A Football Clash for the Ages: "Game of the Century" Remembers the 1970 Semi-Final Showdown
A Timeless Masterpiece Continues to Captivate the Globe
By Ben Redelings[Fn1] | Facebook | Twitter | WhatsApp | E-Mail | Print | Link Copy | N55 years later, people remain captivated by this pulse-pounding game on June 17, 1970. A jury of expert former players from around the globe selected this unforgettable World Cup encounter between West Germany and Italy as the "Game of the Century". The nail-biting 4:3 win for the Italians wouldn't be the only victor—football itself emerged triumphant.
"For 750 reporters from around the world, it was the most difficult task of their lives to put this game into words," the Mexican newspaper "Excelsior" once said of a match regarded as the "Game of the Century" in 1997. This World Cup semi-final between Germany and Italy has gone down in history as one of the most exhilarating sporting events of all time. With a narrow 4:3 victory in favor of the Italians on June 17, 1970, they secured a win for footie forever. A win for football, and all who love it!
Before the final whistle, as the scores showed 1:0 for Italy, German TV reporter Ernst Huberty declared, "It shall not be!" Forty-five years on, witnesses still recall the German team's missed opportunities in the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City, where they chased the Italians for over 80 minutes after an initial 1:0 deficit. The opening goal was scored by Roberto Boninsegna with a audacious "Sunday shot".
Boninsegna, A Name to Remember
Though obscure to the average German football fan at the time, Boninsegna's name would soon become a household one. In less than a year, Boninsegna would make headlines for a legendary 7:1 victory of Borussia Mönchengladbach against Inter Milan at the Gladbach Bökelberg. In that game, Boninsegna fell to the ground like a fallen diva after a drink can throw[Fn2], and also infamously fouled Gladbach's Luggi Müller so heavily that Müller could not return to play until October of the following year[Fn3]. On that unforgettable June 17, 1970, Boninsegna first put his team ahead against the German team.
The Italians spent the rest of the match employing tactics to waste time and preserve their lead. When yet another player went down, radio commentator Kurt Brumme could no longer hold back and said with biting cynicism, "My God, what a football match this is. That's just terrible, that's just disgusting. Burgnich has just passed away, I see. No, he's gotten back up again."
Extra Time: A Battle of Battles
The German team finally managed to score the equalizer in extra time, with Karl-Heinz Schnellinger from AC Milan netting the decisive goal. Schnellinger, playing for Germany's league rivals, captured the moment forever, echoing Jürgen Sparwasser's famous goal in the 1974 World Cup for East Germany against West Germany.
Despite the late hour, the German fans were wide awake. Now it was time for extra time. And what followed was some of the most intense, dramatic World Cup action ever seen. The extra time far surpassed everything that had come before in terms of drama. According to ZDF reporter Harry Valerien, it was like "a boxing match where the two fighters are already groggy and just keep swinging at each other without paying attention to their defense".
- Football Frenzy: The back-and-forth action, dramatic goals, and emotional rollercoaster made this the ultimate football spectacle.
- Refereeing Controversy: Controversy surrounded referee Arturo Yamasaki from Peru for failing to award a penalty to Germany, even in the clearest moments.
- The Final Whistle: The Italians ultimately emerged victorious, winning 4:3, sending them on to the final, although they would lose to Brazil[5].
- The Legacy of "Game of the Century": The "Game of the Century" remains the most compelling and exciting World Cup match ever played[5].
source: ntv.de
[Fn1] Best-selling author and comedian from the Ruhr area. His book "A goal would do the game good. The ultimate book of football truths" has just been published in an updated and expanded new edition! With his football programs, he is on tour throughout Germany. Info & dates on www.scudetto.de[Fn2] Boninsegna was known to fall to the ground in a dramatic fashion, creating a spectacle that delighted and sometimes infuriated football fans.[Fn3] Boninsegna's foul on Luggi Müller left the German player sidelined for several weeks, much to the chagrin of German football fans.
The debate about the greatest football national team match in history persists, as the 1970 World Cup semi-final between West Germany and Italy, infamously known as the "Game of the Century," is still considered one of the most thrilling encounters in European leagues and sports overall. This showdown, marked by exhilarating back-and-forth action, controversies in refereeing, and dramatic late-game twists, is a testament to the unparalleled passion and skill that football and its champions, like Boninsegna and Schnellinger, embody.
