Over the years, many players have provided a spark off the bench
Manager Louis van Gaal’s jaw-dropping substitution of goalkeeper Tim Krul for Jasper Cillessen in the quarter-final penalty shootout victory over Costa Rica was hailed as a masterstroke.
With Fifa mulling the introduction of a fourth substitute for extra-time scenarios and Belgium’s first three goals in the World Cup all coming off the bench, the role of the super sub is under the spotlight. Here are five famous substitutions:
Rummenigge rallies Germans
In 1982, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge stood out on a West German team lacking in finesse and whose brutal approach had won few friends.
Rummenigge started the semi-final with France on the bench because he was carrying an injury and was not on the pitch when Harald Schumacher’s shoulder charge seriously injured Patrick Battiston, who was stretchered off.
However, once France went ahead 2-1 in extra-time, coach Jupp Derwall had no option but to call on his one star player, and he answered his call. Rummenigge steeled the German comeback from a 3-1 deficit by scoring one of the goals.
He also scored in the penalty shootout, where the Germans prevailed, only to lose to Italy in the final.
Zico’s confidence costs Brazil
One of the standouts of the 1982 team that, to many, remains one of the best never to win the World Cup, Zico, 33, was hampered by a knee injury in 1986 and left on the bench for the quarter-final with France.
However, with the game tied 1-1 and 20 minutes remaining, Brazil coach Tele Santana called on his old warrior to earn a goal that would prevent extra-time, fearful of the effects on his ageing team in the Mexican heat.
Within seconds, Brazil were awarded a penalty, and with his magisterial air, Zico stepped forward to take it although barely warmed up.
No one dared contradict him, though perhaps they should have. His effort lacked power and was easily saved by Joel Bats. Although he converted his penalty in the shootout after the match finished 1-1, France went through.
Robson shows steely side
The late Bobby Robson earned a reputation as a decent guy, but in the 1990 World Cup quarter-final between England and Cameroon, he showed he could also be ruthless.
England were trailing 2-1 with 16 minutes remaining against the one team that had lit up an ordinary tournament, and Robson decided action had to be taken. The manager opted to remove Terry Butcher, the stalwart of the England defence and the team captain, and send on attacking midfielder Trevor Steven.
It turned the game as England upped the pressure and levelled seven minutes from time through Gary Lineker, before he grabbed the winner in extra-time from the penalty spot.
O’Leary is the history maker
Jack Charlton and centre-back David O’Leary fell out almost from the start of the no-nonsense Englishman’s reign in charge of the Republic of Ireland, and did not talk for three years after he dropped the previous mainstay of the Irish defence in 1986.
However, Charlton selected the Arsenal stalwart in the 1990 finals team, the first time they had ever qualified for the event. Rarely used, Charlton sent him on in the fourth minute of extra-time against the talented Romanians in their last-16 match, specifically because he knew he was an excellent penalty taker.
It went down to penalties, and after Daniel Timofte’s penalty was saved by Packie Bonner, it fell to O’Leary to take the decisive spot-kick. He held his nerve and slotted it home.
“There was an explosion of green ... the biggest mistake was standing still, I nearly got killed by all my teammates,” O’Leary said.
Sacchi’s sacrilege pays off
Italy coach Arrigo Sacchi came into the second group game of the 1994 finals against Norway under severe pressure. He needed a win after the Irish had beaten his side 1-0 in their opener. However, goalkeeper Gianluca Pagliuca got red-carded just after the 20-minute mark.
Sacchi had to think quickly about who to sacrifice from the outfield players so he could send on the replacement, and to general astonishment, he opted to remove Italy’s one true world-class player, Roberto Baggio.
“Nothing like this had ever happened to me,” the pony-tailed Baggio said.
Sacchi’s extraordinary gamble paid off when they beat the Norwegians and went all the way to the final, only to lose on penalties to Brazil.
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