Anybody who looks at this headline will think that I’m mad. How can there be no winner? Well, there was in fact a winner. Brutality.

With the tournament already tainted heavily by Argentina’s eyebrow-raising 6-0 defeat of Peru, Holland took on the ‘land of contrast’ with reason to feel confident. After all, seven of their side played in the four-goal annihilation of their opponents earlier. Despite being without Cruyff, Holland arguably had their best side yet. The Argentines fanatical support urged their team on, and would go on to make the final twice as hard for Holland, as they battled to overcome physical and psychological matters.

As expected, the games style was shocking. Forget Holland’s ‘total football’. Forget Argentina’s slick passing. Within five minutes a melee endued as Poortvliet, Ardiles, Bertoni, and Gallego – household names- all clattered into opposition players with forceful intent, the referee unable to exert any authority. However, this was down to the different understanding of rules between the Northern and Southern hemispheres. The Dutch inexplicably saw a two-footed tackle as fine as long as the ball was near, whereas the Argentinian’s saw it as criminal. Add this to the feelings about elbowing, diving, and many other disgraceful tactics.

When the game finally calmed, it was mildly enjoyable. The Dutch took the initiative, with Wim Jansen setting up Rep on two gilt-edged occasions, but Fillol saved splendidly. But it was the Argentines who unexpectedly took the lead just before the interval. After Bertoni and Passarella both fluffed opportunities, Luque fed Kempes from a disputed throw-in, slotted past Jongbloed.

Then, once again, the football went unnoticed. In a move described as an ‘attempted mugging’, Ardiles became the first to be yellow-carded. It seemed as though the referee wanted to even the game slightly, but this extinguished when a blatant handball by Galvan went without punishment. 

The second half was completely different. The game became open, the Dutch pressing for an equaliser. Haan’s shot was deflected wide, before he in-turn made an excellent clearance with everyone else arguing with the referee. Argentina became much more tentative, as time after time they narrowly avoided conceding. The fans’ started celebrating early, amidst a sea of flares and flags, but they were abruptly silenced with just one minute left. Kerkhof found space and put in a majestic ball, which saw Nanninga nod home  from close range. With some almost expecting the referee to see a ‘foul’, Holland appeared cautious. But it never came. Holland had equalised.

Extra time followed, and the Dutch started to wilt. But after, yet again, two of their players took a battering off-the-ball, Kempes managed to poke past Jongbloed and watch the ball trickle home in delight. With the game at full stretch, Kempes ran riot again. After a neat move between himself and Bertoni, where everyone bar the referee saw Bertoni use his hand, the latter smashed the ball home and ended the game. A deflated Dutch side remonstrated with the referee, but as expected it was to no avail.

Argentina were a good team, but just how good we’ll never know, and that’s their own fault. Their unadmirable resolve to win at any cost will always mean that, having succeeded, their triumph will be put into one context. Cheats. It’s just the price they will pay.