Iconic World Cup Moments: The Netherlands losing the 1974 World Cup final

Let the games begin!

The 1974 FIFA World Cup final did not start with the spirit of optimism. Referee Jack Taylor was forced to delay kick-off after the corner flags were uprooted. Things got from bad to worse for the Germans. Within a minute of kick-off, as he had done many a time in the tournament, made a run taking out German players one by one, only to be brought down by Uli Hoeneß. History was made as referee Jack Taylor became the first referee to award a penalty in the a World Cup final. Stepping up was Andre Neeskens, who calmly slotted the ball past Sepp Maier. A stunned silence engulfed the Olympiastadion, with a sense of shock evident on the 75,000 odd German faces present.

In a bid to provide the fans with some amount of relief, the Germans began trying to break down the Dutch. However, the German adrenalin rush yielded no results whatsoever.

In a case of lapse of concentration, the German attack found their way through the Dutch defence. The crowd went berserk as another piece of history was created. Paul Breitner converted a penalty that that brought the packed Olympaistadion alive, but that was not all.

Eighteen minutes later, the comeback was complete as Johan Cruyff and the Netherlands were left in tears. It was yet another case of lapse of concentration. A clinical finish from Gerd Muller ensured that West Germany triumphed in the ultimate clash of titans. At half time, a shell shocked Cruyff was shown a yellow card for arguing with referee Taylor. This incident proved to be the last nail in the coffin for the Dutch as they could not be inspired to influence a comeback. Despite Gerd Muller being adjudged the man of the match, the accurate marking of Franz Beckenbauer ensured that he was the clear hero of the day.

Franz Beckenbauer lifted the trophy for West Germany. However, in the post game interview, the Kaiser was candid enough to admit that Cruyff was the better player, but he won the World Cup.

The Aftermath

Franz Beckenbauer lifted the World Cup for west Germany, a feat that earned him the nickname Kaiser. By doing so, Germany went on to become the first nation to win the World Cup being the reigning European Champions, a feat later accomplished by Spain in 2010.

Following the heartbreak, Rinus Michels stepped down from the position of head coach and went on to manage Ajax and Barcelona. As for Johan Cruyff, his international career was unfortunately ended prematurely as his falling out with the KNVB proved to be the last straw. He still remains one of the greatest players never to win the World Cup, despite being the most decorated Dutch player ever. The Dutch had a shot for redemption in the 1978 World Cup final, but was once again squandered after they came up short against Argentina.

The 1974 World Cup winning goal proved to be Gerd Muller’s last goal for Germany, as he announced his retirement following the tournament. One can agree that it is arguably the most ideal way to sign off from international football.

As mentioned earlier, the 7th of July 1974 was the biggest day in the life of Jack Taylor. Despite being subjected to heavy criticism for the massive decisions made on the big stage, he became the first referee to be inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame.

Having met in 1945 prior to the 1974 World Cup final, a heated rivalry sparked off between the Dutch and Germany. This rivalry exists till this day.

Whether the Germans and the Dutch meet in the upcoming 2014 World Cup remains to be seen, but one thing that can be agreed is that it will most definitely be a spectacle.