A Brilliance Beyond 1954: The Last Triumph of Hungarian Football

For all the accolades showered on Hungary’s “Golden Team” there is one achievement that gets scant notice. After their 32 game unbeaten run was broken by West Germany in the 1954 World Cup Final, the Golden Team did not suddenly collapse despite a hostile Hungarian public and a government searching for scapegoats. Instead they continued to play at an incredibly high level. They did not give into defeatism or wallow in the sorrow of that stunning loss. For a year and a half they continued to beat one team after another, much the same as they had before the World Cup loss. Even after they lost a game in 1956, the Hungarians rose to the occasion one final time in Moscow to defeat what was soon to become their nation’s greatest foe.

Setting Records & Precedents – Kocsis Rises To The Occasion
Two months after the 1954 World Cup, Hungary began to play internationals once again. The loss to West Germany seemed to have little effect on their play. The star during this period was Sandor Kocsis. He had been the leading scorer in the World Cup, netting eleven goals. He kept up that pace for the rest of 1954 and into 1955. In the first ten internationals Hungary played after the loss, Kocsis scored 16 goals, including five multi-goal games. His prolific scoring ability helped carry the team as Kocsis set a standard unmatched in football history. He still holds the all-time record for average goals per game against FIFA Class A competition. In one of those matches, a friendly played in September 1954 against the Soviet Union in Moscow, he scored the lone Hungarian goal in a 1-1 draw. This was as close as the Soviets had ever come to losing at home. It would not be the last time the teams met in a precedent setting match in Moscow.

In the winter of 1954 Hungary traveled to Glasgow where they faced Scotland in front of a massive crowd of 113,000 at Hampden Park. This was the largest crowd the Hungarians would play in front of during the 1950’s. The Scots were well aware of what the Hungarians had done in their two earlier routs of England. Their strategy was very different from England’s. They launched fierce counterattacks in an effort to put Hungary on the defensive. These tactics were only partially successful. Hungary scored the first two goals and held the lead throughout the game, but the Scots showed great resolve. They pulled to within 3-2 a minute into the second half. From that point, the Scots narrowly missed on several shots that would have leveled the game. Only in the final minute did Hungary put the game away when Kocsis scored. The Magic of the Magyars was on full display that afternoon. They showed that even on the road, in the face of fierce resistance both on the field and in the stands, a top notch opponent was still no match for their brilliance. In the return affair in Budapest six months later Hungary triumphed once again, winning 3-1 before 100,000 of their countrymen.

Heading up the team – Sandor Kocsis

Ending An Era – One For The Road
From September 1954 until the end of 1955, Hungary played 19 games, winning 16 matches and drawing three others. This was part of a six year run where they only lost once in 52 games. Then starting with their inaugural match in 1956 they hit a shockingly bad streak. First, they played poorly in a 3-1 road loss to Turkey. In their next match at home they tied Yugoslavia. The decline continued when they suffered their first home loss in an international match since 1943 as they were soundly defeated by Czechoslovakia 4-2. A couple of weeks later they traveled to Belgium where they would attempt to break a losing streak, something none of the Hungarian players had ever experienced playing for the national team. They raced out to a 3-1 lead, only to collapse in the second half, allowing four goals and losing 5-4. Changes would now have to be made. Blame focused on the coach, Gusztav Sebesz. For years he had been hailed as a footballing genius, a master of tactics, who had built the most brilliant team in football history. Ever since the World Cup loss, Sebes had become increasingly suspect in the eyes of the communist government. Following the loss to Belgium, he was relieved of his duties. Sebes would never again be allowed to manage the national team. The end of an era was close at hand.

