Brazil v. Scotland: A Brief World Cup History

Brazil v. Scotland World Cup Results

1974: Brazil 0 - Scotland 0
1982: Brazil 4 - Scotland 1 (Zico, Oscar, Eder, Falcao; Narey)
1990: Brazil 1 - Scotland 0 (Muller)
1998: Brazil 2 - Scotland 1 (Sampaio, Tom Boyd (own goal); John Collins)

Brazil and Scotland have played in the World Cup in 1974, 1982, 1990 and 1998. Considering that Scotland has qualified for the World Cup only eight times, the Scots can consider themselves unlucky to have drawn Brazil in four of their eight World Cup appearances. In 1974, Scotland played a highly physical match against the defending champions in Frankfurt in 1974. The game featured 50 fouls divided evenly amidst both teams. In the 12th minute, Rivelino's free kick was parried away by Scottish goalkeeper Harvey. Brazil's Nelinho took the resulting corner and Leivinha hit the cross-bar to no avail. Minutes later, Jairzinho attacked from the right but Scotland's Jardine kept the ball off the goal line. In the second half, Scotland's Lorimer posed more than one threat against Brazil by way of a dangerous 30 yard free kick and shots from all corners of the field. Both sides struggled with a pitch saturated with rain but, all in all, Brazil's team looked like a ghost of the squad that had dazzled the world in Mexico four years earlier. Rivelino wore the number 10 jersey though he failed to pose the attacking threat that had destroyed defenses in the 1970 World Cup. 1982 was a different story entirely, however. The Scots went ahead early through a goal by Narey, but from then on, it was all Brazil. Zico curled in a glorious free kick to equalize in the 33rd minute and then, just after half time, Oscar latched onto a corner from Junior to make it 2-1 Brazil. Brazil now continued the attack relentlessly on all fronts and Socrates asserted his authority in orchestrating the final two goals. In the 64th minute, Socrates found Serginho in the center, in front of goal. Serginho flicked the ball left to Eder on the left flank, who caught the goalkeeper off his line and magically curled the ball into the far right post to make it 3-1 Brazil. In the 86th minute, Socrates, lurking on the edge of the box, saw Paulo Falcao steaming forward from midfield and poked the ball into his path. Falcao made no mistake and sent a rocket into the bottom left corner of the net. As in the match against the Soviet Union, Brazil came from behind and asserted their place as favorites for the 1982 World Cup in dramatic fashion. In 1990, Brazil beat Scotland 1-0 thanks to a goal by Muller, who had come on as a substitute for the young Romario in the 65th minute. Alemao struck a lawnmower of a ball at the Scottish keeper who, unable to prevent a rebound, left the loose ball to Careca. Careca deflected the ball to his strike partner Muller, who had burst forward from the right flank to tap the ball into an open goal. In 1998, Brazil encountered Scotland in their first match of the tournament and opening group game. With all of the hype around the young sensation Ronaldo and the controversy of Romario's last minute exclusion from the squad due to injury, Brazilian journalists were ready to pounce at the slightest display of weakness from the defending champions. Brazil beat Scotland 2-1 thanks to an own goal from Tom Boyd after Cesar Sampaio opened the scoring before Brazil conceded a penalty that John Collins converted in the 38th minute.

Brazil v. France: A Brief World Cup History

France and Brazil have played four times in the World Cup, namely, in 1958, 1986, 1998 and 2006. In 1958, Brazil encountered France in the quarterfinals in Sweden en route to the championship. Brazil crushed Just Fontaine's team 5-2 thanks to goals by Didi, Vava and a hat-trick by the 17 year old Pele. But since the 1958 victory in Sweden, Brazil has lost to France at the World Cup on three successive occasions. In 1986, Brazil drew France in the quarterfinals once again, this time in Guadalajara, Mexico. France boasted a star studded squad featuring Michel Platini, Jean Tigana, Alain Giresse and Manuel Amoros. Brazil, meanwhile, featured a host of world renowned players such as 1982 World Cup stars Socrates, Zico and Junior, in addition to a crop of new faces in the form of Branco, Alemao, Muller and Careca. In the first half, Brazil flourished in the sweltering 45 degree Mexico heat. Right back Josimar found Muller, who played a give and go with Junior who in turn passed to Careca across the face of goal. The unmarked Careca emphatically buried the ball in the roof of the net to give Brazil a 1-0 lead. Later in the half, Muller hit the post as the South Americans continued their onslaught on the French goal from the left, right and center. Socrates orchestrated a bevy of Brazilian attacks and received back-up in midfield from Elzo and Alemao as he ventured forward. But in the 41st minute, against the run of play, France received the lucky break that enabled them to draw level. Michel Platini tapped in a cross from the right flank by Rocheateau, whose ball across the face of goal was fumbled by Carlos, the Brazilian goalkeeper. Nearly invisible for 40 minutes, Platini emerged out of the blue to give France the equalizer just minutes before half time.

