Osvaldo Soriano
The 1962 World Cup
A few Indian and Malaysian astrologists were predicting the end of the world, but it kept on turning, and as it turned an organization with the name of Amnesty International was born and Algeria took its first steps of independent life after more than seven years of war against France. In Israel the Nazi criminal Adolf Eichmann was being hanged, the miners of Asturias were on strike, and Pope John was trying to change the Church and return it to the poor. They were making the first computer disks and performing the first operations with laser beams, and Marilyn Monroe was losing her will to live.
What was the price of a country’s vote? Haiti sold its franchise for $15 million, a highway, a dam, and a hospital, and that’s how the OAS got a majority to expel Cuba, the black sheep of Pan-Americanism. Well-informed sources in Miami were announcing the imminent fall of Fidel Castro, it was only a matter of hours. Seventy-five suits were being launched in U.S. courts to ban the novel Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller, published for the first time in an unexpurgated edition. Linus Pauling, who was about to win his second Nobel Prize, was picketing the White House to protest nuclear testing, while Benny “The Kid” Paret, an illiterate black Cuban, was dying, beaten to a pulp, in the ring at Madison Square Garden.
In Memphis Elvis Presley was announcing his retirement after selling 300 million records, but before long he changed his mind, while in London a record company, Decca, was refusing to record the songs of a group of hairy musicians who called themselves The Beatles. Carpentier was publishing Explosion in the Cathedral, Gelman was publishing Gotán, the Argentine military were overthrowing President Frondizi, and the Brazilian painter Cândido Portinari was dying. Primeiras estórias by Guimarães Rosa was in the bookstores, as were the poems that Vinícius de Moraes wrote para viver um grande amor. João Gilberto was crooning “One Note Samba” in Carnegie Hall, while the Brazilian soccer team was landing in Chile, expecting to win the seventh World Cup against five other countries from the Americas and ten from Europe.
Luck was not with Di Stéfano in the ’62 World Cup. He was going to play for his adopted country, Spain. At thirty-six this would be his last opportunity. Just before the opening match, he hurt his right knee and there was no way he could play. Di Stéfano, “The Blond Arrow,” one of the best players in the history of soccer, never played in a World Cup. Pelé, another all-time star, did not get far in Chile either: he pulled a muscle early on and could not play. And one more sacred giant of soccer, the Russian Yashin, also turned into a lame duck: the best goalkeeper in the world let in four goals by Colombia, because, it seems, he bucked himself up with a few too many nips in the dressing room.
Brazil won the tournament without Pelé and under Didi’s charge. Amarildo sparkled in the difficult role of filling Pelé’s shoes, Djalma Santos made himself into a wall on defense, and up front Garrincha was inspired and inspiring. “What planet is Garrincha from?” asked the daily El Mercurio, when Brazil liquidated the home team. The Chileans had beaten Italy in a match that was a pitched battle, and they also beat Switzerland and the Soviet Union. They gobbled up the spaghetti, chocolate, and vodka, but choked on the coffee: Brazil won 4–2.
In the final, Brazil downed Czechoslovakia 3–1 and, just as in ’58, was the undefeated champion. For the very first time the World Cup final was broadcast live internationally on television, although in black and white and only to a few countries.
Chile won third place, its best ranking ever, and Yugoslavia won fourth thanks to a bird named Dragoslav Sekularac whom no defender could catch.
The championship did not have a leading scorer, but several players notched up four goals: Garrincha and Vavá of Brazil, Sánchez of Chile, Jerkovic of Yugoslavia, Albert of Hungary, and Ivanov of the Soviet Union.
Goal by Charlton
It happened at the World Cup in 1962. England was playing against Argentina.
Bobby Charlton set up the first English goal by placing the ball where Flowers could face the goalkeeper Roma alone. But the second goal was Charlton’s from start to finish. Charlton, lord of the entire left side of the field, made the Argentine defense collapse like swatted moths. He changed feet at full tilt and using his right he overwhelmed the keeper with a shot from the wing.
Bobby was a survivor. Practically all the players on his team, Manchester United, died in the twisted ruins of a burning plane. Death spared this miner’s son so he could continue giving people the high nobility of his soccer.
The ball obeyed him. She traveled the field following his instructions and flew into the net before he even kicked her.
Yashin
When Lev Yashin covered the goal, not a pinhole was left open. This giant with long spidery arms always dressed in black and he played with a naked elegance that disdained the spectacle of unnecessary gestures. He liked to stop thundering blasts with a single claw-like hand that trapped and shredded all projectiles, while his body remained motionless like a rock. He could deflect the ball with a glance.
He retired from soccer several times, always pursued by torrents of gratitude, and several times he returned. There was no other like him. During more than a quarter of a century, this Russian blocked more than a hundred penalty shots and saved who-knows-how-many goals. When asked for his secret, he would say the trick was to have a smoke to calm your nerves, then toss back a strong drink to tone your muscles.
Goal by Gento
It was 1963. Real Madrid faced Pontevedra.
As soon as the referee blew the opening whistle, there was a goal by Di Stéfano. Then right at the beginning of the second half Puskás scored. From that point on, the fans waited in suspense for the next goal, which would be number 2,000 for Real Madrid since it started playing in the Spanish League in 1928. Madrid fans invoked the goal by kissing their fingers while making the sign of the cross, and the enemy fans warded it off by pointing their index and little fingers at the ground.
The game turned around. Pontevedra began to dominate. When night fell and only a few minutes remained, and that goal so desired and so feared seemed lost from sight, Amancio fired off a dangerous free kick: Di Stéfano couldn’t reach the ball, but it was trapped by Gento. The Madrid left winger broke free of the defenders surrounding him, shot and won. The stadium went wild.
All rival teams were on the lookout to capture Francisco Gento, the fugitive. Sometimes they managed to put him behind bars, but he always escaped.
Seeler
A jolly face. You could not imagine him without a mug of foaming beer in his fist. On Germany’s soccer fields he was always the shortest and the stoutest: a pudgy pink hamburger with an unsteady gait, because one foot was larger than the other. But Uwe Seeler was a flea when he jumped, a hare when he ran, and a bull when he headed the ball.