22 November 1967 - Make Your Own "Irish Famine" Joke

On 22 November 1967, Ireland beat Czechoslovakia in a European qualifier. It was their last win for almost five years.

Played in Prague, the match was the last one in the qualifying group, with only the top finisher advancing to the quarterfinals. Ireland were already eliminated but were hoping to play the role of spoiler for the hosts, who started the day one point behind group leader Spain (the Spanish had already completed all of their matches).

The Czechs took the lead in the 57th minute courtesy of an own goal from Irish center back John Dempsey, but Ray Treacy pulled the visitors level in the 65th minute. Then, with four minutes of normal time remaining, striker Turlough O'Connor scored the match winner. The win lifted Ireland off the bottom of their group table into third and kept Czechoslovakia in second behind Spain.

It turned out to be Ireland's last taste of victory for quite a while. They went winless in their next twenty games, including their qualification campaigns for the 1970 World Cup and Euro '72, before finally beating Iran 2-1 in a friendly on 18 June 1972. They did not win another competitive match until they defeated France 2-1 in a World Cup qualifier on 15 November 1972.

12 November 1939 - A Fitting Mark For The Occasion

On 12 November 1939, forward Josef Bican commemorated his appearance for a third national team by scoring a hat-trick.

Bican, who was born in Vienna in 1913, made his first national team appearance for Austria in 1933. He went on to play for them a total of nineteen times--and scoring a total of nineteen goals--through 1936. The following year, he left Austria to play for Slavia Prague where he spent the majority of his career, scoring 395 goals in 217 matches between 1937 and 1948.

After moving to Prague, he switched his national team allegiance to Czechoslovakia. But after only three games (and eight goals), Czechoslovakia fell to the Nazis, who disbanded the team. They attempted to persuade Bican to turn out for Germany, but he declined, choosing instead to play for the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia which, while Nazi-controlled, remained ethnically Czech.

In his lone appearance for the Protectorate, Bican provided three goals in what turned out to be a 4-4 draw with Germany.

He rejoined the Czechoslovakian national team when they resumed play in 1946, making another eleven appearances for them until retiring from international football in 1949.

5 July 1953 - The Rarest Of Hat-Tricks

On 5 July 1953, László Kubala made his first appearance for Spain, despite having already played for both Czechoslovakia and Hungary.

A support striker, Kubala was born in Hungary and started his career there with Ganz TE (1944) and Ferencváros (1945-46). In 1946, he moved to Czechoslovakia to play for Slova Bratislava. While there, he got his first cap, appearing for Czechoslovakia in a 3-4 win over Austria in October 1946. It was the first of six matches he played for them in 1946 and 1947.

But in 1948, he returned to Hungary to play for Vasas and made three appearances for the Hungarian international team that year.

He left Hungary in 1949 after it became a Communist state and eventually arrived in Spain, along with a number of other Eastern European refugees. He signed with Barcelona in 1951 and remained there for ten years. After obtaining Spanish citizenship, Kubala made his debut for Spain in a 1-0 loss to Argentina. He proceeded to earn a total of nineteen caps through 1961 and later managed the team from 1969 to 1980.

20 June 1976 - Panenka's Perfect Penalty

On 20 June 1976, Czechoslovakia won the first major international tournament to be decided by a penalty shootout, beating West Germany in the European Championship Final.

Although there were only four teams--and four matches--in the tournament that year, it was hotly contested, with all four matches going to extra time. In the opening game, the Czechs got goals in the 114th and 118th minutes to defeat the Netherlands 3-1, while West Germany, the defending champions, matched them with goals in the 115th and 119th minutes to down Yugoslavia 4-2 (the Netherlands then won the third place match over Yugoslavia 3-2 with a score in the 107th minute).

The Final was played before a crowd of 30,790 at the Crvena Zvezda Stadium in Belgrade. There, Czechoslovakia jumped to a 2-0 lead with strikes from Ján Švehlík (8') and Karol Dobiaš (25'), but West Germany halved the margin three minutes later with a goal from Dieter Müller--it was his fourth goal of the tournament, making him the top scorer. The Germans then found a late equalizer through forward Bernd Hölzenbein (89') to send the match into extra time.

