Mane GARINCHA: RISE OF A LEGEND
The art of dribbling is believed to be the bona fide property of the footballing nation of Brazil. They are credited with the fact that they showed the world that football could be played in a fashion that resembled a dance move: a dance they call the samba. There is one player who is believed to embody the spirit of Samba football and that is Mané Garrincha or the one they call “Anjo de Pernas Tortas.” This article describes his rise to global stardom after helping Brazil win and retain the most coveted trophy that had eluded them for decades, the World Cup, in 1958 and 1962. Picking up the golden boot and the golden ball in the 1962 tournament where he showed the world who he was and what he could do after leading the heartbroken nation of Brazil to win the tournament. This is part two of the three-part series talking about the life of Manoel Francisco Dos Santos affectionately known as Mané Garrincha.
Botafogo de Futebool e Regatas is a club founded on December 8th, 1942 as a result of two clubs bearing identical names in the region of Botafogo agreed to come together and hold one touch for the sake of their beloved town Botafogo in Rio De Janeiro. The club is known for its rich history and their simple emblem which comprises of a shield and a lone star lying in the shield in a black background. The lone star in their emblem got the club its nickname as the “The Lone Star”. Botafogo as a club enjoyed its success years between 1920 and 1930 but the club will forever remember the height and popularity it enjoyed during the mid-1950’s when they decided to include an undisciplined genius in their ranks in the person of Manoel Francisco Dos Santos affectionately known as Mané Garrincha or Garrincha for short in the year 1953. Time was the only determining factor whether or not this alliance was going to be fruitful.
After signing his professional contract, Garrincha didn’t get the opportunity to introduce the fans of his new club to the Garrincha experience until two months later. When he finally got the opportunity to step foot on the pitch, Botafogo realised what they paid for and the fans will never forget the feeling they had when they saw him go through the defence like they were just training cones as this orgasmic feeling will be the same they experience each time they watch Botafogo with Garrincha in the squad.. The performance was definitely worth the wait. He singlehandedly won the match for Botafogo as he recorded a hat-trick on his debut. After the game, Pincel and Swing stormed the pitch in the spirit of excitement and carried him of the pitch. That night, they partied like Romans when the Roman empire was in its prime. His time on the pitch was limited because he was competing with a proven player called Juninho for the right-wing spot. Garrincha got his chance when Juninho transferred to Fiorentina – later becoming a club legend for the viola.
After Juninho left, Garrincha wore the boots quite better than him (Juninho). In no time, he had established himself as a football genius and a master of dribbling and at the same time as a man with disciplinary issues. Garrincha travelled home after every game to Pau Grande just to go and party with his friends. The parties always start when Garrincha step foot in Pau Grande on Sunday evening and it continues through the night till the next morning and then they pick up on Monday. It was a miracle they could keep things going that way but that was Garrincha and his friends. Being a life of the party meant Garrincha usually missed the Tuesday reporting time. Each time he had a new excuse as to why he missed the reporting time. The excuse ranged from “My father fell of the horse” to “I had to take my wife to see the doctor”. The club officials and everyone knew he was lying but they didn’t know how to handle the situation so they began to adjust and accommodate his quirks. The club had to deal with his off the pitch antics as well as his on the pitch antics as he disregarded the tactics deployed by manager Zezé Moreira and did what he loved doing best thus dribbling and enjoying himself and the same time treating the spectators to a pleasant showing of skill and the true definition of samba football. Even with all that, he ended up recording 20 goals from 26 games and propelling the team to a third-place finish at the end of his first season.
The more he grew, the more his drinking exploits and other vices increased. It is believed he used to fill his flask with gin so he could drink on the go. Zezé Moreira suspected Garrincha was up to his usual shenanigans when he observed him take more than normal drinks from his flask. He was okay with his disregard for tactics, his off the pitch antics but this whole flask thing was a step too far for the young lad.
