old rivals, West Germany, and did well to take
the semi-final to penalty kicks in their third successive extra-time match.
West Germany's regulation-time goal--a crazy looping hop over stranded
goalkeeper Peter Shilton after Andreas Brehme's shot from a free kick tap-on
struck advancing defender Paul Parker--was lucky, while Lineker's equalizer
10 minutes from the end of regulation time was well-taken. Both teams
hit the woodwork in extra time. Yet on the whole, the Germans enjoyed
the greater part of the play, and the stronger team advanced to the final.
Still
suffering from their cruel semi-final exits on penalty kicks, both England
and
Italy treated
the third-place match rather casually, perhaps because it could furnish no
consolation at all. Although Italy deserved their 2-1 victory, England
deserved the warm welcome they got on reaching home, their stock
considerably higher than on their departure a month earlier.
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