Unlike their previous matches, however, neither team could generate an extra-time goal and the contest went to penalties. Both sides converted their first three kicks and the Czechs made their fourth, but on West Germany's fourth attempt, midfielder Uli Hoeness sent the ball over the bar to give Czechoslovakia a 4-3 edge.

Czech midfielder Antonín Panenka (pictured, right) then stepped up to the spot. As keeper Sepp Maier dove to his left, Panenka chipped the ball right down the middle to secure the title. It was their first and only major trophy, though they went on to win gold at the Olympics in 1980.

9 February 1931 - And All He Wanted Was A Dukla Prague Away Kit

On 9 February 1931, midfielder Josef Masopust was born in Czechoslovakia. After leading the national team to a World Cup final, he was voted European Footballer of the Year and was later named the country's greatest player.

Masopust started his professional career in 1950 at the age of 19, signing with ZSJ Technomat Teplice. He played there for two seasons, then moved to ATK Praha (later renamed Dukla Prague) in 1952 and remained there for the majority of his career, scoring 79 goals in 386 appearances and winning eight league titles.

He rose to international prominence with the Czechoslovakian national team, earning 63 caps between 1954 and 1966. After a first-round exit in the 1958 World Cup, Masopust helped the team to a third-place finish at the 1960 European Championship, then reached the final of the 1962 World Cup. There, Masopust scored his only goal of the tournament to give Czechoslovakia a 15th-minute lead, though they went on to lose 3-1. Later that year, Masopust became the first Czech player to win the Ballon d'Or.

He continued to play until 1970 (spending his last two seasons in Belgium with Crossing Molenbeek), then moved into management, including spells with both Dukla Prague and the national team.

In 2003, when UEFA, in preparation for their 50th anniversary the following year, asked each of their member nations to name their best player of the past fifty years, the Czechs chose Masopust.

6 November 1966 - The Oranje's First Red

On 6 November 1966, Johan Cruyff earned one of his earliest distinctions, becoming the first player to be sent off in a match for the Dutch national team.

It was only the second national team appearance for Cruyff, who was then just 19 years old and in his third season with Ajax. He had scored in his Netherlands debut, a 2-2 draw with Hungary a month earlier in a European Championship qualifier. 

His follow-up was a friendly against Czechoslovakia, played before a crowd of 52,000 at the Olympic Stadium in Amsterdam. The Czechs struck first, going up 0-1 with a 27th-minute goal from midfielder Ján Geleta. Dutch forward Sjaak Swart equalized for the hosts in the 51st minute, but they remained level for only three minutes, as midfielder Ivan Hrdlička restored the visitors' lead in the 54th minute.

In the 76th minute, with the Netherlands struggling to maintain possession, Cruyff committed a foul that drew the historic ejection from referee Rudi Glöckner. Czechoslovakia held on to win 1-2, while Cruyff's punishment continued far beyond the next match--the KNVB suspended him from international play for almost a year, so that he did not receive his next cap until 13 September 1967.

It was a costly suspension. Despite a storied career that included three European Footballer of the Year Awards (1971, 1973, 1974) he made only 48 national team appearances. But he still managed to score 33 goals for the Netherlands, a tally that ties him for seventh on their current all-time list.

29 October 1975 - If Anyone Should Be Able To Play In The Fog, It's England

On 29 October 1975, Czechoslovakia and England met in a European qualifier that lasted only 17 minutes before a heavy fog forced its cancellation. And they weren't even playing in London.

At the time, the two sides were first and second in their qualification group. England were on top with seven points from four matches (wins were worth two points), while the Czechs were three points back with a game in hand. They had already played once, with England winning 3-0 at Wembley.

Czechoslovakia hosted the return fixture at the Tehelne polé stadium in Brataslava. But a heavy fog rolled in and impaired visibility so badly that referee Alberto Michelotti had no choice but halt the proceedings after only 17 minutes. It was only the second time in England's history that they had to abandon a match (the first was 1953 when rain stopped a friendly against Argentina).