On one of their trips abroad, Botafogo faced French club Reims in a preseason friendly. Botafogo were up 5-1 and were in cruise control so Zezé ordered Nilton Santos to keep possession. The order was disseminated to the rest of the team. Garrincha obeyed the orders but then he did it in typical Garrincha fashion. He picked the ball and went on a marauding run, taking on anyone who crossed his path. For a second there Zezé was furious and ordered Garrincha not to score but Garrincha wasn’t going to score. He had found a way to execute the comment in a way he loved and thus treat the French spectators a taste of Garrincha. He continued until he got to the post and then stopped, turned around and dribbled his way back. At the end of the game, the spectators were so amazed they gave him a standing ovation. It was also on one of the teams outing when on trips that Zezé decided to test his hypothesis. He saw that Garrincha was taking an unusual amount of water from his flask disguised as tonic water. Zezé approached the young man and requested a sip of the tonic water. Garrincha knowing he had been caught tried to talk his way out of it by claiming it wasn’t hygienic for Zezé to drink from the same glass as him. Zezé brushed it off and took a sip. Zezé spit the whole content out from his mouth because the glass was filled with gin. His suspicion was right.
His off the pitch antics and work ethics was a problem and that almost hindered his chances of being called up to represent the country in the famous yellow and green outfit of the Seleçao if not for the fact that he had proven time and again that, he could deliver when given the opportunity on the pitch. So, in 1955, two years after signing for Botafogo, 22-year-old Garrincha got his first call up. The game was a friendly against Chile. The match ended 1-1 but Jordan, who was the full back in that game, remembers the days leading up to the game quite fondly. Garrincha had invited him to a night out. He (Jordan) thought they were going for a nice chat over a glass of water or something but when they got there, to his amazement, Garrincha slayed a couple of glasses of the strong rum Cachaça. He (Jordan) thought it was going to affect him (Garrincha) on matchday but Garrincha held his on the pitch and produced an impressive performance although some journalists and critics felt he held on to the ball for far too long.
In 1957 Botafogo were crowned the winner of the Campeonato Carioca after an impressive season showing from the team. Most especially Garrincha and then new recruit Didi, who plied his tried at Fluminense. Didi knew the sort of player “The Little Bird” was since he had come up against him when he was at Fluminense but he didn’t really know the height of how annoying it could be sometimes when playing with Garrincha. One time, he shouted to Garrincha to set him up but Garrincha didn’t really mind him or so it seemed but rather Garrincha hadn’t had his fill on taking on the defenders. He took on about 5 defenders before he set him (Didi) to score. After that run of play, Garrincha went to Didi and was like “Didi what did you say? I didn’t hear you.” That was his style. He was like a robot wired to perform one task: take on defenders at any point in time. Garrincha lit up the season and along the line developed a ferocious shot and dead ball abilities whiles perfecting the “banana” shot.
His impressive showing for Botafogo earned him a spot in the Seleçao to vie for the opportunity to be crowned world champions in the 1958 world cup which was held in Sweden. Before he got his chance, Julinho had to pass up on the opportunity with the view that, the boys had earned their spot and that it was time for others to fight for the country. Garrincha will light up the tournament but the tournament will always be remembered by the exploits of a 17-year-old Pele. The medical report showed that the Brazilian team had so many issues ranging from syphilis to bad teeth – which was basically all the players. Garrincha got things fixed and even went ahead to remove his tonsils, something he had put off for years. He returned, reduced in weight by 9 pounds and pale. He still managed to give his trademark smile and joked “I have fulfilled my childhood dreams, having an ice cream and having my tonsils out.”
The Brazilian team lodged in a hotel in Hindas. The hotel was ordered to replace all female staff in order to prevent any form of distraction. Just across the hotel was a nudist camp. Officials went there to request they cover up but that would be against their beliefs so the nudist camp refused. When the players learned of something like that, they got themselves Binoculars so they could watch them walk around nude.
Before Brazil went to Sweden, the team played a friendly against Fiorentina. That game is mostly remembered by the outstanding goal Garrincha scored. He took the ball down the right wing, went on his famous marauding run, took on every defender who got in his way, got into the box, dribbled the keeper and then was face to face with an empty net. Garrincha didn’t feel satisfied so he stood waiting for the defenders to try and cover. He got his wish and then dribbled them again before walking the ball over the line into the net doing all that whiles smiling. That wasn’t the first and it wasn’t going to be the last time he was going to render defenders useless and give his trademark smile in the process. One time he took on a defender, beat him, waited for him to recover and then beat him again. This time the defender fell down but Garrincha showed good sportsmanship and returned to help the defender up his feet and then beat him again before he went forward. He is also remembered for toying with defender so much so the defender gave up and decided not to pursue him again. These instances of showboating made the writer of his biography, Ruy Castro, refer to him as the most amateur professional footballer ever.