The domestic situation in Hungary began to resemble the national team’s collapse. The Soviets removed the hardline Hungarian dictator Matyas Rakosi from power. Stalinist-era purges were denounced and victims were rehabilitated. This thaw unleashed pent up frustration about the country’s direction under the communist regime. Once the edifice of stability had cracked, it was not long before it began to crumble. The country was headed toward revolution. The Hungarian national football team dramatically inserted itself into this fraught situation when on September 23, 1956 they played the Soviet Union at Lenin Central Stadium in Moscow. The Soviets had never lost an international match at home. The 102,000 spectators on hand fully expected to witness another triumph by a team that was seen as an icon of what the Soviet system could produce. The Hungarians were seen as well past their prime, even though all the old war horses – Bozsik, Czibor, Grosics, Hidegkuti, Kocsis and Puskas – were still playing in the match. In the 16^th minute, Czibor scored the lone goal of the game. It was an incredible upset in the backyard of worldwide communist officialdom.

The revolution to come in Hungary – autumn 1956

Anything Is Possible – On The Edge Of Revolution
The Hungarians had conjured another remarkable victory. At the same time they helped stoke a patriotic fervor sweeping across the nation in what would be the final month before the Hungarian Revolution of 1956. The nation’s pride swelled as anything seemed possible. Their football team had defeated the best squad the Soviets had ever assembled. Once again it seemed that nothing could stop these Magical Magyars. That was until the outbreak of a revolution that would change Hungary and the Hungarian national football team forever.

Uruguay At Twilight – Magical Magyars In Starlight: Hungary & the 1954 World Cup (Part Three)

The Battle of Berne had tested Hungary’s physical and mental resolve like never before. The fouling and fighting took its toll, but the Hungarians had triumphed over Brazil. They moved on to the semifinals where they would face an even tougher test against Uruguay. In the space of just two matches, the Hungarians would go from playing in one of the most embarrassing matches in football history to possibly the greatest match up to that time. The Uruguayans offered a completely different test based on skill and strategic play. It was a truly remarkable matchup as the current Olympic champions went up against the defending World Cup champs. The Uruguayans were undefeated in World Cup play, winning both times they entered in 1930 and 1950. The latter had produced the greatest upset in World Cup history when they defeated hosts Brazil in Rio before a crowd of 200,000 – the largest ever for a football match – cheering against them. The Uruguayan squad that traveled to Switzerland for their first World Cup overseas was in fine form. In the preliminaries they defeated Czechoslovakia 2-0 and annihilated a good Scottish team by the surprising score of 7 -0. They then faced England in the quarterfinals. Many contemporary observers believed that the English played their best World Cup match ever. Nevertheless, Uruguay still prevailed 4 – 2. The forthcoming Hungary versus Uruguay contest was much anticipated. Many experts thought that these were the two best teams in the tournament.  The match would certainly live up to expectations.

One goal away from greatness – Uruguay’s 1954 World Cup team

Under Siege From The Start –  Hungary Attacks
A notable aspect of Hungary’s 1954 World Cup performance was the speed with which they were able to score their first goal. In four of six matches they scored by the eight minute mark. The longest they took to score in any match was the thirteen minute mark against Uruguay. This was certainly not due to a lack of opportunities. Minutes after the opening kick Hungary was in all-out attack mode. The Uruguayan goalkeeper Roque Maspoli was under siege right from the start. First he saved a shot from the unsung forward Peter Palotas, next he watched as a shot from Josef Bozsik went just wide. Then the always prolific Nandor Hidegkuti narrowly missed a shot from an acute angle on the left. It seemed that the Hungarians might score at any moment. That is precisely what they did when Hidegkuti lofted the ball to “Golden Head” Sandor Kocsis who sent it on to Zoltan Czibor who volleyed it into the net. Maspoli could only look on in disbelief.

Down a goal the Uruguayans discovered their offensive energy. They began to control the ball more, but failed to create a breakthrough. Much of the Uruguayan’s inability to score was because of the Hungarian keeper-sweeper Gyula Grosics. True to his reputation Grosics came out from beyond the goal to sweep long balls clear before they could do any damage. Just before half it was Hungary’s turn once again. Kocsis measured up another fierce header, but Maspoli anticipated perfectly. As both sides went to the locker room Hungary held a 1-0 advantage. The first half had been played at near warp speed. These were two teams at the height of their powers, a display of marvelous technical skill and total confidence.

