Ask an Italian about the 1982 World Cup Final and the first thing they describe is not the goal. It is what Marco Tardelli did afterwards.
The goal came in the 69th minute. Tardelli drove a powerful right-foot shot from the edge of the penalty area past Harald Schumacher to put Italy 2-0 up against West Germany. Then he set off towards the bench, tears running down his face, fists clenched, screaming at the top of his voice. Italians call it "L'urlo di Tardelli", Tardelli's Scream, and the footage still gets played every time a World Cup comes round.
Why the celebration outlived the strike
The shot was a very good one. The celebration was something else: years of effort pouring out of one man in a single run towards the bench. It is widely regarded as the most famous goal celebration in World Cup history, and every player who has lost his head after a big goal since 1982 has been measured against it.
The context helped. Italy had been poor in the group stage that summer and scraped through. By the final they had turned the tournament around, and Tardelli's goal was the moment the comeback became certain. They finished the job 3-1.
- Scorer: Marco Tardelli, Italy
- Opponent: West Germany, 1982 World Cup Final
- Minute: 69th, making it 2-0
- Final score: Italy 3-1 West Germany
The goal was excellent. The scream is the part people remember, and Tardelli has never been allowed to forget it either.
Tomorrow, number 13.
