Carlos And The Goal That Shook The World

It came AS A SURPRISE when Carlos Alberto was not chosen for the Brazilian squad, which so catastrophically contested the 1966 World Cup in England. But in 1970, he was not only properly chosen, but given the captaincy, writes BRAIN GLANVILLE in his tribute to the great footballer.

- Brian Glanville 

Carlos Alberto, who hasdied at the age of 72, willalways be rememberedfor the spectacular and dramatic goal he scored for Brazil in the 1970 World Cup final against Italy in Mexico City’s Aztec Stadium. This is how he himself recalled it: “Clodoaldo (the young right half whose careless error had given Italy an equaliser in the first half) started the carnival in our half. He dribbled past four players. Then I started to run from right back. Slowly, not fast. When Jairzinho (the outside right) got the ball, I ran as fast as I could. I knew Pele would come into action. We had spoken about this kind of chance before the game. Before Pele stopped the ball, he saw I was coming. Then he stopped the ball and waited for the right time to give the ball to me. It was only that good because the ball bounced before I hit it and the stride was perfect. It was the most beautiful World Cup goal.”

And it crowned Brazil’s glittering display to give them a 4-1 victory. The shot was made from 21 yards out, its speed was 53.3 miles per hour, it came four minutes from the end of the match, the time elapsed between the shot and the goal itself was 0.84 seconds.

I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH to be at that final, whose result was not only well deserved by a coruscating Brazil, but which exalted attacking, adventurous football over the dour negativity of so much of the Italian play. How fitting it was that Carlos Alberto, Brazil’s captain, should himself receive the World Cup trophy. It was of course Pele’s World Cup rather than anybody else’s. His second, having won the first in Sweden 12 years earlier as a mere 17-year-old.