CHRONICLE OF THE OLYMPIC GAMES
— Philippe Doré | 06/07/1924 —

The four teams that remain to be seen are not exactly the ones that made it to the semi-finals. Italy was stopped in the previous round, while Sweden came in third place in the tournament. However, it was logical to talk about Sweden at the same time as the scientific teams, and it would perhaps have been logical to keep Spain for today, although in fact the characteristic of its game seemed the strength rather than ardor. Ardor is indeed the dominant quality of these three teams, Italy, Holland, Switzerland.

Although Holland finished fourth in the tournament, Italy made a better impression. We know that they were only eliminated by Switzerland by 2 goals to 1. We like the way they play, perhaps because it's the kind of game we'd like to see a French team play. They are quick, nervous and decisive. At the same time, they are intelligent, full of those lucid flashes that illuminate a game, that show that it's not just muscles that are at stake, but thinking beings.

Italy's goalkeeper is de Prà. His flaw is that he is too small, which means he always has to play at the limit of his ability. He is flexible, acrobatic and a bit theatrical. All the same, he is too small. The full-backs are very active and reliable. De Vecchi, in particular, has that sense that is essential for a full-back, that instinct that makes you anticipate where you need to be to go in front of an attack — what you might call the offensive spirit in a defence.

The half-backs stood out neither for good nor for bad. They therefore do their thankless job as team dogs well, since we noticed neither that they left the defense overwhelmed, nor that they left the attack without food. This gave us the greatest pleasure with the intelligence, the play and the beauty of its evolutions. The right winger is fast, the centers, Baloncieri and Della Valle combine with a science where all the Italian finesse is found. All that is missing from this beautiful line is the directing power. With us, Nicolas or Boyer on his good days know better how to seize an opportunity and force a victory.

The Dutch team had played two mediocre games against Romania and especially Ireland. Against Uruguay in the semi-final, they played the best game of the tournament. The Dutch are very tall players who appear calm and phlegmatic. Against Uruguay they showed the same determination as their forebears against Louis XIV. They led the first half at such pace that we saw the Uruguayans overwhelmed and dominated. At the break, Holland scored one goal to nil.

This result was achieved through sheer willpower, courage and activity. One hesitates to use the word ardour for these tenacious players who seem even more stubborn than ardent. They never admitted to being beaten. When a Urugayan had the ball, they came at him two, three, four times and snatched it away. The Urugayan would roll one, two, even three, but by the fourth, he was overwhelmed.

Unfortunately, the Dutch got tired of this game. At the restart, the Urugayans cleverly understood what they had to do; they drove their cluster of obstinate Dutchmen across the pitch with great travelling kicks. The brave orange players were forced to run in all directions like a frantic millstone; human endurance has its limits. In the end, they collapsed. And yet they stood up to fate, so relentless was their defence that the referee had to award a penalty before Uruguay could score the second goal that gave them victory. And all the sports journalists saw and said that this penalty had been unfairly awarded, as a result of an obvious error by the referee, Mr Vallat. This decision should clearly have been overturned and the game replayed. However, the Dutch can be proud of the fact that they were the only team to put Uruguay at risk and to have given us the most magnificent example of courage and sporting awareness.

The best of the team are the full-back Denis, the right-half Lefebvre (two descendants of French reformers) and especially the dangerous left winger Natris. The goalkeeper, the gigantic Van der Meulen, had a lot of work and came through with honor, despite some hazardous dismissals. It is true that he was in a hurry. 

The Swiss made it to the final after seeing off the Bohemians, the Italians and the Swedes. Up until then, Switzerland had been a good team, courageous, athletic and fairly scientific. But it lacked speed and remained in the secondary rankings to which slow teams are doomed. This year saw a metamorphosis. It was as if Switzerland had just found its missing team. Eleven athletic players, healthy, tough and determined, playing with splendid courage, an ardour that never wavers, and unexpected and bewildering speed. Full-backs, half-backs, forwards, everyone played fast, wasting no time in fine-tuning, and defending or attacking with unflagging determination. The goalkeeper, Pulver, is very tall and solid, giving the impression of calm and security, but at the first danger he becomes clearly furious. He gave the Bohemians and the Italians a run for their money. He had nothing to reproach himself for until the final. There, against the Uruguayans, intimidated by what was at stake in the game, he wavered a little and was not without his faults. Of the two full-backs, at least one was beyond reproach. Raymond was tireless, eye-catching and knew how to play attacking football and throw his forwards forward. The best half was centre Schmiedlin, captain of the team. The forward line includes some first-class players. The left winger, a little too small, made up for this shortcoming with his bursts of speed, skill and determination. Right winger Ehrenbolger is the quickest forward to appear in the tournament, he has magnificent heading ability and he too plays with impeccable heart. Finally, the best of the line is inside left Abbegglen.

The winners, it must be recognized, combine all the qualities. Endowed with sufficient athletic means, more flexible than strong, yet capable of playing very hard, gifted with inexhaustible breath, very fast, they seem to play with nonchalance, so dexterous are they. But as soon as they sense danger, they lash out and do not yield to anyone in ardor. We saw it against Holland. The second half of this game was the only one where they were forced to play with gritted teeth. Finally, until the final, we could criticize them for wanting to finesse too much, for endlessly passing back and forth in front of the goals. Facing Switzerland, they bombarded Pulver's nets from all distances and even from too far.

Above all, their quality is address, virtuosity, ball control. In this area, they do what they want. They look like acrobats. No one can compete with them for a ball on an equal footing. You have to do like the Dutch, do it in threes or fours. One of them in particular, the right half Andrade, immediately became the most popular player of the tournament thanks to this devilish skill. A single stroke will give an idea of how they direct a ball. Against Holland, at a moment when the fate of the game was hanging in the balance, they won a corner kick. Their most powerful player, full-back Nasazzi, came to reinforce the attack and signalled to the winger to send the ball over his head. The ball landed exactly on Nasazzi's head.

This one is a magnificent fullback, perhaps the most beautiful we have ever seen, the soul of the stars of the team with the famous Andrade and the forwards of the center. Because Uruguay attacks mainly through its centers. However, he has good wingers, including Romano, who is fast and dangerous. They abandon him for the Cea-Petrone-Scarone trio. The latter two more brilliant, the first no less useful. Certainly, the English professionals themselves have it no better, for these players are lively and intelligent as well as skillful. Almost too cunning, too selfish, wanting to do everything by themselves and having fun getting past opposing defenses thanks to the most subtle combinations. And as they showed their determination and power in front of Holland and Switzerland, it is fair to say that it was the best team that won the tournament, and that no result is more impressive than that.