Mundial 82 Best Teams with Lineups

  After a thread started by El Lobo on Xtratime forum wich talks about the quality of the World Cup 1982, I got the idea to post a good amount of lineups of the National Teams that took part into the event as I have all of this in stock. Here we will not develop much on the subject but you could refer to the opening post of the thread mentioned above wich is entitled "1982 World Cup - best depth in teams ever?" - we didn't say - which sums up very well things. Here are the teams.

Best teams.

First, the best teams were obviously the finalists Italy (winner) and West Germany. The favorites of the crowd, Brazil and France. And we must not forget Poland (3rd) who played here his third successful tounament in a row.

Italy, World Champion 1982:

ITALY 1982

As they lined into the Final. They previously used to play something that was a bit more of a  4-4-2, if we consider Marini a midfielder rather than a stopper (even if the 2 things are right but it is not exactly the same as during the Final when the second stopper is more integrated to the back-line). That was with Antognoni in the team. Despite his position, Conti must be seen as a sort of winger (AM/ W), who must have a preference to the right side but who is placed behind the front two wich consist in a n°9, Rossi, and a n°11, Graziani, who roams a bit on the left and around the CF. Regarding the famous "Zona Mista" stuff, it is a tactic, not a formation so you have my view on the topic.

West Germany, Runner-up of the World Cup 1982:

WEST GERMANY 1982

We can see it as a 3-3-3 + Kaltz on the right. Or as a 4-3-2-1. But one must mainly see that Dremmler compensates Kaltz' attacks, that Briegel is the engine that moves down the left flank, where Bernd Förter is more here to cover than anything else (even if, he could go a bit forward at times, but not much). That Breitner was here a bit like Pirlo later, but the German way. That Rummenigge is more a second Striker than a winger (even if he could work on the left side) when Littbarski was here a "pure winger" and Fischer a pure beer, CF.

France, 4th of the World Cup 1982:

FRANCE 1982

Le "Carré Magique". Tigana-Genghini-Platini-Giresse. The original one. The most adventurous. Hidalgo thought that the only way for France to get something was to produce some play. Not a bad idea. So he has assembled three number 10, almost four with Tigana who was a playmaker of formation and never stopped to be it, that even at the highest level. Genghini defended generally well in club, and it was really not a weird idea to add him to Tigana at the recovering even if his physique didn't resist to the German assaults in the semi-finals so he was injured very early in that game. By the way, different men have been involved in the First team along the different stages of the competition, but here it's again a formation "by default" wich represents the most what was the team into that competition and that for the biggest moments.

One could see a diamond rather than 2-2 for that team and it will be not wrong. Tigana trademark was still to be a real piston on the right at the time for example. It is one possible move. But all the moves were possible with these four intelligent players and that's why Hidalgo trusted in them.

The front-two consisted of two winger-type of forwards with Six and Rocheteau who will become more and more a pivot, a CF like in 86. It had the advantage to open spaces for Platini or here even more for Giresse who was the one in better shape in this tournament (so he had the legs to come find a good position of shooting upfront).

Finally, in defence, Trésor was the libero and Janvion, nicknamed "Le Cerbère" (the Cerberus) was clearly the stopper when for example, for what concerns Germany, Stielike and K.Förster had both the abilities of the stopper and the libero even if we can see a libero the most in Stielike, but that's not as true as for the French, Förster being really a good provider of good passes with Stielike being as tough as the latter. But let's go back to the French team. Yeah, no, it's finished. Don't see anything to add that has been really forgotten.

Brazil, eliminated in the Second phase (by Italy):

BRASIL 1982

At the image of France (unless it is otherwise), here is a 4-2-2-2. It is presented like that however, because who was where in the 2-2? that changes, all the combinations are possible, that is the magic of the 4-2-2, the magic of  "jogo bonito", the magic of Telê Santana and the magic of this incredible rally of great players. With no real defensive midfielder, on the contrary of France who could count more on Tigana than Brazil could count on Cerezo during this tourney (his last one) but maybe it was not entirely the fault of the latter. So a 4-2-2-2 but as the better way to present the French team is via a strict 2-2-2, the better way to present the Brazilian formation must be this  way.

Poland, Third of the world Cup 1982:

POLAND 1982

 A 4-3-3 with a central number 10 (who made his career as defensive midfielder, not exactly "box-to-box" but "box-to-midfield-top") and two wingers/ 2nd strikers here. Zmuda was the libero. Even though Janas could be it in club too, Zmuda had this privilege in the National Team as it was the case in Lodz where they were partners for two seasons (80-82). A last thing, Poland could count on the fighting spirit of his two midfielders, even the three.

The newcomers.

Cameroon, eliminated in the First Round for his First participation:

CAMEROON 1982

Coached by the late Jean Vincent (1930-2013) they used to play in an defensive way - what was not really an habit with the French man - even if on the side of Nantes where he was previously the coach  there was always some "purists" to say that his team could play always more the attack - that, with two solid midfielders in Aoudou and M'Bom, M'Bom being the 5th defender and Aoudou being the 6th. That team can be seen as a 5-3-2 (with Mbom on the right), a 3-5-2 (with N'Djeya on the left) or simply as a 4-4-2 with big men on the sides of the midfield who contributes a lot to strengthen the defence (we could place them in the defensive part of a 2-2 as well), and it is all true. Tokoto who made his career in the 70s was still a "deluxe joker card" and played entirely the last one of their 3 games against Italy instead of N'Guea.

