TRIVIA ANSWERS

See yesterday's post for questions.

Brazil. Although they have won the World Cup on five occasions, they didn't win it on the only occasion - 1950 - that they hosted the tournament. They have won the World Cup in Sweden (1958), Chile (1962), Mexico (1970), the USA (1994) and Japan (2002).

Franz Beckenbauer in 1974. Brazil had kept the previous trophy after their third World Cup triumph in Mexico four years earlier.

Eleven different countries have played in a World Cup Final - Uruguay, Argentina, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Italy, Germany, Brazil, England, Holland, France and Sweden.

This was the second semi-final in Spain, 1982. After a 3-3 draw, West Germany beat France 5-4 on penalties to book a clash with Italy in Madrid.

Portugal and the Soviet Union. Both had lost their semi-finals by a 2-1 scoreline, to England and West Germany respectively. Portugal won the third-fourth place match by the same score.

Hungary hit double figures to win 10-1, but both nations failed to qualify for the second round, losing out to Belgium and Argentina who finished first and second in Group 3.

Red cards were first introduced in 1970, but no players were sent off in that tournament. Carlos Caszely of Chile became the first player to be sent off in their opening group game against the hosts and eventual winners West Germany.

There was no World Cup Final in 1950. To decide the tournament there was a final group of four teams who all played each other. Uruguay beat Brazil in the final and decisive match.

Hristo Stoichkov of Bulgaria and Oleg Salenko of Russia. Bulgaria reached the semi-finals giving Stoichkov seven matches to bag his tally. The Russians didn't get out of their group, but Salenko notched an incredible five goals in a single game against Cameroon.

In 1982, when Italy, Poland, France and West Germany made up the last four.

WORLD CUP TRIVIA

Ten Questions On...

The World Cup - in general



1. Seven countries have won the World Cup. Which of the seven is the only one never to have won it on home soil?

2. Who was the first winning captain to lift the current World Cup Trophy?

3. How many different countries have appeared in a World Cup Final?

4. Which was the first World Cup match to be decided by a penalty shootout?

5. Who contested the third/fourth placed match in 1966?

6. In a group match between Hungary and El Salvador at the 1982 World Cup in Spain there were eleven goals scored. What was the result?

7. In which World Cup were red cards first introduced, and who was the first player to be shown one?

8. What was unique about the 1950 World Cup in terms of something that it didn't have?

9. Which two players shared the Golden Boot at USA 94 with six goals each?

10. All four semi-finalists in the last World Cup were European teams. When was the last time that happened?

AS ALWAYS, ANSWERS TOMORROW!

TRIVIA ANSWERS

See yesterday's post for questions.

Spain. They beat the USA 3-1, Chile 2-0 and England 1-0. That saw them comfortably through to the Final Group of four sides, where a heavy loss to Brazil (6-1) and defeat against Sweden (3-1) left them with a fourth place finish.

France beat Mexico 4-1 in the first ever World Cup Finals match. It was played on July 13 1930, kicking off at 3pm at the Pocitos stadium in Montevideo.

The current format has been used since 1998. From 1982 to 1994 there were 24 participating nations at the Finals. Prior to that there was always 16 teams, with the exception of 1930 and 1950 (curiously both tournaments were won by Uruguay) where just 13 nations took part.

The USA. The format of the World Cup that year was straight knock-out, so that one bad night in Rome meant the end of the road for the Americans.

1966, England v Uruguay; 1970 Mexico v Soviet Union; 1974 Brazil v Yugoslavia; 1978 West Germany v Poland - they all finished 0-0.

Denmark (1986, 1998 and 2002) and Ireland (1990, 1994, 2002). Both nations have reached the quarter-finals once; the Danes in 1998 when they were beaten 3-2 by Brazil and the Irish in 1990, when they lost by a single goal to the host nation Italy.

Four teams won their groups with 100% records. Hosts Germany (Group A) beat Costa Rica 4-2, Poland 1-0 and Ecuardor 3-0. Portugal (Group D) beat Angola 1-0, Iran 2-0 and Mexico 2-1. Brazil (Group F) saw off Croatia 1-0, Australia 2-0 and Japan 4-1. And Spain (Group H )defeated Ukraine 4-0, Tunisia 3-1 and Saudi Arabia 1-0.

