World Cup Stories-Part 3 (The Third World Cup 1938)-part j

II. Quarterfinals: June 12^th, 14^th, 1938 (Continued)

Hungary 2-Switzerland 0

-Hungary and Switzerland faced one another, on Sunday, June 12^th, 1938, at Lille’s ‘Stade Victor Boucquey’ at 17:00 PM.

-The Swiss were missing the injured Captain Severino Minelli and Georges Aeby.

Abegglen captained in Minelli’s absence (in some sources August Lehmann was referred as the Captain).

Photo From: IFFHS, Schweiz,Suisse, Svizzera (1905-1940)

(June 12, 1938, World Cup, Hungary 2-Switzerland 0)

-The Hungarian Manager Dr. Karoly Dietz had promised to walk back to Budapest had Hungary lost.

-Hungary took the lead in the 40^th minute through Captain Gyorgy Sarosi.

Sarosi had crossed into the box, Ernest Lörtscher and Gyula Zsengeller battled for the ball. Swiss goalkeeper Willy Huber fell and Sarosi took advantage to score.

Gyula Zsengeller scored Hungary’s second goal just before the end from a pass from Kohut (or Sas in another source).

In some sources Gyula Zsengeller is credited with both goals.

Photo From: III Fussballweltmeisterschaft 1938 Frankreich, Author Robert Franta

(June 12, 1938, World Cup, Hungary 2-Switzerland 0)

Photo From: L'Auto, Issue 13688, June 12, 1938

(Team formations, June 12, 1938, World Cup, Hungary 2-Switzerland 0)

-The takeaway from this match was that for the Swiss the replay with Germany had tired the players out.

In addition, key players such as Minelli and Aeby were injured in the replay. Adolf Stelzer and Tulio Grassi replaced them in the lineup.

The Hungarians were technically superior.

Abegglen felt “Without these heavy games a few days before, we had defeated the Hungarians,"

Eugène Walaschek also echoed that sentiment by saying that “the two matches vs. Germany tired us out. Despite the all the encouragement that we received through letters and telegrammes, we did not have the strength to defend our chances against Hungary that we might have otherwise. I am convinced that had we been properly rested in the quarterfinal, we could have won the match because the Hungarians were certainly not as strong as the Germans”.

Upon retur­ning home, Karl Rappan resigned as National Team Manager of Switzerland, as a protest against the overcrowded league calendar that he felt had distur­bed the World Cup preparations.

Rappan’s system was based on a defensive system, which have rise to the Catenaccio.

Photo From: Le Miroir Des Sports, Issue 1007, June 14, 1938

(June 12, 1938, World Cup, Hungary 2-Switzerland 0)

Photo From: Le Miroir Des Sports, Issue 1007, June 14, 1938

(June 12, 1938, World Cup, Hungary 2-Switzerland 0)

Sweden 8-Cuba 0

-Sweden and Cuba faced one another, on Sunday, June 12^th, 1938, at Antibes’ ‘Stade du Fort Carré’ at 17:00 PM.

-The Swedes had directly acceded to the quarterfinals following Austria’s withdrawal.

They traveled by plane from Malmo to Paris to Antibes.

Photo From: L'Auto, Issue 13687, June 11, 1938

(Team formations, June 12, 1938, World Cup, Sweden 8-Cuba 0)

-Swedish debutant Harry Andersson opened the scoring in the 9^th minute.

Swedish goalkeeper Henock Abrahamsson (earning his first cap) saved a penalty kick by Tomas Fernandez in the 42^nd minute. On the counterattack following this save, Gustav Wetterström scored for Sweden.

-The sequence of goals in the most accurate sources is as follows:

Harry Andersson 9^th, 81^st, 89^th, Gustav Wetterström 22^nd, 37^th,  44^th, Tore Keller 80^th, Arne Nyberg 84^th

Photo From: Coupe Du Monde 1938-La Coupe du Monde Oubliee, Author Victor Sinet

(June 12, 1938, World Cup, Sweden 8-Cuba 0)

-The Takeaway from this match that it was a mismatch between a more experienced (and well rested) European against an inexperienced and tired Central American side that had ran out of steam.

Various sources show different sequence for the goalscorers. Gustav Wetterström is shown to have scored four goals instead of three in older sources.

The physical strain on the Cubans was reflected as they gave up four goals in the last ten minutes.

It has been reported in one source that on their way back, through New York City, the Cubans watches boxer Joe Louis knock out Max Schmeling.

French journalist, Emmanuel Gambardella, closed his typewriter with the words: "Up to five goals, it's the journalism, beyond that it becomes statistics." 

  

Photo From: L’Equipe-La Coupe Du Monde, Volume 1, 1930-1970

(June 12, 1938, World Cup, Sweden 8-Cuba 0)

June 14^th, 1938

Brazil 2-Czechoslovakia 1

-Brazil and Czechoslovakia faced one another for their replay, on Tuesday, June 14^th, 1938, at Bordeaux’s ‘Parc de Lescure’ at 18:00 PM.

-Brazil were missing the suspended Zezé Procópio and Machado II.

They played with virtually a different side. Nine players were changed and only Leonidas and goalkeeper Walter remained in the side from the first match.

Apart from Zezé Procópio and Machado II, Domingos Da Guia, Martim, Afonsinho, Lopes, Romeu, Peracio and Hercules would miss the replay.

In their place came: Jau, Nariz, Britto, Brandao, Argemiro, Roberto, Luiziznho, Tim and Patesko.

Czechoslovakia were missing the suspended Jan Riha.

They were also missing injured goalkeeper and Captain Frantisek Planicka. Karel Burkert would start in goal.

Apart from Jan Riha, Ladislav Šimůnek, Oldřich Nejedlý and Antonín Puč also missed the replay.

In their place came: Vilem Kreuz, Vaclav Horak, Karel Senecký and Oldřich Rulc.

Photo From: Fussball Sonntag, June 19, 1938

(Brazil squad, June 14, 1938, World Cup, Brazil 2-Czechoslovakia 1)

- Vlastimil Kopecký gave Czechoslovakia the lead in the 25^th minute from a pass by Kostalek.

Leonidas tied the match for Brazil in the 57^th minute.

Roberto scored Brazil’s winner in the 62^nd minute from a cross by Leonidas.

An effort by Karel Senecký appeared to have crossed the line before Walter had picked it up, but the referee did not validate it.

Photo From: Coupe Du Monde 1938-La Coupe du Monde Oubliee, Author Victor Sinet

(June 14, 1938, World Cup, Brazil 2-Czechoslovakia 1)

-The Takeaway from this match was that both teams had been drastically changed due to injuries and suspensions and therefore it was not the strongest of either team.

However, Brazil had fresher and better alternatives than the Czechs whose 1934 backbone of Planicka (in the hospital), Nejedly and Puc was in no physical shape to play this replay two days later.

The Czechs attacked in the first half, with the Brazilians fighting back in the second half.

It was also not a violent match like the first encounter and there was a calmer atmosphere.

Tim made his debut for Brazil in the World Cup and impressed observers.

Brazil’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Gustavo Capanema, sent a telegram to France greeting the "invincible fighters".

The CBD, also by telegram, called the athletes "brave legionaries." The federal governor in the state of Rio, Commander Amaral Peixoto, issued a note promoting the scorer of the second Brazilian goal, Roberto, as the deputy chief of the Niteroi Special Police, a body that Roberto was affiliated to.

-The next day while in train station waiting to go to Marseille, the Brazilian players started juggling the ball in the train station with the observers fascinated how they managed to bounce the ball around without it touching the ground.