Wednesday, Apr 24, 2002
Wednesday, Apr 24, 2002 |
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Football
EVEN as one great player left the field another emerged. In England '66 _ where Pele was subjected to some harsh tackling, so much so that he threatened to never play in another World Cup as he didn't want to finish his life as an invalid _ emerged Eusebio, without doubt the greatest player Portugal has produced. The great striking inside-forward possessing a staggering right-foot was instrumental in his country's 3-1 win over holder Brazil in Group III, scoring two goals himself. He carried the side to the semi-finals where it lost to eventual champion England 1-2; Eusebio scored his side's lone goal. En route, he single-handedly beat North Korea in the quarterfinals, a team that had shocked Italy, Eusebio hammering in four as he went on to emerge the leading goalscorer in the championship. Of the nine strikes, each a gem, the one that stays on forever is his header of Coluna's free-kick that was nodded back from the far post, in the contest against Brazil. Eusebio went on to crash Brazil's dream when he slammed in a goal taken after a right-wing corner. Actually, when you watch such phenomenally talented men like Eusebio or Garrincha, the Brazilian winger and dribbling magician who swerved and accelerated in a manner no one could, you realise that in the presence of genius no rules apply. Chile '62 belonged to Garrincha, `The Little Bird', crippled since childhood, nevertheless endowed with superb natural gifts. Amarildo proved a worthy stand-in for Pele, whose muscle injury in the game against the Czechs ruled him out of the remaining part of the meet _ but it was Garrincha all the way, his speed and accuracy a thorn in every opposition defence. He scored some memorable goals and set up a few indelible ones. He came up with his trampoline jumps, one in the quarterfinal against England where he, at 5ft 7in, outjumped the 6ft 2in, Maurice Norman and headed in a corner kick, and the other in the semi-final against Chile. His second goal against England was a swerving long shot that deceived the goalkeeper. Against Chile, he beat Escutti with a fierce left-footer from 20 yards. Garrincha had been as brilliant in Sweden '58. In the final against the host he left the rival defence in a state of confusion on two distinct occasions while Vava tore in to convert both. Not to forget the pool game against Soviet Union, where he had and held the ball against five encircling Russians! If France made a huge impact in the 1958 edition, finishing third after losing to Brazil in the semi-finals, it was largely due to the exploits of Just Fontaine, whose tally of 13 goals still remains the most scored in the finals. The Morocco-born Frenchman was an artist par excellence. A determined player, he possessed both acceleration and a fine shot as was evident in the Group II contest against Scotland where he first set up Raymond Kopa's strike and then, served by Jonquet, sprinted away like a thoroughbred and scored. _ Sanjay Rajan
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