AFTER THE FIRST ROUND
— Maurice Pefferkorn | 27/05/1924 —

The two matches which were played yesterday Monday, in Colombes and at the Stade Bergeyre, were for Uruguay and Hungary the opportunity for easy victories. That these two nations qualified for the finals is not surprising; we had, moreover, planned it. But the style with which they carried off these victories and the ease of their triumph teach us that these teams will go far in the event, if the malice of the draw allows it.

These are really two great teams we saw operating yesterday; the difference in hours between the Colombes and Bergeyre matches made it possible to watch the Uruguayans in their first half and the Hungarians throughout the match. No doubt everyone did not have the opportunity to work hard, as the Spaniards and Italians did on Sunday. Neither side nor the other was the match gripping, thrilling, distressing like that of the two great Latin rivals. Soon the winner was known; after a quarter of an hour of play, in Colombes; from the start of the second half, in Bergeyre.

This is why it is neither convenient nor prudent to predict the fate of the Uruguayans and Hungarians. The adversaries they will now encounter will probably force them to implement new resources; Little by little, fatigue will be felt. It is no less true that both teams can lay claim to the beautiful destinies.

I will not let myself give a preference to one or the other of yesterday's adversaries. Having first seen the Uruguayans play, I began to consider them unbeatable. But subsequently, Hungary gave me something to think about, for very different reasons. I believe that it is better, for the moment, to remain reserved and not attempt parallels. Let's just define the characteristics of two teams as precisely as possible.

First of all, let us clearly state that Uruguay's game does not deserve the qualifier Latin. It has neither the bite nor the unexpectedness that we saw on Sunday among the Italians or the Spaniards. But the game is of incomparable finesse and precision. Nothing we were told about South Americans was exaggerated. They excel at dribbling, feints, getting free and shots. They start very quickly, which allows them to secure the ball at the expense of their opponents. Flexible, they avoid the charge. But their operations are fairly slow. They are perfect when it comes to the technical side of the game, and it's fair to say that we've never seen better than them in this respect. They are reminiscent of the way Corinthians played in their heyday, but perhaps with more attention to detail and artistic flair, but less speed of execution.

And what will become of their delicate, poised style of play when faced with fast, impetuous opponents who control the ball well? It's impossible to predict. Uruguay legitimised all the hopes that could be placed in them; they played well within their capabilities; they appealed, charmed and seduced the minds more than the hearts and senses. Is this the truth about Olympic football? After their match against the United States on Thursday, we can begin to answer that question.

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After having played, in the first half, an ordinary and very random game, which Poland wrongly preferred, Hungary gave us in the second half a sample of its true value. Their game is exactly the opposite of that of Uruguay. And, it must be admitted, it seemed very different to us from the one we considered typical among the Centrals.

The Hungarians also came at speed. They showed yesterday that they knew how to be penetrating, quick and productive. Certainly, they were dealing then, I mean in the second half, with a team which was only defending itself. But the way they manipulated and disoriented it is not at all that of an automatic team, playing mechanically and without enthusiasm.

The youth of the attacking players is probably the reason for this revival. It was indeed very young people like Jeny and Hirzer, the winger and the inside left, who were the heroes of the game.

In short, they were a long way from the meticulousness and finesse of the Uruguayan touch. The game was more solid, broader and more athletic. They had less fun with trifles; they were less like Little Red Riding Hood; the Hungarians are in more of a hurry to get things over with. No doubt the ball handling is less attractive and elicits fewer admiring exclamations; this is inevitable because the game is faster.

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So here is still a parallel, one might say. Possible, but I can't conclude. Let everyone, based on what I have just said, form an opinion, according to their temperament. For me it seems frankly impossible to decide between Italy, Uruguay, Hungary and Czechoslovakia, the only high-class nations which have operated so far.

But what emotion, what fever! Here are two days that are exciting us in different ways and opening up new horizons. And what is France going to do in such a high-profile company? We wonder, not without anxiety. Today we will see her in front of Latvia. And we keep our hopes in check in the back room of our hearts.