July 5 - Rossi Makes His Point

A TALE of sporting rehabilitation today that took place with the backdrop of one of the most dramatic and entertaining games in World Cup history.

Paolo Rossi burst on to the world stage with his displays for Italy in the 1978 World Cup in Argentina as his team made it to the semi finals helped by Rossi’s goals. Having also been top scorer in Serie A the previous season, the striker was tipped to go on and become one of the all time greats.

In 1979 his club Vicenza was relegated to Serie B so Rossi was loaned to Perugia - it was to be move that nearly cost him his career when, in 1980, he became embroiled in a match fixing scandal also involving AC Milan, Lazio, Bologna, Avellino, Taranto and Palermo. Despite protesting his innocence Rossi was banned from playing for two years.

Despite his long playing absence Italy manager Enzo Bearzot controversially included him in his squad for the 1982 World Cup in Spain. There was outrage among the Italian media and fans at what they saw as a waste of a place in the squad for a man who was nowhere near match fitness having not played a competitive match for two years.

The naysayers seemed to be proved right by the team’s insipid performances in their first three matches at the tournament. Three draws saw them scrape through to the next round with Rossi’s failure to find the net in any of the three matches seized upon by the press and supporters as evidence that he was not ready.

In the second round Italy and Brazil both won against Argentina to set up a winner-takes-all match between the two on this day for a place in the semi final. Italy needed to win while a draw would see the Brazilians go through.

The Italian team and Rossi came alive and within five minutes the much-maligned striker had given his side the lead with a powerful header. Now he was up and running, and so was the match. Brazilian captain Socrates leveled just seven minutes later. On 25 minutes Rossi intercepted a stray pass and scored again to give the Italians the lead they needed but with just 20 minutes left to play Falcão scored for Brazil and the match had swung back in their favour. All Brazil had to do was hold on and they were through, but Rossi had other ideas. On 74 minutes Italy won a corner and Rossi scored again to send the Tifosi into dreamland. Rossi had his hat-trick, and Italy had beaten the favourites to go through to the semi final.

In the semi Rossi scored twice as Poland we dispatched 2-0 and he bagged another in the 3-0 win over West Germany in the final. Italy were world champions for the third time and Rossi was again a national hero with Enzo Bearzot decision to include him in the team vindicated in spectacular fashion.

Incredibly, despite not scoring in Italy’s first four games, Rossi won both the Golden Boot as top scorer with six goals, and also the Golden Ball - a new award for the tournament’s best player.

Watch highlights from the match below and come back tomorrow to the website where the past lives on: O-T-F-D.

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