It looked like the big story of the 1920 Olympic Football Tournament, held in Belgium; a First Round shock. Great Britain had won the first two Olympic tournaments in London 1908 and Stockholm 1912. (note no Olympics in 1916). The GB team was expected to win again Antwerp. But Britain was "Dumped" out of the tournament in the first round by Norway and went home complaining that other countries were paying their players, "Broken Time" compensation, for missing work, circumventing the Olympic "Amateur" ideal. British players were strictly amateur who were playing for clubs like Chelsea and Derby, so they should have been quite good, if not paid!
A bigger shock occurred in the Final between the home nation, Belgium and Czechoslovakia. Robert Coppee and Henri Larnoe had put the Belgians 2-0 after 30 minutes. When Czech defender Karl Steiner was sent off after 39 minutes, The Czechs walked off the pitch, refusing to continue and so the match was the first major international match to be abandoned. The Czechs filed a complaint to the Olympic Committee. claiming intimidation by pitch side Belgian soldiers and accusing Brithsh referee, John Lewis, of being biased in faviour of the home side. mThe "appeal" was turned down flat although the Czechs may have been right about Lewis who was known to struggle to keep up with play, but he was in his "Seventies"!!
Belgium was awarded the Gold Medal and the Czechs disqualified, as the final being abandoned in the 39th minute with Belgium leading 2–0, after Czechoslovakia (who participated in an international competition for the first time) walked off to protest the officiating: the Czechslovaks were subsequently ejected from the competition.
A consolation match between losing semi-finalists was arranged to determine the Silver and Bronze Medals. Even this idea was controversial as the French, losing semi-finalists, had gone home. So Spain took their place and ended up taking Silver!
Football was one of the 154 events at the 1920 Olympics held in Antwerp, Belgium. It was the fifth time Association football was on the Olympic schedule. The tournament expanded to 15 countries, including a non-European nation (Egypt) for the first time.
As these were the first Olympics after World War I, the football teams representing the Central Nations were not invited (Germany, Austria, Hungary, Bulgaria and Turkey). The English FA had also withdrawn from FIFA, together with the associations of the other UK Home Nations (Scotland Ireland and Wales), after their demands that the federations of Germany, Austria and Hungary be expelled from that organisation were rejected: FIFA nevertheless accepted the entry of a team from GB (representing the UK and Ireland), ruling that countries entering the Olympic Games in other sports should not be excluded from the football tournament.
Britain had won the 1908 and 1912 gold medals, but were beaten by Norway 3–1 in the first round: the Norwegians thus celebrated one of their iconic victories, alongside the elimination of Nazi Germany at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, the 1993 win over England in World Cup qualifying, and the 2–1 defeat of reigning world champions Brazil at the 1998 World Cup.
Hosts Belgium won Gold, with the final being abandoned in the 39th minute with Belgium leading 2–0 after Czechoslovakia – who participated in an international competition for the first time – walked off to protest the officiating: the Czechslovaks were subsequently ejected from the competition, and were not awarded the silver medal they would have been entitled to if they went on to lose the final.
As a result of Czechoslovakia's ejection and Belgium having received a first-round bye, the beaten quarter-finalists (Italy, Norway, Spain and Sweden) faced each other to determine who would play the Netherlands (who were beaten in their semifinal by Belgium), who were now assured of a medal.
The tournament ended with Belgium winning the gold medal, with Spain silver and the Netherlands bronze.
Belgian striker Robert Coppée opens the scoring of the final, with a penalty kick against goalkeeper Rudolf Klapka.
15 teams entered the competition, which was organized on a knockout basis, but Switzerland withdrew on the morning before the first round due to internal dissent: their opponent, France, was awarded a 2–0 victory.
As such, 12 teams entered the first round, with the winners joining France and hosts Belgium, who had a first-round bye, in the quarter-finals.
Norway defeated Great Britain in the first round, considered by ELo as one of the greatest football upsets of all time.
Czechoslovakia, participating in their first international tournament, made it to the final, beating Kingdom of SCS (who also played their first ever international match in the competition), Norway, and France, while Belgium, after their first-round bye, beat Spain and the Netherlands to qualify for the final.
The final was abandoned in the 39th minute and Belgium were awarded the gold medal after Czecholslovakia walked off to protest the officiating of the English referee, John Lewis, and his linesmen.
A form of the Bergvall System was used to determine the silver and bronze medals: firstly, the beaten quarter-finalists played off, and Spain emerged triumphant, overcoming Sweden 2–1 and Italyt 2–0.
Under the original format, Spain would have played off against the teams beaten in the main tournament by gold medalists Belgium, with the winners of these matches playing off for silver and bronze medals. However, Czechoslovakia had been ejected from the competition, and Belgium had received a first-round bye: therefore, the semi-finals were scratched, and Spain advanced to the silver and bronze medal match against the Netherlands, who had been beaten by Belgium in their semi-final. Spain won the match 3–1.), Norway, and France, while Belgium, after their first-round bye, beat Spain and the Netherlands to qualify for the final.The final was abandoned in the 39th minute and Belgium were awarded the gold medal after Czecholslovakia walked off to protest the officiating of the English referee, John Lewis, and his linesmen.
A form of the Bergvall was used to determine the silver and bronze medals: firstly, the beaten quarter-finalists played off, and Spain emerged triumphant, overcoming Sweden 2–1 and Italy 2–0.
Under the original format, Spain would have played off against the teams beaten in the main tournament by gold medalists Belgium, with the winners of these matches playing off for silver and bronze medals. However, Czechoslovakia had been ejected from the competition, and Belgium had received a first-round bye: therefore, the semi-finals were scratched, and Spain advanced to the silver and bronze medal match against the Netherands, who had been beaten by Belgium in their semi-final. Spain won the match 3–1.
Belgium  | 2–0 Awarded |  Czechoslovakia |
|---|---|---|
Coppée  6' (pen.)Larnoe 30' |
No comments:
Post a Comment