1982 (July 5) Spain 0-England 0 (World Cup).avi

[@aires69uk]

It's probably 45 years since I've seen this and it broke my heart as a little lad when Keegan missed. I'll never forget this world cup.

[@Enzoblueblood]

My first World Cup. I was 12 and for the life of me couldn’t understand why we were out! Unbeaten with 1 goal conceded and OUT?!! I was so confused especially after France who we thrashed got the easier route to the semis. Dopey format tbh. The injuries and Howe stepping all over the team selection didn’t help, either.

[@walkers148]

The start of a 30 year emosional roller coaster being an England fan, 12 years with no world cup, then beating France in Bilbao was fantastic, it was as good as it was ever going to be! ... Hope then despair was the main emotion for decades after that very sadly! ... Mixed with some good times though!

[@damianbroderick3913]

That miss by Keegan looks far worse now than it did at the time. Maybe if he and Brooking had come on earlier, might have been different. Spain actually missed a complete open goal in this match, which isn't shown here. Despite not losing we probably deserved to go out.

[@heatherletts3855]

Such a shame this would turn out to be Keegan`s last game for England ( and Brooking ). KK had been England`s best player for 7/8 years and yet so many people remember him for missing that chance. Without Brooking and Keegan`s performance against Hungary 12 months earlier we wouldn`t even have been made it to the tournament finals.

[@johnt7630]

@Heather Letts, everything you've said is true, but there's no room for sentiment in football. Kevin wasn't fit for the World Cup and Ron Greenwood shouldn't have picked him. We actually had the bizarre situation of him leaving Spain, during the tournament, to have specaliist treatment on his back injury in Germany! He wasn't match-fit either - which is why he missed that header. He was a wonderful player for England in the late 70s and early 1980s, but if you want to seriously win tournaments, you can't carry injured players. As I said, Ron Greenwood - who was a very nice man - was too old for the job.

[@kailashpatel1706]

@@johnt7630 If you look at how England attacked in the game, down the left, the Greenwood exclusion of Tony Morley was terrible..

[@Inglese001]

@@kailashpatel1706 yeah people say Greenwood didn't play Aston Villa players at that time. Who knows ? Bobby Robson hardly ever picked Clive Allen. l accept that Lineker and Beardsley were the best combination. But not even to have a prolific goalscorer like him, on the bench, if you needed a goal, always seemed strange to me.

[@kailashpatel1706]

@@Inglese001 good point...actually thought England could have used Steve Bull a bit more at 1990 Italia..

[@fredsonleitefeitosaurso1984]

Quem da Inglaterra estava lesionado nesse jogo?

[@4622201]

England had great strikers in that world championship (Robson, Francis, Keegan, Woodcock, Mariner.) and yet they made two 0-0 with Germany and Spain .... this thing is difficult to explain

[@kailashpatel1706]

@Gary Eastman I think the story is more complicated..i agree with you about the 3;1 victory in Hungary that should have been the template for Spain 82 (and one of the finest performances abroad by England post 1945..Exactly how England should have approached the knockout stages in Spain..Keegan and Mariner's movement pulling the Hungarian defence apart with Coppell/Robson/Mcdermott breaking out in midfield in support when they could with Brooking prompting from behind..Watson and Thompson shoring it up..When the second stage started Mariner and Francis were not working properly together too far apart and Jack Charlton harangued Howe/Greenwood on this point, Francis should have been feeding off Mariner..Clough and Taylor though had got the job in late 1977 they would have built a classy squad not Ove reliant on Brooking/Keegan but bring players like Regis/Statham/Cowans/Morley/Devonshire/Viv Anderson/Hoddle into the mix and play existing players like Mariner or Ray Kennedy more effectively..they would also have found some quick centrebacks wih Dave Watson aging and had them in the centre of defence..Phil Thompson played well in Spain and in Euro 80 but was no Kevin Beattie..

[@amina-pr8xt]

+ Rix, Withe,... and another one was on the tribune at this game, Cunningham

[@kevinstoneham1245]

Our shooting was really poor in this World Cup. I have seen a video since of England training before the finals. They put a nice move together only for Wilkins to blast the ball over the bar, but Greenwood says well done. I remember thinking how can you say well done, when the most important part - the actual final shot doesn’t hit the target.

[@johnt7630]

Yeah, didn't have a prolific goalscorer in the side - just before the Gary Lineker era.

[@70PaulK]

Nice to hear Martin Tyler (with Jack Charlton ?)

[@johnt7630]

This was almost 40 years ago, and he's still going strong !

[@ChubbyChecker182]

Saint Jack. The Greatest Englishman who ever lived.

[@TheBundleofkent]

No it’s not. He was irritatingly woeful then and he’s worse now!

[@vantheman1238]

Imagine if Brian Clough and Peter Taylor had control of this England team?

[@kailashpatel1706]

exactly, my friend wrote a piece on that very point on linkedin..

[@kailashpatel1706]

He would have picked a stronger squad players like tony morley, used hoddle more and would not have discarded players like peter barnes and cunningham..maybe a place for alvin martin the backline...

