German hero

Helmut Rahn, 1954 World Cup winner, dies at 73

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) -- Helmut Rahn, the German soccer legend who scored the winning goal to give Germany the 1954 World Cup title, died Thursday. He was 73.

Rahn's goal gave Germany an unexpected 3-2 victory over Hungary in the final at Bern, Switzerland. The title was a boost to the nation's morale, nine years after the end of World War II, and became popularly known as the "Miracle of Bern."

Helmut Rahn Factbox Born: Aug. 16, 1929 in Essen, Germany World Cup winner in 1954 40 caps for West Germany (21 goals) West German champion in 1955 West German Cup winner in 1953 (both with Rot-Weiss Essen) Career at club level: 1951-59 - Rot-Weiss Essen 1959-60 - Cologne 1960-63 - SC Enschede 1963-65 - Meidericher SV (which later became MSV Duisburg) One the most efficient strikers in the history of German soccer but identified mostly with one goal -- the winner in West Germany's 3-2 win over Hungary in the 1954 World Cup final. Scored twice in the Berne final, in which Hungary built a 2-0 lead before West Germany fought back for what is still referred to by its supporters as the "miracle from Berne." Played his last international in a 2-1 win over Portugal 1960 in which he scored. Retired from professional football in 1965.

Germany rallied from a 2-0 deficit, with Rahn scoring the last two. A natural leader on the field, Rahn had earned the nickname "the Boss."

"The Boss contributed to the most important success in German soccer history," said another German soccer legend, Franz Beckenbauer. "Germany became someone again. We gave ourselves the feeling of self-respect again."

Three players from the team are still alive -- Horst Eckel, Ottmar Walter and Hans Schaefer. Rahn, whose death was announced by the German Soccer Federation, would have turned 74 Saturday. The cause of death was not given, but Rahn had been ailing for some time and died in his Essen home, where he had lived reclusively.

A right-winger with a powerful shot, Rahn played 40 games for Germany and scored 21 goals. With his club, Rot-Weiss Essen, Rahn won the German cup in 1953 and the German championship in 1955.

He also played in the 1958 World Cup, when Germany finished fourth, and scored 10 goals at in World Cup matches.

Germany later won two more World Cup titles, in 1974 with Beckenbauer as captain and in 1990, with Beckenbauer as coach.

Rahn's death was announced just as two of the survivors -- Eckel and Walter -- began a tour of the Switzerland to visit the place of their success. They were slated to revisit the hotel where the German team, coached by Sepp Herberger, stayed during the World Cup and then view the Bern stadium, which is now being rebuilt.

Their tour is part of a television special being planned for the 50th anniversary of Germany's first World Cup title next year.

Also Thursday, Borussia Dortmund announced the death of its former star Lothar Emmerich, who scored 115 goals in 183 games for Dortmund between 1963 and 1969 and had five caps for Germany. He had been diagnosed with lung cancer in January. Emmerich was 61.

 

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