The match was scoreless when Michelotti called it off, so they restarted from scratch the next day. The Czechs won 2-1, handing England their first loss under manager Don Revie. It proved to be a decisive result, as Czechoslovakia went on to qualify from the group, finishing one point ahead of England, then proceeded to win the tournament.

2 September 1920 - Well, That's One Way To Win A Match

On 2 September 1920, Belgium took the gold medal at the Summer Olympics after their opponent in the final, Czechoslovakia, walked off the pitch in protest after only 40 minutes. 

The Czechs had rolled through the preliminary rounds, racking up scores of 7-0 over Yugoslavia, 4-0 over Norway, and 4-1 over France. Belgium, as hosts, entered the tournament one round later and advanced with convincing wins over Spain (3-1) and the Netherlands (3-0). Their referee in the match against the Netherlands was 72-year old Englishman John Lewis, who drew high praise from the Belgian press for his officiating. L'Action Nationale, the Belgian national newspaper, said that Lewis "refereed the game magnificently" and called for him to take charge of the final. He did, along with two English linesmen. 

The match was played before a crowd of 35,000 at the Olympic Stadium in Antwerp. Belgium took an early lead with a 6th-minute penalty from Robert Coppée, then doubled their lead in the 30th minute with a goal from Henri Larnoe. Things continued to get worse for Czechslovakia when Lewis ejected left back Karel Steiner in the 40th minute. That proved to be the final straw for the Czechs, who immediately walked off the pitch and did not return, so the result was awarded to Belgium. 

Czechoslovakia filed a subsequent protest, complaining that both goals were the result of incorrect calls from Lewis and the linesmen, whom they claimed had been biased. Specifically, they complained that "The majority of the decisions of the referee Mr. Lewis were distorted and it was obvious that it gave the public the wrong impression in regard to our game. Also both Belgian goals were the result of incorrect decisions of the referee and we seek a rigorous investigation on that point." 

Their complaint was dismissed, however, and Belgium retained the gold medal. It remains the only time in a major tournament that one of the finalists was disqualified. 

29 November 1978 - Anderson Breaks England's Color Barrier

On 29 November 1978, England beat Czechoslovakia 1-0 in a friendly at Wembley. England's right back that day was Nottingham Forest's Viv Anderson, making the first start by a black player to appear for England in a full international match.

Born in Nottingham in 1956, Anderson began his professional career with Forest in 1974 and became a regular starter the following year. An attacking right back, he was an integral part of the team that won the League in 1978, then back-to-back European Cups in 1979 and 1980. He also won two League Cups with Forest (1978, 1979) and the 1980 UEFA Super Cup.

His impressive form during that successful run led England manager Ron Greenwood to call him up for the friendly against the Czechs. Midway through the second half, with the match scoreless, Anderson surged forward to create a opening for Tony Currie, who then crossed the ball into the box where a waiting Steve Coppell knocked home the day's only goal.

Despite his excellent performance, Anderson had to wait until June 1979 for his second England appearance and didn't feature in a competitive match until November 1979. In all, he received 30 caps, the last coming in 1988. He eventually retired in 1995 and was elected to the English Football Hall of Fame in 2004.

17 June 1962 - Brazil Takes Two

On 17 June 1962, World Cup holders Brazil successfully defended their title, beating Czechoslovakia 3-1 in the Final. After going down 0-1, the Brazilians scored three unanswered goals to become only the second country to win consecutive World Cups.

Played before a crowd of 68,679 at the Estadio Nacional in Santiago, Chile, the Final was a rematch of the two squads' previous group stage meeting, which ended as a scoreless draw. That match cost Brazil the services of Pelé, the hero of the previous tournament, due to injury. Although he was unable to play for the remainder of the Cup, Brazil won the group and reached the Final with knockout-round wins over England (3-1) and hosts Chile (4-2). The Czechs, meanwhile, finished second in the group and advanced by defeating Hungary (1-0) and Yugoslavia (3-1).

In the Final, just as they had in the 1958 Final, Brazil went down early, this time conceding a 15th-minute goal to Czech midfielder Josef Masopust. But Pelé's replacement Amarildo, who had scored both goals in Brazil's 2-1 final group stage win against Spain, brought his side level two minutes later. The teams ended the first half even at 1-1.