Garrincha and young Pele got their chance after some of the senior players made a case on their behalf after they were unused in the first two games against Austria and England. Feola, manager of Brazil, was still having problems having a balanced team especially upfront. Feola considered it and unleashed one of the greatest if not the greatest partnership in the history of the world cup in the final group game against USSR who had the ever reliable Yashin in post. The new look attack had everything; discipline, skill and imagination all in the right proportion. Feola finally was able to balance his attack. The first three minutes of the game is claimed to be the best three minutes ever in the game of football. The Soviet Union players didn’t know what hit them. Garrincha was tearing them apart on the right, Pele and Vava doing their thing across the pitch. The game ended 2-0 in favour of Brazil courtesy two goals from Vava. Garrincha was confused at first as to the format of the competition when saw the dejected faces of the players from the USSR. He thought they was going to be a second leg like the normal league system.
Wales were the unlucky opponents to meet Brazil in the quarter finals. The Brazilians bombarded them through out the entire game. The game ended 1-0 although the score line wasn’t a true reflection of the game, Brazil were through. After the game, Mel Hopkins said “When he stood and faced you his legs went one way and his body the other, there is no doubt about it, he could have been declared a cripple. But my God could he play. He attacked with such pace and I believe he was more of a danger than Pele. I believe at the time he was a phenomenon, capable of sheer magic.”
The Semi-final tie against France promised to be a master showpiece as the all round attack of Brazil was meeting the one man show attack of France led by Juste Fontaine - who was having the tournament of his life and will go on to set the record of most goals in a single world cup tournament after scoring 13 goals - but the French coach decided to bench Fontaine claiming he was keeping him fresh for the finals. That decision blew in his face as Brazil run riot defeating them 5-2. That game was an all Pele affair as the teenager bagged a hat-trick but Garrincha had a huge influence as he teared the defence to shreds each time, he had the ball at his feet.
The final showdown was between Brazil and host nation, Sweden. The Swedish coach in his pre-match conference stated that, if they are able to draw first blood in the game, they will be able to destabilize the Brazilians and that would open up more opportunities for them to inflict more damage. The game is also remembered for the birth of the Blue alternative kit used by Brazil. Since both teams wore yellow, there was a toss to find out who would wear the home kit and Brazil lost so they had to make provisions for a blue kit to use. The game kicked off and within 15 minutes, Sweden had drawn first blood. Everything was going on well for the Swedish coach but at the other side of the coin, the Brazilians at home were fearing for the worst. Hoping the spirit of the miracle of Maracanã won’t rise up to haunt them after 8 years. Didi took the ball from the keeper and they went to restart the game. Garrincha and the boys upfront had a different story in mind to write. By halftime Brazil was leading 2-1 courtesy Vava with both assists coming from Garrincha all in similar fashion. Brazil went on to win the 5-2 and then finally the world cup was won. The Brazilians in the stadium went crazy but back home celebrations were even more intense. When they returned home, the fans greeted them in a massive fashion. Garrincha had pontificated his way into the hearts of the people and he had become known to them as “Anjo de Pernas Tortas” which meant the Angel with Bent Legs. Garrincha on account of his poor financial knowledge and carefree attitude hid his world cup bonus in the mattress of his children with his wife. When they went for the money later, it had been destroyed due to bedwetting. After his exploits in Sweden, Garrincha had become a star of national status. These new heights meant more drinking, more nights out with women and in no time, Garrincha had gained weight. During one his drinking exploits, he ran his father over with his car although his father didn’t suffer any injury. His father later died after battling lung cancer due to the incessant drinking attitude.
His off the pitch antics grew more wilder and became more public due to his stardom. Garrincha now stocky, returned to Sweden in 1959 this time with Botafogo on a preseason tour. There he met with a nice Swedish girl and ended up bedding her. Nine months later, he got a telegram informing him he was now a father to a young boy. This new child of his was his first born since his wife only bore girls. With all his antics, Garrincha was responsible and so he began to send money over for the up keep of the boy. On his return to domestic football, Garrincha propelled Botafogo to two mor Campeonato Carioca trophies in 1961 and 1962.
In November 1961, Garrincha met Elza Soares in Rio. Elza was the queen of Brazilian music. Every corner one turned; one could hear the voice of Elza blasting from a stereo. They fell in love and started living together even in the knowledge that Garrincha had a family in Pau Grande. This alliance was the victim of criticism, angry letters, death threats and abuse from a section of the people. With Garrincha now stocky, he lost his spot in the national team but then he regained it in time for the 1962 world cup. That tournament would be remembered for the exploits of Garrincha.
