Following the end of the 1990 World Cup, it seemed like Diego Maradona had finished off with International Football. In fact, any National Team comeback was not even in the discussion as he received a Drugs ban in 1991 and suspended for more than a year.
In the meantime, new
National Team Manager Alfio Basile had built a team around the goalscoring
talents of Gabriel Batistuta and featuring the likes of Diego Simeone, Leonardo
Rodriguez, and Dario Franco, among others.
Captain Oscar Ruggeri (Captain
in Maradona’s absence) and Claudio Caniggia (prior to his own drugs ban in
1993) provided the experience in this young team.
Basile’s side, in
Maradona’s absence, had been so successful that they had won the 1991 and 1993
editions of Copa America and were on an undefeated run since the end of the
1990 World Cup.
_439x600.jpg) |
Photo From: World
Soccer, July 1991
|
(Alfio Basile) |
Following his suspension,
Maradona joined Spanish side Sevilla in 1992. He was recalled for two prestige
friendlies in early 1993. The Argentine Federation Centenary match vs. Brazil
and the Artemio Franchi Cup vs. European Champions Denmark.
A few months later,
Sevilla sacked Maradona after many breaches in discipline. At this point
Maradona seemed lost to Football.
Maradona was beset by personal
problems, disinterested by the game, and headed for retirement.
The National Team seemed
just fine without him as it started the 1994 World Cup qualifiers in the summer
and fall of 1993.
However, after nearly
three years of success, the first cracks would appear in Basile’s Argentina.
While Paraguay and Peru
were not obstacles in Argentina’s Group, Pacho Maturana’s Colombia were
something else.
Since 1987, this Colombia
Generation led by Carlos Valderrama had been improving year by year and had
qualified for the 1990 World Cup. By now they were further strengthened with
the new star of South American Football, Faustino Asprilla.
Colombia defeated
Argentina (2-1), thus ending Basile’s long unbeaten run. This was Argentina’s
first loss since the 1990 World Cup Final.
All was not lost, and
Argentina had to defeat Colombia at home on September 5th, 1993, to
qualify for the World Cup. Given Argentina’s form in the last couple of years
this was not beyond them, and everyone expected a win at home to establish the
natural order of things and book its place at the World Cup.
We all know what happened
next. The spectacle was all from the Colombian end as Argentina imploded and
defeated (0-5).
 |
Photo From: El
Grafico, Issue 3857, 1993
|
(September 5, 1993, World
Cup Qualifier, Argentina 0-Colombia 5) |
Argentina still had one
more opportunity to qualify. They had to face the Oceania region winner,
Australia in a home and away play-off series.
The present squad was
more than capable of such a task, but panic had set in. There was now a clamor
for Diego Maradona’s recall to rescue his Nation.
In the meantime, he had
joined Argentine side Newell’s Old Boys to regain his fitness. Prior to the
first match vs. Australia, he had played a friendly and one League match.
On September 23rd,
1993, Basile in a radio program with Maradona, promised he would pick him vs.
Australia if he proved his fitness.
Maradona came back to
help his Nation, as a World Cup without Argentina was unthinkable.
Basile also made some
changes to the squad ahead of the matches vs. Australia. Ricardo Altamirano,
Leonardo Rodriguez, Gustavo Zapata, and Ramon Medina Bello were made to be
scapegoats and dropped.
Apart from Maradona,
Basile recalled Sergio Vazquez in defense and called up uncapped defensive pair
José Chamot and Carlos Mac Allister.
In midfield, the uncapped
Hugo Leonardo Perez was also called up, while upfront, Abel Balbo was recalled.
Basile maintained Sergio
Goycoechea in goal and Ruggeri, Redondo, Simeone and Batistuta (Though Ruggeri
and Simeone were absent in the first leg).
While facing Australia
seemed like a lifeline for the Argentines, this was not the Australia of the
past.
By the 1990s, they had
many players plying their trade in Europe. These included Frank Farina, Ned
Zelic and Robbie Slater among others.
For
the first leg, this changed Argentina side traveled to Sydney to face the
Australians on October 31st, 1993.
Both
Maradona and Balbo justified their recall, with the Roma striker heading in
Maradona’s cross for the opener.
