UNDER DOGS IN WORLD CUP: WEST GERMANY!!! NORTH KOREA, CAMEROON, SOUTH KOREA, COSTA RICA

https://blog.mansion.com/sports/football/fifa-world-cup/top-five-world-cup-giantkillers/

When West Germany were "Giantkillers"? Yes, back in 1954, in Switzerland, when they arrived at the finals having hardly played an international, due to the war and late 1940s early 1950's rebuilding. The German side were beaten 8-3 by Hungary, the team known as the Mighty Magyars at the time. This was a group stage match, which included Norway (probably still "smarting" from 1939-45) and the nation of Saar (you may have to look this one up?). The West Germans met Ferenc Puskas’,  Hungarians, in the final and few gave them a chance, even less so when they went 2-0 down inside eight minutes. But the Germans fought back, finishing 3-2 winners, in the Final known as "The Miracle of Bern".https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KQc2W8DNog worth watching for the event in which THE REF Is involved......

Not much was known about North Korea, the country nor the football team, when they arrived in England in 1966. No one bothered doing much research either after they lost their opener, 3-0, to the Soviet Union. The Asian debutants had other ideas, drawing 1-1 against Chile before producing the result that sent Italy into mourning, after stunning the Italians, 1-0 at Ayresome Park, on July 19th. It was the first time a nation from outside Europe or the Americas had reached the knockout stage and they were dreaming of going further still when on July 23rd, they went 3-0 up against Portugal in the quarter-finals, at Anfield. Eusebio, one of the stars of the tournament, produced a four-goal masterclass (including 2 penalties), rescuing Portugal's reputation. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frx-u3T5eT4

At Italia ’90 one of the great World Cup opening games unfolded in Milan’s famous San Siro stadium . Diego Maradona’s world champions came up against an unheralded Cameroon, who finished this extraordinary Group B match with nine men on the pitch but a 1-0 win to celebrate. That was just the start. "The Indomitable Lions" beat Romania to qualify as top of the group, before overcoming Colombia to become the first African side to reach the last Quarter-finals. Cameroon were 2-1 up against England with seven minutes left before the fairytale ended. England had scruffed their way through their group winning once, against Egypt in the last game, having drawn with the Republic of Ireland and Holland.

The joy of co-hosting a World Cup means you get to play in it without needlessly wandering through Qualifying Rounds. In 2002, South Korea weren’t there just to make up the numbers. Coached by the experienced Guus Hiddink, they topped their group featuring Portugal and Poland, beat Italy in the last 16 by a last minute goal from Ahn Jung-Hwan and then shocked Spain with a penalties victory in the quarter-finals. They rode their luck to become the only Asian team to ever reach the World Cup semis, coming 4th! Brazil, Germany and Turkey ranked higher.

Group D at the 2014 finals was the only Group featuring three top-10 ranked sides, Italy, Uruguay and England – but it was the fourth, Costa Rica, who pipped the lot of them. The Central American upstarts were an almighty 50-1 bet, to win the group but they did just that by beating Uruguay 3-1, Italy 1-0 and then drawing 0-0 with Roy Hodgson’s awful England. Jorge Luis Pinto’s men then beat another higher-ranked country, Greece, in the last 16, before suffering a heart-breaking defeat on penalties against Holland in the quarter-finals.

As I write, I am listening to Costa Rica's progress in the present World Cup! THE UNDERDOGS ARE LOSING