SLAVIA WINS THE CUP!
FERENCVÁROS — SLAVIA 0:2 (0:0)

Otakar Nožíř rebuilt S.K. Slavia's half-back line — The goalkeeper Bokšay was the hero of the match — A poor and disappointing performance from Ferencváros, mainly from the forward line — S.K Slavia's first title.

The last match of the 1938 edition, would be played in Budapest: Ferencváros F.C. vs. S.K. Slavia. The first match was a draw, a result considered good for Ferencváros, but the Budapest team did not know how to take advantage of the weakness of Slavia's half-back line, therefore applying the score 2:2. In general criticism, a victory for Ferencváros was expected, the team was fast, tactically and technically advanced. However, with the return of Otakar Nožíř and some changes on S.K. Slavia's offensive system, the Prague team would assemble a superior team than the one presented in Masaryk.


Mitropa Cup, Final - 2nd match: 11/09/1938, Sunday.
Ferencvárosi F.C. — SK Slavia 0:2 (0:0)
Place: Ülloi-út, Budapest — Referee: Arthur James Jewell(England).
Linesmen: Podubský(Yugoslavia) and Russu(Romania).
Attedance: about 40.000. 

Ferencvárosi F.C.
Coach: György Hlavay.
XI: Háda — Tátrai, Polgár — Magda, Sárosi III., Lázár — Táncos, Kiss, Dr. Sárosi(c), Toldi, Kemény.

S.K. Slavia
Coach: Jan Reichardt.
XI: Bokšay — Černý, Daučík(c) — Průcha, Nožíř, Kopecký — Šimůnek, Vacek, Bican, V. Bradáč, Vytlačil.

Goals: Vytlačil(57min) and Šimůnek(71min).


Every one of the Prague team played with conspicuous calmness, and in general there was much more harmony in the whole team than in Ferencváros. Fradi's tactics did not work well exactly as they thought. They were too nervouss and weak — psychologically speaking. On the other hand, S.K. Slavia kept calm, serenity and knew how to use their chances correctly.

THE MITROPA CUP WINNERS

Bokšay proved to be the best man in the team and in the field. He saved balls that looked like sure goals. It didn't matter whether the ball came in flat or high, he was often almost dazzling in his movement and was able to clear the most dangerous balls into the corner.

Daučík in Prague had a couple of glaring bad kicks, but this time he always proved to be sure of his actions. You could almost say he didn't make a mistake. His partner Černý was not far behind. However, he sometimes played too hard. Kemény's injury is the proof of it. Černý and Daučík outclassed each other in tackling confidence, speed and tactics, and it is to Černý's special credit that it was he who so thoroughly frustrated Toldi with his performance that he failed him utterly and ran away from Černý at right tackle in the second half.

 

With Nožíř playing, not only the half-back line improved but the forward line, too. Nožíř often paired with Daučík to beat Dr. Sárosi and sent his forwards with a fine, flat, accurate pass when he needed to. Too much was expected from him, yet he was able to meet such exorbitant demands. Individually perfect in dribbling and technique, Nožíř showed a boorish calm and a rare sense of system and tactics in this match, which went down to the wire. He was both soul and cement. 

Vlastimil Kopecký and Karel Průcha played much better than in the last match, as they did not have to go into the middle as much to help. However, the play of the two wing half-backs was definitely made easier by the fact that Ferencváros played conspicuously less on the wing this time, with Průcha still the weakest in relative terms. Nevertheless, Kopecký had moments of uncertainty in the first half, but after the break he broke into a performance of great class. 

The forward line performed below the half-back line and the full-backs, but the attacking quintet also played a worthy role.

SLAVIA'S INSIDE TRIO

Josef Bican, closely guarded for ninety minutes, although he did not score, was able to escape his opponents every now and then thanks to his unique passing technique & dribbling, and most of the trickiest attacks were launched by this player and his admirable tactical virtuosity.


Bican
Bradáč            Vacek 

⇡          Bican          
Bradáč        ⇣         ⇡         
                         Vacek
                        ⇣


Vojtěch Bradáč preferred to attract attention with shots. The tough, fearless & well-shooting Bradáč performed his role well as a more incisive inside forward. Vacek, whose technique in attack was cemented & he also made a selfless contribution to the defence, where he often came to the rescue.

THE WINGERS

The executor of the action this time was Vytlačil, who added a fierce fearlessness to his speed & technique. The inside trio was amply supplied by his impeccable centres and on more than one occasion he sent a tricky shot on target himself. It turned out that Vytlačil was the best forward this time. Šimůnek was out of position as a winger.


An unrecognizable Ferencváros

The defeat of Ferencváros could be reasoned to faulty tactics and that it had a psychological justification. But individual indisposition also played a role.

Háda, on the other hand, although not employed as often as Bokšay, had numerous opportunities to document his high class with success.

Polgár was a good average defender, while Tátrai was a weakness.

In the half-back line, as in Prague, Sárosi III. and Gyula Lázár were in great form, while Magda was only seconded with intermittent success.

Tragically for Ferencváros, it was the indisposition of two forwards who represent the extract of their class and the secret of their success: Dr. Sárosi & Toldi. 

The scythe had just fallen on a stone here, that the agressive Géza Toldi had run into the equally tough Černý and the acrobatic Dr. György Sárosi into the equally technical Nožíř. After all, where Sárosi had to fight his way through, he rarely applied himself. But Kiss didn't assert himself either, and the relatively best role was played by both the fast, technical and accurate centering wingers Kemény and Tancós.