Australia
would pull a goal back through Aurelio Vidmar just before halftime.
The
match ended as a (1-1) tie, with the advantage to the Argentines as the away
team.
_798x439.jpg) |
Photo From: World
Soccer, December 1993
|
(October 31, 1993, World
Cup Qualifier, Australia 1-Argentina 1) |
 |
Photo From: El Grafico,
Issue 3865, 1993
|
(October 31, 1993, World
Cup Qualifier, Australia 1-Argentina 1) |
The return leg was two weeks later at the ‘El Monumental’ on November 17th. Oscar Ruggeri and Diego Simeone were back for Argentina (in place of Borelli and Basualdo) with the rest of the team unchanged from the first leg.
Argentina
defeated Australia (1-0) to book its ticket for USA. In the 58th
minute, Batistuta’s cross from a narrow angle was deflected into the net.
Argentina
avoided the humiliation of non-qualification for a World Cup (for the first
time since 1970).
 |
Photo From: Onze-Mondial,
Issue 65, June 1994
|
(November 17, 1993, World
Cup Qualifier, Australia 1-Argentina 1) |
_1196x2432.jpg) |
Photo From: Onze-Mondial, Issue 60, January 1994
|
(November 17, 1993, World
Cup Qualifier, Australia 1-Argentina 1) |
Maradona
was now part of the Team for the World Cup, along with Balbo. Claudio
Caniggia’s suspension was due to end just in time before the World Cup.
The
story would not have a happy ending as Maradona would once again be involved in
a Drugs scandal at the World Cup.
Alfio
Basile would be on his way out in following the failure at the World Cup.
It
is open to conjecture whether Maradona would have even been called up without
the disaster vs. Colombia.
In
any case, this was an aged Maradona and not the player in the 80s.
Perhaps,
Basile should have kept faith with the team he had built but was forced to
include Maradona after he had stepped up when needed.
Following
the World Cup, Daniel Alberto Passarella was appointed as Manager and that is
another story.
Questions
and Analysis
I have asked Mr. Esteban Bekerman, Argentinean Journalist, Football History researcher and Professor of Football History, and Mr. Mark Boric, AustralianCritic and Historian, to give their respective perspectives.
Mr. Esteban Bekerman is an Argentina Football Historian and
Journalist-Professor at the ‘Circulo de Periodistas Deportivas y en Taller de
Investigacion Historia sobre Futbol (Circle of Sports Journalists and
Historical Research workshop on Football’.
He is the founder of http://entretiempos.com.ar/ , center of Football Culture that includes production of
magazines, books, workshops, and consulting events.
Mr. Bekerman’s contact info:
Twitter: @egerbek
Twitter: @entretiempos_ar
Website: http://entretiempos.com.ar/
Blog: estebanbekerman.blogpsot.com
Mr. Boric is a resident of Melbourne. He is a Former player and administrator. Blogger and historian. His blog http://melbournesoccer.blogspot.com/ is an archive of Australian Football History.
Mr. Boric’s contact info:
Twitter: @MarkBoric
Blog: http://melbournesoccer.blogspot.com/
Argentine Perspective:
Soccernostalgia Question: Did Alfio Basile himself want to
recall Maradona for the matches vs. Australia or was he forced? Was it more of
a public pressure or mostly from the press to recall Maradona?
Mr. Esteban
Bekerman @egerbek Response: He wanted to call him, but also, he was in a way forced to
do it by the press and the public opinion.
Soccernostalgia Question: Did Maradona show any reticence
for a comeback or was he insistent?
Mr. Esteban
Bekerman @egerbek Response: He didn't show reticence but also wasn't insistent. He
just put himself totally at disposal.
Soccernostalgia Question: Regarding the other newcomers
selected vs. Australia (Chamot, Perez, etc.). were they Basile’s choices or was
there some pressure from Maradona?
Mr. Esteban
Bekerman @egerbek Response: All Basile's choices. No pressure from
Maradona at all.
Soccernostalgia Question: In between the matches, there was
a report that some of the players wanted Oscar Ruggeri to regain the captaincy.
Any truth about this?
Mr. Esteban
Bekerman @egerbek Response: No, with Maradona on the squad it was clear he had to have
the captaincy again.