The champions took the lead in the second half with a 68th-minute header from midfielder Zito, then capitalized on a mistake by the Czech keeper Viliam Schrojf. In the 78th minute, Schrojf, who had played brilliantly throughout the tournament, allowed a high ball to slip through his hands and drop to the feet of Vavá. The forward tapped it into the net, becoming the first player in history to score in two World Cup Finals. It ended the scoring at 3-1 and gave Brazil the second of their five World Cup titles.

10 June 1934 - Italy Bounces The Czechs

On 10 June 1934, hosts Italy won the first of their four World Cup trophies, beating Czechoslovakia 2-1 in extra time before a crowd of 45,000 at Rome's Stadio Nazionale PNF.

Unlike the first World Cup, the 1934 second edition did not include a group stage. Instead, the 16 qualified teams started directly with knockout rounds. Italy opened the tournament with an easy win over the United States (7-1), then overcame Spain (in a replay, 1-0), and Austria (1-0) to reach the Final. Czechoslovakia, meanwhile, advanced with victories over Romania (2-1), Switzerland (3-2), and Germany (3-1). Czech striker Oldřich Nejedlý scored in every match - and recorded a hat-trick against Germany - to enter the Final as the Cup's top scorer with goals.

In the Final, the Italians kept Nejedlý in check to keep the match scoreless at halftime, but the Czechs went ahead in the 76th minute with a goal from forward Antonín Puč. Their lead lasted only five minutes, as Italy's Raimundo Orsi equalized in the 81st minute. The two sides remained even at 1-1, taking the match into extra time. There, striker Angelo Schiavio scored his fourth goal of the tournament, a 95th-minute shot that proved to be the Cup winner.

Italy repeated as champions in 1938 and won again in 1982 and 2006.

12 June 1938 - The Battle Of Bordeaux

On 12 June 1938, Brazil and Czechoslovakia drew 1-1 in a World Cup match held at Bordeaux's Parc Lescure before a crowd of 19,000.

Brazil took the lead with a goal in the 30th minute from Leônidas (who would go on to become the tournament's top scorer that year with 7 goals). The Czechs equalized in the 65th minute after being awarded a penalty that was converted by Oldřich Nejedlý (the previous tournament's top scorer with 5 goals). The teams played through thirty minutes of extra time, but ended in a 1-1 draw.

Known as "the Battle of Bordeaux," the match was remarkably violent, with three players sent off for hard fouls - Machado and Zezé Procópio for Brazil and Jan Říha for Czechoslovakia. There were several injuries, with the Czechs faring the worst - Nejedlý suffered a broken right leg, Josef Košťálek was injured in the stomach, and captain František Plánička's right arm was broken. The Brazilians were not unscathed, as both Leônidas and José Perácio left the field with injuries.

The teams replayed the match on 14 June, with both sides fielding several reserves. Leônidas was able to play, however, and scored in Brazil's 2-1 victory.

17 July 1975 - I Guess We Know Where Their Priorities Were

On 17 July 1975, UEFA adopted the use of penalty shootouts instead of replays to decide the finals of the European Cup, Cup Winners' Cup, and European Championship.

FIFA had approved the use of shootouts five years earlier, but UEFA stubbornly held on to the tradition of replays for its major competitions. In their defense, the need of either procedure rarely arose, with only four replays through 1971--three in the Cup Winners' Cup (1962, 1964, 1971) and one in the European Championship (1968).

Then in 1974, Bayern Munich and Atlético Madrid went to a replay in the European Cup Final (which the Germans proceeded to win 4-0). It turned out to be the last replay in a major UEFA competition, as they decided the following year to go with shootouts instead.

It didn't take long for the new procedure to make an appearance, as Czechoslovakia used it to beat West Germany at Euro 1976. Although it remains the only shootout in a European Championship, there have been ten in the European Cup/Champions League and six in the Cup Winners' Cup/UEFA Cup/Europa League.

22 November 1967 - Make Your Own "Irish Famine" Joke

On 22 November 1967, Ireland beat Czechoslovakia in a European qualifier. It was their last win for almost five years.

