World Cup Stories-Part Two (Czechoslovakia at the 1990 World Cup-part b Preparations ahead of the World Cup)- an Interview with Mr. Joachim Aasan of @1990qual, http://italia1990.com)

 

This is the continuation, part b, of the interview with Mr. Aasan @1990qual regarding Czechoslovakia during the 1990 World Cup. This interview deals with the Preparation phase.

The Interview will be divided in three parts, part a (World Cup Qualifiers), part b (Preparations ahead of the World Cup) and part c (World Cup Finals)

Questions and Analysis: 

 

The Interviewee is:

Mr. Joachim Aasan

 

Mr. Aasan’s contact info:

On Twitter: @1990qual

Website: http://italia1990.com

Part b-Preparations ahead of the World Cup:

 

Soccernostalgia Question: After the qualification phase, Michael Bilek was regarded as Czechoslovakia’s star after his two goals vs. Portugal. Can you talk about him and his performances in the qualifiers?

 

Mr. Joachim Aasan @1990qual response: Michal Bílek was 23 at the start of the qualification. He was already emerging as a key figure in the Sparta team. They had just won their second successive domestic title, the fourth in five seasons, and through the benefit of hindsight, we know that they'd go on and win the next three Czechoslovakian league titles as well. Alas, they'd not make a great impact in the European club competitions, so the national team remained the main stage for domestic players to exhibit themselves. One of Bílek's strengths was that he was capable of playing in various positions. Since Vengloš was rarely shy to stir things up a bit formations wise, Bílek's versatility meant he would be shifted around from one position to another. Perhaps did he seem at his most potent when he was featuring along the left hand side in Vengloš' 3-5-2, despite the fact that he was predominantly a right-footed player? His strength probably was coming forward, as he would from time to time be exposed defensively. Despite a fairly modest size, Bílek would infrequently pop up with occasional headers such as the one which he powered home from distance during the 4-0 win over Luxembourg. He also knew how to strike a free-kick, and his total return of four qualification goals saw him top the internal charts along with Skuhravý. You mentioned his twin strike against Portugal, and the way he won it for the hosts through his free-kick in the latter stages was stunning. It was such a huge two points.

 

Photo From: Soccer International, Issue 4, April 1990

(Michal Bilek)

Soccernostalgia Question: When the World Cup draw was made, Czechoslovakia were paired with hosts Italy, Austria and USA? How did they view their chances?

Mr. Joachim Aasan @1990qual response: It is fair to say that they remained with an optimistic point of view regarding their chances. Vengloš' aim was the quarter-finals. He admitted in the wake of the qualification that they were not yet quite where he wanted them to be, but that they were working on their weaknesses. His emphasis was on a solid defensive, with his team being a physically, well-organized unit which was hard to break down. This would limit their attacking freedom somewhat, but he said they would continue to work on these things in the months prior to the start of the tournament. Therefore, the manager said, had they chosen a tough-looking schedule of friendlies in the run-up to the World Cup, with Spain, England and West Germany all providing opposition.

 

Soccernostalgia Question: In this new year and during the preparation phase, there was a positive atmosphere with the new freedoms. How did this new political situation affect the team? 

Mr. Joachim Aasan @1990qual response: Certainly, there was. The new levels of freedom within the realms of the country gave everyone a lift, and this was something which the football select drew advantage from. In Bílek's words: "In the past I've been a little ashamed to wear my country's jersey, but at the World Cup we'll be the ambassadors of a free and democratic Czechoslovakia. We will seek to seduce and to give the world the same positive image as (the new president) Václav Havel." The midfielder's words were mirrored by assistant manager Václav Ježek, who pointed out that "after forty years of living in obscurity, we're all now trying to take in what it is like to live free." Ježek, incidentally, was the only coach at national team level never to have been a member of the communist party. This had even led to his phone being surveilled. There is little doubt that they were all appreciating their new lease of life.

 

Soccernostalgia Question: There were opposition from within the Federation as well as some players when the possibility to re-integrate Kubik and Knofilcek was discussed. Can you discuss the reasons for the antagonism towards the pair? 

Mr. Joachim Aasan @1990qual response: Well, that is true, and predominantly the players' reluctance to accept the pair back into the mix stemmed from the fact that Knoflíček and Kubík had obviously not taken part in the qualification. It should also be remembered that the core of the team consisted of Sparta Prague players, and the pair which had defected had been Slavia's assets at the time. It does not sound unreasonable from the national team players' point of view that those who had worked together in order to accomplish qualification should also be the ones to test themselves at the global stage, although Knoflíček and Kubík both were of such a calibre that it would be foolish to ignore their talent. In fact, it had been Ivan Hašek who had announced in a speech to the national team squad that everyone ought to accept the pair's return. The captain was an influental man, and the squad would ultimately concord and welcome Knoflíček and Kubík back.

 

Photo From: Guerin Sportivo, No 24 (799), June 13-19,1990

(Ivo Knofilcek)

Soccernostalgia Question: The friendly vs. England in April 1990 is historically looked upon as the match where Paul Gascoigne made England’s World Cup team. However, from a Czechoslovakian perspective, this was the match where Kubik and Knofilcek used the chance given to them to convince Venglos to gain back their place in the team. Can you talk about their performances and the rest of the team’s reaction?