Soccernostalgia Question: Before the implosion vs.
Colombia, was there an indication that such a disaster was on the horizon or
was it a complete surprise?
Mr. Esteban
Bekerman @egerbek Response: It was a surprise. No one could have imagined
such a catastrophe.
Soccernostalgia Question: Ahead of the matches vs. Australia,
was there confidence or was there some nervousness after what had happened vs.
Colombia?
Mr. Esteban
Bekerman @egerbek Response: There was some nervousness for sure.
Soccernostalgia Question: In closing, given what would
happen with Maradona at the World Cup, do you think Basile would have been
better off to take the side he had built in the last few years without
Maradona?
Mr. Esteban
Bekerman @egerbek Response:No, I think not. In fact, Leo Rodriguez (Maradona's natural
replacement and Basile's first choice before Diego's comeback) had a very poor
performance against Bulgaria. And in my opinion, he never had the quality for
being Argentina's number 10 in a World Cup. Ortega played well against Romania,
but he also couldn't make forgive Maradona by his own.
Australian Perspective:
Soccernostalgia Question: What was the mood among Australians ahead of these matches vs. Argentina?
Mr. Mark Boric @MarkBoric Response: Ahead of the games there was a mood of
excitement, tempered with some trepidation. Excitement because Australian
players were starting to make inroads in Europe and the Socceroos were on the
rise. It was a taste of the big time, it saw soccer reports jumping a few
places in the televsion evening news running order instead of a cursory mention
at the end of it. Facing a team which had won the World Cup less than a decade
prior, with one of the world's greatest ever players returning to it, was quite
the final hurdle though.
Soccernostalgia Question: Australia Manager Eddie Thomson had to appeal for Mark Bosnich to end his International Retirement ahead of these matches. Was there public clamor for his return?
Mr. Mark Boric @MarkBoric Response: Yes, Bosnich had already shown a superstar quality which would have most placing him above Robert Zabica and Mark Schwarzer at that stage.
Soccernostalgia Question: Was there a feeling of unfairness as Australia had to continue with play-offs to qualify for World Cups?
Mr. Mark Boric @MarkBoric Response: A little, but that probably increased more
the in the following World Cup qualification campaign. In 1993 the
"unfairness" was more a lament of "why did it have to be
Argentina?" Maybe because there was the feeling that Australia had let
itself down in the previous attempt in not reaching the Interncontinental
Play-Off, the inequity of the qualification process had yet to brought fully
into focus.
Soccernostalgia Question: Was there some excitement that Maradona would be in Australia?
Mr. Mark Boric @MarkBoric Response: Yes, it was enormous. He was a player who
even those that did not follow the game had heard of. He was a player fans
would stakeout airport and hotel arrivals at all hours to get a glimpse of.
Soccernostalgia Question: At this point there were a considerable number of Australian players in European sides, was there a feeling this generation had a genuine chance to qualify?
Mr. Mark Boric @MarkBoric Response: Yes, it was considered possible without
having to be a version of "The Miracle on Ice". The game was gaining
momentum in Australia and there was positivity in anticipating the future.
Soccernostalgia Question: David Mitchell did not want to be involved in the second after not starting in the first leg. Was his absence felt?
Mr. Mark Boric @MarkBoric Response: Probably not greatly. It was always going to be a stiff task to hold Argentina at their home in the second leg and going about that to remain in the tie for as long as possible would have been foremost ahead of what the striking options were.
Soccernostalgia Question: Any takeaways from these ties from an Australian perspective?
Mr. Mark Boric @MarkBoric Response: The qualification campaigns for the 1978,
1982 and 1990 World Cups were generally seen as failures by Australia to
perform to their best. With 1986 and 1994 the Socceroos played more to their
potential but faced opponents they were not expected to beat. After the games
against Argentina expectations were definitely growing.
Date: October 31, 1993
Competition: FIFA World Cup Qualifier-Playoff, First Leg
Result: Australia 1-Argentina 1
Venue: Sydney- Sydney Football Stadium
Attendance:
43,967
Referee: Sandor Puhl (Hungary)
Linesmen: Sandor Varga and Sandor Marton (both Hungary)
Kick-off
time: 17:30
Goalscorers:
(Australia): Aurelio
Vidmar 43
(Argentina): Abel
Balbo 37
Summary of goals:
0:1 (37th
minute, Argentina): Maradona’s cross from the right side was
headed in by Balbo.
