Football at the 1952 Summer Olympics

The 1952 Olympic football tournament signalled the arrival (to Western Europeans at least) of the 'Golden Team'; the 'Magical Magyars': Hungary. Ferenc Puskás, the great Hungarian known as the 'Galloping Major' for his military title, said of the 1952 competition: "It was during the Olympics that our football first started to flow with real power." It was during the Games, too, that Stanley Rous of the Football Association, taken by the impression the Magyars were leaving on everyone present, first invited the Hungarians to play a friendly at Wembley the next year.

Background

By the time of the competition the Hungarians had developed into one of the great sides in history. They had amassed an incomparable record, undefeated since May 14, 1950, but had been largely confined to the Eastern European Communist satellite states. When they had ventured outside their ken they had pulverised the Finns and Swedes. But these were mere glimpses. Their reputed supremacy was still a matter of some conjecture.

The competition also saw the first real mass entry from Eastern Europe. 6 nations from beyond the Iron Curtain were competing, all drawn to play in the preliminary round. The Soviet Union being drawn with Bulgaria and the Hungarians with Romania. Meanwhile the Scandinavian countries were exempted into the first round.

quads

*Main|Football at the 1952 Summer Olympics - Men's team squads

The Competition

There was nothing convincing about their win against the Romanians whom they were first drawn up against. Kocsis' goal in the second half enabled the Hungarians to record a narrow victory. In Lahti, Great Britain had succumbed to Luxembourg in an eight goal encounter and elsewhere there were solid victories for the Italians and Brazilians (5-1 victors over the Dutch). In Helsinki the Yugoslavs were drawn up against the Indians. The Indians, for whatever reason, had dispensed with the need to wear boots; a decision that cost some players frost-bite, most of them bruising and contributed to the size of their 10-1 loss.

Hungary now made three changes when drawn against Italy and all was different, running out clear winners by 3 goals to nil. Of the rest it appeared that their likely challengers would be the Austrians who were defeating the Finns and the Swedes, managed by George Raynor; easy winners against Norway. Yugoslavia, meanwhile, were having a torrid time against Russia. 5-1 up with 15 minutes of their first round match to go, the Yugoslavs, understandably, put their feet up. Arthur Ellis, the match referee, recorded what happened next in his book 'The Final Whistle' (London, 1963): 'Russia forced the most honourable draw ever recorded! Bobrov, their captain, scored a magnificent hat-trick. After Russia had reduced the lead to 5-2, he, almost single-handed, took the score to 5-5, scoring his third in the last minute. For once, use of the word sensational was justified'. Although Bobrov's early goal in their replay presaged a miraculous recovery, Yugoslavia recovered sufficiently to put out their opponents easily in the second half. The Soviet side had been expected by Moscow to win the 1952 Games, and their defeat by Yugoslavia was not mentioned in the Soviet press until after Stalin's death the following year.

The Yugoslavs took care of the Danes and Germans to reach the final. Hungary, scoring freely, against the Turks then the Swedes, would join them. And they would easily beat Yugoslavia, silver-medallists for the second successive Games, 2-0 in the Helsinki final with goals from Puskás and Zoltán Czibor. In the third place game Sweden would defeat the Olympic amateur team from Germany () .

