Soccer World Cup History: 1974 World Cup Germany

Number of participating teams: 16

Top scorer: Poland’s Grzegorz Lato (7 goals

Number of games: 38

Total goals scored: 97

Average goals per game: 2.55

Highest scoring game: Yugoslavia’s 9-0 win over Zaire on June 18

Total attendance: 1,744,022

Average attendance: 46,685

TOURNAMENT FORMAT

With a new era came a new format. The 16-team field was still divided into four groups, but this time a second group stage replaced the knockout quarterfinal round: the top two teams in each group would then be placed into two groups of four with the winners meeting in the final.

THE FINAL

West Germany vs. the Netherlands was the match that everybody wanted to see, the two celebrated practitioners of “Total Football” going head-to-head. The Netherlands had Germany running ragged from the opening kickoff. After an amazing first minute where the Germans didn’t even touch the ball, Cruyff began a purposeful and ambitious run deep inside Germany’s end. Cruyff left Berti Vogts for dead and the German defender brought the Dutch stylist down inside the penalty area. Johan Neeskens converted the ensuing penalty kick and the Netherlands were up 1-0 after only two minutes.

For the next 20 minutes, the Dutch toyed with their opponents, mocking the Germans with their slick passes and insolent possession, making them chase the ball in vain. The message was clear from Cruyff and his cohorts: merely beating the Germans wasn’t enough, they wanted to humiliate them.

Germany, to its credit, did not lose faith, and marshalled by Beckenbauer they fought back and made the Netherlands pay for their indulgence. Bernd Holzenbein breezed down the left wing and glided into the penalty area where he was tripped by Wim Jansen. English referee Jack Taylor pointed to the penalty spot, but the Dutch accused the German winger of diving. No matter, though, as Paul Breitner drilled the ball past Jan Jongbloed in the 25th minute. The tide had turned.

Two minutes before halftime Germany’s Rainer Bonhof sped down the right side before delivering a cross into the box. Always in the right place at the right time, Gerd Muller dragged the ball back into his path and swept it past the Dutch goalkeeper.

Their pride stung, the Netherlands came out firing in the second half, but as time passed, Cruyff became less and less of a factor, his influence stifled by Vogts, and the Dutch had no more answers for the steely German defence. Germany eventually won and Beckenbauer, who had lost the 1966 final and a heartbreaking semifinal four years earlier against the Italians, lifted the new World Cup trophy.

Group 1