Italia 90

[Bjornebye]

I was only 6 but still have a few memories. Costa Rica beating Scotland, The England / Cameroon game, England going out on pens and of course Bonners penalty save. Ive watched a few documentaries on it as well and it wins for me against the rest because of the nostalgia. My first proper world cup was USA 94 and I fucking loved it. France 98 too was ace and the last one in Brazil was great in the group stages but then went shit in the knockout stages. 

 

Nessun Dorma though.... 

[HolyHank]

Apparently, their goalkeeper was voted the best in the tournament. I couldn't tell you his name,and I can't actually remember watching any games involving Costa Rica. The Scots always found a way to fuck up their opening game regardless of the quality of the opposition, so not beating the Costa Ricans shouldn't have been that much of a shock result.

Luis Conejo

[thompsonsnose]

Like i wrote it myself.

 

Was chatting to a few old miserable arses in work today about footy generally being shit these days etc and we harked on about the good old days.

My contribution was that football for me pretty much started dying for me from from the autumn of 1990 onwards, not just because we haven't won the league since but because, for me, Italia 90 was the pinnacle.

I was 9 going on 10 at the time and naturally your first 'World Cup proper' is always a memorable one. I had the full sticker album and ran home from school to watch the games.

Footy then for me was like watching my arl fella or my hard uncles playing. The likes of voller, Klinsmann, gullit, etc. They seemed to be the type of fellas who could score worldies during the day but still be able to have 7 or 8 pints of a night in the boozer and would to knock you out if you got tricky.

Back then boots were black, muzzies were muzzles and the music and telly graphics during the World Cup were unbeatable.

There's some boss YouTube videos of the tournament. Make me cry almost.

Football is a bit different when you're idolising spoilt millionaire teens who can't speak properly with boss teeth and shit hair.


Anyone else love a bit of Italia 90?

[KevieG]

The Yugoslavian squad of that time was a bit alright. Look at the forward/attacking selection

 

Dragan Stoikovic, Darko Pancev, Robert Prozenecki, Dejan Savicevic, Davor Suker, Alen Boksic

 

 

Just incredible.

[stringvest]

I thought Italia 90 was shite.  But then, I couldn't stand Baggio.  

[Vincent Vega]

I enjoyed 82, 86 and 90. I was 11 in 82 when it was in Spain and I loved every minute of it. 86 was great as I was 15 by then and it was brilliant staying up until 2 in the morning watching football. 90 was memorable as this was the first tournament when I was old enough to have a beer and watch in the pub. As an added bonus I got to watch the semi finals and final in Spain on a lads holiday.

 

I think it's an age thing and as I've got gradually older I've got less and less interested in non-reds football and especially international football. I still watch these tournaments but don't feel I have any real stake in them. I only really care about watching the reds these days.

 

For me the running order on how much I've enjoyed each of the finals:

 

1982 Spain - Brazil, France, Italy, even Poland and Russia were great to watch and there were some brilliant matches such as Brazil v Scotland, England v France, Brazil v Argentina, Italy v Brazil, the final and probably the best World Cup match I've seen, the semi between France and Germany.

 

1986 Mexico - mostly memorable for the magnificence (and cheating) of Maradona who carried Argentina to their win. England were utter turd in their first two matches against Morocco and Portugal until Linekar saved them with a hat-trick in the last group match against Poland.

 

1990 Italy - a lot of low scoring matches but as said above I have great memories. Last tournament I watched where I was really bothered about England.

 

1998 France - good tournament with a good winning team in the hosts France and Zidane showcasing how great a player he was. Most remembered though for Ronaldo collapsing ahead of the final. England fans acted like total dicks for a change.

 

2006 Germany - Worthy winners in Italy. South American teams were strangely rubbish. Best remembered for Zidane's headbutt on Materazzi. England fans acted like dicks again.

 

1994 USA - some good games, but Sweden and Bulgaria reaching the semis tells its own story about the overall quality. Most remembered for Maradona being off his tits, Baggio's penalty miss and Aldo nearly chinning the linesman. Half of England pretended to be Irish. Lack of England fans acting like dicks due to not qualifying.

 

2014 Brazil - Best remembered for England being abject under the owl and the Germans humiliating the hosts. A bit too far for the worst elements of Ingurland knobs to travel to.

 

2002 Japan/South Korea - Ronaldinho made an arse of Seaman, South Korea got the benefit of some very strange homer refereeing decisions but played some great stuff under Hiddink, the Germans lucked their way to another final and Brazil were worthy winners with Ronaldo, Rivaldo and Ronaldinho. Only middle class England fans could afford this one as it was so far away and took place in one of the most expensive countries in the world. Best remembered for drinking beer at breakfast.

 

2010 South Africa - Pretty crap tournament from what I remember, lots of low scoring games. Vuvuzela's were almost as annoying as listening to Tyler and Neville commentate on the Mancs (ROOOOOOONNNNNNEEEEEYYYYY etc etc). Spain were boss, everyone else was meh. England were crap under Capello and they seemed to enjoy it about as much as I enjoy summer transfer threads on here. Most remembered for Suarez's handball against Ghana and subsequent celebration when they missed the pen, and De Jong's assault on Xabi and Howard Webb bottling out of sending him off.

[Grinch]

I thought 94 was brilliant. Then again it was the first time I was really getting to watch Romario, Bebeto, Dunga, Hagi, Stoichkov and a few others.

[lifetime fan]

94 is very underrated for me.

 

England not being there was a bonus.

Ireland beating Italy was a bonus.

 

But that Bulgarian team was a joy to watch.

[Bjornebye]

94 is very underrated for me.

 

England not being there was a bonus.

