Soviet Union 1970
The Soviet Union at Mexico 1970 were one of the strongest sides in the tournament, led by the legendary goalkeeper Lev Yashin's spiritual successor Anzor Kavazashvili and the prolific Anatoly Byshovets. The Soviets had been European Championship runners-up in 1968, Olympic gold medallists in the same year, and arrived in Mexico with genuine ambitions. They topped a tough group that included hosts Mexico, Belgium, and El Salvador, conceding just one goal. But the quarter-final against Uruguay proved their undoing a 1-0 defeat in extra time, with Víctor Espárrago scoring the decisive goal. It was a bitterly disappointing exit for a Soviet side that many considered among the best four teams in the tournament. The 1970 World Cup marked the beginning of the end of the Soviet Union's golden generation a side that had dominated European football for over a decade.
