World Cup Moments: Alcides Ghiggia Silences the Maracana in 1950.

December 29th, 2009 | by: chris |

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Before there was Pele, there was Alcides Ghiggia. Before there was Brazil, there was Uruguay. And before Brazil became champions, there was heartache.

The heartache felt was in 1950, directly after the final. A final held on home soil, in Rio de Janiero, at the mecca known as the Maracana, and a final they lost despite being heavy favorites. They became the first team to lose a World Cup final on its home soil, Italy and Uruguay had won their home finals previously, and are only the second ever. (A blow so crushing they forced Sweden to feel their pain in 1958 under the same circumstances.)

Brazil can breathe a bit easier now, but there was a day, as ludicrous as it may seem, when Brazilians thought they “would never win the World Cup” – thanks to Alcides Ghiggia.

The 1950 World Cup final was a curious one, as there was no knockout round, but rather a second group stage comprised of one group: the winners from the groups of the first stage. This means the “final” was simply the final group game, but it worked out such that Brazil & Uruguay were the only possible winners. However, much to the joy of the favorites Brazil, they only needed a draw to hoist the trophy for the first time ever. Of this they were supremely confident, doing the one thing we now know you never, ever do: proclaimed victory before the match was played.

Brazil opened the scoreline in the 47th, earning a tremendous advantage now 1-0 up and needing only a draw. But it was a 13 minute period in which Alcides Ghiggia took the knife to Brazil and sent the stadium to its knees.

In the 66th, Alcides, a pacy winger, burst down the right and cut a ball into the middle, where it was poked home by Juan Schiaffino – who, like Ghiggia, went on to play for Milan, Roma and the Italian national team back when this sort of thing was allowed – to draw level with Brazil. Still needing the full victory, Ghiggia did it again in the 79th, bursting to the right of the goal, but this time tucking it just inside the post. The stadium, as legend has it, went quiet.

Uruguay had scored with eleven minutes remaining, taking the lead 2-1. When the whistle sounded Uruguay became World Cup winners for the second time in as many tries, doing so against neighbors and rivals Brazil. Ghiggia became a national icon for his heroics, the second goal a frozen moment of legend. But perhaps more famously, as Ghiggia once said himself, he silenced one of the world’s greatest stadiums:

Only three people in history have managed to silence the Maracana with a single gesture: the Pope, Frank Sinatra and I.

The story of that final:

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Brett

Sure sounds loud for silence.
Hector

you know whats ironic about this lol. Before i came here and stumbled on this article. I was looking at another article that was posted on another site by my friend paulo.

and the article was about how today Ghiggia was allowed to leave his footprints at the Maracanã’s sidewalk of fame.

He is the 100th player to get his place there, and the 6th foreigner (the other ones were Germany’s Franz Bechenbauer, Portugal’s Eusébio, Chile’s Elias Figueroa, Paraguay’s Romerito, and Serbian Dejan Petkovic).

theres a picture of him holding his 2 cemented footprints as well. very nice gesture by the State of Rio.
http://flamengo.theoffside.com André

My grandfather once said to me that no one could believe. Men turning the radio off, women crying. Nobody could accept it. The Brazilian GK Barbosa was one of the best GK of his time, but the second goal marked his career.

A famous Brazilian writer once said about Barbosa:

“Certainly, the most wronged creature in the history of Brazilian football. It was a masterly keeper. He used to make miracles, saving poisoned balls. Gigghia goal, in the 1950 World Cup final, dropped like a curse on him. And the more I see that goal, the more I absolve him. That match, Brazil lost the day before.”

Some say the Brazilians not only declared themselves champions before the match. They also went to a party the night befor and then everybody knows what happened.

Even being Brazilian, I look at Gigghia and think: He seems to be a nice old man.
http://www.betsfreebets.com free bet

lets hope it doesnt happen again in 2014…lol
CeCe

Crazy Maracanazo facts:

The loss was so shocking that some Brazilians committed suicide, at least two people throwing themselves from the stadium itself.

Almost the entire team was scrapped, since the players were regarded as failures, Brazil instead selected all new ones afterwards.

Brazil’s kit had been traditionally white (as it was in their first international game ever), but deemed bad luck and also scrapped. They ultimately settled on the now legendary Canary yellow for the 1954 World Cup.

Hate for Barbosa ran unfathomably deep, and no other Afro-Brazilian keeper started for the country in the World Cup until Dida in 2006.

There’s more crazy stuff about Maracanazo, epic upset.
http://littlemissdiana.blogpsot.com diana

I first learn about the silence of the Maracana after Brazil was awarded the rights to host the 2014 World Cup. Thanks for this.
http://flamengo.theoffside.com André

Gigghia at Maracanã Walk of Fame.

http://lancenet.com.br/resources/3319427.jpg
http://LaCelesteBlog.com Fernando

Bravo on the piece… Ghiggia getting his footprints in Maracana is important, what the piece doesn’t mention is that both Brazil & Uruguay’s fortunes turned that day… by the 1958 World Cup, Brazil became a powerhouse and Uruguay failed to assemble a new squad of players, Ghiggia & Schiaffino went chasing World Cup glory with Italy but didn’t make the final call-up squad.

The early 50’s were the last time Uruguay could be considered a dangerous side, although the 1970 squad finished 4th, they were beaten by a well-polished Brazilian team that instituted a playing style envied the world over.

Although Uruguay has become an afterthought, and is remembered about as fondidly as the 1970’s Polish teams or the Czechoslovakia team that were Finalists in 1962, Uruguay continues to try to forge ahead with little or no money, I’m hoping this World Cup will see a “snake-in-the-grass” Uruguayan side in 2010 but even if they don’t challenge or play decent football, at least there’s film out there (as evidenced by your YouTube clip)of when Uruguay mattered on the world scene.
Hector

andre i already posted the info about Ghiggia being in the Maracana sidewalk of fame.

smh Barbosa gave more criticizm to afro-brasilian players and it wasnt till the arrival of the young man known as Pele :P that African players were once again accepted into Brazilian NT consideration.
Hector

heck Flamengo’s coach Andrade is the first afro-brazilian coach to win E Copa Carioca and Brasileirao ever.