1934 FIFA World Cup

1934 FIFA World Cup
World's Cup[1]
Campionato Mondiale di Calcio

1934 FIFA World Cup official logo
Tournament details
Host country  Italy
Dates 27 May – 10 June
Teams 16 (from 4 confederations)
Venue(s) (in 8 host cities)
Final positions
Champions  Italy (1st title)
Runners-up  Czechoslovakia
Third place  Germany
Fourth place  Austria
Tournament statistics
Matches played 17
Goals scored 70 (4.12 per match)
Attendance 358,000 (21,059 per match)
Top scorer(s) Oldřich Nejedlý (5 goals)
1930
1938

The 1934 FIFA World Cup was the second FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in Italy from 27 May to 10 June 1934.

The 1934 World Cup was the first for which teams had to qualify to take part. Thirty-two nations entered the competition, and after qualification, 16 teams participated in the finals tournament. Italy became the second World Cup champions, beating Czechoslovakia 2-1 in the final.

Contents

Host selection

After a lengthy decision-making process in which FIFA's executive committee met eight times,[2] Italy was chosen as the host nation at a meeting in Stockholm on 9 October 1932.[3] The decision was taken by the executive committee without a ballot of members.[3] The Italian bid was chosen in preference to one from Sweden;[4] the Italian government assigned a budget of 3.5 million lire to the tournament.[5]

Qualification and participants

32 countries applied to enter the tournament, so qualifying matches were required to thin the field to 16.[3] Even so, there were several notable absentees. Reigning World Cup holders Uruguay declined to participate, in protest at the refusal of several European countries to travel to South America for the previous World Cup, which Uruguay had hosted in 1930.[6] As a result, the 1934 World Cup is the only one in which the reigning champions did not participate.[7] The Home Nations, in a period of self-imposed exile from FIFA, also refused to participate. Football Association committee member Charles Sutcliffe's view was typical of British attitudes: "the national associations of England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland have quite enough to do in their own International Championship which seems to me a far better World Championship than the one to be staged in Rome".[8]

Despite their role as hosts, Italy were still required to qualify, the first and only time the host nation was not granted automatic qualification.[3] The qualifying matches were arranged on a geographical basis. Withdrawals by Chile and Peru meant Argentina and Brazil qualified without playing a single match.[9]

Twelve of the sixteen places were allocated to Europe, three to the Americas, and one to Africa or Asia (including Turkey). Only ten of the 32 entrants, and four of the 16 qualified teams (Brazil, Argentina, United States and Egypt, the first African team to qualify for a World Cup finals tournament), were from outside Europe. The last place in the finals was contested between the United States and Mexico only three days before the start of the tournament in a one-off match in Rome, which the United States won.[10]

The majority of the 16 teams were making their first World Cup appearance. These included nine of the twelve European teams (Italy, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Sweden, Austria, and Switzerland) together with Egypt. Egypt would not qualify for another World Cup finals until the next time the competition was held in Italy, in 1990.

Italy as hosts

Bologna
Florence
Genoa
Milan
Naples
Rome
Trieste
Turin
A map showing the locations of the venues used at the 1934 FIFA World Cup

Like the Berlin Olympics two years later, the 1934 World Cup was a high-profile instance of a sporting event being used for overt political gain. Benito Mussolini was keen to use the tournament as a means of promoting fascism.

The number of supporters travelling from other countries was higher than at any previous football tournament, including 7,000 from the Netherlands and 10,000 each from Austria and Switzerland.[11]

Eight cities hosted the tournament:

Format

The group stage used in the first World Cup was discarded in favour of a straight knockout tournament. If a match was tied after ninety minutes, then thirty minutes of extra time were played. If the score was still tied after extra time, the match would be replayed the next day.

The eight seeded teams—Argentina, Brazil, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Austria, Czechoslovakia and Hungary—were kept apart in the first round.

Summary

All eight first round matches kicked off at the same time.[12] Hosts and favourites Italy won handsomely, defeating the USA 7–1; the New York Times correspondent wrote that "only the fine goal-tending of Julius Hjulian of Chicago kept the score as low as it was".[13]

Internal disputes meant Argentina's squad for the tournament did not contain a single member of the team which had reached the final in 1930.[14] Against Sweden in Bologna, Argentina twice took the lead, but two goals by Sven Jonasson and a winner by Knut Kroon gave Sweden a 3–2 victory.[15] Fellow South Americans Brazil also suffered an early exit. Spain beat them comfortably; 3–1 the final score.[16]

For the only time in World Cup history, the last eight consisted entirely of European teams—Austria, Czechoslovakia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland. All four non-European teams who made the journey to Italy were eliminated after one match.

In the quarter-finals, the first replayed match in World Cup history took place, when Italy and Spain drew 1-1 after extra time. The match was played in a highly aggressive manner. Rough play injured the Spanish goalkeeper Ricardo Zamora in the first match, leaving him unable to participate in the replay.[17] Italy won the replay 1-0, their play so physical that at least three Spaniards had to depart the field with injuries.[18] Italy then went on to beat Austria in the semifinals by the same score. Meanwhile, Czechoslovakia secured their place in the final by beating Germany 3-1.

