A TRIUMPHAL FINAL CONSECRATES THE SUPERIORITY OF THE URUGUAYAN TEAM
Robert Le Brun | 11/06/1924

South Americans can say like Caesar: Veni, vidi, vici. Their triumph was clear and regular. We must unreservedly congratulate the representatives of this small Republic, which has no more than two million inhabitants and which has managed to prepare a rather formidable eleven to triumph over twenty-one nations.

But it is not only the triumph of Uruguay that must be underlined, it is also that of football. Never in France had such a large, enthusiastic and athletic audience been seen. The Stadium was full to bursting and there were ten thousand people who could not enter. The receipts exceeded half a million: that says it all.

The complete sport that is association football has won the hearts of Parisians. Yesterday's unforgettable day will certainly help attract our youth to this game that develops both the heart and the brain.

The organization was impeccable, from all points of view; and the members of the Olyınpic Committee must be unreservedly congratulated for the superb result which they have obtained. They have obtained discipline inside the Stadium and they have had the surroundings seriously purified. They refused people, who only asked to pay, in a commendable spirit of order. This is an example on which some federations would do well to model themselves.

The Paris Olympic Games begin with an unprecedented triumph. We can be rightly proud of it and look forward to the rest of the trials with confidence.

The winners are not only talented athletes, they also have the highest morale. Following their victory yesterday, they asked to replay a match against France, which they beat on June 1 by 5 goals to 1. The recipe is a work chosen by the French Federation. The gesture is beautiful, like the one they had at each of the last meetings to enter the field with our national flag next to theirs.

So here is the ranking of the football tournament of the VIII Olympiad:


1. Uruguay
2. Switzerland
3. Sweden
4. Netherlands


The title is in good hands. England and Belgium have worthy successors.

Among the losers were teams from an above-average class: Hungary, Spain and Italy. They were regularly eliminated. Nothing says for as long as they could not appeal their delays, but one team remains above all, it is Uruguay. They are real artists and I don't know if they wouldn't be able to beat Scotland's professional team, which is reputed to be the best in the United Kingdom.

THE SWEDISH VICTORY

Sweden confirmed the slight advantage they had shown on Sunday against Holland. Only she knew how, yesterday, to transform this advantage into goals, which she had not been able to do the day before.

The game of the Swedes is sober and elegant but it is very monotonous. We know in advance where their passes will go and with opponents faster than the Dutch, interception would have been a good game. Two players stood out clearly in attack, Kock and Rydell, yet they are not the best framed, because their comrades lack relaxation.

Friberg, their captain, played below his form and Hillen was superior to him. Lindberg didn't make a mistake.

The whole team plays with perfect correction, avoiding fouls and never resorting to rigging. What a great example for some!!

It must be said, in defense of the defeated, that they had many replacements. They defended themselves with courage, but the presence of Lefèvre in the center of their line of forwards was not very happy, because he did not know how to coordinate the efforts of the excellent Natris and Formenoij.

The referee, Mr. Mohamed Yousouf, holds the whistle to everyone's satisfaction.

URUGUAY FOREVER

The title was at stake. Also, as in all finals, the players got angry from the start. It took all the authority of Mr. Slawick's whistle and hand to set things straight. The result indicates exactly the physiognomy of the game: it is most regular.

The Swiss had triumphed over Sweden thanks to their speed; yesterday they had to deal with faster than them, to such an extent that they seemed to feel on the ground.

The game of the South Americans is a real feast for the eyes. Their main quality is a complete mastery of ball control, and that's why they pass in all positions. They also have a real sense of the game of football. They move forward or backward to where the ball is going to fall without having to look at it.

Their defense seems impenetrable, but the rare times when Nasazzi and Arispe were pressed, they always had the three halfbacks who had withdrawn by their side.

The desire to play a good game does not prevent their forwards from showing great efficiency in front of goal. Choosing between Cea, Scarone and Romano is very difficult. But the latter is perhaps the best, as he did some fine things while heavily marked by Ramseyer.

Andrade was naturally the best half-back; he tarnished the star of Abegglen. He is a complete player, both in attack and in defense. He was shot in the head by Dietrich, but immediately resumed his place. But why does he have such exuberant gestures? The game of centre-half Vidal is otherwise more sober. Mazali, in goal, rarely had work to do; he nevertheless acquitted himself very well of the little he had to do.

The vanquished did their best in front of the devils opposed to them. Their full-backs and half-backs showed superb qualities of courage and tenacity. Forward, it was less good. Abegglen was overwhelmed. Dietrich was never dangerous; as for Pache, he was non-existent. With Sturzenegger, the Swiss could have saved the honor.