The Greatest Three Minutes of Footballing History
This is from Ruy Castro’s biography – Garrincha. The triumph and tragedy of Brazil’s forgotten footballing hero. (p.119-120). It really doesn’t need any pictures.
“Monsieur Guigue, a gendarme in his spare time, blow his whistle to start the match. Didi quickly pushes the ball out to the right: 15 seconds of the game gone. Garrincha takes the ball with his instep: 20 seconds. Kuznetov goes towards him. Garrincha feints left, but goes right. Kuznetzov falls to the ground to become the first João of the World Cup: 25 seconds: Garrincha takes the ball round Kuznetzov again: 27 seconds. And again: 30 seconds. And once more. The fans are on their feet. A startled Kuznetzov is on the ground: 32 seconds. Garrincha advances. Kuznetzov goes after him once more, this time supported by Voinov and Krijveski: 34 seconds. Garrincha pulls the ball this way, then that, and sets off with it down the right. The three Russians are scattered on the ground, Voinov with his backside in the air. The stadium explodes with laughter: 38 seconds. Garrincha fires in a powerful shot from a tight angle. The ball rockets off Yashin’s left-hand post and goes out for a goal-kick: 40 seconds. The fans go mad. Garrincha returns to the middle of the park, as ungainly as ever. He is applauded.
‘The fans are on their feet again. Garrincha moves forward with the ball. João Kuznetzov takes another tumble. Didi asks for the ball: 45 seconds. He sends a curved pass over Igor Netto and the ball falls at Pelé’s feet. Pelé gives it to Vavá: 48 seconds. Vavá to Didi, to Garrincha, back to Pelé. Pelé shoots, the ball hits the bar and goes over: 55 seconds. The place is mind-boggling. As is Garrincha’s rhythm. Yashin’s shirt is soaked in sweat, as if he’s already been on the field for hours. The wave of attacks continues. Time after time Garrincha decimates the Russians. There is hysteria in the stadium. And an explosion when Vavá scores after exactly three minutes.
‘That was how reporter Ney Bianchi, writing in the Manchete Esportiva, described the start of the game, as if he had one eye on the ball and another on the clock. Another journalist, the Frenchman Gabriel Hannot, would say later that they were the greatest three minutes in the history of football – and at more than 70 years old he had been witness to much of it. The onslaught was so impressive that as soon as Brazil scored Yashin congratulated the first Brazilian to come near him – which happened to be Pelé.
And there were still 87 minutes to go …”
LATEST COMMENTS