Uruguayan goalkeeper Roque Maspoli watches as Hungary scores

Tied Up & Knocked Out – Uruguay’s Comeback
The high quality of play by both teams continued after the half with the Hungarians once again in the ascendant. They came out once again pressing the attack. A golden opportunity arose when the Hungarians intercepted a bad clearance shot. Midfielder Laszlo Budai – who would controversially be replaced for the final match by star striker Ferenc Puskas – sent a cross that was headed in by Hidegkuti just a minute into the 2^nd half. With a two goal lead it seemed that nothing could stop the Hungarians now. They came close to scoring a couple of more times. It looked like the game was about to turn into a rout, but Uruguay had other ideas. Perhaps they drew on confidence sustained from their previous World Cup comeback four years earlier, when they overcame a one goal deficit to defeat Brazil in the final. Whatever the case, Uruguay began to surge.

They were led by the creative playmaking of Juan Schiaffino and the shooting prowess of Juan Hohberg. The duo teamed up on two scores in the 75^th and 86^th minutes. On the latter goal Hohberg rifled a shot into the top of the net. A wild celebration ensued that ended up with Hohberg being knocked out by his own teammates. He would soon return to his feet. The Hungarians were the ones who were truly reeling. Their supposedly insurmountable lead had vanished in eleven minutes. Uruguay looked to be on the verge of another incredible comeback.  Hohberg came within inches of a hat trick in the first period of extra time when Schiaffino fed him the ball once again. This time his shot smacked the bottom of the post. Victory was that close, but it would not come any closer.

Zoltan Czibor celebrates a goal getting past Roque Maspoli in extra time (Credit: ullstein bild)

All Downhill From Here – A Last Grasp For Greatness
The second period of extra time started with the game now at 120 minutes and counting. This time the Hungarians were able to deliver two lethal blows. First Kocsis hit one of his trademark headers off a cross from Budai to give them the lead. Then Kocsis struck again a few minutes later as he headed home Boszik’s center. The Magical Magyars went on to close out a closely fought 4-2 triumph in a game that was talked about for years to come. The Uruguayans had shown their determination once again. Sadly the game would be their last high point for many decades. Uruguayan football went into terminal decline following the 1954 World Cup. It would take over a half century before they would return to the semifinals. Ironically the Hungarian victory was also their last real feat of World Cup acclaim. They have yet to return to a World Cup semifinal. No one knew this at the time though. For the moment, Hungary looked forward to a return match with West Germany, a team they had destroyed in the group round. It looked nearly certain that Hungary would win the championship. That was until they played the actual game.

Click here for: The Making Of A Miracle – Rise Of The West Germans: Hungary & the 1954 World Cup (Part Four)

Playing Favorites – Defining Dominance: Hungary & The 1954 World Cup (Part One)

There has never been a clearer favorite to win the World Cup than Hungary in 1954. They came into the tournament riding a four year, 28 match unbeaten streak. Football had never seen anything like their superb passing, highly skilled ball control and offensive attack. A variety of expressive terms were used to describe them as Magical, Magnificent, Marvelous and Mighty Magyars. None of these terms were exaggerations. This Hungarian team really was that good. They seemed to attack in waves, capable of producing an explosion of offense. As their best player and one of the greatest strikers in football history, Ferenc Puskas put it “when we attacked, everyone attacked.” And what an attack it was! There was Puskas, with his golden left foot, accurate from up to 35 yards out. He had scored 65 goals in 55 international games. Center-forward Nandor Hidegkuti who was just as deadly with his right foot and Sandor Kocsis, also known as “Golden Head”, due to his ability to strike while the ball was in the air. These stars were supplemented by the aggressive propulsion brought by right-half Joszef Bozsik and right winger Zoltan Czibor.

