CHAMPION: West Germany
RUNNER-UP: The Netherlands
GOLDEN SHOE: Grzegorz Lato (POL)
TEAMS: 16
TOTAL MATCHES: 38
GOALS SCORED: 97 (2.6 per match)
AVERAGE ATTENDANCE: 46,530
SUPRISES: East Germany stunned rival West Germany in the group stage 1-0, but the West Germans went on to win the tounament.
FORMAT: Four teams in four groups in the preliminary stage, followed by a single elimination knockout round.
1974 -West Germany hosted its first World Cup in 1974 and was immediately under the gun after losing the final match of the group stage to neighbors East Germany in a historic clash. Instead of advancing to the newly-formatted second stage as group winners, they went in as runners-up, but a fire was sparked.
Once again led by Franz Beckenbauer and Gerd Mueller though, the West Germans stormed through the second group stage and upset Johan Cruyff and the heavily favored Dutch in the final in Munich. The Netherlands, who brought their style of "Total Football" to showcase to the world, took an early lead in the final before the Germans had ever touched the ball when Cruyff earned the first-ever final penalty kick within the opening minute.
Johan Neeskens converted it for a goal, but the Germans fought back and eventually claimed their second World Cup title with a 2-1 victory, albeit holding aloft a new trophy as the Jules Rimet version was replaced for the new gold statuette still in use today.
It was a memorable tournament for Poland as well as the Poles claimed third place and the tournament's top scorer in Grzegorz Lato. They defeated a Brazil squad that was a mere shadow of the 1970 winning team in the runners-up final, but also posted impressive group stage wins over Argentina and Italy.
