Brazil’s Taça Independência 50 years on

Fifty years ago today, Brazil beat Portugal in the Final of the Taça Independência (Brazil Independence Cup) in what was the biggest gathering of football nations ever before 1982. Not only did the Final pit world champions Brazil against its former colonial power, there was also a sting in the tail that still intrigues us today… The 1960s and early 1970s was an era of huge transformation in Brazil. In 1960, the new capital city of Brasilia was inaugurated, which ushered in a period of economic growth that became known as the Brazilian Miracle. A vast infrastructure programme aimed at opening up the whole of the country was implemented, with roads and bridges built to connect previously isolated areas. It was also an era that in part coincided with a military regime, particularly that of President Médici from 1969 to 1974. It also happened to be a time when Brazilian football was at its peak…

The national team had won the 1970 FIFA World Cup™ in some style and, sensing an opportunity to deflect attention from the growing number of protests, the government was quick to turn to football. Images and films showing the World Cup heroes of 1970 promoting Brazil’s economic miracle were commonplace, while the stars all took part in a first-ever national championship, launched in 1971 as a part of the drive to bring remote parts of Brazil centre stage in football. This was accompanied by a programme to build new stadiums across this vast country. The new stadium in Maceió was even called the Estádio Rei Pelé. 1972 offered the regime a unique opportunity to stage its own football tournament to showcase the Brazilian Miracle to the world. The year marked the 150th anniversary of Brazil’s independence from Portugal and so the government decided to draw on the popular South American tradition of celebrating important anniversaries. Argentina had marked the centenary of its independence in 1916 by staging the first South American Championship. In 1930, Uruguay went one better by hosting the first World Cup to mark its centenary. Billed in the Brazilian press as a mini-World Cup, the Taça Independência may have lacked the presence of the three former European World Cup winners, but all ten South American nations were present, along with seven from Europe, Asian champions Iran, and continental selections from both Africa and North America. It was the largest international football tournament that had ever been organised, involving 44 matches across 12 cities and 20 teams. By comparison, the 1970 World Cup had just 16 teams playing 32 games in only five cities. Not until 1982 would the FIFA World Cup involve more teams or games. While the format of the 1970 World Cup had been straightforward, the 1972 Minicopa (as it became known) was anything but. Not all of the teams were available for the start date of 11 June, and so Scotland, Czechoslovakia, the Soviet Union and Uruguay – along with hosts Brazil – were given a bye to the second round. There they would be joined by the winners of the three first-round groups in two groups of four teams, the winners of which would qualify for the Final.

The first-round group games were all staged away from the traditional football centres, a symbolic nod to the regions of the country benefiting from the Economic Miracle. Six of the eight stadiums – in Manaus, Natal, Recife, Maceió, Aracaju and Campo Grande had been newly constructed, while Salvador’s Estádio Fonte Nova had had a complete overhaul. Israel’s Abraham Klein was one of the referees chosen to officiate at the tournament, but was surprised that the attendances were not higher. In an interview with FIFA Museum historian Guy Oliver he recalled: “The supporters didn’t seem to have much experience of football from outside of Brazil and weren’t used to seeing other national teams. I refereed the Yugoslavia v. Bolivia game at Campo Grande and just 15,000 turned up to watch the game.” Elsewhere, there were only 1,928 fans in Salvador for the North America against Africa match, and a hugely disappointing crowd of just 6,587 for the deciding Group 1 match between Argentina and France in the same stadium three days later. The 0-0 draw in that game saw Argentina qualify ahead of the French on goal difference as only the winners of the five-team first-round groups progressed. The French were unable to break down a solid Argentina defence, which knew that a 0-0 draw would see them through. Both nations had been absent from the 1970 World Cup in Mexico, as were the winners of the other two groups ¬– Portugal and Yugoslavia. In a tight Group 2, Portugal beat the Republic of Ireland 2-1 in the final round of matches to qualify with maximum points, while the nine goals of Dušan Bajević helped see Yugoslavia head Group 3 ahead of Paraguay. If enthusiasm had been muted in the first round, the introduction of the hosts and the move to São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte and Porto Alegre for the two second-round groups did see an upswing in interest. Brazil kicked off the proceedings with a match against Czechoslovakia in front of a crowd of 115,000 at the Maracanã. Much of the Brazil team from Mexico two years earlier remained, with one main exception – Pelé, who had retired from international football one year previously. Without him, the Brazilians seemed to lack the swagger and the aura of invincibility that had taken them to the world title. Against the Czechoslovaks, they failed to score as they were held to a disappointing draw.