The Stadium of the National Fascist Party was the venue for the final. With 80 minutes played, the Czechoslovakians were ahead 1-0. The Italians managed to score before the final whistle, and then added another goal in extra time to be crowned World Cup Winners.

Italy's total of three goals conceded in five matches was a record low for a world champion. It was matched by England in 1966 (who played six matches) and Brazil in 1994 (who played seven), but was not surpassed until 1998 when France won the World Cup conceding only two goals over seven games, and then again by Italy in 2006.

Results

First round Quarter-finals Semi-finals Final
                           
27 May – Rome            
  Italy  7
31 May – Florence
(replayed 1 June)
  United States  1  
  Italy  1 (1)
27 May – Genoa
    Spain  1 (0)  
  Spain  3
3 June – Milan
  Brazil  1  
  Italy  1
27 May – Turin
    Austria  0  
  Austria (a.e.t.)  3
31 May – Bologna
  France  2  
  Austria  2
27 May – Naples
    Hungary  1  
  Hungary  4
10 June – Rome
  Egypt  2  
  Italy (a.e.t.)  2
27 May – Trieste
    Czechoslovakia  1
  Czechoslovakia  2
31 May – Turin
  Romania  1  
  Czechoslovakia  3
27 May – Milan
    Switzerland  2  
  Netherlands  2
3 June – Rome
  Switzerland  3  
  Czechoslovakia  3
27 May – Florence
    Germany  1   Third place
  Germany  5
31 May – Milan 7 June – Naples
  Belgium  2  
  Germany  2   Germany  3
27 May – Bologna
    Sweden  1     Austria  2
  Sweden  3
  Argentina  2  

First round

27 May 1934
16:30 (CEST)
Spain  3 – 1  Brazil Stadio Luigi Ferraris, Genoa
Attendance: 21,000
Referee: Alfred Birlem (Germany)
Iraragorri  18' (pen.)25'[19]
Lángara  29'
Report Leônidas  55'

27 May 1934
16:30 (CEST)
Hungary  4 – 2  Egypt Stadio Giorgio Ascarelli, Naples
Attendance: ~12,000
Referee: Rinaldo Barlassina (Italy)
Teleki  11'
Toldi  27'61'
Vincze  53'
Report Fawzi  31'39'

27 May 1934
16:30 (CEST)
Switzerland  3 – 2  Netherlands Stadio San Siro, Milan
Attendance: ~40,000
Referee: Ivan Eklind (Sweden)
Kielholz  7'43'[20]
Abegglen  69'
Report Smit  19'
Vente  84'

27 May 1934
16:30 (CEST)
Italy  7 – 1  United States Stadio Nazionale PNF, Rome
Attendance: ~13,000
Referee: Rene Mercet (Switzerland)
Schiavio  18'29'64'
Orsi  20'69'
Ferrari  63'
Meazza  90'[21]
Report Donelli  57'

27 May 1934
16:30 (CEST)
Czechoslovakia  2 – 1  Romania Stadio Littorio, Trieste
Attendance: ~8,000
Referee: John Langenus (Belgium)
Puč  50'
Nejedlý  67'
Report Dobay  11'

27 May 1934
16:30 (CEST)
Sweden  3 – 2  Argentina Stadio Littoriale, Bologna
Attendance: ~15,000
Referee: Eugen Braun (Austria)
Jonasson  9'67'
Kroon  79'
Report Belis  4'
Galateo  48'[22]

27 May 1934
16:30 (CEST)
Austria  3 – 2 (a.e.t.)  France Stadio Benito Mussolini, Turin
Attendance: ~20,000
Referee: Johannes van Moorsel (Netherlands)
Sindelar  44'
Schall  93'
Bican  109'
Report Nicolas  18'
Verriest  116' (pen.)[23]

27 May 1934
16:30 (CEST)
Germany  5 – 2  Belgium Stadio Giovanni Berta, Florence
Attendance: ~8,000
Referee: Francesco Mattea (Italy)
Kobierski  25'
Siffling  49'
Conen  66'70'87'
Report Voorhoof  29'43'

Quarter-finals

31 May 1934
16:30 (CEST)
Austria  2 – 1  Hungary Stadio Littoriale, Bologna
Attendance: ~25,000
Referee: Francesco Mattea (Italy)
Horvath  8'
Zischek  51'
Report Sárosi  60' (pen.)

