Author: Antonio Guarini

A last-minute call by coach Azeglio Vicini, Salvatore Schillaci became the King of the World Cup 1990, scoring 6 goals and leading Italy to the 3rd place

World Cup One-Hit Wonders: Schillaci, Crownless King of Italia 90

Argentina, Germany, Italy, Meanwhile In Moscow, Serie A, The Azzurri, The Grass Is Greener, World Cup, World Cup 2022
As World Cup 1990 approached, Italy's coach Azeglio Vicini could lineup strikers such as Gianluca Vialli and Roberto Baggio. Still, he decided to add to his squad a little known Sicilian forward from Juventus. His name was Salvatore Schillaci, and he became the underdog King of the Notti Magiche ("Magic Nights") of Italia '90, scoring 6 goals and leading the Azzurri to the 3rd place.
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Defender Fabio Grosso is the man who in 2006 led Italy to their 4th world title, despite not being part of coach Marcello Lippi's initial lineup

World Cup One-Hit Wonders: Grosso, the Man of the Last Minute

France, Germany, Italy, Meanwhile In Moscow, Serie A, The Azzurri, The Grass Is Greener, World Cup, World Cup 2022
“You will take the last penalty, because you have always been decisive so far.” This is what coach Marcello Lippi told Fabio Grosso before the penalty shootouts that determined the outcome of World Cup 2006 Final between Italy and France. Lippi’s choice to bet on a player who was not even part of his original starting lineup proved to be a winning one.
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Sergio Goycochea was not even supposed to play in World Cup 1990 but he ended up leading the Argentina all the way to the Final, shattering Italy's dreams

World Cup One-Hit Wonders: Goycochea, the “Notti Magiche” Killer

Argentina, Brazil, Germany, Italy, Meanwhile In Moscow, Serie A, The Azzurri, The Grass Is Greener, World Cup, World Cup 2022
Sergio Goycochea was not even supposed to play in World Cup 1990, as the starting goalkeeper of Argentina was undoubtedly Nery Pumpido. But when Pumpido suffered an injury, the first choice became this unknown goalie who ended up leading the Albiceleste all the way to the Final, shattering Italy's Notti Magiche dreams in the process.
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The sad story of Mario Gotze, a true World Cup "one-hit wonder" and the man who made Germany celebrate their fourth world title

World Cup One-Hit Wonders: Gotze, Hero for One Night Only

Argentina, Germany, Meanwhile In Moscow, Serie A, The Grass Is Greener, World Cup, World Cup 2022
Scoring the decisive goal during a World Cup Final: Could you ask more from a 22-year-old boy? Mario Gotze is the man who in 2014 made Germany celebrate their fourth world title. Everybody would have bet on a shining future for him. Instead, Gotze slowly declined in the following years, up to the point that he has not played for Germany since 2017.
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Scoring five goals in a single match at a World Cup is somethint that has happened only once, courtesy of Russian striker Oleg Salenko

World Cup One-Hit Wonders: Salenko’s Day of Football Insanity

Cameroon, Meanwhile In Moscow, Russia, Serie A, The Grass Is Greener, World Cup, World Cup 2022
Scoring five goals in a single match surely is a heck of an exploit. Doing it in a world championship game makes it even more noteworthy. Indeed, this is something that has happened only once, as of today. The author of that astonishing glut was Oleg Salenko, Russia’s top striker during the 1994 World Cup in the U.S.A. It happened on June 28, in Stanford, California.
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Who doesn’t remember Cuauhtemoc Blanco's cuauhteminha, a feat that consisted in dashing past your opponents with the ball tied between your feet?

World Cup One-Hit Wonders: Blanco, the Mexican Juggler of France 1998

Meanwhile In Moscow, Mexico, Serie A, The Grass Is Greener, World Cup, World Cup 2022
When you manage to give your name to a specific trick, it means you have made it to the history of football. Raise your hands, those of you who don’t remember the cuauhtemina, a feat that consisted in dashing past your opponents with the ball tied between your feet. This is what Mexican attacking midfielder Cuauhtémoc Blanco showed during the 1998 World Cup in France.
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During World Cup 1994, the incumbent World Champions Germany were eliminated by a header by Bulgarian midfielder Yordan Letchkov

World Cup One-Hit Wonders: When Letchkov Made Germany Cry

Bulgaria, Germany, Meanwhile In Moscow, Serie A, The Grass Is Greener, World Cup, World Cup 2022
"Football is a simple game. Twenty-two men chase a ball for 90 minutes and at the end, the Germans always win.” British footballer Gary Lineker, the author of this famous quote, was not always right. Because during World Cup 1994, the incumbent World Champions were eliminated by a header by Bulgarian midfielder Yordan Letchkov.
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Asamoah Gyan will never forget that moment when he hit the crossbar from a penalty kick that could have consigned him to the history of African football

World Cup One-Hit Wonders: The Asamoah Penalty Nightmare

Ghana, Meanwhile In Moscow, Serie A, The Grass Is Greener, Uruguay, World Cup, World Cup 2022
It is said that, just one moment before dying, a person relives their whole life in an instant. In the case of Asamoah Gyan, one of the top images will likely be that moment when he hit the crossbar from a penalty kick that could have consigned him to the history of African football, making his native Ghana the first African team to ever each a World Cup Semi Final.
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Stephen Guivarc'h is the France striker who won the World Cup 1998 title without scoring a single goal in the process. A true !World Cup One-Hit Wonder

World Cup One-Hit Wonders: Guivarc’h, the Goalless World Champ

Meanwhile In Moscow, Serie A, The Grass Is Greener, World Cup, World Cup 2022
Sometimes, you make it to history not because of what you did, but because of what you didn't do. The France squad that won World Cup 1998 featured strikers like Thierry Henry and David Trezeguet. Yet, their starting forward was Stéphane Guivarc'h. This World Cup One-Hit Wonder is a striker who won a world title without scoring a single goal.
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During the 2002 World Cup, the Italian squad coached by Giovanni Trapattoni experienced a painful setback at the hands of South Korea and Ahn Jung-hwan

World Cup One-Hit Wonders: Ahn, the Korean Killer of Italy

Perugia, Serie A, The Azzurri, World Cup, World Cup 2022
Until June 18, 2002, the most infamously known (North) Korean in Italy was football striker Pak Doo-Ik, whose goal at the 1966 World Cup in England propitiated the Azzurri’s shocking elimination. But during the 2002 World Cup, the Italian squad experienced an equally painful setback, this time at the hands of the Southern part of the peninsula.
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Odissea Milan, dalle scatole cinesi alla rinascita americana

AC Milan, Calciomercato, Serie A, Transfer Market
Winning at home, in Europe, and in the world, and collect all sort of star players. That was the credo of Silvio Berlusconi’s Milan since 1986 to 2012. However, the Rossoneri have been through quite a few troubled seasons recently, passing in the hands of a somewhat mysterious Chinese management before being taken over by U.S. investment fund Elliot.
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A Milan Odyssey, from Chinese Boxes to U.S. Renaissance

AC Milan, Calciomercato, Serie A, Transfer Market
Winning at home, in Europe, and in the world, and collect all sort of star players. That was the credo of Silvio Berlusconi’s Milan since 1986 to 2012. However, the Rossoneri have been through quite a few troubled seasons recently, passing in the hands of a somewhat mysterious Chinese management before being taken over by U.S. investment fund Elliott.
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