1:1 (43rd
minute, Australia): From the middle, Zelic sent a pass to the
right side, Tony Vidmar’s cross from the right was knocked in by Aurelio
Vidmar.
Lineups:
Australia:
1-Mark
Bosnich (Aston Villa Football Club-Birmingham / England)
12-Milan Ivanovic (Adelaide
City)
5-Alex Tobin (Adelaide
City)
13-Mehmet Durakovic (South Melbourne)
19-Tony Vidmar (Adelaide
City) (7-David Mitchell (Millwall Football Club / England) 72)
10-Jason Van Blerk (Go
Ahead Eagles / Holland)
4-Ned
Zelic (Ballspielverein Borussia Dortmund 1909 e.V. / Germany)
6-Paul Wade (South Melbourne)
11-Robbie
Slater (Racing Club Lens / France)
8-Aurelio Vidmar (Waregem / Belgium)
9-Graham Arnold (FC Liege / Belgium)
Coach: Eddie Thomson (Scotland)
Booked:
Robbie Slater, David Mitchell
Other
Substitutes:
Robert Zabica (Adelaide City)
Dominic Longo
(Cercle Brugge / Belgium)
Stan Lazaridis (West Adelaide)
Jason Polak (South
Melbourne)
Team Captain: Paul Wade
Official Kit Supplier/Designer: Adidas
Uniform Colors: Yellow (Three Green Diagonal
stripes) Shirts, Yellow Shorts, Yellow Socks
Argentina:
1-Sergio Javier Goycochea (Club
Atlético River Plate- Buenos Aires)
2-Jorge Horacio Borelli
(Racing Club de Avellaneda-Avellaneda - Buenos Aires)
6-Sergio Fabian Vázquez
(Club Deportivo Universidad Católica -Santiago / Chile)
14-José Antonio Chamot
(Foggia Calcio / Italy)
3-Carlos Javier Mac
Allister (Club Atlético Boca
Juniors -Buenos Aires)
15-Hugo Leonardo Perez
(Club Atlético Independiente Avellaneda)
5- Fernando Carlos
Redondo Neri (Club Deportivo Tenerife / Spain)
8-José Horacio Basualdo
(Club Atlético Vélez Sársfield -Buenos Aires) (17-Gustavo Miguel Zapata (Yokohoma Marinos / Japan) 70)
10- Diego Armando
Maradona (Club Atlético Newell´s Old Boys –Rosario)
9- Gabriel Omar Batistuta (Associazione Calcio Fiorentina-Firezne /
Italy)
18-Abel Eduardo Balbo (Associazione
Sportiva Roma / Italy) (13-Fernando Gabriel Caceres (Real Zaragoza /
Spain) 89)
Coach: Alfio Ruben Basile
Booked: Diego Armando
Maradona, Carlos Javier Mac Allister, Hugo Leonardo Perez
Other Substitutes:
Luis Alberto Islas (Club Atlético
Independiente Avellaneda)
Leonardo Adrián Rodríguez
(Atalanta Bergamasca Calcio / Italy)
Ramon
Ismael Medina Bello (Club Atlético River Plate- Buenos
Aires)
Team Captain: Diego Armando Maradona
Official Kit Supplier/Designer: Adidas
Uniform Colors: Blue/White vertically striped Shirts, Black Shorts, White Socks
 |
Photo From: El Grafico,
Issue 3865, 1993
|
(October 31, 1993, World
Cup Qualifier, Australia 1-Argentina 1) |
 |
Photo From: El Grafico,
Issue 3865, 1993
|
(October 31, 1993, World
Cup Qualifier, Australia 1-Argentina 1) |
 |
Photo From: El Grafico,
Issue 3865, 1993
|
(October 31, 1993, World
Cup Qualifier, Australia 1-Argentina 1) |
Date: November 17, 1993
Competition: FIFA World Cup Qualifier-Playoff, Second Leg
Result: Argentina 1-Australia 0
Venue: Buenos Aires -Antonio Vespuci Alberti (El
Monumental) (River Plate)
Attendance:
59,768 (67,000 in other sources)
Referee: Peter Mikkelsen (Denmark)
Linesmen: Christensen and Ohmeyr (both Denmark)
Kick-off
time: 21:15
Goalscorers:
(Argentina): (Own Goal) 58
(Australia): None
Summary of goals:
1:0 (58th
minute, Argentina): On the right side, Batistuta attempted a
cross, his shot was deflected by Tobin and lobbed over Zabica.
