FourFourTwo

1982: the greatest ever losers Zico & Co. captivated the world in Spain, so why did they fail?

Tele Santana’s mesmerisin­g all- stars inspired the world and remain revered nearly 40 years on, but ultimately came up just short in Spain. FFT understand­s how with Zico and the gang

- Words Chris Flanagan Additional reporting Caio Carrieri, Felipe Rocha

Thirty- eight years on, there is still pride in Zico’s voice while he discusses the part he played in one of the most famous teams in World Cup history. “Wherever I go in the world – and I’ve been to many places – everyone talks about Brazil’s team of 1982,” the 67- year- old tells Fourfourtw­o. “We tried as hard as we could, but sadly it wasn’t quite enough.” In Brazil, they have spent recent weeks revisiting that iconic summer. With football in lockdown, one television channel decided to cheer up the nation by screening every Selecao fixture in Spain.

“They showed all of our games from 1982, even though we weren’t champions,” explains Zico. Trophy or no trophy, the love remains. Revered in Brazil and beyond, Tele Santana’s team of ’ 82 are frequently regarded as the greatest team not to win the World Cup. Their talents and imaginatio­n produced spectacula­r goal after spectacula­r goal, enthrallin­g audiences around the globe. Brazil didn’t become world champions – in fact, they didn’t even make the semi- finals. Eventually, it all came crashing down in the Tragedia do Sarria. But, boy, it was fun while it lasted.

GRAIN FOR GOALS

Four years earlier, the Brazil squad huddled around a TV in the Argentine city of Mendoza. Hours before, they had defeated Poland 3- 1 in the second group stage of the 1978 World Cup, moving themselves to the brink of the final. The Selecao had finished the stage unbeaten, a 3- 0 win over Peru followed by a goalless draw with hosts Argentina.

The group winners would take on the Netherland­s in the final – but there was one match remaining: Argentina vs Peru. To overhaul Brazil, La Albicelest­e had to triumph by four goals. They won 6- 0, and went on to lift the trophy.

“Argentina were already winning 3- 0 by the time we arrived at our camp,” remembers Oscar, one of Brazil’s defenders in both 1978 and 1982. “We put the TV on, but most could only watch a few seconds – until they got a fourth goal.”

The drubbing remains controvers­ial now – rumours swirled, with one suggesting Argentina’s military junta dispatched a delivery of grain to Peru in the aftermath. “You can mention any story and I’ve probably heard it,” continues Oscar. “We’re still not sure what happened. It was definitely odd. But if we’d beaten Argentina, we wouldn’t have needed any help from Peru. We finished third at that World Cup and have still not received the medals. It’s taking a long time, isn’t it?”

Brazil didn’t lose a match at the 1978 World Cup but the pragmatic approach of manager Claudio Coutinho had not captured the public’s imaginatio­n, with Zico frequently left on the substitute­s’ bench. After Brazil lost 4- 3 on aggregate to Paraguay in the semis of the 1979 Copa America, Coutinho was out. A couple of years later, he died in a scuba diving accident near Ipanema Beach.

The arrival of attacking advocate Santana in 1980 marked a change in Brazil’s methods. The Selecao headed into the 1982 World Cup on a 19- match unbeaten run, including a 1- 0 victory against England at Wembley, two triumphs over West Germany and a 7- 0 shellackin­g of the Republic of Ireland in their final warm- up game.

“It was such a pleasure to play for Tele,” says Zico. “He had a game plan, but he gave us freedom to be creative. He aimed for perfection. If someone had 10 shots during training, scored nine and hit a post, he’d ask, ‘ Why didn’t you score all of them?’”

Santana wanted his side to constantly be on the offensive. “For Tele, there was no such thing as waiting for your opponent,” reveals Oscar. “No matter the quality of the opposition, he wanted us to take control of the game and then move forward. It was an attacking style based on training, training, training. He didn’t want us to commit fouls, either.

“SANTANA SAID, ‘ LOSE BEING CAUTIOUS, AND WE WILL ALWAYS REGRET NOT BEING OURSELVES’. DEFENDING WAS NEVER PART OF THE PHILOSOPHY AND WE STUCK BY IT”

He wanted to master the beautiful, with fair play. We had everything to be the first post- Pele generation to win the World Cup.”

Their strength was in midfield, which contained an incredible array of talent. Toninho Cerezo was suspended for Brazil’s opening group game against the Soviet Union in Seville, allowing Falcao to impress so much that Santana accommodat­ed both thereafter. Cerezo and Falcao were the elegant, deep- lying playmakers, behind the creative genius of Zico and Socrates. Eder was nominally a second striker but largely played from the left wing, ready to deploy the thundering left foot that earned him the nickname O Canhao, ‘ The Cannon’.

In the 6ft 3in Socrates, who would later become known for his Bjorn Borg headband, the side had its graceful and cerebral captain, fittingly named after a philosophe­r by parents fascinated with ancient Greece. They called two of their other sons Sofocles and Sostenes.

