Iconic World Cup Moments: 1974 World Cup - East Germany 1-0 West Germany

The captains prior to kick-off

Kick Off

The game kicked off amidst the roar and tension that had built up within the 60,000 fans that were packed into the Volksparkstadion, out of which 1,500 were the hand-picked ‘fans’ from Communist East Germany, chosen specially to cheer their team on.

The players weren’t impervious to pressure despite their mental fortitude, and most approached the game very apprehensively indeed. The game was clearly one played with caution and mutual respect, as there were hardly any rash tackles or attempts on goal. The first half didn’t see any players get booked, for everyone was too scared to start a full-scale communist-democrat riot in the middle of Hamburg.

The East Germans were far better organized than the West Germans had expected, and their only real chance was a Gerd Muller strike which ended up hitting the woodwork. For East Germany, there weren’t many realistic chances either, except for the header which Kreische fluffed, sending the ball sailing over Sepp Maier’s goal.

Half Time

As the game dragged on, West Germany looked as if they were willing to settle for a draw. A draw would mean that the West Germans would top the group, and they would be the ones having all the bragging rights. But for the East Germans, a draw would mean bringing shame to their country, and its government as well, which was the biggest no-no one could have come across. While the West Germans played like a team that had already settled for level pegging, their Eastern brothers fought tooth and nail to score a goal.

The game started getting increasingly rough after the 70th minute, because of the tenacity with which the East Germans fought. Uruguayan referee Ramón Barreto Ruiz had to show the yellow card to Jürgen Sparwasser due to the latter’s increasingly aggressive style of play, but the East Germans had more than just a game on the line; it was far more important to them.

Sparwasser’s aggression and the West Germany’s lethargy could only end badly for the West Germans, and badly it did end. Erich Hamman picked the ball up and dashed for 30-yards, completely unchallenged, before Franz Beckenbauer stumbled into a defensive stance. By then it was already too late; Hamman had wafted in a delicate cross for Sparwasser, who had torn past 3 German defenders and blasted the ball past a hapless Maier.

The West German crowd and player went into a frenzy and went for as many last ditch attempts as possible to get back into the game, but the East Germans had completely sealed their goal down. Two more East Germans went on to receive yellow cards, but no more goals were scored. The East Germans had triumphed in their one and only professional game versus the West Germans.

West Germany just could not get past the East German defence

The winning goal went on to become one of the most iconic goals of all time, even though it was merely a game in the group stages. Sparwasser later said that “If one day my gravestone simply says ‘Hamburg 74’, everybody will still know who is lying below”. The goal sank more than just the West German armada. It had punched a hole in the armory of the democrats. The communists had won a resounding battle in the ongoing Cold War.

Aftermath

Following the game, the players were too scared to show signs of acceptance towards each other, and walked off into the tunnel without exchanging even words or glances, let alone jerseys. While the East Germans celebrated their win, the West was shaken to no end. Their manager, who really wanted to win the game because of his beef with East Germany, the country which he had to flee from after the 2nd World War, suffered a serious meltdown. Captain Franz Beckenbauer had to lead his team from that point, and had to inspire them to bounce back after suffering a mental setback.

Ironically, winning the game and topping the group didn’t go well for the East Germans, since they were pitted against powerful opponents such as the Netherlands and Brazil, who proceeded to knock them out of the tournament in the very next round. On the other hand, West Germany enjoyed a relatively easier group, which gave them some of their lost confidence back.

They went on to win the tournament in stunning fashion, beating Johann Cruyff’s Netherlands with a 2-1 score, but Beckenbauer clearly stated that the World Cup was theirs only because of the much needed wake-up call East Germany had given them in stunning fashion.

While most assumed that winning the cup would erase the bitter memories of the loss against their brothers, that was not to be the case, as the game went down in German history as one of their most embarrassing defeats. The West Germans never actually faced the East Germans again, and after the Berlin wall fell and the two halves of Germany were reunited, the possibility of a retribution was completely eliminated.

While many had assumed that this game might lead to conflicts in the real world, that, fortunately, was not to be the case. And despite the strict East German rules against association with the West German players, Sparwasser and Breitner, out of mutual respect for each other, exchanged their jerseys away from the prying eyes while they were in the tunnel. I believe that goes on to show that despite all the conflict, all the animosity in the world, even the most bitter of enemies, can be brought together by a power more unifying than any other. The power that is football.