The summer of 1960 didn’t just create the European Championships but also the most consistent team of that decade or any other, as their record illustrates. Over five successive tournaments, the USSR won one, reached another final and two semi-finals as well as a quarter.
In their only title victory, that opening Nations Cup, Victor Ponedelnik scored the winner in the 113th minute of the 1960 Paris final against Yugoslavia. That same striker, however, would also reveal the tensions which might have denied the side an even greater record. For a start, a dubious imprisonment had robbed them of their greatest player Eduard Streltsov for the majority of the decade.
Secondly, Ponedelnik once revealed the atmosphere was so anxious within the squad that, during the 1962 World Cup, both he and a teammate had lain awake all night unable to utter a single word to each other. Recently, however, Ponedelnik was more forthcoming about that summer’s quarter-final failure to hosts Chile.
“Unfortunately a disaster befell our great goalkeeper Lev Yashin. Twice during the tournament he suffered concussion and wasn’t at his best. If things had gone differently we’d have played Brazil in the final, that’s for sure.”
That’s perhaps open to question. But this team’s pedigree never is.
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Вратарь СССР 10 летт подряд входил в топ-15 футболистов Европы!
ЛЕГЕНДА!!!
In their only title victory, that opening Nations Cup, Victor Ponedelnik scored the winner in the 113th minute of the 1960 Paris final against Yugoslavia. That same striker, however, would also reveal the tensions which might have denied the side an even greater record. For a start, a dubious imprisonment had robbed them of their greatest player Eduard Streltsov for the majority of the decade.
Secondly, Ponedelnik once revealed the atmosphere was so anxious within the squad that, during the 1962 World Cup, both he and a teammate had lain awake all night unable to utter a single word to each other. Recently, however, Ponedelnik was more forthcoming about that summer’s quarter-final failure to hosts Chile.
“Unfortunately a disaster befell our great goalkeeper Lev Yashin. Twice during the tournament he suffered concussion and wasn’t at his best. If things had gone differently we’d have played Brazil in the final, that’s for sure.”
That’s perhaps open to question. But this team’s pedigree never is.