Austria and Brazil finished on level points and goal difference in Group 3, but the European side took first place by virtue of having scored one goal more.

The unfortunate nation was South Korea, who were beaten 9-0 by eventual finalists Hungary and 7-0 by Turkey.

Jamaica beat Japan 2-1. France 98 was their first and - to date - only appearance at the World Cup Finals. Both sides went into this final group game having already lost their other two games. Jamaica's win therefore saw them finish third in the group, with Japan fourth.

WORLD CUP TRIVIA

Ten Questions On...

The World Cup Group Stages/First Round



1. England, Chile and the United States were all beaten by which European side in the group stages of the 1950 World Cup in Brazil?

2. Which two teams contested the first ever World Cup match and what was the result?

3. At South Africa 2010 there will be 32 participating nations at the Finals. Since when have FIFA used the current format?

4. In 1934 who did eventual champions Italy thrash 7-1 in the first round ?

5. What did the opening matches in the four World Cups from 1966 to 1978 have in common?

6. Who are the only two nations in the history of the World Cup (both from Europe, and each with three appearances at the Finals) who have never gone out in the first round?

7. In Germany four years ago, how many of the group winners won all three of their first round matches?

8. Which nation pipped Brazil to first place in Group 3 in the first round in Argentina 1978?

9. Which Asian team conceded 16 goals and failed to score in their two group games in 1954?

10. Which Caribbean side beat Japan in their final group match at France 98, thus registering their first ever win at the Finals?

SOME TOUGHIES HERE! HAPPY HUNTING AND ANSWERS TOMORROW.

TRIVIA ANSWERS

See previous post for questions!

Sweden played Romania in Stanford, California, and the side from Scandinavia emerged triumphant in a penalty shootout following a 2-2 draw. In the semi-final the Swedes met Brazil for the second time in the tournament, having qualified for the knock-out stages from the same group as the eventual champions.

Cuba was the nation on the end of that trouncing - way back in 1938. That remains the Caribbean nation's only appearance at the Finals, and to qualify for the dizzy heights of the last eight they only had to beat Romania, which they did in a replay. Their World Cup record therefore reads: played 3, won 1, drawn 1, lost 1.

Italy and Spain, with the former emerging victorious on both occasions. In 1934 the match had to be replayed after a 1-1 draw, and in 1994 Robert Baggio scored a late winner shortly after an incident involving Mauro Tassoti's elbow. Spanish midfielder Luis Enrique was left with a bloody nose, but the incident went totally unnoticed by the referee.

In 1954, in a fiercely contested quarter-final between bitter rivals and central European neighbours, Austria overcame host nation Switzerland 7-5 in the highest scoring match in World Cup Finals history. The Austrian reward? A semi-final with mighty West Germany - and a 6-1 thrashing.

13 of the 18 World Cups have used a format that included a quarter-final stage. The five tournaments that DIDN'T were 1930, 1950, 1974, 1978 and 1982.

Uruguay were beaten 4-0 by West Germany, and Argentina lost out by a single goal to host nation England, who went on to win the World Cup for the first and only time so far in their history.

Peru were beaten 4-2 in Guadalajara by the best Brazil side ever. This was Peru's best showing of their four appearances at the World Cup Finals, the last of which was in 1982.

Three quarter-finals were decided by the dreaded spot-kicks. West Germany put paid to host nation Mexico after a dour 120 minutes of goalless football, France beat Brazil in one of the most riveting World Cup matches ever, and the surprise team of the tournament Belgium progressed to the last four by beating perennial underachievers Spain.

Of the 13 tournaments that used a format including quarter-finals, Germany have only failed to reach them on one occasion. Their 12 appearances in the last eight is two better than the next best team, which - unsurprisingly - is Brazil.

Turkey beat Senegal by a golden goal in 2002 to advance to the semi-finals.

WORLD CUP TRIVIA

Ten Questions On...

