After the recent passing of the legendary Brazilian captain Carlos Alberto, I, like many re-watched his career-defining goal from the 1970 World Cup final.
At the time Brazil had a squad packed with legendary names, Jairzinho, Rivellino and of course Pele. All names that still resonate with dedicated football fans, evoking misty-eyed memories of grainy images from far away lands and distant sounding commentaries delivered with reverential gravitas from Coleman, Davies and Motson.
Back in 1970, fans would only really see the exotic stars of South America every four years at the World Cup showpiece event. Now of course, they are on show every week in the Premier league and available on countless online highlights packages. The current Brazilian stars, although fitter and more tactically astute, seem less otherworldly and somehow lack the elan of their predecessors. But perhaps that’s just nostalgia for a time I never experienced first hand or ‘Saudade’ in Portuguese I think.
So to the goal, it’s the World Cup final. Brazil, decked out in their classic yellow jersey and blue shorts, dispossess a beleaguered Italian team late on.
The Brazilians work there way up the field, each player performing their own individual cameo, each contribution perfectly executed, each as important as the next. The ball finally works its way to the magnificent Pele, he effortlessly controls the ball, twists and rolls the ball wide into an apparently vacated area of the pitch.
For a second the action freezes as the ball ambles lazily through its final revolutions. Then, as if from nowhere, the man know simply to his team-mates as ‘o capitão’ appears like a freight train from the corner of our screens and thunders a quite unstoppable drive into the corner of the Italian net. Maybe it’s the something to do with the romance of a classic Brazilian team performing at their peak, or maybe it’s the wonderfully exaggerated body shape Alberto cuts as he shoots that has always enchanted me about the goal.
Sure, there have been better goals, mazy dribbles from Maradona, Messi et al, flying volleys and free kicks through the ages. All great goals, but for all the elements playing their part, a supporting cast complimenting the star of the overall piece, give me Brazil 1970 any day.
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