Viliam Schrojf


Viliam Schrojf was a Slovak footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He received 39 caps for Czechoslovakia.

Career

He was a participant at the three consecutive World Cups 1954 FIFA World Cup, 1958 FIFA World Cup and at the 1962 FIFA World Cup, where Czechoslovakia surprised the world and went through to the final, losing to champions Brazil. The success of Czechoslovakia was largely attributed to Schrojf's superb performance. The final however proved to be a black day for Schrojf, with two Brazilian goals resulting from his mistakes. With his country leading 1–0, he expected a cross from Amarildo and left the goal, allowing the Brazilian to score from an acute angle. Halfway through the second half, with his side already 1–2 down, the sun got into his eyes and he failed to catch a simple ball properly, which landed directly at the feet of Vava, who took the opportunity to become the first ever player to score in two different World Cup finals.
On club level, Schrojf played mostly for Slovan Bratislava and then for Lokomotiva Košice.

Death

On 2 September 2007, the Slovakian media reported that Schrojf had died the previous day, aged 76; the cause of death was not disclosed.

Honours

Club

Slovan Bratislava
Czechoslovakia