March 31, 1988

USSR 4-Argentina 2

The Four Nations Easter Tournament

Venue: Berlin- Olympiastadion, West Germany

Attendance: 17,000

Referee: Joel Quiniou (France)

Goalscorers: (USSR): Zavarov 14, Litovchenko 15, Protasov 62, 79pen

(Argentina) : Troglio 18, Maradona 67

Lineups:

USSR:

1-Rinat Fayzrahmanovich Dassayev (Spartak Moskva) [74 caps / 0 goals]

3-Sergey Pavlovich Baltacha (Dinamo Kiev) [42 caps / 2 goals]

2-Vladimir Vassilievich Bessonov (Dinamo Kiev) [65 caps / 3 goals]

4-Oleg Vladimirovich Kuznetsov (Dinamo Kiev) [23 caps / 0 goals]

5-Anatoli Vassilievich Demianenko (Dinamo Kiev) [62 caps / 5 goals]

8-Gennadi Vladimirovich Litovchenko (Dinamo Kiev) [29 caps / 7 goals] (13-Sergei Anatoliyevich Gotsmanov (Dinamo Minsk) 84) [24 caps / 2 goals]

7-Tengiz Grigoriyevich Sulakvelidze (Dinamo Tblissi) [44 caps / 2 goals] (14-Pavel Aleksandrovich Yakovenko (Dinamo Kiev) [17 caps / 1 goals] 72)

6-Vasili Karlovich Rats (Dinamo Kiev) [20 caps / 2 goals]

9-Alexander Anatolyevich Zavarov (Dinamo Kiev) [21 caps / 4 goals]

10-Oleg Valeriyevich Protasov (Dinamo Kiev) [32 caps / 17 goals]

11-Igor Ivanovich Belanov (Dinamo Kiev) [21 caps / 8 goals] (15-Viktor Vassilievich Pasulko (Spartak Moskva) [3 caps / 0 goals] 75)

Coach: Yuri Morozov (standing in for Valeri Vasilevich Lobanovsky)

Booked: Yakovenko 75

Other Subs:

12-Viacheslavas Vassilievich Sukristovas (Zhalgris Vilnius)

16-Viktor Viktorovich Chanov (Dinamo Kiev)

Team Captain: Rinat Fayzrahmanovich Dassayev

Official Kit Adidas

Uniform Colors: Red Shirts, White Shorts and Red Socks.

Argentina:

1-Nery Alberto Pumpido (Club Atlético River Plate- Buenos Aires) [24 caps / 0 goals]

6-Oscar Alfredo Ruggeri (Club Atlético River Plate- Buenos Aires) [34 caps / 3 goals]

3-Jose Luis Brown (Real Murcia Club de Fútbol / Spain) [29 caps / 1 goals] (15-Oscar Alfredo Garre (Club Ferrocarril Oeste-Buenos Aires) [39 caps / 0 goals] 53)

9-José Luis Cuciuffo (Club Atlético Boca Juniors -Buenos Aires) [15 caps / 0 goals]

7-Roberto Nestor Sensini (Club Atlético Newell´s Old Boys –Rosario) [2 caps / 0 goals]

4-Hernan Edgardo Diaz (Club Atlético Rosario Central-Rosario) [5 caps / 0 goals]

5-Ricardo Omar Giusti (Club Atlético Independiente Avellaneda) [39 caps / 0 goals]

16-Julio Jorge Olarticoechea (Asociacion Atletica Argentinos Juniors- Buenos Aires) [18 caps / 0 goals] (14-Nestor Rolando Clausen (Club Atlético Independiente Avellaneda) [20 caps / 1 goals] 46)

11-Claudio Paul Caniggia (Club Atlético River Plate- Buenos Aires) [7 caps / 2 goals]

8-Pedro Antonio Troglio (Club Atlético River Plate- Buenos Aires) [2 caps / 1 goals]

