By Jamie Gardner, PA Sport
Last updated April 10 2006
Some of the world's top players have forged their reputation with starring roles in the World Cup over the years. We take a look at those who will instead be remembered just for one brilliant World Cup match or moment.
Vaclav Masek
Czechoslovakia reached the 1962 World Cup final but Masek's contribution was limited to a goal after 15 seconds of their final group game against Mexico, the fastest in the tournament's history. Even then World Cup destiny conspired against poor Masek. Bryan Robson's goal for England against France in 1982 was widely - and erroneously - credited as the fastest World Cup goal, the Czechs lost the match in question 3-1, and Turkey's Hakan Sukur took Masek's record off him in 2002.
Saeed Owairan
Long before the 8-0 defeat to Germany which made them a laughing stock in 2002, Saudi Arabia reached the second round of USA '94 thanks to one of the great goals in finals history. Owairan picked the ball up inside his own half and slalomed past a series of bewildered Belgian defenders to score a goal Maradona would have been proud of. King Fahd is said to have rewarded the player with a brand new Mercedes, in which he clearly sped off into obscurity.
Oleg Salenko
The Russian striker's World Cup finals career was some rollercoaster ride. Left out of the starting line-up for the defeat to Brazil, who would go on to win the 1994 tournament, he scored a penalty four minutes into the second group game against Sweden, but the Scandinavians fought back to win 3-1. But he is only truly remembered for then firing five goals past Cameroon in a 6-1 win which proved insufficient for Russia to progress. Even still, the future Rangers forward ended the tournament by sharing the Golden Boot with Hristo Stoichkov.
Yordan Lechkov
Became an unlikely hero for England fans with little else to cheer at the 1994 World Cup when he dived full length and got his bald head on the end of a cross from the right to knock out world champions Germany, taking Bulgaria into the semi-finals.
Ernest Wilimowski
The Poland striker played one World Cup match, scored four goals and ended up on the losing side. He was just 21 when the Poles met Brazil in Strasbourg during the 1938 finals in France and his hat-trick took the match to extra-time. The South Americans scored twice more in the additional period and Wilimowski's fourth made the final score 6-5. The tournament format was straight knock-out and Poland were gone. Wilimowski played for Germany during the Second World War after the Nazis annexed Poland.
Nelson Cuevas
The little Paraguayan scored two breath-taking goals after coming on as a 61st-minute substitute in his side's final group game against Slovenia in the 2002 finals, helping his country through to the knock-out stages by virtue of scoring more goals than South Africa. Incredibly he was not even on the pitch at the final whistle against Slovenia - he was hauled off in the 92nd minute to be replaced by a defender, and incredibly was back on the bench for the last-16 clash with Germany, coming on only in injury time in the 1-0 defeat. Expected to be part of the 2006 squad, where he will have a chance to show his stuff against England among others - if he can get on the pitch.
Viola
The Brazilian played only 14 minutes in the World Cup finals, but what a 14 minutes. Introduced as a substitute for the second half of extra-time in place of Zinho in the hugely disappointing 1994 World Cup final against Italy, Viola left everyone wondering why he had not been used sooner as he created havoc in the Azzurri defence. Despite his promptings the game ended goalless, with Brazil triumphing on penalties. He has since had his scrapes with the law, and the 37-year-old was last seen in England playing in a Brazil Masters team against Exeter at St James Park two years ago.
Pak Doo-Ik
Pak is remembered for his goal which caused one of the greatest shocks in World Cup history as North Korea beat Italy 1-0 at Middlesbrough's old Ayresome Park ground during the 1966 finals. His low right-foot strike condemned the Azzurri to a villains' welcome on their return home, and helped the Koreans to the quarter-finals where they lost 5-3 to Portugal, Eusebio and all, having led 3-0 at half-time.
