SINDELAR'S OFFSIDE GOAL
Unknown | 19/07/1937

It has been a long time since a goal has caused as much excitement as the goal that Sindelar scored last Sunday when the score was 4-1 against Ferencváros and which, after initial recognition by the Swiss referee Wüthrich, was declared offside. The action that led to this goal was exemplary. That's why we sent one of our correspondents to Sindelar to tell our readers how this goal came about. Sindelar was busy in the sports department of the company he works for, autographing a young lad as a gift for a pair of football laces. When this was done and our correspondent had asked his question, Sindelar sat down on the desk and, no, you have to tell it differently.

WITH THE FOOTBALL PROFESSOR

Once upon a time, Sindi was very silent and it was very difficult to get an answer out of him. But since he became the scientist of the Viennese school, he has also learned to find the right words for his actions. The gaunt figure on the desk wrinkled his brow thoughtfully, examining the accuracy of every sentence, that was it a scholar of football art, not dar Schindil but Matthias Sindelar, honoris causa Dr. the ballistics. He explained:

Sindelar: Of course, I can only report my observations. If they don't coincide with those that caused the referee to declare my goal offside, that doesn't mean conflict with the referee.

» I didn't think the goal I scored against Ferencváros was offside. I expressly say my opinion, because a player with the best will in the world can never see the situation like the referee, so that in the end his judgment must prevail.

THE SITUATION

» The situation was as follows: Neumer got the ball about 20 meters to my left, and I don't know who passed it to him. I was maybe 40 meters from the opponent's goal, I think level with the Hungarian half-back Hámori and the defender Tátrai, who had moved up too far.

» I realized that there would be an opportunity to walk through. So I called Neumer by his name and pointed.

» Such simple shouts or a wave of the hand are enough for all of us, and Neumer knew immediately what I wanted. He was already putting the ball in the empty space behind the two Hungarians and I ran, feeling like Tátrai was touching the leather with his foot.

» My run was very quick. The two Hungarians had to turn around, and before that happened, I had already reached the ball behind them with an initial run of about 5 meters.

» I ran to the gate. As I approached the 18-metre mark, goalkeper Háda went towards me.

» Before I could shoot, Háda's running in the opposite direction had reduced the angle of the shot so much that I was afraid I might shoot the goalkeeper at — or past — the goal.

THE DECISION

» I let Háda get very close to me, and then I swung my right foot as if to shoot. I managed to fool Háda, he tried to throw himself. That's what I wanted.

» Very narrowly, a meter and a half at most, I ran past him to the left, the goal was open in front of me and a few steps later, not even from the penalty spot, I calmly shot in with my left foot. It's a shame that this goal in particular didn't count.

SÁROSI AS AN OPPONENT

— And now one more question: How did you play against Sárosi?

The serious face with which Sindelar accompanied the explanation of his goal cheered up:

Sindelar: I wish I always had opponents as fair as Sárosi. He barely gave me a word before the break and yet I had absolutely no reason to complain.

» He himself guarded me, but he also knew how to direct a defender in such a way that I ran into his hands when I passed Sárosi himself. He's a great player and I'm happy to have beaten him after the break.

OUTLOOK FOR BUDAPEST

— Finally, the prospects for the second leg in Budapest?

Sindelar: I don't want to say anything about that. All I can say is that we won 4-1 in Vienna.