Ireland beating Italy was a bonus.

 

But that Bulgarian team was a joy to watch.

 

 

I enjoy tournaments more when England aren't in them. 

[Lycan]

Best World Cup I've ever watched. So many great memories from it.

 

Roger Milla and the Cameroon team

 

Toto Scillachi

 

Costa Rica beating Scotland

 

Frank Rijkaard spitting a huge greenie into Rudi Vollers hair

 

Lothar Matthaus and the awesome West Germany team

 

Ireland beating Romania on penalties

 

Gazza crying

 

England actually having a very good side who were unlucky not to win tournament

 

Pavarotti and Nessun dorma

[Lycan]

94 is very underrated for me.

 

England not being there was a bonus.

Ireland beating Italy was a bonus.

 

But that Bulgarian team was a joy to watch.

 

 

Meh, didn't really enjoy that tournament at all. The whole being in the USA and the cringeworthy opening ceremony didn't help. That and Andres Escobar getting assassinated, oh and Maradona getting kicked out for being off his tits. Sad sight seeing Roberto Baggio miss that penalty in the final as well.

 

Ireland beating Italy was just about the only thing I enjoyed from that tournament.

 

86 and 90 were far better World Cups in my opinion.

[Pureblood]

I enjoy tournaments more when England aren't in them. 

 

I dunno, I loved it when Suarez put Roy on the first flight home. 

[The Midnight Rambler]

Anyone remember John Barnes goal against Belgium harshly ruled out for offside? Probably would've kept his place in the team, if it had counted.

[VladimirIlyich]

I enjoy tournaments more when England aren't in them.

Ditto.

[Trumo]

Euro 2008 didn't have England in it, and was probably the best tournament this century.

 

Speaking of Italia 90, did anyone else have the World Cup medal collection? I remember asking my dad to fill up his car at BP because they were running the promotion.

 

 

[VladimirIlyich]

Euro 2008 didn't have England in it, and was probably the best tournament this century.

 

Speaking of Italia 90, did anyone else have the World Cup medal collection? I remember asking my dad to fill up his car at BP because they were running the promotion.

 

 

Did that in 1970 and 74.

[Trumo]

Did that in 1970 and 74.

 

Which would have brought to your attention the likes of mighty Haiti, Zaire, El Salvador and the East Germans.

[VladimirIlyich]

Which would have brought to your attention the likes of mighty Haiti, Zaire, El Salvador and the East Germans.

It was England players and Esso coins back then,i think.

[Chairman Meow]

I enjoy tournaments more when England aren't in them. 

 

For the most part I agree with that.

 

On the other hand.....

 

I dunno, I loved it when Suarez put Roy on the first flight home. 

[General Dryness]

94 is very underrated for me.

 

England not being there was a bonus.

Ireland beating Italy was a bonus.

 

But that Bulgarian team was a joy to watch.

 

Yeah 94 was a good tournament. Terrible final though.

 

And Escobar, the poor Colombian fella who scored the own goal got shot when he got back home. Sad. 

[suzy]

Italia 90 has great memories for me as I had my son in the middle of it! I swore he came 8 days early because I was jumping up and down screaming so much! (Think it was the Belgium game)

Then I sort of lost interest a bit (not surprisingly) but had him in the carry cot in the corner of the room in the semi final. I wad so gutted I couldn't tell him he had been born when England won the world cup!

[House of Dirk]

The start of shit goalie kits- Klaus Lindenberger for Austria.

 

[Mook]

He looks like the bastard offspring of Mark Lawrenson & a wasp.

[Harry Squatter]

I had been to Italy the year before the tournament so was excited big time for the start of it. It was my last year in school and I seemed more arsed about the World Cup than my exams. My last one was the day of the opening ceremony and I legged it home and lashed the TV on and probably stayed there until the end of the tournament.

 

It took a while to get going after the shock of Cameroon beating Argentina and nearly killing half their team. The Germans looked great beating Yugoslavia 4-1. England's game against Ireland was shite and loads of plazzy paddies by ours jumped on the Irish bandwagon. Scotland as ever were shite.

 

Best game of the tournament was the Holland V Germany game where Rijkaard spat in Vollers hair but Klinsmann had an amazing game and ran their defence ragged.

 

England's game against Cameroon was a nail biter and they could have been embarrassed by them.as African footy was regarded as a bit of a joke. I think ITV got some random Cameroonian player as a pundit but the highest he'd ever played was about 5 games in the 4th division.

 

The semi final against Germany England played some decent football but you always felt Germany would win, especially on pens.

 

The other semi was a decent game when Argentina beat Italy in Naples, Maradona's back yard. The final was shit and Argentina just resorted to Mourinho tactics but there was loads of play acting from the Germans. The ref who looked like a slimmer chevy chase got shoved everywhere by the Argentina players.

 

I liked 94 and wanted to go but couldn't afford it. Again the final was a letter down and Baggio and Baresi were unlucky to miss their pens.

[RJ Fan club]

I loved Italia 90, as others have said I'm not sure it was the best in quality or score line, but the combination of my age (12), hosted in Europe at reasonable hours and the drama of the tournament at times was electric.

 

My first proper WC was Mexico 86 and while I never really fell for a team like Denmark in 86, Italia 90 was still overall better for me.

 

Cameroon were boss to watch, mental stuff. Loved Baggio too, Brazil struggling was a bit of a let down.

 

Games like West Germany vs Holland were so eagerly anticipated but slightly shit, but still managed drama with the Rijkaard spitting at Voller etc.

 

The three qualifying from a group was shit though

 

Euro 96 and France 98 were better for me as I was finished A levels or on summer break at uni, but Italia 90 was my favourite