Socrates was well- known for his left- wing views – as Brazil’s military government began to crumble, he pushed for a return to democracy, a process eventually completed in 1985. “I come across as football’s Che Guevara, don’t I?” he later admitted to FFT.

He was also a fantastic footballer. “Socrates had so many qualities,” says Zico now. “He was smart, creative, astonishin­g at positionin­g and read the game extraordin­arily. It was very easy to play alongside him. We knew what the other would do.”

Zico was arguably the best player on the planet going into the World Cup – South American Footballer of the Year in 1981, after starring in Flamengo’s comprehens­ive Interconti­nental Cup victory over Liverpool. Back then, there was no FIFA World Player of the Year award, and the Ballon d’or – won by Bayern Munich’s Karl- Heinz Rummenigge in ’ 81 – was open only to Europeans.

“There was often a joke between me and [ central defensive partner] Luizinho that if we didn’t concede a goal we’d win, because Zico would definitely score,” chuckles Oscar, part of a defence that also included raiding full- backs Leandro and Junior.

“I was feeling confident,” admits Zico. “We believed we could have a successful World Cup in Spain – although a number of great players got injured, such as Reinaldo and Careca.”

In Careca’s case, just days before the tournament. Without their two main strike options, Santana called on the sometimes- cumbersome Serginho – used as a foil for Brazil’s stars, like Emile Heskey to Michael Owen or Stephane Guivarc’h to Zinedine Zidane.

GREAT GOALS AND STUNNED SOUEY

In Brazil’s first match came a warning sign at the opposite end of the pitch. Goalkeeper Waldir Peres fumbled Andriy Bal’s long- range drive into the net, keeping his eye on Bal rather than the ball, meaning the Selecao trailed to the USSR. In the final 15 minutes, they turned things around: Socrates swerved past two players to thump a 25- yarder into the top corner, before Falcao’s clever dummy allowed Eder to flick the ball up and volley the winner.

In game two, Brazil fought back after David Narey’s early opener for Scotland and cruised to a 4- 1 win. Later asked to name the toughest opponents he ever faced in his career, Graeme Souness simply listed the South Americans’ starting line- up that day.

The turning point had been Zico’s inch- perfect free- kick to equalise. “God gave me that ability, but I practised a lot,” he says. “At Flamengo I’d take 70 or 100 after training. With the national team, I was lucky. On my debut, there were three free- kick takers: Nelinho, Rivelino and Marinho. But Nelinho and Rivelino got sent off, then we had a free- kick on the edge of the box. Marinho was better at long- distance ones, so I said, ‘ It’s my turn’ and scored. In my second game, I scored again.”

Eder’s delightful chip and Falcao’s speculativ­e strike secured victory against Scotland, after Oscar had nodded Brazil into a 2- 1 lead. Then Zico scored twice – the first, a sublime scissor- kick – as New Zealand were hammered 4- 0, rounded off by goals from Falcao and Serginho.

The Selecao were emerging as hot favourites to win the World Cup; holders Argentina, hosts Spain and Italy had all come second in their groups, the latter with three draws out of three. West Germany topped their group only after a win over Austria, dubbed ‘ The Disgrace of Gijon’ after both teams stopped attacking. Other than Brazil, the only nation with a 100 per cent record was England.

That status as favourites was cemented in the second group stage against Argentina. Their old enemies had gone down 2- 1 to Italy in the first tie of the three- team group, the winners of which progressed to the semis. Brazil followed that by defeating Argentina 3- 1, not only producing an exquisite performanc­e against their rivals but also giving themselves a goal difference advantage over Enzo Bearzot’s Azzurri. Win or draw the decisive game against Italy in Barcelona, and Brazil would face unfancied Poland in the last four.

“Argentina were world champions and had Diego Maradona,” says Zico. “But that was by far one of the Brazil team’s best performanc­es. We played outstandin­g football.”

Zico opened the scoring after Eder’s missile- like free- kick thundered the bar, then set up Serginho and rampaging left- back Junior for the other two goals. With the loss confirming Argentina’s exit, Maradona was sent off late on for a petulant high challenge on substitute Batista.

“Maradona lost his mind,” says Oscar. “We felt more confident after that result. Santana had made us go to the stadium to see Argentina play Italy – even though Italy won, we left feeling that Argentina were the better side. So, after beating them comfortabl­y, we thought we’d done the most difficult part.”

THROWING CAUTION TO THE BIN

But Oscar’s confidence proved to be ill- founded. At the 44,000- capacity Estadi de Sarria, then the home of Espanyol, the Selecao’s title hopes came to a sudden and unexpected halt.

“Before the Italy match, the squad asked Tele if we should be more cautious because a draw would be enough,” recalls the defender. “He said, ‘ Then we lose being cautious, and we’ll always regret not being ourselves’. Defending was never part of the plan, and we stuck to that philosophy until the end.”

