Hungary recorded their biggest win over Sweden 65 years ago today

2020. május. 11., 17:16 |

May 11th hasn't always been the happiest time for the Hungarian men's national team, a couple of heavy pre-war defeats to Italy and Euro quarter-final heartache at the hands of Soviet Union in 1968 falling on this date, but it does provide one source of pride, Hungary's biggest ever victory over their longtime rivals from Scandinavia, whom they first faced in 1912.

Photo: Pressens Bild AB

This fixture, the 20th between the two nations, was the second of four matches to take place on a twelve-day tour of Scandinavia, Gusztáv Sebes' side already having disposed of Norway 5-0 three days earlier. Here, the injured Péter Palotás dropped out with Lajos Csordás taking his place in the forward line and that change only added to Hungary's attacking verve, Sándor Kocsis displaying fabulous technique to turn on Ferenc Szojka's forward pass in the 16th minute and dispatch the ball into the bottom-left corner of Sweden goalkeeper Karl-Oskar Svensson's goal.

Csordás then earned a penalty which Puskás coolly converted to double the visitors' early lead in the Råsunda Fotbollstadion in Stockholm, before Kurt Hamrin - he of great later fame in the colours of Juventus, Fiorentina, AC Milan and Napoli - tested Hungary goalkeeper Géza Oláh with a fine effort which had been heading for the top-right corner of the net. Szojka then put his side three up after 25 minutes and Kocsis added a fourth before the first half-hour was out.

Sweden finally managed to gain a foothold in the game through Gösta Lüdgren's goal six minutes before half-time and there was more joy for the hosts in the final minute of the half, Gyula Lóránt conceding a penalty which Sven Ove Svensson scored to make the score 4-2 at the break.

The second period started perfectly for Hungary when Nándor Hidegkuti finished off a flowing team move in the 47th minute to re-establish his team's three-goal advantage, only for Isgren to latch on to Hamrin's pass and make it 5-3 in the 69th minute. Hungary dominated from thereon in though, Puskás and Kocsis adding further goals as their team turned in arguably one of their best ever performances.

Afterwards, Sebes commented thus: "Our national team played very well and at times our forward line was unplayable" and one of his assistants, 1938 FIFA World Cup finalist Pál Titkos adding: "At times, the Hungarian team was so much in the ascendancy - it was my joy to watch again how simply and how well the boys play".

Sweden 3-7 Hungary
Goalscorers: SWE: Löfgren, S. O. Svensson (pen), Isgren; HUN: Kocsis (3), Puskás (2), Szojka, Hidegkuti.

Sweden: K. Svensson — Samuelsson, Gustavsson, Berqmark — S. O. Svensson, Pariing — Hamrin, Löfgren, Isgren, Jönsson, Sandberg.
Hungary: Oláh — Buzánszky, Lóránt, Lantos — Bozsik, Szojka — Sándor, Csordás, Kocsis, Puskás, Hidegkúti.