Brazil 1950: The loudest silence in football history

It was the year when the first color televisions appeared, and computers could already perform a thousand operations per second. Marilyn Monroe was knocking on Hollywood's door when the world's best national teams, after a 12-year break due to World War II, gathered in Brazil to play the fourth World Cup.

Only six national teams came from Europe, which was still covered in war ruins. FIFA banned the participation of Germany by directive, while England, the cradle of football, appeared for the first time at the World Cup. Before that, the English thought that such reviews were not worth their attention, but in Brazil they experienced a severe slap from the United States of America (0:1).

"The winning goal for the Americans was not the work of General George Washington, but of a black-skinned forward midfielder of Haitian origin named Larry Gaetjens," the journalists wrote ironically, making jokes at the expense of the English.

Brazil and Uruguay met in the final. According to many, it was one of the greatest games in the history of football. At "Maracana", the largest stadium in the world, 200 fans gathered and everything was ready to celebrate the hosts.

"The Brazilian players, who saw off all their opponents with a bunch of goals, received gold watches that said 'world champions' the day before the final. The front pages of the Brazilian newspapers were printed in advance, and the huge carriages that were supposed to go at the head of the celebratory procession were already ready," the media described the atmosphere before the final.

But Uruguay won with a score of 2:1. The Brazilians took the lead through Friasa, while the Uruguayans turned it around with goals from Skiafina Gide.

"When Uruguay's second goal was scored, the 'Maracana' fell silent, it was the loudest silence in the history of football," wrote Uruguayan journalist and writer Eduardo Galeano.

It was the famous "Marakanaco" - the Maracana flood.

Local journalists declared this defeat as the biggest tragedy in the history of Brazil, although a similar "silence" was heard 64 years later, in Belo Horizonte, when the Germans outclassed the Brazilians 2014:7 in the semi-finals of the World Cup 1, at the "Mineirao" stadium.

The final match in Rio in 1950 will be remembered for numerous anecdotes - for example, how journalist Ari Barroso left the position of commentator forever, or how Fifa president Gilles Rime lost his way around the field because he already had a prepared speech in his pocket in honor of Brazil's victory.

"I was alone, with the cup in my hands, not knowing what to do. Finally I found the Uruguayan Obdulio Varela and almost surreptitiously handed him the cup. I held out my hand to him without saying a word," Gilles Rime described many years later.

It was Varela who was declared a national hero in Uruguay. Legend has it that that night after the great triumph, he wandered the streets of Rio de Janeiro alone, going from bar to bar and drinking beer in the arms of the defeated. All of Brazil was in tears, but no one recognized him. The next day, at Montevideo, where a grand reception was given, Obdulio escaped the crowd by disguising himself as Humphrey Bogart, with his hat knocked over his head and his coat collar turned up. The World Cup in Brazil will also be remembered for the tragic fate of the home goalkeeper Barbosa, who was a hero before the final, and an enemy of the state after it.

"In Brazil, the maximum penalty prescribed by law is 30 years in prison. And I've been paying for a crime I didn't commit for 40 years," described Barbosa.

Third place at the World Cup was taken by Sweden, fourth was Spain.

Yugoslavia played in a group with Brazil and took second place - only the first position then meant placement in the final round.

In the group, "Blues" beat Switzerland 3:0 with goals from Rajko Mitić, Kosta Tomašević and Tihomir-Bata Ognjanov, then they were convincing against Mexico 4:1 (two goals from Željko Čajkovski, one each from Stjepan Bobek and Tomašević), but lost 150:2 to Brazil in the decisive match for passage, in front of almost 0 spectators at "Maracana" in Rio. The goals of Ademir and Zizinje decided.