IN 1962 the Journey to World Cup Glory returned to South America for the 7th Edition and earthquake-struck Chile, still recovering from the shock, was chosen to host.
For the first time the Cup was internationally televised live though it was in black and white and only reached some countries.
This tournament began with a record 56 countries – one more than the previous Cup – that kicked off the Preliminary competition from which 14 teams qualified to join Cup holders Brazil and Chile for the World Championship of football.
The gifted Brazilians, although less entertainingly brilliant than the first Championship win, again conquered all to join Italy as the only nations in the history of the Cup to win back-to-back titles.
Not even the untimely injury to the 21-year-old Pele, in the team’s second match, impeded the confident march to success for the boys from Brazil. Among the casualties in the Preliminaries were France and runners-up of the previous Cup, Sweden.
On May 30, the tournament got under way with 4 games at four different venues and resulted in four winners. The home team, as was expected, drew the biggest crowd in Santiago where 65 000 happy fans witnessed a come-from-behind 3-1 win over Switzerland in group two action.
Also on the first day in Arico, Uruguay had the better of newcomers Colombia 2-1 in group one, Argentina beat Bulgaria 3-1 in Rancagua and in Vina, Brazil made a winning start to the defence of their title overcoming stout resistance by Mexico.
Eleven minutes into the second half the consummate Zagallo rose to meet a well measured cross from Pele and headed Brazil into the lead which was doubled by a scintillating solo run by who else but the Master Pele.
In the 73rd minute the King took the Mexican defence apart, waltzing past four, as if they were not there, and then the keeper, for his only moment of genius in a competition where injury limited his playing time.
Two days later, fate dealt the competition and his country a most unexpected blow when the ‘Black Pearl’ tore a muscle in his left thigh early in the game against Czechoslovakia. This marked the end of Pele’s participation and no doubt his injury affected the team as the match ended in a goal-less stalemate. In their final group match against Spain, Pele’s replacement Amarildo proved his worth with strikes in the 72nd and 86th minutes after Adelardo gave Spain the initiative in the 35th minute. The Czechs joined the Brazilians in the quarters after a 1-0 win over Spain and a surprise 1-3 loss to Mexico.
Meantime, Chile playing in Santiago continued to play before the biggest crowds. Against Italy on June 2 over 66 000 attended what turned out to be the most physical battle on the field with English referee Ken Aston, who was accused by the Italians of being provocative, sending off Giorgio Ferrini for a violent hacking down of Landa after just 7 minutes and Mario David followed after he fired a vicious retaliatory kick to the head of Leonel Sanchez four minutes from the half.
It is the same Sanchez who broke the nose of Humberto Maschio with a solid left hook while referee Aston’s back was turned. The brave Italians held their own for the greater part of the 2nd half, but Jaime Ramirez (73th) and Jorge Toro 3 minutes from time ensured the Chileans did not disappoint the fans.
The next day at the said venue Germany beat the Swiss 2-1 in another game that had a casualty. Fourteen minutes into the match the Swiss forward Norbert Eschman’s leg was broken when he was violently hacked down from behind by Horst Szymaniak. The Italians who drew 0-0 with Germany in their 1st match ended with a 3-0 victory against Switzerland, while the biggest crowd of 67 224 saw Germany humble Chile 2-0.
The other qualifiers for the next round were Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union of group one and from group 4 Hungary and England.
All the games were decided on June 10 with Chile edging the Soviet Union 2-1, while Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia won by 1-0 against Germany and Hungary respectively. The Cup holders, led by the elusive Garrincha (31st and 59th) and Vava (53rd) made light work of England who got a consolation goal from Gerry Hitchens (38th).
The largest turnout for the Championship (76 500) showed up at Santiago where Brazil, spearheaded by a pair each from Vava (47th, 78th) and Garrincha (9th and 32nd), ended the hopes of Chile who replied with two of their own, Toro (42nd) and Sanchez (61thP).
The other semi-final played in Vina could only attract 5 890 fans and Czechoslovakia prevailed 3-1 over Yugoslavia to set up the 2nd meeting with the defending champs. Chile won the 3rd place contest thanks to an 85th minute winner from Eladio Rojas against a Yugoslavia team that was seemingly uninterested.
In front of 69 000 fans the Czechs did the unthinkable when they took the lead after a quarter-hour through Josef Masopust. Within two minutes the lead was cancelled when Amarildo scored from an acute angle on the left. It was not until the 69th minute the Champs were able to take the lead from the determined Czechs when Zito headed into an open goal an Amarildo cross. Vava sealed the victory in the 78th minute when he capitalised on the goalkeeper’s failure to hold the ball.
It was the 2nd runners-up finish for the Czechs – 1934 against Italy was the other time as they joined Hungary who also failed at the final hurdle in 1938 to give Italy and the World the first back-to-back Champion and again in 1954 against West Germany. Another country will eclipse this feat later on the Journey to World Cup Glory.
Six players ended with four goals each to share the Golden Boot Award: Hungary’s Florian Albert, Valentin Ivanov of Soviet Union, Yugoslav’s Drazen Jerkovic, Chile’s Leonel Sanchez and the Brazilian duo of Garrincha and Vava.