[@kailashpatel1706]

also gordon cowans, recall in the late 1970s and early 1980s english teams were ruling europe with english players, clough/taylor knew how to mould..

[@amina-pr8xt]

Clough was not conservative enough...

[@richardhumphrey2685]

Or if Greenwood had picked fit strikers instead of crocks.

[@leerusz5032]

That miss by Keegan still sickens me to this day and the Arcanada save from Trevor Brooking. That said, we had enough chances to have comfortably won that game.

[@johnt7630]

Kevin shouldn't have been on the pitch. He was injured and, obviously not match-fit. You've got to look at Ron Greenwood's decision to pick him.

[@kailashpatel1706]

Trevor Brooking said in his book or in an interview that England made 4x more chances than Spain in the match, it was not just those two misses everyone bangs on about..

[@leerusz5032]

@@kailashpatel1706 absolutely. Unfortunately they were the two best chances from our two best players. Ron Greenwood always said that we would have won it with a fully fit Brooking and Keegan. I think that we'd have definitely gone close.

[@kailashpatel1706]

@@leerusz5032 If you think alot of the England attack was down the left (Rix and Sansom)...Greenwood's omission of Tony Morley was nonsense..

[@johnt7630]

England were lucky in the fact that they played their game after Germany's, so they knew what they had to do to qualify. They blew it. Choked it.

[@lolbia3161]

“It’s the history of the England”

[@Inglese001]

@John T, you're right it was a big advantage - it wouldn't happen today. Don't believe they "choked it" - they just weren't good enough.

[@jasongabb1671]

@@Inglese001 Good enough, just the wrong manager. Clough would have made them far better..

[@derekkelly9286]

England weren't good enough period

[@jasongabb1671]

Derek, not sure if you watched football during this period? Pretty much all of the team were world class, I.e Shilton, Keegan,Francis, Hoddle etc, or of high standard. The players were good enough, hence why English teams dominated Europe with Forest and Liverpool.

[@thischannelhasnoname5780]

How bad was that miss by Keegan?

[@johnt7630]

A better question would be to ask why the manager Ron Greenwood took him to the World Cup in the first place? Keegan was injured - he even left Spain during the tournament to travel to Germany for specialist treatment on his back. This was just crazy. He missed the goal because not only was he injured - he wasn't match fit. Ron was a nice guy - but you're never going to win tournaments with decision like this.

[@thischannelhasnoname5780]

@@johnt7630 Desperate gamble wasn't it?

[@Wattingers]

I was 7 then and I still can't believe that Keegan missed that open net

[@kailashpatel1706]

I was 8...

[@vantheman1238]

He wasn’t fit. Keegan was rushed back into the team with Trevor Brooking.

[@Nigelpreece]

England unbeaten at a world cup for only the 2nd time, we all know the first one. The format of further group games in all fairness was the best one for a 24 team tournament. 6 groups of 4 (12 qualifiers), 4 further groups of 3 (4 qualifiers) then semi finals etc. The same number of games as of the '86 world cup, where we had a knock out last 16 and last 8, but in 1982, we at least were spared the cruelty of penalties until the semi finals.

[@svenbartram2695]

Surprised how many shots and headers at goal there were in these highlights. That said it did seem like quite a few were snatched at, players probably feeling pressured by Germany's win over Spain.

[@kailashpatel1706]

Can anyone explain how Greenwood did not see the logic of playing from the start Keegan/Brooking and Hoddle in an attacking trident when all 3 were fit?..it beggars belief..

[@ian38018a]

Keegan and Brooking were both barely fit. This was their only appearance at the tournament, as both had been injured for some weeks before the match.

[@kailashpatel1706]

@@ian38018a for the Spain game their were both fit, Hoddle could have played against Germany as well as Spain

[@ian38018a]

@@kailashpatel1706 I don't remember about Hoddle's fitness, but I do recall at the time, the daily news updates about Kev'n'Trev and their ongoing battle to reach match fitness. As regards Hoddle though, Greenwood never trusted him not to just disappear out of matches. He was sorely underused by England, and not just at Spain 1982.

[@thoskel1]

Keegan had the chance of the match and blew it. as did Brooking. You must convert those opportunities when they come at that level just as the champions Italy did.

[@johnt7630]

@@kailashpatel1706 Keegan wasn't fit. We actually had the crazy situation of him leaving Spain, during the tournament, to have specialist back treatment in Germany. Even had he been fit - he wasn't match-fit. You can only get that sharpness back by playing games. That's why he missed the header.

[@elshadjafar2437]

Thank and like from country Azerbaijan

[@amina-pr8xt]

What would have happened (decided) had England won 2:1?

[@krzsztofzbojny-ni9zg]

❤🎉😂przepiękny mecz 🏟 piłki do nożnej analiza ba ten mecz

[@nigelkhan9278]

I grew up watching Tottenham Hotspurs and my idol was Glenn Hoddle. I could not believe that Glenn Hoddle was not used my the England manager for the Spain and West Germany game. If anyone could unlock their defense it would have been Glenn Hoddle. I always felt that England team should have been built around Glenn Hoddle. With Robson, Woodock, Keegan and Mariner, Hoddle would definitely set up more goals for them all. Trevor Brooking being used over Glenn Hoddle was absolutely criminal. I admire and respected Bryan Robson because my dad loved Manchester United. But Glenn Hoddle was the most talented English football player.

