To the Manner Born
Forty-nine years ago today, Brazil won its first World Cup Final, defeating the Swedes in Stockholm. It was the completion of one of soccer’s greatest coming-out parties, as the 17-year-old Pelé was announced to the world as a football phenomenon. Pelé was coming off a semi-final against France in which he broke a 2-2 tie in the 52nd minute and then proceeded to score two more goals for a natural hat trick that sealed the 5-2 victory and a trip to the final.
5-2 was again the score in the final, and Pelé again scored the last goals for the Brazilians, this time the last two, the first of which was a goal for the ages. Although I’m sure you’ve seen this goal many times, check it out again below. Equally amazing to me as the feat itself is how effortless he makes it seem, such that the whole transaction almost looks like the most natural thing in the world – of course, faced with an oncoming defender, he would just chest the ball to his feet, lob it over that defender, and then take it on the volley into the corner of the net. I mean, what the hell else was he going to do?
June 30th, 2007 at 3:59 am
that cosmos movie only cements his legacy.
June 30th, 2007 at 3:10 pm
Very cool fact about this final is that on their victory lap the Brazilians hoisted a Swedish flag to honour their hosts/opponents. That kind of sportsmanship is unheard of.
July 2nd, 2007 at 1:04 pm
all that stuff about “so and so is the next pele” is complete and total bullshit. there will never be another pele.
July 2nd, 2007 at 2:12 pm
Yeah, I must say, I’m not even that big a hockey fan, but I feel the same way about anyone who talks about the next Gretzky.
July 2nd, 2007 at 2:29 pm
Pele and Garrincha in ’58…damn son, that would’ve been a terrifying twosome to face
July 2nd, 2007 at 10:00 pm
Ro-Ro-Ronaldo, the annointed one, the kid, the boy wonder….nuff said