In RedMatchday Magazine Europe part III, there is an interview with Aberdeen striker Niall McGinn:  

“I enjoyed both of the games. The Uruguay match was played in the stadium where the first World Cup match in history was played, back in 1930. To play in their backyard in front of 50,000 fans was great.

“The Chile game was a good experience for us all as well, these are once in a career opportunities for a country like Northern Ireland.

“It was nice playing against them, then coming home and putting your feet up and being able to say you played against them while watching the World Cup! They are great memories. I watched as much of the World Cup as I could. Because I got the opportunity to play against Uruguay and Chile, it was great to watch them again.

“There were players who stood out for me. James of Colombia was very good, and now he has his move to Real Madrid off the back of it. I thought Mascherano was also very good, he was very consistent throughout the tournament and Arjen Robben was also very good. He was always full of energy and looking to create chances for his teammates and chances for himself.

“Another player who stood out for me was Fabian Johnson, the right-back for the USA before he got injured, but then his replacement who came in, DeAndre Yedlin, was actually very good as well. I was really pleased to see the USA progress as a team, as it is a country I know well. I thought their match against Belgium was one of the best games in the World Cup.

“The USA maybe don’t have lots of big name players but they have a good team spirit, a real passion for playing for their country, are well organised and most of all, they have unbelievable fitness which takes you a long way in the modern game. They have a lot of athletes in the side.

“They are not dissimilar to the way we have played in Europe. We have a good team shape, we work hard off the ball and when we have it, and when chances do come along, we have to take them.

 
 
There are a number of European features including a look at Aberdeen’s first venture in the UEFA Cup….

Although Aberdeen first qualified for European football back in 1967 and appeared in both the European Cup Winners’ Cup and the old Inter Cities fairs Cup, it was not until 1971 that Aberdeen played their first UEFA Cup tie in the first ever season of the competition. The outdated Inter Cities Fairs Cup was scrapped by UEFA and the new UEFA Cup would replace the competition that had been set up initially as ties between the bigger city clubs.

Aberdeen went in to the 1971/72 competition unseeded and were certain to attract some of the better sides in the early rounds. After a disappointing exit to Honved in the ECWC the previous season, the nucleus of that great side from 1970 was still there and hopes were high that Aberdeen could make an impression in the new tournament. Aberdeen came up against Spanish side Celta Vigo in the first round and it was a tough draw. Nevertheless, Aberdeen travelled to Vigo for the first leg on the back of a great start on the domestic scene. The Spanish side were making their debut in European football but were defending an impressive home record having gone all of the previous season unbeaten at home. What was strange was that they were playing in the new competition and the actual trophy had still not been made; UEFA were in the process of commissioning the new trophy, which would not be ready until the latter rounds.

In Vigo, Aberdeen adopted a stout defensive approach and also utilised their famous offside tactics, which were superbly marshalled by skipper Martin Buchan. Unfortunately for the Dons, both linesmen were Spanish alongside the French referee and their decisions prompted a hasty rethink. Having weathered the storm in the first half, the Dons opened up in the second half and top scorer Joe Harper scored the opening goal after 51 minutes with a clever lob that beat Celta keeper Alarcia. That goal gave the Dons great confidence although they continued to keep things tight at the back. The tie was effectively over on 73 minutes when Aberdeen struck again. Kim Forrest was not the usual taker of any corner kicks but the Aberdeen striker scored direct from his corner kick to send the Dons well on their way to the second round.

Despite a late onslaught from Celta in the closing stages, the Dons held out to record one of their finest ever performances on foreign soil. The 30,000 home crowd were stunned as they had become used to winning at home.

Also: Derek McInnes, Jamie Langfield, Willo Flood, Jeffrey Monakana, Steve Archibald, Richard Gordon, David Robertson and much much more!
 

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