Erich Juskowiak facts for kids
Juskowiak (right) and Kurt Hamrin in 1958
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 7 September 1926 | ||
| Place of birth | Oberhausen, Germany | ||
| Date of death | 1 July 1983 (aged 56) | ||
| Place of death | Düsseldorf, West Germany | ||
| Playing position | Defender | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1943–1946 | FC 08 Oberhausen | ||
| 1946–1950 | RW Oberhausen | ||
| 1950–1951 | SSV 04 Wuppertal | ||
| 1951–1953 | RW Oberhausen | ||
| 1953–1962 | Fortuna Düsseldorf | ||
| National team | |||
| 1951–1959 | West Germany | 31 | (4) |
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Erich Juskowiak (born September 7, 1926 – died July 1, 1983) was a talented footballer from Germany. He played as a defender, usually on the left side. Erich played 31 games for the West Germany national team and scored 4 goals between 1951 and 1959. He was a key player in the 1958 FIFA World Cup, where his team reached the semi-finals.
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Erich's Early Life and Football Start
Erich Juskowiak was born in a German city called Oberhausen. He lived through World War II and even got hurt a few times during the war. After the war ended, Erich started his football journey with a club called Rot-Weiß Oberhausen.
He first played as a forward, which means he was trying to score goals. But soon, his coaches realized he was much better at defending. He switched to playing as a right-back. This is a defensive position on the right side of the field.
His great skills as a defender caught the eye of Sepp Herberger, who was the coach for the West Germany national team. Erich played his first game for West Germany on December 23, 1951, against Luxembourg.
Playing for West Germany
Erich hoped to play in the 1954 World Cup, but he didn't make the team that year. It took three more years before he played for West Germany again. By then, he was playing for Fortuna Düsseldorf alongside Toni Turek, a famous goalkeeper who won the World Cup in 1954.
For a couple of years, Erich often switched between playing as a right-back and a left-back. But by 1957, he settled into the left-back position. At this time, many people thought Erich was one of the best full-backs in West Germany.
His strong performances in 1958 and 1959 even led a sports magazine called Kicker (sports magazine) to call him "world class." Erich was also known for his incredibly powerful shot. This earned him the nickname "Hammer"!
The 1958 World Cup Moment
The most exciting part of Erich's career was when he played as a starting defender for West Germany in the 1958 FIFA World Cup. In the semi-final match, West Germany played against the host country, Sweden.
During this game, Erich was playing against a Swedish forward named Kurt Hamrin. After Hamrin fouled Erich, Erich reacted by pushing Hamrin. Because of this, Erich was sent off the field in the 59th minute. He was the first German player ever to be sent off in a World Cup game.
End of His Football Career
After dealing with several injuries, Erich Juskowiak decided to stop playing football in August 1961. His second-to-last game for Fortuna Düsseldorf ended in a strange way. He had an argument with some fans during a game against VfB Bottrop. Because of the argument, he simply left the field before the game was over and didn't come back.
Erich passed away in Düsseldorf in 1983. A year before he died, in April 1982, he traveled to Gothenburg. He went there to meet Kurt Hamrin and make up with him after their incident in the 1958 World Cup.