The defense while less lauded was nearly as stout. In goal was one of the all-time greats, Gyula Grosics. He had been placed under house arrest in 1949 after attempting to defect, but was eventually allowed back on the national team. He was the first to innovate the role of sweeper-keeper where he would take on a role as an extra defender. With his versatile athleticism, Grosics would often leave the goal to challenge opponent’s shots and was a constant threat to cut-off long balls. This array of talent, a product of chance, fortune and development was overseen by the Deputy Minister of Sport, Gusztav Sebes, a committed communist who had been a trade union organizer earlier in his life. Sebes was devoted to the cause of building socialism and saw football as a crucial force in the struggle between communism and capitalism. The struggle on the football field was one he believed could be won by building a team based on exceptional physical fitness and the implementation of a 3-2-3-2 formation that opened up a vast amount of space in the midfield. These tactics allowed the highly skilled and versatile Hungarian players to press the attack. It is ironic that Sebes, an acolyte of a centrally planned, state controlled system would be the leading developer of an extremely flexible, progressive system of football that was a forerunner of modern football.

Overwhelming favorites – The 1954 Hungarian World Cup team

The Greatest Of All Time  –  Up To A Point
As the 1954 World Cup in Switzerland approached the Hungarians were considered not only the best team, but perhaps the best team ever. In their 28 game unbeaten run, 19 of the games were played on the road. They compiled a record of 17-0-2 in these games. In 17 of the 28 games Hungary had scored at least four goals and 11 times shut out the opposition. Their last defeat had been to Austria in May 1950. Since that game, the Hungarians had played the Austrians four times, winning three and drawing one. On the international tournament stage, they dominated both the 1952 Olympics and the Central European Cup competition. Hungary was predicted to do the same at the World Cup, but the tournament would present some obstacles they had yet to face. It was to include such strong South American teams as Uruguay (1950 World Cup champions) and a strong Brazil side.

For the first time since the 1938 World Cup a German team would be allowed to play. West Germany qualified, coming in with a deceptively strong side. Hungary was unfortunate in that of their six matches at the 1954 World Cup, four of them would be against Brazil, Uruguay and West Germany. The Hungarians had not played any of these nations during their unbeaten streak. Years later an analysis using the Elo system (a statistical method for rating head to head matchups which coincidentally was invented by Hungarian Arpad Elo ) would show that Hungary played in three of the top eight all-time highest rated international matches all during the 1954 World Cup. In the spring of 1954 Hungary seemed up to the monumental task they would soon face. In three international friendly matches they outscored the opposition 11-1. The last of these was a 7-1 demolition of England. It is still the worst loss England has ever suffered in international play.

Fouled Up – Ferenc Puskas (dark uniform) takes on Werner Liebrich (right) in World Cup play

The Price Of Victory – Losing Puskas
Hungary kicked off their pursuit of the World Cup in much the same fashion, annihilating South Korea 9-0 in Zurich with Kocsis scoring three consecutive goals at one point. The tournament would turn out to be a goal scoring festival, setting a record for average goals scored per game. On Sunday June 20^th before 56,000 spectators in Basel the Hungarians faced West Germany in a group match. The West Germans did not go all out and held back several of their starters, but no one knew at the time just how much a difference they could make. The Hungarians rolled right from the start. Kocsis showed that he was just getting warmed up during the previous game. At the three minute mark he opened the scoring. Towards the midpoint of the first half he scored again to put Hungary up 3-0. And he was not through. Kocsis would end up scoring four goals, one more than the entire West German side. The final score was 8-3.

Sandor Kocsis – Golden Head in action

As big a victory as this was for Hungary, they also suffered an irreparable loss. Puskas was roughly fouled several times during the game, the most egregious of which was a nasty tackle by the West German center-half Werner Liebrich. It resulted in Puskas suffering a hair line fracture of the ankle that would sideline him for Hungary’s next two matches. He would eventually return, but be nowhere near his best. That was not the most immediate problem for Hungary though. Brazil loomed on the horizon, a team that would push the Hungarians to the breaking point and beyond. Their match would be memorable for more than football.