Mr. Joachim Aasan @1990qual response: Well, it was odd to see the Czechoslovakian team so defensively ill disciplined. While they'd only conceded thrice from eight qualifiers, they failed to secure their final third of the pitch on this occasion. Admittedly, they did line up with a slightly changed outlook, with players coming in for regulars, and indeed key performers missing such as goalkeeper Jan Stejskal and libero/central midfield man Jozef Chovanec not travelling from the Netherlands. Czechoslovakia's rear guard had looked solid throughout the qualification, often in a back four. On this occasion, Vengloš had gone for five at the back, with Kocian working as a spare man behind man-markers Straka (Bull) and Kinier (Lineker). Fair to say it was no great success, and to see the experienced Straka fail to handle a novice at international level such as Steve Bull was quite odd. The latter scored two, should've had a hat-trick, and wasted even further opportunities. Straka's misery was compounded by the fact that he injured himself by landing awkwardly after a challenge, and had to come off for Kadlec. With the pair of returning players in Kubík and Knoflíček restored to the side, the management team obviously now had further assets to draw competence from. Individually, Kubík looked sound in his central role among three midfielders, always composed in possession and sound in delivery, although he did have vast spaces to cover defensively, and was a bit run ragged. Alongside him in midfield were skipper Hašek and the delicate Moravčík, and neither were particularly keen to tuck inside and aid Kubík in his attempt at controlling the engine room. The now Fiorentina man did have a couple of decent attempts at goal in the first half, as his left foot was often a threat, and he did eventually dispatch a free-kick into the back of the net for his comeback goal late on. Definitely a worthy return to the national team. As for Knoflíček, he was distinctly less visible, although he did look to make runs into either channel, often providing the more wide option for central striker Skuhravý, and it must indeed be said that he did assist the latter for the opening goal. Against strong English defenders, though, Knoflíček probably didn't hold the ball up as well as he would've hoped. He got subbed for Griga on the hour, which could well have been pre-meditated. An average performance by the wily forward. Did their return upset the team's rhythm in any way? It is difficult to assess the team's perfomance in a game which probably mattered more to the opponents in terms of English players wishing to put on a display, though Kubík's quality was there for everyone to see. Now it would be about just how Vengloš and Ježek could implement the pair to fit with the rest of the team.

 

Photo From: Guerin Sportivo, No 24 (803), June 13-19,1990

(April 25, 1990, England 4-Czechoslovakia 2)

Soccernostalgia Question: Ahead of the World Cup, Bilek, Chovanec, Kubik and Knofilcek were the better-known Czechoslovakian players, while Tomas Skuhravy was very much under the radar. In fact, much of the talk was problems in attack where Skuhravy and Luhovy were seen as inconsistent. Is this why perhaps a striker like Knofilcek seen as a necessity?

Mr. Joachim Aasan @1990qual response: A World Cup squad consisted of 22 players at the time, and any team would need to bring enough strength in depth to be able to compete at the desired level. Skuhravý and Luhový were both based domestically, and although they were fine strikers, with the former particularly making a name for himself through his four goals in the qualification, it did take a whole lot to be successful at the very highest level. The way Czechoslovakia were set up to play, with a focus on being strong defensively, and perhaps relying on their strikers to try and hold the ball up in order to bring others into play, running into the channels and so on, any strong addition to the squad, such as a proven forward at international level in Knoflíček, was welcome. Add Griga to the mix, and they now looked to have four strikers who were all looking to claim a place in the starting eleven.

 

Photo From: Soccer America, Vol. 38, No. 7, Issue 948, February 22, 1990

(Tomas Skuhravy)

Soccernostalgia Question: When Kubik returned, he was placed on the left side of the midfield and Moravcik moved to the right. How was this tactical switch perceived during the World Cup?

Mr. Joachim Aasan @1990qual response: When Kubík (and Knoflíček) returned, Czechoslovakia only had two friendlies left to play until the start of the World Cup. There seemed to be a race against time for Vengloš to successfully allocate the pair into the starting eleven, so perhaps would there not necessarily be a starting berth for both once they embarked on the finals? Kubík had come into the side as the central midfielder in their 5-3-2 at Wembley, and in the final friendly, away to West Germany towards the end of May, the formation remained the same, although with Czechoslovakia able to call on all of their best players, Kubík had to make do with operating to the left of central midfielder Jozef Chovanec, with the numbers combination once again being a 5-3-2. Moravčík, on this occasion, was working up front in tandem with Skuhravý, who certainly did seem to be Vengloš' first choice up top. Knoflíček and Luhový would both come on after the break. There were various players in the squad who were capable of performing in several positions. This could also be seen as something of an asset to the Czechoslovakians, although perhaps at the same time did it mean that it was difficult for Vengloš to pinpoint his ideal starting eleven? Of course, he could also change his starting personnel around with a view to counter the opposition's strengths.

 

Photo From: Guerin Sportivo, No 24 (799), June 13-19,1990

(Lubomir Moravcik)