We shall cry even after fifty years

”In the seventh minute the way of ball is from Lóránt to Bozsik, Bozsik starts Kocsis excellently, the inside right shoots with a great strength from sixteen meters, the ball bounces from Liebrich before Puskás, and our inside left shoots from eight meters by his left plain to the left corner, 1–0. ”

Wonder whether we are able to deal with the World Championship final of 1954 without passionate emotions. Are we able to confront the events of fifty years ago calmly without any anger and tears hidden in our eyes’ corner?
It is not easy, even it is impossible.
Those who watched the prime-time documentary film transmitted by MTV on Friday evening made by the German, and then saw the 38-minute summary of the world championship final never seen before, know the correct answer. It does not work, simply does not. Strong emotions break through again and again, nothing of of calmness, instead, there are real tears swept. That is the case. This is the cross we the Hungarian have been lugging along till the end of time from generation to generation.
The pain is even now as sharp as then on 4 July, 1954, which can be confirmed even by those who listened to the unforgettable live broadcasting by György Szepesi to the end. Probably many of them were sitting in front of the TV set on Friday evening clutching at the armchair not believing even now, after fifty years, that we have been beaten. Maybe they lifted from their seat when Mihály Tóth drew the ball beside Turek, then from five meters hit Kohlmeyer’s knee doing the splits desperately at the goal line. Or even when Öcsi Puskás one minute before the end of the match kicked the ball into the net from the inside left post, and the Hungarian boys were embracing when an English named Ling arrived running and being by the way the referee of the match to annul the proper goal.
What a feeling was to relive all those again?
"From Kocsis Kohlmeyer passes the ball to the left goalpost direction, Turek is surprised by the back pass, flings towards it, however, the ball slips out from his hands. Astute Czibor runs there, directing the ball towards the right goalpost and rolls it into the middle of the empty goal from about three meters, 2–0"
On that day of 4 July it was raining all day, it began the previous night, water sprinkling and sputtering from above, and, although it wasn’t cold, it was like autumn. Such weather, the watery slipping soil was not suitable for the Hungarians playing technical football. Bern, however, was burning from the fever of the world championship final. On the streets groups of fans were walking calmly, friendly, and the ticket touts also realized a great turnover. The price of 30 Franc seats boomed even to 300 Francs, the six Franc standing place could be obtained in optimal case for 25 Francs by the fans hunting for tickets. Bern by the way was flooded by Germans, among who maybe only the fanatics could believe in the miracle, since the Hungarian national team beat the West-German team 8:3 on the one hand during the group matches, and it had been unbeaten for four years and during 31 matches. Everything and everybody suggested our victory, even when it turned out that Ferenc Puskás ”kicked to death” earlier by German Liebrich undertook to play. If Öcsi had not played, Péter Palotás would have replaced him.
But what does it matter what our lineup is, when we have the best team in the world?! The members of the Hungarian team retired early on Saturday, and then on Sunday, the day of the final, they had breakfast at nine. Thereafter it was decided that Ferenc Puskás could play, since Öcsi was moving, stretching and shooting to goal on the pitch, then he said smiling to captain Gusztáv Sebes that he would want to be in the team. At ten o’clock a tactical meeting was held, where it was mentioned that ours succeeded to the final in a heroic fight, defeating among others Brazil and in overtime Uruguay. Then Gusztáv Sebes announced the team lineup. It was the first time that the boys looked at each other in astonishment. It was not a good omen, though nobody considered it to be significant then. Zoltán Czibor the Golden Team outside left according to the captain’s tactics was placed at the right side, II László Budai was left out, and Mihály Tóth became the outside left, the task of whom was not only to attack but also the defend and close the left side.
