"Clean" wins of international competitions ?

[MH]

People have commented on Spain being very deserving winners (and I
agree) of the Euros, having won all 7 games, with only one going to
extra time. No pens, and beat all of Italy, Germany, France and England.

What do people thing have been similar performances - clean in the sense
of winning all matches (or at least all that needed to be won to ensure
winning groups), with no penalty shoot-outs involved, no big
controversies, and so on ?

Some possible candidates in my lifetime:

Brazil 1958
Brazil 1970
Germany 1980 (Did draw with Greece but had already qualified for the
final, I think).
France 1984
Brazil 2002
France 2018 (Draw in last group game vs. Denmark was enough to win group)



But maybe I am overlooking controversies I didn't know about. Also my
Copa America knowledge is too sketchy (can't comment on which
tournaments the heavy-weights did not send full strength teams to, for
example)

[Real_Mardin]

Post by MH
People have commented on Spain being very deserving winners (and I
agree) of the Euros, having won all 7 games, with only one going to
extra time. No pens, and beat all of Italy, Germany, France and England.
What do people thing have been similar performances - clean in the sense
of winning all matches (or at least all that needed to be won to ensure
winning groups), with no penalty shoot-outs involved, no big
controversies, and so on ?
Brazil 1958
Brazil 1970
Germany 1980 (Did draw with Greece but had already qualified for the
final, I think).
France 1984
Brazil 2002

In the group stage match with Turkey Rivaldo dramatically collapsed
after Hakan Unsal knocked the ball to him before a corner, the ball hit
Rivaldo in the thigh. Unsal was sent off. Brazil won the match with a
penalty awarded for a foul outside the area.

So yes, probably the best team in the tournament, but I’m not sure they
pass the “no big controversies” test.


RM

Post by MH
France 2018 (Draw in last group game vs. Denmark was enough to win group)
But maybe I am overlooking controversies I didn't know about. Also my
Copa America knowledge is too sketchy (can't comment on which
tournaments the heavy-weights did not send full strength teams to, for
example)

[Werner Pichler]

Post by MH
People have commented on Spain being very deserving winners (and I
agree) of the Euros, having won all 7 games, with only one going to
extra time. No pens, and beat all of Italy, Germany, France and England.
What do people thing have been similar performances - clean in the sense
of winning all matches (or at least all that needed to be won to ensure
winning groups), with no penalty shoot-outs involved, no big
controversies, and so on ?
Brazil 1958
Brazil 1970
Germany 1980 (Did draw with Greece but had already qualified for the
final, I think).
France 1984
Brazil 2002

Besides the Rivaldo controversy, I would have
expected you to at least mention the Wilmots
goal that was immediately disallowed for no apparent
reason whatsoever? (minimal push, at most)

Ciao,
Werner

Post by MH
France 2018 (Draw in last group game vs. Denmark was enough to win group)
But maybe I am overlooking controversies I didn't know about. Also my
Copa America knowledge is too sketchy (can't comment on which
tournaments the heavy-weights did not send full strength teams to, for
example)

[FF]

Post by MH
People have commented on Spain being very deserving winners (and I
agree) of the Euros, having won all 7 games, with only one going to
extra time. No pens, and beat all of Italy, Germany, France and England.
What do people thing have been similar performances - clean in the
sense of winning all matches (or at least all that needed to be won
to ensure winning groups), with no penalty shoot-outs involved, no
big controversies, and so on ?
Brazil 1958
Brazil 1970
Germany 1980 (Did draw with Greece but had already qualified for
the final, I think). France 1984
Brazil 2002

You're kidding ? The way Spain and Italy were pushed out to make way
for the hosts - that's not a clean win by any standard.

[MH]

Post by FF

Post by MH
People have commented on Spain being very deserving winners (and I
agree) of the Euros, having won all 7 games, with only one going to
extra time. No pens, and beat all of Italy, Germany, France and England.
What do people thing have been similar performances - clean in the
sense of winning all matches (or at least all that needed to be won
to ensure winning groups), with no penalty shoot-outs involved, no
big controversies, and so on ?
Brazil 1958
Brazil 1970
Germany 1980 (Did draw with Greece but had already qualified for
the final, I think). France 1984
Brazil 2002

You're kidding ? The way Spain and Italy were pushed out to make way
for the hosts - that's not a clean win by any standard.

A team can only play and beat what's in front of it. Spain had already
pushed their luck by being taken to penalties by Ireland. We will never
know how they would have done vs. Brazil if they had made it to the
final (which would have required beating Germany).

However, the Rivaldo incident was indeed controversial, and, as has been
pointed out, Belgium had a goal disallowed for obscure reasons, so I am
happy to exclude Brazil 2002.

So that leaves us with only WC: Brazil 1970 and 1958. Euros: France
1984 and Spain 2024.

[Futbolmetrix]

Post by MH
People have commented on Spain being very deserving winners (and I
agree) of the Euros, having won all 7 games, with only one going to
extra time. No pens, and beat all of Italy, Germany, France and England.
What do people thing have been similar performances - clean in the sense
of winning all matches (or at least all that needed to be won to ensure
winning groups), with no penalty shoot-outs involved, no big
controversies, and so on ?

I think clean means clean, i.e., won all matches without needing
shootouts, period. So Germany in 1980 and France in 2018 should drop out
of your list, IMO.

Among Copa America post 1990, based on my more restrictive criterion:
Brazil 1997 (but I have a hunch that Argentina did not send its A team)
Brazil 1999 (this time Argentina's squad looked like the real thing)
Colmbia 2001 (Argentina named a squad without Batistuta and Crespo, then
withdrew among concerns about terrorist threats in Colombia. They were
replaced by Honduras 48 hours before the start of the tournament.
Honduras went on to make the semifinal, eliminating Brazil en route...)

[MH]

Post by Futbolmetrix

Post by MH
People have commented on Spain being very deserving winners (and I
agree) of the Euros, having won all 7 games, with only one going to
extra time.  No pens, and beat all of Italy, Germany, France and
England.
What do people thing have been similar performances - clean in the sense
of winning all matches (or at least all that needed to be won to ensure
winning groups), with no penalty shoot-outs involved, no big
controversies, and so on ?

I think clean means clean, i.e., won all matches without needing
shootouts, period. So Germany in 1980 and France in 2018 should drop out
of your list, IMO.

Fair enough.

Post by Futbolmetrix
Brazil 1997 (but I have a hunch that Argentina did not send its A team)

I recall they did not, and that they were not the only ones. Even
Mexico kept some of the guys who were regular starters in WCQ that year
at home (I wanna say Campos, Luis Garcia, Hermosillo, Luis Roberto Alves
Zagues, Ramon Ramirez, and Garcia Aspe, but I could be wrong on several
counts).

Post by Futbolmetrix
Brazil 1999 (this time Argentina's squad looked like the real thing)
Colmbia 2001 (Argentina named a squad without Batistuta and Crespo, then
withdrew among concerns about terrorist threats in Colombia. They were
replaced by Honduras 48 hours before the start of the tournament.
Honduras went on to make the semifinal, eliminating Brazil en route...)

Canada withdrew from that one as well. We were invited as Gold Cup
winners. Vs, Colombia in the fnal, as it happens.