USSR 1955-60

Team of a heavily criticized regime, the USSR team was for many decades excluded from world and European football. Indeed, many nations did not wish to grant visas to Russian players and/or did not wish to play against the Eastern Bloc team.

In the early 1950s, the USSR football team was finally involved in official international tournaments. And it was during the 1952 Olympic Games that the USSR made its first official appearance in a tournament strictly reserved for amateurs.

Unfortunately for the players, the leaders of the Soviet Union did not want their participation in the 1954 World Cup where the players were professionals. Subsequently, a former player from the USSR championship will take charge of the selection after 3 years without coaching a team: Gravriil Kachalin.

The former midfielder will give a new dimension to the selection by bringing a new playing philosophy. A 2-3-5 game which seems very offensive on the pitch but which is in fact a team which tends to play more defend.

It is in this composition that the USSR will align its greatest players with legendary names such as Streltsov who was considered by Pelé as the best Russian player of his time. Valentin Ivanov, the center forward placed here under Streltsov in a supporting striker role. Anatoli Ilyin, a striker repositioned on the left wing, capable of scoring at any time. And two other legendary names, those of Igor Netto and Lev Yashin.

During 1955, Russia participated in several friendly matches to prepare for the 1956 Olympic Games which would take place in Melbourne, Australia. On June 26, 1955, Russia faced a great Swedish team and won the match with an impressive score of 6 goals to 0 on Swedish soil, a feat which resounded in the Eastern bloc with notably a hat-trick from Streltsov in 43 minutes. Subsequently, the USSR faces the FRG, the West German team, in a close match the USSR scores 3 goals, against 2 for West Germany. The team continues its tour of friendly matches against India where they easily win with a score of 11 goals to 1, two players will score a hat-trick: Streltsov and Salnikov. A week later, their opponent was none other than Hungary in a complicated match ending with a score of 1 goal against one of the best teams of its time, as evidenced by the goal of Puskas, absolute legend of Hungarian football. . In October, it was France's turn to face this surprising team, we witnessed a close match which ended with a score of 2 goals to 2, Streltsov again scored a goal in this match.

The year 1955 therefore ended on a positive and encouraging note for a team which had yet to win anything in terms of trophies. The year 1956 was therefore that of confirmation for this team which faced Denmark in May, an easy victory for the USSR which destroyed its opponent 5 goals to 1 thanks in particular to a double from Salnikov and a goal from Ivanov, Streltsov and Ilyin . The return match on Danish soil goes in the same direction, victory 5 goals to 2, the team seems to be running perfectly on the offensive level thanks to its exceptional players, Ilyin notably having scored a hat-trick.

There is only one step left for the team to qualify for the Olympic Games, winning the double confrontation against Israel. The first match played in Moscow was only a formality, winning 5 goals to 0, Nikita Simonyan took the opportunity to score a double as did Valentin Ivanov. The return match was more tense with a small victory 2 goals to 1 on Israeli soil, Anatoli Ilyin having once again scored a goal.

This XI in which almost all the players are Russian is a great success and the offensive players are devilishly effective against goals.

Once again, the team faced West Germany in a friendly match and won again, with a score of 2 goals to 1. Ivanov and Streltsov being the scorers. The rest is more complicated and Russia has two defeats against Hungary (0-1) and France (2-1), logical defeats when we know the quality of the opponents.

Russia arrives at the Olympic Games as an outsider, behind the United Kingdom and the great Yugoslavia which seems unstoppable. The tournament opens with the round of 16 with a narrow victory against the German B team. Streltsov and Isayev are the scorers. The quarters ended to everyone's surprise with a goalless score and at a time when penalty sessions did not exist, it was necessary to play a support match, the USSR pulled itself together and won largely 4 goals to 0 against the Indonesia thanks to a double from Salnikov, a goal from Netto and one from Ivanov. The semi-final is played against a good team from Bulgaria and the USSR escapes from this trap with difficulty, winning 2 goals to 1 in extra time. Kolev notably opened the scoring for Bulgaria before an equalizer from Streltsov and a goal from Tatushin for the victory.

The final will therefore be USSR-Yugoslavia, before the match, the favorite is undoubtedly Yugoslavia which has already scored 13 goals in the tournament. But to everyone's surprise it was Ilyin and the USSR who opened the scoring just after half-time, no more goals were scored, the USSR had achieved a feat and won the first title in its history: the Olympic Games 1956 in Melbourne in front of more than 102,000 spectators.

