Fifa World Cup 1974 - West Germany v Holland

The 1974 World Cup final was staged between West Germany and the Netherlands. The finals had been plagued by bad weather and this had spoilt what was a very good World Cup.

Netherlands a football nation on the up played a really excellent technical game led by their star player Johan Cruijff who was the team's ball player.

In the final it was expected that the Netherlands would make the play and the West Germans would counter punch and this is exactly how it started out with the Netherlands attacking right from the kick-off, and Cruijff was taken down in the penalty box and Neeskens converted the spot kick with the Germans were a goal down before they'd even touched the ball.

West Germany themselves opened up and in the 25th minute they won a penalty of their own, which Breitner put away. Beckenbauer, Wolfgang Overath and Berti Vogts began to dominate the midfield, and kept Cruyff under control. Shortly before half-time, Gerd Muller struck to put West Germany ahead.

There were no more goals in the second half and the host nation won the 1974 World Cup for the second time, 20 years after their success in Switzerland, and Franz Beckenbauer became the first team captain to lift the new World Cup trophy.