A samba verted to the tango of the suburbs

Some say that the first football game between Brazil and Argentina took place on July 9, 1908. The theory is divided. Afifa, which has the craze that rules everything before it has been founded, in a disgraced arrogance of making a square fall into a triangle space, does not recognize this match. For their part, Brazilians discard the compitement because they only used players from Rio de Janeiro. And they postpone the debut of their selection for July 21, 1914, in a victory against Oexeter City of England (2-0). Curious since FIFA also does not accept to account for disputes between teams and clubs. The Brazilian convenience is perceived. Adding the calendar save two losses with the Argentines. But I will talk about them, because they are very well documented in the book El Futbol en El Río de la Plata, by Ernesto Escobar Bavio, published in 1923.

We then go to 1908. Argentines were touring Brazil and played no less than seven screening games of their frank superiority: six wins and a draw. This superiority was not oblivious to the presence of several second generation British in the whole, a practice at the time. Brothers Brown, for example, Alfredo, Elisha and Ernesto; Guillermo Campbell; Carlos Dickinson. But in Rio de Janeiro, against Exeter, in Campo das Laranjeiras, then in Guanabara Street, and belonging to Dofluminense, the highlight was a discouraging boy. In the evening two in the afternoon it rained. The triumph of the albicelests (3-2) was sealed with a goal by Lucio Burgos.

Let us proceed in the forced nonexistence. 1912, September 8th. The day before the 90th anniversary of the Ipiranga Scream had celebrated and the Argentines joined the Great Feast Norio. The subject was taken so seriously that the entourage leader was Julio Argentinoroca, former President of the Argentine Republic. At the time he was already taking three and being massacred. So Roca went to talk to the players to ask them a little consideration by Brazilian friends. Thus, reaching 5-0, Argentina let the opponent score three goals. It was 3-6. A gesture of pity that should be drowned out by the maleness of what is worth or not worth. And only to the third confrontation did FIFA declare the hostilities open: September 20, 1914, at the Dogimnasia Y Owning Stadium, Buenos Aires, 3-0 victory. Not to vary. It was the samba verted to the tango of the suburbs, as Gardel called him.

Argentine

In the first decades of games between them, Argentina clearly took the best. And the results were being balanced. Until the Copa Roca 1939 and 1940 came. That same. Allejo Julio Argentino Roca Paz, who decided, after the 1914 match, to institute a tournament between the two teams. From January 15, 1939 to March 17, 1940, there was the mastodontic accounting of seven clashes between Argentina and Brazil. With bad memories for Brazilians.

It all started AbracadaBrante at the Janário Stadium, Nario de Janeiro, before more than 70,000 spectators. Brazil was crushed 1-5, after being lost again by 0-5. Leonidas da Silva, the Black Pearl of the kick-kick reduced in the last half an hour after Herminio Masantonio and José Manuel Moreno (two goals each) have hellized their life to the Batatais goalkeeper. The JornalGlobo did not lose the Parangona: «The biggest setback of Brazilian football». The worst would be to come, but no longer this year because in the second game, seven days later, Exeter won 3-2 with goals from Adilson, Leonidas (of course!) And Perácio. There were two more battles to decide the winner, scheduled for Sao Paulo, on 18 and 25 February following. An Argentina diminished, without some of its stars, can handle the 2-2 in the field of Palestrataitália (now Palmeiras), in the first dose. Then, again on the same ground, it has the cup thanks to a victory for Claros 3-0.

Brazil in pieces

Less than a month later, on March 5, the edition of the 1940 Roca Cup began. This time it would be resolved in just two games. Or so I thought everyone. It was the turn of Buenos Aires and the San Lorenzo El Gasometer Stadium to be hosts. The seething environment and the stunning exhibitions of Emilio Baldonedo, Carlos Peucelle (three goals) and Masantio parade Brazil in pieces: 6-1. About 50,000 people celebrated the largest rout ever signed by Argentina to Brazilians. And they came back to the same stadium on the 10th.

Perhaps the euphoria drovered the Argentines. Or perhaps Hercules Demiranda, the Dofluminense striker, was too herculean. It was he, with the help of Leonidas, this divine black named after king of Sparta, took the team to an unexpected 3-2 victory. So unexpected that the organization had to mark a third game to define the trophy winner. This time it was the Almirante Cordero stadium in Avellaneda, Casa do Independiente, to break through the seams. Hercules, injured, as if it were possible if not even the Lepanto lion made a risk, left Brazil handed over to Leonidas and Jair Rosapinto. It didn’t arrive. Peucelle, Masantonio and Baldonedo were huge again. And the wide result in the sleeves: 5-1. Within two months the Argentines had subjected their rivals to three fat thrashed. Never has difference to be such order again. As it turned out on Wednesday, at Monumental Stadium. 4-1! It hit right.