Global Information1929 Spain v England football match information
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| Event | International friendly | ||||||
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| Date | 15 May 1929 | ||||||
| Venue | Estadio Metropolitano, Madrid | ||||||
| Referee | John Langenus (Belgium) | ||||||
| Attendance | 45,000 | ||||||
On 15 May 1929 at the Estadio Metropolitano in Madrid, the home stadium of Atlético Madrid, England's national team were defeated 4–3 by Spain in a friendly international football match. As a result, Spain became the first team from Continental Europe to defeat England, and doing so in the first meeting between the two countries. Such was the prestige of the match for the Spanish, it was the first ever to be publicly broadcast via radio. The match was refereed by Belgian official John Langenus, believed to be the top referee in the world at the time.
The Home Nations had popularised the sport, and England were widely viewed as the greatest team in the world in the early 20th century. Their first matches against continental European sides resulted in high-scoring victories, but after World War I the gap in quality eventually narrowed, due in part to England's insularity and failure to evolve, as well as the increase in skill and innovation throughout Europe. Though England were favourites and in good form going into the match, the standard of Spanish football was greatly improving due to the influence of expat English coaches such as Atlético manager Fred Pentland, who at the time was assisting the Spain national team, as well as the recent professionalising of the sport, which included the creation of La Liga.
Despite being played in searing heat which favoured the hosts, England went 2–0 up inside the opening 20 minutes through goals by Joe Carter and Joe Bradford following mistakes by goalkeeper Ricardo Zamora, a mainstay for Spain since their first international in 1920, and who injured his sternum early on. Spain came back into the match and levelled the score, goals from Gaspar Rubio and Jaime Lazcano making it 2–2 shortly before the half-time interval. England retook the lead in the second half thanks to a Carter penalty kick, only for Spain to again draw level and then take the lead themselves; Rubio scored the equaliser with 10 minutes remaining, and then Severiano Goiburu, an amateur footballer, scored the match winning goal. Both goals resulted in a pitch invasion from ecstatic Spanish fans which caused slight delays to the match, and no further goals ensured Spain had made history.
The British press gave little coverage to the result, while those in the Spanish media were enthusiastic about Spain's performance and doubtful as to the quality of the English players. The match marked the final time a non-league football player represented England, Edgar Kail of Dulwich Hamlet never being selected to play for his country again, along with six other players. Neither team attended the following years' inaugural FIFA World Cup, but the two sides eventually competed in a rematch at the request of England; the fixture, played at Highbury in December 1931, was won 7–1 by the home side.