The second half continued in the same attacking vein from both teams. Tele Santana substituted Zico for Muller in the 72nd minute, and within minutes, the Brazilian number 10, also known as the white Pele, had set Branco free on goal. French goalkeeper Bats brought down Branco giving Brazil a penalty. Barely warmed up, Zico stepped up to the penalty spot and missed, giving France another leash of life on a game that was rapidly turning into one of the most entertaining, attacking displays of football in recent memory. The match went to extra time and penalty kicks.

Socrates missed the first penalty for Brazil. Yannick Stopyra scored for France. Alemao scored, as did Amoros for France. The score was now 2-1 France. Zico and Bruno Bellone scored for Brazil and France respectively. It was now 3-2 France. Branco made it 3-3. And then, Michel Platini spooned his kick over the cross-bar. Julio Cesar went for a spectacular kick that was saved by French goalkeeper Bats. And finally, France's Luis Fernandez gave France a thrilling 4-3 victory.

The next time Brazil and France met was in the World Cup final at the Stade de France in 1998 in a dream match-up between the defending champions and the host nation. France had failed to impress in the matches leading up to the final and their strikers had, for the most part, failed to find the back of the net. Brazil, on the other hand, progressively improved as the tournament unfolded and had just come off a thrilling victory over the Netherlands on penalty kicks. Ronaldo finally seemed to find the spaces for which he had been nicknamed "The Phenomenon" in Europe. Meanwhile, Rivaldo, Roberto Carlos and Cafu collectively started to emerge as a formidable strikeforce to supplement the experience and positional awareness of striker Bebeto. But there was something different about the Brazil team that stepped onto the Stade de France in the final on July 12, 1998. Ronaldo appeared sedated and off his game. Correspondingly, the entire Brazilian team lacked the rhythm and concentration displayed in their preceding matches. The game prominently featured a match-up between the two number 10 shirts in the form of Rivaldo for Brazil and Zinedine Zidane for France. Like the rest of the Selecao, Rivaldo struggled to impose himself and conversely, Zidane roamed all over the pitch as he dictated play for the French in midfield and attack, dribbling through the Brazilian midfield, organizing triangular passing formations and ensuring that the full backs Lizarazu and Thuram had the freedom to contain the marauding Brazilian fullbacks Cafu and Roberto Carlos. Zidane scored on headers from two corner kicks in the 27th minute and the 46th minute respectively, effectively sinking Brazil before the end of the first half. In the second half, Mario Zagallo brought on Denilson Oliveira and Edmundo "The Animal" but all to no avail as Brazil's possession advantage failed to translate into goals. Emmanuel Petit put the icing on the cake for the French in a counter-attacking play that sealed the score at 3-0 in what amounted to a devastating loss for Brazil. Rumors gradually spread that Ronaldo had been seen at a French hospital minutes before the match for an ankle injury, or that he had suffered a seizure or set of convulsions. To this day, no one knows the truth of what happened to Ronaldo and the Brazilian team, other than that they looked like the ghost of the team that had defeated Morocco, Chile, Denmark and the Netherlands en route to the final.

In 2006, France defeated Brazil in the World Cup quarterfinals thanks to another inspiring performance by Zidane and disciplined French marking of the Brazilian fullbacks. Brazil's "fab four" of Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Kaka and Adriano failed to trouble the French defense. Zidane, on the other hand, took control of the game for France and dominated midfield play even more so than in 1998. In the 57th minute, Zidane swept a curling free kick to Thierry Henry who volleyed the ball into the top of the net to give France the one goal they needed to launch into the semi-finals.

Romario, Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Kaka & Bebeto: A Guide to Shirt Numbers for the Selecao

The number of a football player's shirt speaks volumes not only about his position on the pitch but also about the way in which he is perceived by his coach and the team more generally. In the case of the Brazilian national football team, the symbolism of numbers worn on the shirts of Selecao players is richer than in most other national teams given the Selecao's illustrious history, complete with 5 World Cup trophies, two runner up medals and the memory of Tele Santana's 1982 World Cup squad, widely regarded as the best football team never to win a championship. Ever since Pele wore the number 10 shirt for Brazil in 1970, the number 10 shirt has typically been given only to remarkable footballers who have the capacity to change a game. Zico inherited the number 10 shirt in 1982 and 1986 and, like Pele, occupied the position of a pure striker. In recent years, however, the number 10 shirt has shifted to creative, attacking midfielders that orchestrate attacks in addition to scoring goals. When Mario Zagallo gave the number 10 jersey to Allessandro Rivaldo at the 1998 World Cup in France, for example, there was much speculation in the Brazilian media as to whether Rivaldo could "bear the weight" of the number 10 jersey. As it turned out, Rivaldo lived up to and even exceeded expectations in the number 10 shirt both in 1998 and 2002, and since then, the number 10 shirt has gone, for the most part, either to Ronaldinho or Kaka.

