Every World Cup, a hero falls. Goodchristianboy presents a series of world cup darlings who crashed in spectacular style.
He may not be the original fallen darling, but he was probably the most gifted, most mythified and perhaps also the most deserving of the glory that never came. By 1974, Johann Cruyff had established himself as one of the great players of his generation. As the star of the total football teams of Ajax and Holland, Cruyff had everyone's tongue salivating in the lead up to the 1974 cup.
And he delivered - a series of scintilating performances saw the original orange army terrorise Yugoslavia, Poland and then knock Brazil out of the tournament. Only hosts West Germany stood before him and immortality. But behind the scenes, everything had crumbled. It is reported that Cruyff spent hours on the eve of the final on the phone with his wife, diffusing rage that ensued him being photographed with other women while competing in Germany. The entire dutch side was already in meltdown.
The following day, Cruyff took the field in seemingly arrogant and unperturbed fashion, striding his way to a first minute foul that earned Neeskens a penalty, and Holland their only goal of the final. Sadly, a disrupted Holland failed to finish the West Germans off, and conceded two goals en-route to world cup silverdom.
Perhaps the greatest team to never win the world cup, Holland's star man Cruyff was also perhaps the greatest player to have never been a world champion. The world had built it's highest tower, and the world had seen it fall.
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