May 16 – Spain Shock the English
HUNGARY’S 6-3 win over England in 1953 was seen by many as the day that English football was overtaken and the Three Lions’ superiority ended.
Look further back though, and you’ll see that the writing was on the wall long before the Mighty Magyars rode into town, as today in 1929 saw England lose 4-3 to an up-and-coming Spain side that were starting to get the hang of this international football lark.
England had over 50 years worth of international experience in the locker, since the early clashes with Scotland in the 1870s, and believed they had pre-ordained right to be the best at the sport they had invented.
Spain were the rising stars of the continent and were managed Jose Maria Mateos who was assisted by an ex-pat Englishman Fred Pentland who had turned out five times for England.
England had arrived in Spain after 4-1 and 5-1 wins over France and Belgium respectively, but newspaper the Daily Sketch and Graphic saw some flaws in the England team: “The Englishmen played none too well. They lacked speed and will have to play better if they are to beat Spain, who a month ago beat France by eight goals to one,” they said.
England started the match all guns blazing, as Joe Carter bagged two early goals to put his side 2-0 up after only 20 minutes. Spain weren’t over-awed by this though and evened things up by half-time through goals from Gaspar Rubio and Jamie Lazcano.
Realizing they had a fight on their hands England again took the lead when Joe Bradford scored and it looked like the Three Lions had put the Spaniards to bed.
But, with England being England, nothing is ever that simple. Lazcano scored an equalizer that prompted a pitch invasion at the Estadio Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid, as England tired in the blistering afternoon heat.
The onrushing crowd were forced off the pitch by civil guards brandishing swords and two minutes later Severino Goiburu scored a famous winner for the home side.
The Daily Express was shell-shocked, writing: “I never thought I would live to see the day when 11 Spanish players humbled the might – more or less – of English soccer.”
Whilst Spain’s oft-forgotten win over England is not heralded as the beginning of the end for the England team, it was a distinct marker for the advancement of the international game.
Sadly technology in 1920s Spain wasn’t as advanced as her football team, so check out this other retro Anglo-Spain clash from 1982 below and see what else happened today here.
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