Click here for: Giving Them The Boot – The Battle Of Berne: Hungary & The 1954 World Cup (Part Two)

Ascendance Or Vengeance – Hungary Vs. England: A Nation Back On Its Feet (Part Two)

After the Hungarian national team’s 6-3 destruction of England at Wembley they were given a hero’s welcome when they returned home. At the Keleti (Eastern) Railway Station thousands greeted them upon arrival. Among those waiting on the platform was the Hungarian Communist Party’s leadership. The national team was much more popular than the government. From 1948 until 1953 a hardline Stalinist dictatorship carried out numerous arrests, show trails and purges. Torture and murder were commonly used to eliminate suspected threats to regime. Only with the death of Joseph Stalin in March 1953 and the ascension of Nikita Khrushchev as leader did the mindless arrests, persecutions and murderous paranoia come to an end. Stalinism had brought the social fabric of Hungary close to a breaking point. The leading force for social cohesion during this period was the beloved national team. They were held up as icons. The Hungarian public had suffered horribly ever since the last year of the Second World War. The football team provided something that was decidedly lacking in communist Hungary, optimism. The public’s hopes and dreams were invested with their world best football team.

The Magical Magyars in the early 1950s at the height of their powers (Credit: Tibor Erky-Nagy)

The Hope & Dream Of A Nation – Something To Believe In
A short walk from Keleti Station stood the Nepstadion (People’s Stadium) which took five years to construct using mostly volunteer labor and was finally finished in 1953. It was held up by the government as a shining achievement of the communist system. The Nepstadion was to be the scene of a rematch between Hungary and England just six months after the game at Wembley. This international friendly would either solidify Hungary as the best team in world football or show that their earlier victory over England had been an aberration. The English would have extra motivation with an opportunity to avenge the most embarrassing loss in their history. Conversely, they would be playing away from home, before a capacity crowd, in a nation whose one positive outlet was the national football team. The Hungarian people were rabid football fans, more so since they had little else to cheer under the communist system.

English preparation for the game was problematic. The English coach from the earlier debacle, Walter Winterbottom, would once again be on the sideline. Winterbottom was not allowed to choose his own players. This was done by the supposedly all-knowing administrators of the English Football Association. The entire English football apparatus treated their earlier loss as an outlier and decided to change nothing in their strategy. They were going to play the same way as before, under the false assumption that this time it would somehow be different.  They were to be sorely disappointed. As for the Hungarians, they had the advantage in skill, tactics, organization and confidence. From their viewpoint there was little to worry about. The match would also serve as a preview of both teams’ level of play less than a month before the 1954 World Cup was to begin in Switzerland.

The crowd at the Nepstadion awaits the start of the Hungary-England match in Budapest on May 23, 1954

The 4-2-4 – Hallmark Of Hungarian Brilliance
A packed crowd of 92,000 were on hand as Hungary and England took the field on a Sunday afternoon in late May 1954. By the previous game’s standards the Hungarians got off to a slow start, not scoring right away, but they still controlled the game from the outset. The English used the same tactics that had got them obliterated at Wembley. They adhered to the increasingly antiquated WM formation, so named because the offensive formation was shaped like an M, while the midfield and defense formed a W. The offensive side of the formation allowed for a gap between the wings and the inside forwards which was often the path to successful counter attacks.  England’s problem was that their tactics were only effective if they could get control of the ball, something the highly skilled Hungarian team would not allow.

The Hungarians used a 3-2-3-2 formation which created a large amount of space in the midfield where defenders could roam freely to take the ball away from the opposition and start an attack. When properly executed the upshot was a formation of six forwards and six defenders with the midfielders taking on the role of both attack and defense. Such a style relied on teamwork, highly skilled individual players and quick passing. When properly executed a high degree of improvisation could take place, where any player could press an attack. The Brazilians would later use such a style to dominate the game, but in the early and mid-1950’s the 4-2-4 was the hallmark of Hungarian brilliance.

A nation on its feet – Hungarian crowd cheers their national teams 7-1 victory over England

An Attack Mentality – The Future Is Now
In the game’s first few minutes it became apparent that the Hungarians were in total control, it would be just a matter of time before they scored. At the ten minute mark defender Mihaly Lantos struck, giving the Hungarians a lead they would never relinquish. This began a run of three goals in nine minutes, the second of which was scored by the brilliant, left footed striker Ferenc Puskas. England had come into the match ranked fourth in the world, but they looked like amateurs, totally confused on defense, subjected to a withering attack throughout the match. In the second half, the flood gates opened again as the Hungarians put together a run of four goals in only 14 minutes. The English were only able to counter with a single goal. The final score was even more decisive than the first meeting, as the Hungarians inflicted another devastating defeat on England 7-1. There was little doubt that the Hungarians were the present and future of world football, while the English style of play had been relegated to the past forever.