In 1962, Brazil travelled to Chile to defend the title. This time the team was coached by the brother of Zeze Moreira, Aimore Moreira. They got their tittle defense off on a good start by dispatching off Mexico in simple fashion. The game ended 2-0 but it is remembered for the second half spectacular goal scored by Pele. The second group game ended in a stalemate but Pele once again was the centre of attention. This time the young man now called O Rei which means “The King” in Portuguese suffered a groin injury. It turns out Pele had the injury even before the world cup but still managed to find a way to hide it. That injury was the end of the road for Pele.
With Pele out, the question was, who was going to take up the mantle and drive the team. In the last group game against Spain who came with virtually players from Real Madrid including Francisco Gento, Luis Del Sol and the Galloping Major Ferenc Puskas, Amarildo handed Brazil the qualification after bagging himself a brace in the latter minutes of the game. It was still clear there was no one to take up the mantle. In the quarter final against England, Garrincha showed that he was capable of leading. The man who behaved like a kid trapped in a man’s body was going to put on hold his amateurish attitude and lead a nation with no hope to retain the world cup. Against England in the quarter finals, Garrincha led the 3-1 riot. He literally blew the English defence to smithereens. His marker Ray Wilson had a terrible day in the game. He was no match for the angel with bent legs. He used the right side and cut in so much so it felt like there was nobody there to stop him. The English press touted him as a breed of “Stanley Mathews, Tom Finney and a snake charmer all rolled into one.”
The semi-final saw Brazil take on host nation Chile, a nation fighting for something to hold on top after suffering a natural disaster that almost hindered their world cup bid and also the loss of their FA president, Carlos Dittborn, who led fight in acquiring the bid just before the tournament even started. That game was the end of the Chilean train and once again Garrincha proved to be the determining factor. He scored twice as Vava also replicated the feat to push Brazil 4-2 ahead. The game had a bitter end for Brazil and Garrincha as he received a red card for retaliating a challenge, he suffered at the hands of Eladio Rojas. The Chilean newspaper El Mercurio published an article with the headline “What Planet is Garrincha from?”
The days leading to the final would be filled with confusion as the Brazilian government pressed Fifa to allow Garrincha feature in the final against Czechoslovakia. Fifa had more problem coming its way as the Czechoslovakians also petitioned that Garrincha be allowed to feature. Fifa folded and Garrincha got the green light to play. It would seem right for the Czechoslovakians to want Garrincha out but they showed otherwise. The coach of Czechoslovakia had his own plans on stopping the Angel with bent legs. More good news for Brazil came as Pele was nearing full fitness. He had reached a level where he could actually play and he wanted to but the medical staff and the coach agreed it was too big a risk and with Garrincha leading the nation, it was right he nursed his injury so he returns to full fitness. The game started and just like 4 years ago, Brazil were down in the opening 15 minutes. The plan of the Czechoslovakians was to hold onto the ball, thus maintaining possession whiles neutralising Garrincha at the same time by putting two men on him. Unfortunately, they couldn’t hold on for long as Brazil equalised before halftime courtesy Amarildo, who was doing well filling in the shoes of Pele. In the second half, the Czechoslovakians tried to hold Brazil to the draw and hit them on a counter but that didn’t work. Midway into proceedings, Zito added the second goal to push Brazil 2-1 up. Neutralising Garrincha worked on one scale although he still had chances and he took them on but he wasn’t as effective as you would want him to be but, on another level, it meant they (Czechoslovakia) were at a numerical disadvantage against a team with so much talent. Vava sealed the game with 13 minutes left to play. Brazil held on to the win and was able to defend the title. Brazil were world champions for the second time on the bounce and Garrincha was the star of the show. He went home with both the golden ball as the best player and the golden boot as the top scorer, a feat he shared with Vava since they were joint top scorers. Garrincha was now known as Alegria do Povo (They joy of the People).
Finally, Garrincha had reached global stardom. The young ignorant and carefree boy from Pau Grande had finally arrived at the big stage and he was able cement his name in the books of history. Now everyone knew who Garrincha was and he had successfully cemented his name as the best dribbler of the ball in the world a feat which is still yet to be achieved although it is believed Ronaldinho came close. The world had witnessed first-hand the exploits of the one they called Anjo de Pernas Tortas: The Angel with Bent Legs and he was truly a master in the art of football. After the rise comes the fall and the next part of this series will address the decline that followed after he stayed on top for a few more years after the 1962 world cup.