ANOTHER CLASSY ENGLISH REFEREE

Jewell was superb in leading the scoring, applying the offside rule brilliantly, with a keen eye for when there was and wasn't intent.



Valousek, manager of Slavia: Great fight, nice, fair game, worthy of the final of the Mitropa Cup.

Pehar, head of Slavia's department: In Prague, Ferencváros was better, but today we played even better. I liked everyone in my team, but especially Bokšay.

Brindács, President of the Czechoslovak JT: Slavia played well, Ferencváros were nervous, the referee was excellent. Our best players were Bokšay, Daučík, Černý, Vytlačil and Vacek.

Alexa Bokšay: We did the impossible.

Karel Černý: If Toldi would play calmly, he could be the best player.

Ferdinand Daučík: The calmer team won.

Karel Průcha: Slavia gave everything we could today.

Otakar Nožíř: I feel I played well. I liked Dr. Sárosi from Ferencváros (several people laugh, Vytlačil remarks: Of course you liked Sárosi).

Vlastimil Kopecký: Fair, nice game. Fereneváros played better, but we had a great goalkeeper.

Ladislav Šimůnek: What didn't work in Prague, worked in Budapest.

Bedřich Vacek: the greatest match of my life.

Josef Bican: I think we were better than Ferencváros in the second half. But we could have scored two goals in the first. Ferencváros are very fair.

Vojtěch Bradáč: Boksay is the court of the match.

Rudolf Vytlačil: We played well, with a bit of luck we could have scored more goals. They don't know how big it is that we won the cup away from home after twelve years.

Dr. Béla Melly, Executive President: If we have any consolation, it is that we were defeated by an opponent who played and behaved excellently. The main reason for this defeat was perhaps Toldi's nervousness and the poor play of Dr Sárosi. We could not have beaten Slavia with this performance, so there is no point in complaining too much, but we should strive for a much better performance than today.

György Hlavay: We lost easily, maybe too easily. Because the public were quite calm in the face of this defeat, that's fine, but so were some of our players. Perhaps it is a good thing that it happened that way, because we will realise that we are not yet in seventh heaven.

Sándor Kemenesy: Slavia deserves all the credit, we deserve less.

Dr. Lajos Tóth: You cannot play so nervously.

Dr. György Sárosi: This game was hopeless from the start. It cannot be played like that.

Tibor Kemény: I didn't get the ball and what I did get didn't make anything inside.

József Háda: It was desperate to watch what happened here.

Károly Szendy, Mayor of Budapest: Ferencváros attacked more, the Czechoslovaks were luckier. It was a good game.

Dr. Ferenc Felkay: In the first half, Ferencváros attacked more, but due to the softness of their forward line, they did not score a goal. In the second half, the Czechoslovaks were better.

Dr. Aladár Huszár, retired mayor: The inside trio of Ferencváros is disappointing, with the exception of Kiss.

Dr. Ferenc Gyurkovits, MLSZ prosecutor: Ferencváros was better, but lost through a series of bad luck.

Marcell Nagy, MLSz's money manager: Ferencváros could have won the game in the first half if Toldi's nerves and bad luck hadn't got in the way. Slavia were great.

Dr. István Kisfalvi: Toldi's nervousness has stuck to Ferencváros.

Ferenc Langfelder: It was a good match. The defeat of Ferencváros was caused by Sárosi's lack of form, although the Hungarian team could have won in the first half.

Sándor Faragó: Ferencváros lost because of the bad game of Sárosi and Toldi.

Sándor Barna: It was like I saw the lack of scoring by the Phobus forward line against Ferencváros.

Márton Róna: Toldi's complaining day and Sárosi's poor game were the reason for the defeat.

Ernő Lénárt: The heart of Ferencváros and luck appeared on the side of Slavia.

Henrik Gefühl: Slavia's half-back line and Ferencváros's sluggish play decided the game.

Luchide, Secretary General of the Romanian FA: The game was balanced. Ferencváros played more spectacularly, Slavia more effectively. Dr. Sárosi's bad form, Boksay's great day and Ferencváros's unlucky day were the deciding factors.

Werner Fred, Italian journalist: The Ferencváros forward line was a failure. I'm not even talking about Toldi.

Waclaw Sikorski, president of the Polish Sports Journalists Association: I really liked the young Sárosi from Ferencváros. The forward line is weak. Slavia is a great team!

Laufer, who broadcasted the match for Czechoslovak radio: Slavia played below their form in Prague. There Ferencváros was the better team, but not as good as they were. In the 1935 final in Prague they lost 3-0 to Sparta. Today, Slavia's play showed that they had nothing to lose, so the Prague team fought with care. Ferencváros played with excitement, sorry but that's how it was, Toldi's nerves got to the others and that decided the match in our favour

Coppola: One can only congratulate the winner and the loser. It was a great fight, the moment. The behaviour of the crowd was exemplary. This final was a triumph for the idea of the Mitropa Cup.


See also: Statistics: Josef Bican - Mitropa Cup 1938
See also: Statistics: Dr. György Sárosi - Mitropa Cup 1938
See also: Mattanovich: Slavia-Ferencváros, 04/09/1938
See also: Mitropa Cup Final, 1938: Slavia-Ferencváros