Random Rants: World Cup Blog

Miracle of Bern: Germany celebrates the origin of its success.

Fritz Walter survived World War II and helped Germany upset powerful Hungary in the 1954 World Cup final.

By Chris Courtney
SoccerTimes

KAISERSLAUTERN, (Thursday, June 29, 2006) - This Friday, host nations Germany takes on Argentina to earn a place in the World Cup semifinals. This is widely seen as a battle of two of soccer's superpowers but there was a time when Germany was considered an also-ran. Who would believe that 52 years ago this week in Bern, Switzerland, a German side winning the World Cup would be considered an upset? The story of how it won in 1954 and the resulting lift it gave their nation is the stuff of legend. Let's take a look back to a time 52 years ago this week when German football made its first big step into the ranks of the elite.

This is a story known to almost every German-speaking fan, but little-known in the English-speaking world, especially in America. The characters who etched this story into German history are as vivid as any in sport: Coach and soccer philosopher Sepp Herberger, a cross between Vince Lombardi and Yogi Berra, who casts a long shadow over German sports culture to this day. The 12th Man, radio announcer Herbert Zimmermann, whose passionate broadcasts made millions of listeners at home feel as if they were not only in the stadium, but a part of the team. Then, of course, there were players such as Fritz Walter, "The Boss" Helmut Rahn, and Bernie Klodt, many of whom survived the fighting and subsequent captivity following World War II.

Germany in 1954 was just turning the corner after years of hunger and reconstruction following total defeat in the war, yet self-doubt remained strong. Millions of fathers, husbands, and brothers had died and some surviving soldiers (captured by the Soviets) had slowly returned after being held for over 10 years. They returned to destroyed homes and often to wives who had remarried in the belief their husbands had died. It was a time of chaos slowly coming to order. The economic wonder, led by chancellor Konrad Adenauer and his economic minister Ludwig Erhard, was just staring to begin. The World Cup result in Bern would provide the psychological boost to allow a nation to believe in itself once again.

Helmut Rahn and Max Morlock celebrate Rahn's winning goal for Germany in the 1954 World Cup final.

In 1954, Hungary was the team to beat as the 1952 Olympic champions were undefeated in four years, and had dispatched the best teams in Europe with relative ease. Led by a quality trio of Ferenc Puskas, Jozef Boszik, and Sandor Kocsis, Hungary regularly beat its opponents by as many as four or five goals. Puskas was perhaps the finest player in the tournament. The "Galloping Major" appeared short and pudgy, but his skills on the ball dazzled all who opposed him. Prior to a match against Hungary, one English player was even said to remark, "Look at that little fat chap, we'll murder this lot," before being crushed 6-3 in Wembley (and later 7-1 in Budapest).

Hungary's fluid passing style predated the wizardry of the Brazilians or the Dutch Clockwork Orange. The team was dubbed the "Magnificent Magyars." Germany, by contrast, was a team of nobodies with few top-class players and an ugly style. Coach Herberger built his team on resilience and tough defense. No one would beat his team because they had been outlasted. The Germans were considered a solid side, but no match for Hungary or Brazil.

Hungary started the tournament with a 9-0 demolition of South Korea, powered by a Sandor Kocsis hat trick, while the German side dispatched Turkey 4-1. The two would meet in the second game of the first-round, a match Herberger knew his side was not ready to win. He played his B-side against Hungary in order to keep his team fresh for its second match against Turkey. This way he could collect the points necessary to move on to the quarterfinals.

Hungary crushed the German B team 8-3 and literally thousands of letters arrived from Germany demanding Herberger's head. During the match, Puskas suffered a brutal tackle by German defender Werner Liebrich which knocked him out of Hungary's quarterfinal match with Brazil and semifinal against Uruguay. Some claim that Herberger sent Liebrich in to deliberately injure Puskas, but the truth will never be known. In the match, Hungarian striker Kocsis became the first player ever to score two hat tricks in a World Cup, a feat which would soon be repeated by a German player in the same tournament.

Germany, with a fresh starting 11, then beat Turkey 7-2 to go on to the quarterfinals with Max Morlock scoring the first of what would be two hat tricks in the tournament. In the knockout phase, Yugoslavia fell to Germany 2-0 on a 10th-minute own goal and a 16-meter blast from Helmut Rahn four minutes before time ran out. Meanwhile, Hungary, playing without the injured Puskas, beat Brazil 4-2 and then beat Uruguay 4-2 in extra time to make the final.