@Bo
The art of dribbling is believed to be the bona fide property of the footballing nation of Brazil. They are credited with the fact that they showed the world that football could be played in a fashion that resembled a dance move: a dance they call the samba. There is one player who is believed to embody the spirit of Samba football and that is Mané Garrincha or the one they call “Anjo de Pernas Tortas.” This article describes his rise to global stardom after helping Brazil win and retain the most coveted trophy that had eluded them for decades, the World Cup, in 1958 and 1962. Picking up the golden boot and the golden ball in the 1962 tournament where he showed the world who he was and what he could do after leading the heartbroken nation of Brazil to win the tournament. This is part two of the three-part series talking about the life of Manoel Francisco Dos Santos affectionately known as Mané Garrincha.
Botafogo de Futebool e Regatas is a club founded on December 8th, 1942 as a result of two clubs bearing identical names in the region of Botafogo agreed to come together and hold one touch for the sake of their beloved town Botafogo in Rio De Janeiro. The club is known for its rich history and their simple emblem which comprises of a shield and a lone star lying in the shield in a black background. The lone star in their emblem got the club its nickname as the “The Lone Star”. Botafogo as a club enjoyed its success years between 1920 and 1930 but the club will forever remember the height and popularity it enjoyed during the mid-1950’s when they decided to include an undisciplined genius in their ranks in the person of Manoel Francisco Dos Santos affectionately known as Mané Garrincha or Garrincha for short in the year 1953. Time was the only determining factor whether or not this alliance was going to be fruitful.
After signing his professional contract, Garrincha didn’t get the opportunity to introduce the fans of his new club to the Garrincha experience until two months later. When he finally got the opportunity to step foot on the pitch, Botafogo realised what they paid for and the fans will never forget the feeling they had when they saw him go through the defence like they were just training cones as this orgasmic feeling will be the same they experience each time they watch Botafogo with Garrincha in the squad.. The performance was definitely worth the wait. He singlehandedly won the match for Botafogo as he recorded a hat-trick on his debut. After the game, Pincel and Swing stormed the pitch in the spirit of excitement and carried him of the pitch. That night, they partied like Romans when the Roman empire was in its prime. His time on the pitch was limited because he was competing with a proven player called Juninho for the right-wing spot. Garrincha got his chance when Juninho transferred to Fiorentina – later becoming a club legend for the viola.
After Juninho left, Garrincha wore the boots quite better than him (Juninho). In no time, he had established himself as a football genius and a master of dribbling and at the same time as a man with disciplinary issues. Garrincha travelled home after every game to Pau Grande just to go and party with his friends. The parties always start when Garrincha step foot in Pau Grande on Sunday evening and it continues through the night till the next morning and then they pick up on Monday. It was a miracle they could keep things going that way but that was Garrincha and his friends. Being a life of the party meant Garrincha usually missed the Tuesday reporting time. Each time he had a new excuse as to why he missed the reporting time. The excuse ranged from “My father fell of the horse” to “I had to take my wife to see the doctor”. The club officials and everyone knew he was lying but they didn’t know how to handle the situation so they began to adjust and accommodate his quirks. The club had to deal with his off the pitch antics as well as his on the pitch antics as he disregarded the tactics deployed by manager Zezé Moreira and did what he loved doing best thus dribbling and enjoying himself and the same time treating the spectators to a pleasant showing of skill and the true definition of samba football. Even with all that, he ended up recording 20 goals from 26 games and propelling the team to a third-place finish at the end of his first season.
The more he grew, the more his drinking exploits and other vices increased. It is believed he used to fill his flask with gin so he could drink on the go. Zezé Moreira suspected Garrincha was up to his usual shenanigans when he observed him take more than normal drinks from his flask. He was okay with his disregard for tactics, his off the pitch antics but this whole flask thing was a step too far for the young lad.
On one of their trips abroad, Botafogo faced French club Reims in a preseason friendly. Botafogo were up 5-1 and were in cruise control so Zezé ordered Nilton Santos to keep possession. The order was disseminated to the rest of the team. Garrincha obeyed the orders but then he did it in typical Garrincha fashion. He picked the ball and went on a marauding run, taking on anyone who crossed his path. For a second there Zezé was furious and ordered Garrincha not to score but Garrincha wasn’t going to score. He had found a way to execute the comment in a way he loved and thus treat the French spectators a taste of Garrincha. He continued until he got to the post and then stopped, turned around and dribbled his way back. At the end of the game, the spectators were so amazed they gave him a standing ovation. It was also on one of the teams outing when on trips that Zezé decided to test his hypothesis. He saw that Garrincha was taking an unusual amount of water from his flask disguised as tonic water. Zezé approached the young man and requested a sip of the tonic water. Garrincha knowing he had been caught tried to talk his way out of it by claiming it wasn’t hygienic for Zezé to drink from the same glass as him. Zezé brushed it off and took a sip. Zezé spit the whole content out from his mouth because the glass was filled with gin. His suspicion was right.
