9781422278291

It would be 48 years before Argentina would return to a World Cup final match. In 1978, the World Cup was played on Argentine soil, and there was great pressure on the team to improve on results that had seen it manage to advance to the quarterfinals just once since 1930. Only 16 teams qualified for the tournament in those days. Argentina drew into Group 1 with Italy, France, and Hungary. Led by captain Daniel Passarella at center back and attacking midfielder Mario Kempes, La Albiceleste went 2–1, losing only to Italy to finish second in the group. In the second round, the remaining eight teams were again put in groups of four and played a round-robin. Argentina was grouped with Brazil, Poland, and Peru. Kempes, wearing the now iconic number 10 jersey for Argentina, was dominant in the first match against Poland, scoring his first two goals of the World Cup for a 2–0 win. Argentina’s second match came against the formidable Brazilians, but neither team could breach the other’s defense in a goalless draw. On June 21st Brazil played Poland three hours before Argentina faced Peru in the final round-robin matches for all teams. With both Argentina and Brazil tied atop the group, if both won that day, the group would be decided by goal differential. Brazil came in at +3 to Argentina’s +2. The Brazilians beat Poland as expected, by a score of 3–1. Therefore, Argentina knew it would need to outscore Peru by at least four goals to overcome Brazil’s +5. Kempes scored twice, as did striker Leopoldo Luque. Luque’s back-to-back markers made it 4–0 and 5–0, ensuring the group win for Argentina in a match that ended 6–0. The win put Argentina in the final match against the other group winner, the Netherlands. The match was played in front of a wildly partisan crowd in Buenos Aires. Kempes struck first, scoring the only first-half goal. The match went deep into the second half before the Dutch tied it with just eight minutes left. The match went to 30 minutes of extra time, and 15 minutes in, Kempes struck again, beating two defenders and knocking in his own rebound after the keeper denied his first attempt. Ticker tape rained down from the stands as the crowd hit fever pitch. With the Dutch pressing for the equalizer, Argentina scored again 10 minutes later to seal the 3–1 victory and Argentina’s first ever World Cup in front of its delirious fans. Kempes was named the Golden Boot winner with his six tournament goals.

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