Mexico 1970…

All lovers of football have an ideal- they dream of football being played perfectly, with skill and vision, a blend of incisive passing interplay and individual skill. Week after week, season after season this desire to witness sublimity is frustrated. There are not many satisfactory cinematic records of the Hungarian team of the 1950’s, or even of the Real Madrid team of 1955-1960, so to most fans the acme of footballing perfection lies with Mario Zagallo’s Brazil of 1970.
Here at Kartoshka towers I watch Carlos Alberto’s goal in the 1970 World Cup Final with Italy at least once a month.
Clodoaldo’s audacious composure (his languid back heel had led to Italy’s 37th minute equaliser)as he beat four Italian players in his own half before the Alberto goal is breathtaking, as indeed is Pelé’s visionary pass that teed up his captian’s thunderous finish.
Here is the team (will we ever see Brazil field eleven domestic based players in a World Cup again?):
1 Félix (Fluminense)
2 Hércules Brito (Cruzeiro)
3 Wilson Piazza (Cruzeiro)
4 Carlos Alberto Torres (c)(Santos)
16 Everaldo (Gremio)
5 Clodoaldo (Santos)
8 Gérson (São Paulo)
7 Jairzinho (Botafogo)
9 Tostão(Cruzeiro)
10 Pelé (Santos)
11 Rivelino (Corinthians)


By becoming three time winners Brazil earned the right to retain the Jules Rimet Trophy permanently.
Anatoliy Puzach of the Soviet Union became the first substitute in World Cup Finals, coming on at half time against Mexico. Red and yellow cards were introduced, but the red remained unused throughout the tournament, which was the first to be broadcast in colour.