His off the pitch antics and work ethics was a problem and that almost hindered his chances of being called up to represent the country in the famous yellow and green outfit of the Seleçao if not for the fact that he had proven time and again that, he could deliver when given the opportunity on the pitch. So, in 1955, two years after signing for Botafogo, 22-year-old Garrincha got his first call up. The game was a friendly against Chile. The match ended 1-1 but Jordan, who was the full back in that game, remembers the days leading up to the game quite fondly. Garrincha had invited him to a night out. He (Jordan) thought they were going for a nice chat over a glass of water or something but when they got there, to his amazement, Garrincha slayed a couple of glasses of the strong rum Cachaça. He (Jordan) thought it was going to affect him (Garrincha) on matchday but Garrincha held his on the pitch and produced an impressive performance although some journalists and critics felt he held on to the ball for far too long.
In 1957 Botafogo were crowned the winner of the Campeonato Carioca after an impressive season showing from the team. Most especially Garrincha and then new recruit Didi, who plied his tried at Fluminense. Didi knew the sort of player “The Little Bird” was since he had come up against him when he was at Fluminense but he didn’t really know the height of how annoying it could be sometimes when playing with Garrincha. One time, he shouted to Garrincha to set him up but Garrincha didn’t really mind him or so it seemed but rather Garrincha hadn’t had his fill on taking on the defenders. He took on about 5 defenders before he set him (Didi) to score. After that run of play, Garrincha went to Didi and was like “Didi what did you say? I didn’t hear you.” That was his style. He was like a robot wired to perform one task: take on defenders at any point in time. Garrincha lit up the season and along the line developed a ferocious shot and dead ball abilities whiles perfecting the “banana” shot.
His impressive showing for Botafogo earned him a spot in the Seleçao to vie for the opportunity to be crowned world champions in the 1958 world cup which was held in Sweden. Before he got his chance, Julinho had to pass up on the opportunity with the view that, the boys had earned their spot and that it was time for others to fight for the country. Garrincha will light up the tournament but the tournament will always be remembered by the exploits of a 17-year-old Pele. The medical report showed that the Brazilian team had so many issues ranging from syphilis to bad teeth – which was basically all the players. Garrincha got things fixed and even went ahead to remove his tonsils, something he had put off for years. He returned, reduced in weight by 9 pounds and pale. He still managed to give his trademark smile and joked “I have fulfilled my childhood dreams, having an ice cream and having my tonsils out.”
The Brazilian team lodged in a hotel in Hindas. The hotel was ordered to replace all female staff in order to prevent any form of distraction. Just across the hotel was a nudist camp. Officials went there to request they cover up but that would be against their beliefs so the nudist camp refused. When the players learned of something like that, they got themselves Binoculars so they could watch them walk around nude.
Before Brazil went to Sweden, the team played a friendly against Fiorentina. That game is mostly remembered by the outstanding goal Garrincha scored. He took the ball down the right wing, went on his famous marauding run, took on every defender who got in his way, got into the box, dribbled the keeper and then was face to face with an empty net. Garrincha didn’t feel satisfied so he stood waiting for the defenders to try and cover. He got his wish and then dribbled them again before walking the ball over the line into the net doing all that whiles smiling. That wasn’t the first and it wasn’t going to be the last time he was going to render defenders useless and give his trademark smile in the process. One time he took on a defender, beat him, waited for him to recover and then beat him again. This time the defender fell down but Garrincha showed good sportsmanship and returned to help the defender up his feet and then beat him again before he went forward. He is also remembered for toying with defender so much so the defender gave up and decided not to pursue him again. These instances of showboating made the writer of his biography, Ruy Castro, refer to him as the most amateur professional footballer ever.
