1978 World Cup Guide

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Soccer Corner Magazine June 1978 Issue

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1978 World Cup Guide

This 1978 World Cup Guide was the bible of the tournament for US fans. Written and edited by the staff at Soccer America it covered every detail of the event in a format American fans understood.

The 1978 World Cup was won by Argentina who beat the Netherlands 3–1 at River Plate’s home stadium Estadio Monumental in the Argentine capital of Buenos Aires. The final featured dramatic fan support, ticker tape and 2 goals for Mario Kempes in extra time to win the Cup. This win was the first World Cup title for Argentina, who became the fifth team (after Uruguay, Italy, England and West Germany), to be both hosts and world champions.

The 1978 Cup was controversial due to the military coup Argentina suffered 2 years prior in 1976. The military dictatorship led by General Jorge Rafael Videla was responsible for the killing of thousands of people. Therefore multiple countries like the Netherlands were thinking of boycotting the tournament. Eventually they all participated after the military junta guaranteed a secure and safe environment for the tournament.

This was the first time more than 100 countries tried to qualify for a World Cup. A total of 107 teams entered the World Cup qualifications. As in previous World Cups, there was only room for 14 countries. This meant the 1978 World Cup with 16 participants was statistically the hardest World Cup to have ever qualified for.

The 1978 World Cup Guide features soccer legends like Kaz Deyna, Johann Cruyff along with images and data on Argentina’s World Cup stadiums. Check out the Mexico squad with past greats like former San Diego Sockers Leonardo Cuellar and Hugo Sanchez plus Victor Rangel, the first coach of my favorite team, the Tijuana Xolos.

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1978 World Cup Guide Related Links

– Argentina 3-1 Netherlands video highlights.
– The FIFA World Cup Final that almost didn’t happen
– BBC World Cup Stories – Argentina [part 1]
– BBC World Cup Stories – Argentina [part 2]