Played in Prague, the match was the last one in the qualifying group, with only the top finisher advancing to the quarterfinals. Ireland were already eliminated but were hoping to play the role of spoiler for the hosts, who started the day one point behind group leader Spain (the Spanish had already completed all of their matches).

The Czechs took the lead in the 57th minute courtesy of an own goal from Irish center back John Dempsey, but Ray Treacy pulled the visitors level in the 65th minute. Then, with four minutes of normal time remaining, striker Turlough O'Connor scored the match winner. The win lifted Ireland off the bottom of their group table into third and kept Czechoslovakia in second behind Spain.

It turned out to be Ireland's last taste of victory for quite a while. They went winless in their next twenty games, including their qualification campaigns for the 1970 World Cup and Euro '72, before finally beating Iran 2-1 in a friendly on 18 June 1972. They did not win another competitive match until they defeated France 2-1 in a World Cup qualifier on 15 November 1972.

12 November 1939 - A Fitting Mark For The Occasion

On 12 November 1939, forward Josef Bican commemorated his appearance for a third national team by scoring a hat-trick.

Bican, who was born in Vienna in 1913, made his first national team appearance for Austria in 1933. He went on to play for them a total of nineteen times--and scoring a total of nineteen goals--through 1936. The following year, he left Austria to play for Slavia Prague where he spent the majority of his career, scoring 395 goals in 217 matches between 1937 and 1948.

After moving to Prague, he switched his national team allegiance to Czechoslovakia. But after only three games (and eight goals), Czechoslovakia fell to the Nazis, who disbanded the team. They attempted to persuade Bican to turn out for Germany, but he declined, choosing instead to play for the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia which, while Nazi-controlled, remained ethnically Czech.

In his lone appearance for the Protectorate, Bican provided three goals in what turned out to be a 4-4 draw with Germany.

He rejoined the Czechoslovakian national team when they resumed play in 1946, making another eleven appearances for them until retiring from international football in 1949.

5 July 1953 - The Rarest Of Hat-Tricks

On 5 July 1953, László Kubala made his first appearance for Spain, despite having already played for both Czechoslovakia and Hungary.

A support striker, Kubala was born in Hungary and started his career there with Ganz TE (1944) and Ferencváros (1945-46). In 1946, he moved to Czechoslovakia to play for Slova Bratislava. While there, he got his first cap, appearing for Czechoslovakia in a 3-4 win over Austria in October 1946. It was the first of six matches he played for them in 1946 and 1947.

But in 1948, he returned to Hungary to play for Vasas and made three appearances for the Hungarian international team that year.

He left Hungary in 1949 after it became a Communist state and eventually arrived in Spain, along with a number of other Eastern European refugees. He signed with Barcelona in 1951 and remained there for ten years. After obtaining Spanish citizenship, Kubala made his debut for Spain in a 1-0 loss to Argentina. He proceeded to earn a total of nineteen caps through 1961 and later managed the team from 1969 to 1980.

20 June 1976 - Panenka's Perfect Penalty

On 20 June 1976, Czechoslovakia won the first major international tournament to be decided by a penalty shootout, beating West Germany in the European Championship Final.

Although there were only four teams--and four matches--in the tournament that year, it was hotly contested, with all four matches going to extra time. In the opening game, the Czechs got goals in the 114th and 118th minutes to defeat the Netherlands 3-1, while West Germany, the defending champions, matched them with goals in the 115th and 119th minutes to down Yugoslavia 4-2 (the Netherlands then won the third place match over Yugoslavia 3-2 with a score in the 107th minute).

The Final was played before a crowd of 30,790 at the Crvena Zvezda Stadium in Belgrade. There, Czechoslovakia jumped to a 2-0 lead with strikes from Ján Švehlík (8') and Karol Dobiaš (25'), but West Germany halved the margin three minutes later with a goal from Dieter Müller--it was his fourth goal of the tournament, making him the top scorer. The Germans then found a late equalizer through forward Bernd Hölzenbein (89') to send the match into extra time.