Germany topped Austria 6-1 in the semifinals with Max Morlock tallying his second hat trick. Thus, a rematch was set for the final in Bern's Wankdorf Stadium on July 4, 1954. While we Americans were celebrating our Independence Day and awaiting one of baseball's most exciting All-Star games, featuring players such as Micky Mantle, Jackie Robinson, and Roy Campanella, something special was about to happen across the Atlantic.

Hungary's Ferenc Puskas (right) congratulates Fritz Walter of Germany after 1954 World Cup final.

To many, the final was merely a formality since no team, especially not the Germans, could hope to top Hungary. The Swiss town of Solothurn, host to the title favorite Hungarians, had already planned a victory celebration with music, food, and fireworks.

Puskas declared himself fit to play in the final despite the lingering ankle injury from Liebrich's tackle. All week, Herberger had been hoping for rainy weather which, combined with the deep turf at Wankdorf Stadium, would slow down the faster and technically superior Hungarians. That afternoon, the skies above Bern opened up and began to rain.

Eight minutes after the opening whistle, Hungary was on top 2-0 on goals from Puskas and winger Zoltan Czibor. On the radio back home in Germany, millions heard Herbert Zimmermann's sad voice with a dire message: 'That which we had feared has come to pass. . ." The Germans fought back and three minutes later, Helmut Rahn's cross found Max Morlock who buried his shot to make the game 2-1. Only seven minutes later, a Fritz Walter corner fell to Rahn's feet who then tapped in the tying goal, making it 2-2.

By now, Zimmermann had German fans whipped up into a frenzy shouting into the microphone as their team started its comeback. Hungary rose to the challenge and pushed the Germans back on their heels, attacking the German goal in a barrage of shots from Kocsis, Puskas, and Nandor Hidegkutti. German keeper Toni Turek organized his back line well, made some key stops and got lucky on more than one occasion as shots went inches wide of his goal.

Shortly before the final whistle, German winger Hans Schaefer's cross was blocked off but still found "The Boss" Rahn making a run while millions hung on the words of Zimmermann: "The ball comes back to Rahn, Rahn must shoot, Rahn shoots. They think it's all over. . . It is now! Goal! Goal! Goal! Germany leads Hungary 3-2 with five minutes to go! You must think I'm crazy!"

And his immortal call of the closing moments: ". . . ball is cleared, comes to Bozsick, Over! Over! Over! The game is over! Germany is World Champion! Beats Hungary 3 goals to 2 in the Final in Bern!"

Sepp Herberger, the legendary coach.

When English referee Bill Ling blew the final whistle, Germany had just completed an improbable 3-2 win, handing Hungary its first loss since 1950. More importantly, it had given hope to hungry Germans at home who learned it was OK to believe in themselves again. One can speak of the transforming power of sport, but when combined with other societal influences, it takes on a mythical status. Not long afterward, stronger signs of a German economic recovery began to take hold and, in 1955, the nation was invited to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, again an integral member of the community of nations.

The year 1954 was a turning point for Germany and the World Cup victory was its exclamation point. Since then, it has gone on to win two more World Cup trophies, three European championships and made numerous final appearances in the world great soccer competitions. Germany also rose to be the business engine of Europe and built the third largest economy in the world primarily by exporting cars, machinery and electronics.

Two years later, the 1956 Hungarian uprising and Soviet response caused many to flee the country. The core of the World Cup team -- Puskas, Kocsis, and Czibor -- defected and the Hungarian team never regained its luster. Puskas signed with Real Madrid where he teamed up well with Argentine forward Alfredo Di Stefano to help Real win the 1960 European Cup final over Eintracht Frankfurt 7-3 with Puskas scoring four goals and Di Stefano scoring three. Today at 77, and rumored to be suffering from Alzheimer's disease, Puskas lives in Budapest with his wife Erzébet.

Only three players from Germany's team are alive today, Horst Eckel, Ottmar Walter and Hans Schafer. Fritz Walter died during the 2002 World Cup and the German team vowed to play worthy of his memory, which it did, making the final before falling to Brazil 2-0. Last year, winning goal-scorer Helmut Rahn died at 74 in his Essen home. The 1954 German team's equipment manager, Adolf (Adi) Dassler, had a shoe company with his brother Rudi. In fact, Jesse Owen was wearing a pair of the Dassler's newly-invented spiked shoes when he won gold in 1936. In 1948, the two split with Rudi forming Puma and Adi forming Adidas, both giants in today's soccer shoe industry.

Sepp Herberger remained Germany's coach until 1964, after taking his team to the quarterfinals of the 1962 World Cup. He died in 1977. His football quotes are still the stuff of legend and are quoted almost daily in the German soccer arena. Among his best known are: