GOOD TACTICAL MOVE: Substitutes midfielder Jindrich Svoboda scored to give Czechoslovakia a 1-0 triumph over East Germany to win 1980 Gold medal in Moscow.
DOUBLE EXPOSURE: Not only that Great Britain became the first country to win consecutive gold medals in the 1908 and 1912 Olympics, they were involved in the only consecutive tournaments in which top three teams were repeated. Denmark was second, the Netherlands third in both competitions.
ABANDONED MATCH: The only final unable to be completed was the 1920 gold medal match at Antwerp. Czechoslovakia which outscored its opponents 15-1 en-route to the championship game walked off the field to protest a dispute goal and the ejection of Karel Steiner for a back foul in the opening half. Belgium, which led 2-0, was declared champion. But who would take home the silver? A play off was required, but France refused to play because a good portion of its squad already had returned home. So Italy, Norway, Spain and Sweden played off for the right to meet the Netherlands for second place. Spain earned the berth, defeating the Dutch 3-1.
NO HATS OFF, YET: A hat-trick has never been scored in an Olympic final, although six players have managed to score two goals in a gold medal match, and that includes England’s Gordon Hoare (1912) and Denmark’s Anton Olsen, the only multiple goal scorer on a losing side in the championship game, Annibale Frossi (1936), Sweden’s Giennar Gren (1948). Hungary’s Antal Dunai and Ivan Mencrel (1968) and Poland’s Kaz Deyna (1972).
RAIN RAIN, GO AWAY: In the wrong type of a hat-trick, the gold medal matches of the 1972 (Munich), 1976 (Montreal) and 1980 (Moscow) Olympics were played in the rain. Four stadiums have hosted Olympic and World Cup final matches and they include:
Wembley stadium, London, England (1948 Olympics and 1966 World Cup).
Olympics stadium, Munich, Germany (1972 Olympics and 1974 World Cup).
Azteca stadium, Mexico City, Mexico (1968 Olympics, 1970 and 1986 World Cup).
Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California (1984 Olympics and 1994 World Cup).
As researched, edited and formatted by 'Ucheonye Nzubechi.
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