10- Diego Armando Maradona (Societa Sportiva Calcio Napoli / Italy) [61 caps / 31 goals]

Coach : Carlos Salvador Bilardo

Other Subs:

12-Luis Alberto Islas (Club Atlético Independiente Avellaneda)

17-Oscar Alberto Dertycia (Asociacion Atletica Argentinos Juniors- Buenos Aires)

2- Sergio Daniel Batista (Asociacion Atletica Argentinos Juniors- Buenos Aires)

Team Captain: Diego Armando Maradona

Official Kit Supplier/Designer: Le Coq Sportif

Uniform Colors: Light Blue/White Striped Shirts, Black Shorts and White Socks

Notes:

-Match number 334 for USSR and number 595 for Argentina.

- This match was played in a neutral venue in Berlin, Germany as part of the The Four Nations Easter Tournament (Berlin Easter Tournament). The other participants were the hosts West Germany and Sweden.

On the same day West Germany and Sweden played to a 1-1 tie.

- This was Argentina’s first strip to Europe since June 1987, when they played Italy at a neutral venue in Zurich, Switzerland.

-Julio Olarticochea replaced Batista in the starting lineup, just prior to kickoff

-Argentinian Maradona scored from a free kick. Pedro Troglio scored his first goal for Argentina.

-On March 30, 1988, USSR officials announced that manager Valery Lobanovsky is ill and will miss the Berlin Tournament. The squad will be led by Yuri Morozov.

-USSR was awarded the penalty kick after Zavarov was fouled by Sensini in the box.

-USSR manager Valeri Lobanovky (though absent for this match) was concurrently the coach of Dynamo Kiev.

He, along Argentina manager Bilardo coached two national teams in their career.

Lobanovsky managed USSR and Ukraine, while Bilardo managed Colombia and Argentina.

Photo : from Mondial, June 1988

-Diego Maradona and Jose Luis Brown were the only foreign based players on the Argentina team. All of the soviet players were home based.

-The last match between the two nations was on April 4, 1982 at Buenos Aires (1-1 tie). Maradona was the only Argentina player who was involved in that match. The soviets Dassayev, Sulakvelidze, Baltacha and Demianenko played in that match.

-The next match between the two nations would occur at June 13, 1990 at the World Cup, with Argentina winning 2-0. Pedro Troglio would again score in that match.

The following Argentinian players would also play in that match: Nery Pumpido, Sergio Batista (though he remained on the bench for the 1988 match), Claudio Caniggia, Diego Maradona, Julio Olarticoechea and Pedro Troglio. Pumpido’s international career would end in this match as he broke his arm and never played for Argentina again.

The soviets that would play in that match would be: Vladimir Bessonov, Oleg Kuznetsov, Alexander Zavarov, Oleg Protasov and Gennadi Litovchenko.

Rinat Dassayev would be a substitute in this match.

Photo : from Mondial, June 1988

-The soviet Pasulko would manage Moldova, while both Maradona and Batista would become managers of Argentina.

-Both goalkeepers would play for cross-town rivals in Seville, Spain. Dassayev for FC Sevilla and Pumpido for Betis.

-Both captains Maradona and Dassayev would be FC Sevilla players.

-Argentina’s last win over the USSR was on 1-0 win in Kiev on March 20, 1976.

-Argentina had not conceded 4 goals in a match since losing to Yugoslavia 2-4 on September 16, 1979.

They would once again concede 4 goals, on July 14, 1988 to Australia during the Bicentennial Gold Cup.

These were Argentina’s heaviest defeats under manager Bialrdo.

-Argentina’s last win on European soil was on September 12, 1984 when they defeated West Germany 3-1 in Dusseldorf. Argentina did defeat Israel 7-2 on May 4, 1986, though at the time Israel was not considered a European nation.

-Argentina would not win again on European soil until the June 13. 1990 World Cup match with USSR. Once again they did defeat Israel on May 22, 1990, but Israel was not considered part of Europe.