The ECHO’s Chris Beesley continues his daily series of articles on Everton and the World Cup running throughout the tournament in Qatar.
As winners of the previous two tournaments, there was great excitement on Merseyside at the prospect of welcoming Pele and friends as the Brazil national team were based at Goodison Park for all three of their Group 3 matches at the 1966 World Cup finals but ultimately the samba carnival on the pitch failed to hit the right notes for the defending champions despite their opening victory. Claudia Street, just off Walton Lane, in the shadow of Everton's home ground Goodison, was lovingly decorated by residents with colourful flags and flowers, while the ECHO interviewed a Wirral missionary who had returned home after living in the Brazilian interior state of Mato Grosso, a region comprising of Amazon rainforest, tropical wetlands and savannah.
Robert Watson, of Heswall, who had spent five years in South America before coming back for the sake of his wife’s health, said: “The Mato Grosso is a large tract of unexplored and underdeveloped country. But this is one of the rapidly growing areas of Brazil and the people there are just football mad like the rest.”
Recalling the previous World Cup finals in 1962 which Brazil won in Chile, he added: “The moment a goal was scored they (the locals) rushed out of their homes and set off giant fire crackers.”
Meanwhile, with Spellow Lane Church preparing to offer refreshments to Brazilian fans, their former vicar the Rev. Mervyn Bufton, who had moved to Sao Paulo, had written to them to warn over what drinks should and should not be provided to the South American guests.
He implored: “Don’t offer them coffee because you can't possibly make it the way they like it! Merely to try would, in their eyes, be like insulting their coffee.
“Offer them weak tea instead. They love it.”
On the pitch, Brazil’s World Cup campaign at Goodison ultimately flattered to deceive as they were knocked out in the group stage but there had been no early signs of their malaise in their opening game on July 12, as they defeated Bulgaria 2-0 with goals from Pele and Garrincha.
In the ECHO, Michael Charters reported: “Brazil moved smoothly through the opening defence of their world title at Goodison Park last night and showed in their 2-0 victory over Bulgaria that it will take a highly talented team indeed to prevent them from going on to a hat-trick of World Cup successes. Brazil showed the sort of football which makes all the effort of staging the World Cup here worthwhile and must make spectators feel they have seen something for their money – and big money at that.”
Bulgarian centre-forward Asparukov caught the eye with Charters observing: “He can get up for a ball like Tommy Lawton” but “poorly supported, could not do it all himself.” Both Brazil’s goals came from free-kicks with Pele having the honour of being Goodison’s first World Cup scorer some 15 minutes into the contest before Garrincha sealed the holders’ victory on 63 minutes.
Charters wrote: “Brought down by Zhechev, just outside the penalty area, he swerved a low ball past the defensive wall and goalkeeper Naidenov, who played very well, looked unsighted as he went down for the ball, which hit him on the arm and was deflected high into the net.
“The other free-kick goal was right out of the top drawer. Again the man who had been fouled took the kick and scored.
“This time it was Garrincha, who hit an incredible shot from 20 yards past the Bulgars’ line-up and Naidenov was airborne when the ball was in the top corner.”
On the goalscorers, he noted: “Pele’s artistry was there for all to see. For long periods he was out of the game but he moves like lightning when the crucial moment arrives. His chipped passes with either foot, his deft and deadly passing through a wall of defenders opened the way for Alcindo and others.
“Garrincha, the ‘Little Bird’ of great fame, quickly delighted the crowd with his intricate dribbling, not all of which succeeded but still showed the sort of high individual skill which makes spectating a pleasure.”
Indeed, while suitably impressed by the holders, Charters was taken aback by the cultural differences between his South American counterparts in the Goodison Park press box, adding: “If this is World Cup football, let’s sit back and enjoy it. The staging of the game on the superb Goodison pitch was excellent although it was rather strange to be surrounded by Brazilian Press men who cheered every move of their own side!”
READ MORE FROM OUR EVERTON WORLD CUP SERIES:
Midfielder who could have been an Everton hero got David Beckham treatment after beating Pele record
Everton legend Kevin Sheedy lifts lid on World Cup 'derby game' and crucial penalty advice
Everton fans take Jordan Pickford jibes to heart but can benefit from more England heroics from him
World Cup proved the end of the road for Everton trailblazer