The game turned out to be the apogee for the Magical Magyars. That summer the Hungarians were brought down in a stinging upset by West Germany in the World Cup Final. Two years later the Hungarian Revolution against Soviet rule was crushed and many of the team’s best players, including Puskas fled abroad. A team that had brought a nation on its knees back to its feet would be remembered fondly for decades to come, both at home and abroad. Between 1950 and 1954 they produced an undefeated streak of 32 games, with 28 wins and 4 draws. In the process they had transformed football, never more so than in those two remarkable victories over England.

Click here for: Perfection On A Football Pitch – Hungary vs. England: Magyar Magic At Wembley (Part  One)

Perfection On A Football Pitch – Hungary vs. England: Magyar Magic At Wembley (Part One)

Imagine for a moment that a small nation suddenly produces a superb crop of talented football players. Together these players with skillful coaching develop a new style of highly imaginative play and transform the game. Over the next four years they go on an unprecedented run, defeating one nation after another with seemingly effortless play. During this time they beat one of the world’s top national teams in the most devastating fashion. All other opponents are defeated just as decisively. In the process this team and several of its star players become national icons, revered for decades afterward.  The team represents a nation with a population of nine and a half million, a mid-size country that suddenly produces a uber-talented team that goes from good to one of the all-time greats despite the fact that much of this nation’s infrastructure was badly damaged less than a decade earlier in a world war. This incredible team comes from a nation that has the same population as Azerbaijan, Jordan, Belarus or Hungary. Such a storyline seems far-fetched, beyond the wildest imagination, but such a team once existed and if it could happen once. then it could certainly happen again. This team has become known as the “Magical Magyars” of Hungary that ruled world football in the early 1950’s. They accomplished all of the above and in the process helped bring about the modern game. Of all their accomplishments the most memorable were defining victories over England, a footballing superpower they laid low, not once, but twice.

Hungary and England take the field for the Match of the Century at Wembley in 1953

The Birth of Modern Football – Match of The Century
On November 25, 1953 England and Hungary faced off in what was called “The Match of the Century” before a crowd of 105,000 on a foggy afternoon at Wembley Stadium in London. The match was highly anticipated since both the English and Hungarian teams were among the world’s best. The English were prohibitive favorites. They had never lost a home match to a foreign team from outside the British Isles. As inventors of the game, it was believed the English played the best, most pure brand of football.  They had history on their side, but history meant little to the team they were to face.

The Hungarians were considered a major threat to end English home field dominance. Most recently they had defeated the powerful Italian national team in Rome 3-0. They played a transformative style of football that was an early version of the modern game. Ironically they had learned much of their style of play from a former English professional player and coach by the name of Jimmy Hogan. Hogan ended up teaching and coaching in Hungary by a twist of historical fate after being interned during World War One in Austria after World War I started. He emphasized ball control, short passes and skillful individual play in what became known as the Danubian School of Football.. His tutelage was a foundation for the Magyars magical re-imagining of the game.

Nandor Hidegkuti rifles another shot on the way to scoring a hat trick

Total Football – Total Dominance
Twenty years prior to the Dutch pioneering Total Football, in which any player on the field can take over the position of another player, the Magyars did the same thing with one touch passing, ball control and each player looking to go on the attack at every opportunity. This style offered infinite offensive possibilities as positional interchange meant that any player was free to press the attack. The Hungarians developed an early form of these tactics to devastating effect. When done with precision it destroyed the opponent’s defense. They also held several other advantages over the opposition. The Hungarians focused on physical fitness and were able to regularly practice together. The national team players were all on the Honved club sponsored by the military. They came into the match against England brimming with confidence, in the midst of a historic four year undefeated run. This included a dominant performance in the 1952 Olympics. On their way to winning the gold medal they outscored the competition by an aggregate of 20 – 3. By the time they arrived at the rickety Empire Stadium at Wembley, the Hungarians had not lost a game since the spring of 1950. The skies may have been gloomy over London that grey November day, but as the match got underway it became apparent that the Hungarians were intent on lighting up the English defense.

