The World Cup Better The Second Time Around
The 1986 World Cup was only three years away when Columbia announced to the the world
that they would no longer be able to act as hosts, mainly due to financial difficulties. This left FIFA (Federation of International Football Associations) in a bind as Columbia had been chosen as host back in 1974. Years of preparation are need to host a tournament of this magnitude, so FIFA needed to find someone with both the stadiums and infrastructure to pull it off. Canada and the USA both submitted individual bids, but FIFA went with a country with the experience to put on a great tournament.
Mexico finally had its day and in 1983, FIFA awarded the 1986 World Cup to Mexico. The hosting of the World Cup was given to this country for a second time and this was a first. The first time Mexico held the World Cup, was back in 1970. The 1970 World Cup is considered by many to be the greatest tournament of all time.
Mexico's accomplishment of picking up the hosting duties of a World Cup on short notice is even more remarkable, because in 1985, Mexico City (where the final game of the tournament was to be held), was rocked by an enormous earthquake that resulted in tens of thousands of deaths. Mexico, rather than abandoning the tournament, pushed ahead as the event would be a great moral booster for the people of Mexico.
Unlike the Olympics, the World Cup is an event that an entire country can share in. The 1986 tournament hosted twenty-four teams in twelve different stadiums in nine cities. The people of Mexico got to enjoy 52 games and witnessed 132 goals. This tournament also spawned a stadium phenomenon, which is enjoyed around the world to this day - the (Mexican) Wave.
To ensure the success of its team in the opening round, Mexico once again turned to its greatest ally when it comes to playing soccer games at home. All of Mexico's first round games were played in the enormous, Azteca stadium. The Azteca Stadium was constructed between 1961 and 1966. It's at an incredible 2,240 meters (7,350 ft) above sea level. It seats 110,000 rabid fans and is known as one of the most intimidating stadiums to play in in the world. The extraordinary heat of the noon day coupled with the high altitude, made playing at this venue quite a challenge for visiting teams.
The T.V. audience was anticipated to be huge, so a sports broadcaster who was up to the task was required. Televisa, one of the largest T.V. companies in the world, stepped up and set a new standard for sports filming. Within seconds of any important action, replays from up to six angles, were broadcast around the world giving multiple bird's eye views. Very expert video editors provided the TV watchers with the best and quickest replays of that era, even before the days of digital media.
Mexico held their own in the 1986 World Cup, but it was not to be their year. Just as in 1970, the first time they held the tournament, they progressed to the quarter finals. In 1970, eventual finalists, Italy, handily disposed of Mexico 4-1. Germany had a tough game in 1986 when they became the eventual finalists. The German were the final winners after over time and penalties, but Mexico could easily have been the victors.
Although Mexico didn't win it all, they proved for a second time that they know how to put on a World Cup. The 1986 World Cup is probably the closest rival to the 1970 World Cup for the title of greatest tournament of all time. Pele, possibly one of the greatest players of all time, was present in 1970 during the games. In 1986, the heir to Pele's thrown, Diego Maradona, staked his claim as the greatest player of all time. Either way, the fans got what they game for, the greatest tournament on earth.
by: Robert Nickel
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