Gusztáv Sebes felt he should say something and talked to the team: “Czibor actually is right-foot, it was my old idea to try him at outside right. This is a good occasion now because Kohlmeyer the West-German left back is slow, turns slowly, therefore against him Czibor has all the chances for success. The ball shall be led to him, then pass beside him.” A fatigued Hungarian team departed to the Bern Wankdorf stadium. At the same time, a significantly fresher West-German team “juiced-up” with dextrose ampoules faced our invincible National eleven with the calm of those without a chance.
“In the 11th minute Schäfer runs away at the left wing, Lóránt does not reach his giving-in and even Zakariás can just touch the ball getting before Morlock and Morlock shoots it from nearby to the goal beside the goal post, 2–1.”
At home at the time of the match an athletic competition was held in the People’s Stadium, of course with full house, for 80 thousand people. The audience applauded when Erzsébet Vígh equalled the javelin throw national record and it was quite delirious when our Szabó caused trouble to the Czech wonder athlete Zatopek in the 5000 m footrace. The interest, however, was focussed on the radio broadcast, almost everybody listened to György Szepesi talking about the events with great enthusiasm and happiness even when the German team in spite of the Hungarian advantage by two goals obtained rapidly made the score level.
“Fritz Walter rises the corner in, the ball flies up to two meters before the goal, Grosics can not beat into it, the ball flies over him, and Rahn shoots the ball bouncing from the ground from the far corner offhand to the right corner, 2–2.”
There is still no problem, no great problem. Maybe everybody thought of this, probably the Hungarian people listening to the radio in the People’s Stadium or in the kitchen or vineyard and veranda were even smiling. Well, well, we have received two goals, but the German recently also shot three ones, however, in return we pressed eight to them, this time it will not be otherwise either. And the Hungarian team is attacking and attacking, but the chances are left out again and again. In the break soaking wet footballers plopped on the bench and everyone was complaining about the slippery ground. As we heard later several times: Szűcs, the masseur was caring each player, softening the muscles, then dry hoses and strips were found and Gusztáv Sebes encouraged his players to play more calmly and dynamically. He instructed Czibor at that time to return to the outside left, the outside right would be Mihály Tóth.
In contrast, in the other changing room Sepp Herberger seemed to be satisfied, the German received the alleged dextrose named by them vitamin in ampoules or injection. This process later strongly rebounded, since some months later the members of the West-German national eleven became ill with jaundice in succession, and probably the drug accusation broke out not by chance several years later, which was explained by professor Guido Knopp, director of the film "The true story of the Bern miracle", well-known historian, television person by the fact that the doctor of the German team gave the dextrose vitamin to the players using a hypodermic needle obtained earlier from a Soviet doctor. And ours seem more and more tired, in the finish the German are attacking more and more dangerously.
“In the 39th minute of the second half the game goes on at our side, Bozsik is tripped up, the referee, however, indicates to continue. Ottmar Walter receives the ball and immediately passes it on to Rahn. The German outside forward is attacking forward dangerously, dribbling himself in within the penalty area, making there two more good dribbles, then he shot the ball from 12 meters by left foot to the right lower corner, 3–2.”
The moment, when the ball banged into the lower left corner of the goal of Gyula Grosics.
The moment which we have been dragging in our souls for fifty years…
And we are grieving not only for the lost world championship final but also the players of the Golden Team, the deceased Gyula Lóránt, Mihály Lantos, József Zakariás, József Bozsik, László Budai, Sándor Kocsis, Nándor Hidegkuti, Zoltán Czibor. Because it would be the real thing if now they talked about this untreatable event. At least the seriously ill Ferenc Puskás, only György Szepesi’s voice can be heard from the tape recording telling more and more desperately: Ladies and Gentlemen, we shall come to terms with loosing the world championship final. But not, we Hungarian can never come to terms with this.…

The irregular German goal

On the basis of faded photos and records seen in the TV, we tried to reconstruct the German levelling goal: Gyula Grosics stepping out to the ball shot from the corner was pushed and this way Helmut Rahn could shoot undisturbedly from the right – exactly between two Hungarian backs into the net. ---- T ---- T