Preliminary round

footballbox
date = Jul 15, 1952
12:00
team1 = fb-rt|POL
score = 2–1
report = [http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/tournament=512/edition=197058/matches/match=32372/report.html Report]
team2 = fb|FRA
goals1 = Trampisz goal|31
Krasowka goal|49
goals2 = Leblond goal|30
stadium = Lahti
Referee: Karel van der Meer (NED)
Attendance: ----footballbox
date = Jul 15, 1952
12:00
team1 = fb-rt|HUN|1949
score = 2–1
report = [http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/tournament=512/edition=197058/matches/match=32373/report.html Report]
team2 = fb|ROM|1952
goals1 = Czibor goal|21
Kocsis goal|73
goals2 = Suru goal|86
stadium = Turku
Referee: Nikolai Latychev (URS)
Attendance: 14.000----footballbox
date = Jul 15, 1952
12:00
team1 = fb-rt|YUG
score = 10–1
report = [http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/tournament=512/edition=197058/matches/match=32371/report.html Report]
team2 = fb|IND
goals1 = Vukas goal|2 goal|62
Mitić goal|14 goal|43
Zebec goal|17 goal|23 goal|60 goal|87
Ognjanov goal|52 goal|67
goals2 = Ahmed Khan goal|89
stadium = Helsinki
Referee: John Best (USA)
Attendance: 20.000----footballbox
date = Jul 15, 1952
12:00
team1 = fb-rt|DEN
score = 2–1
report = [http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/tournament=512/edition=197058/matches/match=32374/report.html Report]
team2 = fb|GRE|old
goals1 = Petersen goal|36 goal|37
goals2 = Emmanouilides goal|85
stadium = Tampere
Referee: Waldemar Karni (FIN)
Attendance: 7.000----footballbox
date = Jul 16, 1952
12:00
team1 = fb-rt|URS
score = 2–1
report = [http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/tournament=512/edition=197058/matches/match=32377/report.html Report]
team2 = fb|BUL|1946
goals1 = Bobrov goal|100
Trofimov goal|104
goals2 = Kolev goal|95
stadium = Kotka
Referee: Istvan Zsolt (HUN)
Attendance: 10.000----footballbox
date = Jul 16, 1952
12:00
team1 = fb-rt|ITA
score = 8–0
report = [http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/tournament=512/edition=197058/matches/match=32379/report.html Report]
team2 = fb|USA
goals1 = Gimona goal|3 goal|51 goal|75
Pandolfini goal|16 goal|62
Venturi goal|27
Fontanesi goal|52
Mariani goal|87
goals2 =
stadium = Tampere
Referee: Arthur Ellis (ENG)
Attendance: 10.000----footballbox
date = Jul 16, 1952
12:00
team1 = fb-rt|BRA
score = 5–1
report = [http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/tournament=512/edition=197058/matches/match=32376/report.html Report]
team2 = fb|NED
goals1 = Humberto Tozzi goal|25
Larry goal|33|p.k. goal|36
Jansen goal|81
Vavá goal|86
goals2 = van Roessel goal|15
stadium = Turku
Referee: Giorgio Bernardi (ITA)
Attendance: 16.000----footballbox
date = Jul 16, 1952
12:00
team1 = fb-rt|LUX
score = 5–3
report = [http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/tournament=512/edition=197058/matches/match=32375/report.html Report]
team2 = fb|GBR
goals1 = Roller goal|60 goal|95 goal|97
Letsch goal|91
Gales goal|102
goals2 = Robb goal|12
Slater goal|101
Lewis goal|118
stadium = Lahti
Referee: Vincenzo Orlandini (ITA)
Attendance: ----footballbox
date = Jul 16, 1952
12:00
team1 = fb-rt|EGY|1922
score = 5–4
report = [http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/tournament=512/edition=197058/matches/match=32378/report.html Report]
team2 = fb|CHI
goals1 = Elfar goal|27
Mechaury goal|43
Eldizwi goal|66 goal|75 goal|80
goals2 = Jara goal|7 goal|78
Vial goal|14 goal|88
stadium = Kotka
Referee: John Nilsson (SWE)
Attendance:

First round

footballbox
date = Jul 19, 1952
12:00
team1 = fb-rt|FIN
score = 3–4
report = [http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/tournament=512/edition=197058/matches/match=32380/report.html Report]
team2 = fb|AUT
goals1 = Stolpe goal|11 goal|34
Rytkönen goal|36
goals2 = Gollnhuber goal|8|p.k. goal|30
Stumpf goal|59
Grohs goal|79
stadium = Helsinki
Referee: William Ling (ENG)
Attendance: 33.053----footballbox
date = Jul 20, 1952
12:00
team1 = fb-rt|BRA
score = 2–1
report = [http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/tournament=512/edition=197058/matches/match=32382/report.html Report]
team2 = fb|LUX
goals1 = Larry goal|42
Humberto Tozzi goal|49
goals2 = Gales goal|86
stadium = Kotka
Referee: Mayan Macancic (YUG)
Attendance: ----footballbox
date = Jul 20, 1952
12:00
team1 = fb-rt|YUG
score = 5–5
report = [http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/tournament=512/edition=197058/matches/match=32383/report.html Report]
team2 = fb|URS
goals1 = Mitić goal|29
Ognjanov goal|33
Zebec goal|44 goal|59
Bobek goal|46
goals2 = Bobrov goal|53 goal|77 goal|87
Trofimov goal|75
Petrov goal|89
stadium = Tampere
Referee: Arthur Ellis (ENG)
Attendance: 17.000footballbox
date = Jul 22, 1952
12:00
team1 = fb-rt|YUG
score = 3–1
report = [http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/tournament=512/edition=197058/matches/match=32388/report.html Report]
team2 = fb|URS
goals1 = Mitić goal|19
Bobek goal|29|p.k.
Čajkovski goal|54
goals2 = Bobrov goal|6
stadium = Tampere
Referee: Arthur Ellis (ENG)
Attendance: 17.000----footballbox
date = Jul 20, 1952
12:00
team1 = fb-rt|GER
score = 3–1
report = [http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/tournament=512/edition=197058/matches/match=32381/report.html Report]
team2 = fb|EGY|1922
goals1 = Klug goal|33
Schröder goal|38 goal|61
goals2 = Eldizmwi goal|64
stadium = Turku
Referee: Giorgio Bernardi (ITA)
Attendance: ----footballbox
date = Jul 21, 1952
12:00
team1 = fb-rt|DNK
score = 2–0
report = [http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/tournament=512/edition=197058/matches/match=32386/report.html Report]
team2 = fb|POL
goals1 = Seebach goal|17
S. Nielsen goal|69
goals2 =
stadium = Turku
Referee: Finn Balstad (NOR)
Attendance: 8.000----footballbox
date = Jul 21, 1952
12:00
team1 = fb-rt|SWE
score = 4–1
report = [http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/tournament=512/edition=197058/matches/match=32387/report.html Report]
team2 = fb|NOR
goals1 = Brodd goal|23 goal|35
Rydell goal|81
Bengtsson goal|89
goals2 = Sorensen goal|83
stadium = Tampere
Referee: Johan Aksel Alho (FIN)
Attendance: 4.200----footballbox
date = Jul 21, 1952
12:00
team1 = fb-rt|HUN|1949
score = 3–0
report = [http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/tournament=512/edition=197058/matches/match=32384/report.html Report]
team2 = fb|ITA
goals1 = Palotás goal|11 goal|20
Kocsis goal|83
goals2 =
stadium = Helsinki
Referee: Karel van der Meer (NED)
Attendance: 20.000----footballbox
date = Jul 21, 1952
12:00
team1 = fb-rt|TUR
score = 2–1
report = [http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/tournament=512/edition=197058/matches/match=32385/report.html Report]
team2 = fb|ANT|1959
goals1 = Tokac goal|9
Bilge goal|76|p.k.
goals2 = Briezen goal|79
stadium = Lahti
Referee: Carl Jorgensen (DEN)
Attendance:

