June 7 – Classic England v Brazil
IT was the match that had everything, the two best teams in the world, the best save ever made and the best tackle ever made, all in the white-hot atmosphere of the best World Cup ever held.
Today in 1970, World Champions England lined up against the tournament favourites Brazil in a match that lived up to its billing as the game that should have been the final.
England arrived in Mexico with the 1966 heroes still in their prime and they were, if anything, a better team than the one that lifted the Jules Rimet trophy four years earlier. Meanwhile Brazil were the bookies tip for the title with Pele playing in his last World Cup.
The champions had the best of the opening ten minutes until Brazil burst into life. Jairzinho skipped down the right hand side and sent over a far post cross to the waiting Pele who met the ball with a bullet header, sending it down towards the left hand post. With the brilliant Brazilian already shouting “GOOOAAAAL” in celebration Gordon Banks had other ideas and flung himself at the ball “like a salmon leaping up a waterfall” (as Pele later put it) to tip it over the cross bar. It is widely hailed as the best save ever made.
As the match wore on Bobby Moore was kept busy breaking up Brazilian moves as the South Americans began to exert more and more pressure which eventually paid off on the hour mark. Tostao for once managed to outwit Moore and he flicked the ball over to Pele by the penalty spot. As he held the ball and the England defenders were drawn to him he slipped it to Jairzinho who was unmarked on his right-hand side who walloped the ball into the net from close range.
England came back immediately and went close through Charlton but then got caught on the break after sending everyone up for a free-kick. Jairzinho carried the ball into the England penalty area but the immovable object of Moore was there, and stuck out his leg with perfect timing to steal the ball cleanly. It is the famous “Tackle by Moore,” referred to by Baddiel and Skinner in the only decent football song to come out in years: Three Lions.
England did have chances, notably through Jeff Astle who shot wide after a mix up in the Brazilian defence, and Alan Ball whose shot beat the keeper but hit the bar. In the end they could not score and Brazil had won. Pele and Moore embraced after the final whistle, two titans of the game with enormous mutual respect.
Brazil used the win over the champions as a springboard and went on to win the trophy for the third time, while England fell apart against West Germany despite being 2-0 up with just 20 minutes remaining in the quarter-final.
Have a look at the highlights below, which are well worth a watch, and come back tomorrow for more World Cup memories from us.
No related posts.
Loading ...3 Comments
June 17 – The Game of the Century | On This Football Day on June 17th, 2009
[...] saw one of the greatest football matches ever played. While most will immediately think of either Gordon Banks’ save from Pele or Brazil’s superlative team-goal finished off by Carlos Alberto in the final, the best game [...]
England At The World Cup | On This Football Day on June 8th, 2010
[...] June 7th 1970 – Classic Brazil versus England in a game that had just about everything. Apart from an England win, obviously. [...]
June 14 - Germany Have Their Revenge | On This Football Day on June 14th, 2009
[...] a classic match with Brazil in the group stage, two wins in their other two matches ensured the Three Lions would be facing [...]