The Hindu : Great Goals: Pele, Alberto (1970)

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Apr 13, 2002

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Sport - Football

Great Goals: Pele, Alberto (1970)

Mexico '70 saw the samba style of soccer at its grandest. Brazil, champion in '58 and '62, was a team of great attacking flair with the likes of Pele, now at his peak, and exciting craftsmen in Tostao, Jairzinho and captain Carlos Alberto (see picture), among others. Mario Zagalo, a star of the previous two triumphs, coached it.

Two of the Cup's greatest goals were scored in this championship, which also saw history being made when Brazil became the first team to win the title for the third time.

The Jules Rimet Trophy was the South American nation's for keeps as a recognition of its phenomenal achievement and a new trophy, called the FIFA World Cup, was instituted in its place.

And when Jairzinho scored in the final, off a Pele pass, he became the first man to score in every round of the finals.

Notwithstanding the potential problems caused by the high altitude and heat, the fare was top-drawer stuff, and the event, on the whole, perhaps one of the best-ever staged.

Apart from those two great goals from Pele and Carlos Alberto, both in the final, there were two other magical moments. One of which, of course, was that great save _ universally accepted as the greatest-ever _ by Gordon Banks off a fierce, well-directed Pele header in that classic contest between Brazil and defending champion England in group III.

So sure was Pele of his precision (he had headed it down, on the bounce, inside the left-hand post) that he was already exclaiming `goal' when Banks, launching himself from the opposite post, made possible what many thought was impossible. Brazil eked out a 1-0 win, Tostao and Pele setting it up for Jairzinho to score.

The other came in Brazil's contest against Czechoslovakia. The latter drew first blood, though Brazil eventually rolled to a 4-1 victory with two goals from Jairzinho and one from Pele. But it was the Pele shot which missed the mark by a whisker that is etched on the mind's eye.

Pele, who so comprehensively dominated the championship and would soon announce his retirement from all international football, noticed that the Czech goalkeeper Viktor was well off his goal-line.

The genius that he is, Pele, from just inside his own half, lofted the ball over the goalie's head. Alas, it bounced inches wide of the goal. What an attempt, anyway!

Pele's opening goal in the final against the Azzuri is eighth in the top-10 list chosen by past and present footballers in a poll done a couple of years ago. And Alberto's effort, the final goal in Brazil's 4-1 victory, is placed fourth.

Pele's effort was of astonishing athleticism and superb timing when, 18 minutes into the game, he rose above the Italian defence with an extraordinary jump and headed in Rivelino's long, high cross from the left.

Alberto's goal came four minutes before close. The Brazilians worked the ball out of the defence to Jairzinho, who, from the left, relayed it to Pele. The latter set it up beautifully to his right for Alberto to crash the ball home in a display of unbridled energy.

Sanjay Rajan

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