It’s funny how fast football moves, especially in a World Cup year. I started writing this on the eve of the Quarter Finals, and now here we are on the eve of the Semi Finals.
A strange thing happened to me in the last eight – namely that my excitement and pleasure in watching Emi Martinez save the first two Dutch penalties as his Argentina side progressed outweighed anything I had seen in the preceding matches, England included. As England crashed out to France the following night, I felt very little. From a Villa point of view, it’s as you were – a sole representative in Emi, as the teams remaining were halved over Friday and Saturday.
No surprises? It is fair to say that at the beginning of the tournament Villa fans would have surmised Martinez had the best chance amongst Villa representatives to ‘go deep’ and even possibly win the thing. Matty Cash’s Poland probably outdid themselves by reaching the knockouts before succumbing to the speed and guile of Mbappe and co. Conversely, Leandro Dendoncker’s Belgium outdid themselves less positively as their ageing golden generation crashed out of their group.
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So, whilst we wait to see how far Emi and Argentina can go it’s worth asking whether a player ‘registered’ to Aston Villa has actually won the World Cup? The answer is a negative but three players who at the time counted Villa as their club have progressed to the World Cup Semi Finals before. None of them managed to reach that final stage.
First up in 1990 was of course England’s David Platt. Italia 90 was a breakthrough moment for the Villa midfielder, certainly bringing on his transfer to Italian side Bari in the Summer of 1991. It’s easy to forget how uninvolved Platt was initially in Italy – coming off the bench for England’s first two group games before being left there in their last against Egypt. He was a substitute again in the first knockout game against Belgium, coming on to score a stupendous 120th minute winner. A career defining and generational milestone. He scored again in the Quarter Finals – having started the game in place of the injured Bryan Robson – as England scraped past Cameroon.
Platt started and finished the Semi Final against West Germany and scored in the ill-fated penalty shoot-out. It was a raw night of emotion and one that continues to define how England perceive themselves as a footballing nation. Platt became one of England’s most consistent performers in the years following Italia 90 and was a starter at Euro 92. He never played in another World Cup – partly victim of England’s failure to qualify for USA 94 – which is a salient reminder that players should make the most of these opportunities as they may never come around again.
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Twelve years after Italia 90 Alpay Ozalan was in the Turkish squad for the 2002 World Cup. To much general surprise the Turks reached the Semi Final where they lost to a single Brazilian goal – a sideshow in the Ronaldo recovery narrative. Alpay was heavily involved for Turkey and impressed throughout in the Far East and was named in the overall team of the tournament – a success that probably led to his downfall with Villa. Graham Taylor refused to sell the centre back following the World Cup and essentially Alpay was frozen out before a brief return in 2003-4. After a much-publicised fracas with David Beckham in a Euro 2004 Qualifier Doug Ellis terminated his contract. Quite a fall from grace and Alpay never reached the heights of that World Cup summer again. And, like Platt, he never featured at a World Cup again.
Another dozen of years on and it was Dutchman Ron Vlaar’s turn as a Villa centre back representing his country at a World Cup. ‘Concrete Ron’ had a highly successful tournament as the Netherlands advanced to the Semi Finals conceding just four goals, with Vlaar a key part of a dogged Dutch side. They faced Argentina in the Semi Finals, contriving a dull nil-nil draw before an inevitable penalty shoot-out. Vlaar stepped up to take the first Oranje kick only to miss, and Argentina never ceded the advantage. As with Platt and Alpay, Vlaar only lasted another year at Villa Park and never played in another World Cup.
So, Villa have never had a current player reach the halcyon final game of a World Cup. All three that have reached a semi-final lost, never played in another World Cup and lasted only 12 months or so as a Villa player. Technically, both Alpay and Vlaar got a bronze medal after winning the third place play off, thus ranking slightly ahead of Platt who lost to Italy in 1990 to finish fourth.
Can Emi break that duck?
AUTHOR | IVAN MCDOUALL
Author’s UTV PODCAST archive Ivan McDouall | UTV Podcast | An Aston Villa Blog
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