Cameroon drew 3 times: 0-0 against Peru and Poland, 1-1 with Italy. Eliminated without loosing a single match. The indomitable Lions.

Algeria, eliminated in the First Round for his first participation.

ALGERIA 1982

The Brazilians of Maghreb, of Africa. The team that is entirely at the service of the offensive play and the beautiful game. With Fergani to balance things a bit at midfield even he liked to attack too. A Belloumi, n°10 who is a creator, a second centre-forward, a winger all of that at once although he was not in his better shape to play this World Cup. That didn't prevent him to score in that historical match who sees Algeria to beat the monstruous West German National Team. No less historical and probably even more famous is the game that eliminates "Les Fennecs", a semblance of a match sadly known under the name of "Disgrace of Gijón" where Germans and Austrians agree on a 1-0 for the Nationalmannschaft wich qualifies the two teams. Algeria, ranked 3rd, could not progress in the competition but left the mark of a great team to watch. Mostly, this is true, when attacking. Because that is what they knew how to do the best with all of these technical players. What a front-4! Even front-5 if we had "French-algerian" (a quite pejorative term in Algeria, this is true) Dahleb who played here in an unusual register for him.

The expected teams.

Argentina, World Cup owner, eliminated in the Second Phase.

ARGENTINA 82

Almost eveything as been said on this team in the thread mentioned in the introduction of this article: The team is the same as in 78 in Argentina. Plus Maradona and Diaz, the winning attacking duo of the youth World Cup '79. It can be added that great players are made to accomplish great things together on the pitch, and it was really the case at times, but not always with Kempes (now with the number 11 in the back) and Maradona and his legendary number 10. It also wedged at times (yes, often).

Eliminated by Brazil and Italy in the Second Phase (groups again). A last thing, Barbas and Calderon are the outstanding complementary players of this squad. Not much used however. And it will be the same in the following years, mostly regarding Calderon, when Barbas could take the place of Ardilès. None of them two would be of the '86 winning side.

Spain, host, eliminated in the Second Phase:

ESPAÑA 1982

Spain did not had a real stable lineup in that Cup. Often great promises but not much results for this team since a long time before that Cup held on own soil and for a long time after. Played his last match against England with three "real midfielders" in Alonso, Saura who was back in the XI and Camacho, even if a defender usually, for a 0-0 wich eliminates both teams. Yet, not position for position, Santillana finally took the place of Ufarte in the Second Phase once fit enough. So one can see that to draw a formation by default for Spain is not an easy task and one must understand that different formations using above all very different types of players are possible.

"Stability", of the team, of the players involved, of the system of play, probably the key of the successes won in the XXIth century.

The British Isles Teams.

England, eliminated in the Second Phase:

ENGLAND 1982

 A team captained by Mick Mills in the absence of Keegan (injured) who only played 25 minutes in the last England's game against Spain wich was also the Spain's last as seen previously. If fit, Keegan would have probably played at the starting position of Rix, on the left-side but swapping more often roles with Francis who was really the playmaker of this team even if positionned high on the pitch when Mariner was mostly here to be at the reception of the crosses although he deviated from the axis as he usually did in club with a more traditional centre-forward alongside him. Coppell did very well as a traditional winger and also was a true additional midfielder. Young Bryan Robson was more the n°8 and Wilkins the defensive midfielder quite unique in his genre in England. Butcher was the stopper and Thompson the centre-half to keep the traditional term.

 

 

Northern Ireland, Eliminated in the Second Phase:

NORTHERN IRELAND 1982

 One of the truelly surprising teams wich qualified for the Second Round, therefore equalizing the team of 58.

With the youngest player to play in a World Cup ever, Norman Whiteside of Manchester United, the well known Martin O'Neill since his achievement with Nottingham Forest in the European Cup and of course the unbeatable Pat Jennings. Without forgetting good discoveries at this level in Gerry Armstrong and Sammy McIIroy, honest good players who would be also, like the others, of the World Cup 86 edition.

In the most important matches like against France, McCreery was at the marking of the opponent's number 10 (like Platini for example) and McCleland in central defence. But the most often it was otherwise.

Scotland could have been presented too, as it was an interesting team "on the paper" as said in the thread. But that team was not better than the previous ones in '74 and most of all '78 when the Tartan Terriers beat the Orange. Not better, maybe less good at the image of that collision between Hansen and Miller against Soviet Union. Have been also cited in the Xtratime thread: rightly so, Soviet Union, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, Belgium...Austria, Hungary, Honduras, Peru. Now if we add Chile, El Salvador (of Magico Gonzales), New Zealand and the unforgettable Kuwait, the 24 nations who participated to the Mundial 82 are cited.




See also the MUNDIAL '86 lineups.
And the MUNDIAL '70 lineups.