34 Years Ago Today: "The Hand of God!"

Clearly copying me!

GUARDIAN

From the Vault: Diego Maradona and the Hand of God knock out EnglandTwenty-five years ago today, Argentina handed England World Cup defeat. Read the report and share your memories …

The Hand of God puts Argentina ahead. Photograph: Popperfoto


The latest instalments in our series of classic reports come from the 23/24 June 1986 editions, the mornings after England's bid for World Cup glory was dashed by one Diego Armando Maradona in Mexico City. The first piece is David Lacey's match report and the second is Jeremy Morgan's follow-up on the reaction from Buenos Aires a day later.

By David Lacey in the Azteca Stadium - Argentina 2, England 1

The sorcery, not to mention the sauce, of Diego Maradona ended England's World Cup hopes in the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City yesterday. Two goals from the magician early in the second half broke the resistance of Bobby Robson's defenders and set Argentina on course for their second semi-final in three tournaments.


But Maradona could hardly claim that he had nothing up his sleeve. Television evidence clearly shows that Argentina's first goal went in off Maradona's wrist after he had gone up for a high ball with Shilton. At the outset we all knew that each side possessed a world-class player, only one of whom could use his hands. In this context the name of Maradona did not spring immediately to mind.


Yet the England manager had no doubt what happened. "I saw the ball in the air and Maradona going for it," said Robson. "Shilton went for it as well but Maradona handled the ball into the net. You don't expect decisions like that at World Cup level."


Since this was the consensus of Argentinian opinion after the West German referee, Rudolf Kreitlein, had sent off Antonio Rattin when they lost to England in the 1966 finals, some will argue that justice of a kind was done 20 years later. How extraordinary it is that England and Argentina cannot meet in a World Cup without some sort of controversy ensuing.


A few minutes later Maradona scored one of the great World Cup goals when he left three England defenders lying on the ground like broken dolls before slipping the ball past Shilton. "A brilliant goal," said Robson. "I didn't like it but I had to admire it."


A late header from Lineker, his sixth in this World Cup, briefly revived English hopes and he was only inches away from bringing the scores level. But in the end few could dispute that the winners had given a thoroughly professional performance and on balance deserved their place in the last four.


After the early traumas of Monterrey, England will not be too unhappy about going out of the tournament in this fashion – beaten controversially after defending solidly and attacking boldly whenever they could. They ended the match by reverting to Robson's original concept of two wingers after Waddle and Barnes had replaced Reid and Steven. For a moment or two you felt that one of the World Cup's most remarkable recoveries was imminent.


However the Argentinians defended competently if not always with the greatest composure, and nearly scored a third goal when a quick exchange of passes ended with Tapia, who had come on for Burruchaga, hitting a post.


The renewal of the Falklands conflict on the terraces projected by some of the more fanciful headlines never materialised. There was a brief outbreak of fisticuffs at the start of the second half but generally English and Argentinian fans maintained a more or less peaceful coexistence.


Before the kick-off each England player received a pennant from a member of the Argentinian team. Unless they bore the words Malvinas Argentina it was a nice gesture.


Fenwick's first tackle on Maradona after 10 minutes was less diplomatic and after the Argentinian captain had gone flying the England defender was cautioned for the third time in the tournament. The booking seemed a little harsh as the time but was balanced in the second half when the Tunisian referee allowed Fenwick to stay on the field after catching Maradona in the face with a blatant elbow.


It was a long time before either attack achieved anything of similar impact. With the midfield crowded as the teams set out to close each other down, the game was not unlike your average First Division fixture. In spite of Fenwick's early tackle England did not set out to mark Maradona individually. Instead they concentrated on interrupting his lines of communication with other Argentinians and in this they were successful until half-time, although there were signs in the last 10 minutes of Maradona taking control of the play between the penalty areas. Nevertheless, up to that point he had only threatened England with free-kicks near goal, not that any of these caused Shilton any serious problems.


However, all this had changed before the match was an hour old. In the 50th minute Maradona ploughed into the heart of the English defence before laying it out to his right, Valdano was unable to control properly which gave Hodge the opportunity to flick the ball over his head and back towards Shilton. Maradona immediately challenged the England goalkeeper and to the naked eye it seemed that he had achieved a legal touch in deflecting the ball into the net. Television, however, proved otherwise.


Bobby Robson had always said that Maradona was capable of winning a game on his own in five minutes. Maradona must have heard him for now he collected the ball on the right and set off on a marvellous run. Stevens was beaten by a sway of the hips, Butcher with a shrug of the shoulders, and Fenwick with contemptuous ease. Shilton was given no chance.


All that was left for England to do was to go on to the attack and this they did boldly and bravely. Pumpido had to move quickly to push a free kick from Hoddle round a post and then Barnes, playing in the World Cup finals for the first time, worked his way to the left hand byline before producing the centre from which Lineker headed in from the far post.


Six minutes later Lineker flung himself at a similar ball from Barnes but just failed to make contact. In that instant you could not help feeling that England were fated not to make further progress. Yesterday's match represented the watershed of their World Cup ambitions. Although they won the World Cup in 1966 they have yet to get past the quarter-finals in any of the other tournaments. Had Ali Ben Naceur been in the right place at the right time when the first goal went in they might have reached the semi-finals, but on balance probably not.


England: Shilton (Southampton); Stevens (Everton), Fenwick (Queens Park Rangers), Butcher (Ipswich Town), Sansom (Arsenal), Hoddle (Tottenham Hotspur), Steven (Everton; Barnes (Watford), 75min), Reid (Everton; Waddle (Tottenham Hotspur), 65min), Hodge (Aston Villa), Lineker (Everton), Beardsley (Newcastle United).


Argentina: Pumpido; Cucioffo, Ruggeri, Brown, Olarticoechea, Giusti, Batista, Enrique, Maradona, Burruchago, (Topia, 76min), Valdano.


Referee: Ali Ben Naceur (Tunisia)

www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2011/jun/22/from-the-vault-hand-of-god

I just enjoyed seeing Fenwick in World cup.

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