Soviet Union

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Lore & Background

The Soviet Union's first international match as the actual national team took place in 1923, a 3–0 win over Turkey. The 1952 Olympics was their first competitive tournament; after a dramatic 5–5 draw with Yugoslavia—where both Tito and Stalin sent telegrams to their teams—the Soviets lost the replay 3–1. That defeat hit hard: CSKA Moscow, which made up most of the squad, was forced to withdraw from the league and later disbanded, and coach Boris Arkadiev was stripped of his Merited Master of Sports title. The 1960 European Championship marked the pinnacle: after Spain refused to travel to the Soviet Union due to Cold War tensions, the Soviets beat Czechoslovakia 3–0 in the semifinal and faced Yugoslavia in the final. Yugoslavia scored first, but legendary goalkeeper Lev Yashin helped equalize in the 49th minute; Viktor Ponedelnik scored with seven minutes left in extra time to give the Soviets the inaugural European Championship. The 1966 World Cup saw their best finish—fourth place—after defeating Hungary in the quarter-finals thanks to Yashin's performance, then losing to West Germany in the semifinals and Portugal in the third-place match. The 1972 European Championships saw the Soviets reach the final again, losing to West Germany thanks to Gerd Müller's effective football. The rest of the 1970s were bleak: the Soviets were disqualified from the 1974 World Cup after refusing to play Chile following the 1973 Chilean coup d'état, and failed to qualify for the 1978 World Cup or the 1976 and 1980 European Championships.

In Their Own Story

The 1960 European Championship final in Paris: Yugoslavia scored first, but the Soviet Union, led by Lev Yashin, equalized in the 49th minute. After 90 minutes the score was 1–1, and Viktor Ponedelnik scored with seven minutes left in extra time to give the Soviets the inaugural European Championship. Four years later, in 1964, the Soviet Union attempted to defend their title, defeating Italy in the last 16 (2–0, 1–1) and Sweden on aggregate (1–1, 3–1). In the semifinals, they beat Denmark 3–0 in Barcelona, but their dreams were dashed in the final when host Spain scored a late goal, winning 2–1. At the 1966 World Cup, the Soviet Union reached their best result by finishing fourth. They topped Group 4 with North Korea, Italy, and Chile, then defeated Hungary in the quarter-finals thanks to Yashin's performance. But they lost to West Germany in the semifinals 2–1 and Portugal in the third-place match. The 1966 squad was the second-best scoring Soviet team in World Cup history, with 10 goals. At Euro 1968, the semifinal between the Soviet Union and Italy ended 0–0; a coin toss sent Italy to the final, and the Soviets lost the third-place match to England on 8 June 1968. The 1970 World Cup saw the Soviet team become the first to make a substitution in World Cup history, but they lost to Uruguay in extra time in the quarter-finals—the last time the Soviet Union reached that stage.

Reader's Guide

The Soviet Union's competitive peak came in the 1960s and early 1970s. They won the inaugural European Championship in 1960, finished second in 1964, 1972, and 1988, and fourth in 1968. Their best World Cup finish was fourth in 1966. The team also earned Olympic gold medals in 1956 and 1988, despite FIFA's 1958 prohibition on fielding national team players in the Olympics—the Soviets effectively bent the rules by listing their best players in the military. Key figures include legendary goalkeeper Lev Yashin, who was in poor form during the 1962 World Cup, a factor considered one of the main reasons the team did not gain more success in that tournament. Coach Gavriil Kachalin led the team through the 1958, 1962, and 1966 World Cups and the 1960 and 1964 European Championships. The Soviet Union failed to qualify for the World Cup only twice: in 1974 (disqualified after refusing to play Chile following the 1973 coup) and 1978. They also failed to qualify for the 1976 and 1980 European Championships. After a decade away, they returned to major tournaments at the 1982 World Cup, where they were eliminated in the second round after beating Belgium 1–0 and drawing 0–0 with Poland. At the 1986 World Cup, the Soviets enjoyed a successful group stage, scoring nine goals and finishing first in Group C with Hungary, France, and Canada.

Did You Know?

• The Soviet Union became the first team to make a substitution in World Cup history during the 1970 tournament, in the match between Mexico and the Soviet Union.
• At Euro 1968, the semifinal between the Soviet Union and Italy ended 0–0 and was decided by a coin toss—Italy won and went on to become European champions.
• The Soviet Union was disqualified from the 1974 World Cup after refusing to play Chile in the aftermath of the 1973 Chilean coup d'état.
• Despite FIFA's 1958 prohibition on fielding national team players in the Olympics, the Soviets effectively bent the rules by listing their best players in the military, winning gold in 1956 and 1988.
• After the Soviet Union's 5–5 draw with Yugoslavia in the 1952 Olympics, CSKA Moscow—which made up most of the Soviet squad—was forced to withdraw from the league and later disbanded, and coach Boris Arkadiev was stripped of his Merited Master of Sports title.