The number 9 and 11 jerseys signify a pure striker in the vein of Ronaldo and Romario. Ronaldo famously wore the number 9 whereas Romario was most often seen in the number 11. 7 marks yet another well known number in the pantheon of venerable Brazilian shirt numbers as it is typically worn by another striker, and most likely a winger of a certain kind who lies deeper than a primary striker and plays a pivotal role in creating goal scoring opportunities alongside the attacking midfield. Bebeto wore the number 7 given his penchant for lying deep, behind Romario, and setting up his strike partner to score while concurrently dispatching scoring opportunities that came his way. Rivaldo also wore the number 7 jersey earlier in his career when playing alongside the famous "Ro Ro" combination of Romario and Ronaldo as a left sided winger. The final number of any real significance is 8, the shirt number worn by the great midfielder Socrates and, in select matches, by Ricardo Kaka, who wears the same jersey for Real Madrid. 8 seems to have fallen out of favor in the last ten years or so, but its symbolic association with Socrates has unforgettably marked its bearer as an embodiment of creativity, leadership and midfield brilliance.

The following list identifies attacking Brazilian players for the Selecao and the shirt number they typically wore in World Cup matches or qualifying rounds:

World Cup 2010

Robinho: 11
Kaka: 10
Luis Fabiano: 9
Elano: 7

World Cup 2006

Ronaldinho: 10
Ronaldo: 9
Kaka: 8
Adriano: 7
Roberto Carlos: 6

World Cup 2002

Ronaldinho: 11
Rivaldo: 10
Ronaldo: 9
Roberto Carlos: 6

World Cup 1998

Bebeto: 20
Rivaldo: 10
Ronaldo: 9

World Cup 1994

Romario: 11
Bebeto: 7

World Cup 1990

Muller: 15
Romario: 11
Careca; 9

World Cup 1986

Socrates: 18
Zico: 10
Careca: 9
Muller: 7

World Cup 1982

Falcao: 15
Eder: 11
Zico: 10
Serginho: 9
Socrates: 8
Junior: 6

World Cup 1970

Rivelino: 11
Pele: 10
Tostao: 9
Jairzinho: 7

Santos midfielder Paulo Henrique Ganso is widely expected to take over the number 10 jersey in the coming years while Neymar may well inherit number 11, and Alexander Pato the number 9 shirt for Brazil.

Brazil v. Argentina: A Brief World Cup History

Brazil and Argentina have played in the World Cup in 1978, 1982 and 1990. 1978 featured a tense, goalless draw dubbed “The Battle of Rosario” that Argentina enjoyed en route to World Cup glory on home soil. Four years later, in Spain in 1982, Brazil defeated Argentina 3-1. Tele Santana’s Brazilian team considered Argentina their most formidable opponent en route to the trophy, knowing full well that the Albiceleste had brought a young player to Spain named Diego Maradona. But the match was far easier for Brazil than originally envisioned. Zico scored the first goal, Serginho the second and Junior the third before Argentina’s Diaz scored in the closing minutes. But eight years later, it was Argentina’s turn to claim victory at the World Cup with a 1-0 defeat of Brazil in Turin. Brazil dominated the first 80 minutes of the match, deploying dangerous shots on goal from Careca, Dunga and Alemao, in addition to commanding the lion’s share of possession. In the second half, Careca, Valdo and Alemao continued to press the attack on Goycochea’s goal, but to no avail. In the 80th minute, a moment of magic from Maradona sealed the victory for Argentina. Maradona ran through a throng of Brazilian defenders toward the right flank before providing a left diagonal through ball to Claudio Caniggia, who promptly beat goalkeeper Claudio Taffarel. The match subsequently became famous for the “holy water scandal” because Brazilian right back Branco claimed that he had been given a water bottle laced with tranquilizers during the game. Branco had been central to the marking of Maradona and, amidst his lethargy, Maradona was able to break free and dish the killer pass to Caniggia. Years later Maradona confessed the truth of Branco’s allegations on Argentina television, but Argentina coach Carlos Bilardo denied the incident completely.