Garrincha and young Pele got their chance after some of the senior players made a case on their behalf after they were unused in the first two games against Austria and England. Feola, manager of Brazil, was still having problems having a balanced team especially upfront. Feola considered it and unleashed one of the greatest if not the greatest partnership in the history of the world cup in the final group game against USSR who had the ever reliable Yashin in post. The new look attack had everything; discipline, skill and imagination all in the right proportion. Feola finally was able to balance his attack. The first three minutes of the game is claimed to be the best three minutes ever in the game of football. The Soviet Union players didn’t know what hit them. Garrincha was tearing them apart on the right, Pele and Vava doing their thing across the pitch. The game ended 2-0 in favour of Brazil courtesy two goals from Vava. Garrincha was confused at first as to the format of the competition when saw the dejected faces of the players from the USSR. He thought they was going to be a second leg like the normal league system.
Wales were the unlucky opponents to meet Brazil in the quarter finals. The Brazilians bombarded them through out the entire game. The game ended 1-0 although the score line wasn’t a true reflection of the game, Brazil were through. After the game, Mel Hopkins said “When he stood and faced you his legs went one way and his body the other, there is no doubt about it, he could have been declared a cripple. But my God could he play. He attacked with such pace and I believe he was more of a danger than Pele. I believe at the time he was a phenomenon, capable of sheer magic.”
The Semi-final tie against France promised to be a master showpiece as the all round attack of Brazil was meeting the one man show attack of France led by Juste Fontaine - who was having the tournament of his life and will go on to set the record of most goals in a single world cup tournament after scoring 13 goals - but the French coach decided to bench Fontaine claiming he was keeping him fresh for the finals. That decision blew in his face as Brazil run riot defeating them 5-2. That game was an all Pele affair as the teenager bagged a hat-trick but Garrincha had a huge influence as he teared the defence to shreds each time, he had the ball at his feet.
The final showdown was between Brazil and host nation, Sweden. The Swedish coach in his pre-match conference stated that, if they are able to draw first blood in the game, they will be able to destabilize the Brazilians and that would open up more opportunities for them to inflict more damage. The game is also remembered for the birth of the Blue alternative kit used by Brazil. Since both teams wore yellow, there was a toss to find out who would wear the home kit and Brazil lost so they had to make provisions for a blue kit to use. The game kicked off and within 15 minutes, Sweden had drawn first blood. Everything was going on well for the Swedish coach but at the other side of the coin, the Brazilians at home were fearing for the worst. Hoping the spirit of the miracle of Maracanã won’t rise up to haunt them after 8 years. Didi took the ball from the keeper and they went to restart the game. Garrincha and the boys upfront had a different story in mind to write. By halftime Brazil was leading 2-1 courtesy Vava with both assists coming from Garrincha all in similar fashion. Brazil went on to win the 5-2 and then finally the world cup was won. The Brazilians in the stadium went crazy but back home celebrations were even more intense. When they returned home, the fans greeted them in a massive fashion. Garrincha had pontificated his way into the hearts of the people and he had become known to them as “Anjo de Pernas Tortas” which meant the Angel with Bent Legs. Garrincha on account of his poor financial knowledge and carefree attitude hid his world cup bonus in the mattress of his children with his wife. When they went for the money later, it had been destroyed due to bedwetting. After his exploits in Sweden, Garrincha had become a star of national status. These new heights meant more drinking, more nights out with women and in no time, Garrincha had gained weight. During one his drinking exploits, he ran his father over with his car although his father didn’t suffer any injury. His father later died after battling lung cancer due to the incessant drinking attitude.
His off the pitch antics grew more wilder and became more public due to his stardom. Garrincha now stocky, returned to Sweden in 1959 this time with Botafogo on a preseason tour. There he met with a nice Swedish girl and ended up bedding her. Nine months later, he got a telegram informing him he was now a father to a young boy. This new child of his was his first born since his wife only bore girls. With all his antics, Garrincha was responsible and so he began to send money over for the up keep of the boy. On his return to domestic football, Garrincha propelled Botafogo to two mor Campeonato Carioca trophies in 1961 and 1962.
In November 1961, Garrincha met Elza Soares in Rio. Elza was the queen of Brazilian music. Every corner one turned; one could hear the voice of Elza blasting from a stereo. They fell in love and started living together even in the knowledge that Garrincha had a family in Pau Grande. This alliance was the victim of criticism, angry letters, death threats and abuse from a section of the people. With Garrincha now stocky, he lost his spot in the national team but then he regained it in time for the 1962 world cup. That tournament would be remembered for the exploits of Garrincha.