31 May 1934
16:30 (CEST)
Italy  1 – 1 (a.e.t.)  Spain Stadio Giovanni Berta, Florence
Attendance: ~35,000
Referee: Louis Baert (Belgium)
Ferrari  44' Report Regueiro  30'

31 May 1934
16:30 (CEST)
Germany  2 – 1  Sweden Stadio San Siro, Milan
Attendance: ~15,000
Referee: Rinaldo Barlassina (Italy)
Hohmann  60'63' Report Dunker  82'

31 May 1934
16:30 (CEST)
Czechoslovakia  3 – 2  Switzerland Stadio Benito Mussolini, Turin
Attendance: ~12,000
Referee: Alois Beranek (Austria)
Svoboda  24'
Sobotka  49'
Nejedlý  82'
Report Kielholz  18'
Jäggi  78'
Replay
1 June 1934
16:30 (CEST)
Italy  1 – 0  Spain Stadio Giovanni Berta, Florence
Attendance: ~45,000
Referee: Rene Mercet (Switzerland)
Meazza  11' Report

Semi-finals

3 June 1934
16:30 (CEST)
Italy  1 – 0  Austria Stadio San Siro, Milan
Attendance: ~60,000
Referee: Ivan Eklind (Sweden)
Guaita  19' Report

3 June 1934
16:30 (CEST)
Czechoslovakia  3 – 1  Germany Stadio Nazionale PNF, Rome
Attendance: ~10,000
Referee: Rinaldo Barlassina (Italy)
Nejedlý  19'71'80'[24][25][26] Report Noack  62'[27]

Third-place match

7 June 1934
18:00 (CEST)
Germany  3 – 2  Austria Stadio Giorgio Ascarelli, Naples
Attendance: ~8,000
Referee: Albino Carraro (Italy)
Lehner  1'42'[28]
Conen  27'[20]
Report Horvath  28'[29]
Sesta  54'[30]

Final

10 June 1934
17:30 (CEST)
Italy  2 – 1 (a.e.t.)  Czechoslovakia Stadio Nazionale PNF, Rome
Attendance: ~45,000
Referee: Ivan Eklind (Sweden)
Orsi  81'
Schiavio  95'
Report Puč  76'[31]

Scorers

5 goals
4 goals
3 goals
2 goals
1 goal
1 goal (cont.)

FIFA Retrospective Ranking

In 1986, FIFA published a report that ranked all teams in each World Cup up to and including 1986, based on progress in the competition, overall results and quality of the opposition.[32] The rankings for the 1934 tournament were as follows:

Final

  1.  Italy
  2.  Czechoslovakia

3rd and 4th place

  1.  Germany
  2.  Austria

Eliminated in the quarter-finals

  1.  Spain
  2.  Hungary
  3.  Switzerland
  4.  Sweden

Eliminated in the round of 16

  1.  France,  Argentina,  Netherlands (same rank)
  2.  Romania
  3.  Egypt
  4.  Brazil
  5.  Belgium
  6.  United States

References

  1. ^ FIFA book of statutes, Roma 1934, prtd. Gebr. Fey & Kratz, Zürich, FIFA internal libray no. C br. 18, 1955
  2. ^ Freddi, Complete Book of the World Cup 2006, p. 15
  3. ^ a b c d Hunt, World Cup Stories, p. 23
  4. ^ "History of FIFA - The first FIFA World Cup". FIFA. http://www.fifa.com/classicfootball/history/fifa/historyfifa4.html. Retrieved 2009-12-01. 
  5. ^ Goldblatt, The Ball is Round, p. 255
  6. ^ Crouch, The World Cup: The Complete History, p. 16
  7. ^ Glanville, The Story of the World Cup, p. 25
  8. ^ Taylor, The Leaguers, p. 217.
  9. ^ Crouch, The World Cup: The Complete History, p. 14
  10. ^ "World Cup 1934". ESPN. http://soccernet.espn.go.com/world-cup/feature?id=696758&cc=5739&ver=global. Retrieved 2010-01-01. 
  11. ^ Murray & Murray, The World's Game, p69
  12. ^ Hunt, World Cup Stories. p. 26.
  13. ^ Wangerin, Soccer in a Football World, p. 98
  14. ^ Glanville, The Story of the World Cup, p. 26.
  15. ^ Freddi, Complete Book of the World Cup 2006, p. 20
  16. ^ Hunt, World Cup Stories. p. 27.
  17. ^ Baker, Sports in the Western World, p248
  18. ^ Wilson, Inverting the Pyramid, p71
  19. ^ RSSSF credits the goal in the 25th minute to Isidro Lángara.
  20. ^ a b RSSSF credits this goal as occurring in the 29th minute.
  21. ^ RSSSF credits this goal as occurring in the 89th minute.
  22. ^ RSSSF credits this goal as occurring in the 46th minute.
  23. ^ RSSSF credits this penalty as occurring in the 118th minute.
  24. ^ RSSSF credits the 19th minute goal as occurring in the 21st minute.
  25. ^ FIFA initially credits the 71st minute goal to Rudolf Krčil, but changed it to Nejedlý in 2006.[1] RSSSF credits this goal as occurring in the 69th minute. Archived February 9, 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  26. ^ RSSSF credits the 80th minute goal as occurring in the 81st minute.
  27. ^ RSSSF credits this goal as occurring in the 59th minute.
  28. ^ RSSSF credits the 1st minute goal as occurring in the 4th minute
  29. ^ RSSSF credits this goal as occurring in the 30th minute.
  30. ^ RSSSF credits this goal as occurring in the 55th minute.
  31. ^ RSSSF credits this goal as occurring in the 71st minute.
  32. ^ page 45

Bibliography

External links