Brazil ’82 — greatest team to never win the World Cup

IT’S the anniversary of one of the greatest Scotland goals of all time. And 40 years later, the nation still can’t forgive Dave Narey for scoring it. No harm to Hungary’s Mighty Magyars of 1954 or Johan Cruyff’s Total Football Dutch team of 1974. But the silky Brazil side of 1982 were the greatest team to never win the World Cup. Lining up against Jock Stein’s Scotland on June 18, 1982, they were glamour personified. Every move was accompanied by the rhythm of a samba drum. Every corner won was followed by a television director cutting away to an image of a Carmen Miranda-like supermodel dancing in the stands. Underneath the colour, the style and a relaxed approach to defending, however, lay a raging temper. And when Dundee United stalwart Narey strode forward after 18 minutes in Seville to smash an unstoppable strike into the top postage-stamp corner, he famously made them angry. A team whose thirst for attacking football was trumped only by the love of their captain Socrates for cigarettes, alcohol and pre-match hanky panky eased smoothly through the gears. And the planet settled back to enjoy the ride as the Scots were dispatched with three second-half goals of sublime brilliance. It’s easy to forget how good Stein’s squad of ’82 actually were. Dalglish, Hansen and Souness were multiple winners of the European Cup with Liverpool. John Robertson had won it twice with Nottingham Forest. Allan Evans of Aston Villa won it in 1982 and started the first game ahead of Willie Miller — the Aberdeen captain destined to lift the European Cup-Winners’ Cup 12 months later. Despite an array of talent, Scotland were no match for Zico, a mesmeric, magnificent two-footed magician. Falcao, Eder and Socrates were in a different league. And when Brazil lost to a Paolo Rossi-inspired Italy in the second group stage, it was time to draw the curtains and sit rocking back and forth, weeping in a darkened room. They say you never really get over your first love. The beauty of Brazil 1982 will forever be mine.