A mere 45 seconds into the game a series of one touch passes ended with the Hungarian midfielder, Nandor Hidegkuti nailing a perfect shot from the penalty line to give the visitors the lead. The English leveled with a goal at the 15^th minute. Then the Hungarians put on an exhibition of offensive football rarely seen since that day, scoring five consecutive goals over the next 40 minutes. They displayed complete control with the ball by using skillful passes to exploit openings in the confused English defense.  Time and again the Hungarians were able to get clean shots on goal. Their explosive offense was unstoppable with Hidegkuti leading the way with a hat trick of goals. When the final whistle blew, the score was Hungary 6 England 3, but anyone who saw the game knew it had not been nearly that close. Some observers later said that the Hungarians could have easily scored at least ten goals. For every English shot on goal, the Hungarians had seven. Rarely has one world class team routed another so badly.  The home crowd was stunned into silence. After 90 minutes it was obvious that English professional football was stuck in the past. The modern game had arrived that day on the magical feet of the Magyars. English football looked primitive by comparison.

Hungary’s Sandor Kocsis taking one of the Magic Magyars 35 shots on goal during the match

Widening The Gap – Hungary Ascendant
The Match of the Century had turned out to be a drubbing for the ages.  England would get their chance at revenge, but in the meantime they had a lot of catching up to do. Rather than closing the gap, they would soon discover that the gap was actually widening. More than an ocean or a continent separated English and Hungarian football, the difference was one of strategy, skill level and imagination. The English may have invented the game, but the Hungarians had perfected it. The two teams would meet again the next year in Budapest and this time the result would be just as stunning in its own way.

Click here for: Ascendance Or Vengeance – Hungary Vs. England: A Nation Back On Its Feet (Part Two)

The Vanished Magic of the Magyars – Hungarian Football: An Incurable Decline

In 1986 a book titled Gyogyitatlan was published in Hungary. On the cover was a female football player, down on her knees in the grass of the pitch. She was kneeling at the edge of the goal while holding a candle, in front of her was a football. Her head was bowed as if in mourning. The title of the book, roughly translated meant: Hungarian football is incurable. Not much has changed since the book was published. The last time the Hungarians actually made the World Cup was that same year, 1986 in Mexico City. They did not acquit themselves very well. Their first loss was a humiliating 0 – 6 defeat to a Soviet Union side which was not exactly a juggernaut. The Soviets failed to make it past the second round. In their final game, the Hungarians were matched against France. The winner would advance to the second round. The Hungarians failed to score a goal. Thus, they left Mexico City after being shut out twice. Their lone victory was over Canada, a nation that can hardly be called a football power.

The Magical Magyars – during the glory years

Magical Magyars – The Golden Team
It was not always this way. During the middle of the 20^th century Hungarian football was known for path breaking skill and innovation. This reputation lives on half a century later. Anyone who has spent time in Budapest has almost certainly seen the memorabilia for sale celebrating the “Magical Magyars” or “Golden Team” of the early 1950’s. Replica jerseys of that team’s star player, Ferenc Puskas, one of the great footballers of all time are on sale at tourist outlets across the city. The “Magical Magyars” dominated football like no other nation before or since.

From 1950 to 1956 they won 42 internationals, drew seven times and suffered a single defeat. This record included an incredible 6 – 3 destruction of England at Wembley in 1953. This was followed by an even more decisive 7 -1 victory at Budapest over the same English side in 1954. All the while, Puskas reigned supreme. His teammates such Sandor Kocsis, Nandor Hidegkuti and Gyula Groscis were superb. The team was known for its excellent level of physical fitness, versatility and tactical innovation.

