THE WORLD CUP MARKED THE TRIUMPH
— Maurice Pefferkorn | 21/06/1938 —

It seems that everything has been said, and even more, about this World Cup which has just ended so gloriously and in an atmosphere of such perfect sportsmanship. But when we have said everything, it is time to conclude. And to conclude, it is good to repeat ourselves a little.

A first remark. Contested according to the Cup formula, this event presented the character conferred by the Cup, that is to say that we saw most of the time, the adversaries busy first of all looking at each other and only risking moderately. But the fever of combat gradually melts away defensive concerns; we then see the adversaries surrender more generously and demonstrate their offensive desire.

The Italian team itself has not been exempt from these concerns. We saw them very contracted during their match against France, extremely cautious during the first half of their meeting with Brazil. On the other hand, in the final, they blossoms completely from the kick-off. Specifically, we have often noticed that Cup finals do not generally present this same character of apprehension on the part of the teams who compete in them, undoubtedly because reaching the final already constitutes an end in itself.

However, some teams did not show this fear at the start, that of Brazil for example, which was driven almost exclusively by the spirit of attack and to whom the atmosphere of the Cup seemed very foreign, that of Switzerland too which, devoured by Ambition and knowing that it was seriously protected, abandoned itself, during its two matches with Germany, to a veritable offensive profusion.

TRIUMPH OF INSTINCTIVE PLAY.

But what clearly emerges from a panoramic look at the various matches of the World Cup is that the future is, in football, not in the teams which think and which strive to apply methods and tactics, but to those who act instinctively and with spontaneity.

Have we not seen with the Italian team a wonderful illustration of these truths?

We do not mean, of course, that Italy was inferior, from the point of view of pure technique, to its Hungarian adversary. On the contrary, his players possessed individual technique so intimately that they were able to use it instinctively to put it at the service of their natural qualities, which are momentum and speed in all its forms.

Instinctively does not mean automatically. Automation supposes that we have studied the maneuver so scrupulously that it is accomplished without us being careful, so to speak. Instinct, on the contrary, leaves its part to the individual, to his inspiration. Furthermore, the promptness of the reflex is a particular form of the general intelligence of man. Better, we can say that the reflex is to the body what intelligence is to the mind, that is to say that they both translate the same quality of the individual as the we call relaxation.

Anyone who is forced to think in football puts themselves in a state of inferiority. The calculation must have the speed of lightning. This is what the winner of the World Cup also teaches us, that is to say the event itself.

TACTICS.

Tactics! Hey! yes, let's talk about it a little. What is the general tactic of the Italian team? It's the same one of the French team: three forwards at the forefront, two supply forwards, two wing halves assigned to monitoring the wingers, a center half without a particularly defined job, two backs who don't have either special mission.

We criticized this tactic regarding the French team. And now it ensures a masterful triumph for the Italian team. It remains to be proven that the Squadra Azzurra owes its success to its tactics more than to its spirit. However, we believe that it has luminously proven the opposite. And here we are, in the end, very comfortable repeating, once again, that tactics are worth what the men who apply them are worth.

In general, we saw the wing-halves paying more attention to monitoring the wingers than the insides. But also some teams, like that of Brazil, pay little attention to marking instructions. The Brazilian wing-halves play interception; This is very spectacular when success is achieved. But it could be disastrous otherwise.

Which teams have applied the English WM system? Three, to our knowledge: Germany, Norway and Sweden. Of these three unsuccessful candidates, it was Norway which made the best impression. Sweden was unable to remain faithful to its principles, because the class of its men prevented it. As for Germany, which, however, has adopted the WM for several years and must, therefore, be familiar with this game system, it has, despite this, fielded a team without cohesion. Faith, or moral solidity, or physical condition were lacking in her. New proof that the method cannot suffice for everything.

The WM was therefore not in the spotlight in the World Cup. He has few supporters on the continent, none at all in South America. Are we going to condemn him for this?

Ah! why weren't the British there to enlighten us on this subject?