Friendly 1977 England Holland

9 fevrier 1977

Wembley Stadium

90,260 spect

Last of J Cruyff , Sound Stadium 

Friend.1977.Eng.Holl.twb22.blogspot.com.mp4

This was the night Holland came to town and painted it orange with the supreme craft of Johan Cruyff, the flair of Johan Neeskens and the swagger of Johnny Rep.

Wembley stood to applaud the Dutch players from the pitch at half-time as they handed Don Revie’s side a lesson in the power of Total Football.

Cruyff was the inevitable star of a slick exhibition rated by some as the most emphatic display by an away team against England since the Hungarians of 1953.

It would be the only time this wonderful Dutch team of the  Seventies would play in England. To many, they were the best international side never to win a major trophy, losing in the World Cup finals of 1974 and 1978 and  finishing third in the 1976  European Championship.

England were down in the dumps. They had failed to qualify for the Germany ’74 World Cup and a 2-0 defeat to Italy in Rome, in a World Cup qualifier on their previous outing in November 1976, would ultimately deny them a place at Argentina ’78.