In 1962, Brazil travelled to Chile to defend the title. This time the team was coached by the brother of Zeze Moreira, Aimore Moreira. They got their tittle defense off on a good start by dispatching off Mexico in simple fashion. The game ended 2-0 but it is remembered for the second half spectacular goal scored by Pele. The second group game ended in a stalemate but Pele once again was the centre of attention. This time the young man now called O Rei which means “The King” in Portuguese suffered a groin injury. It turns out Pele had the injury even before the world cup but still managed to find a way to hide it. That injury was the end of the road for Pele.
With Pele out, the question was, who was going to take up the mantle and drive the team. In the last group game against Spain who came with virtually players from Real Madrid including Francisco Gento, Luis Del Sol and the Galloping Major Ferenc Puskas, Amarildo handed Brazil the qualification after bagging himself a brace in the latter minutes of the game. It was still clear there was no one to take up the mantle. In the quarter final against England, Garrincha showed that he was capable of leading. The man who behaved like a kid trapped in a man’s body was going to put on hold his amateurish attitude and lead a nation with no hope to retain the world cup. Against England in the quarter finals, Garrincha led the 3-1 riot. He literally blew the English defence to smithereens. His marker Ray Wilson had a terrible day in the game. He was no match for the angel with bent legs. He used the right side and cut in so much so it felt like there was nobody there to stop him. The English press touted him as a breed of “Stanley Mathews, Tom Finney and a snake charmer all rolled into one.”
The semi-final saw Brazil take on host nation Chile, a nation fighting for something to hold on top after suffering a natural disaster that almost hindered their world cup bid and also the loss of their FA president, Carlos Dittborn, who led fight in acquiring the bid just before the tournament even started. That game was the end of the Chilean train and once again Garrincha proved to be the determining factor. He scored twice as Vava also replicated the feat to push Brazil 4-2 ahead. The game had a bitter end for Brazil and Garrincha as he received a red card for retaliating a challenge, he suffered at the hands of Eladio Rojas. The Chilean newspaper El Mercurio published an article with the headline “What Planet is Garrincha from?”
The days leading to the final would be filled with confusion as the Brazilian government pressed Fifa to allow Garrincha feature in the final against Czechoslovakia. Fifa had more problem coming its way as the Czechoslovakians also petitioned that Garrincha be allowed to feature. Fifa folded and Garrincha got the green light to play. It would seem right for the Czechoslovakians to want Garrincha out but they showed otherwise. The coach of Czechoslovakia had his own plans on stopping the Angel with bent legs. More good news for Brazil came as Pele was nearing full fitness. He had reached a level where he could actually play and he wanted to but the medical staff and the coach agreed it was too big a risk and with Garrincha leading the nation, it was right he nursed his injury so he returns to full fitness. The game started and just like 4 years ago, Brazil were down in the opening 15 minutes. The plan of the Czechoslovakians was to hold onto the ball, thus maintaining possession whiles neutralising Garrincha at the same time by putting two men on him. Unfortunately, they couldn’t hold on for long as Brazil equalised before halftime courtesy Amarildo, who was doing well filling in the shoes of Pele. In the second half, the Czechoslovakians tried to hold Brazil to the draw and hit them on a counter but that didn’t work. Midway into proceedings, Zito added the second goal to push Brazil 2-1 up. Neutralising Garrincha worked on one scale although he still had chances and he took them on but he wasn’t as effective as you would want him to be but, on another level, it meant they (Czechoslovakia) were at a numerical disadvantage against a team with so much talent. Vava sealed the game with 13 minutes left to play. Brazil held on to the win and was able to defend the title. Brazil were world champions for the second time on the bounce and Garrincha was the star of the show. He went home with both the golden ball as the best player and the golden boot as the top scorer, a feat he shared with Vava since they were joint top scorers. Garrincha was now known as Alegria do Povo (They joy of the People).
Finally, Garrincha had reached global stardom. The young ignorant and carefree boy from Pau Grande had finally arrived at the big stage and he was able cement his name in the books of history. Now everyone knew who Garrincha was and he had successfully cemented his name as the best dribbler of the ball in the world a feat which is still yet to be achieved although it is believed Ronaldinho came close. The world had witnessed first-hand the exploits of the one they called Anjo de Pernas Tortas: The Angel with Bent Legs and he was truly a master in the art of football. After the rise comes the fall and the next part of this series will address the decline that followed after he stayed on top for a few more years after the 1962 world cup.
@Bo
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