[@damianmcdonagh7908]

I just finished reading Glenn's autobiography. He provides a fascinating insight into his omissions from the England team.

[@weetak]

if England had Peter Withe and Trevor Morley in the team...just wonder what might be the result

[@harrynewiss4630]

What a miss by Keegan

[@richardhumphrey2685]

Gary Shaw would have buried that chance at the end.

[@krzysztofzbojny]

Józef Młynarczyk POLSKA !?

[@ChubbyChecker182]

If Kevin Keegan's perm was an inch more voluminous they would have made it to the semis, where they would have played France who they had easily beaten 3-1 in the first game just 2 weeks earlier.

[@krzysztofzbojny]

Luis Arconada Joker Bramkarz Hiszpania najlepszy Mundial 1982 rok u siebie Hiszpania , Rinat Dasjew ZSRR? Józef Młynarczy

[@desertfox3917]

Had England beat Spain 1-0 they would have faced elimination anyway which is unfair!! The fairest thing to do would have been a decider with the Germans!!

[@nicky29031977]

Beating Spain 1 0 would have eliminated England on goals scored which is fair enough since that's what the games about...scoring more goals.

[@andyb4864]

Wouldn't have been time to play it.

[@Lee_yourboylee]

It was a shame Hoddle missed this tournament through injury. He was injured, right? Because surely otherwise they'd have picked him....?

[@otimoluk]

He wasn't. Sickening, eh.

[@Inglese001]

@@otimoluk Don’t really want to attack again Ron Greenwood - but he picked Graham Rix ahead of Hoddle ! What can you say?

[@CaribSurfKing1]

Never defeated and didn’t make the semis. I was so gutted as a kid thinking it was so unfair. This could have been England’s world cup

[@damianbroderick3913]

No way would they have taken Italy.

[@aidenhorton18]

@@damianbroderick3913 I think they would’ve had a decent chance

[@otimoluk]

They were never going to win with Ron Greenwood and Don Howe.

[@rolandzarka5191]

@@aidenhorton18 England started too strong. Look at the teams that have gone the furthest: they started slowly (Italy), even with defeats like Germany or France.

[@Ruda-n4h]

If Ron Greenwood had 'cheated' and insisted that England play his way i.e. not traditional English football and balls into feet, no high crosses and a sweeper, England could have got to 3rd place or the final. As it turned out there was very little to beat in Spain - many teams disappointed (Yugoslavia, U.S.S.R), West Germany had injury problems and Brazil had not a team, only a brilliant midfield. But that would have meant playing his 2 key players Keegan and Brooking from the start against Spain but Ron followed the old advice - never change a winning team. Still with a little luck I maintain England could have done it.

[@kailashpatel1706]

I think we overlook the failure to bring employ Clough/Taylor in 1977..in saying that England had almost 4 times as many chances as Spain in the game..but Coppell was injured that was why Francis was played out to the right..Keegan and Brooking should have started and then played Mariner/Francis in second half if the started to fade out..also why no place for Hoddle in a do or die game?..

[@kailashpatel1706]

i do agree England could have been last four or runners up..but not winners, Italy were too good..This was a very good cluster of players with a manager who lacked the courage and calibre of a Brian Clough..

[@kailashpatel1706]

I think the Hungary away match in 1981 was a perfect template for Spain 1982...Keegan and Mariner getting quick balls to feet via Robson and then feeding off each other and bringing Brooking and Coppell into the game?

[@amina-pr8xt]

In the view of other's, England disappointed. And the example of Italy shows that a team that is weak in the group stage, can "explode". I think, the team of Yugoslavia had this capability too. The english team? Great players but as so often, not a competent team. The first question is why they didn't qualify for the tournaments in 72, 74, 76, 78

[@nicky29031977]

I wonder what FIFA would have done if Spain had let England win just out of spite to the Germans who had beaten them 3 days earlier?

[@junli5830]

England had the best team in the tournament

[@kailashpatel1706]

a bit too generous?

[@kailashpatel1706]

@Steve Ruddick I think England made 5 times as many chances then the Spanish in this game..The injuries to Brooking and Keegan are well known...but Coppell was also out forcing Trevor Francis to play on the right instead of down the middle, i recall Clough abd John Bond having a ding dong over this at half time on ITV

[@Ruda-n4h]

Best team was France, Brazil only had a brilliant midfield.

[@Ruda-n4h]

@Steve Ruddick Best team not to win the World Cup was Hungary '54 followed by Holland '74. Brazil '82 were not really a team only a brilliant midfield IMHO. Their goalkeeper was as bad as their centre forward, Eder contributed little and their defence was cut apart every time the Italians attacked.

[@holgersteinle5180]

I am no friend of them but: who beat Argentina, Brazil and Germany had the best Team! And this was Italy. With greetings from Germany