Lineups:
Argentina:
1-Sergio Javier Goycochea (Club
Atlético River Plate- Buenos Aires)
14-José Antonio Chamot
(Foggia Calcio / Italy)
2-Sergio Fabian Vázquez
(Club Deportivo Universidad Católica -Santiago / Chile)
6- Oscar Alfredo Ruggeri (Club
Deportivo America-Mexico City / Mexico)
3-Carlos Javier Mac
Allister (Club Atlético Boca
Juniors -Buenos Aires)
15-Hugo Leonardo Perez
(Club Atlético Independiente Avellaneda)
5- Fernando Carlos
Redondo Neri (Club Deportivo Tenerife / Spain)
8-Diego Pablo Simeone (Sevilla
Fútbol Club / Spain)
10- Diego Armando
Maradona (Club Atlético Newell´s Old Boys –Rosario)
9- Gabriel Omar Batistuta (Associazione Calcio Fiorentina-Firezne /
Italy)
18-Abel Eduardo Balbo (Associazione
Sportiva Roma / Italy) (20-Gustavo
Miguel Zapata (Yokohoma Marinos / Japan) 70)
Coach: Alfio Ruben Basile
Booked: Oscar Alfredo
Ruggeri, Sergio Fabian Vázquez, Diego Pablo Simeone
Other Substitutes:
Luis Alberto Islas (Club Atlético
Independiente Avellaneda)
Fernando Gabriel Caceres
(Real Zaragoza / Spain)
Leonardo Adrián Rodríguez
(Atalanta Bergamasca Calcio / Italy)
Ramon
Ismael Medina Bello (Club Atlético River Plate- Buenos
Aires)
Team Captain: Diego Armando Maradona
Official Kit Supplier/Designer: Adidas
Uniform Colors: Blue/White vertically striped Shirts, Black Shorts, White Socks
Australia:
20-Robert Zabica (Adelaide City)
12-Milan Ivanovic (Adelaide
City)
5-Alex Tobin (Adelaide
City)
13-Mehmet Durakovic (South Melbourne)
19-Tony Vidmar (Adelaide
City) (17-Carl Veart (Adelaide City) 64)
11-Robbie
Slater (Racing Club Lens / France)
10-Jason Van Blerk (Go
Ahead Eagles / Holland)
6-Paul Wade (South Melbourne)
8-Aurelio Vidmar (Waregem
/ Belgium)
7-Graham Arnold (FC
Liege / Belgium)
9-Frank
Farina (Racing Strasbourg / France)
Coach: Eddie Thomson (Scotland)
Booked: Milan
Ivanovic, Mehmet Durakovic, Aurelio Vidmar
Other
Substitutes:
Mark
Schwarzer (Marconi Stallions)
Dominic Longo
(Cercle Brugge / Belgium)
Stan Lazaridis (West Adelaide)
Jason Polak (South
Melbourne)
Team Captain: Paul Wade
Official Kit Supplier/Designer: Adidas
Uniform Colors: Yellow (Three Green Diagonal stripes) Shirts, Yellow Shorts, Yellow Socks
 |
Photo From: El
Grafico, Issue 3868, 1993
|
(November 17, 1993, World
Cup Qualifier, Australia 1-Argentina 1) |
 |
Photo From: El
Grafico, Issue 3868, 1993
|
(November 17, 1993, World
Cup Qualifier, Australia 1-Argentina 1) |
 |
Photo From: El
Grafico, Issue 3868, 1993
|
(November 17, 1993, World
Cup Qualifier, Australia 1-Argentina 1) |
_843x465.jpg) |
Photo From: Onze-Mondial, Issue 60, January 1994
|
(Argentina squad, November
17, 1993, World Cup Qualifier, Australia 1-Argentina 1) |
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