Miracle on the Pitch (Napoleon's World)

The Miracle on the Pitch is the name often associated with the 1980 World Cup final on June 9th, 1980 at Thames Park in London, England. The game pitted the underdog English national team, which was the home team of the host country, against the defending World Cup champion France, which was the visiting squad for the game. The French national team was comprised mostly of the same veteran players who had dominated the 1976 World Cup in Alaska and was regarded as one of the best sides ever assembled in the history of soccer - the English roster was comprised mostly of professionals who had never played with one another before and a handful of amateurs in reserve.