Heat battle of Lausanne

The quarter-final match between Austria and Switzerland (7: 5) at the 1954 World Cup is known as the heat battle of Lausanne . With twelve goals it is the most scoring game in a World Cup final and occupies a special position in the football history of both countries.

Starting position

Austria had already qualified for the quarter-finals with victories over Scotland (1-0) and Czechoslovakia (5-0). Switzerland first had to win their play-off against Italy (4-1), with which they were tied for second place after the group stage. The game took place on June 26, 1954 in the Stade Olympique de la Pontaise in Lausanne in front of 32,000 spectators at around 40 ° C in the shade. Austria was considered the favorite.

The game

Course of the heat battle

The Austrian goalkeeper Kurt Schmied suffered a sunstroke in the first half , but according to the rules in force at the time, he was not allowed to be replaced. He stumbled between the goalposts in a trance-like state. Switzerland scored three goals within eight minutes and led 3-0 in the 23rd minute. The Austrian masseur Josef Ulrich stood behind the Austrian gate and began to conduct the almost disoriented Kurt Schmied. In addition, he tried to cool the goalie with sponges and water during the game.

The Austrian team equalized within four minutes. Another six minutes later it was 5: 3 for Austria. The Swiss Robert Ballaman scored the connecting goal shortly before the break. In the second half, the Austrians played dominantly, despite the practically no goalkeeper, and increased to 6: 4. But the Swiss scored again, and Robert Körner missed a penalty for Austria at this point. In the closing stages, the Swiss Roger Bocquet collapsed; he was later found to have a brain tumor. Probst scored the twelfth goal in this game with his 7: 5 in the 76th minute and thus set a record that has not been broken to this day.

Constellations

Austria Austria : Schmied - Hanappi , Barschandt , Ocffekt (c) - Happel , Koller - R.Körner , Wagner , Stojaspal , Probst , A. Körner
Trainer: Walter Nausch
Switzerland Switzerland : Parlier - Neury , Kernen , Eggimann - Bocquet (c), Casali - Antenen , Vonlanthen , Hügi , Ballaman , Fatton
Trainer: Karl Rappan

Goal sequence

First half: 0: 1 Ballaman (16th), 0: 2 Hügi (17th), 0: 3 Hügi (23rd), 1: 3 Wagner (25th), 2: 3 Körner (27th), 3: 3 Wagner (28th), 4: 3 Oczut (32nd), 5: 3 grains (34th), 5: 4 Ballaman (41st)
Second half: 6: 4 Wagner (52nd), 6: 5 Hügi (58th), 7: 5 Probst (76th)

meaning

For the Austrian national soccer team, the heat battle is one of the greatest successes in their history. They later reached 3rd place at the World Cup, but because of this game they went too exhausted and as a supposed favorite in the semi-final game against BR Germany . The game also became known through the radio broadcast by Heribert Meisel . Kurt Schmied , who couldn't remember anything after the game, was celebrated by many.

For Switzerland, reaching the quarter-finals is one of the last great successes in the history of the national team. At the same time, this is considered to be one of the bitterest defeats, as they gave away a 3-0 lead in front of their home crowd.

literature

Kurt Palm : The heat battle of Lausanne. Austria - Switzerland 1954. Residence, St. Pölten-Salzburg 2008 ISBN 978-3-7017-1496-4

Christian Koller : The dramatic duel of the unequal Alpine republics: Switzerland - Austria 5: 7 (26.6.1954) , in: ders. (Hg.): Great moments of Swiss football (= history of football, vol. 2). Münster-Wien: Lit-Verlag 2008. pp. 77-88.

Web links

FIFA Match Report

References and footnotes

↑ Sometimes different times are given for the gates, which in some cases only differ by a minute. In the FIFA match report ( memento from June 20, 2008 in the Internet Archive ), the 0: 3 is the 19th minute, the 2: 3 is the 26th, the 3: 3 is the 27th, the 5: 4 is the 39th minute ., the 6: 4 called the 53rd and the 6: 5 the 60th minute. In its statistics ( Memento from July 25, 2003 in the Internet Archive ), the ÖFB names the 20th for the 0: 3, the 23rd for the 1: 3, the 24th for the 2: 3, the 26th for the 3 : 3, the 30th for the 4: 3, the 32nd for the 5: 3, the 60th for the 6: 5 and the 77th for the 7: 5. In the Süddeutsche Zeitung (World Cup library) and on Fussballdaten.de the FIFA minutes are mentioned except for 6: 5 (58th minute). In Weltfussball.de which partially deviates considerably Goal Minutes are called the 5: 3 fell because only in the second half, the 7: 5 six minutes from the end.

[1] Sometimes different times are given for the gates, which in some cases only differ by a minute. In the FIFA match report ( memento from June 20, 2008 in the Internet Archive ), the 0: 3 is the 19th minute, the 2: 3 is the 26th, the 3: 3 is the 27th, the 5: 4 is the 39th minute ., the 6: 4 called the 53rd and the 6: 5 the 60th minute. In its statistics ( Memento from July 25, 2003 in the Internet Archive ), the ÖFB names the 20th for the 0: 3, the 23rd for the 1: 3, the 24th for the 2: 3, the 26th for the 3 : 3, the 30th for the 4: 3, the 32nd for the 5: 3, the 60th for the 6: 5 and the 77th for the 7: 5. In the Süddeutsche Zeitung (World Cup library) and on Fussballdaten.de the FIFA minutes are mentioned except for 6: 5 (58th minute). In Weltfussball.de which partially deviates considerably Goal Minutes are called the 5: 3 fell because only in the second half, the 7: 5 six minutes from the end.