June 29, 1986: Argentina Win the World Cup Dubiously -- Again

June 29, 1986: The World Cup Final is played at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. It features perhaps the last 2 teams that most neutrals wanted to see: Argentina, 1978 winners of the World Cup and the team of Diego Maradona, whose handball gave them a win over England in the Quarterfinal; and West Germany, whose style of play is defensive-first and generally considered boring.

César Luis Menotti managed Argentina to that 1978 World Cup win. A Socialist unlike his country's government at the time, he said:

There's a right-wing football and a left-wing football. Right-wing football wants to suggest that life is struggle. It demands sacrifices. We have to become of steel and win by any method... obey and function, that's what those with power want from the players. That's how they create retards, useful idiots that go with the system.

In contrast, by 1986, Argentina had a more liberal government. Its World Cup team was managed by Carlos Bilardo, a physician who had played as a midfielder who helped Estudiantes de La Plata win 3 straight Copas Libertadores (South America's version of the European Cup/UEFA Champions League) in 1968, '69 and '70. He had been a league winner with Estudiantes as a player in 1967 and as their manager in 1982.

Like Menotti, he believed in free-flowing football, and in Maradona (who starred with Boca Juniors and Italian team Napoli), Jorge Valdano (a forward for Real Madrid, known as "The Philosopher of Football"), Jorge Burruchaga (a midfielder who starred for Avellenada team Independiente, now with French team Nantes), he had the team for it.

Franz Beckenbauer had starred for Bayern Munich, and captained West Germany to the 1974 World Cup. Now, he was their manager, and they were not merely loaded, but fired up to win the World Cup, after losing the 1982 Final to Italy.

Bayern presented Die Mannschaft with midfielder Lothar Matthäus, and their former forward, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, was now at Italy's Internazionale Milano, and served as the Captain. Werder Bremen produced forward Rudy Völler. Hamburger SV produced forward Felix Magath. And goalkeeper Harald Schumacher came from FC Köln in Cologne.

Argentina had taken a 2-0 2nd half lead, on goals by José Luis Brown of French club Stade Brestois in the 23rd, and Valdano in the 56th. Rummenigge scored in the 74th minute, and Völler scored in the 81st, and West Germany had tied the game.

No team had ever blown a 2-goal lead in a World Cup Final before, and it was just desserts for Argentina, due to Maradona's "Hand of God" in the Quarterfinal. But Burruchaga spared his homeland's blushes by scoring the winning goal in the 84th minute.

Argentina had now won 2 World Cups -- both under incredibly dubious circumstances. And least this one was won while they had a democratic government.

The teams played each other again in the 1990 Final, with Germany winning that one. It remains the only Final ever to be a rematch of the preceding World Cup's Final. A unified Germany faced Argentina in the 2014 Final, and Germany won.

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June 29, 1986 was a Sunday. These Major League Baseball games were played:

* The New York Yankees lost to the Toronto Blue Jays, 6-3 at Yankee Stadium. The game was 3-3 going into the 9th inning, as Bob Tewksbury had matched Dave Stieb. Reliever Brian Fisher allowed a single and booted a ground ball, and manager Lou Piniella replaced him with Al Holland. He got an out, then allowed single, double, sacrifice fly, each scoring a run. Ernie Whitt earlier hit a home run for the Jays. Dave Winfield went 1-for-3 with a walk. Don Mattingly went 2-for-3 with an RBI. Rickey Henderson went 0-for-1 before leaving the game with an injury.

* The New York Mets beat the Chicago Cubs, 7-4 at Wrigley Field in Chicago. Dwight Gooden outpitched Rick Sutcliffe. Darryl Strawberry and George Foster hit home runs for the Mets.

* The Boston Red Sox beat the Baltimore Orioles, 8-3 at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore. Wade Boggs went 2-for-5. Eddie Murray went 0-for-4. Cal Ripken hit a home run.

* The Atlanta Braves beat the San Diego Padres, 3-1 at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium. Tony Gwynn drove in the Padres' only run with a single.

* The Montreal Expos beat the Pittsburgh Pirates, 6-4 at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh.

* The Cincinnati Reds beat the San Francisco Giants, 4-3 at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati. Ron Oester singled Eric Davis home with the winning run in the bottom of the 9th inning. Despite hitting a home run to support his own cause, Mike LaCoss was the losing pitcher. Reds player-manager Pete Rose put himself in the game, and went 1-for-3 with a walk.

* A doubleheader was split at Tiger Stadium in Detroit. The Detroit Tigers won the opener, 9-5. The Milwaukee Brewers won the nightcap, 3-1. Robin Yount went 0-for-4 with a walk in the opener, while Paul Molitor did not play. Neither played in the nightcap.

* The Minnesota Twins beat the Kansas City Royals, 9-4 at the Metrodome in Minneapolis. George Brett went 1-for-4.

* The Philadelphia Phillies beat the St. Louis Cardinals, 8-7 at Busch Memorial Stadium in St. Louis. Mike Schmidt went 2-for-5.

* The Houston Astros beat the Los Angeles Dodgers, 2-1 at the Astrodome in Houston. Nolan Ryan started for the Astros, but left before they could take the lead. Fernando Valenzuela went the distance, but took the loss.

* The Cleveland Indians beat the California Angels, 6-4 at Anaheim Stadium (now Angel Stadium of Anaheim). Reggie Jackson went 0-for-3 with a walk.

* The Chicago White Sox beat the Oakland Athletics, 6-5 at the Oakland Coliseum. John Cangelosi hit a sacrifice fly to score Reid Nichols with the winning run in the top of the 10th inning.

* And the Seattle Mariners beat the Texas Rangers, 9-3 at the Kingdome in Seattle.