The World Cup Quarter-Finals


1. At USA 94, which quarter-final featured a Scandinavian country against an opponent from Eastern Europe?

2. Sweden once won a quarter-final by an 8-0 scoreline. Who were their opponents and in which year did it happen?

3. Which two European giants faced each other at the quarter-final stage in both 1934 and 1994?

4. What is the highest-scoring quarter-final ever?

5. In how many of the 18 World Cup tournaments has the format included a quarter-final stage?

6. Which two South American sides lost in the quarter-finals to the two eventual finalists in the 1966 tournament?

7. Which fellow South American team did Brazil beat in the 1970 quarter-final on the way to winning the trophy?

8. How many of the quarter-finals at Mexico 86 were decided on penalties?

9. Which team has the most number quarter-final appearances?

10. Who is the only team to have won a quarter-final by virtue of a golden goal?

ANSWERS TOMORROW! HAPPY HUNTING!

TRIVIA ANSWERS

See previous post for questions!

Germany (previously West Germany) have reached the semi-final on no less than ten occasions. That's two out of every three World Cups whose format included semi-finals, and three times more than any other country. The years they reached the last four were 1934, 1954, 1958, 1966, 1970, 1982, 1986, 1990, 2002 and 2006. On six of those occasions they won and went through to the Final.

Holland reached the Final in 1974 and 1978 without winning a semi-final. The tournament format included a second round of group matches, the eight teams being split into a further two groups of four, with the two group winners progressing directly to the Final. In '74 Holland topped a group containing Brazil, Argentina and East Germany (winning all three of their matches without conceding a goal), while in '78 they won another tough group - Italy, Austria and West Germany - with two wins and a draw.

There have been four hat-tricks in World Cup semi-finals, but none for 52 years. In 1930,Pedro Cea netted three for Uruguay against Yugoslavia and four years later Oldrich Nejedly scored all three for Czechoslovakia in a 3-1 win over the Germans. The trend continued in the third World Cup four years later, where Gyula Zsengeller smashed in three for Hungary as they thrashed Sweden 5-1. Pele achieved the feat in 1958 as Brazil beat France 5-2 on route to their first World Cup triumph.

This happened in the very first World Cup in 1930. Argentina beat the USA and Uruguay beat Yugoslavia.

Brazil ended the dreams of fellow-South Americans and hosts Chile in 1962. It remains Chile's best World Cup performance.

Argentina have only reached the semi-finals on three occasions - 1930, 1986 and 1990 - but they won all of them.

This was the classic Italy v Germany semi-final in Mexico in 1970. Undoubtedly one of the finest World Cup matches ever, in which the Italians eventually prevailed 4-3, the player who played on with his arm in a sling was the great Franz Beckenbauer.

As host nation in 2002 South Korea surpassed all expectations, disposing of Portugal, Italy and Spain on route to the semi-final. Only a Michael Ballack goal for Germany deprived the spirited Koreans of what would have been a sensational place in the Final against Brazil.

All three nations have reached the semi-finals twice, but none have ever been victorious. Austria lost 1-0 to Italy in 1934 and 6-1 to Germany in 1954. Yugoslavia also lost 6-1 to Uruguay in 1930. Their other semi-final appearance resulted in a 3-1 defeat to fellow-Eastern Europeans Czechoslovakia in 1962. Portugal were beaten by England 2-1 in 1966 and by France 1-0 four years ago in Germany.

Penalities have decided a World Cup semi-final on four occasions. In 1982 West Germany beat France in a dramatic shoot-out in Sevilla. Eight years later at Italia 90 both semis went to spot kicks, with Argentina defeating the hosts and West Germany seeing off England. The most recent occasion when penalties were needed was in 1998 when Brazil came out on top against Holland.

WORLD CUP TRIVIA

Ten Questions On... The World Cup Semi-Finals

1. Which country has the highest number of semi-finals appearances?

2. Which country reached consecutive World Cup Finals (i.e. the Final match) without winning a semi-final?

3. How many times has a hat-trick been scored in a semi-final?

4. In which year were both semi-finals won by a 6-1 scoreline?

5. Which host nation did Brazil once beat 4-2 at the semi-final stage, and in what year?

6. How many times have Argentina reached the semi-final?

7. Which classic semi-final featured a player playing extra time with his arm in a sling after suffering a broken clavicle?

8. Who is the only team from the Asian confederation to have reached the semi-final?

9. Austria, Portugal and Yugoslavia have each appeared in how many semi-finals, and what do the three nations have in common?