Unlike their previous matches, however, neither team could generate an extra-time goal and the contest went to penalties. Both sides converted their first three kicks and the Czechs made their fourth, but on West Germany's fourth attempt, midfielder Uli Hoeness sent the ball over the bar to give Czechoslovakia a 4-3 edge.

Czech midfielder Antonín Panenka (pictured, right) then stepped up to the spot. As keeper Sepp Maier dove to his left, Panenka chipped the ball right down the middle to secure the title. It was their first and only major trophy, though they went on to win gold at the Olympics in 1980.

9 February 1931 - And All He Wanted Was A Dukla Prague Away Kit

On 9 February 1931, midfielder Josef Masopust was born in Czechoslovakia. After leading the national team to a World Cup final, he was voted European Footballer of the Year and was later named the country's greatest player.

Masopust started his professional career in 1950 at the age of 19, signing with ZSJ Technomat Teplice. He played there for two seasons, then moved to ATK Praha (later renamed Dukla Prague) in 1952 and remained there for the majority of his career, scoring 79 goals in 386 appearances and winning eight league titles.

He rose to international prominence with the Czechoslovakian national team, earning 63 caps between 1954 and 1966. After a first-round exit in the 1958 World Cup, Masopust helped the team to a third-place finish at the 1960 European Championship, then reached the final of the 1962 World Cup. There, Masopust scored his only goal of the tournament to give Czechoslovakia a 15th-minute lead, though they went on to lose 3-1. Later that year, Masopust became the first Czech player to win the Ballon d'Or.

He continued to play until 1970 (spending his last two seasons in Belgium with Crossing Molenbeek), then moved into management, including spells with both Dukla Prague and the national team.

In 2003, when UEFA, in preparation for their 50th anniversary the following year, asked each of their member nations to name their best player of the past fifty years, the Czechs chose Masopust.

6 November 1966 - The Oranje's First Red

On 6 November 1966, Johan Cruyff earned one of his earliest distinctions, becoming the first player to be sent off in a match for the Dutch national team.

It was only the second national team appearance for Cruyff, who was then just 19 years old and in his third season with Ajax. He had scored in his Netherlands debut, a 2-2 draw with Hungary a month earlier in a European Championship qualifier.

His follow-up was a friendly against Czechoslovakia, played before a crowd of 52,000 at the Olympic Stadium in Amsterdam. The Czechs struck first, going up 0-1 with a 27th-minute goal from midfielder Ján Geleta. Dutch forward Sjaak Swart equalized for the hosts in the 51st minute, but they remained level for only three minutes, as midfielder Ivan Hrdlička restored the visitors' lead in the 54th minute.

In the 76th minute, with the Netherlands struggling to maintain possession, Cruyff committed a foul that drew the historic ejection from referee Rudi Glöckner. Czechoslovakia held on to win 1-2, while Cruyff's punishment continued far beyond the next match--the KNVB suspended him from international play for almost a year, so that he did not receive his next cap until 13 September 1967.

It was a costly suspension. Despite a storied career that included three European Footballer of the Year Awards (1971, 1973, 1974) he made only 48 national team appearances. But he still managed to score 33 goals for the Netherlands, a tally that ties him for fifth on their current all-time list.

29 October 1975 - If Anyone Should Be Able To Play In The Fog, It's England

On 29 October 1975, Czechoslovakia and England met in a European qualifier that lasted only 17 minutes before a heavy fog forced its cancellation. And they weren't even playing in London.

At the time, the two sides were first and second in their qualification group. England were on top with seven points from four matches (wins were worth two points), while the Czechs were three points back with a game in hand. They had already played once, with England winning 3-0 at Wembley.

Czechoslovakia hosted the return fixture at the Tehelne polé stadium in Brataslava. But a heavy fog rolled in and impaired visibility so badly that referee Alberto Michelotti had no choice but halt the proceedings after only 17 minutes. It was only the second time in England's history that they had to abandon a match (the first was 1953 when rain stopped a friendly against Argentina).

The match was scoreless when Michelotti called it off, so they restarted from scratch the next day. The Czechs won 2-1, handing England their first loss under manager Don Revie. It proved to be a decisive result, as Czechoslovakia went on to qualify from the group, finishing one point ahead of England, then proceeded to win the tournament.