Netherlands v Sweden
Germany 1974 | Group 3
Westfalenstadion, Dortmund
Attendance: 53,700
Going into the game
‘El Salvador’ was some mythical figure. Johan Cruyff had gone on a wrecking tour of Europe, inspiring Ajax to three straight European Cups, smashing the world-transfer record, and performing phenomenally as Barcelona ended a 14-year wait for La Liga glory in his first season at Camp Nou. Sjaak Swart described him as having “the brains of Bobby Fischer, the skill of [Vincent] van Gogh and the killer instinct of George Foreman.”
The rest of the world was intrigued. Did Cruyff really play football like chess, directing his team-mates around like pieces, strategically decrypting adversaries? Did he really roam the pitch like a lion did his territory? Did he really make elite professionals look like helpless children? Did he really have this special trick? They’d find out when Rinus Michels’ men squared off with Sweden.
The game
Sweden, with Ralf Edstrom and Roland Sandberg lively, forced early interventions from Jan Jongbloed and Ruud Krol. Then Cruyff assumed absolute control. The 27-year-old began popping up at sweeper, in midfield, on the right wing, on the left, up front, pointing his arms instructively, whispering tactical modifications. His opponents were puzzled. Cruyff ghosted past them like they were poles on a ski slope. He duly created chance after chance with devilish crosses and defence-parting passes, which fellow men in orange somehow spurned.
The Amsterdammer also produced one of the most memorable moments in World Cup history, Jan Olsson falling victim to ‘The Cruyff Turn’, which monopolised the post-match headlines. Goalless draws seldom send spectators home satiated. This one sent them home exhilarated. It was indebted to a one-of-a-kind entertainer.
Quotes
“I walked in the dressing room after the game, looked at my team-mates, and we all burst out laughing. I still find it funny now. I still don’t know how he did it. Every time I watch the video I think, ‘The ball is mine’. I don’t feel in the slightest bit humiliated. It was a moment of absolute genius. I love everything about it. My parents loved it, my friends loved it. People still come up to me with a ball and ask me to do the move with them. I think about football every day and every time I do, I think about Johan Cruyff. He was an unbelievable player and a gentleman. I played at the top level for 18 years. That moment against Cruyff is the proudest of my career.”
Jan Olsson
“People would always ask me, ‘Which players do you wish was Brazilian?’ I would say, ‘No-one. There are some incredible players, I admire watching them, but I don’t wish any were Brazilian. Then I saw Cruyff. I wished he was Brazilian. He was a joy to watch.”
Pele
“Everyone was talking about him, he had so much hype to live up to. Cruyff is a man from Mars.”
Rinus Michels
“The whole world was talking about it. The response was crazy. I had no idea the impact it would have. There was a World Cup going on, there was so much happening all over the world, and it was all people wanted to talk about.”
Johan Cruyff on pulling off ‘The Cruyff Turn’ against Sweden