Ferenc Puskas in action against the West Germans during the Miracle of Bern

A Battle & A Miracle – Bern in 1954
The “magical Magyars” arrived at the 1954 World Cup in Switzerland as heavy favorites. They had gone several years without a defeat. This included a dominating performance at the 1952 Olympic Games in Helsinki. Getting through to the final of the World Cup was not without its trials. They fought their way through the tournament in the most literal sense. In the quarterfinals, what became known as the Battle of Bern took place against Brazil. The Hungarians won a brutally physical contest. Fisticuffs continued off the pitch, as the teams squared off in a locker room brawl afterward.

A victory over defending champs Uruguay put Hungary into the final. They would face a West German team they had resoundingly defeated earlier in the tournament 8 -3. It looked as though yet another Hungarian triumph was a formality, but the West Germans had not fielded their best side in the preliminary match. They held back many of their stars, resting them for later in the tournament. The West German which Hungary faced in the final was quite a different force from what they had seen earlier. In addition, the Hungarians were hurting. In the first match against the West Germans, Puskas had been kicked and badly injured his ankle. Though he was able to play in the final, he was not at full strength.

The match took place in a drenching rainstorm. The wet, muddy conditions slowed the Hungarians vaunted attacking style. Nonetheless, they started brilliantly, taking a 2 – 0 lead a mere eight minutes into the game, but that would be the extent of their scoring. The West Germans found their footing and tied the score by the eighteenth minute. Over an hour of time would pass before another goal, but once again it was the West Germans who pushed it through as they took the lead for good in the 84^th minute. With only two minutes remaining Puskas, despite his ankle injury scored and tied the game, but the goal was disallowed when he was ruled off-sides. The Hungarians went down in defeat. No Eastern European side has come as close to winning the World Cup since that time. As a matter of fact, not one has made it into the final since then. The Magic of the Magyars vanished that day. The final became known as the Miracle of Bern.

Sporadic Displays of Greatness Amid Decline – Hungarian Football Post-Revolution
It would be wrong to see the 1954 World Cup Final as the beginning of a decline in Hungarian football. The failed 1956 Hungarian Revolution sent many of their greatest players such as Puskas into western exile, but this did not preclude success in the coming decades. Hungary made the quarterfinals in both the 1962 and 1966 World Cups, losing by a single goal to fellow Eastern Bloc allies, Czechoslovakia and the Soviet Union respectively. It was not until the late 1980’s that the decline in Hungarian football had become firmly established.

The fall of the Iron Curtain only exacerbated matters as state support for the national side crumbled. The best players left the domestic league for better salaries and opportunities in the west. The domestic league was riddled with poor quality football and low attendance. This nadir has been most acute in the post-Communist era. The national side has failed to qualify for the finals of a major international competition since the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. The meaning of that book entitled Gyogyitatlan now seems prescient. Hungarian football seems incurable.

Gyogyitatlan – Trying to cure the incurable

Defeat In Victory – The Future of Hungarian Football
The qualification for the 2014 World Cup did not offer much hope. Many observers felt that Hungary’s 1 – 8 loss to the Netherlands in October 2013 was the ultimate embarrassment. Though that defeat was the worst loss in Hungarian football history, the Hungarians could at least take heart in knowing that Holland is one of the best football sides in the world. Ironically, it was a 2- 0 victory over Andorra later that spring that may have been worse. The Andorran side has only managed to win three international matches in their entire history, this against a record of 104 losses. It took the Hungarian team 51 minutes to score their first goal in the match. They only sealed the victory after the Andorrans scored an own goal late in the game. The Hungarians had avoided a humiliating loss, but their victory was reflective of the state of Hungarian football: lackluster, stale and uninspired.

From Olympic Champions and runner-ups in the World Cup to barely escaping defeat at the hands of Andorra in a World Cup qualification match, Hungarian football has been most notable by its extremes. For all the success of its national side in the post-World War II years, it has experienced even greater failures over the last twenty years. The decline of Hungarian football up to this time seems incurable. The future looks to hold more of the same, but as many Hungarian football fans already know, it might just get worse.