The former Soviet Union (CCCP) qualified first in the group to play the 1974 World Cup in Germany, but refused to play the second leg against Chile, recently hit by the dictator Pinochet. Blokhin's CCCP was then disqualified from the World Cup.
The Soviet Union was never an easy team to beat. The quality of its football was based on the excellent physical condition of its players and the individual value of some of them; which always posed problems for the more powerful teams.
