All Time World Cup! 2nd Round...
Pele 17, Tostao 68, Bican 78, Zico 84
Yokohama
Austria had already surprised many people by progressing further in the tournament than more obvious rivals such as Spain and Portugal.
They knew that today’s game would be an even greater test though, and it soon began to look unlikely that they would pass it. Brazil looked focussed from the off, and were soon overwhelming the Austrians in midfield.
The first goal came when Zico chipped a delicate ball in to the box. Pele evaded Happel and allowed the ball to drop over his shoulder before volleying home. For the next hour Brazil comfortably kept possession, while always looking a threat up front. Ocwirk and Sindelar did what they could but just didn’t have the quality of supporting cast to be able to cause the Brazilians real problems.
In the second half Zagallo felt confident enough to be able to bring Pele off for a rest, replacing him with 1970 team mate Tostao.
Tostao it was who scored the second, finding space after Zico dummied a Carlos Alberto cross. With the game surely won, Brazil brought on Rivelinho and the versatile Leonardo to allow Garrincha and Niltos Santos to rest their legs.
Leonardo soon set off on a lightning quick overlap down the left. He played the ball inside to Zico, who returned it with a first-time back-heel. Leonardo was now free to break beyond right back Sara and pull the ball back for Ronaldo, who blazed over.
In the 78th minute it looked as if Brazil might be made to pay for their profligacy when Sindelar found Josef Bican with an exquisite through ball. As well as being able to run 100 metres in 10.8 seconds, Bican is reckoned to have scored over 800 goals in competitive games in a career that spanned over 25 years. He lived up to his clinical reputation by clipping his shot past Taffarel.
As he grabbed the ball and ran back to the half way line, Austria suddenly believed that perhaps they could rescue this situation after all. Dunga however, was not about to accept complacency fro his team mates, and gave more than one of them a stern talking-to.
Nevertheless, the next chance fell to Austria, as a high ball from Alfred Korner was flicked on by Gerhard Hanappi, and Hans Krankl met it with a powerful header which Taffarel did well to bat away.
Djalma Santos reacted quickest to collect the loose ball, and shimmied away from Hanappi before sending a raking long pass forward to Rivelinho, who turned inside Bruno Pezzey and fed Ronaldo. His shot was blocked by keeper Koncilla but rebounded back to Zico, who coolly lobbed the ball over the stranded keeper and into the net.
Austria would be heading home but with heads held high. They had met their highest expectations and in Sindelar and Ocwirk, had two true all-time stars.
Brazil’s biggest enemy so far had been over-confidence. Next up though, they would face a much sterner examination –England or France.
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