Just five minutes after the first whistle, it backfired. Paolo Rossi had failed to net in Italy’s previous four games, after a two- year ban for his role in a betting scandal. “Honestly, we didn’t think Rossi was our main threat,” admits Oscar. “We were more worried about Bruno Conti and Giancarlo Antognoni.” However, Antonio Cabrini crossed from the left and Rossi escaped Junior’s attention to head past Waldir Peres.

Brazil had to score, or they were out. Serginho charged clear, only to scuff his shot so tamely wide that even Guivarc’h would have cringed. Zico and Socrates fared better by fashioning a goal of the tournament contender, the latter racing on to a brilliant pass and beating Dino Zoff.

That should have been crisis over, but Cerezo’s pass was intercepte­d by Rossi, who blasted in. The mistake reduced the midfielder to tears – he knew he would be remembered for it.

Brazil pushed hard for another equaliser. With 22 minutes left, they finally found a way through: Cerezo’s fine decoy run took away three defenders, allowing Falcao to fire home from 18 yards.

Rather than calming the game down, Brazil sought a winner. Again, it backfired. Six minutes later, an Azzurri corner was only half cleared, Junior got the offside trap wrong and Rossi was free in the six- yard box to divert Marco Tardelli’s shot for his hat- trick.

“It was such an unusual match,” says Zico. “We had the advantage, but lost it in five minutes. We equalised, then lost our advantage again 10 minutes later. F** k! We worked our socks off to equalise again, but never played for more than 15 minutes with the advantages we got in that game. It was just one of those days where if we’d scored 10, they would have scored 11. I played in 89 games for the national team, and that was the only time we conceded three goals.”

Despite dominating one of the most thrilling matches in World Cup history, a whirlwind 90 minutes ended in a 3- 2 defeat. Brazil were out. Italy would beat Poland and West Germany to secure a third crown.

Ultimately, Santana’s men paid the price for being too gung- ho. “Me, Luizinho and Waldir Peres – we were the only ones not to attack!” says Oscar, who is able to smile about it now. “Perhaps that was our biggest error at that World Cup.”

Zico feels another tactical issue caused problems, too. “Looking back now as a coach, there was a mistake,” believes the former Japan and Fenerbahce boss. “In the three years before the World Cup, we played with a triangle in the middle – Cerezo, Socrates and myself – and three upfront. From the second group match, Falcao, Cerezo, Socrates and myself all played. The four of us had played only 25 minutes together before that, against Ireland.

“Our team ended up tactically wonky with no one on the right wing to help Leandro, who was overloaded. If we’d trained as four, it would have been fine, but we were getting used to it during the tournament.” Just imagine how great they would have been if they had practised...

Instead, their dreams were crushed. “The dressing room was silent,” says Oscar. “It was like a funeral. We were devastated. I have no doubt we were the best team. You won’t find any side capable of the quality or beauty of Brazil in 1982. It was like an orchestra – the movements were smooth and everyone had a part to play.

“We’re now in 2020 and speaking about that team, which tells you something about how good we were. I receive messages from people all around the world – an Iranian fan got in touch to say he still cries watching the goals of that Selecao. We left our mark in history, but in football the best team doesn’t always win. Italy deserved the credit.”

Zico, Socrates & Co. would try again four years later, but didn’t hit the same heights. Edged out on penalties by France in the quarter- finals, Brazil were eliminated without losing, like in 1978. “That Italy match in 1982 was the only time I lost a game at a tournament,” says Zico ruefully. “F** k, I didn’t play in a World Cup final!”

The Tragedia do Sarria was viewed as a victory for pragmatism over fantasy, as proof that Brazil’s all- out attack was just too naive for the modern game. Zico called it ‘ the day football died’. When the Selecao finally won the World Cup again in 1994, their midfield was focused on functional­ity than fantasy. Even in triumph, they didn’t capture hearts in the same way as 1982 – irritating Dunga to such an extent that he later branded Santana’s side ‘ specialist­s in losing’, angering the nation.

“That 1982 side epitomised Brazil,” Socrates told FFT in 2010. “It was irreverent, joyful, creative, free- flowing. From that point onwards, the Selecao became like any other national team.”

No matter that they didn’t win the World Cup, or even get as close as they had done in 1978 – the side of 1982 will always be remembered as one of the most thrilling in history. The greatest team never to win the World Cup? Zico regards the tag not a sad reminder of falling short, but as recognitio­n that they touched hearts across the globe.

“I’m proud of it,” he insists. “I don’t have any frustratio­n because of a loss. I lay my head on the pillow at night and sleep well. No regrets.”

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left Zico was possibly the best player on the planet in 1982; and the talisman for Santana’s free- flowing side; Socrates: “football’s Che Guevara”; Zico opens the scoring against New Zealand in acrobatic style
Clockwise from bottom left Zico was possibly the best player on the planet in 1982; and the talisman for Santana’s free- flowing side; Socrates: “football’s Che Guevara”; Zico opens the scoring against New Zealand in acrobatic style
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 ??  ?? The Selecao were made to pay for being gung- ho against the Azzurri
The Selecao were made to pay for being gung- ho against the Azzurri

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