Finally on the strength of this success, the leaders of the Soviet Union decided to accept participation in the qualifications for the 1958 World Cup. In parallel with victorious friendly matches (notably a 2 goals to 1 victory to Hungary), the USSR finds itself in a qualifying group made up of Poland and Finland, only the best of the group qualifies.

The USSR and Poland finish tied after all the matches played, a support match will therefore be necessary and will end in favor of the USSR with a score of 2 goals to 0. And again a goal from Streltsov. The USSR will be there for the World Cup, a great success and a first participation in this tournament.

But an affair will shake up the country, in fact Eduard Streltsov, the star of the country, faithful to his club Torpedo Moscow annoys the government leaders who have wanted him to join for several years the state clubs that are CSKA for the Army and Dynamo for the Police. Having a sometimes violent temper but always seeking freedom, he also refuses the advances of Ekaterina Furtseva, a senior Kremlin leader, who wanted Eduard to marry her daughter. Already engaged, he is said to have declared "I would never marry that monkey." Hysterical, the close friend of Soviet leader Khrushchev will make it a personal matter. Which will cost him dearly. He was temporarily excluded from the Soviet selection, then had to criticize himself to return to wear the USSR jersey.

But everything turned into a nightmare when on May 26, 1958 he was accused of raping the daughter of a general in the Red Army. The case is ambiguous, in fact, the young woman never formally recognized Streltsov as her attacker because she was not sure of his identity.

But we are still under the Soviet regime, and the attacker is removed from the registers, only the Torpedo supporters do not believe in the affair and protest. His name becomes censored, he does not have the right to participate in the world championship in Sweden even though he is the one who participates the most in the qualification of his team.

During his trial, the player who was allegedly plotted by the KGB admitted the facts. He receives a 12-year prison sentence. In prison, more precisely in the gulag, he spent time in solitary confinement where he was violently beaten numerous times.

Without its star striker, Russia will still stand up to England in a friendly match, 1 goal everywhere thanks to Valentin Ivanov who equalizes in the 78th minute. Then comes the World Cup where the USSR meets England again, the two teams take the point of a draw, final score 2-2. This time it was Aleksandr Ivanov who scored the 2-0 goal before England faced a comeback via Kevan and Finney.

In the second match, Russia took the advantage over Austria and won the match 2-0, Ilyin and Valentin Ivanov were the scorers. Unfortunately, the USSR loses its 3rd match against the future winner of the tournament: Brazil, 2 goals to 0. The USSR and England have the same number of points, so there is a support match, victory of prestige 1-0 thanks to Ilyin in the 68th minute.

But the level is too high, they lose in the following match against Sweden which will go to the final, 2 goals to 0. They return home, and string together victories between qualification for Euro 1960 and friendly matches before a heavy defeat 5 goals to 0 against England. Gavriil Kachalin leaves his post as coach.

Two coaches succeeded one another, Georgy Glazkov (September 1959) and Mikhail Yakouchine (September 1959-December 1959) before Kachalin returned before the Euro. The team qualified without difficulty against Hungary. That year Yashin was monstrous, impassable, Igor Netto was also very good and solid in midfield while Ivanov joined forces with Ponedelnik, Bubukin, Meskhi and Metreveli in attack. The team is no longer mainly made up of Russian players but has 3 Georgians in its eleven and 1 Ukrainian: Voynov, a complete and solid midfielder.

For this Euro, the team is now playing in 3-2-5 or 3-2-2-3 depending on the vision we have. Because the wingers come down slightly to defend, while Ponedelnik and Bubukin constantly drop out in midfield. Netto and Voynov provide that balance between defense and attack.

This is the first Euro in history and a Euro with 4 participants, starting directly in the semi-final, it pits the USSR against Czechoslovakia in a final match which ends 3-0 in favor of the Moscow team. Valentin Ivanov scores a double.

During the final, the USSR found its rival from the 1956 Olympic Games, Yugoslavia. The match is largely dominated by Yugoslavia which is constantly in the Soviet part of the field. The USSR players cleared the ball as best they could, but collapsed in the 41st minute when faced with a goal from Milan Galic. But with a strong character and a flash of genius, the USSR equalized via Metreveli in the 49th minute. The score is 1-1 before extra time, the hero of the evening will be Streltsov's spiritual replacement, Poneldenik who scores the winning goal in the 113th minute.

The USSR wins its second title in 4 years. A defensively solid team which was able to be decisive in good moments despite opponents sometimes stronger than them and carried by Lev Yashin who finished 5th in the 1960 Ballon d'Or, 4th in 1961 before winning it in 1963.

Subsequently, the USSR will oscillate between moments of genius and disillusionment, but these players will forever embody the golden age of football in the Soviet Union.