10. How many times has a penalty shootout decided a semi-final?

ANSWERS TOMORROW

WORLD CUP TRIVIA ANSWERS

See previous post for questions!

Tough opening question! Most people know of the “Magical Magyars” – Hungary - who should have won the 1954 World Cup but blew a two-goal lead against Germany in the final, but it’s often forgotten that they also lost the 1938 final against Italy. Four years prior to that Czechoslovakia were also beaten by the Italians in the final despite leading 1-0 until late in the day. They also scored first in their other appearance in the final – in Chile in 1962 – but again lost out, this time to Brazil.

The 1950 tournament did not have a World Cup Final, because the knock-out phase was replaced by a round-robin group format that comprised Uruguay, Sweden, Spain and Brazil. The two South Americans nations contested the final and decisive group match; for this reason this match is often unofficially recorded as the “World Cup Final”. Brazil were playing at home and only needed to draw the match to win the trophy, but Uruguay came from a goal down to claim their second World Cup title.

Vava scored for Brazil in the Finals of 1958 and 1962, Pele also managed the feat in 1958 and 1970. In fact both players notched two in the 5-2 win over Sweden in 1958. Paul Breitner found the net in both 1974 and 1982, and more recently Zinedine Zidane joined this exclusive group - his penalty in the 2006 Final going with his two headers against Brazil in 1998.

Since 1982 the World Cup Final has been dominated by the elite footballing nations. The last seven finals have been contested by only five different countries – Italy (3) Germany (4) Argentina (2) Brazil (3) and France (2).

Antonio Cabrini missed a 24th minute penalty for Italy against Germany in the 1982 Final. The match was goalless at the time, but Cabrini was spared the agony of his miss being significant as Italy triumphed 3-1 in Madrid.

Perhaps it shouldn’t be surprising that on the two occasions a two-goal lead has been overturned in a World Cup Final, it’s the Germans who have done it. In 1954 they came from 2-0 down to beat Hungary 3-2 to win their first World Cup. In the heat of Mexico City in 1986 Maradona and Argentina seemed set for a comfortable victory as they led 2-0 with only 16 minutes left, but Germany scored twice from two corner kicks to level the match. Within a minute of the equalizer however, Argentina broke away to regain the lead and seal their second World Cup triumph.

Technically, the answer to this is Germany, who have reached the Final seven times. However, if the decisive group match between Brazil and Uruguay is classed as ‘the final’ then Brazil have also reached seven finals. My view is to discount that; it was a group match, not the World Cup Final.

Argentina had two players sent off in the 1990 Final against Germany. The South American side’s tactics became increasingly desperate and dirty as the match wore on, and Pedro Monzon’s dismissal midway through the second half was followed by Gustavo Dezotti’s second yellow in the dying minutes.

Host nations have a good World Cup record and have reached the Final on no less than seven occasions. (1930, 1934, 1958, 1966, 1974, 1978, 1998). If you count this infamous Brazil v Uruguay decisive game in 1950 (what a nightmare for statisticians like me this game is!) then the answer is eight times. Discounting this match, another interesting stat is that Sweden (1958) are the only host nation ever to have lost the Final.

Goals in World Cup Finals have not been as plentiful in recent years, but on seven occasions more than four goals have been scored in the biggest match in the world – in 1930, 1938, 1954, 1958, 1966, 1970 and 1986.

WORLD CUP TRIVIA

TEN Questions On... The World Cup Final

1. Which two Eastern European sides have each played in and lost two World Cup Finals?

2. There have been 18 World Cup tournaments but only 17 World Cup Finals. Which tournament did not have a World Cup Final and why?

3. Which four players have scored in more than one World Cup Final?

4. Since (and including) 1982 how many different nations have reached the World Cup Final?

5. Who is the only player to have missed a penalty in a World Cup Final?

6. How many times has a team come back from two goals down in a World Cup Final?

7. Which country has reached the World Cup Final the most number of times?

8. In which World Cup Final did the losing team finish the match with nine players following two red cards?

9. How many times has the host nation reached the World Cup Final?

10. On how many occasions have more than four goals been scored in the World Cup Final?

Happy thinking, and Happy New Year!

Answers tomorrow...