Quarter-finals

footballbox
date = Jul 23, 1952
12:00
team1 = fb-rt|SWE
score = 3–1
report = [http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/tournament=512/edition=197058/matches/match=32389/report.html Report]
team2 = fb|AUT
goals1 = Sandberg goal|80
Brodd goal|85
Rydell goal|87
goals2 = Grohs goal|40
stadium = Helsinki
Referee: Vincenzo Orlandini (ITA)
Attendance: 10.000----footballbox
date = Jul 24, 1952
12:00
team1 = fb-rt|GER
score = 4–2
report = [http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/tournament=512/edition=197058/matches/match=32390/report.html Report]
team2 = fb|BRA
goals1 = Schröder goal|75 goal|96
Klug goal|89
Zeitler goal|120
goals2 = Larry goal|12
Zózimo goal|74
stadium = Helsinki
Referee: Arthur Ellis (ENG)
Attendance: ----footballbox
date = Jul 24, 1952
12:00
team1 = fb-rt|HUN|1949
score = 7–1
report = [http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/tournament=512/edition=197058/matches/match=32391/report.html Report]
team2 = fb|TUR
goals1 = Palotás goal|18
Kocsis goal|32 goal|90
Lantos goal|48
Puskás goal|54 goal|72
Bozsik goal|70
goals2 = Guder goal|57
stadium = Kotka
Referee: Waldemar Karni (FIN)
Attendance: 20.000----footballbox
date = Jul 25, 1952
12:00
team1 = fb-rt|YUG
score = 5–3
report = [http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/tournament=512/edition=197058/matches/match=32392/report.html Report]
team2 = fb|DNK
goals1 = Čajkovski goal|19
Ognjanov goal|35
Vukas goal|41
Bobek goal|78
Zebec goal|81
goals2 = Lundberg goal|63
Seebach goal|85
J. Hansen goal|87
stadium = Helsinki
Referee: Waldemar Karni (FIN)
Attendance: 10.000

emi-finals

footballbox
date = Jul 28, 1952
12:00
team1 = fb-rt|HUN|1949
score = 6–0
report = [http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/tournament=512/edition=197058/matches/match=32393/report.html Report]
team2 = fb|SWE
goals1 = Puskás goal|1
Palotás goal|16
Lindh goal|36|o.g.
Kocsis goal|65 goal|69
Hidegkuti goal|67
goals2 =
stadium = Helsinki
Referee: William Ling (ENG)
Attendance: 22.000----footballbox
date = Jul 29, 1952
12:00
team1 = fb-rt|YUG
score = 3–1
report = [http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/tournament=512/edition=197058/matches/match=32394/report.html Report]
team2 = fb|GER
goals1 = Mitić goal|3 goal|24
Čajkovski goal|30
goals2 = Stollenwerk goal|12
stadium = Helsinki
Referee: Waldemar Karni (FIN)
Attendance: 20.000

Bronze medal match

footballbox
date = August 1, 1952
12:00
team1 = fb-rt|SWE
score = 2–0
report = [http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/tournament=512/edition=197058/matches/match=32395/report.html Report]
team2 = fb|GER
goals1 = Rydell goal|11
Löfgren goal|86
goals2 =
stadium = Helsinki
Referee: Vincenzo Orlandini (ITA)
Attendance: 20.000

Final (Gold medal match)

footballbox
date = August 2, 1952
12:00
team1 = fb-rt|HUN|1949
score = 2–0
report = [http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/tournament=512/edition=197058/matches/match=32396/report.html Report]
team2 = fb|YUG
goals1 = Puskás goal|70
Czibor goal|88
goals2 =
stadium = Helsinki
Referee: Arthur Ellis (ENG)
Attendance: 60.000

Medalists

References

* [http://www.rsssf.com/tableso/ol1952f.html RSSSF Archive]
* [http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/tournament=512/edition=197058/overview.html FIFA]