Strong And Weak Now Emerging In Cup Soccer

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31111, 14 July 1966, Page 17

Strong And Weak Now Emerging In Cup Soccer

(N.Z.P.A. Reuter—Copyright) LONDON. The first round of the 1966 World Cup soccer series will be completed today in four centres—London, Birmingham, Manchester and Sunderland.

After these games a clearer picture will have emerged of the chances of the 16 finalists.

Today’s games are: France v. Mexico in group one; Spain v. Argentina in group two: Hungary v. Portugal in group three; Chile v. Italy in group four. West Germany, Brazil and Russia all won their opening matches yesterday. The powerful German team had a 5-0 win over a relatively weak Switzerland, and Russia beat North Korea 3-0. First Goal To Pele In the third match yesterday, Brazil beat Bulgaria, 2-0. The honour of scoring the first goal of the series went to the niagnificant Pele. England and Uruguay had played a 0-0 draw on the opening day. Possibly the most significant encounter in today's games is between Italy and Chile at Sunderland. Italy, regarded by many critics as the best of the European teams competing, 1 has promised to provide entertainment as well as success. Italy, winner of the Jules’ Rimet Cup in 1934 and 1938, , Is not expected to be tested; by Chile. A superb defence; and a fluid ability on attack i that has brought 19 goals in five warm-up matches, has stamped the Italians as clearcut a favourite in its group. France Favourite France will start the favourite to beat Mexico, I 200-1 outside in the world Cup ’ betting list. The SpainArgentina match appears likely to resolve itself into a; fascinating duel between the Spanish forward line and the : Argentinian defence, which is, acknowledged to be one of the tightest in world soccer. Some exciting cut and thrust ' can be expected from Portu-; gal. appearing in the final | series for the first time, and, Hungary. Both have plenty of punch in their forward lines' and the issue might be de-! cided by the greater expert-1 ence of the Hungarian defence.

Yesterday the Germans played magnificent football against Switzerland. Beckenbauer and Haller each scored two goals and held one. Brazil’s goals came from fouls on the star of the championship—the fabulous Pele. Pele scored the first him-

self in the sixteenth minute and then Garrincha, Brazil's famous winger, smashed in the second with a right-foot drive from two yards outside the penalty area that ended all doubts about the fitness of his right knee. Already the championship was building up into a tough one, with Pele saying after the match: “I received more blows

> than ever before in tonight’s s match. The Bulgarians are i good and I don’t see why they t have to use such rough tac- > tics.” 1 The Russians also played a E hard game in defeating the little-known North Korean > team. Russia’s goals came i from Malofeev in the s thirtieth and eighty-eighth s the thirty-first minute.