Victory (1981)

Michael Caine, Max von Sydow, Rocky and Pele! The English are in a prisoner of war camp and the Germans want to play. They've never beat the English and they see it as a great chance at propaganda. Capt. John Colby (Michael Caine) is an English pro player and he is putting the Allied team together. he quickly adds Cpl. Luis Fernandez (Pele). Captain Robert Hatch (Sylvester Stallone), an American, wants to be on the team he keeps tackling people and he is also too busy trying to escape. When his escape plans fall through he joins the team as a trainer.
They built this movie around Sylvester Stallone, who was a star in 1981, but couldn't act or play soccer. Michael Caine and Max von Sydow are such great actors and Pele is the best soccer player ever, and John Huston is one of the great directors, but unfortunately they were anchored with Sly. Sly escapes and lets the French underground know about the game, so they can help the team escape as propaganda. Sly must then go back to the camp to let the team know about the plans.
The day of the big game arrives, and somehow Sly has become the goalie. The escape has been set for half time. In the first half the Germans cheat and beat up the Allied players, but the refs call nothing. But towards the end of the half the Allies score a goal and make it 1 - 4.
At half time the escape is ready. The French Underground has come from underground, and a tunnel awaits the Allied team. But, some of the team wants to play. They think they can win. Being a Nazi prisoner must not have been such a bad thing, because these guys would rather play the second half than escape. But will Hatch, the goalie, go back? They need him (?).
In an ending, really poorly written, more suitable for a Bad New Bears sequel, the Allies trot back out on to the field. With some pretty decent soccer sequences the Allies somehow begin to catch up, as Hatch turns into super goalie. Soon the score is 3 - 4. looking like Manchester United the Allies tie it up, but the goal is disallowed by the cheating refs. Max von Sydow, the noble German, looks sad in the stands, Pele, injured in the first half comes back on to the field holding his side. Pele bicycles one in for the tie and even Max von Sydow stands up and cheers. The Germans are not so bad after all.
The other German officers look uncomfortable as the fans chant victory in the stands. Maybe the Allies really can win the war! As the clock runs out the Germans are awarded a penalty kick. One of the world's best players facing Hatch (Sly) who has never played goalie before. But the fans begin to sing La Marseillaise in the background (it worked in Casablanca). What will happen? Hatch stares down his man and then makes the save (even Rocky didn't get a tie like this). The fans run out on to the field. I guess we will win the war because Hatch made the save.
The fans smuggle the team off the field and off they go as Max von Sydow (who is soon to be headed for the Russian front) smiles.
What a shame. Such a great cast, with a pretty decent concept, defeated by such a poorly written script and the "acting" of script steering Sylvester Stallone. It's a shame, because there was a pretty good movie in there somewhere.