The following day, Portugal beat Argentina 3-1 in a quarter-full Maracanã in what proved to be the decisive game of the other group. With their 1966 World Cup heroes Eusébio and José Augusto still with the team as captain and coach respectively, Portugal booked their place in the Final by beating a Soviet Union team that featured only Vladimir Onishchenko from the side that had lost to West Germany in the European Championship Final just two weeks before. Brazil’s group came to a head in the game between the world champions and Scotland. Klein was chosen to referee to match. “It was the biggest crowd at the whole tournament,” he recalled. “There were 130,000 in the Maracanã and Scotland were a really strong team at that time. I was the referee at three matches involving Brazil from 1970 to 1972 and Brazil won all of them 1-0. Jairzinho had scored the only goal against England at the 1970 World Cup, and here he scored the only goal of the game against Scotland.” With 82 minutes gone, he stooped low to head home a Rivellino cross to send Brazil into the Final. Surprisingly, there were fewer fans in the Maracanã for the Final four days later in what was a coming together of two of the great nations of the lusophone world. Brazil’s best performance of the tournament had been the 3-0 victory against Yugoslavia, but they had had to rely on set pieces for two of those goals, and it was a free kick that won them the match against Portugal. The Portuguese had been roundly booed at the start of the match, a legacy perhaps of colonial days, but as the game went on, they gained the respect of the crowd, keeping the Brazilians at bay for 89 minutes. All that changed in the final minute.

With Abraham Klein close to blowing for full-time, he awarded Brazil a free kick on the edge of the box close to the goal line. Up stepped Rivellino to take it and as the ball floated into the six-yard box, it was met by Jairzinho, whose header looped over the desperately lunging José Henrique in the Portuguese goal. A third 1-0 victory for Brazil with Klein officiating, and a third goal for Jairzinho in those three matches! At the end of the game, Klein came away with two prized possessions: the match ball that now has its home in the FIFA Museum collection, and a solid-gold commemorative whistle. During the presentation ceremony, however, he also got a close-up view of the extraordinary trophy that had been made for the occasion. Unlike any other trophy made before or since, it was handed over to Brazil captain Gérson. Nothing remarkable about this perhaps, but as Klein returned to the Hotel Glória along with the thousands of fans streaming to the Copacabana to celebrate a special victory over the former colonial power, little did he know that he would be one of the very few people ever to see this unique trophy up close. “It disappeared not long after,” Klein said. Indeed, on the night of 19 December 1983, thieves broke into the headquarters of the Brazilian Football Association and stole the cup. But it wasn’t the only trophy stolen that night. The burglars left with two others – a cup Brazil had received for finishing in second place at the 1950 World Cup, and… the original World Cup itself, the Jules Rimet Trophy. Much has been said and written about the theft of the Jules Rimet Trophy and how it might have been melted down, but little has been said about the Taça Independência trophy. Was it too melted down? Was such an ornate cup even possible to melt down? If not, what happened to it? Was it stolen to order by a collector or did the thieves seize the opportunity to take it while originally just being after the World Cup? If so, what are the implications for the fate of the Jules Rimet Trophy? These are questions that may never be answered, but one day, perhaps, the truth will come out.

Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro Sunday, 09.07.1972, 18:00 99,138 Spectators BRAZIL 1-0 PORTUGAL Goal: Jairzinho 89 Referees: Abraham Klein ISR, Keith Walker ENG [&] Guillermo Velásquez COL Brazil Leão – Zé Maria, Brito, Vantuir, Marco Antônio (Rodrigues Neto 40) – Clodoaldo, Gérson (c), Rivellino – Jairzinho, Tostão, Leivinha (Dario 60). Mario Zagallo (Manager) Portugal José Henrique – Artur Correia, Humberto Coelho, Messias Timula, Adolfo Calisto – Toni, Jaime Graça, Peres – Rui Jordão (Artur Jorge 77), Eusébio (c), Dinis. José Augusto (Manager)