Uruguay Team

England Team

After an extra representative match against a Mexico XI had given England more valuable experience of the conditions, and a 4-0 victory, the squad moved on for this game in Uruguay. The venue was the Centenario stadium which was also the venue for the very first World Cup Final, held in 1930. It was England's second visit, having been beaten here in 1953. This time, though, England performed heroically and registered a famous victory.

They began the game brilliantly and scored an early goal through Francis Lee. It was just the start they needed and in the first half especially, they played some delightful football. The pitch was very poor but the England side, superbly marshalled by Bobby Moore, looked in total command for long spells. Brian Labone's strong tackling and the tireless running of Colin Bell and Alan Ball kept the possession England's, whilst up-front Lee was sharp and penetrating.

The pitch cut up badly during the half and although the sub shone, conditions underfoot deteriorated rapidly. However, England comfortably held their lead at the interval.

When the teams re-emerged after the break, the Uruguayan crowd whipped up a frenzy of excitement as their team improved at the start of the second half. They equalized early on and the crowd went wild with delight. The goal came from a free-kick, not the first given against the visitors. This time Tommy Wright was penalised after a tackle on the tricky Morales. Mujica took the free-kick on the left and Cubilla was 'on the spot' to head past Gordon Banks.

For half an hour England had worked very hard to protect their lead but the equalizer had given Uruguay new confidence and now the South Americans were in command. Moore and his men 'worked overtime' to repel their eager attack and during this spell it looked 'odds-on' a home victory. But this England side were never more damgerous than when 'under the cosh' and that was just how it proved. With ten minutes to go they scored a magnificent goal to win the match.

From deep in defence the ball moved swiftly to Bell. The Manchester City man was 'running his heart out' and he continued the move with a pass to Ball. The red-haired 'terrier' from Everton then 'fed' Lee, who was sprinting down the right. Over came the cross and there, 'steaming' in. was Geoff Hurst who hit a tremendous volley wide of Maidana. It was a 'copybook' goal and it stunned the crowd into silence.

England remained calm and in control through the last few minutes to clinch a super win made all the sweeter by the standing ovation they received as they left the field. It was a terrific performance.
  

Gordon Banks, back in the England goal following a round-trip home to England for the funeral of his father, had to be at his best to keep out the Uruguay attack after Francis Lee had scored an early goal. Banks was beaten by a diving header from the exceptional Luis Cubilla, before Hurst collected the winner ten minutes from the end following neat approach work by Ball and Lee. The game was played in the Centenario Stadium, the venue for the first World Cup final in 1930. 

Source Notes

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